System and method

Abstract

A system including a pressure containment assembly having a body with a first side and a second side. The assembly further includes a gas permeable membrane coupled to the body and configured to allow gas to permeate therethrough, thereby enabling movement from the first side to the second side. The assembly also includes a pressure relief valve coupled to the body, the pressure relief valve being biased to a closed position to substantially block the flow of gas therethrough and moving to an open position when a predetermined pressure differential exists, being configured to allow gas passing therethrough to move from the first side to the second side. The pressure containment assembly is configured to maintain its structural integrity after being exposed to a temperature of about 500 °C.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present disclosure relates to a pressure containment assembly, and more particularly to a pressure containment assembly capable of containing relatively high pressures and / or temperatures.

Background Art

[0002] Pressure relief assemblies are used to accommodate pressure differences across different spaces. More particularly, a pressure relief assembly can be used with a sealed casing that houses a chemical reactor such as an electric battery, a fuel cell, etc. In certain situations, components disposed within the casing may experience a thermal runaway event that generates high pressures and / or temperatures. Many existing pressure relief assemblies are unable to accommodate such high pressures and / or temperatures.

Summary of the Invention

Means for Solving the Problems

[0003] In one embodiment, the present disclosure is directed to a pressure relief assembly that can effectively accommodate pressure differences and / or high temperatures, and more particularly, can withstand the pressures and / or temperatures associated with a thermal runaway event and maintain its function. In one embodiment, the invention is a system that includes a pressure containment assembly having a body with a first side and a second side. The assembly further includes a gas permeable membrane coupled to the body and configured to allow gas to permeate therethrough and move from the first side to the second side. The assembly also includes a pressure relief valve coupled to the body, the pressure relief valve being biased to a closed position to generally block the flow of gas therethrough and moving to an open position when a predetermined pressure difference exists to allow gas to pass therethrough and move from the first side to the second side. The pressure containment assembly is configured to maintain its structural integrity after being exposed to a temperature of about 500°C.

Brief Description of the Drawings

[0004]

Figure 1

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Figure 2

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Figure 3

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Figure 4

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Figure 5

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Figure 6

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Figure 7

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Figure 8

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Figure 9

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Figure 10

[0014]

Figure 11

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Figure 12

[0016] Referring to FIG. 1, a system generally designated 10 can include an enclosed or sealed, or generally enclosed or sealed, casing 12 having or defining an inner cavity 14 and having a chemical reactor 16 (such as a battery, fuel cell, etc.) disposed within the inner cavity. In some cases, the casing 12 can be disposed within an automobile or considered part of an automobile. In this or other cases, the chemical reactor 16 can be electrically and / or operationally coupled to the automobile and / or its various subsystems via various cables, wires, etc. (not shown) that are electrically coupled to the chemical reactor 16 and pass through the casing 12 in a sealed manner.

[0017] Since the casing 12 is sealed or generally sealed, it may be desirable to provide a pressure balance with the ambient environment 18. For example, the chemical reactor 16 can generate heat (and thus the pressure can increase), and / or there can be changes in ambient pressure or temperature, etc. that need to be accommodated to avoid damage to the casing 12 and / or the chemical reactor 16. Thus, a pressure relief assembly generally designated 20 can be provided within, coupled to, or form part of the casing 12 to provide a pressure balance inside and outside the casing 12.

[0018] The pressure relief assembly 20 can include a body 22 and a diaphragm 24 and a pressure relief valve 26 coupled to the body 22. The body 22 can be sealingly fitted into the opening 28 of the casing 12. The assembly 20 and / or the body 22 can include, in one case, a first side, i.e., an inner side 30, in fluid communication with the inner cavity 14, and, in one case, a second side, i.e., an outer side 32, in fluid communication with the ambient / ambient environment or the atmosphere 18. In this way, the pressure relief assembly 20, more specifically, both the diaphragm 24 and the valve 26, are disposed within or in fluid communication with the inner cavity 14 on the inner side 30 and are disposed within or in fluid communication with the ambient environment 18 on the outer side 32.

[0019] As best shown in FIG. 6, the body 22 includes a central portion 34 having or defining a central / main opening 36 and a set of lugs 38 coupled to the central portion 34 and circumferentially spaced therearound. A lug opening 39 can be formed through each lug 38. The body 22 further includes a diaphragm tab 40 coupled to a side surface of the central portion 34 with a diaphragm opening 42 disposed within the diaphragm tab 40. The central portion 34 of the body 22 further includes a generally flat circumferentially extending valve seat 44, a central hub 46 having a coupling opening 48 disposed therethrough, and a set of radially extending circumferentially spaced vanes 50 coupled to the hub 46 for positioning the hub 46 in a desired position.

[0020] The body 22 further includes a set of circumferentially spaced spacer tabs 52 that extend upward. The assembly 20 can include a protective cover 54 that is disposed on or coupled to the spacer tabs 52. The cover 54 is coupled to the spacer tabs 52 by an interference fit, press fit, etc. to protect the valve 26, but the cover 54 and the spacer tabs 52 can be omitted if desired. The body 22 and / or the cover 54 can be made of a wide range of materials including, but not limited to, high temperature resistant thermoplastics such as nylon, polysulfone, polyetherimide, polyphenylsulfone, polyphthalamide, polyphenylene sulfide, glass filled composite materials, etc.

[0021] The body 22 can be coupled to the casing 12 by any of a variety of desired mechanisms. In some cases, a fastener (not shown) is passed through the lug opening 39 of the lug 38 to secure the body 22 / assembly 20 in place. In other embodiments, the body 22 can be coupled to the casing 12 by a snap fit, or a bayonet type attachment (e.g., a 1 / 2 turn or 1 / 4 turn bayonet style attachment), screwing the body 22 directly into place, or other methods / means. If desired, a body seal 56, generally having a shape corresponding to the shape of the body 22, is disposed between the body 22 and the casing 12 to seal therebetween.

[0022] The membrane 24 can be disposed within, and / or cover, and / or span the membrane opening 42 disposed in the membrane tab 40. The membrane 24 may be breathable and semi-permeable, in which case the membrane 24 can generally allow all gases or specific gases to pass through, but is generally liquid-impermeable (more specifically, in some cases generally does not allow water to pass through), such that a liquid (e.g., water in some cases) can be prevented from passing, particularly into the inner cavity 14. Thus, the membrane 24 may be permeable (e.g., to air and / or specific gases) such that air and other gases can pass across the membrane 24 to maintain or attempt to maintain the pressure balance between the inner cavity 14 and the surrounding environment 18.

[0023] Referring to FIG. 9, in one embodiment, the membrane 24 includes or consists of a central or intermediate membrane layer 60 disposed between an internal (lower or facing the cavity) protective layer 62 and an external (upper or facing the surroundings) protective layer 64. The membrane layer 60 may, in some cases, be a layer that primarily controls the gas permeation and / or lack of liquid permeation across the entire membrane 24. The membrane layer 60 can be made of or include synthetic fluoropolymers such as PTFE (polytetrafluoroethylene), but can also be made of or include metals such as sintered metal, or other polymers such as polyethylene or polypropylene, and / or thermoplastic polymers, and / or fluorinated polymers, or ceramics such as ceramic wafers, ceramic-coated fabrics.

[0024] The semi-permeable nature of membrane layer 60 may result in some cases from gaps, pores, or channels between polymer chains or the like of the material of membrane layer 60. Membrane layer 60 (and / or overall membrane 24) may have a variety of airflow rates, and in some cases membrane layer 60 (and / or overall membrane 24) may have an airflow of at least about 0.25 L / min in some cases, or less than about 5 L / min in other cases, or between about 0.25 L / min and about 5 L / min, at all pressure differentials ranging from about 40 mbar to about 100 mbar. Membrane layer 60 (and / or overall membrane 24) may in some cases have an airflow of at least about 0.5 L / min / 0.785 cm at 40 mbar. 2 or pressure equalization rate of about 5 L / min / 0.785 cm at 70 mbar in another case. 2 or approximately 0.5 L / min / 0.785 cm at 40 mbar 2 and approx. 5 L / min / 0.785 cm at 70 mbar 2 (This is approximately 0.5 L / min / 0.785 cm at 40 mbar. 2 , approx. 5 L / min / 0.785 cm at 70 mbar 2 is a bracketed range in which the two values ​​can represent two data points on a graph, the range being understood to include all values ​​that fall within the area defined at its upper limit by a line between the two data points, and all area below that line / upper limit.)

[0025] The inner 62 and outer 64 protective layers may be breathable, allowing gas to flow generally freely therethrough, and in some cases, may not measurably affect the flow of gas (and in some cases liquid) therethrough and / or through membrane 24. The inner 62 and / or outer 64 protective layers can be configured to provide one or more of abrasion / impact protection, thermal protection, or water / moisture protection to the membrane layer 60. In some cases, the inner 62 and outer 64 protective layers are made of the same material and / or have the same properties, but optionally, layers 62, 64 can be made of different materials and / or have different properties. In some cases, one or both of the inner 62 and outer 64 layers are a compact woven aramid material having extreme high temperature resistance (in some cases 500 °C or more), such as NOMEX® material, but can be made of other woven materials such as polyamide-imide, polyetheretherketone (PEEK), and non-woven materials such as perfluoroelastomer compounds such as PTFE, FFKM, or alternatively. In another embodiment, the two protective layers 62, 64 can be disposed immediately adjacent to each other on the inside of the membrane 24 (facing the inner cavity 14), and the layer 60 is disposed as the top layer of the membrane 24 and is directly exposed to the surrounding environment 18. This configuration can provide significant thermal protection to the membrane 24 / layer 60 from the high temperatures within the inner cavity 14.

[0026] As will be outlined in more detail below, the protective layers 62, 64 can provide thermal shielding properties. Further, the protective layers 62, 64 can also have hydrophobic properties by virtue of the particular materials from which they are made and / or by subjecting the protective layers 62, 64 to a surface treatment (such as fluorinated polymer chemical vapor deposition like PTFE) to protect the membrane layer 60 from the ingress of moisture. Thus, the membrane 24 (and / or its individual layers 60, 62, 64) is hydrophobic and can resist the ingress of moisture, but can freely or generally freely permit the passage of air (e.g., the barrier to the flow of air or gas is negligible or non - existent. In some cases, having a permeability rate at least 5 times greater than that of the membrane layer 60, in other cases at least 10 times greater, or in yet another embodiment at least 25 times greater) to allow the passage of air or gas to enable pressure equalization.

[0027] As shown in FIG. 9, the membrane 24 can include and / or be coupled to a mounting ring 66 that can be made of various materials such as thermoplastic and / or corrosion - resistant metals and / or the materials described above for the body 22. The layers 60, 62, 64 of the membrane 24 can be coupled to the ring 66 at their outer perimeters by ultrasonic welding, mechanical bonding or other means or methods, and / or can be bonded to each other face - to - face, or in other cases cannot be bonded face - to - face.

[0028] The membrane 24 permits the passage of air or gas, but the membrane 24 can have a limited velocity of the air or gas passing through it. Thus, when a relatively high pressure exists within the inner cavity 14 (and / or, in some cases, in the ambient environment 18), the valve 26 can equalize the pressure passing through it. For example, in the case of a thermal runaway event in the chemical reactor 16, the pressure within the inner cavity 14 can increase significantly in a short period of time. In this case, the valve 26 can open to allow a rapid flow of air or gas through it.

[0029] The valve 26 can be a check valve or other one-way (or two-way) valve that opens at a sufficient or predetermined pressure differential, or can take that form. In some cases, the valve 26 takes the form of an umbrella valve that includes a flapper component 70 of a general "mushroom" shape having a central stem 72 and a diaphragm 74 coupled thereto. The central stem 72 can have a barbed wire shape at its distal / lower end and passes through the coupling opening 48 of the central hub 46 to fix the flapper component 70 in a predetermined position, or is coupled by various other mechanisms or means. The diaphragm 74 is generally a disc-shaped component having an outer periphery that normally contacts the valve seat 44. The diaphragm 74 / valve 26 is shaped and / or configured to be biased to its closed or sealed position (Figures 3 and 4), and the diaphragm 74 engages the valve seat 44 and generally closes or seals the central / main opening 36 of the body 22 to prevent the entry of dust, particles, moisture, etc. into the inner cavity 14 and also block the outflow of gas from the cavity 14. The diaphragm 74 can be configured to generally assume a convex shape when in the closed position.

[0030] When there is a sufficient pressure difference across the valve 26 / flapper component 70 (e.g., in some cases, a positive pressure within the cavity 14), the outer portion of the diaphragm 74 bends / moves upward away from the valve seat 44 as shown in FIG. 5, allowing gas to flow through there. When the pressure difference is sufficiently dissipated, the valve 26 / diaphragm 74 returns to its closed position as shown in FIGS. 3 and 4. The valve 26 / diaphragm 74 can be designed to have various different opening and closing pressures as desired. In some cases, the valve 26 / diaphragm 74 has an opening pressure between about 20 mbar and about 50 mbar, or in some cases greater than about 5 mbar, or in another case greater than about 20 mbar, or in another case less than about 100 mbar, or in yet another case less than about 50 mbar. The valve 26 can be designed to have a relatively low opening pressure that allows the valve 26 to respond quickly in response to the internal pressure of the casing 12. When open, the valve 26 can provide an air flow of at least about 2,000 L / min in some cases, at least about 6,000 L / min in another case, and less than about 10,000 L / min in yet another case.

[0031] The flapper component 70 / diaphragm 74 can be made of any of a wide variety of materials including elastomeric materials such as silicone, fluorosilicone, fluorocarbon, and / or thermosetting rubber. The diaphragm 74 can have various sizes and dimensions. In some cases, it can have an outer diameter of about 30 mm to about 50 mm, a thickness that tapers to about 2 to 4 mm at the center and about 1 to 3.5 mm at the outer diameter.

[0032] The entire assembly 20, and / or the valve 26 and / or the membrane 24, together or separately, can be configured to resist the ingress or passage of water or moisture (in one case entering the inner cavity 14) at a water pressure of at least about 0.1 meter of water column in some cases, at least about 0.5 meter of water column in another case, at least about 1 meter of water column in another case, or at least about 3 meters of water column in yet another case. The entire assembly 20, and / or the valve 26 and / or the membrane 24, together or separately, can be configured to resist the ingress or passage of dust (in one case entering the inner cavity 14) in a manner that meets the IP69K evaluation based on an ingress protection assessment system in accordance with IEC standard 60529 issued by IEC Technical Committee 70 (more specifically, IEC 60529:1989 + A1:1999 + A2:2013, which is hereby incorporated by reference).

[0033] In the embodiments of FIGS. 1 - 10, the membrane 24 is laterally offset from the valve 26 in an offset direction O (FIG. 5) that is generally perpendicular to the direction of flow of gas F through the valve 26 (which in some cases is aligned with the central axis of the valve 26). In some cases, the membrane 24 is completely laterally offset from the valve 26 such that no portion of the membrane 24 overlaps the valve 26 in the flow direction F. The assembly 20 can include a channel 78 that at least partially extends in the offset direction O and provides a fluid communication path between the membrane 24 and the inner cavity 14 of the casing 12. The channel 78 can be at least partially defined / formed by a closed or generally closed body channel portion 80 formed on the lower side of the body 22. In this way, when the body 22 is properly fitted onto the casing 12, the body channel portion 80 and the upper surface of the casing 12 together define the channel 78. However, if desired, the channel 78 can be completely formed within the body 22, such as by a bore / channel completely formed within the body 22, such that the channel 78 has a completely defined outer perimeter by the body 22. The body channel portion 80 can be closed / sealed or generally closed / sealed at two open ends, fluidly communicating with the membrane 24 at one end and the valve 26 at the other end, thereby providing a direct fluid communication between the membrane 24 and the valve 26.

[0034] The channel 78 can, if desired, have a relatively small cross - section, for example, at the narrowest point in some cases, and / or less than about 20% of the surface area of the central / main opening 36 in some cases, or less than about 10% in another case, or less than about 5% in another case, and / or greater than about 0.1% in some cases, or greater than about 1% in yet another case, and can have an average cross - sectional area. Alternatively, the channel 78 can be between about 100 mm 2 and about 300 mm 2 and can have a minimum and / or average cross - sectional area of less than about 400 mm 2 in some cases.

[0035] Channel 78 provides a serpentine path and / or connection between the membrane 24 / membrane opening 42 and the inner cavity 14 to protect the membrane 24. In particular, in the case of a thermal runaway event, the limited size of the channel 78 can limit the amount of pressure differential that can propagate rapidly through the channel 78 to provide pressure protection to the membrane 24. Further, the serpentine path / lateral offset of the channel 78 can serve to protect the membrane 24 from any debris or particles that may be rapidly propelled (e.g., in the flow direction F) in the case of a thermal runaway event. In this way, there is no direct path from the inner cavity 14 to the membrane 24 in a direction parallel to the direction of flow through the valve 26. In contrast, in some cases, the valve 26 may be in direct fluid communication with the inner cavity 14 such that there is a direct path from the inner cavity 14 to the valve 26 in a direction parallel to the flow direction F that allows for rapid venting of the gas. Further, the valve 26 may be more robust than the membrane 24 and thus better able to withstand high pressures and / or projectiles.

[0036] The valve 26 may also be configured to withstand / cope with relatively high pressures. For example, the vanes 50 and the central hub 46 may be configured to exhibit a relatively low resistance to the fluid. For example, in some cases, the vanes 50 and the central hub 46 together constitute and / or block a surface area of less than, in some cases, about 10%, and in other cases, less than about 5% of the surface area defined within the central portion 34 of the hub (e.g., as defined by the perimeter of the central / main opening 36 of the body 22 when viewed in the flow direction F).

[0037] In this way, the configuration and arrangement of the membrane 24 (including the lateral offset provided by the channel 78), the material of the membrane 24 (including at least the inner 62 and / or outer 64 protective layers), and the configuration of the valve 26 enable the assembly 20 as a whole, and / or the valve 26 and / or the membrane 24, together or separately, to withstand the high pressures and / or temperatures and / or gas flows associated with a thermal runaway event while still maintaining structural integrity. Thus, in some cases, the assembly 20 as a whole, and / or the valve 26 and / or the membrane 24, together and / or separately, can be exposed to a temperature of about 500 °C, in some cases for at least or about 1 second, or in another case for at least or about 10 seconds, or in another case for at least or about 60 seconds, and / or a pressure difference of about 33 mbar, in some cases for at least or about 1 second, or in another case for at least or about 5 seconds, or in another case for at least or about 60 seconds, and / or a pressure difference of about 250 mbar, in some cases for at least or about 1 second, or in another case for at least or about 5 seconds, or in another case for at least or about 60 seconds, and then maintain their structural integrity, and / or, a pressure difference of about 500 mbar, in some cases for at least or about 1 second, or in another case for at least or about 5 seconds, or in another case for at least or about 60 seconds, and then maintain their structural integrity.

[0038] Furthermore, the assembly 20 as a whole, and / or the valve 26 and / or the membrane 24 can maintain their structural integrity after being exposed, together and / or separately, to a gas flow of, in some cases, about 2,000 L / min or, in another case, about 6,000 L / min, for, in some cases, at least about 1 second or, in another case, at least about 5 seconds or, in yet another case, at least about 60 seconds (e.g., throughout the entire valve 26 and / or mainly through). In some cases, the assembly 20 (and its individual components) may need to be able to withstand high temperatures for longer periods than high pressures. This is because a thermal runaway event typically exhibits a relatively strong but short-duration pressure burst, followed by a longer-lasting high temperature.

[0039] In some cases, "maintaining structural integrity" means that the assembly 20 as a whole, and / or the valve 26 and / or the membrane 24 can continue to operate as designed and described herein, together or separately as needed. For example, in some cases, this means that the assembly 20 (including the membrane 24) generally remains sealed and unruptured, and / or that gas can continue to permeate through it, and / or that the valve 26 remains unruptured and remains movable between a closed position that generally seals the central / main opening 36 and an open position that allows gas to flow through it.

[0040] FIG. 10 shows an alternative embodiment of an assembly 20' having generally the same structure and operation as the embodiments of FIGS. 1-9. However, the membrane valve 84 is disposed in fluid communication with the channel 78 and / or the membrane opening 42 and selectively permits / blocks the flow of gas through the channel 78 / membrane 24. The membrane valve 84 can be a flapper valve, similar to the valve 26 described above, can be biased to a closed position, and can be configured to open when there is a sufficient pressure differential across it (the higher pressure of the ambient environment 18 in the illustrated embodiment). In this case, the membrane valve 84 can generally block the entry of gas into the cavity 14 through the membrane 24 unless a predetermined pressure differential is achieved. Optionally, the orientation and / or position of the membrane valve 84 relative to the membrane 24 can be reversed so that, for example, the entry of gas from the cavity 14 through the membrane 24 can be blocked unless a predetermined pressure differential is achieved. Thus, depending on the position and orientation of the membrane valve 84, the membrane valve 84 can enable the system of FIG. 10 to maintain either an increased pressure (relative to the ambient shown in the embodiment of FIG. 10) or a decreased pressure (relative to the ambient) within the casing 12. This is because certain chemical reactors can function better at reduced and / or elevated pressures.

[0041] The inlet gas can pass through the membrane 24, thereby blocking contaminants and thus providing a favorable operating environment for the chemical reactor 16. In contrast, any exhaust gas can pass through the valve 26 (instead of the membrane 24 or the membrane 24 and the valve 26), and generally there is little concern about discharging any contaminants. This is because 1) the environment inside the casing 12 is generally clean and thus there are no contaminants in the first place. And 2) the valve 26 discharges to the ambient environment 18 which is not necessary or practical to keep clean of contaminants. Also, the membrane valve 84 enables the assembly 20 to more precisely control the pressure inside the casing 12 by adjusting the opening pressure across the valve 26 and controlling the flow of air or gas into the casing 12. This restricts the ingress of air or gas until the casing 12 is effectively sealed and a predetermined differential pressure across the membrane valve 84 is reached. The range of pressure for opening the membrane valve 84 can, in some cases, range from about 20 mbar to about 500 mbar and can be selected to meet the optimum operating pressure requirements of the cells of the chemical reactor 16. Further, when the membrane valve 84 is disposed between the membrane 24 and the inner cavity 14 in the flow path direction (as in FIG. 10), the membrane valve 84 can thereby provide thermal protection, pressure protection and / or protection from particulates, etc. in the event of a thermal runaway event or the like.

[0042] Figure 11 shows an embodiment of an assembly 20'' that is functionally somewhat similar to the embodiment shown in Figure 10. In particular, the assembly 20'' includes a membrane valve 84 that is arranged and configured to selectively permit / block the flow of gas through the membrane 24. The membrane valve 84 may be an umbrella valve biased to a closed position and configured to open when there is a sufficient pressure differential across it, thus providing functionality similar to that provided by the membrane valve 84 of Figure 10. In the embodiment of Figure 11, the upper surface of the membrane 24 is covered by a portion of the body 22 and is in direct fluid communication with the upper surface of the valve 26 / flapper component 70 (and thus with the ambient environment 18 if in fluid communication therewith). Further, in the embodiment of Figure 11, the flapper component 70 is coupled to the lower surface of the cover 54 via a central stem 72, and the cover 54 is integrated with the body 22. Note that these structures / configurations can be used in any other embodiment disclosed herein. The embodiment of Figure 11 provides a relatively high flow rate through the assembly 20'' while minimizing restrictions and reducing the size / footprint of the assembly 20''.

[0043] In the above-described embodiments, the membrane 24 is laterally offset from the valve 26 and / or fluidly coupled to the inner cavity 14 and / or the valve 26 via the channel 78. However, in the embodiment of the assembly 20'' shown in Figure 12, the membrane 24 is disposed inside the valve 26 and is aligned with the valve 26 (in some cases, with respect to the flow direction F). In this case, the central stem 72 of the flapper component 70 includes a membrane opening 42' disposed therein. This embodiment eliminates the need for a separate membrane opening and, in addition, the channel 78 is not utilized. The embodiment of Figure 12 can provide a more easily manufacturable and more compact assembly 20'', but does not necessarily have the protective features provided by the offset and channel 28 as described above.

[0044] Although the invention has been shown and described with respect to particular embodiments, it should be apparent to those of ordinary skill in the art that various changes may occur upon reading and understanding the specification, and the invention includes all such changes.

Claims

1. A system including a pressure containment assembly, The pressure containment assembly includes: a body having a first side and a second side; a gas permeable membrane coupled to the body and configured to allow gas to pass therethrough from the first side to the second side; a pressure relief valve coupled to the body, the pressure relief valve being biased to a closed position to generally block the flow of gas therethrough and configured to move to an open position upon a predetermined pressure differential to allow gas to move therethrough from the first side to the second side; Including, the pressure containment assembly is configured to maintain its structural integrity after being exposed to a temperature of about 500°C for at least about 1 second. system.

2. The pressure containment assembly is configured to maintain its structural integrity after being exposed to a pressure differential of about 250 mbar for at least about 5 seconds. The system of claim 1 .

3. The pressure relief valve is configured to accommodate a gas flow of approximately 6000 L / min for at least approximately 1 second and maintain structural integrity thereafter. The system of claim 1 .

4. The gas permeable membrane and the pressure relief valve are configured to be simultaneously exposed to a first pressure on the first side and to be simultaneously exposed to a second pressure on the second side. The system of claim 1 .

5. The gas permeable membrane is generally aligned with the pressure relief valve with respect to the direction of gas flow through the pressure relief valve. The system of claim 1 .

6. Further comprising a membrane valve coupled to the body, the gas permeable membrane valve is biased to a closed position to generally block the flow of gas therethrough, generally blocking gas that has permeated the gas permeable membrane from flowing through the pressure-accommodating assembly, and moves to an open position upon a predetermined pressure differential to allow gas that has permeated the gas permeable membrane to flow through the pressure-accommodating assembly; The system of claim 1 .

7. The pressure containment assembly is configured to continue operating after being exposed to a temperature of about 500°C for at least about 1 second, and after said exposure, the gas permeable membrane selectively allows gas to pass through, and the pressure relief valve is configured to remain biased to the closed position and move to the open position upon experiencing a predetermined pressure differential. The system of claim 1 .

8. The gas permeable membrane includes a microporous thermoplastic layer disposed between an inner protective layer and an outer protective layer; The gas-permeable membrane is generally liquid-impermeable. The system of claim 1 .

9. The microporous thermoplastic layer is polytetrafluoroethylene; The inner protective layer and the outer protective layer are both tightly woven aramid materials. The system of claim 8.

10. The gas permeable membrane is laterally offset from the pressure relief valve in a direction generally perpendicular to the direction of gas flow through the pressure relief valve. The system of claim 1 .

11. The body includes or defines, at least partially in the lateral direction, a generally closed body channel portion that provides fluid communication between the gas permeable membrane and the pressure relief valve. The system of claim 10.

12. The method of claim 1, further comprising: a generally sealed casing having an interior cavity; the pressure containing assembly is sealingly coupled to the generally sealed casing to allow gas to pass therethrough to provide pressure balance to the generally sealed casing; The system of claim 1 .

13. The gas permeable membrane is fluidly coupled to the inner cavity by a serpentine path. The system of claim 12.

14. At least one of the body or the casing includes or defines a channel portion that provides at least partial lateral fluid communication between the gas permeable membrane and the inner cavity; whereby there is no direct path from the inner cavity to the gas permeable membrane in a direction parallel to the flow through the pressure relief valve; The system of claim 12.

15. The pressure relief valve is in direct fluid communication with the inner cavity such that there is a direct path from the inner cavity to the pressure relief valve in a direction parallel to the flow through the pressure relief valve. The system of claim 12.

16. The method of claim 1, further comprising: The system of claim 12.

17. A method comprising: accessing a pressure containment assembly including a body having a first side and a second side, a gas permeable membrane coupled to the body, and a pressure relief valve coupled to the body and biased to a closed position to generally block the flow of gas therethrough; allowing gas to migrate through the gas permeable membrane from the first side to the second side; when a predetermined pressure differential is experienced, the pressure relief valve moves to an open position to allow gas to move therethrough from the first side to the second side; Including, the pressure containment assembly is exposed to a temperature of about 500°C or greater for at least about 1 second and maintains its structural integrity thereafter; method.

18. The pressure containment assembly, wherein the pressure containment assembly is hermetically coupled to a generally sealed casing having an interior cavity through which gas passes to provide a pressure balance to the generally sealed casing; a chemical reactor disposed within the inner cavity; 18. The method of claim 17.

19. A system including a pressure containment assembly, The pressure containment assembly includes: a body having a first side and a second side; a gas permeable membrane coupled to the body and configured to allow gas to pass therethrough from the first side to the second side; a pressure relief valve coupled to the body, the pressure relief valve being biased to a closed position to generally block the flow of gas therethrough and moving to an open position to allow gas to pass therethrough when a predetermined pressure differential is present; and Including, the gas permeable membrane is laterally offset from the pressure relief valve in a direction generally perpendicular to the direction of gas flow through the pressure relief valve; the body at least partially defines, in the lateral direction, a channel portion that provides fluid communication between the gas permeable membrane and the pressure relief valve; the pressure containment assembly is configured to maintain structural integrity after being exposed to a temperature of about 500°C for at least about 1 second; system.

20. The method of claim 1, further comprising: a generally sealed casing having an interior cavity; the pressure-containing assembly is sealingly coupled to the generally sealed casing to allow gas to pass therethrough to provide pressure balance to the casing; the pressure containment assembly is configured such that there is no direct path from the inner cavity to the gas permeable membrane in a direction parallel to gas flow through the pressure relief valve; 20. The system of claim 19.

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