A test system based on the study of short-circuit arcing fire in battery packs

Abstract

This invention relates to a testing system for studying short-circuit arcing and fire in battery packs, belonging to the field of battery technology. The testing system includes: an explosion-proof housing providing a sealed space for testing, and the housing having an injection port; a gas source for storing and outputting inert gas, with its gas outlet connected to the injection port via a pipeline to ensure that inert gas is injected into the explosion-proof housing through the injection port; a gas sensor for detecting the inert gas content within the housing; and a short-circuit testing machine connected to the battery pack under test to force a short circuit. This testing system can enable research on the inhibitory effect of inert gas on short-circuit arcing and fire in battery packs and provides reliable data for the research.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to a testing system for studying short-circuit arcing and fire in battery packs, belonging to the field of battery technology. Background Technology

[0002] With the gradual upgrading of green energy and environmental protection concepts, power lithium-ion battery products have experienced explosive growth. However, once lithium-ion batteries are misused, they are prone to thermal runaway, which can lead to combustion and explosion, posing a danger to property and personal safety.

[0003] In recent years, with the popularization and promotion of electric vehicles, electric vehicle fires have occurred frequently in the market. Therefore, how to prevent battery cell fires has become a very important issue. Regarding the fire problem of power battery systems, isolating air to suppress power battery fires is an important direction of research on battery cell fire suppression in the industry.

[0004] Research on battery system fires has revealed that over 70% of vehicle fires on the market are caused by short circuits and arcing in the battery pack following a collision. Therefore, it is crucial to quickly and safely establish a test platform for battery pack short circuit and arcing fires, and to accurately evaluate the inhibitory effect of inert gases on these fires, providing reliable data for future research on battery pack short circuit and arcing fires.

[0005] Therefore, a technical solution based on the research of battery pack short-circuit arcing and fire is needed. Summary of the Invention

[0006] The purpose of this application is to provide a test system for studying short-circuit arcing fires in battery packs, providing an effective technical solution for such research.

[0007] To achieve the above objectives, this application proposes a technical solution for a testing system based on the study of short-circuit arcing and fire in battery packs, comprising:

[0008] An explosion-proof enclosure is provided to provide a closed space for testing, and the explosion-proof enclosure is provided with an injection port;

[0009] The gas source is used for the storage and output of inert gas. The gas output port of the gas source is connected to the injection port through a pipeline to ensure that the inert gas is injected into the explosion-proof housing through the injection port on the explosion-proof housing.

[0010] Gas sensor used to detect the content of inert gas inside explosion-proof enclosure;

[0011] The short-circuit tester is connected to the battery pack to be tested and forces a short circuit on the battery pack.

[0012] The beneficial effects of the technical solution of the test system based on the study of short-circuit arcing fire of battery packs in this invention are as follows: The test system includes an explosion-proof housing that ensures safety and provides a closed test space, a short-circuit test machine that forces a short circuit for the battery pack, a gas source and a gas sensor equipped with inert gas. Through this test system, the suppression effect of inert gas on short-circuit arcing fire of battery packs can be studied, and reliable data can be provided for the research.

[0013] Furthermore, the testing process for studying the short-circuit arcing fire of the battery pack is as follows: After determining the content of non-combustible inert gas in the battery pack inside the explosion-proof housing, inert gas is introduced at this content, and the battery pack is forcibly short-circuited through a short-circuit test machine until the battery pack arcs and melts, and the fire phenomenon is observed.

[0014] Furthermore, in order to accurately determine the content of non-combustible inert gas in the battery pack inside the explosion-proof housing, an igniter and an ignition switch are also included. These are used to change the content of inert gas, and the content of non-combustible inert gas in the battery pack is determined by triggering the battery pack to ignite through the ignition switch.

[0015] Furthermore, in order to accurately obtain the content of non-combustible inert gas in the battery pack inside the explosion-proof housing, the gas sensor is an oxygen sensor, which is installed inside the explosion-proof housing. Attached Figure Description

[0016] Figure 1 This is a structural diagram of the test system for the present invention based on the study of short-circuit arcing and fire in battery packs;

[0017] In the diagram: 1 is the explosion-proof housing, 2 is the battery pack, 3 is the igniter, 4 is the oxygen sensor, 5 is the ignition switch, 6 is the short-circuit tester, 7 is the gas source, and 8 is the inert gas injection port. Detailed Implementation

[0018] Example of a test system based on research on short-circuit arcing and fire in battery packs:

[0019] Test systems based on battery pack short-circuit arcing fire research, such as Figure 1 As shown, it includes an explosion-proof housing 1, an igniter 3, an oxygen sensor 4, an ignition switch 5, a short-circuit tester 6, and a gas source 7.

[0020] The explosion-proof housing 1 provides a closed and safe testing space for the battery pack 2 during testing. The explosion-proof housing 1 is equipped with a viewing window to allow testing personnel to observe any internal fire phenomena. The explosion-proof housing 1 is also equipped with an inert gas injection port 8 (hereinafter referred to as the injection port).

[0021] There are two oxygen sensors 4, which are respectively arranged on the upper and lower surfaces inside the explosion-proof housing 1. They are used to detect the oxygen content inside the explosion-proof housing 1, and thus the content of inert gas can be obtained. The inert gas here is nitrogen.

[0022] Igniter 3 is placed inside the explosion-proof housing 1 and is used to trigger the battery pack 2 to ignite. Igniter 3 is controlled by ignition switch 5 to start and stop igniter 3. Igniter switch 5 is located outside the explosion-proof housing 1 and is connected to igniter 3 inside via a control line. Of course, ignition switch 5 can also control igniter 3 wirelessly, and this invention is not limited thereto.

[0023] The gas source 7 is used for the storage and output of inert gas. The gas source 7 includes a gas cylinder containing inert gas and a gas pump. The gas output port of the gas source 7 is connected to the inert gas injection port 8 through a pipeline (here, a flexible hose). The gas pump can inject the inert gas in the gas cylinder into the explosion-proof housing 1 through the flexible hose and the inert gas injection port 8 on the explosion-proof housing 1.

[0024] The short-circuit tester 6 is connected to the positive and negative terminals of the battery pack 2 to force a short circuit in the battery pack 2 (no fuses or relays are allowed, and the short-circuit resistance of the short-circuit tester 6 must be higher than the internal resistance of the aluminum palladium inside the battery pack 2) until the battery pack 2 is arced and melted. To improve the convenience of short-circuit control, the short-circuit tester 6 is placed outside the explosion-proof housing 1 and connected to the positive and negative terminals of the battery pack 2 via wires.

[0025] The testing system is used to study the short-circuit arcing and fire ignition of battery pack 2. This is a destructive test and carries certain safety risks. Therefore, the explosion-proof housing 1 must be sealed properly and meet the required explosion-proof rating. Furthermore, the following precautions must be taken before the test:

[0026] a. Defect treatment must be performed on the aluminum palladium inside battery pack 2 to ensure that arcing occurs inside battery pack 2 after a short circuit.

[0027] b. All safety protections must be removed during battery pack 2 testing;

[0028] c. The resistor of the short-circuit tester 6 should be selectable, and the resistor of the short-circuit tester 6 should not be a weak point in the test.

[0029] The main experimental process for studying the short-circuit arcing and fire of battery pack 2 consists of two steps:

[0030] 1. Determine the critical oxygen content within the explosion-proof enclosure 1 that prevents ignition, and then obtain the minimum amount of nitrogen gas required to be introduced corresponding to the critical oxygen content.

[0031] In this step, battery pack 2 does not need to be connected to short-circuit tester 6, but igniter 3 and ignition switch 5 need to be set up.

[0032] Select a battery pack 2, process it according to requirements, place it in the explosion-proof housing 1 and install it. Open the inert gas injection port 8, seal it, and control the injection of inert gas into the explosion-proof housing 1. The oxygen sensor 4 collects the oxygen content in the explosion-proof housing 1 in real time. When the oxygen content changes by 5%, the ignition switch 5 triggers the igniter 3 to start. Observe whether the current oxygen content can support combustion. By gradually introducing nitrogen, the oxygen content decreases, and the critical oxygen content at which the battery pack 2 in the explosion-proof housing 1 cannot ignite can be found. The corresponding minimum amount of nitrogen introduced is determined by the critical oxygen content.

[0033] 2. Introduce nitrogen according to the minimum amount of nitrogen obtained in step 1, and observe whether the battery pack 2 catches fire after short-circuiting and arcing.

[0034] In this step, the battery pack 2 is connected to the short-circuit tester 6, and there is no need to set up the igniter 3 and ignition switch 5.

[0035] Select a battery pack 2, process it according to requirements, place it in the explosion-proof housing 1 and install it, open the inert gas injection port 8, seal it, and control the injection of inert gas into the explosion-proof housing 1. Detect the nitrogen injection through the oxygen sensor 4. When the nitrogen injection reaches the minimum nitrogen injection level, stop the nitrogen injection. Then turn on the short-circuit tester 6 to force a short circuit on the battery pack 2 until the arcing inside the battery pack 2 melts, and observe the fire phenomenon.

[0036] This invention demonstrates through two experimental processes that the battery pack 2 has a certain inhibitory effect on short-circuit arcing and fire, providing important research data for future research on power batteries.

[0037] In the above embodiments, the oxygen sensor 4 is used as a gas sensor to obtain the minimum amount of nitrogen introduced. The minimum amount of nitrogen introduced is determined in the first step of the experiment by changing the oxygen content and triggering ignition with the igniter 3. In other embodiments, the minimum amount of nitrogen introduced can also be determined by directly collecting the nitrogen content through the nitrogen sensor and triggering ignition with the igniter 3, or by directly short-circuiting the battery pack 2 with the short-circuit tester 6 to observe whether it catches fire.

[0038] In the above embodiments, the test system can realize the study of short-circuit arcing and fire of battery pack 2. However, the present invention does not limit the test process and can set the test process as needed.

Claims

1. A test system for studying short-circuit arcing and fire in battery packs, characterized in that, include: An explosion-proof enclosure is provided to provide a closed space for testing, and the explosion-proof enclosure is provided with an injection port; The gas source is used for the storage and output of nitrogen. The gas output port of the gas source is connected to the injection port through a pipeline to ensure that nitrogen is injected into the explosion-proof housing through the injection port on the explosion-proof housing. Gas sensor used to detect the nitrogen content inside explosion-proof enclosure; A short-circuit tester is connected to the battery pack to be tested and forces a short circuit on the battery pack. Igniter and ignition switch are used to trigger the battery pack to ignite by igniting the battery pack. It is observed whether the existing oxygen content in the explosion-proof housing can support combustion. By gradually introducing nitrogen, the oxygen content decreases, and the critical oxygen content in the explosion-proof housing where the battery pack cannot ignite can be found. The corresponding minimum amount of nitrogen introduced is determined by the critical oxygen content. During testing, a battery pack was selected, and defects in the aluminum palladium inside the battery pack were repaired. All safety protections on the battery pack were removed. The repaired battery pack was placed in an explosion-proof housing and installed. The nitrogen injection port was opened and sealed. Nitrogen was injected into the explosion-proof housing under controlled conditions. The nitrogen injection was stopped when the nitrogen injection reached the minimum amount of nitrogen introduced, as detected by the oxygen sensor. Then, the short-circuit tester was turned on to force a short circuit on the battery pack until the arcing inside the battery pack melted. The fire phenomenon was observed. This testing system was used to study the effect of nitrogen on suppressing short-circuit arcing and fire in battery packs.

2. The test system for studying battery pack short-circuit arcing and fire according to claim 1, characterized in that, The gas sensor is an oxygen sensor, which is installed inside an explosion-proof housing.

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