A vehicle thermal runaway testing device and a vehicle thermal runaway control method

Abstract

This invention relates to the field of battery testing technology, specifically to a vehicle thermal runaway testing device and a vehicle thermal runaway control method. The vehicle thermal runaway testing device includes: a battery pack immersion tank; a lifting platform, mounted on the immersion tank, for supporting the battery pack and submerging it in the water; an extension harness conduit assembly connecting the battery pack and the test vehicle; a fire monitoring component for real-time monitoring of the battery pack status; and a disconnection component, located on the harness conduit assembly, for disconnecting the connection. This application, through the extension harness conduit assembly in conjunction with the disconnection component, can quickly disconnect the electrical and piping connections between the battery pack and the test vehicle in the event of thermal runaway, preventing the fire from spreading along the harness or conduit to the entire vehicle, thereby ensuring that the test vehicle is not ignited and damaged, and reducing testing costs. Furthermore, by using the lifting platform in conjunction with the immersion tank, the entire battery pack can be submerged in water when the fire becomes uncontrollable, utilizing the high heat capacity of water to completely extinguish the fire.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to the field of battery testing technology, specifically to a vehicle thermal runaway testing device and a vehicle thermal runaway control method. Background Technology

[0002] With the rapid development of the new energy vehicle industry, the safety of power batteries, as core components, is directly related to the safety of the entire vehicle and the lives and property of users. Therefore, in the battery research and development and certification stage, conducting vehicle-level thermal runaway testing is an essential step. This aims to simulate the real reaction of the battery pack when thermal runaway occurs under extreme operating conditions, in order to verify the vehicle's safety protection capabilities and the effectiveness of the fire extinguishing system.

[0003] However, existing vehicle thermal runaway testing technologies typically involve directly mounting the battery pack onto or closely adjacent to the vehicle. The high-voltage wiring harnesses and cooling pipes between the two are fixed and difficult to detach quickly in an emergency. If the battery pack experiences thermal runaway and catches fire during testing, the lack of effective physical isolation and rapid disconnection mechanisms allows the fire to easily spread through the wiring harnesses and pipes to the entire vehicle, causing it to be ignited and destroyed. Furthermore, existing fire suppression systems are mostly single-stage responses with long response times, and test personnel often need to be close to the site to operate or verify the system, posing significant personal safety risks. Existing testing methods not only result in high testing costs due to vehicle damage but also fail to effectively protect the integrity of the vehicle and battery pack while ensuring the safety of test personnel. Summary of the Invention

[0004] In related technologies, the lack of effective physical isolation and rapid disconnection mechanisms between the battery pack and the vehicle during vehicle thermal runaway testing (the connection is fixed and difficult to detach quickly) makes it easy for fire to spread to the vehicle through wiring harnesses and pipelines when thermal runaway occurs, causing damage.

[0005] In a first aspect, embodiments of this application provide a vehicle thermal runaway testing device, comprising: Battery pack submersion tank; A battery pack lifting platform is erected on the battery pack submersion tank. The battery pack lifting platform is used to support the battery pack and to perform lifting actions to submerge the battery pack into the battery pack submersion tank. An extension harness assembly, one end of which is connected to the battery pack and the other end of which is connected to the test vehicle; A fire monitoring component is used to monitor the real-time status information of the battery pack. A cutting component, disposed on the extension harness conduit assembly, is used to cut off the extension harness conduit assembly to disconnect the battery pack from the test vehicle.

[0006] In conjunction with the first aspect, in one embodiment, the vehicle thermal runaway testing device further includes: multiple fire extinguishing components, wherein the multiple fire extinguishing components are disposed near the battery pack submersible tank, and the fire extinguishing components are used to extinguish fires in the battery pack.

[0007] In conjunction with the first aspect, in one embodiment, the fire extinguishing assembly includes a primary fire extinguishing unit and a secondary fire extinguishing unit, both of which are used to extinguish fires in the battery pack.

[0008] In conjunction with the first aspect, in one embodiment, the primary fire extinguishing unit includes one or more gas fire extinguishers.

[0009] In conjunction with the first aspect, in one embodiment, the secondary fire extinguishing unit includes one or more spray fire extinguishers.

[0010] In conjunction with the first aspect, in one embodiment, the fire monitoring component includes: A temperature acquisition device is used to acquire the real-time temperature of the battery pack; An infrared thermal imaging collector is used to acquire real-time thermal images of the battery pack; A video monitor is used to capture real-time images of the battery pack.

[0011] In conjunction with the first aspect, in one embodiment, the vehicle thermal runaway testing device further includes: A firewall is provided between the battery pack and the test vehicle, and the firewall has through holes through which the extension harness conduit assembly passes.

[0012] Secondly, embodiments of this application provide a vehicle thermal runaway control method utilizing any of the above-described vehicle thermal runaway testing devices, comprising the following steps: Use fire monitoring components to collect real-time status information of the battery pack; The fire situation of the battery pack is determined based on the real-time status information of the battery pack; wherein, If the battery pack is in a fire, the cutting component is immediately activated to cut off the extension harness conduit assembly; If the battery pack is still in a fire state after the extension harness assembly is cut off, the battery pack lifting platform is driven to sink the battery pack into the battery pack sinking tank.

[0013] In conjunction with the second aspect, in one embodiment, after the immediate drive-to-cut component cuts off the extension harness conduit assembly, the method further includes: driving the fire extinguishing component to extinguish the fire in the battery pack.

[0014] In conjunction with the second aspect, in one embodiment, the step of driving the fire extinguishing assembly to extinguish the fire on the battery pack includes: The fire was extinguished using a first-level fire extinguishing unit, and the fire status of the battery pack was determined based on the real-time status information of the battery pack collected by the fire monitoring component. If the battery pack is not extinguished, a secondary fire extinguishing unit shall be used to extinguish the fire on the battery pack.

[0015] The beneficial effects of the technical solutions provided in this application include: This application, through the use of an extended wiring harness assembly in conjunction with a cutting component, enables the rapid disconnection of the electrical and piping connections between the battery pack and the test vehicle in the event of thermal runaway. This prevents the fire from spreading along the wiring harness or piping to the entire vehicle, thereby ensuring that the test vehicle is not ignited and damaged, and reducing testing costs. Furthermore, by combining a battery pack lifting platform with a water tank, the entire battery pack can be submerged in water when the fire becomes uncontrollable. The high heat capacity of water completely extinguishes the battery thermal runaway fire, preventing reignition and ensuring the safety of the test site and personnel. Attached Figure Description

[0016] To more clearly illustrate the technical solutions in the embodiments of this application, the accompanying drawings used in the description of the embodiments will be briefly introduced below. Obviously, the accompanying drawings described below are only some embodiments of this application. For those skilled in the art, other drawings can be obtained based on these drawings without creative effort.

[0017] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the vehicle thermal runaway testing device in the embodiments of this application; Figure 2 This is a flowchart illustrating the thermal runaway of the vehicle in an embodiment of this application.

[0018] In the diagram: 1. Battery pack submersion tank; 2. Battery pack lifting platform; 3. Test vehicle; 4. Primary fire extinguishing unit; 5. Secondary fire extinguishing unit; 6. Firewall; 7. Vehicle platform; 8. Electric insulated hydraulic clamp; 91. High-voltage wiring harness; 92. Communication wiring harness; 93. Cooling pipes. Detailed Implementation

[0019] To enable those skilled in the art to better understand the present application, the technical solutions in the embodiments of the present application will be clearly and completely described below with reference to the accompanying drawings. Obviously, the described embodiments are only some embodiments of the present application, and not all embodiments. Based on the embodiments in the present application, all other embodiments obtained by those of ordinary skill in the art without creative effort are within the scope of protection of the present application.

[0020] In related technologies, the lack of effective physical isolation and rapid disconnection mechanisms between the battery pack and the vehicle during vehicle thermal runaway testing (the connection is fixed and difficult to detach quickly) makes it easy for fire to spread to the vehicle through wiring harnesses and pipelines when thermal runaway occurs, causing damage.

[0021] Firstly, such as Figure 1 As shown, this application provides a vehicle thermal runaway testing device, which includes: a battery pack submersible tank 1, a battery pack lifting platform 2, an extension harness piping assembly, a fire monitoring assembly, and a cut-off assembly; wherein, A battery pack lifting platform 2 is mounted on the battery pack submersion tank 1. The battery pack lifting platform 2 is used to support the battery pack and to perform lifting actions to submerge the battery pack in the battery pack submersion tank 1. An extension harness tubing assembly is connected at one end to the battery pack and at the other end to the test vehicle 3. A fire monitoring assembly is used to monitor the real-time status information of the battery pack. A disconnection assembly is located on the extension harness tubing assembly and is used to disconnect the extension harness tubing assembly to disconnect the battery pack from the test vehicle 3.

[0022] It should be noted that the battery pack is placed separately on the battery pack lifting platform 2, which is set on the battery pack submersion tank 1. After the platform is lowered, it can ensure that the battery pack is completely submerged in water.

[0023] Understandably, the extended wiring harness assembly in the above embodiments, in conjunction with the disconnection assembly, can quickly disconnect the electrical and piping connections between the battery pack and the test vehicle in the event of thermal runaway, preventing the fire from spreading along the wiring harness or piping to the entire vehicle, thereby ensuring that the test vehicle is not ignited and damaged, and reducing testing costs. Furthermore, by combining the battery pack lifting platform with the immersion tank, the entire battery pack can be submerged in water when the fire becomes uncontrollable, utilizing the high heat capacity of water to completely extinguish the battery thermal runaway fire, preventing reignition and ensuring the safety of the test site and personnel. In addition, the fire monitoring component can acquire the battery status in real time, providing trigger signals for the actions of the disconnection assembly and the lifting platform, achieving automated rapid response and reducing delays caused by manual intervention.

[0024] Preferably, the cutting assembly includes a plurality of electrically insulated hydraulic clamps 8.

[0025] Specifically, such as Figure 1 As shown, the extension harness conduit assembly includes: multiple high-voltage harnesses 91, communication harnesses 92, and cooling conduits 93.

[0026] Furthermore, each high-voltage wire harness 91 is equipped with an electric insulated hydraulic clamp 8 to prevent short circuits during the cutting process. Other cooling pipes and communication control wire harnesses can be combined and cut simultaneously. The electric insulated hydraulic clamp 8 can be remotely cut via remote control or PLC.

[0027] In some alternative embodiments, the vehicle thermal runaway test device further includes: multiple fire extinguishing components, which are located near the battery pack submersible 1, and are used to extinguish fires in the battery pack.

[0028] It is worth noting that, in addition to the physical fire suppression system in the submersible tank, an active fire suppression component was added, forming a multi-level protection system of "active fire suppression + passive submersion". This system can intervene to extinguish the fire in the early or middle stages of battery pack thermal runaway, preventing the fire from spreading further to the point where submersion is necessary, and improving the success rate of fire response.

[0029] Preferably, the fire extinguishing assembly includes a primary fire extinguishing unit 4 and a secondary fire extinguishing unit 5, both of which are used to extinguish the fire in the battery pack.

[0030] It's worth noting that by setting up selectable primary and secondary fire suppression systems, the appropriate fire suppression method can be chosen based on the severity of the fire. This avoids the risk of severe water ingress into the battery pack caused by directly using large amounts of water to extinguish small fires, which is beneficial for post-test battery failure analysis. Using tiered fire suppression media also prevents unnecessary damage to the battery pack and reduces testing and operational costs.

[0031] In some specific embodiments, the primary fire extinguishing unit 4 includes one or more gas fire extinguishers.

[0032] It is worth noting that gaseous fire extinguishers typically respond quickly and can effectively suppress initial flames. Furthermore, gaseous extinguishing agents have the characteristics of good insulation and no residue, making them suitable for extinguishing early electrical fires or minor thermal runaways in battery packs. They can also keep the inside of the battery pack as dry and clean as possible while extinguishing the fire, facilitating subsequent analysis.

[0033] Optionally, the gas extinguisher can be any one of the following: perfluorohexanone extinguishing system, aerosol extinguishing system, carbon dioxide extinguishing system, heptafluoropropane extinguishing system, IG541 extinguishing system, or liquid nitrogen extinguishing system.

[0034] Furthermore, the secondary fire extinguishing unit 5 includes one or more spray fire extinguishers.

[0035] Understandably, sprinkler fire extinguishers are suitable for intense fires that cannot be controlled by primary fire suppression systems, ensuring effective extinguishing. The extinguishing medium (such as water or foam) has an extremely high specific heat capacity, capable of absorbing a large amount of heat generated by battery thermal runaway, effectively inhibiting the spread of battery heat and preventing the battery pack from reigniting after the fire is extinguished.

[0036] Alternatively, the fire extinguisher may be a water spray fire extinguisher, a foam fire extinguisher, or a fine water mist fire extinguisher.

[0037] In some optional embodiments, the fire monitoring component includes: a temperature sensor, an infrared thermal imaging sensor, and a video monitor; wherein, A temperature acquisition device is used to acquire the real-time temperature of the battery pack; an infrared thermal imaging acquisition device is used to acquire real-time thermal images of the battery pack; and a video monitor is used to acquire real-time images of the battery pack.

[0038] It is worth noting that the control system combines temperature data, thermal imaging cloud maps, and visible light video to comprehensively reflect the battery pack status from different physical dimensions, avoiding misjudgments or omissions caused by the failure or error of a single sensor. Furthermore, infrared thermal imaging can detect abnormally high-temperature points invisible to the naked eye, and the temperature acquisition device can capture the rate of temperature rise. The combination of the two can achieve early warning of thermal runaway, buying valuable time for shut-off and fire extinguishing.

[0039] Specifically, the temperature acquisition unit is located on the target cell and the cells surrounding it. Infrared thermal imaging and video monitoring are located on the outside of the battery pack.

[0040] Understandably, during testing, thermal runaway will first occur in one of the target cells in the middle of the battery pack. Therefore, the cells arranged around the target cell will promptly report temperature changes.

[0041] In some preferred embodiments, the vehicle thermal runaway testing device further includes a firewall 6, which is installed between the battery pack and the test vehicle 3, and the firewall 6 has a through hole for the extension harness conduit assembly to pass through. Specifically, the firewall 6 is designed according to explosion-proof standards and can provide fireproof, heat insulation, and explosion-proof functions, thus protecting the entire vehicle.

[0042] It is worth noting that the firewall 6 forms a physical barrier between the battery pack and the test vehicle 3, which can effectively block the direct spray of flames and the propagation of high-temperature heat radiation to the test vehicle 3.

[0043] In summary, the proposed solution effectively avoids the risk of the entire vehicle igniting due to a battery pack fire during testing by installing an extended wiring harness assembly and using a remote disconnect assembly to cut off the wiring. It also effectively protects the safety of testing personnel and employs a multi-stage fire suppression system to maximize the integrity and safety of the battery pack. In contrast, traditional lifting platform systems, if the battery pack catches fire, face two main problems: firstly, the battery pack is assembled with the vehicle, making it difficult for external fire suppression systems to effectively extinguish the fire; secondly, after a fire, a hydraulic lifting platform needs to be activated, slowly lowering the entire vehicle into a flooded pool, resulting in the vehicle being submerged. In contrast, existing technologies that do not permanently connect the battery pack to the vehicle, but still keep the battery pack close to the vehicle during testing, and lower the battery pack after a fire, while improving the overall vehicle integrity rate to some extent due to the intense and rapid spread of fire from a battery pack fire, still allow the flames to spread to the chassis and ignite other flammable materials.

[0044] The following table compares the test data of this system with traditional vehicle lifting platform systems and existing testing systems in terms of system response time, overall vehicle integrity rate, and battery pack integrity rate:

[0045] Secondly, this application provides a vehicle testing system, comprising: a vehicle thermal runaway testing device, comprising: a battery pack submersible tank 1, a battery pack lifting platform 2, an extension harness piping assembly, a fire monitoring assembly, and a disconnection assembly; wherein; A battery pack lifting platform 2 is mounted on the battery pack submersion tank 1. The battery pack lifting platform 2 is used to support the battery pack and to perform lifting actions to submerge the battery pack in the battery pack submersion tank 1. An extension harness tubing assembly is connected at one end to the battery pack and at the other end to the test vehicle 3. A fire monitoring assembly is used to monitor the real-time status information of the battery pack. A disconnection assembly is located on the extension harness tubing assembly and is used to disconnect the extension harness tubing assembly to disconnect the battery pack from the test vehicle 3.

[0046] It should be noted that the battery pack is placed separately on the battery pack lifting platform 2, which is set on the battery pack submersion tank 1. After the platform is lowered, it can ensure that the battery pack is completely submerged in water.

[0047] Understandably, the above-described embodiments, involving the extension harness and conduit assembly in conjunction with the disconnection assembly, can quickly disconnect the electrical and conduit connections between the battery pack and the test vehicle in the event of thermal runaway, preventing the fire from spreading along the harness or conduit to the entire vehicle. This ensures the test vehicle is not ignited and damaged, reducing testing costs. Furthermore, by combining the battery pack lifting platform with the immersion tank, the entire battery pack can be submerged in water when the fire becomes uncontrollable. The high heat capacity of water completely extinguishes the battery thermal runaway fire, preventing reignition and ensuring the safety of the test site and personnel. In addition, the fire monitoring component can acquire the battery status in real time, providing trigger signals for the actions of the disconnection assembly and the lifting platform, achieving automated and rapid response and reducing delays caused by manual intervention.

[0048] Preferably, the cutting assembly includes a plurality of electrically insulated hydraulic clamps 8.

[0049] Specifically, such as Figure 1 As shown, the extension harness conduit assembly includes: multiple high-voltage harnesses 91, communication harnesses 92, and cooling conduits 93.

[0050] Furthermore, each high-voltage wire harness 91 is equipped with an electric insulated hydraulic clamp 8 to prevent short circuits during the cutting process. Other cooling pipes and communication control wire harnesses can be combined and cut simultaneously. The electric insulated hydraulic clamp 8 can be remotely cut via remote control or PLC.

[0051] In some alternative embodiments, the vehicle thermal runaway test device further includes: multiple fire extinguishing components, which are located near the battery pack submersible 1, and are used to extinguish fires in the battery pack.

[0052] It is worth noting that, in addition to the physical fire suppression system in the submersible tank, an active fire suppression component was added, forming a multi-level protection system of "active fire suppression + passive submersion". This system can intervene to extinguish the fire in the early or middle stages of battery pack thermal runaway, preventing the fire from spreading further to the point where submersion is necessary, and improving the success rate of fire response.

[0053] Preferably, the fire extinguishing assembly includes a primary fire extinguishing unit 4 and a secondary fire extinguishing unit 5, which are used to extinguish the fire in the battery pack.

[0054] It's worth noting that by setting up selectable primary and secondary fire suppression systems, the appropriate fire suppression method can be chosen based on the severity of the fire. This avoids the risk of severe water ingress into the battery pack caused by directly using large amounts of water to extinguish small fires, which is beneficial for post-test battery failure analysis. Using tiered fire suppression media also prevents unnecessary damage to the battery pack and reduces testing and operational costs.

[0055] In some specific embodiments, the primary fire extinguishing unit 4 includes one or more gas fire extinguishers.

[0056] It is worth noting that gaseous fire extinguishers typically respond quickly and can effectively suppress initial flames. Furthermore, gaseous extinguishing agents have the characteristics of good insulation and no residue, making them suitable for extinguishing early electrical fires or minor thermal runaways in battery packs. They can also keep the inside of the battery pack as dry and clean as possible while extinguishing the fire, facilitating subsequent analysis.

[0057] Optionally, the gas extinguisher can be any one of the following: perfluorohexanone extinguishing system, aerosol extinguishing system, carbon dioxide extinguishing system, heptafluoropropane extinguishing system, IG541 extinguishing system, or liquid nitrogen extinguishing system.

[0058] Furthermore, the secondary fire extinguishing unit 5 includes one or more spray fire extinguishers.

[0059] Understandably, sprinkler fire extinguishers are suitable for intense fires that cannot be controlled by primary fire suppression systems, ensuring effective extinguishing. The extinguishing medium (such as water or foam) has an extremely high specific heat capacity, capable of absorbing a large amount of heat generated by battery thermal runaway, effectively inhibiting the spread of battery heat and preventing the battery pack from reigniting after the fire is extinguished.

[0060] Alternatively, the fire extinguisher may be a water spray fire extinguisher, a foam fire extinguisher, or a fine water mist fire extinguisher.

[0061] In some optional embodiments, the fire monitoring component includes: a temperature sensor, an infrared thermal imaging sensor, and a video monitor; wherein, A temperature acquisition device is used to acquire the real-time temperature of the battery pack; an infrared thermal imaging acquisition device is used to acquire real-time thermal images of the battery pack; and a video monitor is used to acquire real-time images of the battery pack.

[0062] It is worth noting that the control system combines temperature data, thermal imaging cloud maps, and visible light video to comprehensively reflect the battery pack status from different physical dimensions, avoiding misjudgments or omissions caused by the failure or error of a single sensor. Furthermore, infrared thermal imaging can detect abnormally high-temperature points invisible to the naked eye, and the temperature acquisition device can capture the rate of temperature rise. The combination of the two can achieve early warning of thermal runaway, buying valuable time for shut-off and fire extinguishing.

[0063] Specifically, the temperature acquisition unit is located on the target cell and the cells surrounding it. Infrared thermal imaging and video monitoring are located on the outside of the battery pack.

[0064] Understandably, during testing, thermal runaway will first occur in one of the target cells in the middle of the battery pack. Therefore, the cells arranged around the target cell will promptly report temperature changes.

[0065] In some preferred embodiments, the vehicle thermal runaway testing device further includes a firewall 6, which is installed between the battery pack and the test vehicle 3, and the firewall 6 has a through hole for the extension harness conduit assembly to pass through. Specifically, the firewall 6 is designed according to explosion-proof standards and can provide fireproof, heat insulation, and explosion-proof functions, thus protecting the entire vehicle.

[0066] It is worth noting that the firewall 6 forms a physical barrier between the battery pack and the test vehicle 3, which can effectively block the direct spray of flames and the propagation of high-temperature heat radiation to the test vehicle 3.

[0067] In summary, the proposed solution effectively avoids the risk of the entire vehicle igniting due to a battery pack fire during testing by installing an extended wiring harness assembly and using a remote disconnect assembly to cut off the wiring. It also effectively protects the safety of testing personnel and employs a multi-stage fire suppression system to maximize the integrity and safety of the battery pack. In contrast, traditional lifting platform systems, if the battery pack catches fire, face two main problems: firstly, the battery pack is assembled with the vehicle, making it difficult for external fire suppression systems to effectively extinguish the fire; secondly, after a fire, a hydraulic lifting platform needs to be activated, slowly lowering the entire vehicle into a flooded pool, resulting in the vehicle being submerged. In contrast, existing technologies that do not permanently connect the battery pack to the vehicle, but still keep the battery pack close to the vehicle during testing, and lower the battery pack after a fire, while improving the overall vehicle integrity rate to some extent due to the intense and rapid spread of fire from a battery pack fire, still allow the flames to spread to the chassis and ignite other flammable materials.

[0068] Thirdly, such as Figure 2 As shown, this application provides a vehicle thermal runaway control method using the above-mentioned vehicle thermal runaway test device, which includes the following steps: Step S1: Use the fire monitoring component to collect real-time status information of the battery pack.

[0069] It should be noted that during the test, the monitoring and control system detected that the battery pack had thermal runaway, resulting in fire and explosion signals. The signals were transmitted to the central monitoring station, and the test personnel confirmed the fire.

[0070] Step S2: Determine the fire status of the battery pack based on the real-time status information of the battery pack.

[0071] Specifically, the real-time status information of the battery pack includes the following: Scenario 1: After the target cell thermal runaway (mainly when the target cell temperature rises to 400-1000℃, and the surrounding cells do not show a significant temperature increase), once the target cell thermal runaway is complete, the temperature of all monitored cells gradually decreases. If infrared thermal imaging and video monitoring do not observe any external flames or a continuous increase in external temperature of the battery pack, then it can be determined that there is no fire.

[0072] Scenario 2: After thermal runaway of the target cell (mainly when the target cell temperature rises to 400-1000℃, while the surrounding cells do not show significant temperature increases), if infrared thermal imaging and video monitoring detect flames outside the battery pack, it is determined that this is an initial fire. Scenario 3: After thermal runaway of the target cell, it was found that in addition to the rise in the temperature of the target cell, the temperature of the surrounding cells also rose continuously. Infrared thermal imaging and video monitoring showed that the flames outside the battery pack continued to spread, indicating that thermal diffusion had occurred inside the battery pack, leading to the expansion of the fire.

[0073] Step S3: If it is determined that the battery is in a fire state, immediately drive the cutting component to cut off the extension harness conduit assembly, and reassess the fire situation of the battery pack.

[0074] Understandably, once a fire is detected, a pipeline cutting control signal is immediately issued, and the extension pipeline and wiring harness are cut off remotely by electric insulated hydraulic clamps to prevent the fire from spreading.

[0075] The above step S3 specifically includes: Step S3a: The test personnel confirm the fire, issue a pipeline cutting control signal, and first remotely control the electric insulated hydraulic clamps to cut the extension pipeline and wiring harness, thereby driving the fire extinguishing assembly to extinguish the fire on the battery pack.

[0076] Step S3b: Drive the fire extinguishing assembly to extinguish the fire in the battery pack.

[0077] Understandably, adding an active fire suppression step after disconnecting the isolation layer and before submerging the battery pack provides an additional opportunity to salvage its integrity. If the active fire suppression is successful, it can prevent the battery pack from being submerged in water, reducing the difficulty of draining, drying, and analyzing the battery pack after testing.

[0078] Specifically, the primary fire extinguishing unit 4 is first used to extinguish the fire in the battery pack, and the real-time status information of the battery pack collected by the fire monitoring component is used to determine whether the fire in the battery pack is extinguished; if the fire in the battery pack is not extinguished, the secondary fire extinguishing unit 5 is used to extinguish the fire in the battery pack.

[0079] It is worth noting that the above implementation method achieves a tiered upgrade of fire extinguishing measures, prioritizing the use of low-damage primary fire extinguishing methods (such as gas), and only escalating to secondary fire extinguishing methods (such as sprinklers) if these fail. This strategy balances the conflict between "complete fire extinguishing" and "protecting the battery pack for subsequent analysis," optimizing both testing costs and effectiveness.

[0080] Further, activate the primary fire suppression system around the battery pack to extinguish the initial fire. If the fire grows larger and the primary fire suppression system cannot control it, activate the secondary fire suppression system to extinguish the fire. If the fire further expands to the entire battery pack and the battery pack cannot be extinguished at all, then proceed to step S4.

[0081] Understandably, the success of fire suppression also requires a combined assessment of temperature, thermal imaging, and video. If the first-level fire suppression is successful, but heat diffusion occurs inside the battery pack, initial temperature monitoring will detect a continuous rise in temperature. If the first-level fire suppression fails, it indicates that the battery pack remains on fire and the fire will intensify. Temperature monitoring will show the battery pack maintaining a consistently high temperature, video monitoring will observe the flames, and infrared thermal imaging can monitor the distribution of temperature and flames.

[0082] Step S4: If the battery pack is still in a fire state after the extension harness assembly is cut off, the battery pack lifting platform 2 is driven to sink the battery pack into the battery pack sinking tank 1.

[0083] It is worth noting that the aforementioned vehicle thermal runaway control method establishes a control logic of "first disconnect and isolate, then submerge in water to extinguish the fire." Prioritizing disconnection to protect the expensive test vehicle, and only resorting to submersion if the fire remains uncontrollable after isolation, is logically sound. Multiple assessments of the fire situation avoid unnecessary submersion due to false alarms, thus improving system reliability.

[0084] In summary, this invention, through the extension harness conduit assembly and remote disconnection assembly, achieves rapid spatial isolation between the battery pack and the test vehicle, effectively preventing the spread of fire and high-voltage risks to the entire vehicle and significantly protecting the safety of the vehicle assets. Combined with the physical barrier of the firewall and early warning from multi-dimensional fire monitoring, it further ensures the safety of test personnel and the speed of system response. The tiered prevention and control strategy of "gas-based primary fire suppression - spray-based secondary fire suppression - water tank-based final fire suppression" ensures the reliability and thoroughness of thermal runaway fire suppression, preventing reignition, and avoiding secondary damage to the battery pack caused by excessive fire suppression, which is beneficial for subsequent accident analysis. Overall, it achieves high safety and high vehicle and battery pack integrity during the testing process, effectively reducing testing costs.

[0085] In the description of this application, it should be noted that the terms "upper," "lower," etc., indicating the orientation or positional relationship are based on the orientation or positional relationship shown in the accompanying drawings, and are only for the convenience of describing this application and simplifying the description, and do not indicate or imply that the device or element referred to must have a specific orientation, or be constructed and operated in a specific orientation, and therefore should not be construed as a limitation of this application. Unless otherwise expressly specified and limited, the terms "installed," "connected," and "linked" should be interpreted broadly. For example, they can refer to a fixed connection, a detachable connection, or an integral connection; they can refer to a mechanical connection or an electrical connection; they can refer to a direct connection or an indirect connection through an intermediate medium; they can refer to the internal communication between two elements. For those skilled in the art, the specific meaning of the above terms in this application can be understood according to the specific circumstances.

[0086] It should be noted that in this application, relational terms such as "first" and "second" are used merely to distinguish one entity or operation from another, and do not necessarily require or imply any such actual relationship or order between these entities or operations. Furthermore, the terms "comprising," "including," or any other variations thereof are intended to cover non-exclusive inclusion, such that a process, method, article, or apparatus that comprises a list of elements includes not only those elements but also other elements not expressly listed, or elements inherent to such a process, method, article, or apparatus. Without further limitations, an element defined by the phrase "comprising one..." does not exclude the presence of other identical elements in the process, method, article, or apparatus that includes said element.

[0087] The above description is merely a specific embodiment of this application, enabling those skilled in the art to understand or implement this application. Various modifications to these embodiments will be readily apparent to those skilled in the art, and the general principles defined herein may be implemented in other embodiments without departing from the spirit or scope of this application. Therefore, this application is not to be limited to the embodiments shown herein, but is to be accorded the widest scope consistent with the principles and novel features claimed herein.

Claims

1. A vehicle thermal runaway testing device, characterized in that, include: Battery pack submersible tank (1); A battery pack lifting platform (2) is erected on the battery pack sinking tank (1). The battery pack lifting platform (2) is used to carry the battery pack and to perform lifting actions to sink the battery pack into the battery pack sinking tank (1). An extension harness assembly, one end of which is connected to the battery pack and the other end of which is connected to the test vehicle (3); A fire monitoring component is used to monitor the real-time status information of the battery pack. A cutting component is disposed on the extension harness conduit assembly, the cutting component being used to cut off the extension harness conduit assembly to disconnect the battery pack from the test vehicle (3).

2. The vehicle thermal runaway testing device as described in claim 1, characterized in that, Also includes: Multiple fire extinguishing components are provided near the battery pack sink tank (1) and are used to extinguish fires in the battery pack.

3. The vehicle thermal runaway testing device as described in claim 2, characterized in that, The fire extinguishing assembly includes a primary fire extinguishing unit (4) and a secondary fire extinguishing unit (5), both of which are used to extinguish the fire in the battery pack.

4. The whole vehicle thermal runaway testing device as described in claim 3, characterized in that, The primary fire extinguishing unit (4) includes one or more gas fire extinguishers.

5. The vehicle thermal runaway testing device as described in claim 3, characterized in that, The secondary fire extinguishing unit (5) includes one or more spray fire extinguishers.

6. The whole vehicle thermal runaway testing device as described in claim 1, characterized in that, The fire monitoring component includes: A temperature acquisition device is used to acquire the real-time temperature of the battery pack; An infrared thermal imaging collector is used to acquire real-time thermal images of the battery pack; A video monitor is used to capture real-time images of the battery pack.

7. The whole vehicle thermal runaway testing device as described in claim 1, characterized in that, Also includes: A firewall (6) is provided between the battery pack and the test vehicle (3), and the firewall (6) is provided with a through hole for the extension harness conduit assembly to pass through.

8. A method for controlling thermal runaway of a vehicle using the vehicle thermal runaway testing device as described in claim 1, characterized in that, It includes the following steps: Use fire monitoring components to collect real-time status information of the battery pack; The fire situation of the battery pack is determined based on the real-time status information of the battery pack; wherein, If the battery pack is in a fire, the cutting component is immediately activated to cut off the extension harness conduit assembly; If the battery pack is still in a fire state after the extension harness assembly is cut off, the battery pack lifting platform (2) is driven to sink the battery pack into the battery pack sinking tank (1).

9. The vehicle thermal runaway control method as described in claim 8, characterized in that, After the immediate cutting component cuts off the extension harness conduit assembly, the method further includes: driving the fire extinguishing component to extinguish the fire in the battery pack.

10. The vehicle thermal runaway control method as described in claim 9, characterized in that, The process of driving the fire extinguishing assembly to extinguish the fire on the battery pack includes: The battery pack is extinguished using a first-level fire extinguishing unit (4), and the battery pack fire is extinguished based on the real-time status information of the battery pack collected by the fire monitoring component. If the battery pack is not extinguished, the secondary fire extinguishing unit (5) is used to extinguish the fire on the battery pack.

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