Battery Pack Partition Wall Venting for Thermal Runaway Isolation

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Solution Overview

Problem

Lithium secondary batteries are vulnerable to thermal events, which can lead to thermal runaway, chain reactions, and potential accidents due to inadequate thermal management in battery packs, especially in large devices like electric vehicles.

Innovation Solution

A battery pack design featuring a base plate, battery modules, and partition walls with movable walls that expand the venting space during thermal events, using elastic members and materials with varying thermal conductivity to manage heat propagation and energy accumulation.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Productivity

If a plurality of battery cells or battery modules are crowded in a small space to increase output and capacity, then productivity and energy density are improved, but thermal stability deteriorates and the risk of thermal chain reaction increases

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveoutput and capacityVSAvoidthermal stability

Core Design Contradiction:

ProductivityVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

The battery pack is divided into multiple battery modules, each module containing multiple battery cells. This segmentation allows for better thermal management by isolating individual cells and modules, preventing thermal runaway from propagating across the entire pack while maintaining high capacity through the aggregated number of cells.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

A partition wall structure is introduced as an intermediary element between battery modules. The partition wall includes a fixed wall and a movable wall that can expand during thermal events, creating a physical barrier that isolates thermal runaway events and prevents chain reactions while allowing the battery pack to maintain its compact design.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

2Volume of moving object

If battery modules are closely arranged to reduce space, then device size is reduced, but heat propagation between modules increases

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvebattery pack sizeVSAvoidheat propagation

Core Design Contradiction:

Volume of moving objectVSObject-affected harmful factors

Solution Approach 1:

The partition wall incorporates a movable wall that can dynamically change its position and configuration in response to thermal events. During normal operation, the partition wall maintains a compact configuration to minimize space. When thermal runaway occurs, the movable wall expands away from the affected module, creating additional thermal isolation space to prevent heat propagation to adjacent modules.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #15Dynamics

Solution Approach 2:

The partition wall structure changes its physical parameters (position, configuration) in response to temperature changes. The movable wall is designed to expand or move when exposed to high temperatures, dynamically adjusting the thermal isolation distance between modules based on the thermal conditions, thereby preventing heat propagation while maintaining compact size under normal conditions.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #35Parameter changes

3Power

If thermal runaway occurs in one battery cell, then energy is released rapidly, but thermal chain reaction to other cells may occur causing fire or explosion

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveenergy release rateVSAvoidthermal chain reaction

Core Design Contradiction:

PowerVSObject-generated harmful factors

Solution Approach 1:

The partition wall with its movable component is designed to respond to the thermal runaway event itself. When a battery cell experiences thermal runaway and generates high temperature gas and heat, the movable wall of the partition wall expands away from the affected module, using the thermal energy of the runaway event to activate the protective mechanism that prevents chain reaction to other modules.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #22Blessing in disguise (Convert harm into benefit)

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 improves thermal stability by suppressing heat propagation and delaying energy accumulation, enhancing safety in battery packs.

Implementation Method 1

a moving wall covering the opening and installed movably... when a thermal event occurs, the moving wall may move away from the first battery module

Methodology Applied

Scientific EffectThermal expansion: Thermal Expansion

Implementation Method 2

using elastic members and materials with varying thermal conductivity to manage heat propagation and energy accumulation

Methodology Applied

Scientific EffectThermal conduction: Conduction (thermal)

Data Source

PatentEP4712243A1Battery pack

Publication Date: 2026.03.18 LG ENERGY SOLUTION LTD

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AI summary

Disclosed is a battery pack. The battery pack includes a base plate; a first battery module installed on an upper surface of the base plate; and a partition wall including a fixed wall installed on the upper surface of the base plate and having an opening facing the first battery module and a moving wall covering the opening and installed movably.