Battery Pack Aerosol Fire Suppression for Cell-Level Containment
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current methods for extinguishing battery fires in electric vehicles are inefficient and time-consuming, often requiring large amounts of water and external application, which complicates early fire suppression and increases the risk of fire spread.
Innovation Solution
A battery pack fire extinguisher with a built-in fire extinguishing agent, positioned above each battery cell, connected via slot holes in a chemical cover to facilitate rapid flame and smoke interaction, ensuring the extinguishing agent is ignited by the flame to generate aerosol spray for effective containment.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Quantity of substance
If water is used to extinguish battery fire from outside the electric vehicle, then the fire can be suppressed, but the fire extinguishing efficiency is very low and a large amount of water is required
Solution Approach 1:
The battery pack is divided into individual cell compartments, and fire extinguishing agents are placed in each compartment. This segmentation allows localized fire suppression, reducing the total amount of extinguishing agent needed while improving efficiency by directly targeting the fire source at the cell level rather than requiring large volumes of water applied externally to the entire vehicle.
Solution Approach 2:
Fire extinguishing agents (chemical or aerosol types) are introduced as intermediaries between the flame and the battery cells. These agents are contained in reservoirs within the battery pack housing and are released directly into the affected compartment, serving as a mediating substance that suppresses fire more efficiently than external water application.
2Loss of time
If fire extinguishing water is sprayed from the outside of the electric vehicle, then the fire can be addressed, but early fire extinguishing response is difficult and a lot of time is required
Solution Approach 1:
Fire extinguishing agents are pre-installed within the battery pack housing in reservoirs positioned above each battery cell compartment. This preliminary placement ensures that when fire occurs, the extinguishing agent is already in position and can be immediately activated, eliminating the time delay associated with transporting and applying external water to the vehicle.
Solution Approach 2:
The battery pack is equipped with automatic fire detection and suppression systems that can autonomously activate the fire extinguishing agents when fire is detected in a compartment. This self-service capability allows immediate response without requiring external intervention, significantly reducing response time and enabling early fire suppression before the fire spreads.
3Productivity
If a built-in fire extinguishing agent is installed in the battery pack, then fire suppression efficiency is improved, but the device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The fire extinguishing system is merged with the battery pack housing structure itself. The housing serves dual functions as both the structural enclosure for the battery cells and as the container for the fire extinguishing agents. This integration eliminates the need for separate external fire suppression equipment, reducing overall system complexity while maintaining high fire suppression efficiency.
Solution Approach 2:
The battery pack housing is designed with multi-functionality, serving as both the structural framework for the battery cells and as the reservoir system for fire extinguishing agents. This universal design allows the same structural components to fulfill multiple functions, avoiding additional complexity that would arise from adding separate dedicated fire suppression structures.
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 the spread of fire from one battery cell to others by rapidly igniting and dispersing an aerosol spray to extinguish flames, enhancing fire suppression efficiency and reducing the risk of chain reactions.
Implementation Method 1
the fire extinguishing agent is ignited by the flame to generate aerosol spray for effective containment
Data Source
AI summary
A battery pack fire extinguisher includes: a plurality of battery cells; a bottom case accommodating the battery cells; a top case covering the battery cells and coupled to the bottom case; a fire extinguishing agent in a receiving portion at an inner surface of the top case; and a chemical cover fastened to the receiving portion to support the fire extinguishing agent. The chemical cover has a plurality of slot holes fluidly connecting the fire extinguishing agent and the battery cells.