Battery Module Gas Exhaust Vent and Support Structure
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Solution Overview
Problem
Battery modules face challenges in safely discharging gases during abnormal operations, such as thermal runaway, due to their gas-tight design, which can lead to increased internal pressure and the accumulation of toxic gases, posing a threat to users and risking module explosion.
Innovation Solution
The battery module design incorporates a gas exhaust vent in the cap assembly of each cell, with busbars and inlays providing mechanical support and a continuous support surface to distribute mechanical loads, and a gas exhaust channel for controlled gas discharge, ensuring safe venting of gases through short lateral sides.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Strength
If the battery module uses a gas-tight design to maintain structural integrity and protect components, then the mechanical strength and protection of components are improved, but the internal pressure increases during abnormal operations and toxic gases accumulate, posing safety threats
Solution Approach 1:
The battery module incorporates multiple gas exhaust vents distributed across different cells, dividing the gas discharge function into separate locations. This segmentation allows controlled release of gases from individual cells without compromising the overall gas-tight structure of the module, thereby maintaining mechanical strength while preventing toxic gas accumulation.
Solution Approach 2:
The gas exhaust vent acts as an intermediary component between the sealed battery cell interior and the external environment. It provides a controlled pathway for gas discharge, allowing the module to maintain its gas-tight protective structure while safely releasing internal pressure and preventing harmful gas accumulation through the mediator vent mechanism.
2Reliability
If the battery module provides a gas-tight enclosure to protect components, then the protection of components is improved, but the internal pressure increases during abnormal operations, risking module explosion
Solution Approach 1:
The gas exhaust vent is pre-configured in the battery cell structure before abnormal operations occur. This preliminary action ensures that when thermal runaway or abnormal conditions generate gas and pressure, the vent is already in place to immediately release the pressure, preventing explosion while maintaining the reliability of the gas-tight enclosure for normal operations.
Solution Approach 2:
The gas exhaust vent serves as a mediator that reconciles the conflicting requirements of maintaining a gas-tight protective enclosure and preventing pressure buildup. It allows the module to enjoy the reliability benefits of sealed protection while safely managing internal pressure through controlled venting, eliminating the explosion risk.
3Stability of the object's composition
If the battery module uses a gas-tight design to maintain structural integrity, then the structural stability is improved, but gases produced during thermal runaway cannot be released, leading to uncontrolled pressure increase
Solution Approach 1:
The gas release function is segmented into discrete exhaust vents located in specific cells, allowing the majority of the module structure to remain gas-tight and stable. This segmentation enables controlled gas release from affected cells without compromising the overall structural stability of the entire battery module.
Solution Approach 2:
The gas-tight property is applied locally rather than uniformly - most of the module maintains gas-tight sealing for structural stability, while specific localized areas (the exhaust vents in certain cells) are designed with gas release capability. This local differentiation resolves the contradiction by providing gas release where needed while preserving structural stability elsewhere.
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
This design enhances mechanical stability and safety by allowing controlled gas discharge, reducing the risk of explosion and damage from internal pressure, while maintaining the module's structural integrity and preventing gas accumulation.
Implementation Method 1
A gas exhaust vent is in the cap assembly and is configured to emit gas when a reference pressure inside the battery case is exceeded
Data Source
AI summary
A battery module includes: a plurality of battery cells aligned with each other in an alignment direction; a plurality of busbars; an inlay molded to at least one of the busbars and having a height equal to or less than the at least one busbar; and a top cover on the busbars. Each of the battery cells includes a battery case, an electrode assembly in the battery case, a cap assembly on the battery case, a gas exhaust vent in the cap assembly, and cell terminals protruding over the cap assembly. Each of the busbars electrically connects the cell terminals of a group of the battery cells to each other. The top cover covers the cap assemblies, the busbars, and the inlay, and the busbars and the inlay form a support surface facing towards the top cover to support the top cover.