Battery Module Air Sealing for Fire Suppression and Spread Prevention

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Solution Overview

Problem

Conventional battery modules face challenges in quickly extinguishing fires and preventing fire spread, which can lead to extensive damage and difficulty in recovery.

Innovation Solution

A battery module design featuring a module case with air intake and discharge units, and sheet members that expand at elevated temperatures to seal the internal space, along with air circulation guide members to manage airflow and suppress fires.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Reliability

If fire-fighting facility is provided in rack container, then fire can be suppressed, but fire response time is delayed and fire spreads to surrounding modules

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvefire suppression capabilityVSAvoidfire response time
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSLoss of time

Solution Approach 1:

The patent applies preliminary action by pre-installing fire suppression sheet members within the battery module structure itself. These sheet members are positioned in advance to cover potential fire sources and fire paths, enabling immediate fire suppression when triggered by heat or smoke, without waiting for external rack-level fire-fighting facilities to activate.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #10Preliminary action

Solution Approach 2:

The patent segments the fire suppression function from the rack-level system to the module-level system. By dividing the fire protection into independent sheet members attached to individual battery modules, each module can suppress fires independently and locally, preventing fire spread to surrounding modules while maintaining overall system reliability.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #1Segmentation

2Object-affected harmful factors

If fire spreads to surrounding battery modules, then damage extent increases and recovery becomes difficult

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvefire spread preventionVSAvoidsystem recoverability
Core Design Contradiction:
Object-affected harmful factorsVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

The patent introduces fire suppression sheet members as intermediary elements between battery modules. These sheet members act as barriers that intercept and suppress fires before they can spread to adjacent modules, thereby protecting the overall system and maintaining recoverability even when individual modules experience thermal events.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

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 solution effectively suppresses fires and prevents their spread within the battery module by sealing the internal space and blocking oxygen intake, thereby ensuring quicker fire extinguishment and reducing the risk of damage.

Implementation Method 1

at least one sheet member attached to an inner wall of the module case between the air discharge unit and the air intake unit and configured to expand at a predetermined temperature or above to seal an inner space of the module case

Methodology Applied
Scientific EffectThermal expansion: Thermal Expansion

Data Source

PatentEP3840082B1Battery module, battery rack comprising same and power storage device
Publication Date: 2025.05.21 LG ENERGY SOLUTION LTD
  • EP3840082B1 patent drawingFigure 1
  • EP3840082B1 patent drawingFigure 2
  • EP3840082B1 patent drawingFigure 3

AI summary

Disclosed is a battery module, which includes a plurality of battery cells, a module case configured to accommodate the plurality of battery cells, an air intake unit provided to one side of the module case and configured to guide an air into the module case to cool the plurality of battery cells, an air discharge unit provided to the other side of the module case and configured to discharge the air introduced into the module case through the air intake unit to the outside of the module case, and at least one sheet member attached to an inner wall of the module case between the air discharge unit and the air intake unit and configured to expand at a predetermined temperature or above to seal an inner space of the module case.