Aircraft Battery Venting Path for Thermal Event Discharge
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current energy storage systems in aviation face challenges in managing thermal events and efficiently integrating battery packs within aircraft structures, particularly in rotorcraft, where space and weight constraints are critical and thermal management is complex.
Innovation Solution
The proposed solution involves a battery pack system with a venting system that includes a burst membrane and flexible coupling, directing thermal discharge away from the fuselage and integrating battery modules and enclosures to define pathways for thermal event discharge, while also using a cooling system to mitigate thermal events and optimize wing and nacelle mounting configurations.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Volume of moving object
If battery packs are integrated within aircraft structures (wing/nacelle mounting), then space utilization is improved, but thermal management complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The venting system is segmented into multiple functional components: burst membrane (thermal event containment), vent path (discharge route), and flexible coupling (connection element). This segmentation allows each component to address specific thermal management challenges while maintaining compact integration within the aircraft structure, resolving the contradiction between space utilization and thermal management complexity.
Solution Approach 2:
The flexible coupling acts as an intermediary element between the battery pack enclosure and the vent system. It provides mechanical connection while accommodating thermal expansion and movement, simplifying the overall thermal management design by eliminating the need for complex rigid mounting structures and thermal isolation mechanisms.
2Device complexity
If venting system is integrated with battery pack enclosure, then device complexity is reduced, but thermal event discharge control precision may worsen
Solution Approach 1:
The burst membrane is positioned at a specific location on the enclosure with specific material properties (burst pressure threshold). This local quality approach ensures precise control of thermal event discharge at the critical point while keeping the overall venting system simple and integrated with the battery pack enclosure.
Solution Approach 2:
The burst membrane is designed to change its state at a specific parameter threshold (burst pressure). This parameter-based control mechanism provides precise thermal event discharge control without requiring complex active control systems, maintaining simplicity while achieving accurate discharge timing and direction control.
3Reliability
If burst membrane is used for thermal event containment, then reliability is improved, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The burst membrane provides passive, automatic thermal event containment without requiring external control systems, sensors, or actuators. It activates automatically when thermal pressure exceeds the burst threshold, improving reliability through fail-safe operation while adding minimal complexity to the venting system.
Solution Approach 2:
The burst membrane is designed as a single-use, disposable component that activates once during a thermal event and then is replaced. This approach improves reliability by ensuring consistent, predictable performance without the need for complex, expensive, or maintenance-intensive reusable containment systems.
4Reliability
If cooling system is added to mitigate thermal events, then safety is improved, but device complexity and weight increase
Solution Approach 1:
The cooling system performs preliminary thermal management to prevent thermal events before they occur. By maintaining battery temperatures within safe operating limits during normal operation, the cooling system reduces the likelihood of thermal runaway, improving safety while avoiding the need for more complex emergency containment systems.
Solution Approach 2:
The cooling system provides beforehand cushioning by preemptively removing heat from the battery pack. This prevents thermal accumulation that could lead to thermal events, thereby improving safety through preventive thermal management rather than reactive containment, and allowing for simpler overall system design.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
This configuration effectively manages thermal events, reduces the risk of damage to aircraft structures, and optimizes the integration of battery packs within the aircraft, enhancing safety and operational efficiency by directing thermal discharge and using a cooling system to prevent overheating.
Implementation Method 1
a burst membrane (112) in the vent path to contain a thermal event and direct discharge away from the fuselage
Implementation Method 2
using a cooling system to mitigate thermal events and optimize wing and nacelle mounting configurations
Data Source
AI summary
An aircraft includes a battery pack mounted inside the aircraft, a vent coupled between the battery pack and a surface of the aircraft to at least partly define a vent path between the battery pack and the surface of the aircraft, and a burst membrane located in the vent path. The vent may be coupled to a rear upper portion of a wing or to an outboard side of a nacelle. The aircraft may also include a flexible coupling between the vent and the surface of the aircraft. The aircraft may also include a fairing over a vent outlet to provide a smooth surface for the vent outlet. The battery pack may include battery modules and an enclosure, the battery modules and the enclosure defining paths along which discharge from a thermal event can flow towards the vent.