Battery Pack Syntactic Foam Insulation for Thermal Runaway Containment
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
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 cause power interruptions and potential combustion, and they also experience efficiency issues due to temperature variations among cells.
Innovation Solution
A secondary battery pack utilizing a silicone rubber syntactic foam with hollow glass beads for thermal insulation, which maintains uniform temperature conditions and effectively absorbs heat, preventing thermal propagation and enhancing safety, while also providing mechanical flexibility and low water absorption.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If thermal insulation material is added to prevent thermal propagation, then safety is improved, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent combines multiple functions into a single material: the syntactic foam provides thermal insulation, mechanical support, and structural stability simultaneously. This eliminates the need for separate insulation components, reducing device complexity while maintaining safety improvements.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent uses composite syntactic foam material consisting of hollow glass beads embedded in a polymer matrix. This composite structure provides superior thermal insulation properties compared to conventional materials, achieving safety improvements without proportionally increasing device complexity.
2Productivity
If battery cells are closely packed to increase energy density, then productivity is improved, but thermal management becomes more difficult
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies thermal insulation locally at the battery cell level using syntactic foam wrapping or spacing. This localized approach allows close packing for high energy density while providing targeted thermal management where it is most needed, between individual cells.
Solution Approach 2:
The syntactic foam acts as an intermediary material between battery cells, providing thermal isolation while maintaining mechanical contact for structural support. This mediator enables close packing without direct thermal coupling between cells.
3Ease of manufacture
If conventional thermal insulation materials are used, then manufacturing is simple, but thermal insulation performance is insufficient
Solution Approach 1:
The patent employs composite syntactic foam materials that deliver superior thermal insulation performance compared to conventional materials. The hollow glass bead structure provides enhanced thermal barrier properties while maintaining ease of manufacture through established composite material processing techniques.
4Reliability
If heavy insulation materials are used to prevent thermal propagation, then safety is improved, but weight increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent utilizes porous syntactic foam structure with hollow glass beads that provide excellent thermal insulation with low material density. The porous structure traps air pockets that resist heat transfer while keeping the insulation material itself lightweight, avoiding the weight penalty of conventional dense insulation materials.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent divides the insulation function into distributed syntactic foam elements positioned between individual battery cells rather than using a single heavy insulation layer. This segmented approach provides effective thermal isolation while minimizing overall weight through localized, lightweight insulation applications.
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 manages thermal excursions, maintains battery performance across a wide temperature range, reduces the risk of combustion, and enhances the durability and efficiency of lithium-ion battery packs by maintaining uniform cell temperatures and minimizing temperature-related inefficiencies.
Implementation Method 1
A secondary battery pack utilizing a silicone rubber syntactic foam with hollow glass beads for thermal insulation, which maintains uniform temperature conditions and effectively absorbs heat, preventing thermal propagation
Implementation Method 2
silicone rubber syntactic foam with hollow glass beads for thermal insulation, which maintains uniform temperature conditions and effectively absorbs heat
Data Source
Figure 1
Figure 2
Figure 3
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.