Battery Module Housing Layout for Flame Blocking and Cooling Flow
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Solution Overview
Problem
Secondary battery cells in energy storage systems can ignite and cause fires, leading to the spread of flames between adjacent cells due to the lack of a cover member to prevent flame propagation, posing a risk of explosion and degradation of battery performance.
Innovation Solution
An energy storage system design featuring a housing with a first cover opposing the electrode tab side, a second cover opposing the opposite side, and a flame passage between them, along with a cooling passage separated from the flame passage, includes a blocking member to prevent flame spread and a spacer to maintain spacing, ensuring flames are directed away from adjacent cells and cooling passages prevent heat buildup.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of manufacture
If secondary battery cells are mounted in an energy storage system without a cover member to prevent flame spread, then the structure is simple and easy to manufacture, but the flame can easily spread to adjacent secondary battery cells causing ignition and explosion
Solution Approach 1:
The housing is divided into multiple functional covers: a first cover opposing the electrode tab side with a flame passage for directing flames away from adjacent cells, a second cover opposing the opposite side, and a third cover closing the top. This segmentation allows each cover to perform specific functions (flame direction, structural support, sealing) while collectively preventing flame spread to adjacent battery cells.
Solution Approach 2:
A blocking member is introduced as an intermediary element disposed in the flame passage between the secondary battery cell and the first cover. This blocking member passes gas but blocks flame, serving as a mediator that allows necessary gas flow while preventing flame propagation to adjacent cells, thus resolving the contradiction between structural simplicity and flame propagation prevention.
2Reliability
If a flame passage is formed between the first cover and the module stack to direct flames away from adjacent cells, then flame spread is prevented, but the device complexity increases due to additional covers and passages
Solution Approach 1:
The housing structure is designed with multi-functionality: the first cover serves both as a structural enclosure and as a flame direction component with an integrated flame passage; the blocking member provides both gas flow and flame blocking functions. This multi-functionality reduces the need for additional separate components, thereby limiting the increase in device complexity while maintaining reliable flame spread prevention.
Solution Approach 2:
The flame passage is integrated directly into the housing structure by forming it between the first cover and the module stack, rather than as a separate component. The blocking member is disposed within this integrated passage, combining the functions of flame direction and flame blocking in a unified structure, thus preventing flame spread while minimizing additional complexity.
3Reliability
If a cooling passage is formed between the second cover and the module stack to prevent heat buildup, then battery performance is maintained, but the device complexity increases due to separate cooling and flame passages
Solution Approach 1:
The passage system is segmented into functionally distinct cooling passages and flame passages. The cooling passage is formed between the second cover and the module stack to handle heat management, while the flame passage is formed between the first cover and the module stack for flame direction. This segmentation allows each passage to be optimized for its specific function (cooling or flame direction) while maintaining overall system reliability.
Solution Approach 2:
Different regions of the housing are assigned different functional qualities: the area between the second cover and module stack is designed for cooling (cooling passage), while the area between the first cover and module stack is designed for flame management (flame passage with blocking member). This local differentiation of quality allows each region to perform its specific function effectively while the overall structure remains integrated and manageable.
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 system effectively prevents ignition and flame spread between secondary battery cells, reducing the risk of explosion and maintaining battery performance by directing flames away from adjacent cells and utilizing separate cooling passages to manage heat effectively.
Implementation Method 1
a cooling passage is formed between the second cover and the module stack
Implementation Method 2
a blocking member disposed in the flame passage and passing gas and blocking flame
Data Source
AI summary
An energy storage system includes a battery module including a plurality of secondary battery cells and an electrode tab disposed on one or both sides; and a housing accommodating a module stack in which the plurality of battery modules are stacked, wherein the housing includes a first cover disposed to oppose at least one side surface of the module stack on which the electrode tab is disposed, and a second cover disposed to oppose at least one of the side surfaces of the module stack on which the electrode tab is not disposed, and wherein a flame passage is formed between the first cover and the module stack, and a cooling passage is formed between the second cover and the module stack.