Battery Fire Detection Using Vent Status and Cell Temperature
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Lithium-ion battery cells in energy storage systems are vulnerable to fires, which can spread rapidly due to the transfer of heat and flames between adjacent cells, necessitating early detection and suppression methods.
Innovation Solution
A battery fire detection device with sensors to monitor gas vents and temperature, determining fire risk based on temperature changes and vent status, coupled with a cooling system and management system to execute fire coping measures.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Quantity of substance
If lithium-ion battery cells are intensively installed to store electric power, then energy storage capacity is improved, but fire risk increases due to heat transfer between adjacent cells
Solution Approach 1:
The patent divides the battery system into modular units with individual detection and cooling capabilities. Each battery cell or module is equipped with its own temperature sensor and is surrounded by cooling passages, creating segmented fire zones that prevent rapid spread between adjacent cells while maintaining high energy storage density.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces cooling passages and detection devices as intermediary elements between battery cells. These intermediaries act as thermal barriers and early warning systems, intercepting heat transfer before it can propagate to adjacent cells, thus reducing fire risk while allowing intensive installation.
2Measurement precision
If temperature monitoring is performed continuously to detect fire risk early, then detection accuracy is improved, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent combines temperature monitoring, gas vent detection, and fire risk assessment functions into an integrated detection device. Multiple sensors and processing units are merged into a single compact module that continuously monitors battery conditions and determines fire risk based on temperature changes and vent status, improving detection accuracy without proportionally increasing system complexity.
Solution Approach 2:
The detection device performs multiple functions simultaneously: it monitors temperature, detects gas vent opening, calculates temperature change rates, and determines fire risk. This multi-functional approach allows comprehensive fire detection with a single device rather than requiring separate systems for each function.
3Reliability
If cooling passages and flame passages are physically separated to prevent fire spread, then fire containment is improved, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the passage system into distinct cooling passages and flame passages that are physically separated. Cooling passages are positioned to contact battery cells for heat removal, while flame passages are routed through spaces where fire cannot reach, creating independent thermal and combustion zones that prevent fire spread while maintaining manageable system complexity.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent utilizes three-dimensional spatial arrangement to separate cooling and flame passages. By routing passages through different spatial dimensions and utilizing available spaces within the battery housing, the system achieves effective fire containment without requiring complex additional structures or increasing overall 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
Enables early detection and suppression of battery fires, minimizing damage by cooling affected cells and preventing fire spread through physical separation of cooling and flame passages.
Implementation Method 1
a cooling device configured to cool battery cells included in the battery rack
Implementation Method 2
a first sensor configured to detect whether a gas vent of a battery cell is opened
Implementation Method 3
a second sensor configured to detect a temperature of the battery cell
Data Source
AI summary
A battery fire detection device according to an embodiment includes: a first sensor configured to detect whether a gas vent of a battery cell is opened; a second sensor configured to detect a temperature of the battery cell; and a controller configured to determine whether there is a risk of fire or whether a fire occurs in the battery cell based on detection results of the first sensor and the second sensor.