Traction Battery Module Venting With Flaps to Shield Intact Cells
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing motor vehicle traction battery modules with fluidically tight battery cells face challenges in protecting intact cells during degassing events, as known designs are costly and provide mechanical protection only when switching flaps are fully folded, leaving intact cells vulnerable to hot cell gases.
Innovation Solution
A traction battery module design where all degassing openings are aligned in a common plane and oriented in the same direction, with each cell opening into a single degassing passage, featuring biased degassing guide flaps that close fluidically to divert gas pressure away from intact cells, and an opening stop limits uncontrolled movement, ensuring reliable protection by redirecting hot gases away from upstream cells.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If switching flaps are used in the degassing passage, then mechanical protection of rupture discs is provided, but the design becomes costly and protection is only provided when flaps are fully folded
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts the switching flap mechanism from the degassing passage design, replacing it with a simplified single degassing passage configuration where all cell degassing openings open in the same spatial direction into a common passage, eliminating the need for complex switching mechanisms while maintaining protection of intact cells
Solution Approach 2:
Instead of using switching flaps that fold to protect rupture discs, the patent inverts the approach by orienting all degassing openings in the same direction and using the flow dynamics and pressure distribution in the single passage to naturally protect intact cells, reversing the conventional switching flap logic
2Productivity
If two module degassing openings are provided, then degassing capacity is improved, but the design becomes costly
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges multiple cell degassing openings into a single common degassing passage that leads to one module degassing opening, combining the degassing function of all cells into a unified flow path that simplifies the design while maintaining adequate degassing capacity through proper passage sizing
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 effectively protects intact battery cells from hot gases during degassing events by ensuring degassing guide flaps remain closed, preventing influx of hot gases and maintaining a fluidically tight seal, thus enhancing the mechanical protection of intact cells without increasing design complexity or cost.
Implementation Method 1
the gas pressure in the event of cell degassing
Implementation Method 2
The degassing guide flap is hinged via a flap joint at the upstream flap edge so that the degassing guide flap is swung about the flap joint
Implementation Method 3
the degassing guide flap always diverts the cell gas flowing through the cell degassing opening in the direction of the degassing passage outlet, so that the exiting cell gas experiences a flow pulse in the direction of the degassing passage outlet
Implementation Method 4
All intact battery cells are forced into their closed position by the passage-side positive pressure. Thus, these degassing guide flaps remain reliably in their respective closed position
Data Source
AI summary
A motor vehicle traction battery module (10) has fluidically tight battery cells (201-206) arranged in a row. Each battery cell (201-206) has a degassing opening (32), and the cell degassing openings (22) of the battery cells (201-206) open into a single degassing passage (40) in a fluidically parallel manner. The degassing passage (40) leads to a single module degassing opening (49), so that a single degassing passage flow direction (S) is defined. Each downstream cell degassing opening (22) is associated with a degassing guide flap (30) that is hinged at the upstream flap edge (33) via a flap joint (32) and is biased in the closed position. Each degassing guide flap (30) closes the cell degassing opening (22) and opens the cell degassing opening (22) in the case of a cell degassing.