Battery Cover Labyrinth for Electrolyte Leakage Prevention
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing battery covers fail to provide a perfect seal against the escape of corrosive sulphuric acid solution, especially under severe conditions such as roll-over, overpressure, and tilting, and do not effectively separate electrolyte from gases during charging stages.
Innovation Solution
A cover with a horizontal labyrinth configuration and a specific arrangement of baffles and collection channels that prevents electrolyte leakage while allowing gas discharge, even when the battery is inclined or turned upside down, using a box-like structure with transverse walls and connecting conduits to sub-divide the chamber into sub-chambers for individual gas collection and discharge.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If a conventional cover design is used, then the structure is simple, but it fails to provide a perfect seal against electrolyte leakage under severe conditions
Solution Approach 1:
The cover is segmented into multiple functional elements: a main cover body, a labyrinthine separation chamber with transverse baffles, and a gas discharge conduit system. This segmentation creates distinct zones for electrolyte containment and gas passage, achieving reliable sealing while managing complexity through functional decomposition
Solution Approach 2:
The labyrinthine chamber acts as an intermediary structure between the battery cells and the external environment. It mediates between the need to allow gas discharge and the need to prevent electrolyte leakage, using its complex internal geometry to separate and direct different substances appropriately
2Reliability
If the cover allows gas discharge, then charging function is maintained, but electrolyte may escape during severe conditions
Solution Approach 1:
The labyrinthine chamber introduces a spatial dimension to the gas discharge path, creating a multi-dimensional flow pattern. Gases must navigate through a complex three-dimensional path with transverse baffles, while electrolyte is contained by the vertical walls of the labyrinth structure, effectively separating the two substances through geometric design
Solution Approach 2:
The complex labyrinthine structure, which initially appears to be an unnecessary complication, actually converts the potential harm of electrolyte leakage into a benefit by using the same complexity to create effective separation. The winding path that seems to hinder gas flow actually provides the necessary separation distance and directional control to prevent electrolyte escape
3Reliability
If a labyrinth structure is introduced to separate electrolyte from gases, then sealing is improved, but the device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The labyrinth is segmented into discrete sections by transverse baffles, creating a series of connected chambers. This segmentation allows the complex separation function to be achieved through repetition of modular elements rather than a single monolithic structure, making the complexity more manageable and manufacturable
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 ensures a secure seal against electrolyte leakage during severe conditions, passing roll-over tests at 40°C without leaks for at least 2 minutes, while allowing efficient gas discharge and eliminating the need for heat-welding apparatuses, thus enhancing safety and reducing maintenance costs.
Implementation Method 1
the separation between the electrolyte and the gases which develop in the battery in the charging stage is obtained by means of a labyrinth with horizontal profile which allows the gases to reach the outlet in the stages of normal operation, while preventing the electrolyte from reaching the outlet
Data Source
Figure 1
Figure 2
Figure 3~5
AI summary
A cover for a storage battery, comprising a main closure element (1) with charging holes (33), a secondary closure element (4) mounted on the main element, and a conduit (52), arranged for discharging the gases generated inside the battery case. The main element and secondary element together form a box-like structure (3, 4) defining a chamber (6) in flow communication with the holes, and inside which a labyrinth is defined which connects the holes of the main element to the gas discharge conduit. The chamber (6) is subdivided into a plurality of sub-chambers (6a, 6b, 6c), which are individually in flow communication with a collecting channel (41) which communicates with the gas discharge conduit (52). The collecting channel (41) comprises a first and a second longitudinal channel portion (41a, 41b), which extend along opposite sides of the chamber, and a transverse channel portion (41c) which extends along the centre line of the chamber and interconnects the first and second longitudinal channel portions.