Battery Housing Gas Circulation for Abnormal Condition Detection
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing battery systems struggle to detect abnormal conditions such as electrolyte leakage, partial coolant intrusion, hot spots, and corrosion, which do not alter voltage, current, or temperature, leading to potential catastrophic events like explosions, as these states remain undetected until they cause a failure.
Innovation Solution
A battery system with a closed-loop gas flow circulation within the housing that includes a gas conveyor and sensors to detect excess gas concentrations indicative of abnormal conditions, ensuring all critical components are within the gas flow path for reliable detection and prevention of catastrophic events.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Measurement precision
If traditional voltage, current, and temperature monitoring is used, then the measurement system remains simple, but abnormal conditions such as electrolyte leakage, partial coolant intrusion, hot spots, and corrosion cannot be detected
Solution Approach 1:
A gas conveyor system acts as an intermediary to transport gas from the battery module environment to the sensor location. This mediator enables detection of abnormal gas concentrations without requiring direct sensor contact with all battery components, thereby improving detection capability while maintaining manageable system complexity through centralized monitoring points
Solution Approach 2:
The patent employs a pneumatic system using a gas conveyor (fan or pump) to create controlled gas flow through the battery housing. This hydraulic/pneumatic approach enables active transport of potentially harmful gases to detection sensors, transforming the monitoring system from passive to active and significantly enhancing the ability to detect abnormalities like electrolyte leakage and corrosion without proportionally increasing overall system complexity
2Reliability
If a gas conveyor and sensors are added to detect abnormal conditions, then detection reliability improves, but the device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The monitoring function is segmented into distinct specialized components: a gas conveyor responsible for gas transport, sensors responsible for detection, and a control unit responsible for analysis and response. This segmentation allows each component to be optimized independently and simplifies the overall system architecture by distributing functions across separate modules rather than requiring a monolithic complex system
Solution Approach 2:
The gas conveyor system serves multiple functions simultaneously: it transports gases for detection purposes, provides cooling airflow to battery modules, and enables pressure equalization within the housing. This multi-functionality reduces the need for separate dedicated systems, thereby improving detection reliability without proportionally increasing device complexity
3Object-affected harmful factors
If the housing is made gas-tight to prevent effluent emission, then safety protection improves, but detection of abnormal states becomes more difficult
Solution Approach 1:
The system establishes a feedback loop where sensors continuously monitor gas concentrations inside the gas-tight housing, and this information is fed back to the control unit which can then trigger alarms or protective measures. The gas conveyor actively circulates gas to ensure representative sampling. This feedback mechanism enables effective detection and response to abnormal conditions even within a sealed housing, maintaining both protection and detectability
Solution Approach 2:
The gas conveyor system acts as an intermediary that bridges the sealed housing environment and the external detection system. It transports samples of internal housing atmosphere to external or accessible sensor locations, enabling detection of critical states like electrolyte decomposition gases or corrosion products without compromising the gas-tight seal that protects passengers from harmful effluents
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 system effectively detects abnormal conditions through gas circulation and sensors, preventing potential failures by identifying excess gas concentrations and triggering countermeasures, such as disconnecting terminals or activating a fire extinguisher, thereby ensuring safety and preventing catastrophic events.
Implementation Method 1
A gas conveyor which is configured for providing a gas flow circulation through the flow channel loop is arranged in the flow channel loop
Implementation Method 2
at least one gas sensor that is configured for detecting an excess concentration, preferably a predetermined or learned excess concentration, of at least one gas species in the gas flow circulation is arranged in the flow channel loop
Data Source
AI summary
The present invention relates to a battery system (50) that comprises at least one battery module (20) which is interconnected between a first system terminal (51) and a second system terminal (52) by a plurality of high current connectors (63), and a housing (70) with a plurality of exterior walls (71) that enclose the at least one battery module (20) and the plurality of high current connectors (63) and with at least one partition wall (72) that is arranged within the housing (70). A flow channel loop (73) is formed within the housing (70) by the at least one partition wall (72) and the exterior walls (71), and a gas conveyor (80) that is configured for providing a gas flow circulation (74) through the flow channel loop (73) and at least one gas sensor (81) that is configured for detecting an excess concentration of at least one gas species in the gas flow circulation (74) are arranged in the flow channel loop (73). Preferably, the high current connectors (63) and all battery cells (10) of the battery system (50) form a current path between the first system terminal (51) and the second system terminal (52) and the gas flow circulation (74) follows this current path. Another aspect of the present invention relates to a vehicle comprising the battery system (50) of the invention and another aspect of the invention relates to a method for determining an abnormal condition of a battery system (50).