Battery Drying Housing With Membrane and Adsorber Regeneration

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Solution Overview

Problem

Existing battery drying devices face inefficiencies in maintaining high performance over extended periods, particularly in managing moisture ingress and adsorption within battery systems.

Innovation Solution

A battery drying device with a moisture adsorber and heating mechanism, featuring adjustable valves and a pump to regulate airflow, allowing for efficient moisture removal and regeneration of the adsorber, integrated within a drying housing that prevents liquid water entry while enabling pressure compensation and environmental discharge of adsorbed moisture.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Volume of moving object

If the battery drying device is fully integrated into the battery housing, then the device structure is compact and space-efficient, but the device complexity increases and maintenance becomes more difficult

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvedevice volumeVSAvoidintegration complexity
Core Design Contradiction:
Volume of moving objectVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The battery drying device is segmented into a removable drying agent container and a housing integrated into the battery. This allows the drying function to be compact when installed while enabling easy removal for maintenance and replacement of the drying agent, thus resolving the contradiction between compact integration and maintenance difficulty.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #1Segmentation

2Productivity

If the drying agent continuously adsorbs moisture from the battery housing, then moisture removal efficiency is maintained, but the drying agent becomes saturated and requires regeneration, reducing operational duration

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvemoisture removal efficiencyVSAvoiddrying agent operational duration
Core Design Contradiction:
ProductivityVSDuration of action of stationary object

Solution Approach 1:

The system implements periodic action by allowing the drying agent to adsorb moisture during normal operation and then regenerating it at scheduled intervals or when saturation is detected. This periodic adsorption-regeneration cycle maintains continuous moisture removal efficiency while extending the overall operational duration of the drying system.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #19Periodic action

3Reliability

If the heating device is used to regenerate the drying agent, then moisture can be released from the drying agent, but energy consumption increases during the regeneration process

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvedrying agent regenerationVSAvoidheating energy consumption
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSUse of energy by moving object

Solution Approach 1:

The system applies parameter changes by using controlled heating at specific temperature thresholds to trigger moisture release from the drying agent. By optimizing the heating temperature and duration parameters, the system achieves effective regeneration while minimizing energy consumption, thus resolving the contradiction between regeneration reliability and energy use.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #35Parameter changes

4Productivity

If the connection opening allows free airflow between the drying housing and battery housing, then moisture can be efficiently removed, but liquid water can enter the battery housing, reducing safety

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvemoisture removal efficiencyVSAvoidliquid water ingress
Core Design Contradiction:
ProductivityVSObject-affected harmful factors

Solution Approach 1:

The connection opening is equipped with a membrane that acts as a selective barrier. This thin film structure allows gaseous moisture to pass through via diffusion and pressure equalization while blocking liquid water entry. This resolves the contradiction by maintaining efficient moisture removal through the membrane while preventing harmful liquid water ingress into the battery housing.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #30Flexible shells and thin films

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

Ensures effective moisture management by adsorbing and regenerating moisture efficiently, maintaining battery performance and longevity by preventing liquid water ingress and enhancing drying efficiency through controlled airflow and heating.

Implementation Method 1

An inlet opening (6) is provided in the drying housing (5), which is covered by a membrane (7) that keeps out liquid, in particular water, but could be permeable to water in the gaseous state

Methodology Applied
Scientific EffectPermeation: Permeation

Implementation Method 2

A moisture adsorber means (10) is arranged in the flow path between the inlet opening (6) and the connecting opening (8)

Methodology Applied
Scientific EffectAdsorption: Adsorption

Implementation Method 3

A heating device (11) is integrated into the moisture adsorber means (10), by means of which the moisture adsorber means (10) can be heated and adsorbed moisture can be released

Methodology Applied
Scientific EffectDesorption: Desorption

Data Source

PatentEP4421956B1Battery drying device
Publication Date: 2025.10.01 MANN HUMMEL GMBH
  • EP4421956B1 patent drawingFigure 1
  • EP4421956B1 patent drawingFigure 2
  • EP4421956B1 patent drawingFigure 3

AI summary

A battery drying device includes a membrane disposed external to a battery housing of a battery, and configured to prevent liquid water from passing through the membrane and to allow gaseous water to pass through the membrane, a moisture adsorber means disposed external to the battery housing and downstream from the membrane, and configured to absorb moisture in the gaseous water, and an adjustable connection valve disposed adjacent to the battery housing and downstream from the moisture adsorber means, and configured to, in a regular operation mode, be open and allow air from which the moisture is absorbed by the moisture adsorber means into the battery housing, and in a regeneration mode, be closed. The battery drying device further includes an adjustable regeneration valve interposed between the membrane and the moisture adsorber means.