METHOD FOR EXTINGUISHING A MOTOR VEHICLE BATTERY IN THE EVENT OF THERMAL RUNAWAY

Abstract

The invention relates to a method for extinguishing a battery (1) of a motor vehicle (100) in the event of thermal runaway of said battery (1) comprising the following steps: a step of transmitting a signal by said controller when the temperature sensor measures a temperature greater than a first threshold value or when the shock detector detects a shock; a step of transmitting data relating to the motorization of said vehicle by said RFID chip to a mobile terminal when said signal is transmitted; a step of deploying said at least one conduit (3) towards the outside of said vehicle in the second direction (Y) to allow the injection of a first fluid into said battery tray (2) by the firefighters via said at least one conduit (3) when said information is transmitted during the transmission step, said first fluid being distributed into said battery tray (2) via the sprinklers. Figure 1

Description

Title of the invention: METHOD FOR EXTINGUISHING A BATTERY OF A MOTOR VEHICLE IN THE EVENT OF THERMAL RUNAWAY

[0001] The invention relates to electric or hybrid motor vehicles, and more particularly to the means for extinguishing a fire starting in the batteries of these vehicles.

[0002] Known from the prior art is patent application FR3002910 which describes a supporting structure designed to extinguish fires in the traction batteries of an electric or hybrid motor vehicle. The vehicle comprises a rear bumper and side members, in particular a straight side member. The supporting structure comprises hollow channels which surround or are located near the battery compartment. These hollow channels are designed so that they can be filled with a fire extinguishing fluid via an external access means. In addition, the supporting structure comprises orifices configured to diffuse said fluid from the hollow channels into the battery compartment. The channels use the side members. The rear bumper comprises a hatch into which a firefighter can insert a nozzle of a fire hose to distribute water into the straight side member. However, disadvantages remain.Initially, the hatch through which the water is injected is at the rear bumper. To intervene, firefighters must therefore advance to the vehicle to insert the nozzle of the fire hose through the hatch, despite the risks of fire and explosion of the batteries in the vehicle. In addition, the vehicle only has one hatch, which may be insufficient to effectively extinguish a fire. In addition, if a channel at the hatch is blocked, this may prevent the effective entry of water to flood the batteries.

[0003] The objective of the present invention is to remedy these drawbacks and to quickly extinguish a battery fire while limiting the risks of the fire reigniting.

[0004] To achieve this objective, the invention proposes a method for extinguishing a battery of a motor vehicle in the event of thermal runaway of said battery, said vehicle comprising a front running gear and a rear running gear whose points of contact with the ground define a base plane defined by a first longitudinal direction corresponding to straight-line driving, by a second transverse direction orthogonal to the first longitudinal direction and a third vertical direction orthogonal to the first direction and to the second direction and is oriented away from the ground, said vehicle comprising an electric or hybrid engine, said vehicle comprising a battery tray comprising said battery, a temperature sensor and / or a shock detector, said vehicle comprising a controller comprising an RFID chip configured to transmit data indicating the engine of said vehicle, said data indicating an electric or hybrid engine, said battery tray comprising an internal watering system for the battery, said watering system comprising a plurality of sprinklers, said battery tray comprising at least one conduit capable of being deployed towards the outside of said vehicle in the second direction, the sprinklers being connected to said at least one conduit, remarkable in that said method comprises the following steps: - a step of emitting a signal by said controller when the temperature sensor measures a temperature greater than a first threshold value or when the shock detector detects a shock; - a step of transmitting data concerning the motorization of said vehicle by said RFID chip to a mobile terminal when said signal is emitted during the transmission step; - a step of deploying said at least one conduit towards the outside of said vehicle in the second direction to allow the injection of a first fluid into said battery tray by the firefighters via said at least one conduit when said information is transmitted during the transmission step, said first fluid being distributed into said battery tray via the sprinklers.

[0005] Thanks to the invention, the battery fire is quickly extinguished.

[0006] Advantageously, said at least one conduit comprises an opening towards the outside in the second direction, said opening comprising a seal.

[0007] Thus, the first fluid floods the battery without the possibility of exiting via the conduit into which the fire hose is introduced.

[0008] Advantageously, said vehicle comprises at least two conduits, said method comprising a step of immersing said vehicle in a second fluid while lifting said vehicle by means of said conduits.

[0009] This limits the risk of fire rekindling.

[0010] Advantageously, said RFID chip is of the EPC UHF Gen2 type.

[0011] This allows firefighters to be informed that it is an electric or hybrid vehicle, without having to get dangerously close to the vehicle.

[0012] Preferably, said vehicle comprises four conduits and said battery having a longitudinal axis in the first direction, each conduit being positioned perpendicular to the axis in the second direction, a first conduit and a second conduit being positioned opposite each other relative to the axis at the front of said battery tray in the first direction, a third conduit and a fourth conduit being positioned opposite each other relative to said axis at the rear of said battery tray in the first direction.

[0013] This configuration allows the intervention of several firefighters to quickly reduce the temperature of the battery.

[0014] Preferably, said first fluid comprises sodium chloride or sodium carbonate.

[0015] These components are effective in extinguishing fires of electrical origin.

[0016] The invention also relates to a computer program comprising instructions which, when the program is executed by a computer, cause the latter to implement the steps of the method for extinguishing a battery of a motor vehicle in the event of thermal runaway of said battery described above.

[0017] Furthermore, the invention relates to an electric or hybrid motor vehicle configured to implement said method previously described.

[0018] The invention will be further detailed by the description of non-limiting embodiments, and on the basis of the appended figures illustrating variants of the invention, in which: - [Fig.l] schematically illustrates a motor vehicle comprising a battery tray according to one embodiment of the invention; - [Fig.2] schematically illustrates the motor vehicle illustrated in [Fig.l] after implementing a method of extinguishing a battery in the event of thermal runaway of said battery.

[0019] [Fig.l] schematically illustrates a motor vehicle 100 comprising a battery box 2 containing a battery 1. The battery 1 has a longitudinal axis A along the first direction X. The vehicle 100 comprises a front running gear and a rear running gear whose points of contact with the ground define a base plane XY defined by a first longitudinal direction X corresponding to straight-line travel, by a second transverse direction Y orthogonal to the first longitudinal direction X and a third vertical direction Z orthogonal to the first direction X and to the second direction Y and is oriented away from the ground. The vehicle 100 comprises an electric or hybrid motor. In addition, said battery box 2 comprises a temperature sensor and / or a shock detector. The shock detector is a binary sensor for detecting a shock.For example, the shock may come from a collision of said vehicle 100 with an obstacle or with another vehicle. The shock is likely to damage said battery 1 and cause overheating. The battery tray 2 comprises an internal watering system for said battery 1. The watering system comprises a plurality of sprinklers. In addition, the battery tray 2 comprises at least one conduit 3 capable of extending outwards. of said vehicle 100. The sprinklers of said watering system are connected to said at least one conduit 3. Thus, if a liquid is injected into said at least one conduit 3, said liquid comes out at the sprinklers. In [Fig.l], said vehicle 100 comprises 4 conduits 3 positioned in pairs on either side of said vehicle 100 in the second direction Y. The conduits 3 are not deployed. The vehicle 100 comprises a controller comprising an RFID chip (acronym meaning Radio Frequency identification). The RFID chip is an electronic device that uses radio waves to collect data remotely so as to uniquely identify objects. The RFID chip is configured to transmit data providing information on the engine, electric or hybrid, of said vehicle 100.When the battery 1 undergoes thermal runaway, a signal is emitted by said controller when the temperature sensor measures a temperature greater than a first threshold value or when said detector detects an impact during a transmission step. During a transmission step, said data providing information on the motorization of said vehicle 100 is transmitted by said RFID chip to a mobile terminal when said signal is emitted during the transmission step. For example, the mobile terminal is a mobile phone. During a deployment step, said at least one conduit 3 is deployed towards the outside of the vehicle 100 in the second direction Y to allow the injection of a first fluid into said battery tray 2 via said at least one conduit 3 when the data is transmitted by the RFID chip to said mobile terminal during the transmission step.The first fluid is therefore injected at the level of said at least one conduit 3, then said first fluid exits at the level of the sprinklers to penetrate said battery tray 2. Preferably, said at least one conduit 3 comprises an opening 4 towards the outside, so that said fire hose can be introduced through said opening 4. Said opening 4 comprises a seal to prevent the first fluid from exiting said battery tray 2 during the intervention. The first fluid can be water or a specific extinguishing liquid. For fires of electrical origin, the extinguishing liquids comprise sodium chloride or sodium carbonate for example. The deployment is controlled by said controller.Preferably, the RFID chip is of the EPC UHF Gen2 type (acronym meaning Electronic Product Code Ultra-High Frequency Generation 2) because this type of RFID chip has a greater reading range compared to other types of RFID chips. In other words, EPC UHF Gen2 RFID chips can transmit information over a greater distance. Thus, it is possible for firefighters to know the engine of said vehicle 100 without having to approach said vehicle 100 which is likely to catch fire or even explode. Furthermore, this is a type of standardized RFID chip compatible with international standards. Thus, a mobile terminal from a country other than the one in which the fire occurs will be . able to know the engine of said vehicle 100. For firefighters, it is essential to know the engine, electric or hybrid, of said vehicle 100 before starting the extinguishing because the intervention protocol is different for a vehicle 100 with a thermal engine for example.

[0020] In [Fig.2], said vehicle 100 is illustrated during the deployment step. The vehicle 100 comprises 4 conduits 3, each of the conduits 3 being deployed. Each conduit 3 is positioned perpendicular to the axis A in the second direction Y. A first conduit 3 and a second conduit 3 are positioned opposite each other with respect to the axis A at the front of said vehicle 100 in the first direction X. A third conduit 3 and a fourth conduit 3 are positioned opposite each other with respect to said axis A at the rear of said vehicle 100 in the first direction X. Thus, the firefighters can introduce a fire hose into one of the conduits 3 to flood said battery 1 in the battery tray 2. To gain efficiency, the firefighters can for example introduce a fire hose into 2 conduits 3 or into each of the 4 conduits 3. In this way, said first fluid is introduced in greater quantity into the battery tray 2, so as to reduce the temperature of said battery 1 more quickly.Optionally, said method comprises a step of immersing said vehicle 100 in a second fluid by lifting said vehicle 100 by means of said conduits 3 using a crane for example. Complete immersion of said vehicle 100 in said second fluid reduces the risks of fire resumption. Indeed, fire resumptions are frequent in the hours, or even days, following thermal runaway.

[0021] The invention also relates to a computer program configured to implement the method for extinguishing a battery 1 of a motor vehicle 100 in the case of thermal runaway of said battery 1 previously described. Furthermore, the invention relates to a motor vehicle 100 configured to implement said method previously described.

Claims

1. Claims Method for extinguishing a battery (1) of a motor vehicle (100) in the event of thermal runaway of said battery (1), said vehicle (100) comprising a front running gear and a rear running gear whose points of contact with the ground define a base plane (XY) defined by a first longitudinal direction (X) corresponding to straight-line driving, by a second transverse direction (Y) orthogonal to the first longitudinal direction (X) and a third vertical direction (Z) orthogonal to the first direction (X) and to the second direction (Y) and is oriented away from the ground, said vehicle (100) comprising an electric or hybrid motor, said vehicle (100) comprising a battery tray (2) comprising said battery (1), a temperature sensor and / or a shock detector,said vehicle comprising a controller comprising an RFID chip configured to transmit data indicating the motorization of said vehicle, said data indicating an electric or hybrid motorization, said battery tray (2) comprising an internal watering system for the battery (1), said watering system comprising a plurality of sprinklers, said battery tray (2) comprising at least one conduit (3) capable of being deployed towards the outside of said vehicle (100) in the second direction (Y), the sprinklers being connected to said at least one conduit (3), characterized in that said method comprises the following steps:, - a step of emitting a signal by said controller when the temperature sensor measures a temperature greater than a first threshold value or when the shock detector detects a shock; - a step of transmitting data concerning the motorization of said vehicle by said RFID chip to a mobile terminal when said signal is emitted during the transmission step; - a step of deploying said at least one conduit (3) towards the outside of said vehicle in the second direction (Y) to allow the injection of a first fluid into said battery tray (2) by the firefighters via said at least one conduit (3) when said information is transmitted during the transmission step, said first fluid being distributed into said battery tray (2) via the sprinklers.

2. Method according to claim 1 characterized in that said at least one conduit (3) comprises an opening (4) towards the outside in the second direction (Y), said opening (4) comprising a seal.

3. Method according to claim 1 or 2 characterized in that said vehicle (100) comprises at least two conduits (3), said method comprising a step of immersing said vehicle (100) in a second fluid by lifting said vehicle (100) by means of said conduits (3).

4. Method according to any one of claims 1 to 3 characterized in that said RFID chip is of the EPC UHF Gen2 type.

5. Method according to any one of claims 1 to 4 characterized in that said vehicle (100) comprises four conduits (3) and said battery (1) having a longitudinal axis (A) in the first direction (X), each conduit (3) being positioned perpendicular to the axis (A) in the second direction (Y), a first conduit (3) and a second conduit (3) being positioned opposite each other with respect to the axis (A) at the front of said battery box (2) in the first direction (X), a third conduit (3) and a fourth conduit (3) being positioned opposite each other with respect to said axis (A) at the rear of said battery box (2) in the first direction (Y).

6. Method according to any one of claims 1 to 5 characterized in that said first fluid comprises sodium chloride or sodium carbonate.

7. Computer program comprising instructions which, when the program is executed by a computer, cause the latter to implement the steps of the method for extinguishing a battery (1) of a motor vehicle (100) in the event of thermal runaway of said battery (1) according to any one of claims 1 to 6.

8. Electric or hybrid motor vehicle configured to implement said method of extinguishing a battery (1) of a motor vehicle (100) in the event of thermal runaway of said battery (1) according to any one of claims 1 to 6.

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