Battery Enclosure Gas Venting for Thermal Runaway Mitigation
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing battery enclosure systems face challenges in effectively managing thermal runaway and gas propagation due to the trapping of hot gases, leading to potential cell damage and fire, with existing suppression methods being heavy, space-consuming, or using harmful chemicals.
Innovation Solution
A battery enclosure gas management system using a gas displacer to actively vent hot gases outside the enclosure through an exit vent, powered by a pre-stored or instantaneous energy source, with optional pre-cooling and filtration, and featuring a compressor and gas amplifier for rapid gas displacement.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If insulation layers between cells are used to prevent thermal propagation, then thermal protection is improved, but heat generation in enclosed environment ultimately overcomes the insulation
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts hot gases from the enclosed battery environment through active venting systems. Gas displacers actively remove hot off-gassing from thermal runaway cells from the sealed enclosure, preventing heat accumulation that would otherwise overcome insulation layers and cause thermal propagation to adjacent cells.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces gas displacers as intermediary devices between thermal runaway cells and the surrounding environment. These active venting systems mediate by selectively removing harmful hot gases while maintaining the sealed enclosure structure, providing thermal protection without relying solely on passive insulation layers.
2Reliability
If water, Novec 1230, CO2 or oil injection systems are used for suppression, then thermal runaway suppression is improved, but system weight and space requirement increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent employs self-service principles by utilizing the battery system's existing air conditioning compressor and refrigerant infrastructure for thermal runaway suppression. The AC system's gas displacer and refrigerant circulation infrastructure are repurposed to actively vent hot gases, eliminating the need for separate heavy suppression systems while providing effective thermal runaway mitigation.
3Productivity
If active gas venting system is implemented, then rate of hot gas removal is improved, but system complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies multi-functionality by designing the gas displacer system to serve multiple purposes: it acts as both an active thermal runaway suppression mechanism and integrates with the existing air conditioning infrastructure. The refrigerant circulation system performs both cooling functions and thermal runaway gas venting, reducing overall system complexity despite the enhanced hot gas removal capability.
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
Rapid removal of hot gases reduces the likelihood of thermal propagation, cools cells, and minimizes contamination, thereby preventing cell damage and fire, while being lightweight and space-efficient.
Implementation Method 1
the gas displacer comprises at least one of a compressor and a store of compressed gas and is arranged to selectively deliver compressed gas from the at least one of the compressor and the store of compressed gas to be used in driving the venting
Implementation Method 2
the battery enclosure gas management system comprises a pre-cooler arranged to cool the venting gas before it is blown into the enclosure by the gas displacer
Data Source
AI summary
Aspects of the present invention relate to a battery enclosure gas management system. The battery enclosure gas management system comprises a gas displacer arranged to drive venting of gas that surrounds at least one of one or more battery cells in a battery enclosure. The venting is to outside of the battery enclosure via an exit vent of the battery enclosure. The gas displacer is selectively activatable to drive the venting.