Battery Pack Cover Structure for Thermal Vent Gas Discharge
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Solution Overview
Problem
Rechargeable battery packs face challenges in preventing heat propagation between adjacent battery cells during thermal events, particularly due to blocked cell vents from foreign substances and uncontrollable dispersion of flames and hot gases.
Innovation Solution
A pack cover with alternating members of different elongations, including a first member of hot-dip galvanized steel and a second member of stainless steel, is designed to expand and create an induction passage for gas discharge, preventing heat propagation by maintaining a sufficient distance and guiding gases to the pack vent.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If a conventional pack cover is used, then the structure is simple and easy to manufacture, but heat propagation between adjacent battery cells cannot be prevented during thermal events
Solution Approach 1:
The pack cover is divided into multiple members (first member and second member) with different elongation properties, arranged in alternating patterns. This segmentation allows different regions of the cover to respond differently to thermal expansion forces, creating pathways that prevent heat propagation while maintaining overall structural integrity.
Solution Approach 2:
Different portions of the pack cover are made from materials with different elongation characteristics. The first member has lower elongation while the second member has higher elongation, creating localized variations in thermal response that guide heat and gas away from adjacent battery cells.
2Reliability
If the pack cover is made from a single material, then manufacturing is simple, but gas discharge pathways can be blocked by foreign substances during cell events
Solution Approach 1:
The pack cover uses a composite structure with alternating members of different materials (first member and second member) having different elongation properties. This composite design creates a more reliable gas discharge system where the differential elongation prevents complete blockage by foreign substances while maintaining manufacturability through standardized assembly processes.
3Reliability
If uniform material is used throughout the pack cover, then structural consistency is maintained, but control over heat and gas dispersion is limited
Solution Approach 1:
The pack cover implements local quality variations by using different materials in different regions. The first member and second member have different elongation properties, allowing specific areas to expand or contract differently during thermal events, thereby controlling the dispersion patterns of heat and gas away from vulnerable battery cells.
Solution Approach 2:
The alternating members act as intermediaries between the battery cells, with their differential elongation properties creating a buffer zone that mediates the thermal and pressure forces during cell events, directing energy away from adjacent cells through controlled deformation patterns.
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 heat propagation and maintains structural integrity during cell events by ensuring smooth gas discharge and reducing the risk of vent blockage, thereby protecting adjacent cells from thermal runaway.
Implementation Method 1
a first member formed of a first elongation material having a first elongation and a second member formed of a second elongation material having a second elongation that is larger than the first elongation
Data Source
AI summary
A rechargeable battery pack includes: a plurality of battery cells, each of the battery cells including a cell vent; a pack frame accommodating the battery cells and including a pack vent; and a pack cover coupled to the pack frame and covering the battery cells. The pack cover includes a first member formed of a first elongation material having a first elongation and a second member formed of a second elongation material having a second elongation that is larger than the first elongation.