Battery Pack Bypass Circuit for Thermal Runaway Cooling Power
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Existing battery devices face challenges in controlling thermal runaway and fire risk due to lack of effective measures for cooling when battery abnormality occurs, especially at high state of charge, leading to potential fire spread and damage.
Innovation Solution
A vehicle battery pack system with a bypass path unit and switching unit that allows power to bypass abnormal battery portions, connecting to a thermal management control unit to supply power for cooling, using a thermal management control unit and cooling device to stabilize power supply.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If power is supplied through the abnormal battery portion to the thermal management control unit, then the power supply circuit remains simple, but the cooling power cannot be supplied stably when battery abnormality occurs
Solution Approach 1:
The power supply circuit is segmented into multiple paths: a normal power supply path for regular operation and a bypass path for abnormal conditions. The switching unit divides the power flow based on battery status, allowing stable cooling power supply during thermal runaway by routing power through healthy battery portions while isolating the abnormal portion.
Solution Approach 2:
The switching unit acts as an intermediary component that mediates between the battery portions and the thermal management control unit. It automatically selects whether to supply power through the normal path or the bypass path based on temperature sensing, ensuring continuous and stable power supply for cooling without requiring manual intervention.
2Object-affected harmful factors
If cooling power is supplied during battery thermal runaway, then fire risk and damage level are reduced, but the power supply becomes unstable when battery abnormality occurs
Solution Approach 1:
The system applies preliminary anti-action by pre-establishing a bypass path that can be activated when thermal runaway is detected. Temperature sensing units continuously monitor battery portions, and when abnormality is detected, the switching unit immediately redirects power through the bypass path to ensure cooling continues without interruption, counteracting the thermal runaway effect.
Solution Approach 2:
The system changes the operational parameters of the power supply circuit based on temperature conditions. When the battery temperature exceeds a threshold indicating thermal runaway, the electrical configuration changes from normal power supply mode to bypass power supply mode, maintaining stable cooling power delivery despite the abnormal thermal conditions.
3Device complexity
If the battery cooling cannot be performed due to lack of appropriate measure, then the power supply circuit remains simple, but the fire risk and damage level increase
Solution Approach 1:
The bypass path is prepared in advance during system design and assembly, even though it remains inactive during normal operation. This preliminary preparation ensures that when thermal runaway occurs, the cooling power can be immediately supplied through the pre-configured bypass path without requiring complex real-time decision-making or additional components to be added during the emergency.
Data Source
AI summary
A vehicle battery pack may include: a first battery portion including a first battery module; a second battery portion including a second battery module; a connector supplying power from at least one of the first battery portion and the second battery portion when no battery abnormality has occurred to a thermal management control unit; a bypass path unit providing a path to bypass any one of the first battery portion and the second battery portion when a battery abnormality has occurred; and a switching unit connecting the bypass path unit to the first or second battery portion when the battery abnormality has occurred, in a power supply circuit including the first battery portion and the second battery portion, connected to the connector, to supply power to the thermal management control unit.