Immersion-Cooled Battery Assembly With Reliable Thermal Runaway Venting
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional battery packs face issues with heat dissipation and thermal propagation, leading to safety risks and reduced efficiency due to inadequate cooling systems, particularly in immersion cooling systems where cooling material affects venting units and gas discharge during thermal runaway.
Innovation Solution
A battery assembly with a venting unit on the frame surface to discharge gas and particles during thermal runaway, combined with a frame structure that allows direct cooling of battery cells using an immersion cooling system, ensuring efficient cooling and safe gas discharge.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Temperature
If an immersion cooling system is used to cool battery cells, then cooling efficiency is improved, but the cooling material interferes with the venting unit's ability to discharge gas during thermal runaway
Solution Approach 1:
The venting unit is divided into separate functional components: a vent hole in the frame for gas discharge, and a cover member that can be selectively positioned to cover or expose the vent hole. This segmentation allows the cooling material to access the battery cells for efficient cooling while the cover member prevents the cooling material from blocking the vent hole during normal operation, and allows gas discharge during thermal runaway.
Solution Approach 2:
The cover member is designed to be movable or removable, transitioning between a closed state (covering the vent hole) during normal cooling operation and an open state (exposed) during thermal runaway events. This dynamic configuration allows the system to adapt its venting capability based on operational conditions, resolving the conflict between maintaining cooling efficiency and ensuring reliable gas discharge.
2Quantity of substance
If multiple battery cells are connected in series/parallel to increase output voltage and capacity, then energy density is improved, but heat accumulation increases and is difficult to remove
Solution Approach 1:
The frame structure integrates multiple functions: it provides mechanical support for the battery cells, contains the cooling material for heat dissipation, and incorporates the venting unit for gas discharge. By merging the structural support function with the thermal management function, the system can effectively manage heat from multiple battery cells without requiring separate cooling infrastructure, thus resolving the heat accumulation problem while maintaining high cell density.
Solution Approach 2:
The cooling material acts as an intermediary substance that directly contacts both the battery cells and the frame structure. It absorbs heat from the battery cells through direct contact and transfers it to the frame structure, which then dissipates the heat to the external environment. This intermediary cooling mechanism enables effective heat removal from densely packed battery cells.
3Reliability
If the venting unit is designed to discharge gas during thermal runaway, then safety is improved, but the cooling material may block the vent hole and prevent proper gas discharge
Solution Approach 1:
The cover member is specifically positioned to cover only the vent hole area of the frame, while leaving other areas open for cooling material access. This localized coverage ensures that the cooling material can freely contact the battery cells for heat dissipation, while the vent hole remains protected from blockage. During thermal runaway, the cover member can be displaced to allow unobstructed gas discharge, thus maintaining both cooling efficiency and safety.
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
Enhances cooling efficiency and stability by effectively discharging gases and particles, preventing thermal propagation and improving safety in battery packs.
Implementation Method 1
a cooling material that cools the battery cells
Implementation Method 2
a venting unit on a surface of the frame, discharging the gas inside the frame to the outside of the frame when the pressure inside the frame is equal to or greater than a specified pressure
Data Source
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AI summary
A battery assembly according to certain embodiments of the present disclosure includes: a plurality of battery cells; a frame that houses the plurality of battery cells; an inflow port and an outflow port for circulating a cooling material into the inside of the frame; and a venting unit provided on one surface of the frame and discharging gas inside the frame when the pressure inside the frame is equal to or greater than a specified pressure. The cooling material flowed in through the inflow port directly cools the battery cells and is discharged through the outflow port.