Battery Cell Degassing and Cooling for Thermal Runaway Containment
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing battery fire prevention systems for electric or hybrid vehicles are inadequate in preventing thermal runaway propagation across multiple battery cells, as they often rely on post-fire extinguishing measures that require external intervention and fail to efficiently manage hot gas and particles, leading to uncontrolled heating and potential battery fires.
Innovation Solution
A battery fire prevention system comprising a cell degassing channel with a gas flow influencing structure for controlled gas discharge and filtration, combined with a cooling device that activates coolant flow upon thermal runaway, to prevent heat propagation and spontaneous ignition, utilizing a synergistic interaction of controlled gas guidance, gas treatment, and defined heat conduction paths.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Temperature
If a cooling device with coolant flow is activated at the latest when the first battery cell goes into thermal runaway mode, then the thermal runaway of the first battery cell can be cooled down effectively, but the system complexity increases due to the need for active cooling control mechanisms
Solution Approach 1:
The cooling device is configured to activate at the latest when the first battery cell goes into thermal runaway mode, performing the cooling action before thermal propagation can spread to adjacent cells. This preliminary intervention prevents the escalation of thermal damage while maintaining relatively simple system architecture.
2Object-affected harmful factors
If a cell degassing channel with gas flow influencing structure is provided to guide and cool escaping gas, then the risk of spontaneous ignition and particle spread is reduced, but the device complexity increases due to additional gas management components
Solution Approach 1:
A cell degassing channel with gas flow influencing structure is introduced as an intermediary component between the battery cell and the environment. This mediator guides the escaping gas flow, enables cooling of the gas, and prevents direct uncontrolled discharge, thereby reducing the harmful effects of hot gas and conductive particles while maintaining manageable system complexity.
Solution Approach 2:
The harmful hot gas and particles are extracted from the battery cell through the degassing channel and directed away from adjacent cells and electrical components. By separating and removing the harmful substance (hot gas) from the system, the risk of thermal propagation and spontaneous ignition is reduced.
3Reliability
If active cooling is deactivated when thermal runaway is detected, then the high-voltage system can be safely isolated, but the cooling capability is lost when it is most needed
Solution Approach 1:
The cooling device is configured to activate at the latest when the first battery cell goes into thermal runaway mode, ensuring cooling capability is available precisely when needed. The control system is designed to maintain or activate cooling during thermal runaway events, avoiding the contradiction of deactivating cooling when isolation occurs.
4Quantity of substance
If numerous battery cells go into thermal runaway mode simultaneously, then the amount of hot gas increases beyond efficient cooling capacity, but preventing thermal propagation requires cooling all affected cells
Solution Approach 1:
The battery system is divided into individual cell-level protection zones, each with its own degassing channel and cooling capability. This segmentation allows isolated thermal runaway events to be contained and managed independently, preventing cascade failures. When multiple cells are affected, each can be managed separately through its dedicated channel, maintaining cooling efficiency even as the quantity of hot gas increases.
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
Effectively prevents battery fires by containing and cooling the gas and heat from a single thermal runaway cell, reducing the risk of adjacent cells entering thermal runaway and minimizing heat transfer, thereby preventing widespread thermal propagation and fire within the vehicle.
Implementation Method 1
a cooling device for cooling the first battery cell in thermal runaway mode, wherein the cooling device is configured such that a coolant flows through it
Implementation Method 2
a gas flow influencing structure as part of the cell degassing channel, which is designed to influence the course of the gas flow flowing through the cell degassing channel
Data Source
AI summary
A battery fire prevention system for a battery of a motor vehicle including several battery cells for preventing a battery fire resulting from a thermal runaway of a first battery cell of the battery cells of the battery. The battery fire prevention system includes a cell degassing channel connected to the battery cells and into which a gas escaping from a respective battery cell is introduced and discharged to at least one escape opening of the cell degassing channel, a gas flow influencing structure as part of the cell degassing channel, which influences the course of the gas flow flowing through the cell degassing channel, formed by the gas escaping from the first battery cell, and a cooling device for cooling the first battery cell in thermal runaway mode.