Battery Module Flame Arrestor With Offset Mesh and Gas Cooling
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Lithium-ion batteries pose a fire and explosion hazard due to thermal runaway, which can occur from physical damage, improper use, or electrical abuse, releasing heat, sparks, molten particles, and gases that can ignite and cause chain reactions.
Innovation Solution
A flame arrestor design comprising a multi-layer mesh screen and an accordion-shaped baffle, positioned adjacent to the battery cell, which prevents sparks and molten particles from escaping and creates a channel for gases to cool before exiting, thereby reducing the risk of ignition and compliance with stringent fire safety regulations.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If a single-layer mesh screen is used, then the structure is simple, but sparks and molten particles can pass through straight through-holes
Solution Approach 1:
The mesh screen is divided into multiple layers (typically 2-4 layers) with each layer having holes offset from the layers below and above it. This segmentation prevents straight through-holes from forming, as particles must navigate through misaligned holes across multiple layers, dramatically reducing spark and molten particle penetration while maintaining reasonable structural complexity.
Solution Approach 2:
The solution transitions from a single-plane (2D) mesh to a multi-layer (3D) mesh structure. By adding the depth dimension with multiple offset layers, the system creates a three-dimensional barrier that blocks particle trajectories that would easily pass through a single layer, effectively containing sparks without excessive complexity.
2Reliability
If gases are allowed to escape directly from the battery cell, then the pressure relief is immediate, but the gases can ignite and cause chain reactions
Solution Approach 1:
The mesh screen acts as an intermediary structure between the battery cell interior and exterior environment. It allows gases to pass through while simultaneously cooling them and preventing direct ignition sources (sparks, molten particles) from reaching the gases, thereby preventing chain reactions while still providing pressure relief.
Solution Approach 2:
The structure converts the potentially harmful direct escape of hot gases and particles into a beneficial cooling process. By forcing gases to traverse the multi-layer mesh structure, the system utilizes the mesh as a heat sink, cooling the gases before they exit and reducing ignition risk, thus turning a hazard into a safety feature.
3Reliability
If the mesh holes are made smaller to prevent particle escape, then particle containment improves, but gas flow resistance increases
Solution Approach 1:
Instead of using a single layer with very small holes, the system segments the barrier into multiple layers with moderately sized holes. The offset arrangement of holes across layers creates an effective particle barrier without requiring extremely small individual hole sizes, thereby maintaining gas flow pathways while preventing particle escape.
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 flame arrestor effectively mitigates the risk of thermal runaway by preventing the escape of sparks and molten particles and allowing gases to cool, reducing the likelihood of chain reactions and enhancing fire safety compliance.
Implementation Method 1
The mesh screen may contain multiple layers of mesh offset from one another to occlude straight through-holes and prevent sparks or molten particles from passing through
Implementation Method 2
The baffle may be affixed to the inside of the mesh screen and may be configured to be an added layer of protection to capture molten particles ejected from the cells and create a channel structure for the gasses
Data Source
Figure 1
Figure 2
Figure 3
AI summary
The disclosure generally relates to a flame arrestor device configured to reduce the hazards of a thermal runaway, by containing sparks and molten particles and cooling gasses emitted from the cells. The device may be used in any apparatus that requires a lithium-ion cell battery, such as a data centers, smartphone, tablet, earbuds, etc. The device may include a mesh screen and a baffle. The mesh screen may include multiple layers of mesh offset from each other. The baffle may be formed in a chevron pattern and affixed to the inside of the mesh screen.