Battery Module Conductive Bypass for Cell Swelling Discharge
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Solution Overview
Problem
The safety risks associated with battery modules increase due to cell expansion over time, which can lead to safety hazards during use, especially beyond the rated service life or under abusive conditions such as high temperature, high humidity, overcharge, or mechanical damage.
Innovation Solution
A battery module design that includes a conductive unit with first and second conductive members electrically connected to the tabs of cells, allowing them to form a parallel circuit when the cells expand, thereby reducing safety risks by discharging through these conductive members.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If cell expansion is allowed to occur naturally over time, then the battery module maintains its structural integrity and normal discharge function, but safety risks increase due to potential thermal runaway and uncontrolled expansion
Solution Approach 1:
The conductive members are pre-positioned between adjacent cells to create a predetermined discharge path. When expansion occurs, the conductive members automatically establish electrical contact, creating a safety mechanism that acts before thermal runaway can occur. This preliminary arrangement of conductive paths prevents the harmful accumulation of charge that would otherwise lead to safety incidents.
Solution Approach 2:
The invention converts the harmful effect of cell expansion into a beneficial safety mechanism. Instead of treating expansion purely as a failure mode to be prevented, the design allows expansion to trigger the conductive members to contact and create a controlled discharge path. The expansion that would normally lead to safety risks now automatically activates the safety discharge mechanism.
2Speed
If the resistance of conductive members is kept low to ensure quick discharge, then safety response speed improves, but excessive current flow may cause overheating and damage
Solution Approach 1:
The invention carefully selects and optimizes the resistance parameters of the conductive members within a specific range (10 mΩ to 10 Ω). This parameter optimization allows the system to achieve quick discharge speeds while preventing excessive current that would cause overheating. The resistance value is tuned to balance speed and temperature control requirements.
Solution Approach 2:
The conductive members provide a partial discharge path that handles emergency safety discharge without requiring complete short-circuit conditions. This partial action approach allows sufficient discharge speed for safety while avoiding the extreme currents that would result from zero-resistance paths, thereby preventing overheating and damage.
3Loss of time
If conductive members are placed close to cells to ensure rapid contact during expansion, then safety response time improves, but the risk of premature contact and short circuits increases
Solution Approach 1:
The conductive members are pre-positioned in locations that will be reached during normal cell expansion, but not so close as to cause premature contact. The spacing is carefully designed so that the conductive members remain isolated during normal operation but will contact when expansion reaches the predetermined safety threshold, ensuring both rapid response and prevention of false activation.
Solution Approach 2:
The conductive members act as intermediary elements between the expanding cells and the safety discharge mechanism. They are positioned to mediate the interaction between cell expansion and discharge activation, providing a buffer zone that prevents direct cell-to-cell contact while ensuring timely discharge path formation when expansion occurs.
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
The design effectively reduces safety risks by allowing controlled discharge when cells expand, ensuring quick power release and minimizing the risk of excessive temperature, thus enhancing the safety of the battery module.
Implementation Method 1
The conductive unit includes a first conductive member and a second conductive member spaced apart from the first conductive member in a thickness direction of the cell, the first conductive member is electrically connected with the first tab of any cell, and the second conductive member is electrically connected with the second tab of any cell
Data Source
AI summary
A battery module including a battery unit and a conductive unit. The battery unit includes at least one cell, and each cell of the battery unit includes a first tab and a second tab having opposite polarities. The conductive unit includes a first conductive member and a second conductive member spaced apart from the first conductive member in a thickness direction of the cell, the first conductive member is electrically connected with the first tab of any cell, and the second conductive member is electrically connected with the second tab of any cell. The battery module is configured that the first conductive member and the second conductive member are in conductive contact through the swelling of the cell.