Battery Pack Suppression Pads for Thermal Runaway Combustion
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Solution Overview
Problem
Traction battery packs in electrified vehicles face challenges in managing thermal events and suppressing combustion due to vent byproducts, which can lead to cascading thermal events and potential damage.
Innovation Solution
A suppression system with pads containing combustion suppressing materials like sodium silicate, aluminum oxide, melamine poly zinc phosphate, and guanidinium nitrate is integrated within the battery pack enclosure, releasing nitrogen gas to reduce oxygen levels and suppress combustion when thermal energy exceeds a threshold.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If combustion suppressing materials are added to the battery pack, then combustion suppression capability is improved, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent combines multiple combustion suppressing materials (sodium silicate, aluminum oxide, melamine poly zinc phosphate, guanidinium nitrate) into a single integrated pad structure that can be directly installed within the battery pack enclosure, merging multiple functional materials into one component to suppress combustion while managing complexity
Solution Approach 2:
The pad acts as an intermediary component between the battery cells and the enclosure, releasing combustion suppressing materials in response to thermal events to prevent direct combustion of vent byproducts, thereby improving reliability without requiring complex active control systems
2Reliability
If multiple combustion suppressing materials are used in the pad, then combustion suppression effectiveness is improved, but manufacturing complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The pad is constructed as a composite material containing multiple combustion suppressing materials (sodium silicate granules, aluminum oxide granules, melamine poly zinc phosphate, guanidinium nitrate with copper nitrate oxidizer) in specific proportions, combining the benefits of different materials into a single manufactured component that releases nitrogen gas and suppresses combustion effectively
Solution Approach 2:
The patent specifies precise parameter ranges for the material composition (e.g., sodium silicate from 40-60 percent, aluminum oxide from 10-20 percent, melamine poly zinc phosphate from 10-20 percent) and granule diameters (sodium silicate 5-100 microns, aluminum oxide 5-30 microns) to optimize combustion suppression while maintaining manufacturability through standardized specifications
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 system effectively suppresses combustion and manages thermal energy, preventing cascading thermal events by reducing oxygen levels and inhibiting further thermal runaway.
Implementation Method 1
the at least one pad releases nitrogen gas when in response to thermal energy above a threshold
Implementation Method 2
the at least one pad includes a plurality of endothermic fillers
Data Source
AI summary
A suppression system for a traction battery pack includes an enclosure, and a battery array within the enclosure. The battery array includes a plurality of battery cells. The suppression system further includes at least one pad within the enclosure. The at least one pad includes one or more combustion suppressing materials.