Batteries with thermally activated electrolyte extraction and related methods

Abstract

A system and method for flushing electrolyte from an electrolyte flushable battery device during a thermal runaway event. At least one condition of the electrolyte flushable battery device is monitored to detect a potential thermal runaway event as a function of the at least one condition exceeding a threshold. In response, an inlet valve and an outlet valve on the battery device are opened. The flushing liquid is flushed or pumped through the battery device, wherein the flushing liquid enters the device through the inlet valve and exits the device through the outlet valve. The irrigation liquid is then stored in the reservoir.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present disclosure relates to device protection, and more particularly, to electrolyte flushable battery devices for controlling and / or preventing thermal runaway. Background Art

[0002] Lithium-ion batteries have the potential to experience internal short circuits due to potential manufacturing defects, which can lead to a thermal runaway process. During thermal runaway, the battery temperature can exceed over 1000°F, at which point the flammable electrolyte can catch fire or even explode when exposed to oxygen in the air. These types of thermal runaway events are believed to have caused many accidents, including aviation and maritime incidents. One of the main causes of thermal runaway and fire is due to the chemical reaction of the electrolyte used within the battery. Summary of the invention

[0003] Embodiments of the present disclosure relate to a thermal runaway protection system for a battery. The thermal runaway protection system includes a supply reservoir having a flushing liquid. The flushing liquid flows through the battery device in response to a thermal runaway event. The system also includes at least one electrolyte flushable battery device having a battery housing, an electrolyte liquid disposed in the battery housing, an inlet flush valve on a first end of the battery housing, which will open in response to a thermal runaway event, and an outlet flush valve on a second end of the battery housing, which will open in response to a thermal runaway event. The system also includes an outlet reservoir to receive flushing liquid and electrolyte fluid during flushing. When a pump is present, the inlet manifold is connected to the inlet flush valve and the pump. The outlet manifold is connected to the outlet flush valve and the outlet reservoir.

[0004] In an embodiment, a flushing liquid may be configured to flow through the battery devices in response to a thermal runaway event in at least one electrolyte flushable battery device.

[0005] In one embodiment, the flushing liquid may be a non-conductive liquid.

[0006] In one embodiment, at least one electrolyte battery device may have a salt packet disposed within the battery housing, the salt packet configured to be released into the electrolyte fluid in response to a thermal runaway event.

[0007] In an embodiment, the system may further include at least one sensor configured to monitor at least one condition of the electrolyte flushable battery indicating a thermal runaway event. In an embodiment, the condition may be a temperature of the electrolyte flushable battery. In an embodiment, the condition may be a voltage of the electrolyte flushable battery. In an embodiment, at least one condition may exceed a threshold for a predetermined period of time.

[0008] In one embodiment, the system may further include a battery monitoring module and a battery flushing module, the battery monitoring module being configured to determine the presence of a thermal runaway event, the battery flushing module being configured to receive a signal from the battery monitoring module indicating the presence of the event, and being configured to release a flushing liquid to flush the electrolyte fluid.

[0009] In an embodiment, the system may further include a pump configured to pump the flushing liquid through the battery device.

[0010] In one embodiment, the inlet flush valve of the battery device may be hermetically sealed.

[0011] In one embodiment, the outlet flush valve of the battery device may be hermetically sealed.

[0012] In one embodiment, a salt packet of a battery device may be disposed within the battery housing and configured to be released into the electrolyte fluid in response to a thermal runaway event.

[0013] In one embodiment, the inlet valve and the outlet valve of the battery device may be electrically controlled.

[0014] In one embodiment, the inlet valve and the outlet valve of the battery device may be self-acting in response to the temperature associated with a thermal runaway event.

[0015] In one embodiment, the inlet and outlet valves of the battery device may be self-acting in response to pressure associated with a thermal runaway event.

[0016] Embodiments of the present disclosure relate to methods for flushing electrolyte out of an electrolyte flushable battery device. The method monitors at least one condition of the electrolyte flushable battery device to detect a potential thermal runaway event based on at least one condition exceeding a threshold. In response, an inlet valve and an outlet valve on the battery device are opened. A flushing liquid is flushed through the battery device, wherein the flushing liquid enters the device through the inlet valve and leaves the device through the outlet valve.

[0017] In an embodiment, detecting a potential thermal runaway event may also include detecting that a voltage threshold has been exceeded, detecting that a temperature threshold has been exceeded, and / or detecting the presence of exhaust gas.

[0018] In one embodiment, the flushing liquid is a non-conductive liquid.

[0019] In one embodiment, the method for flushing electrolyte out of an electrolyte flushable battery device may further include releasing a salt packet into the electrolyte within the battery device prior to flushing the flushing liquid in response to detecting a potential thermal runaway event.

[0020] In one embodiment, a method for flushing electrolyte out of an electrolyte flushable battery device may further include generating a notification that a flush event has occurred.

[0021] In one embodiment, the method for flushing electrolyte out of an electrolyte flushable battery device may further include replacing the flushing liquid in response to the flushing event.

[0022] The above summary is not intended to describe each illustrated embodiment or every implementation of the present disclosure. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0023] The accompanying drawings included in this application are incorporated into the specification and form a part of the specification. They illustrate embodiments of the present disclosure and are used to explain the principles of the present disclosure together with the specification. The accompanying drawings are only illustrations of certain embodiments and do not limit the present disclosure.

[0024] Figure 1 is a schematic diagram of an electrolyte flushable battery device according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0025] Figure 2A is a schematic diagram of a flushing system including a plurality of electrolyte flushable battery devices according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0026] Figure 2B is a graph illustrating the minimum amount of pressure required according to an embodiment.

[0027] Figure 3 is a system diagram illustrating a system for flushing a battery device using an electrolyte according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0028] Figure 4 is a graph illustrating an example of a laboratory test of a battery during thermal runaway according to an embodiment.

[0029] Figure 5 is a flow chart illustrating a process for detecting and responding to a thermal runaway event in a battery according to an embodiment.

[0030] Figure 6 is a block diagram illustrating a computing system according to an embodiment.

[0031] Although the present disclosure is suitable for various modifications and alternative forms, the details thereof have been shown by the examples in the drawings and will be described in detail. However, it should be understood that it is not intended to limit the present disclosure to the specific embodiments described. On the contrary, it is intended to cover all modifications, equivalents and substitutes falling within the scope of the present disclosure. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0032] Aspects of the present disclosure relate to device protection, and more particularly to electrolyte flushable battery devices for controlling and / or preventing thermal runaway. Although the present disclosure is not necessarily limited to such applications, various aspects of the present disclosure may be understood through a discussion of various examples using this scenario.

[0033] Lithium-ion batteries have the potential to experience internal short circuits due to potential manufacturing defects, which can lead to a thermal runaway process. During thermal runaway, the battery temperature can exceed over 1000°F, at which point the flammable electrolyte can catch fire or even explode when exposed to oxygen in the air. These types of thermal runaway events are believed to have caused many accidents, including aviation and maritime incidents. One of the main causes of thermal runaway and fire is due to the chemical reaction of the electrolyte used within the battery.

[0034] Current solutions for dealing with thermal runaway focus on keeping the battery at a safe operating temperature. For example, cooling liquids can be used to cool the battery. Fans can also be used to provide cooler air around the battery. Additionally, thermally conductive films can be used to cool the battery or remove heat from hot areas of the battery. However, none of these solutions can prevent thermal runaway, minimize the effects of thermal runaway, or stop thermal runaway once it starts.

[0035] The present disclosure provides a method for reducing or eliminating electrolyte chemical reactions that exacerbate thermal runaway. Specifically, the present disclosure provides an electrolyte flushable battery device, which includes an anode, a cathode, a separator, a housing, a positive terminal, a negative terminal, a hermetically sealed inlet flush valve, a hermetically sealed outlet flush valve, an inlet fitting, and an outlet fitting. A flushing system is provided that will push a non-conductive liquid through the input to the electrolyte flushable battery device and capture the electrolyte and flushing liquid on the output side of the electrolyte flushable battery device. The present invention provides a method for monitoring an electrolyte flushable battery device, detecting problems that will cause thermal runaway, and triggering a flushing system. The present disclosure provides advantages of servers that utilize rechargeable batteries and any product that utilizes rechargeable batteries and has space for a flushing system (e.g., servers, UPS battery backup systems, electric vehicles, large appliances, etc.).

[0036] Figure 1 1 is a side view of an electrolyte flushable battery device 100. Device 100 includes battery 105, positive terminal 110, negative terminal 115, hermetically sealed inlet flush valve 120, hermetically sealed outlet flush valve 125, inlet fitting 130, and outlet fitting 135. Although Figure 1 Cylindrical cells are shown, but it will be appreciated that other cell shapes and sizes may be used.

[0037] Battery 105 includes all the components of a standard battery, Figure 1 Only the housing is shown. The interior of the battery housing ( Figure 1105) are an anode, a cathode, a separator, and a liquid electrolyte. The cathode is connected to a positive terminal 110 and the anode is connected to a negative terminal 115. The terminals 110, 115 are placed on the side of the battery 105 to leave room for other components of the electrolyte flushable battery device 100. In some embodiments, the terminals 110 and 115 can be located at the top and bottom of the battery 105, and other components can be located on the side of the battery 105.

[0038] Terminals 110, 115 are offset from each other. Figure 1 In the example of , the terminals 110, 115 are located on opposite sides of the electrolyte flushable battery device 100. This arrangement makes it difficult to connect the terminals together. That is, if the battery 105 lies down or rolls on a conductive surface (such as a metal table or housing), no short circuit will be generated.

[0039] A hermetically sealed inlet flush valve 120 and a hermetically sealed outlet flush valve 125 are located on opposite sides of the electrolyte flushable battery device 100. Both of these valves open in response to the battery 105 experiencing a thermal runaway event. In some embodiments, the valves 120, 125 are electronically controlled and open when an increase in temperature and / or voltage is detected. In some embodiments, the valves 120, 125 are self-acting and will open when a temperature or pressure (e.g., 100C) that is only experienced during thermal runaway is reached. However, they can be configured to activate at other temperatures.

[0040] The inlet fitting 130 and the outlet fitting 135 allow the electrolyte flushable battery device 100 to be connected to pipes and / or hoses as part of a larger flushing system designed into the system.

[0041] Figure 2A 2 is a schematic diagram of a flushing system 200 according to an embodiment of the present disclosure, the flushing system 200 including a plurality of electrolyte flushable battery devices 100. The exact layout of these components and the number of electrolyte flushable battery devices 100 depend on the product in which the system is implemented. The flushing system 200 includes a plurality of electrolyte flushable battery devices 100-1, 100-2, 100-3, 100-4, 100-N (collectively referred to as 100), a supply reservoir 205, a pump 207, an inlet manifold 210, an outlet manifold 215, and an outlet reservoir 220.

[0042] The supply reservoir 205 holds a liquid for flushing the electrolyte flushable battery device 100 if thermal runaway is detected. The flushing liquid can be a non-conductive liquid such as mineral oil. In some embodiments, the supply reservoir 205 includes an electronically controlled valve that holds the liquid in the reservoir until the electrolyte flushable battery device 100 needs to be flushed. In some embodiments, the size of the supply reservoir 205 should be large enough to mitigate the consequences of thermal runaway of at least one electrolyte flushable battery device 100. However, in some embodiments, the size of the reservoir 205 is designed so that it can flush multiple battery devices 100. In some embodiments, the supply reservoir 205 can be positioned in the center of the battery coil (which is composed of an anode, a cathode, a separator, and / or an electrolyte) using a syringe pump that pushes the center of the coil to force the flushing liquid out. The flushing liquid will then flow out at the top of the battery (inside the housing) and be forced through the coil, which flushes the electrolyte out of the battery device 100.

[0043] The pump 207 is used to supply pressure to the flushing liquid so that sufficient force is generated to flush the electrolyte flushable battery device 100. Any pump can be used to apply pressure to the flushing liquid. This can include, for example, an external gear pump, an internal gear pump, a cycloid pump, a peristaltic pump, a cam pump, or a vane pump. However, other pump types can be used. It should be noted that the battery is in a heated state during thermal runaway, which reduces the viscosity of the electrolyte. This makes it easier to flush the battery. Therefore, due to the increase in temperature within the electrolyte flushable battery device 100 caused by the start of the thermal runaway event before flushing, this reduced viscosity of the electrolyte allows a smaller pump to be used to perform flushing. In some embodiments, a pipe and / or hose can be connected between the supply reservoir 205 and the pump 207. It should be noted that after flushing, some electrolyte may remain in the device. However, since most of the electrolyte is flushed, any chance of a thermal runaway event can be eliminated or at least significantly reduced. In some embodiments, a salt bag can be included in the housing, and when a threshold temperature is reached during thermal runaway, the salt bag is released (e.g., by decomposing the bag material). The salt is selected to help reduce the viscosity of the electrolyte prior to flushing. In some embodiments, pump 207 is not present. In these embodiments, gravity, rotation, or centripetal force can provide sufficient force for the flushing liquid to pass through the battery 105 and flush the electrolyte.

[0044] Figure 2B is a graph showing the minimum amount of pressure required to flush electrolytes of different viscosities in about 2 seconds according to some embodiments of the present disclosure. In some embodiments, if a slower flush is desired, the pressure can be reduced from the pressure shown. Conversely, if a faster flush is desired, the pressure can be increased.

[0045] Return to reference Figure 2ADuring operation where a thermal runaway event has been detected, the pump 207 forces flushing liquid into the inlet manifold 210, which distributes the liquid to the electrolyte flushable battery device 100 that is experiencing thermal runaway. The flushing liquid will only flow into the electrolyte flushable battery device 100 where the hermetically sealed inlet flush valve 120 and the hermetically sealed outlet flush valve 125 have been opened. In some embodiments, the inlet manifold 210 may include valves or other pathways to direct the flushing liquid to the correct electrolyte flushable battery device 100 so that the flushing liquid is not wasted filling the entire manifold.

[0046] The inlet manifold 210 is connected to the electrolyte flushable battery device 100 using the inlet fitting 130. In some embodiments, pipes and / or hoses may be connected between the inlet manifold 210 and the electrolyte flushable battery device 100.

[0047] The outlet manifold 215 captures and directs flushing liquid that has flowed through the electrolyte flushable battery device 100 that has experienced thermal runaway, as well as any electrolyte flushed from the electrolyte flushable battery device 100 , to the outlet reservoir 220 .

[0048] Figure 3 A system 300 is shown for monitoring one or more electrolyte flushable battery devices 100 and flushing the electrolyte when a thermal runaway event is detected.

[0049] The system 300 includes one or more electrolyte flushable battery devices 100, a pump 207, a supply reservoir valve 310, one or more sensors 312, and a battery management system (BMS) 315, all of which are interconnected via a wired and / or wireless network 305. The wired and / or wireless network 305 can implement any communication protocol that allows data to be transmitted between components of the system. For example, PCIe, I2C, Bluetooth, Wi-Fi, cellular (e.g., 3G, 4G, 5G), Ethernet, fiber optics, etc.

[0050] As described above, the electrolyte flushable battery device 100 includes a hermetically sealed inlet flush valve 120 and a hermetically sealed outlet flush valve 125, which are configured to receive input from the battery flush module 325. The battery flush module provides input to the flush valves 120, 125 to indicate when they should be opened. However, typically during shipping, storage, and normal operation, the valves are closed.

[0051] Supply reservoir valve 310, which is part of supply reservoir 205, also receives input when to open from battery flush module 325. Again, during shipping, storage, and normal operation, valve 310 is closed. Pump 207 also receives input when to open from battery flush module 325. Again, during shipping, storage, and normal operation, pump 207 is closed.

[0052] The sensor 312 is an inclusion of the system 300 that is configured to monitor the temperature and / or voltage of each electrolyte flushable battery device 100 and send output data to a battery monitoring module 320 of the BMS 315 .

[0053] The BMS 315 includes a battery monitoring module 320 and a battery flushing module 325. The battery monitoring module 320 receives input from one or more sensors 312 to determine if any of the electrolyte flushable battery devices 100 are experiencing early signs of a thermal runaway event. If one or more of the devices 100 are experiencing a thermal runaway event, the battery monitoring module 320 is configured to activate the battery flushing module 325.

[0054] Figure 4 An example of the results of laboratory testing is shown. Figure 4 It is shown that both a temperature increase and a voltage drop can be detected in a single lithium-ion cell during the period leading to thermal runaway. The results show that the particular lithium-ion cell tested took about 1525 (>25 minutes) seconds to reach ignition. Even when a significant drop in voltage occurred (about 980 seconds), there were still 545 seconds (>9 minutes) until ignition. Due to the large amount of time from the initial detection of a fault to the lithium-ion cell reaching ignition, there is time to perform an electrolyte flush.

[0055] In response to a detected thermal runaway event, the battery flushing module 325 sends an output signal to open valves 120, 125, and 310 and turn on pump 207 to flush the electrolyte flushable battery device 100 that is experiencing thermal runaway. In some embodiments, additional valves within the inlet manifold 210 ( FIG. 2 or 3 ) may also be controlled. Figure 3 ) to direct the flushing liquid to the correct electrolyte to flush the battery device 100. The duration of the flushing can range from a few seconds to a few minutes, depending on the viscosity, inlet / outlet size, etc.

[0056] Figure 5 is a flow chart illustrating a process 500 for detecting and responding to a thermal runaway event in a battery. In some embodiments, the process 500 is performed by the BMS 315, which monitors the electrolyte flushable battery device 100 and performs an electrolyte flush action if necessary.

[0057] Process 500 begins at step 502, where all valves (the hermetically sealed inlet flush valve 120 and the hermetically sealed outlet flush valve 125 on each electrolyte flushable cell device 100, the supply manifold valves, and any additional valves within the inlet manifold 210) are sealed and the pump 207 is set to its non-operating (i.e., off) state.

[0058] Next, at step 505, the electrolyte flushable battery device 100 begins / continues operation (in a charging, discharging, or discharging state) within the product. The process then continues until the battery monitoring module 320 extracts the temperature and / or voltage of all electrolyte flushable battery devices 100 from the sensors 312. This is shown at step 510.

[0059] Next, the system determines whether a temperature and / or voltage threshold has been reached or exceeded. This is shown at step 515. In some embodiments, the voltage threshold is a threshold change in voltage within a threshold time greater than a typical discharge rate (e.g., ΔV>=0.25 V within a 10 second time span). In some embodiments, additional sensors may be used to detect exhaust gases from the electrolyte flushable battery device 100.

[0060] If the temperature or voltage threshold has not been reached, the process 500 returns to step 505 and continues operation and monitoring of the battery device 100. If the temperature or voltage threshold has been reached, the process proceeds to step 520. At this step, the process opens the hermetically sealed inlet flush valve 120 and the hermetically sealed outlet flush valve 125 on the particular electrolyte flushable battery device 100 for which thermal runaway was detected. At this step, the supply manifold valve 310 and any additional valves within the inlet manifold 210 are also opened.

[0061] The pump 207 is started to force the flushing liquid through the electrolyte flushable battery device 100, thereby flushing the electrolyte into the outlet reservoir 220. This is shown at step 525. However, in some embodiments, the flushing liquid is flushed without the use of a pump, for example by using gravity, rotation, or centripetal force. A notification is generated to warn the user that the battery has been flushed. This is shown at step 530. The notification can take any form of warning the user. For example, the notification can be an action of calling home, an LED indicator, an audible alarm, an email, a text message, etc. In some embodiments, after starting the system, the user may wish to replace the electrolyte flushable battery device 100, refill the supply reservoir 205, and / or empty the outlet reservoir 220. During this particular type of operation, the monitoring of the system can be suspended.

[0062] Reference now Figure 6, shows a high-level block diagram of an example computer system 601 according to an embodiment of the present disclosure, which can be used to implement one or more of the methods, tools, and modules described herein and any related functions (e.g., using one or more processor circuits of a computer or a computer processor). In some embodiments, the main components of the computer system 601 may include one or more CPUs 602, a memory subsystem 604, a terminal interface 612, a storage interface 616, an I / O (input / output) device interface 614, and a network interface 618, all of which may be directly or indirectly communicatively coupled for inter-component communication via a memory bus 603, an I / O bus 608, and an I / O bus interface unit 610.

[0063] The computer system 601 may include one or more general purpose programmable central processing units (CPUs) 602-1, 602-2, 602-3, 602-N, collectively referred to herein as CPUs 602. In some embodiments, the computer system 601 may include multiple processors typical of relatively large systems; however, in other embodiments, the computer system 601 may instead be a single CPU system. Each CPU 602 may execute instructions stored in a memory subsystem 604 and may include one or more levels of onboard cache.

[0064] The system memory 604 may include computer system readable media in the form of volatile memory, such as random access memory (RAM) 622 or cache memory 624. The computer system 601 may further include other removable / non-removable, volatile / non-volatile computer system storage media. By way of example only, a storage system 626 may be provided for reading and writing from a non-removable non-volatile magnetic medium (such as a "hard drive"). Although not shown, a disk drive for reading and writing from a removable non-volatile disk (e.g., a "floppy disk"), or an optical drive for reading or writing from a removable non-volatile optical disk (e.g., a CD-ROM, DVD-ROM or other optical media) may be provided. In addition, the memory 604 may include flash memory, such as a flash stick drive or a flash drive. The memory device may be connected to the memory bus 603 via one or more data media interfaces. The memory 604 may include at least one program product having a set (e.g., at least one) of program modules configured to perform the functions of various embodiments.

[0065] Although the memory bus 603 is Figure 6603 may include multiple different buses or communication paths, which may be arranged in any of a variety of forms, such as point-to-point links in a hierarchical, star, or network configuration, multiple hierarchical buses, parallel and redundant paths, or any other suitable type of configuration. In addition, although the I / O bus interface 610 and the I / O bus 608 are shown as a single corresponding unit, in some embodiments, the computer system 601 may include multiple I / O bus interface units 610, multiple I / O buses 608, or both. In addition, although multiple I / O interface units are shown that separate the I / O bus 608 from the various communication paths extending to various I / O devices, in other embodiments, some or all of the I / O devices may be directly connected to one or more system I / O buses.

[0066] In some implementations, the computer system 601 may be a multi-user mainframe computer system, a single-user system or a server computer or a similar device having little or no direct user interface but receiving requests from other computer systems (clients). In addition, in some embodiments, the computer system 601 may be implemented as a desktop computer, a portable computer, a laptop or notebook computer, a tablet computer, a pocket computer, a phone, a smart phone, a network switch or router, or any other suitable type of electronic device.

[0067] It should be noted that Figure 6 The diagram is intended to depict representative major components of an exemplary computer system 601. However, in some embodiments, individual components may have more Figure 6 Greater or less complexity than shown may exist with Figure 6 Parts different from or in addition to the parts shown Figure 6 Components other than those shown, and the number, type, and configuration of these components may vary.

[0068] One or more programs / utilities 628, each with at least one set of program modules 630, may be stored in memory 604. Programs / utilities 628 may include a hypervisor (also referred to as a virtual machine monitor), one or more operating systems, one or more application programs, other program modules, and program data. Each or some combination of an operating system, one or more application programs, other program modules, and program data may include an implementation of a networking environment. Programs 628 and / or program modules 630 generally perform the functions or methods of various embodiments.

[0069] The present invention may be a system, method and / or computer program product at any possible level of technical detail integration. The computer program product may include a computer-readable storage medium (or medium) having computer-readable program instructions thereon for causing a processor to perform various aspects of the present invention.

[0070] A computer-readable storage medium may be a tangible device that can retain and store instructions used by an instruction execution device. A computer-readable storage medium may be, for example, but not limited to, an electronic storage device, a magnetic storage device, an optical storage device, an electromagnetic storage device, a semiconductor storage device, or any suitable combination of the foregoing. A non-exhaustive list of more specific examples of computer-readable storage media includes the following: a portable computer disk, a hard disk, a random access memory (RAM), a read-only memory (ROM), an erasable programmable read-only memory (EPROM or flash memory), a static random access memory (SRAM), a portable compact disk read-only memory (CD-ROM), a digital versatile disk (DVD), a memory stick, a floppy disk, a mechanical encoding device (such as a punched card or a raised structure in a groove on which instructions are recorded), and any suitable combination of the foregoing. As used herein, a computer-readable storage medium should not be interpreted as a transient signal itself, such as a radio wave or other freely propagating electromagnetic wave, an electromagnetic wave propagating through a waveguide or other transmission medium (e.g., a light pulse through a fiber optic cable), or an electrical signal transmitted through a wire.

[0071] The computer-readable program instructions described herein can be downloaded from a computer-readable storage medium to a corresponding computing / processing device, or downloaded to an external computer or external storage device via a network (e.g., the Internet, a local area network, a wide area network, and / or a wireless network). The network may include copper transmission cables, optical transmission fibers, wireless transmissions, routers, firewalls, switches, gateway computers, and / or edge servers. The network adapter card or network interface in each computing / processing device receives the computer-readable program instructions from the network and forwards the computer-readable program instructions to be stored in a computer-readable storage medium in the corresponding computing / processing device.

[0072] The computer-readable program instructions for performing the operations of the present invention may be assembly instructions, instruction set architecture (ISA) instructions, machine instructions, machine-dependent instructions, microcode, firmware instructions, state setting data, configuration data for an integrated circuit, or source code or object code written in any combination of one or more programming languages, including object-oriented programming languages ​​such as Smalltalk, C++, and procedural programming languages ​​such as the "C" programming language or similar programming languages. The computer-readable program instructions may be executed entirely on the user's computer, partially on the user's computer, as a separate software package, partially on the user's computer and partially on a remote computer, or entirely on a remote computer or server. In the latter case, the remote computer may be connected to the user's computer via any type of network, including a local area network (LAN) or a wide area network (WAN), or may be connected to an external computer (e.g., via the Internet using an Internet service provider). In some embodiments, electronic circuits including, for example, programmable logic circuits, field programmable gate arrays (FPGAs), or programmable logic arrays (PLAs) may execute computer-readable program instructions to personalize the electronic circuits by utilizing the state information of the computer-readable program instructions so as to perform various aspects of the present invention.

[0073] Various aspects of the present invention are described herein with reference to the flowcharts and / or block diagrams of the methods, devices (systems) and computer program products according to embodiments of the present invention. It should be understood that each frame of the flowchart illustration and / or block diagram and the combination of frames in the flowchart illustration and / or block diagram can be implemented by computer-readable program instructions.

[0074] These computer-readable program instructions can be provided to a processor of a general-purpose computer, a special-purpose computer, or other programmable data processing device to produce a machine, so that the instructions executed by the processor of the computer or other programmable data processing device create a device for implementing the functions / actions specified in one or more boxes of the flowchart and / or block diagram. These computer-readable program instructions can also be stored in a computer-readable storage medium, which can instruct a computer, a programmable data processing device, and / or other equipment to function in a specific manner, so that the computer-readable storage medium having the instructions stored therein includes an article of manufacture, which includes instructions for implementing various aspects of the functions / actions specified in one or more boxes of the flowchart and / or block diagram.

[0075] Computer-readable program instructions may also be loaded onto a computer, other programmable data processing apparatus, or other device, so that a series of operational steps are performed on the computer, other programmable apparatus, or other device to produce a computer-implemented process, so that the instructions executed on the computer, other programmable apparatus, or other device implement the functions / actions specified in one or more boxes of the flowchart and / or block diagram.

[0076] The flow charts and block diagrams in the accompanying drawings illustrate the possible architecture, functions and operations of the system, method and computer program product according to various embodiments of the present invention. In this regard, each frame in the flow chart or block diagram can represent a module, segment or part of an instruction, which includes one or more executable instructions for realizing a specified logical function. In some alternative embodiments, the function annotated in the frame may not occur in the order annotated in the figure. For example, the two frames shown in succession can actually be performed substantially simultaneously, or these frames can sometimes be performed in reverse order, depending on the functions involved. It will also be noted that each frame of the block diagram and / or flow chart illustration and the combination of frames in the block diagram and / or flow chart illustration can be implemented by a system based on dedicated hardware that performs a specified function or action or performs a combination of dedicated hardware and computer instructions.

[0077] The description of various embodiments of the present disclosure has been presented for the purpose of illustration, but is not intended to be exhaustive or limited to the disclosed embodiments. Many modifications and variations will be apparent to those of ordinary skill in the art without departing from the scope of the described embodiments. The terms used herein are selected to explain the principles of the embodiments, practical applications, or technical improvements to technologies found in the marketplace, or to enable those of ordinary skill in the art to understand the embodiments disclosed herein.

Claims

1. A method for flushing electrolyte out of an electrolyte flushable battery device, the method comprising: monitoring at least one condition of the electrolyte flushable battery device; detecting a potential thermal runaway event based on the at least one condition exceeding a threshold; Opening the inlet valve and the outlet valve on the battery device; and A flushing liquid is flushed through the cell device, wherein the flushing liquid enters the device through the inlet valve and exits the device through the outlet valve.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein detecting a potential thermal runaway event further comprises: The detection voltage threshold has been exceeded.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein detecting a potential thermal runaway event further comprises: Detects that the temperature threshold has been exceeded.

4. The method of claim 1 , wherein detecting a potential thermal runaway event further comprises: Detects the presence of exhaust gases. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the flushing liquid is a non-conductive liquid.

6. The method according to claim 1, further comprising: In response to detecting a potential thermal runaway event, salt packets are released into the electrolyte within the battery device prior to flushing the flushing fluid.

7. The method according to claim 1, further comprising: Generates a notification that a flush event has occurred.

8. The method according to claim 1, further comprising: The flush fluid is replaced in response to the flush event.

9. An electrolyte flushable battery device, comprising: Battery housing; an electrolyte liquid disposed within the battery housing; an inlet flush valve disposed on the first end of the battery housing, the inlet flush valve configured to open in response to a thermal runaway event; and An outlet flush valve is disposed on the second end of the battery housing, the outlet flush valve being configured to open in response to a thermal runaway event.

10. The electrolyte flushable battery device of claim 9, wherein the inlet flush valve is hermetically sealed.

11. The electrolyte flushable battery device of claim 9, wherein the outlet flush valve is hermetically sealed.

12. The electrolyte flushable battery device of claim 9, wherein a salt packet is disposed within the battery housing and is configured to be released into the electrolyte fluid in response to a thermal runaway event.

13. The electrolyte flushable battery device according to claim 9, wherein the inlet valve and the outlet valve are electrically controlled.

14. The electrolyte flushable battery device of claim 9, wherein the inlet valve and the outlet valve are self-acting in response to a temperature associated with a thermal runaway event.

15. The electrolyte flushable battery device of claim 9, wherein the inlet valve and the outlet valve are self-acting in response to pressure associated with a thermal runaway event.

16. A thermal runaway protection system, comprising: a supply reservoir containing a flushing liquid; At least one electrolyte flushable battery device comprising: Battery housing; an electrolyte liquid disposed within the battery housing; an inlet flush valve disposed on the first end of the battery housing, the inlet flush valve configured to open in response to a thermal runaway event; and an outlet flush valve disposed on the second end of the battery housing, the outlet flush valve configured to open in response to a thermal runaway event; an outlet reservoir configured to receive the flushing liquid and the electrolyte fluid during flushing; an inlet manifold connected to the inlet flush valve; an outlet manifold connected to the outlet flush valve and the outlet reservoir; and Wherein the flushing liquid is configured to flow through the battery device in response to a thermal runaway event in the at least one electrolyte flushable battery device.

17. The system of claim 16, wherein the flushing liquid is a non-conductive liquid.

18. The system of claim 16, wherein: The at least one electrolyte battery device has a salt packet disposed within the battery housing, the salt packet configured to be released into the electrolyte fluid in response to a thermal runaway event.

19. The system of claim 16, further comprising: At least one sensor is configured to monitor at least one condition of the electrolyte flushable battery indicative of a thermal runaway event.

20. The system of claim 19, wherein: The condition is the temperature at which the electrolyte can flush the battery.

21. The system of claim 19, wherein the condition is a voltage of an electrolyte flushable battery.

22. The system of claim 19, wherein the at least one condition exceeds a threshold for a predetermined period of time.

23. The system of claim 16, further comprising: a battery monitoring module configured to determine the presence of the thermal runaway event; and A battery flushing module is configured to receive a signal from the battery monitoring module that the event exists and is configured to release the flushing liquid to flush the electrolyte fluid.

24. The system of claim 16, further comprising: A pump is configured to pump the flushing liquid through the battery device.

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