Battery Pack Flame Diversion Channels for Fire Containment

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Solution Overview

Problem

Battery packs in vehicles are prone to fire exposure, which can lead to dangerous accidents due to the direct exposure of flames and high-temperature gas, potentially causing secondary ignition and fuel explosion when a collision occurs.

Innovation Solution

A battery pack design featuring a pack case with a frame that includes a lower plate and protruding partitions forming flow paths to divert and separate flames, guiding them through internal channels to reduce temperature and pressure, thereby preventing external discharge.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Reliability

If a conventional battery pack structure without flame diversion paths is used, then the structure is simple, but flames can directly expose to the outside causing dangerous accidents

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvefire safetyVSAvoidpack case structure
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The frame is divided into multiple partition walls that segment the internal space into separate flow paths. These partition walls create a segmented structure that forces flames to travel through multiple directed paths rather than exposing directly to the outside, thereby improving fire safety while adding controlled structural complexity

Inventive Principle:
Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

The partition walls act as intermediary structures between the cell assembly and the external environment. They mediate the flame flow by creating controlled pathways that redirect flames through the frame's internal space, preventing direct exposure while managing the harmful thermal energy through structured flow paths

Inventive Principle:
Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

2Object-affected harmful factors

If partition walls are added to create flow paths for flame diversion, then flame exposure is prevented, but the device complexity increases

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveflame exposureVSAvoidframe structure
Core Design Contradiction:
Object-affected harmful factorsVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The partition walls extend in the height direction of the frame, adding a vertical dimension to the flame diversion strategy. By spacing partition walls apart in the height direction, the design creates three-dimensional flow paths that redirect flames through multiple spatial dimensions, effectively preventing direct exposure while maintaining a manageable structural complexity

Inventive Principle:
Principle #17Another dimension (Dimensionality change)

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

The design effectively prevents flames from being exposed outside the battery pack, reducing the risk of accidents by ensuring that flames are safely contained and their size is diminished through internal flow paths.

Implementation Method 1

a flow path through which the flame flowing in from the inlet flows, wherein the flow path is formed by a partition wall disposed in the length direction of the frame, and wherein at least two or more of the partition walls are spaced apart from each other in the height direction of the frame such that a direction of the flow path is able to be changed

Methodology Applied
Scientific EffectFlame flow direction change: Convection

Data Source

PatentEP4246695A1Battery pack
Publication Date: 2023.09.20 SK ON CO LTD
  • EP4246695A1 patent drawingFigure 1
  • EP4246695A1 patent drawingFigure 2
  • EP4246695A1 patent drawingFigure 3

AI summary

A battery pack includes a cell assembly; and a pack case accommodating the cell assembly in an internal space, wherein the pack case includes a lower plate having a plate shape and a frame disposed to protrude upwardly from the lower plate, wherein the frame has an inlet through which flame flows from the cell assembly into the internal space of the frame, and a flow path through which the flame flowing in from the inlet flows, wherein the flow path is formed by a partition wall disposed in the length direction of the frame, and wherein at least two or more of the partition walls are spaced apart from each other in the height direction of the frame such that a direction of the flow path is able to be changed.