Battery Pack Vent Manifold Design for Gas Separation
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing battery pack designs for motor vehicles face challenges in effectively venting byproduct gases while maintaining robust sealing and preventing these gases from entering the vehicle interior, especially when multiple cells are stacked and cooled by air flow.
Innovation Solution
A battery pack design featuring interleaved cells and spacers forming a vent manifold with end plates and rails that direct vent gases to an exterior outlet, while spacers prevent cooling gases from entering the vent manifold, ensuring separate gas streams and robust sealing to keep byproduct gases outside the vehicle.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Object-generated harmful factors
If a ventilation system is added to vent byproduct gases from battery cells, then gas venting capability is improved, but device complexity increases due to the need for elaborate sealing systems
Solution Approach 1:
The vent manifold is nested within the housing structure, utilizing the housing walls and end plates to form the manifold chambers. This integration eliminates the need for separate venting components and simplifies the overall sealing system by nesting the venting function within the existing structural elements.
Solution Approach 2:
The cooling system and venting system are merged into a single integrated structure where the housing serves dual purposes: cooling air flow path and byproduct gas containment. The end plates and rails simultaneously provide structural support, sealing surfaces, and vent manifold boundaries, combining multiple functions into unified components.
2Use of energy by moving object
If multiple cells are stacked to increase power density, then energy density is improved, but sealing robustness deteriorates due to tolerance stack-up
Solution Approach 1:
Gaskets are used as flexible sealing elements between the housing, end plates, and rails. These flexible seals accommodate tolerance variations and stack-up errors in the stacked cell assembly, maintaining robust sealing despite the complexity of multiple cell interfaces and varying manufacturing tolerances.
Solution Approach 2:
The end plates and rails serve multiple functions: they provide structural support for the stacked cells, create sealed chambers for the vent manifold, and provide mounting surfaces for gaskets. This multi-functionality reduces the number of separate sealing interfaces needed, thereby improving overall sealing robustness while maintaining high power density.
3Temperature
If cooling air is flowed through the pack to maintain operating temperature, then thermal management is improved, but byproduct gas separation becomes more difficult
Solution Approach 1:
The housing structure is segmented to create separate flow paths: one path for cooling air that flows over the cells, and another path for byproduct gases that are contained within the vent manifold. The raised portion of the housing and end plates create physical segmentation that prevents mixing between cooling air and vent gases, allowing both functions to operate independently and efficiently.
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 contains and exhausts byproduct gases outside the vehicle, preventing undesirable pressure buildup and ensuring passenger compartment safety by maintaining separate gas streams and robust sealing.
Implementation Method 1
The vent manifold may be further configured to contain the vent gases. The pair of end plates may each include a surface defining a pass through opening. The vent manifold may be configured to direct the vent gases through the pass through openings of the end plates.
Implementation Method 2
The spacers may define one or more extensions located between upper edges of adjacent cells and may be configured to prevent cooling gases from entering the vent manifold.
Implementation Method 3
An outlet tube may be secured to one of the end plates and at least in partial registration with the respective pass through opening and the outlet tube may be configured to deliver fluid from the vent manifold to an exterior of a vehicle including the battery pack.
Data Source
AI summary
A battery pack for a vehicle may include a cell array defining an upper surface and a housing defining a raised portion extending along and above a length of the array such that the raised portion and upper surface define a vent manifold therebetween which may be configured to collect gases generated by the array. The housing may define a discharge opening configured to allow gases to exit the manifold. A pair of end plates may be disposed at opposing ends of the array. One of the end plates may define a pass through portion in at least partial registration with the discharge opening. An outlet tube may be configured to facilitate fluid communication between the vent manifold and exterior of the vehicle. The battery pack may also include spacers located between upper edges of adjacent cells and may be configured to prevent cooling gases from entering the vent manifold.