Faulty Battery Pack Ejection in Electric Vehicles

Resolve Bottlenecks,
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions

Solution Overview

Problem

Existing vehicle systems lack the ability to safely and efficiently eject faulty drive power sources, posing risks to the vehicle and its occupants due to limitations in design and infrastructure, particularly in hybrid-electric and electric vehicles.

Innovation Solution

The implementation of a mechanism to disconnect and eject faulty battery packs using software logic and mechanisms like pyrotechnic, spring-loaded, or robotic actuators, allowing the vehicle to continue operating with rebalanced power sources and preventing further damage or injury.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Reliability

If a mechanism to eject faulty battery packs is implemented, then vehicle safety and operational continuity are improved, but device complexity increases

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvevehicle safetyVSAvoidejection mechanism complexity

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The battery pack system is divided into modular units that can be independently ejected. Each battery pack is a self-contained module with its own housing, electrodes, and connection terminals, allowing selective removal of only the faulty unit while leaving other packs in place to maintain vehicle operation.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

Ejection mechanisms are pre-installed and positioned within the battery assembly housing before any fault occurs. The system includes pre-configured pyrotechnic actuators, spring-loaded mechanisms, or robotic actuators that are ready to deploy immediately upon detection of a faulty battery pack, eliminating the need for complex real-time decision-making during emergency ejection.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #10Preliminary action

2Speed

If pyrotechnic or spring-loaded actuators are used for ejection, then ejection speed and reliability are improved, but safety risks from uncontrolled ejection increase

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveejection speedVSAvoiduncontrolled ejection risks

Core Design Contradiction:

SpeedVSObject-affected harmful factors

Solution Approach 1:

The faulty battery pack is extracted from the assembly housing through controlled ejection mechanisms. The system removes only the specific defective unit while leaving the remaining battery packs and vehicle systems intact, preventing cascading failures and maintaining vehicle operability.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #2Taking out (Extraction)

Solution Approach 2:

The ejection mechanism acts as an intermediary between the faulty battery pack and the vehicle environment. Pyrotechnic actuators, spring-loaded mechanisms, or robotic actuators provide controlled force application that ejects the battery pack at safe velocities while incorporating safety features to prevent uncontrolled movement, fragmentation, or damage to surrounding components.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

3Productivity

If the vehicle continues operating with rebalanced power sources, then productivity is maintained, but the risk of further damage from remaining faulty sources increases

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvevehicle operational continuityVSAvoidrisk of further damage

Core Design Contradiction:

ProductivityVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

The faulty battery pack is extracted from the system through automated ejection mechanisms, physically removing the source of potential failure. This allows the vehicle to continue operating with the remaining healthy battery packs while eliminating the risk of further damage from the defective unit.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #2Taking out (Extraction)

Solution Approach 2:

The system discards the faulty battery pack by ejecting it from the vehicle, allowing continued operation with remaining power sources. The ejected battery pack can then be recovered and replaced later during scheduled maintenance, separating the critical safety function from the non-critical replacement function.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #34Discarding and recovering

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

Enables safe disconnection and ejection of faulty power sources, maintaining vehicle operation while preventing damage and ensuring occupant safety by allowing the vehicle to continue driving with balanced power sources.

Implementation Method 1

pyrotechnic actuators

Methodology Applied

Scientific EffectExplosion: Explosion

Implementation Method 2

spring-loaded actuators

Methodology Applied

Scientific EffectElasticity: Elasticity

Data Source

PatentUS11453290B2Faulty power source ejection in a safe zone

Publication Date: 2022.09.27 NIO TECH ANHUI CO LTD

AI summary

Methods, systems, and devices of an electrical vehicle are provided that recognize a catastrophic power system fault with one or more drive power sources of the vehicle and in response driving to an identified safe ejection location, ejecting the faulty drive power sources, and driving to a safe parked location or outside a predetermined safe range. Upon reaching the safe ejection location, the driver or vehicle can evaluate the location using imaging sensors to determine whether the location is free of objects, animals, or people. If not, the vehicle may autonomously drive or be driven to another safe ejection location. After detecting and prior to ejecting the faulty drive power sources, the vehicle may send warning messages, including information about the power system fault, to at least one device or third party. After ejection, the vehicle may be driven to a safe parked location or outside a predetermined safe range.