Underground Battery Container with Air-Trapping Sleeve
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing solutions for protecting and maintaining underground batteries, such as those used in solar-powered systems, face challenges including flooding, difficulty in accessing batteries for maintenance, and risk of damaging underground wires, especially in smaller applications where cost and size of conventional battery vaults are prohibitive.
Innovation Solution
A container system comprising an outer enclosure with an inner sleeve that traps air, preventing water from reaching the battery terminals during floods and featuring a ridge for easy maintenance by scraping away dirt and debris, allowing for self-cleaning and simplified access without disturbing buried power cables.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If a conventional battery vault is used to protect and insulate the battery, then the battery is protected from weather changes and theft, but the cost and size become too large for small applications
Solution Approach 1:
The battery container is divided into two main segments: an outer enclosure that remains buried in the ground and provides structural protection, and an inner removable sleeve that contains the battery and can be easily extracted for maintenance or replacement. This segmentation allows the system to provide vault-level protection while reducing overall complexity and cost for small applications.
2Object-affected harmful factors
If the container lid is placed on top with a water seal, then water protection is improved, but maintenance access becomes difficult as the entire container must be dug out
Solution Approach 1:
The container is segmented into a stationary outer enclosure and a removable inner sleeve. The outer enclosure remains buried with its lid sealed to prevent water ingress, while the inner sleeve can be independently removed through the lid opening, allowing maintenance access without exposing the entire container to elements or requiring excavation.
Solution Approach 2:
The inner sleeve acts as an intermediary component between the battery and the external environment. It provides a removable barrier that allows controlled access to the battery while maintaining the water-sealed integrity of the outer enclosure when the sleeve is in place.
3Ease of operation
If the container lid is placed on the bottom, then access is simplified, but the entire container must be dug out to access the battery
Solution Approach 1:
By segmenting the container into outer enclosure and inner sleeve, the system allows access through the top lid opening without requiring excavation. The inner sleeve can be removed vertically through the lid, eliminating the time-consuming process of digging out the entire container while maintaining protection when assembled.
4Device complexity
If a simple plastic box with duct tape is used for small applications, then cost is reduced, but protection against water and dirt is insufficient
Solution Approach 1:
The dual-component design with outer enclosure and inner sleeve provides enhanced protection compared to simple plastic boxes. The nested structure creates multiple barriers against water and dirt ingress, while the modular nature keeps the system relatively simple and cost-effective for small applications.
Solution Approach 2:
The inner sleeve is nested within the outer enclosure, creating a protective double-layer system. This nesting provides redundant protection against water and dirt while maintaining a compact and simple overall structure suitable for small-scale applications.
5Object-affected harmful factors
If the battery is buried underground for insulation and protection, then weather protection is improved, but access for maintenance requires considerable digging and risks damaging underground wires
Solution Approach 1:
The segmented design allows the outer enclosure to remain buried for weather protection while the inner sleeve can be independently removed through the top opening. This enables maintenance access to the battery without disturbing the buried enclosure or risking damage to underground wires and cables.
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 system effectively prevents water from reaching battery terminals during floods and simplifies maintenance by allowing the inner sleeve to be easily removed and reinserted, reducing the need for extensive digging and minimizing damage to buried wires.
Implementation Method 1
as the trapped air is pressurized by the rising water, the water level is prevented from rising high enough to contact the terminals of a battery placed inside the sleeve
Implementation Method 2
because the trapped air is normally in contact with soil at the bottom of the sleeve, there is a gas exchange that can alleviate excess hydrogen build-up from the battery
Data Source
AI summary
A rechargeable battery, such as a 12 Volt battery that is recharged by a solar panel, is placed into a container system that includes an enclosure, having a top portion that is open and a bottom portion that is open, that is substantially buried underground. A sleeve, having a bottom portion that is open and a top portion that is closed, is lowered into the enclosure such that air is trapped inside the top portion of the sleeve when water collects against the enclosure. The trapped air prevents flood water from rising high enough to contact terminals of the battery. When flood conditions subside, the water drains out the bottom portion of the container system into the ground. Additionally, a ridge around the bottom of the sleeve makes it easier to insert the sleeve into the enclosure because the ridge slides over the dirt and debris, but the ridge scrapes and removes unwanted dirt and debris from the enclosure whenever the sleeve is removed to access the battery. A battery platform may be used to raise a battery higher into the sleeve. The entire container system can be completely buried underground, but access to a battery in the container only requires that the dirt covering the top most part of container be removed, and then the sleeve is simply lifted out of the enclosure without having to dig around the enclosure.