Battery Pack Flexible Partition Venting for Thermal Runaway
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional battery packs face significant safety risks during thermal events due to thermal runaway, leading to potential explosions and secondary ignitions, exacerbated by metal structures collapsing and blocking venting paths, and gaps allowing ejected matter to accumulate and accelerate damage.
Innovation Solution
A battery pack design featuring flexible, fire-resistant rubber partition members that surround cell assemblies, allowing for efficient discharge of gases and flames through venting, while minimizing thermal propagation and weight by omitting metal frames, and using potting resin for insulation and heat management.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Strength
If metal structures (aluminum) are used for mechanisms and partitioning structures to ensure rigidity, then structural strength is improved, but during thermal events these structures melt at about 600°C causing collapse and blocking venting paths
Solution Approach 1:
The patent employs sacrificial venting members made of low-melting-point materials (e.g., indium, gallium, or their alloys) that are intentionally designed to melt and fail first during thermal events. These disposable components sacrifice themselves by melting at controlled temperatures (below 600°C) to maintain venting path openness, preventing the collapse of the entire metal structure and blocking of venting paths that would occur with conventional aluminum structures.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces thermal management members (phase change materials or heat dissipation structures) as intermediaries between the battery modules and the metal structural components. These intermediaries absorb and dissipate heat, acting as a thermal buffer that protects the metal structures from reaching their melting point, thereby preventing structural collapse while maintaining rigidity during normal operation.
2Quantity of substance
If battery modules are crowded in a small space to increase output and capacity, then energy density is improved, but thermal runaway risk and thermal propagation increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent divides the battery pack into multiple independently partitioned compartments using partition walls or thermal management members positioned between adjacent battery modules. This segmentation physically isolates thermal events, preventing flame and hot gas from propagating between modules. The partitioning structures include gaps or channels that allow heat dissipation while blocking direct thermal contact, thus containing thermal runaway within individual segments.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces thermal management members (such as phase change materials or heat dissipation plates) as intermediary components between battery modules. These intermediaries act as thermal barriers that absorb and dissipate heat, preventing direct thermal contact between adjacent modules. The intermediaries maintain physical proximity for space efficiency while creating thermal isolation zones that block thermal propagation paths.
3Ease of manufacture
If gap spaces are present between mechanisms for assembly tolerances, then ease of assembly is improved, but ejected matter accumulates in gaps accelerating collapse
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces venting members and thermal management members as intermediary components that are strategically positioned in gap spaces between battery modules and structural components. These intermediaries serve dual functions: they maintain the necessary assembly tolerances and gaps for ease of manufacturing, while simultaneously acting as barriers that prevent ejected matter (flame, hot gas, particles) from accumulating in the gaps. The venting members provide controlled pathways for gas escape, preventing pressure buildup that would accelerate structural collapse.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent extracts and removes potential accumulation zones for ejected matter by designing venting channels and pathways that direct flame and hot gas away from gap spaces. The venting members are positioned to create open pathways that prevent the trapping of ejected matter in tolerance gaps, effectively removing the harmful accumulation effect while preserving the necessary manufacturing tolerances.
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
Enhances safety by reducing the risk of thermal propagation and secondary damage, improves energy efficiency by slimming the pack design, and ensures rapid ejection of gases and flames, thereby preventing explosions.
Implementation Method 1
at least one partition member configured to partition the plurality of cell assemblies within the pack case and made of flexible material to surround the plurality of cell assemblies
Implementation Method 2
If thermal runaway occurs in one battery cell, high-temperature gas or flame, heat, etc. may be generated
Implementation Method 3
it is important that such high-temperature gas or flame and ejected matter, such as particles, escapes from the battery pack more quickly to prevent greater risks such as secondary ignition or explosion due to an increase in the internal pressure of the battery pack
Implementation Method 4
using potting resin for insulation and heat management
Data Source
AI summary
A battery pack includes a plurality of cell assemblies containing one or more battery cells and arranged in at least one row; a pack case configured to accommodate the plurality of cell assemblies; and a partition member configured to partition the plurality of cell assemblies within the pack case and made of flexible material to surround the plurality of cell assemblies in close contact.