Battery Degassing Duct Structure for Controlled Thermal Venting
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
In electric vehicles, thermal events in traction batteries can lead to gas release, posing risks to occupants and sensitive components due to high-temperature gases, which existing technologies fail to manage effectively for controlled discharge.
Innovation Solution
The electric vehicle design incorporates longitudinal sills and a duct system between these sills and the traction battery, equipped with bursting elements for controlled gas discharge, ensuring safe and directed gas conveyance during thermal events, using a duct formed by surfaces of the battery and sills, and potentially connected to an air duct for external release.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If a duct is formed between the longitudinal sill and the traction battery for gas discharge, then component protection and occupant protection are improved, but the device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The duct structure merges the longitudinal sill and battery housing surfaces to form an integrated gas discharge pathway. The duct is formed by the combination of the inner side of the longitudinal sill and the outer side of the battery housing, eliminating the need for separate duct components and reducing overall system complexity while maintaining effective gas discharge functionality.
Solution Approach 2:
The longitudinal sill serves multiple functions: it provides structural support for the vehicle and simultaneously forms part of the gas discharge duct structure. This multi-functionality reduces the need for additional dedicated components, thereby improving reliability without proportionally increasing device complexity.
2Reliability
If bursting elements are used for controlled gas discharge, then gas discharge control is improved, but the device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The bursting elements are designed to automatically activate when gas pressure reaches a critical level during thermal events. This self-activating mechanism eliminates the need for external sensors, control systems, or actuators, providing reliable gas discharge control while minimizing the addition of complex controlled discharge devices.
Solution Approach 2:
The bursting elements utilize pressure parameter changes to trigger gas discharge. When internal battery pressure exceeds the bursting element's designed threshold, the element automatically fails open, providing controlled gas discharge based on pressure conditions without requiring complex active control systems.
3Ease of manufacture
If the duct is formed by battery surfaces and longitudinal sills, then manufacturing ease is improved, but the duct design flexibility is reduced
Solution Approach 1:
The duct structure merges the longitudinal sill and battery housing surfaces to form an integrated gas discharge pathway. The duct is formed by the combination of the inner side of the longitudinal sill and the outer side of the battery housing, eliminating the need for separate duct components and reducing overall system complexity while maintaining effective gas discharge functionality.
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
This solution effectively protects occupants and components by ensuring controlled and directed gas discharge during thermal events, reducing the risk of damage from high-temperature gases, thereby enhancing both occupant and component safety.
Implementation Method 1
a bursting element is fitted in the battery case and/or the battery module housing, which bursting element serves to reduce the pressure during the sudden degassing of battery cells
Data Source
AI summary
An electric vehicle has longitudinal sills, arranged on both sides of the electric vehicle, and a traction battery, arranged between the sills, for driving the electric vehicle. The traction battery has a device for degassing the traction battery in the case of a thermal event. A duct for carrying gas during degassing of the traction battery is formed in the electric vehicle between at least one of the longitudinal sills and the traction battery. An electric vehicle of this kind ensures increased occupant protection and increased component protection.