Battery Pack Fire-Extinguishing Conduit for Low-Temperature Cell Spray
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing battery pack fire-extinguishing systems fail to effectively extinguish fires at low temperatures, leading to potential thermal runaway and fire propagation among adjacent cells.
Innovation Solution
A direct-spray fire-extinguishing system with a heat-sensitive member that includes a nozzle portion with a thin film portion designed to melt at low temperatures, allowing the fire-extinguishing agent to be sprayed directly to the affected cell, reducing heat propagation to adjacent cells.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If a conventional fire-extinguishing system is used, then it can extinguish fires at high temperatures, but it fails to effectively extinguish fires at low temperatures
Solution Approach 1:
The patent changes the material parameter of the heat-sensitive member from conventional high-melting-point materials to materials with lower melting points (150-500°C). This allows the fire-extinguishing system to activate at lower temperatures, effectively addressing fires in their early stages before high temperatures are reached.
Solution Approach 2:
The heat-sensitive member utilizes phase transition (melting) at specific low temperatures to trigger the fire-extinguishing agent release. When the battery cell temperature reaches the melting point of the heat-sensitive member, the material undergoes phase change from solid to liquid, opening the spray hole and activating the fire-extinguishing system.
2Reliability
If the heat-sensitive member has uniform thickness, then it is easier to manufacture, but it cannot melt at low temperatures to activate the spray
Solution Approach 1:
The heat-sensitive member features non-uniform thickness distribution, with the nozzle portion having reduced thickness compared to the body portion. This local thinning creates a weak point that melts first at lower temperatures, enabling reliable activation while maintaining overall structural integrity for manufacturing.
Solution Approach 2:
The heat-sensitive member is segmented into distinct portions with different thicknesses: the body portion provides structural support, while the thinner nozzle portion serves as the thermal activation point. This segmentation allows each region to fulfill its specific function.
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 extinguishes fires at lower temperatures, preventing thermal runaway and reducing the risk of fire propagation by spraying the fire-extinguishing agent to the affected cell, thereby maintaining the safety and integrity of the battery pack.
Implementation Method 1
a thin film portion on a bottom of the recessed portion, and having a thickness that is less than the thickness of the body portion... The thin film portion may be configured to be melted at a temperature of about 150 °C to about 500 °C
Implementation Method 2
spray a fire-extinguishing agent to the corresponding battery cell, thereby lowering the temperature of the corresponding battery cell and the temperature of a nearby battery cell
Implementation Method 3
spray a fire-extinguishing agent to the corresponding battery cell, thereby lowering the temperature
Data Source
Figure 1A
Figure 1B
Figure 2
AI summary
A battery pack fire-extinguishing system for battery cells includes a fire-extinguishing conduit defining a spray hole for spraying a fire-extinguishing agent to a vent hole in one of the battery cells, and a heat-sensitive member blocking the spray hole, and including a body portion at least partially surrounding a periphery of the fire-extinguishing conduit, and a nozzle portion corresponding to the spray hole, and having a thickness that is less than a thickness of the body portion.