Fire Suppressant Storage Container for Battery Thermal Runaway
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Solution Overview
Problem
Flammable articles, particularly batteries, pose a significant fire risk during storage and transportation due to thermal runaway incidents, which conventional fire extinguishers struggle to control, leading to widespread damage and increased insurance costs.
Innovation Solution
A container with an enclosure, recirculating fluid delivery system, and storage compartments that uses a fire suppressant, such as water mist, to contain and extinguish fires within the container, minimizing external oxygen exposure and facilitating rapid fire suppression.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If conventional oxygen-starving fire extinguishers are used on battery fires, then the fire suppression mechanism is simple, but the extinguishing effectiveness is poor because lithium-ion batteries are self-oxidising and can sustain large fires even in confined spaces with limited atmospheric oxygen
Solution Approach 1:
The system changes the physical state and delivery parameters of the fire suppressant by using a recirculating fluid delivery system that pumps suppressant through pipes and outlets onto the batteries. This transforms the suppressant from a static stored substance into an actively delivered medium that can be distributed throughout the container, ensuring adequate coverage and contact with the self-oxidising battery surfaces to effectively stop the thermal runaway reaction
Solution Approach 2:
The recirculating fluid delivery system continuously pumps fire suppressant from the storage tank through the distribution network and back to the tank, maintaining continuous suppression action. This continuous circulation ensures that the suppressant remains in constant contact with the batteries, preventing reignition and sustaining suppression of the self-oxidising reaction over time
2Quantity of substance
If flammable articles are stored in large quantities in warehouses or facilities, then the storage capacity is high, but the risk of fire spread and damage increases significantly
Solution Approach 1:
The system divides the storage space into compartments using vertically spaced shelves that create separate sections for storing battery packs. This segmentation isolates individual batteries or small groups, so that if thermal runaway occurs in one compartment, the fire cannot easily spread to adjacent compartments, thereby maintaining high storage capacity while reducing fire spread risk
Solution Approach 2:
The fire suppressant system creates an inert or non-combustible environment within the container by delivering suppressant directly to the batteries. This transforms the potentially hazardous storage environment into a controlled safe environment where oxygen availability is reduced and thermal runaway propagation is prevented, allowing high-density storage without proportionally increased fire risk
3Reliability
If an external fire suppressant supply system is used, then the fire suppression capability is sufficient, but the portability and deployability are reduced
Solution Approach 1:
The system merges the fire suppressant storage tank with the container structure itself, integrating the suppression system into the portable unit. The tank is positioned within the container and connected to the distribution network, creating a self-contained portable fire suppression system that maintains adequate suppression capability while preserving the portability and deployability of the container
Solution Approach 2:
The container is designed to be self-sufficient with its own onboard fire suppressant supply system. The recirculating pump and storage tank are integrated into the container, eliminating the need for external suppressant supplies or complex external connections. This self-service design maintains fire suppression capability while enhancing portability and ease of deployment to various locations
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 container effectively contains and extinguishes fires, protecting surrounding infrastructure and reducing smoke and damage by using an onboard fire suppressant system that ensures comprehensive fire suppression and smoke containment.
Implementation Method 1
a recirculating fluid delivery system comprising one or more tanks configured to store a fire suppressant, and a plurality of fluid outlets configured to output the fire suppressant into the interior space
Implementation Method 2
the enclosure contains the fire and prevents or delays it from spreading inside or outside of the container. The enclosure further helps to prevent outside oxygen from entering the space
Data Source
AI summary
A container 100 for storing flammable articles, optionally batteries, the container 100 comprising: an enclosure 102 defining an interior space 104, the enclosure 102 comprising at least one door 112 for accessing the interior space 104; a recirculating fluid delivery system 200 comprising one or more tanks 202, 210 configured to store a fire suppressant, and a plurality of fluid outlets 214 configured to output the fire suppressant into the interior space 104; and a storage system 300 within the interior space 104, the storage system comprising a plurality of compartments 302, optionally vertically spaced shelves, each configured to store one or more of the flammable articles.