Battery Energy Release Control for Thermal Runaway Delay
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing technologies lack effective emergency management measures for thermal runaway in power battery systems of electric vehicles, focusing primarily on prevention rather than active intervention after a thermal runaway event, leaving occupants with no active safety measures during or after a fire.
Innovation Solution
An energy release method and device that detects thermal runaway in battery cells, disconnects the high-voltage circuit, and uses discharge elements like resistors or supercapacitors to safely dissipate energy, maintaining the battery at a maximum safe state of charge to prevent fires or explosions, coupled with a thermal and electrochemical model to predict and manage the discharge process.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If flame-retardant materials or optimized battery structures are used to delay thermal runaway spread, then fire safety is improved, but no active emergency management is available after thermal runaway occurs
Solution Approach 1:
The system performs preliminary action by pre-configuring discharge elements (resistors, supercapacitors) and control circuits before thermal runaway occurs. When thermal runaway is detected, the system can immediately activate energy release without requiring external intervention or waiting for fire rescue, thus providing active emergency management while maintaining fire safety through passive flame-retardant materials.
2Object-affected harmful factors
If energy release is performed to reduce internal energy during thermal runaway, then fire and explosion risk is reduced, but additional active safety systems and control mechanisms are required
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces discharge elements (resistors, supercapacitors) as intermediary components that safely dissipate energy during thermal runaway. These intermediaries provide a controlled energy release path, reducing fire and explosion risk while integrating with existing battery management systems through simple control signals, thus minimizing the increase in system complexity.
Solution Approach 2:
The system implements self-service by enabling the battery pack to actively manage its own thermal runaway event through integrated discharge elements and control logic. The BMS detects thermal runaway and automatically activates energy release without external intervention, reducing harmful factors while keeping the additional system complexity minimal through self-contained functionality.
3Loss of time
If rapid energy release is implemented to delay thermal runaway development, then occupant safety time is increased, but high-power discharge components and control systems are needed
Solution Approach 1:
The system changes parameters by using supercapacitors to store and rapidly discharge high power energy during thermal runaway. This enables rapid energy release that delays thermal runaway development and increases occupant safety time, while the supercapacitor-based approach is more space-efficient and controllable compared to traditional high-power resistor systems, thus managing device complexity.
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 method and device effectively delay and mitigate thermal runaway, reducing destructive force and improving safety by actively managing energy release, allowing occupants time to escape and facilitating controlled thermal runaway handling.
Implementation Method 1
Energy is released from the module using methods such as external resistor short-circuiting
Implementation Method 2
supercapacitor bypass
Data Source
Figure 1~2
AI summary
The present disclosure provides an energy release device and method for a power battery. The energy release method for a power battery comprises: acquiring a thermal runaway signal of battery cells in the power battery; and electrically communicating the power battery with a discharge element, so that the power battery is discharged to a maximum safe state of charge that satisfies a mild exothermic reaction under the condition of thermal runaway, or a state of charge below the maximum safe state of charge, wherein satisfying the mild exothermic reaction is that the temperature per unit volume of the battery cells in the power battery under the condition of thermal runaway does not exceed the temperature at which the thermal runaway is triggered. According to the solution provided by the present disclosure, the development of thermal runaway in a power battery pack can be effectively delayed, time is bought for passenger escape and subsequent thermal runaway control processing, meanwhile, the destructive power of thermal runaway is reduced, and the safety management capability of the power battery is improved.