Battery Cooling Channels With PCM Flow Blocking for Thermal Runaway
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing battery systems face challenges in efficiently managing thermal runaway, which can lead to excessive heating and potential explosion or fire due to convective heat propagation through cooling fluids, posing risks to neighboring cells.
Innovation Solution
Incorporating phase-change material (PCM) lined cooling channel segments that melt and detach upon overheating, solidifying at the downstream end to block the cooling fluid flow, preventing further heat propagation.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Temperature
If cooling fluid flows continuously through cooling channels during thermal runaway, then heat is transferred away from the affected cell, but convective heat propagation occurs causing downstream cells to overheat
Solution Approach 1:
The cooling channel segments incorporate a phase-change material that transitions from solid to liquid when exposed to thermal runaway temperatures. This phase change causes the material to detach from the channel walls and block the cooling fluid flow, preventing convective heat propagation to downstream cells while maintaining cooling of the affected cell during the transition.
Solution Approach 2:
The harmful convective heat propagation is extracted from the system by blocking the cooling fluid flow at the affected cell level. The phase-change material acts as a flow stopper that isolates the thermal runaway event from downstream cells, effectively removing the harmful heat transfer pathway.
2Object-affected harmful factors
If cooling fluid flow is blocked to prevent heat propagation, then downstream cells are protected from overheating, but cooling efficiency of the affected cell may be reduced
Solution Approach 1:
The phase-change material is pre-positioned within the cooling channel segments before thermal runaway occurs. When thermal runaway happens, the material automatically activates and blocks the flow, ensuring that downstream cells are protected without requiring external intervention or control systems.
Solution Approach 2:
The harmful high-temperature thermal runaway event is converted into a beneficial automatic flow-blocking mechanism. The heat from thermal runaway triggers the phase-change material to melt and block the cooling channels, which inadvertently protects downstream cells from convective heat propagation.
3Reliability
If PCM is added to cooling channel segments, then thermal runaway containment is improved, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The phase-change material is integrated directly into the cooling channel segments, merging the thermal runaway containment function with the existing cooling infrastructure. This eliminates the need for separate containment systems while maintaining cooling functionality during normal operation.
Solution Approach 2:
The cooling channel segments with embedded phase-change material are self-regulating. When thermal runaway occurs, the system automatically blocks the cooling flow without requiring external control systems, sensors, or actuators. The phase-change material self-activates based on temperature conditions.
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 PCM effectively contains thermal runaway by blocking heat transfer, rerouting the cooling fluid, and preventing downstream cells from overheating, thereby enhancing safety and reducing the risk of further thermal events.
Implementation Method 1
a phase-change material (PCM) that is configured to melt and detach from the inner wall when the battery cell to which the cooling channel segment is thermally conductively connected to overheats
Implementation Method 2
to be carried along the flow direction by the cooling fluid
Implementation Method 3
to solidify and accumulate at the downstream end of the cooling channel segment to block the cooling fluid from leaving the cooling channel segment
Implementation Method 4
each of the cooling channel segments extends along and is thermally conductively connected to one of the battery cells
Data Source
AI summary
A battery system includes: a battery pack including a plurality of battery cells; and a cooling circuit including cooling channels for cooling the battery cells via cooling fluid flowing along the cooling channels in a flow direction. The cooling channels include cooling channel segments, each of which extends along and is thermally conductively connected to one of the battery cells. The cooling channel segments each have an upstream end at where the cooling fluid enters the cooling channel segment and a downstream end at where the cooling fluid leaves the cooling channel segment. The cooling channel segments are lined with a phase-change material (PCM) configured to melt and detach from the inner wall of the cooling channel segment when the corresponding battery cell overheats and to solidify and accumulate at the downstream end of the cooling channel segment to block the cooling fluid from leaving the cooling channel segment.