Battery Pack Water Tank Layout for Thermal Event Containment
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Solution Overview
Problem
Lithium secondary battery packs face challenges in rapidly controlling thermal events and preventing the leakage of contaminated fire extinguishing water, which can lead to environmental pollution and safety hazards.
Innovation Solution
A battery pack design featuring a fire extinguishing tank unit that supplies a fire extinguishing liquid through water injection holes and includes a contaminated water storage container to prevent discharge, with a module supporter unit that maintains the battery module at a height and includes a blocking wall to direct the liquid for effective fire suppression and containment.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If a water injection type fire extinguishing system is applied to suppress thermal events in battery packs, then thermal event suppression capability is improved, but contaminated water leakage and environmental pollution occur
Solution Approach 1:
A drain plate is introduced as an intermediary component between the battery module and the external environment. The drain plate collects contaminated fire extinguishing water that drains from the battery module and directs it to a designated collection area, preventing direct leakage to the environment. This mediator structure resolves the contradiction by maintaining the water injection fire suppression function while eliminating the harmful effect of contaminated water discharge.
Solution Approach 2:
The system converts the harmful contaminated water byproduct into a manageable flow by designing drain holes in the battery module bottom plate that channel the water through a controlled path on the drain plate. The contaminated water, instead of being a harmful leakage, becomes a directed flow that can be collected and disposed of properly, transforming the harmful factor into a controlled process element.
2Quantity of substance
If battery cells are densely arranged to increase energy density, then energy density is improved, but thermal propagation between cells increases
Solution Approach 1:
The battery module is segmented into multiple battery cells arranged in a dense configuration, with each cell being an independent unit. The module structure includes individual sealing for each cell, allowing dense arrangement while maintaining isolation barriers. This segmentation enables high energy density through close packing while preventing thermal propagation between cells through the sealing structures.
Solution Approach 2:
The bottom plate of each battery cell is provided with individual drain holes at specific locations, creating local quality differences. This localized drainage capability allows each cell to independently manage its own thermal and liquid events, preventing local thermal issues from propagating to adjacent cells while maintaining overall dense arrangement for high energy density.
3Reliability
If fire extinguishing liquid is injected into battery modules, then fire suppression effectiveness is improved, but contaminated water discharge causes environmental pollution
Solution Approach 1:
The drain plate serves as an intermediary between the fire suppression system and the external environment. It receives contaminated water draining from the battery module through controlled drain holes and directs it to a collection area, preventing direct environmental discharge. This maintains fire suppression effectiveness while eliminating pollution through the mediator structure.
Solution Approach 2:
The harmful contaminated water is extracted and separated from the fire suppression process by channeling it through drain holes in the bottom plate to the drain plate collection area. This extraction removes the harmful byproduct from the system in a controlled manner, allowing the fire suppression function to continue effectively while preventing environmental contamination.
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 solution effectively suppresses thermal events and prevents contaminated water from entering sewage systems, enhancing safety and operational efficiency by ensuring that only the affected battery sub-modules receive the fire extinguishing agent and allowing continuous use of unaffected sub-modules.
Implementation Method 1
suppresses a fire by injecting cooling water into a battery pack
Data Source
AI summary
A battery pack includes a battery module including a water injection hole through which a fire extinguishing liquid can be supplied at an upper end portion and at least one drain hole through which the fire extinguishing liquid can be discharged at a lower end portion, a fire extinguishing tank unit containing the fire extinguishing liquid, located over the battery module, and configured to supply the fire extinguishing liquid to the battery module through the water injection hole, and a module supporter unit located under the battery module and supporting the battery module so that the battery module is located at a certain height from a ground. The module supporter unit includes a contaminated water storage container in which the fire extinguishing liquid dropping from the battery module through the drain hole is accommodated.