Battery Module End-Plate Covers for Thermal Runaway Containment
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Solution Overview
Problem
Lithium secondary battery modules used in large-sized devices, such as vehicles, face challenges in heat dissipation, leading to accelerated deterioration and increased risks of thermal runaway, ignition, or explosion due to the propagation of high-temperature gas and flame across adjacent cells.
Innovation Solution
A battery module design featuring a module frame, end plates, terminal and connector covers, and a busbar frame that houses a stack of battery cells, with terminal and connector covers to prevent the ejection of high-temperature gas and flame by closing gaps formed during thermal runaway events.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Power
If a large number of battery cells are stacked to form a battery module, then capacity and output are improved, but heat dissipation becomes difficult and temperature rises excessively
Solution Approach 1:
The battery module is divided into multiple battery cell stacks, with each stack containing a plurality of battery cells. This segmentation allows for better heat distribution and dissipation across multiple smaller units rather than one large concentrated heat source, addressing the heat dissipation difficulty while maintaining high output capacity.
Solution Approach 2:
A cooling plate is introduced as an intermediary component between the battery cell stacks. The cooling plate facilitates heat transfer from the battery cells to the cooling system, enabling effective heat dissipation while maintaining the high-density cell arrangement needed for high power output.
2Quantity of substance
If battery modules are concentratedly arranged to increase vehicle mileage, then energy capacity is improved, but thermal runaway can easily propagate to adjacent modules
Solution Approach 1:
The battery module is segmented into multiple independent battery cell stacks arranged in an array. This segmentation creates natural thermal barriers between stacks, limiting the propagation path of thermal runaway while maintaining high energy capacity through dense arrangement of multiple stacks.
Solution Approach 2:
Cooling plates and cooling channels are introduced as intermediary thermal management components between battery stacks. These intermediaries actively manage heat transfer and create thermal isolation zones that prevent thermal runaway propagation while allowing close spacing for high energy density.
3Volume of moving object
If battery cells are arranged in a compact configuration, then space utilization is improved, but heat generated during charging and discharging cannot be removed effectively
Solution Approach 1:
The cooling channels are nested within the module structure, with cooling plates positioned between battery cell stacks. This nested arrangement allows effective heat removal pathways to be integrated within the compact module volume, maintaining high space utilization while enabling efficient thermal management.
Solution Approach 2:
Cooling plates serve as intermediary heat transfer components that fit between the compactly arranged battery stacks. These intermediaries provide thermal management functionality without significantly increasing the overall module volume, maintaining compact configuration while improving heat removal efficiency.
Data Source
AI summary
A battery module includes a battery cell stack in which a plurality of battery cells are stacked; a module frame that houses the battery cell stack; end plates that are located on one side and the other side of the battery cell stack and are formed with a terminal opening and a connector opening; a terminal busbar that is exposed through the terminal opening; and a module connector that is exposed through the connector opening, wherein the battery module further includes at least one of a terminal cover part that covers a portion where the terminal busbar is exposed, and a connector cover part that covers a portion where the module connector is exposed.