Battery Pack Insulating Vent Structure for Fire Propagation Control
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Solution Overview
Problem
Battery cell packs are prone to fire propagation due to thermal runaway, where combustion gases and flames from a malfunctioning cell can affect adjacent cells, leading to larger malfunctions or device failures.
Innovation Solution
A battery device with a structure featuring an insulating material having heat- and fire-resistant properties with weakened portions that form a ventilation passage to direct gases and flames away from adjacent cells, combined with a metal framework for thermal management and a cover layer for additional protection against heat and electrical shorts.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Quantity of substance
If battery cells are arranged closely together in a battery cell pack, then space utilization and energy density are improved, but fire propagation risk between cells increases
Solution Approach 1:
The insulating material is divided into multiple weakened portions that can independently open to form ventilation passages. This segmentation allows targeted ventilation for each affected cell without compromising the protective barrier for other cells, enabling close cell arrangement while maintaining fire propagation protection.
Solution Approach 2:
The insulating material with weakened portions acts as an intermediary barrier between battery cells. It maintains a protective barrier under normal conditions but can open to allow combustion gases to escape through ventilation passages when thermal runaway occurs, preventing fire propagation to adjacent cells.
2Object-affected harmful factors
If a solid insulating barrier is placed over battery cells, then fire propagation is prevented, but combustion gases cannot escape and pressure builds up
Solution Approach 1:
Weakened portions are pre-formed in the insulating material at strategic locations. These pre-prepared weak points remain closed during normal operation but automatically open when exposed to combustion gases, allowing pressure relief without requiring active detection or control systems.
Solution Approach 2:
The insulating material transitions from a static closed barrier to a dynamic structure with open ventilation passages. The weakened portions change state from closed to open based on thermal and pressure conditions, allowing the barrier to adapt its permeability in response to thermal runaway events.
3Weight of stationary object
If the insulating material is made thinner to reduce device weight and size, then manufacturing cost and device dimensions are improved, but heat insulation performance deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The insulating material is designed with non-uniform thickness, featuring thicker regions for enhanced heat insulation and thinner regions with weakened portions for ventilation. This local variation in thickness optimizes both thermal protection and pressure relief functions while minimizing overall material usage and device weight.
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 solution effectively limits fire and heat propagation between battery cells, preventing cell pack failures by isolating affected cells and providing a channel for gases and flames to escape, while the metal framework aids in thermal distribution and the cover layer prevents electrical shorts.
Implementation Method 1
The insulating material includes a plurality of weakened portions or cuts, which extend through the insulating material. The structure is arranged (or positioned) such that, in case a cell of the plurality of battery cells burns out (goes into thermal runaway, overheats), a ventilation passage is formed over the cell through a weakened portion or cut in the insulating material.
Implementation Method 2
The ventilation passage may be formed through the weakened portions or cuts in the insulating material due to an increase in pressure caused by the formation of the flames and gases. For example, when the pressure increases, the pre-cuts or weakened portions above the affected (burning out) cell may give way (collapse/open) to form the ventilation passage.
Data Source
AI summary
A battery device (100) comprising a battery cell pack including a plurality of battery cells (118). The battery device further includes a structure (104) disposed on top of the battery cell pack, the structure including an insulating material (106), and a housing (102), in which the battery cell pack and the structure are arranged. At least an upper surface (110) of the structure has heat- and fire-resistant properties. The insulating material includes a plurality of weakened portions or cuts (112) extending through the insulating material. The structure is arranged such that, in case of burnout of a cell (118a), a ventilation passage (116) is formed over the cell through a weakened portion or cut in the insulating material.