Battery Pack Degassing Channel for High-Density Cell Venting

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Solution Overview

Problem

Compact battery packs for electric vehicles face challenges in quickly discharging gases generated within the pack, leading to increased internal pressure and potential instability due to narrow or closed gas flow paths, which can deform the pack case and interfere with other batteries.

Innovation Solution

A battery pack design featuring a pack case with an opening and a degassing port, along with a cell fixing frame that includes gas moving routes and holes to guide gas leakage from secondary battery cells to the outside, ensuring efficient gas discharge along a predetermined path, while maintaining high energy density and structural integrity.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Quantity of substance

If secondary battery cells are intensively accommodated to maximize energy density, then energy density is improved, but the gas flow path becomes narrow or closed causing gas discharge problems

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveenergy densityVSAvoidgas discharge efficiency
Core Design Contradiction:
Quantity of substanceVSEase of operation

Solution Approach 1:

The gas discharge system is segmented into multiple components: gas pockets positioned at corners of the cell stack, gas moving routes formed in the cell fixing frame, and degassing ports in the pack cover. This segmentation allows gas to be collected and discharged through dedicated pathways without interfering with the intensive cell arrangement, resolving the contradiction between high energy density and effective gas discharge.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #1Segmentation

2Quantity of substance

If the pack case is slimmed to increase energy density, then energy density is improved, but the gas flow path becomes narrow or closed

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveenergy densityVSAvoidgas flow path volume
Core Design Contradiction:
Quantity of substanceVSVolume of moving object

Solution Approach 1:

The cell fixing frame is designed with localized gas moving routes that provide dedicated gas flow pathways in specific regions (corners and edges) of the pack. This local quality approach ensures that gas discharge functionality is maintained in critical areas without requiring overall increase in pack case volume, thus preserving high energy density while enabling effective gas discharge.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #3Local quality

3Reliability

If gas is not quickly discharged, then internal pressure increases causing pack case deformation, but providing large gas discharge pathways reduces energy density

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvepack stabilityVSAvoidenergy density
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSQuantity of substance

Solution Approach 1:

Gas pockets serve as intermediary collection chambers positioned at the corners of the cell stack, receiving gas from multiple cells and channeling it through gas moving routes to degassing ports. This intermediary structure enables efficient gas collection and discharge through minimal pathways, maintaining pack stability and reliability without compromising energy density.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

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 allows for quick and safe discharge of gases, minimizing the risk of pressure buildup and ensuring the stability and high energy density of the battery pack, even with intensive cell accommodation, by providing a structured path for gas release.

Implementation Method 1

at least one gas moving route formed by concavely depressing at least one region of one surface disposed in surface contact with the upper wall or the lower wall of the pack case along a predesignated path toward the degassing port

Methodology Applied
Scientific EffectGas flow:

Data Source

PatentEP3699976B1Battery pack provided with degassing flow channel
Publication Date: 2024.06.12 LG ENERGY SOLUTION LTD
  • EP3699976B1 patent drawingFigure 1
  • EP3699976B1 patent drawingFigure 2
  • EP3699976B1 patent drawingFigure 3~4

AI summary

A battery pack includes a pack case configured to accommodate a cell module assembly in an inner space thereof and having an opening formed at one side thereof, and a pack cover having a degassing port communicating with the inner space and configured to cover the opening of the pack case. The cell module assembly includes a cell stack configured by secondary battery cells, and a cell fixing frame having an upper plate and a lower plate respectively disposed at an upper portion and a lower portion of the cell stack and disposed in surface contact with an upper wall and a lower wall of the pack case. At least one of the upper plate and the lower plate includes at least one gas moving route formed by concavely depressing at least one region of one surface disposed in surface contact with the upper wall or the lower wall of the pack case along a predesignated path toward the degassing port, and at least one hole formed vertically through the gas moving route. The at least one hole is formed right above or right below a gas pocket that is a space in which gas leaking from at least one side of the cell stack is collected.