Battery Pack Early Smoke Triggering for Faster Fire Suppression
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Solution Overview
Problem
High-power secondary battery packs face challenges in temperature management and fire extinguishing due to the connection of multiple battery cells, which can lead to increased risk of fire and difficulty in extinguishing it effectively.
Innovation Solution
A battery pack design that includes a smoke generating device to detect abnormal temperatures, a smoke detection device to alert for smoke presence, an agent storage unit with a fire extinguishing tube, and a fire extinguishing receiver to rapidly supply a fire extinguishing agent to the affected area.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Power
If multiple battery cells are connected in series to form high-power battery packs, then the battery pack capacity and power are improved, but the heat generation increases and temperature management becomes difficult
Solution Approach 1:
The battery pack is divided into multiple battery modules, each containing several battery cells. This segmentation allows for distributed temperature management and localized monitoring, making it easier to control heat generation across the entire high-power battery pack while maintaining high capacity through series connection.
2Reliability
If traditional fire detection methods are used, then fire detection is possible, but the detection time is delayed and fire extinguishing time is prolonged
Solution Approach 1:
The smoke generating device is activated in advance when abnormal temperature is detected, creating visible smoke as an early warning signal before actual fire occurs. This preliminary action enables earlier detection and response time, allowing the fire extinguishing system to be activated sooner and reducing overall fire extinguishing time.
Solution Approach 2:
Smoke is introduced as an intermediary substance to enhance the detectability of early fire signs. The smoke generating device produces visible smoke when abnormal temperature is detected, serving as a mediator between the thermal anomaly and the detection system, thereby enabling earlier and more reliable fire detection.
3Reliability
If fire extinguishing agents are stored in distant storage units, then safety is improved, but the supply time to the fire location is extended
Solution Approach 1:
The fire extinguishing system is segmented into multiple distributed storage units positioned at different locations within the battery pack structure. Each storage unit can independently supply extinguishing agents to nearby battery modules, reducing the distance and time required for agent delivery while maintaining overall system safety through distributed architecture.
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
This design enables early detection of potential fires, generates visible smoke to alert personnel, and rapidly deploys a fire extinguishing agent to shorten the fire extinguishing time, thereby improving safety and preventing fire spread.
Implementation Method 1
a smoke generating device configured to generate smoke in response to a temperature of at least one of the battery cells being equal to or higher than a reference temperature
Implementation Method 2
a smoke detection device configured to detect the smoke generated from the smoke generating device
Implementation Method 3
an agent storage unit including a fire extinguishing tube configured to store a fire extinguishing agent supplied to the fire extinguishing tube
Data Source
AI summary
A battery pack capable of detecting the ignition of battery cells before ignition and thereby shortening a fire extinguishing time to improve safety. The battery pack includes a battery module having battery cells electrically connected and including vents; a smoke generating device configured to generate smoke in response to a temperature of the battery cells being higher than a reference temperature; a smoke detection device configured to detect the smoke generated from the smoke generating device and to generate an alarm signal; an agent storage unit including a fire extinguishing tube connected to the battery module and configured to store a fire extinguishing agent supplied to the fire extinguishing tube; and a fire extinguishing receiver configured to receive the alarm signal of the smoke detection device and to generate a supply signal causing the fire extinguishing agent in the agent storage unit to be supplied to the fire extinguishing tube.