High-Voltage Battery Fire Suppression With Internal Liquid Flooding
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Solution Overview
Problem
High-voltage batteries in vehicles pose a challenge in fire extinguishing due to the rapid spread of flames within stacked cells, making existing methods like water spraying inefficient and difficult to install prefabricated water tanks near the fire.
Innovation Solution
A system that simultaneously supplies extinguishing liquid and coolant to the high-voltage battery through a controlled network of tanks, supply lines, and a water pump, using sensors to detect thermal runaway and off-gas to initiate the supply, ensuring rapid and complete immersion of the battery cells.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If water is sprayed from the outside of the high-voltage battery, then the fire can be suppressed, but the water does not readily reach the inside of the battery where the fire originates, making extinguishment ineffective and time-consuming
Solution Approach 1:
The system divides the extinguishing liquid supply into multiple paths: an external supply line for initial response and an internal supply line with nozzles positioned within the battery casing to directly target the fire source at cell level, ensuring water reaches where it is most needed
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces an intermediary mechanism in the form of a water tank positioned near the battery and a controlled delivery system with valves and nozzles that mediate between the external water source and the internal battery environment, enabling effective fire suppression without direct external spraying
2Reliability
If a prefabricated water tank is installed in the vicinity of the vehicle to immerse the high-voltage battery in water, then fire extinguishing becomes more effective, but the water tank is not easy to install near the vehicle
Solution Approach 1:
The water tank is nested within the existing vehicle structure, specifically utilizing the coolant reservoir space already present in the vehicle's cooling system. This integration eliminates the need for separate external tank installation while ensuring the battery can be effectively immersed or flooded in case of fire
Solution Approach 2:
The coolant reservoir serves dual purposes: it functions as part of the normal cooling system during operation and as a fire suppression water source when needed. This multi-functionality reduces the need for additional dedicated fire safety components, simplifying installation
3Reliability
If water is continuously sprayed for several tens of hours to extinguish the fire in the high-voltage battery, then the fire can eventually be extinguished, but the process is extremely time-consuming and consumes excessive water
Solution Approach 1:
The system performs preliminary action by pre-positioning the water tank near the battery and having internal nozzles already in place within the battery casing. When fire is detected, the system immediately activates the internal nozzle system to deliver water directly to the fire source, eliminating the need for prolonged external spraying
Solution Approach 2:
The patent implements a rapid response mechanism where fire detection triggers immediate activation of internal nozzles that spray water directly onto burning cells, rushing through the extinguishment process in minutes rather than allowing slow external spraying to continue for tens of hours
4Quantity of substance
If the high-voltage battery cells are stacked closely together to maximize energy density, then space utilization improves, but fire spreads rapidly from one cell to adjacent cells, making the battery difficult to extinguish
Solution Approach 1:
The system applies local quality by positioning specific nozzles within the battery casing to target individual cells or specific regions where fire is detected. This localized suppression approach addresses fires at their source without requiring complete battery shutdown, maintaining effectiveness despite close cell stacking
Solution Approach 2:
The patent extracts the fire suppression function from the external environment and integrates it directly into the battery structure through internal nozzles and positioning. This extraction allows the system to address fires internally at the cell level, preventing rapid spread between closely stacked cells
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
Enables rapid extinguishment of fires in high-voltage batteries by delivering extinguishing liquid and coolant directly to the affected area, reducing the time required to extinguish the fire and minimizing coolant consumption while keeping the battery completely immersed.
Implementation Method 1
supplying both extinguishing liquid and a coolant cooling a high-voltage battery to the high-voltage battery when the fire occurs in the high-voltage battery
Data Source
AI summary
A system for extinguishing a fire occurring in a high-voltage battery for a vehicle includes: a battery cell assembly in which a plurality of battery cells are stacked each other, an extinguishing-liquid tank inside which an extinguishing liquid is stored, an extinguishing-liquid supply line connecting the extinguishing-liquid tank and the inside of the battery cell assembly to each other, a coolant joining line branching off from a coolant line 25 through which a coolant circulates along the outside of the battery cell assembly and a radiator, the coolant being supplied to the inside of the battery cell assembly through the coolant joining line, and a control unit configured to perform control so that the extinguishing liquid and the coolant are supplied to the battery cell assembly through the extinguishing-liquid supply and coolant joining lines, when the control unit concludes that a fire occurs in the battery cell assembly.