Battery Pack Base Venting Layout for Thermal Runaway Gas Discharge
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Solution Overview
Problem
The safety of secondary batteries in vehicles is critical, and there is a need to improve the design of discharge paths for high-temperature gases to prevent thermal runaway events.
Innovation Solution
A battery pack design featuring a housing with a base plate, side walls, and exhaust devices, including rupture disks, which are asymmetrically arranged and connected to base holes, allowing for efficient discharge of high-temperature gases during thermal runaway events.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If exhaust devices are added to the base plate, then safety is improved by providing discharge paths for high-temperature gases, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The base plate is segmented with multiple base holes distributed across its surface, each serving as a discrete discharge path. This segmentation allows the system to handle thermal runaway events at multiple locations simultaneously, improving safety without requiring a single complex exhaust system
Solution Approach 2:
The base holes serve as intermediary structures between the battery cell assemblies and the external environment, providing controlled discharge paths for high-temperature gases. These intermediaries enable safe gas release while maintaining the structural integrity of the housing
2Productivity
If multiple exhaust devices are distributed across the base plate, then discharge efficiency is improved, but manufacturing precision requirements increase
Solution Approach 1:
Each base hole is positioned in specific regions of the base plate to optimize discharge efficiency for different battery cell locations. The asymmetric arrangement ensures that exhaust devices are strategically placed where they can most effectively vent gases from adjacent battery cells, rather than using a uniform symmetric pattern
Solution Approach 2:
The exhaust devices are arranged asymmetrically on the base plate, with base holes positioned at different locations and orientations based on the battery cell assembly layout. This asymmetric design optimizes the discharge paths for thermal runaway events while maintaining reasonable manufacturing tolerances
3Reliability
If exhaust hole width is reduced compared to base hole width, then safety is improved by controlling gas flow, but loss of substance increases
Solution Approach 1:
The exhaust hole width is optimized to be smaller than the base hole width, creating a controlled restriction that regulates gas flow during thermal runaway events. This parameter change balances safety requirements for controlled discharge with the need to minimize loss of battery materials and electrolytes
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 discharges high-temperature gases, improving safety by preventing thermal propagation and protecting the vehicle from damage and passenger exposure.
Implementation Method 1
when the thermal runaway event occurs, a high-temperature gas can be effectively discharged
Data Source
AI summary
The present disclosure is directed to a battery pack. The battery pack includes a housing with a base plate and side walls coupled to the base plate, a plurality of battery cell assemblies on an upper surface of the base plate, and a plurality of exhaust devices coupled to the base plate.