Battery Module Insulation Structure for Thermal Runaway Containment
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing battery modules lack effective insulation and fire prevention mechanisms to prevent thermal runaway and subsequent ignition of adjacent cells, leading to potential cascading failures.
Innovation Solution
A battery module design incorporating insulating members with extensions and fire extinguishing agents, where insulating members with specific dimensions and materials block heat transfer and extend to cover critical surfaces, and fire extinguishing capsules within these members release agents to extinguish fires at early stages.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If insulating members are added between battery cells to block heat transfer, then thermal safety is improved, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The second insulating member is integrated into the first insulating member, forming a nested structure where one insulating component is placed within another. This nesting approach provides comprehensive thermal protection for multiple surfaces of the battery cell while minimizing the overall number of separate components and assembly steps.
Solution Approach 2:
The insulating members are designed to perform multiple functions simultaneously: the first insulating member blocks heat transfer from the first surface, the second insulating member blocks heat transfer from the second surface, and together they provide structural support and thermal isolation. This multi-functionality reduces the need for additional separate components.
2Reliability
If thicker insulating members are used to delay thermal runaway, then thermal protection is improved, but volume of battery module increases
Solution Approach 1:
Instead of increasing the thickness of a single insulating layer, the solution transitions to a multi-dimensional approach by adding a second insulating member that extends in a different spatial direction. This provides enhanced thermal protection through multiple surfaces without requiring excessive thickness in any single dimension, thus optimizing space utilization.
Solution Approach 2:
The thermal protection function is segmented into multiple separate insulating members rather than using one thick insulator. Each insulating member is positioned to protect specific surfaces of the battery cell, allowing for optimized local protection without uniformly increasing the overall volume of the battery module.
3Reliability
If fire extinguishing member is integrated into the insulating member, then safety against successive ignitions is improved, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The fire extinguishing member is merged with the second insulating member, combining thermal protection and fire suppression functions into a single integrated component. This integration ensures that the fire extinguishing agent is positioned exactly where it is most needed (at the battery cell surface) while reducing the total number of separate components and simplifying the assembly process.
Solution Approach 2:
The second insulating member acts as an intermediary structure that both provides thermal isolation and serves as a carrier for the fire extinguishing member. This intermediary role allows the fire suppression system to be activated locally at the battery cell interface without requiring a separate complex delivery mechanism.
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 design effectively prevents heat transfer between adjacent cells, delays thermal runaway, and promptly extinguishes fires, enhancing safety and reliability of the battery module.
Implementation Method 1
at least one first insulating member facing the first surface of the battery cell, and at least one second insulating member extending from the at least one first insulating member and facing the second surface of the battery cell
Data Source
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AI summary
A battery module including a housing, a plurality of battery cells each disposed in the housing and comprising a first surface and a second surface that intersect each other, at least one first insulating member facing the first surface of the battery cell, and at least one second insulating member extending from the at least one first insulating member and facing the second surface of the battery cell.