Battery Pack Venting Duct With Pressure-Activated Fire Isolation
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Solution Overview
Problem
Battery packs in energy storage systems are vulnerable to fires due to thermal propagation, which can spread rapidly and cause significant damage, as high-temperature gas and sparks from one battery module can ignite neighboring cells or modules.
Innovation Solution
A battery pack design featuring a duct with a discharge hole and an opening/closing member that opens at elevated internal pressure to release gas and closes to block external oxygen intake, preventing combustion by isolating the three elements necessary for fire.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of manufacture
If battery packs are disposed of in landfills or incinerated, then disposal is simple, but toxic chemicals leak into the environment causing pollution
Solution Approach 1:
The battery pack is divided into separate compartments: a fire-resistant barrier chamber containing the battery module, and an outer housing. This segmentation allows the toxic chemicals to be contained within the fire-resistant barrier during disposal, preventing environmental pollution while maintaining simple disposal procedures.
Solution Approach 2:
A fire-resistant barrier composed of intumescent material is introduced as an intermediary between the battery module and the external environment. This barrier expands when exposed to heat, creating a protective layer that prevents toxic chemicals from leaking during incineration or landfill disposal, thus resolving the contradiction between disposal simplicity and environmental protection.
2Reliability
If fire-resistant barriers are added to battery packs, then fire safety is improved, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The fire-resistant barrier is constructed using thin films of intumescent material that can be applied directly to the battery module housing. This approach provides effective fire protection while minimizing the increase in structural complexity and maintaining a compact battery pack design.
Solution Approach 2:
The fire-resistant barrier uses composite intumescent materials that combine multiple protective functions (fire resistance, thermal insulation, and structural integrity) into a single integrated layer. This reduces the overall complexity by eliminating the need for multiple separate protective components.
3Reliability
If intumescent materials are used for fire-resistant barriers, then fire protection capability is enhanced, but manufacturing cost increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent optimizes the thickness and composition parameters of the intumescent material layer to achieve the minimum required fire protection capability. By carefully controlling these parameters, the fire protection effectiveness is maintained while minimizing the amount of expensive intumescent material required, thus reducing manufacturing costs.
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 discharging high-temperature gas and blocking oxygen inflow, thereby extinguishing potential fires and preventing their spread within the battery pack.
Implementation Method 1
The fire-resistant barrier is composed of an intumescent material that has fire-resistant properties
Implementation Method 2
the fire-resistant barrier is configured to resist fire from an external source
Data Source
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AI summary
Disclosed is a battery pack configured to effectively suppress a fire even when high-temperature gas or sparks are generated in some battery modules. The battery pack includes at least one battery module having at least one secondary battery and configured to store and release an energy; a duct provided to at least one side of the battery module and configured to have a discharge hole so that, when a gas is generated from the battery module, the generated gas flows toward the discharge hole; and an opening/closing member located at the discharge hole of the duct and configured to open the discharge hole when an internal pressure of the duct is in a predetermined level or above and to close the discharge hole when the internal pressure of the duct is in the predetermined level or below.