Battery Storage Discharge and Cooling for Thermal Runaway Risk
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Solution Overview
Problem
The transportation and handling of batteries, particularly used or damaged batteries, pose safety concerns due to the risk of thermal runaway, which can lead to fires or explosions, especially when batteries are at higher charge levels or temperatures, making it challenging to ensure safe handling and recycling.
Innovation Solution
A battery storage system that electrically connects batteries to a load, such as a temperature control device, to gradually discharge and cool them, reducing the charge level and temperature, thereby minimizing the risk of thermal runaway during storage and transportation.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Use of energy by moving object
If batteries are stored at higher charge levels, then energy availability is improved, but thermal runaway risk increases
Solution Approach 1:
The system dynamically adjusts the charge level parameter of batteries based on their condition and storage requirements. By controlling charging parameters and discharge thresholds, the system optimizes energy availability while maintaining charge levels below thermal runaway risk thresholds, thus resolving the contradiction between energy availability and safety.
2Productivity
If batteries are stored at higher temperatures, then chemical reactions are accelerated, but thermal runaway risk increases
Solution Approach 1:
The system actively controls temperature parameters through cooling mechanisms and environmental management. By maintaining batteries within optimal temperature ranges, the system prevents excessive chemical reactions that could lead to thermal runaway while preserving necessary reaction rates for battery functionality.
Solution Approach 2:
The system continuously monitors battery temperature and adjusts cooling or heating operations accordingly. Temperature sensors provide feedback to the control system, which then modulates thermal management actuators to maintain temperatures below thermal runaway thresholds while preserving battery performance.
3Device complexity
If battery charge levels are not monitored, then system complexity is reduced, but safety control capability deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The system implements continuous charge level monitoring with feedback control. Sensors measure battery charge states and provide real-time data to the control system, which then adjusts charging and discharging operations to maintain safe charge levels. This feedback mechanism ensures safety control capability while managing system complexity through standardized monitoring protocols.
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 system effectively controls charge levels and temperatures, reducing the likelihood of thermal runaway, ensuring safer handling and recycling by discharging and cooling batteries, thus preventing dangerous conditions during storage and transport.
Implementation Method 1
A battery storage system in accordance with some embodiments has a battery holding apparatus that holds one or more batteries. The batteries are electrically connected to at least one load that is powered by energy from the batteries, thereby depleting a charge level of the batteries.
Implementation Method 2
In some embodiments, the load is a temperature control device that is configured to use the energy from the batteries to control a temperature of the batteries in a desired manner. As an example, the energy may be used to cool the batteries to help prevent a thermal runaway condition during storage.
Data Source
AI summary
A battery storage system is configured to store batteries in a safe manner that reduces the threat of thermal runaway. Batteries held by the system are electrically connected to at least one load that is powered by energy from the batteries, thereby depleting the charge level of the batteries. In some embodiments, the load is a temperature control device that is configured to cool the batteries to help prevent a thermal runaway condition during storage. That is, discharging of the battery helps not only to reduce the charge levels in the batteries, thereby decreasing the likelihood of an occurrence of thermal runaway, but also cool the batteries further decreasing the likelihood of such an occurrence. Thus, over time, the battery storage system efficiently controls the charge levels and temperatures of the batteries so that a thermal runaway condition is unlikely.