Battery Overcharge Prevention via Fluid-Actuated Cutting Mechanism
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing battery overcharge prevention systems fail to accurately detect cell expansion with minimal gas generation, leading to potential thermal runaway and fires, especially in high-voltage battery systems, as they require significant cell swelling or rely on unreliable sensors and switches.
Innovation Solution
An apparatus with a fluid pouch and cutting part between battery cells, where the fluid pouch is pushed by expansion pressure to activate the cutting part, disconnecting the lead tab from the bus bar, even with small amounts of generated gas, ensuring timely interruption of the charging circuit.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If passive type overcharge safety structure utilizing cell expansion is used, then current interruption is achieved when cell swells sufficiently, but thermal runaway may occur before cell expansion is detected
Solution Approach 1:
The cutting part is pre-positioned between the cell tab and bus bar in a ready-to-cut state. When minimal cell expansion occurs, the cutting part immediately activates to sever the electrical connection, preventing thermal runaway before it can develop. This preliminary positioning enables rapid response to even slight cell swelling.
Solution Approach 2:
The safety mechanism is segmented into distinct functional components: the fluid pouch that detects cell expansion, the cutting part that severs the connection, and the holder that positions components. This segmentation allows the cutting part to respond independently to minimal cell expansion without requiring significant swelling of the entire cell.
2Quantity of substance
If medium or large-sized batteries are employed to store electric energy, then energy capacity is increased, but battery size and weight increase making mounting difficult
Solution Approach 1:
The pouch-type battery structure uses flexible thin-film packaging that eliminates rigid containers and excessive structural components. This allows maximum energy density while minimizing weight and volume, enabling medium or large energy capacity in a compact, vehicle-mountable form factor.
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
This solution effectively prevents battery overcharge by accurately detecting cell expansion and disconnecting the charging circuit, enhancing battery stability and safety while reducing the size and weight of the battery pack, and eliminating the need for aluminum covers, thus increasing energy density and reducing costs.
Implementation Method 1
a fluid pouch disposed within the installation space, and near (e.g., adjacent) to the cells within the installation space, and containing a fluid therein; and a cutting part disposed within the installation space, having an end (e.g., a first end) disposed adjacent to the fluid pouch, and having a cutter edge heading between a lead tab and a bus bar at the other end (e.g., a second end)
Data Source
AI summary
An apparatus for preventing battery overcharge is provided and includes a plurality of holders interposed between cells stacked within a battery to enclose the cells in a stacking direction. An installation space is formed between outer parts of at least two holders that enclose the cells. In addition, a fluid pouch is disposed within the installation space and adjacent to the cells inside the installation space, and contains a fluid therein. A cutting part is disposed within the installation space and has a first end disposed adjacent to the fluid pouch, and has a cutter edge heading between a lead tab and a bus bar at a second end of the cutting part.