Battery Pack Fire Prevention Damper and Sensor Control
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional battery packs in electric vehicles face challenges in effectively preventing fires and maintaining cooling performance due to insufficient fire extinguishing mechanisms, which often result in incomplete fire suppression and high costs associated with recharging and re-installing fire extinguishing capsules.
Innovation Solution
A device with a battery pack housing equipped with a fire sensor, damper, and controller that selectively opens or closes air inlets and outlets to cut off oxygen supply to the fire outbreak point, using a rotational shaft and cut-off plate mechanism to extinguish fires and maintain cooling by controlling airflow based on sensor inputs.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If fire extinguishing capsules are used in conventional battery packs, then fire suppression capability is provided, but the capsules require recharging and re-installation after use which increases cost and complexity
Solution Approach 1:
The invention extracts the fire extinguishing material from disposable capsules and integrates it into the battery pack structure itself. The battery pack housing includes fire-resistant materials and controlled ventilation channels that can be sealed during fire events, eliminating the need for separate reusable capsules and their associated recharging infrastructure.
Solution Approach 2:
The fire prevention and suppression functions are merged with the battery pack housing structure. The housing incorporates fire-resistant materials, sealed compartments, and controllable ventilation systems that work together as an integrated fire safety system rather than relying on separate capsule components.
2Reliability
If capsules burst at predetermined locations, then fire extinguishing material is released, but the material may not be accurately diffused to the fire outbreak point reducing effectiveness
Solution Approach 1:
The ventilation channels in the battery pack housing are designed to be dynamically controllable, allowing the system to adapt the fire suppression material distribution based on the detected fire location. Sensors can identify the fire outbreak point and the system can adjust channel openings to direct suppression material precisely to the affected area.
Solution Approach 2:
The system incorporates sensors that detect fire conditions and provide feedback to control the ventilation channels. This feedback mechanism allows the system to identify the fire outbreak point and adjust the distribution of fire suppression material accordingly, ensuring accurate targeting rather than fixed predetermined release locations.
3Temperature
If air circulation is maintained for cooling, then battery cooling performance is improved, but oxygen supply to fire may increase fire risk
Solution Approach 1:
The ventilation channels are designed with dynamic control capabilities, allowing the system to adjust air flow based on real-time conditions. During normal operation, channels remain open for cooling; when fire is detected, the channels can be sealed or redirected to limit oxygen supply to the fire while maintaining cooling in non-affected areas.
Solution Approach 2:
Different regions of the battery pack housing have different ventilation characteristics. The system can selectively control air flow to specific local areas, maintaining cooling in regions away from fire hazards while restricting oxygen supply to areas where fire is detected, thus addressing both cooling and fire safety requirements simultaneously.
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
Effectively prevents fires by cutting off oxygen supply and maintains battery cooling performance by regulating airflow, reducing damage and extending the battery pack's lifespan by avoiding the limitations of traditional fire extinguishing methods.
Implementation Method 1
a fire sensor which is provided in the battery pack housing and senses gas when fire occurs in the battery pack
Implementation Method 2
a damper which is installed in each of the inlet and the outlet and is configured to selectively open or close the inlet and the outlet accordingly to cut off oxygen to the point of fire
Data Source
AI summary
Disclosed is a device for preventing fire in a battery pack used a battery powered vehicle. In particular, a battery pack housing is installed and configured to cover the battery pack, and includes an inlet and an outlet to circulate air therein. A fire sensor is provided in the battery pack housing and detects/senses gas when a fire occurs in the battery pack. In response, a damper installed in each of the inlet and the outlet, is configured to selectively open or close the inlet and the outlet based upon signals from a controller that is configured to send opening signals or a closing signals to the damper depending on whether the fire sensor detects gas or not.