Battery Insulation Fiber Web for Thermal Runaway Containment
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Solution Overview
Problem
Lithium-ion batteries can overheat or catch fire, and without appropriate thermal insulation, heat or fire can spread between electrochemical cells, posing safety hazards and reducing battery performance.
Innovation Solution
A battery design incorporating a non-woven fiber web made of glass fibers with high softening points, positioned between electrochemical cells or modules, to provide thermal insulation by reducing heat transfer and preventing fire spread.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If thermal insulation materials are added between electrochemical cells, then heat transfer is reduced and fire spread is prevented, but battery energy density is reduced due to additional material volume
Solution Approach 1:
The patent employs a porous foam material as thermal insulation between electrochemical cells. The porous structure provides effective thermal insulation with low thermal conductivity while occupying minimal space, thus preventing heat and fire spread between cells without significantly reducing battery energy density.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent specifies foam materials with particular parameter ranges: thermal conductivity of 0.02-0.08 W/m·K, density of 10-200 kg/m³, and cell structure parameters. By optimizing these parameters, the foam provides sufficient thermal insulation performance while minimizing volume occupation, resolving the contradiction between safety and energy density.
2Object-affected harmful factors
If thick thermal insulation material is used between cells, then fire spread is better prevented, but battery size and volume increase
Solution Approach 1:
The porous foam structure achieves high fire spread prevention performance with minimal thickness. The closed-cell porous structure provides excellent fire resistance properties, allowing thin layers to effectively block fire and heat transmission without significantly increasing battery volume.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent uses composite foam materials combining organic and inorganic components, or multiple foam layers with different properties, to achieve superior fire resistance in thin configurations. This allows effective fire spread prevention without requiring thick insulation layers that would increase battery volume.
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 non-woven fiber web effectively inhibits heat flow and fire propagation, enhancing battery safety and performance by maintaining energy density and preventing thermal runaway.
Implementation Method 1
a non-woven fiber web positioned between the first and second electrochemical cells... to provide thermal insulation by reducing heat transfer
Data Source
AI summary
Thermal insulation materials for batteries are generally described. The thermal insulation materials described herein have a number of advantages. For example, in some embodiments, the thermal insulation materials have desirable thermal properties, such as low thermal conductivity and/or high thermal stability. As another example, in some embodiments, the thermal insulation materials described herein have desirable structural properties, such as having a relatively low thickness, and/or beneficial mechanical properties. The thermal insulation materials described herein may also have a combination of desirable thermal and structural properties.