Battery Pack Safety System with Stand-Alone Power and Communication
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Solution Overview
Problem
There is a need for a system that can detect and communicate critical conditions in battery packs, such as thermal runaway or short-circuits, to ensure user safety during transportation, storage, and use, especially in scenarios where external power or communication systems are disconnected, like in accidents or fires.
Innovation Solution
A safety system comprising a control unit, stand-alone power supply, and stand-alone communication interface that measures battery unit voltage and temperature, detects critical conditions, and communicates them to users through visual, audible, or network interfaces, ensuring safe handling and identification of affected battery packs without relying on external power or communication systems.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If a safety system uses external power supply and communication systems to detect and communicate critical conditions, then the system can provide comprehensive monitoring and communication capabilities, but the system fails when external power or communication systems are disconnected during accidents or fires
Solution Approach 1:
The safety system is segmented into independent functional modules: a control unit for detection, a stand-alone power supply for energy provision, and a stand-alone communication interface for information transmission. This segmentation allows each module to operate independently, ensuring the system remains functional even when external systems are disconnected.
Solution Approach 2:
The system incorporates a stand-alone power supply that provides electric power to the control unit without requiring external power sources. This self-service capability ensures the detection function remains operational during accidents, fires, or transportation scenarios where external power is unavailable.
2Reliability
If the system continuously monitors all battery units for critical conditions, then early detection of thermal runaway or short-circuits is achieved, but the power consumption and system complexity increase
Solution Approach 1:
The system replaces continuous mechanical monitoring with event-triggered detection using a control unit that processes measurement data from battery units. The control unit detects critical conditions by analyzing voltage and temperature measurements, triggering communication only when necessary, thereby reducing power consumption while maintaining detection accuracy.
3Loss of information
If the system provides detailed communication of critical condition information to users, then user awareness and safety response are improved, but the communication complexity and information processing requirements increase
Solution Approach 1:
The stand-alone communication interface acts as an intermediary between the control unit and external users. It receives critical condition information from the control unit and transmits it to users through appropriate communication channels, simplifying the information flow while ensuring complete critical condition data is communicated.
Data Source
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AI summary
A safety system (400) for detecting a critical condition in a battery pack (300, 300', 300") comprising a plurality of battery units (310, 310', 310"), the safety system comprising: a control unit (410) configured to obtain measurement data relating to a battery unit voltage and/or a battery unit temperature of at least some of the plurality of battery units, and to, based on the obtained measurement data, detect a critical condition of the battery pack, a stand-alone power supply (420) configured to supply electric power to the safety system, a stand-alone communication interface (430) configured to provide and/or communicate information relating to any critical condition of the battery pack detected by the control unit.