Aircraft Battery Pack Crumple Venting for Impact Protection
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Solution Overview
Problem
There is a trade-off between providing adequate battery protection and reducing the weight of electric aircraft to maximize range, as safety regulations require battery packs to withstand impact events and thermal runaway, which increases weight.
Innovation Solution
A battery pack arrangement with a crumple structure beneath the battery cells and a venting channel that routes gases away from the cells, reducing the need for additional structural support and minimizing space usage.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If battery protection structures are added to withstand impact events, then safety and reliability are improved, but aircraft weight increases
Solution Approach 1:
The venting channel is integrated into the crumple structure, combining the protective function (crumple structure) with the venting function (venting channel) into a single unified component. This eliminates the need for separate protective structures while maintaining both impact protection and gas venting capabilities, thereby improving reliability without proportionally increasing weight.
Solution Approach 2:
The crumple structure serves multiple functions: it provides impact protection, houses the venting channel, and enables gas venting during thermal runaway. By making the crumple structure multi-functional, the design avoids adding separate components for each function, thus improving safety and reliability while controlling weight increase.
2Reliability
If venting channel cross sectional area is increased to vent high pressure gases, then thermal runaway protection is improved, but space usage increases
Solution Approach 1:
The venting channel is merged with the crumple structure, allowing the venting function to be embedded within the protective structure rather than requiring separate dedicated space. This integration enables effective thermal runaway protection through adequate venting area while minimizing additional space consumption.
3Reliability
If additional structural support is added to protect battery cells, then reliability is improved, but aircraft weight increases
Solution Approach 1:
The protective function is merged into the crumple structure and venting channel integration, eliminating the need for separate additional structural support components. The crumple structure itself provides the necessary protection while the integrated venting channel ensures thermal runaway safety, achieving reliable battery cell protection without excessive weight addition.
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 solution effectively protects battery cells from impact and thermal runaway while reducing aircraft weight and space usage, enhancing the electric aircraft's range and safety.
Implementation Method 1
the crumple structure beneath the arrangement of battery cells and adapted to compress in the event of an impact from beneath the aircraft
Implementation Method 2
the crumple structure is adapted to absorb impact energy and reduce an impact
Implementation Method 3
The venting channel typically has a sufficient internal cross sectional area along its entire length to vent relatively high pressure gasses away from the battery cells without causing undue pressure and heat build-up
Data Source
Figure 1~3
Figure 4a~5
Figure 6a~7
AI summary
Described herein is an electric aircraft [100] comprising a battery pack [140] to power the aircraft [100]. The battery pack [140] comprises a housing [144], an arrangement of battery cells [400] within the housing [144] and a crumple structure [414a] associated with the battery pack [140]. The crumple structure [414a] is beneath the arrangement of battery cells [400] and is adapted to compress in the event of an impact from beneath the aircraft [100]. A venting channel [406] is fluidically coupled to the battery cells [400] and arranged to vent gasses away from the battery cells [400]. The venting channel [406] passes through the crumple structure [414a] and is adapted to deform with the crumple structure [414a] in the event of an impact from beneath the aircraft [100].