Multi-Layer Battery Heat Shield for Thermal Runaway Containment
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Solution Overview
Problem
The operating safety of lithium ion battery cells in electric vehicles is compromised due to the risk of thermal runaway, which can lead to uncontrollable heating, fire, and explosion, posing a significant safety risk to passengers and requiring effective thermal insulation materials.
Innovation Solution
A multi-layer heat shield composed of a thermally resistant elastomer or fiber composite for impact absorption, a high-temperature resistant material for heat protection, an intumescent material for insulation, and a heat-distributing layer to enhance the intumescent effect, all carefully designed to manage the extreme temperatures and particle impact during a thermal runaway event.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If a heat shield is used to protect the passenger compartment from thermal runaway, then passenger safety is improved, but the device complexity increases due to multiple layers required
Solution Approach 1:
The heat shield is divided into multiple functional layers: a first layer for particle impact absorption, a second layer for high-temperature resistance, and a third layer for heat dissipation. Each layer is optimized for its specific function, allowing the system to protect against multiple hazards (particle impact, extreme heat, and thermal transfer) simultaneously while maintaining manageable complexity through specialized division of labor.
Solution Approach 2:
The heat shield employs composite material construction with at least three different material layers, each selected for specific properties: the first layer uses impact-resistant materials, the second layer uses high-temperature resistant materials, and the third layer uses thermally conductive materials. This composite approach enables the single heat shield component to fulfill multiple protective functions that would otherwise require separate devices.
2Reliability
If the heat shield uses multiple layers to absorb particle impact and dissipate heat, then protection effectiveness is improved, but the weight of the heat shield increases
Solution Approach 1:
Different regions and layers of the heat shield are assigned different material properties and thicknesses based on their specific functional requirements. The first layer near the battery receives thicker construction for particle impact absorption, while the third layer optimized for heat dissipation uses materials with specific thermal conductivity properties. This localized optimization ensures that weight is distributed efficiently, with heavier materials placed only where most needed for protection.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent optimizes the thickness, material composition, and thermal conductivity parameters of each layer to achieve the minimum necessary weight while maintaining protection effectiveness. By carefully selecting and tuning these parameters, the heat shield achieves adequate protection against particle impact and heat transfer without unnecessary weight accumulation from over-engineering any single layer.
3Stability of the object's composition
If the heat shield is designed to withstand temperatures up to 1400°C for 120 seconds, then high-temperature stability is improved, but the cost of materials and manufacturing increases
Solution Approach 1:
The heat shield is segmented into layers with different thermal resistance properties, allowing the second layer to specifically handle the extreme temperature exposure while the other layers manage different aspects of protection. This segmentation enables the use of expensive high-temperature materials only in the second layer where they are most needed, rather than requiring all layers to withstand 1400°C, thereby reducing overall material costs.
Solution Approach 2:
The composite structure combines materials with different cost and performance characteristics. The second layer uses high-temperature resistant materials capable of withstanding 1400°C for 120 seconds, while the first and third layers may use less expensive materials optimized for their specific functions of particle absorption and heat dissipation. This composite approach achieves the required high-temperature stability at lower overall manufacturing cost compared to using expensive materials throughout the entire heat shield.
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 heat shield effectively absorbs particle impact, maintains high-temperature stability, and dissipates heat to keep the passenger compartment temperatures below 200°C, ensuring passenger safety and protecting the vehicle from damage.
Implementation Method 1
a first layer (4) made from a thermally resistant elastomer or from a fiber composite with an elastomer matrix, which, through elastic deformation, can compensate for the impact force of the particles striking with a high impact speed
Implementation Method 2
a third layer (6) made from an intumescent material, which, under the action of heat, exhibits a swelling or expansion behavior and, owing to the swelling, forms an insulating layer
Implementation Method 3
a third layer (6) made from an intumescent material, which, under the action of heat, exhibits a swelling or expansion behavior and, owing to the swelling, forms an insulating layer, acting as a heat shield
Data Source
AI summary
The present invention relates to a heat shield (1) for use in systems and apparatuses which are operated by batteries, in particular for electric vehicles, wherein the heat shield (1) is constructed at least from an impact-absorbing layer (4), from a heat-protection layer (5) made of a material which is resistant to high temperatures, optionally from a gas-tight, heat-distributing layer (8), and from a layer (6) with intumescent properties and also from a carrier plate (7) for the layers, which provides shielding.