Battery Module Venting Structure for Thermal Runaway Containment
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Solution Overview
Problem
Secondary batteries in battery packs are prone to overheating and explosion due to chain reactions from high-temperature gas ejection, posing significant safety risks.
Innovation Solution
A battery module design featuring a heat sink with rupture parts and a sealing material layer that ejects gas and extinguishing material to prevent heat transfer and reduce explosion risk, utilizing the space between cooling channels for safety.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Quantity of substance
If a battery pack uses a multi-module structure with multiple secondary batteries connected in series/parallel to increase capacity, then the energy storage capacity increases, but the risk of chain reaction fires and safety hazards increases due to the larger number of battery cells
Solution Approach 1:
The battery pack is divided into multiple independent battery modules, each containing a subset of battery cells. This segmentation isolates potential failure modes, so that if one module experiences thermal runaway, the fire containment structure prevents propagation to other modules, thus maintaining safety while enabling increased capacity through modular expansion
Solution Approach 2:
A fire containment structure acts as an intermediary barrier between battery modules. This structure includes heat-resistant materials and cooling channels that intercept and manage thermal energy, preventing direct heat transfer between adjacent modules and breaking the chain reaction pathway
2Device complexity
If traditional battery modules without internal fire suppression structures are used, then the device complexity is low, but chain reaction fires can propagate between adjacent battery cells causing significant damage
Solution Approach 1:
The fire containment structure integrates multiple functions into a single component: it serves as both a physical barrier between battery modules and an active cooling system with embedded cooling channels. This merging approach provides fire suppression and heat management without requiring separate complex systems, thus limiting fire propagation while maintaining reasonable structural complexity
Solution Approach 2:
The fire containment structure performs multiple functions simultaneously: it provides mechanical separation between modules, acts as a thermal barrier, and incorporates cooling channels for active heat dissipation. This multi-functionality addresses fire propagation risks without adding proportional complexity to the module design
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
Prevents chain reactions by blocking high-temperature heat transfer and reduces explosion likelihood through controlled gas ejection and fire extinguishing, enhancing safety in battery packs.
Implementation Method 1
a cooling pipe (310)
Implementation Method 2
cooling channels
Implementation Method 3
a sealing material layer (250) made of a sealing material... blocking high-temperature heat transfer
Implementation Method 4
at least one rupture part (210, 220)... when internal pressure increases
Data Source
AI summary
A battery module including a battery cell stack in which a plurality of battery cells are stacked in a first direction, and a body located on one side of the battery cell stack, wherein the body includes a cavity configured to receive an extinguishing material, the cavity having an inlet and an outlet, and at least one rupture part for one of the inlet and outlet.