Battery Pack Venting With Sonic Fire Suppression
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing battery packs face challenges in effectively extinguishing fires and discharging gases within modules, particularly in large-capacity structures, which can lead to safety issues and potential damage.
Innovation Solution
A battery pack design incorporating a pack frame with a sonic fire extinguishing structure, featuring a sonic fire extinguisher that generates low frequencies to direct air flow through venting units, minimizing flame-oxygen contact and facilitating gas and flame discharge.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Quantity of substance
If battery pack capacity is increased to improve driving distance, then energy storage capability is improved, but internal energy increases and safety risks worsen
Solution Approach 1:
The battery pack is divided into multiple battery modules, each with independent fire suppression capabilities. The sonic fire extinguishers are distributed across different modules, allowing localized fire suppression without affecting the entire pack, thus enabling higher overall capacity while maintaining safety through modular isolation.
Solution Approach 2:
Sonic fire extinguishers are pre-installed within each battery module before operation. When thermal runaway is detected, these pre-positioned devices immediately activate to suppress flames and gases, preventing fire propagation before it can compromise the entire battery pack, thereby enabling safer high-capacity designs.
2Reliability
If traditional fire suppression methods are used, then fire extinction capability is improved, but gas and flame discharge is hindered
Solution Approach 1:
The fire suppression system extracts and separates the functions of fire extinction and gas discharge. Sonic fire extinguishers handle flame suppression through acoustic waves, while dedicated venting units independently manage gas and flame discharge. This separation allows effective fire extinction without hindering the natural discharge of gases through specialized venting pathways.
Solution Approach 2:
Sonic waves act as an intermediary mechanism that suppresses flames and gases without physically blocking discharge pathways. The acoustic energy dissipates thermal runaway reactions while allowing gases to vent through designated units, mediating between fire suppression needs and gas discharge requirements without direct mechanical interference.
3Reliability
If venting units are added to facilitate gas discharge, then safety is improved, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The pack frame structure serves multiple functions: it provides mechanical support, integrates sonic fire extinguishers, and incorporates venting units for gas discharge. By making the frame multi-functional rather than adding separate independent systems, the design achieves improved safety through integrated fire suppression and venting capabilities while minimizing increases in overall structural complexity.
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 design effectively extinguishes fires and discharges gases, reducing damage to the battery pack and ensuring driver safety by preventing flame-oxygen reactions and minimizing external exposure.
Implementation Method 1
at least one sonic fire extinguisher on an upper portion of the pack frame, wherein the sonic fire extinguisher is configured to generate a low frequency in a direction toward the venting unit inside of the pack frame
Data Source
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AI summary
A battery pack according to an embodiment of the present disclosure includes a pack frame mounting a plurality of battery modules; at least one venting unit on at least one side surface of the pack frame; and at least one sonic fire extinguisher on an upper portion of the pack frame, wherein the sonic fire extinguisher is configured to generate a low frequency in a direction toward the venting unit inside of the pack frame.