Battery Module Vent Channel System with Fire Retardant Substance
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Battery modules, particularly lithium battery modules, face safety challenges under abusive conditions such as elevated temperature, crushing, penetration, overcharge, and short-circuit, where thermal runaway can propagate and lead to fire hazards, posing risks to people and the environment due to the emission of flammable and toxic gases.
Innovation Solution
A battery module design featuring a vent channel system with fire retardant substances that guide and release vent gases, incorporating a cooling system and fire extinguishing mechanisms to manage thermal energy and toxic substances safely, including gel capsules, cooling liquids, and high-pressure pipes to contain and extinguish fires.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Quantity of substance
If battery cells are connected in quantities to form a battery module, then the energy storage capacity increases, but the risk of thermal runaway propagation and fire hazards increases
Solution Approach 1:
The battery module is divided into multiple independent vent channels, each serving specific battery cells. This segmentation allows isolated venting of thermal runaway gases from individual cells or groups, preventing the propagation of fire and toxic gases to other parts of the module while maintaining high energy storage capacity through the scalable cell arrangement.
Solution Approach 2:
A fire retardant substance is introduced as an intermediary agent within the vent channel system. When thermal runaway occurs, this substance is released into the vent channel to chemically inhibit the combustion of vent gases and cool the gas stream, thereby preventing fire propagation to surrounding battery cells while allowing the module to maintain its high energy density configuration.
2Stress or pressure
If vent gases are released directly from battery cells, then the pressure relief function is achieved, but the flammable and toxic gases spread causing fire hazards and environmental harm
Solution Approach 1:
The fire retardant substance acts as a mediator between the vent gases and the surrounding environment. It is introduced into the vent channel where it chemically reacts with the flammable vent gases to inhibit combustion and physically cools the gas stream, thereby maintaining pressure relief functionality while eliminating the fire hazard and toxic gas spread to the environment.
Solution Approach 2:
The system converts the harmful hot flammable gas stream into a beneficial cooled, non-flammable flow by introducing the fire retardant substance. The thermal energy and chemical energy of the vent gases are transformed through the fire retardant's endothermic reactions and chemical inhibition, turning a hazardous waste stream into a safe exhaust that can be released without causing fire hazards or environmental harm.
3Reliability
If fire retardant substance is introduced into the vent channel, then the fire spread is inhibited, but the device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The fire retardant substance delivery system is merged with the existing vent channel structure. The fire retardant is integrated into the vent channel walls or introduced through the same openings used for gas venting, eliminating the need for separate complex delivery mechanisms and maintaining simple, scalable battery module design while achieving effective fire spread inhibition.
Solution Approach 2:
The fire retardant substance is designed to be automatically released in response to thermal runaway conditions without requiring external control systems. The substance may be pre-positioned in the vent channel to be activated by the thermal and pressure conditions of venting, providing self-regulating fire protection that simplifies the overall system architecture while maintaining high reliability.
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 reduces heat propagation and fire hazards by releasing flammable gases outside the module, using fire retardant substances to slow or stop fire spread, and cooling systems to manage thermal energy, enhancing the safety and environmental sustainability of battery modules.
Implementation Method 1
A fire retardant substance may be a substance that is able to slow down or stop the spread of fire or reduce its intensity. This may be accomplished by chemical reactions with the vent gases.
Implementation Method 2
A fire retardant substance may also cool the battery cell and the vent channel system through physical action and/or endothermic chemical reactions.
Implementation Method 3
A fire retardant substance may also cool the battery cell and the vent channel system through physical action and/or endothermic chemical reactions.
Implementation Method 4
a vent channel system connecting the vents of the battery cells for guiding and optionally releasing the vent gases
Data Source
Figure 1
Figure 2~3
Figure 4~5
AI summary
A battery module (10) comprises a plurality of battery cells (12), each battery cell (12) having a vent (18), which is adapted to open, when an overpressure builds up in the battery cell (12), and to release vent gases from the battery cell (12), and a vent channel system (22) connecting the vents (18) of the battery cells (12) for guiding the vent gases. At least a part of the vent channel system (22) is filled with a fire retardant substance (28), which enters a battery cell (12) through its vent (18) opened by overpressure in the battery cell (12).