Battery Pack Venting Structure for Thermal Runaway Gas Release
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Solution Overview
Problem
Battery packs face challenges in rapidly discharging gases from abnormal cells to prevent thermal runaway and damage to adjacent cells and circuit devices, with existing solutions often leading to delayed gas discharge and potential safety hazards like explosions.
Innovation Solution
A battery pack design featuring guide ribs and a protruding barrier wall forming tunnel-type discharge paths connected to cell vents, allowing for rapid gas discharge to the outside while preventing leakage to other cells or circuit devices, ensuring safety by creating the shortest discharge path regardless of the abnormal cell's position.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If gas discharge paths are provided in battery packs, then gas can be discharged from abnormal cells, but high-temperature gas may leak to other battery cells or circuit devices causing thermal runaway
Solution Approach 1:
The gas discharge path is segmented into multiple sections: the cell vent, the guide rib structure that directs gas flow, and the module vent. This segmentation ensures that high-temperature gas is channeled through a controlled path and discharged at a safe distance from other cells and circuit devices, preventing thermal runaway while maintaining reliable gas discharge functionality.
Solution Approach 2:
The guide rib acts as an intermediary structure between the cell vent and the module vent. It surrounds and directs the gas flow from the cell vent toward the module vent, ensuring that high-temperature gas does not come into contact with other battery cells or circuit devices during the discharge process, thus mediating the harmful thermal effects.
2Reliability
If conventional vent structures are used, then gas discharge is possible, but gas discharge is delayed and safety accidents like explosions may occur
Solution Approach 1:
The guide rib structure is pre-configured around the cell vent to immediately direct gas flow upon venting. This preliminary arrangement ensures that gas is rapidly channeled through the shortest possible path to the module vent, preventing delay in gas discharge and reducing the risk of safety accidents such as explosions.
Solution Approach 2:
The guide rib provides localized directional guidance for gas flow at the critical interface between the cell vent and the surrounding environment. By concentrating and directing gas flow in a specific direction toward the module vent, the structure ensures rapid and efficient gas discharge without delay, preventing safety accidents.
3Reliability
If gas discharge paths are not provided, then thermal runaway may propagate to normal cells, but gas accumulation may cause pressure build-up and explosions
Solution Approach 1:
The gas discharge path extends the discharge route from the cell vent into the third dimension by utilizing the vertical space between the cell vent and the module vent. The guide rib structure creates a three-dimensional channel that directs gas flow away from the battery pack interior, effectively preventing thermal runaway propagation while simultaneously relieving pressure build-up through efficient gas evacuation.
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 prevents thermal runaway and ensures safe discharge of gases from abnormal cells, reducing the risk of explosions and damage to normal cells or circuit devices by providing a rapid and controlled path for gas release.
Implementation Method 1
frames including guide ribs surrounding the cell vent; and a top cover arranged above the frames to cover the frames and including a protruding barrier wall surrounding the guide ribs
Data Source
AI summary
Provided is a battery pack. The battery pack includes: a battery cell including a cell vent; frames arranged together with the battery cell in a direction and coupled together to face each other with the battery cell therebetween, the frames including guide ribs surrounding the cell vent; and a top cover arranged above the frames to cover the frames and including a protruding barrier wall surrounding the guide ribs.According to the present disclosure, the battery pack has an improved vent structure to rapidly discharge gas generated in an abnormal battery cell to the outside of the battery pack.