Battery Pack Syntactic Foam for Thermal Runaway and Vibration Damping

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Solution Overview

Problem

Lithium-ion battery packs face challenges with thermal management, particularly in extreme temperatures, leading to uncontrolled thermal excursions and reduced performance, which can result in battery damage and safety risks, as well as drivetrain oscillations and noise issues in electric vehicles.

Innovation Solution

A secondary battery pack utilizing a silicone rubber syntactic foam with hollow glass beads for thermal insulation and damping, which fills the space within the battery module casing and covers the cells, providing mechanical flexibility and thermal stability from -70°C to 200°C, and includes heat dissipation members with coolant channels for efficient cooling.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Reliability

If thermal insulation material is added to minimize thermal propagation, then battery safety is improved, but device complexity increases

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvebattery safetyVSAvoiddevice complexity

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent combines thermal insulation and vibration damping functions into a single syntactic foam material. The foam comprises a binder material providing thermal insulation and hollow glass beads providing vibration damping, allowing one component to address multiple technical challenges simultaneously.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #5Merging (Combining)

Solution Approach 2:

The patent uses a composite syntactic foam material combining organic or inorganic binder material with hollow glass beads. This composite structure provides both thermal insulation properties from the binder and vibration damping properties from the hollow glass beads, resolving the contradiction between safety and complexity.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #40Composite materials

2Reliability

If thermal insulation is enhanced to prevent thermal excursions, then battery reliability is improved, but heat dissipation capability may be worsened

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvebattery reliabilityVSAvoidheat dissipation capability

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSTemperature

Solution Approach 1:

The patent applies thermal insulation material specifically in regions where thermal propagation needs to be minimized, such as between battery cells and around the battery pack perimeter. Heat dissipation channels are maintained in specific locations to ensure adequate cooling while providing insulation in critical areas.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #3Local quality

Solution Approach 2:

The thermal insulation material acts as an intermediary that controls heat flow between battery cells. It prevents thermal runaway propagation while allowing controlled heat dissipation through designated pathways, balancing insulation and cooling requirements.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

3Object-affected harmful factors

If syntactic foam with hollow glass beads is used for vibration damping, then drivetrain oscillation is reduced, but manufacturing complexity increases

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvedrivetrain oscillationVSAvoidmanufacturing complexity

Core Design Contradiction:

Object-affected harmful factorsVSEase of manufacture

Solution Approach 1:

The patent employs syntactic foam, a porous material containing hollow glass beads distributed throughout a binder matrix. The hollow beads provide vibration damping through air cushioning effects and structural deformation, reducing drivetrain oscillations while maintaining ease of manufacturing through established foam fabrication processes.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #31Porous materials

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 solution effectively minimizes thermal propagation, maintains uniform cell temperatures, reduces the risk of battery damage, enhances energy efficiency, and dampens drivetrain oscillations, thereby improving the safety and performance of lithium-ion battery packs in extreme temperatures.

Implementation Method 1

A secondary battery pack utilizing a silicone rubber syntactic foam with hollow glass beads for thermal insulation... providing mechanical flexibility and thermal stability from -70°C to 200°C... effectively minimizes thermal propagation

Methodology Applied

Scientific EffectThermal insulation: Thermal Insulation

Implementation Method 2

A secondary battery pack utilizing a silicone rubber syntactic foam with hollow glass beads for thermal insulation and damping... dampens drivetrain oscillations

Methodology Applied

Scientific EffectVibration damping: Damping

Implementation Method 3

includes heat dissipation members with coolant channels for efficient cooling

Methodology Applied

Scientific EffectHeat convection: Convection

Implementation Method 4

includes heat dissipation members with coolant channels for efficient cooling

Methodology Applied

Scientific EffectHeat conduction: Conduction (thermal)

Data Source

PatentUS11780983B2Secondary battery pack with improved thermal management

Publication Date: 2023.10.10 ELKEM SILICONES USA CORP

AI summary

The present invention relates to a novel secondary battery pack with improved thermal management useful for an all-electric vehicle (EV), a plug-in hybrid vehicle (PHEV), a hybrid vehicle (HEV), or battery packs used for other vehicles batteries, and more particularly, to the use of a specific material for thermally insulating a secondary battery pack and further minimizing the propagation of thermal runaway within a battery pack.