Battery Cover with Predetermined Breaking Points for Thermal Runaway Protection
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing lithium-ion battery packs face the risk of thermal runaway due to improper handling or construction faults, where gases from a damaged cell can harm adjacent cells, leading to a chain reaction and damage.
Innovation Solution
A battery design with a cover that has predetermined breaking points over degasification elements, allowing gases to escape while protecting intact cells from heat and substances, thereby preventing thermal runaway and chain reactions.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If degasification elements are installed to discharge gases from damaged battery cells, then thermal runaway of individual cells is prevented, but escaping substances and heat can still attack adjacent intact battery cells
Solution Approach 1:
The cover is segmented into multiple regions, each with its own breaking point assigned to a specific degasification element. This segmentation allows the cover to selectively open only at the location of a damaged cell while maintaining integrity over other cells, thus preventing harmful substances and heat from affecting adjacent intact cells.
Solution Approach 2:
The cover acts as an intermediary protective structure between the degasification elements and the surrounding environment. It provides a controlled interface that allows gas discharge while blocking harmful substances and heat, mediating between the need for pressure relief and the need for protection of adjacent cells.
2Object-affected harmful factors
If the cover is made completely air-tight to protect battery cells, then protection from external contaminants is improved, but gas discharge from degasification elements is blocked
Solution Approach 1:
Breaking points are pre-formed in the cover at specific locations corresponding to degasification elements. These predetermined weak points allow the cover to automatically transition from a sealed state to an open state at the precise moment when gas pressure builds up, without requiring any additional activation mechanism.
Solution Approach 2:
The cover has different properties in different regions: most areas maintain high air-tightness for protection, while specific localized regions (breaking points) have reduced strength to allow controlled opening. This local differentiation resolves the contradiction between overall sealing and localized discharge.
3Object-affected harmful factors
If breaking points are added to the cover to allow controlled gas discharge, then protection of intact cells is improved, but the structural integrity and complexity of the cover increases
Solution Approach 1:
The breaking points are designed to activate automatically based on the physical conditions (gas pressure) without requiring external control systems, sensors, or complex mechanisms. The cover itself performs the protective function through its inherent structural design, simplifying the overall system while maintaining effectiveness.
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 solution effectively prevents further damage to intact battery cells by allowing gases to escape through predetermined breaking points, thus protecting them from heat and substances, and preventing chain reactions during thermal runaway.
Implementation Method 1
configured to discharge gases generated within the respective battery cell from the respective battery cell in the presence of a predetermined gas pressure
Implementation Method 2
protecting intact cells from heat and substances, thereby preventing thermal runaway and chain reactions
Data Source
AI summary
A battery includes at least two battery cells arranged adjacent to one another and each arranged in a battery cell housing. Each battery cell has at least one battery cell terminal. The battery also includes one degasification element per battery cell. Each degasification element is arranged within the battery cell housing associated with the respective battery cell and is configured to discharge gases generated within the respective battery cell from the respective battery cell in the presence of a predetermined gas pressure. The battery also includes a cover configured to cover at least a part of the surfaces of the battery cells and cover the degasification elements of the battery cells in air-tight fashion. The cover has, in each case in a region of the degasification elements, predetermined breaking points assigned to the degasification elements.