Battery Pack Drain Structure for Safer Vent and Water Discharge
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Solution Overview
Problem
In battery packs, combustible substances released due to external stress or electrical short circuits can ignite when discharged through drain holes, posing a safety risk.
Innovation Solution
A battery pack design featuring a tubular body and wall portion integrated with the outer case, which blocks the path of combustible substances from being directly released through drain holes while allowing water discharge, using safety valves to manage high-temperature and high-pressure gas releases.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If a drain hole is provided in the outer case to discharge water and air, then water discharge functionality is improved, but combustible substances can be directly released to the outside causing safety hazards
Solution Approach 1:
The drain hole is segmented into multiple functional zones: the tubular body creates a first discharge path for water while the wall portion creates a second discharge path for air. This segmentation allows different substances to be discharged through different paths, preventing combustible substances from escaping through the drain hole while maintaining water discharge functionality.
Solution Approach 2:
The tubular body and wall portion act as intermediary structures between the inner case and outer environment. These intermediaries guide water through the tubular body to the first discharge path while directing air and blocking combustible substances through the wall portion's second discharge path, thus mediating the discharge process to eliminate safety hazards.
2Stress or pressure
If the safety valve opens to release high-temperature gas and combustible substances, then pressure relief is improved, but the released combustible substances may ignite externally
Solution Approach 1:
The harmful function of the drain hole (direct release of combustible substances) is extracted and eliminated. The tubular body and wall portion are introduced to separate the discharge paths, taking out the safety hazard while preserving the useful function of pressure relief through the safety valve's connection to the modified drain structure.
Solution Approach 2:
The structure converts the potentially harmful direct discharge path into a beneficial multi-path discharge system. The tubular body and wall portion transform the single harmful discharge route into two separate routes, where one path handles water discharge and the other handles air discharge, thereby converting the harmful effect into a safety-enhancing feature.
Data Source
AI summary
A battery pack includes an outer case and one or more battery cells housed inside the outer case. Each battery cell includes a safety valve. A drain hole is provided in a part of the outer case. The drain hole communicates with the inside of the outer case. A tubular body extends from the drain hole to the inside of the outer case. The tubular body has one opening end as the drain hole and another opening end as an internal communication port opening to the inside of the outer case. A wall portion is provided apart from the internal communication port in an extending direction with respect to the internal communication port. The extending direction is directed toward the internal communication port from the drain hole.