Battery Pad Composite for Swelling Absorption and Heat Shielding
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing battery modules face challenges in preventing rapid thermal runaway propagation between adjacent cells due to damage of buffer pads at elevated temperatures, which reduces the gap between cells and accelerates heat transfer, posing safety risks.
Innovation Solution
A battery module design incorporating a pad composite with swelling absorption pads made of materials like EPP or urethane, and a heat shielding pad made of epoxy-based, butyl-based, or vinyl chloride-based resin, which expands to maintain the gap and block heat transfer when the swelling pads shrink at high temperatures.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Stability of the object's composition
If the buffer pad is compressed to absorb swelling, then the swelling expansion is absorbed, but the gap between cells is reduced at high temperatures accelerating heat transfer
Solution Approach 1:
The buffer pad is segmented into a lower swelling absorption layer and an upper heat shielding layer. The lower layer compresses to absorb swelling while the upper heat-resistant layer maintains its structure and gap at high temperatures, preventing accelerated heat transfer even when the lower layer is compressed.
Solution Approach 2:
The buffer pad utilizes materials with different thermal behavior parameters. The lower layer material (EPP/urethane) is designed to compress under swelling forces, while the upper heat-resistant layer material is designed to maintain its dimensional stability and gap-forming capability at elevated temperatures, thus changing the physical parameters response based on temperature conditions.
2Reliability
If a heat shielding pad is added to block heat transfer, then thermal runaway propagation is delayed, but the device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The swelling absorption function and heat shielding function are merged into a single integrated buffer pad component. The lower layer handles swelling absorption while the upper heat-resistant layer provides thermal protection, combining two previously separate functions into one unified structure, thus reducing overall device complexity while maintaining both functions.
Solution Approach 2:
The buffer pad is designed as a multi-functional component that simultaneously performs swelling absorption, gap maintenance, and heat shielding. By making the buffer pad universal and multi-functional, the need for separate components is eliminated, reducing device complexity while achieving multiple protective functions.
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 absorbs volume expansion, maintains the gap between cells, and delays thermal runaway propagation, ensuring safety by minimizing heat transfer and preventing cell proximity at elevated temperatures.
Implementation Method 1
a heat shielding pad expanded when the swelling absorption pad is damaged due to a rise in an internal temperature of the battery module to fill the space occupied by the swelling absorption pad
Implementation Method 2
a heat shielding pad interposed between the pair of swelling absorption pads to block heat transfer between the neighboring battery cells
Data Source
AI summary
A battery module includes a cell stack including a plurality of battery cells; at least one composite interposed between neighboring battery cells of the plurality of battery cells; and a module case configured to accommodate the cell stack, wherein the composite includes a pair of first members configured to be compressed by a volume expansion of the plurality of battery cell caused by swelling, the pair of first members comprising a same material; and a second member interposed between the pair of first members configured to block heat transfer between the neighboring battery cells.