Battery Partition Member for Directional Thermal Runaway Control
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional techniques for controlling heat transfer in assembled batteries lack a thorough examination of thermal resistance values, which is crucial for preventing chain reactions of damage among batteries, particularly in high-energy density secondary batteries used in vehicles, where abnormal heat generation can lead to thermal runaway.
Innovation Solution
A partition member with specific thermal resistance ratios in both thickness and plane directions is designed to control heat transfer between unit batteries and other members, ensuring that thermal resistance in the thickness direction is increased and in the plane direction is reduced to prevent thermal runaway in adjacent batteries.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Speed
If a partition member is provided between unit batteries to quickly move heat from a damaged unit battery to nearby unit batteries, then heat transfer speed is improved, but thermal runaway may spread to adjacent batteries causing chain reaction damage
Solution Approach 1:
The partition member has different thermal resistance characteristics in different directions: low thermal resistance in the plane direction (parallel to battery surfaces) to quickly dissipate heat laterally, and high thermal resistance in the thickness direction (perpendicular to battery surfaces) to prevent heat transfer to adjacent batteries. This anisotropic thermal conductivity structure enables directional heat management.
Solution Approach 2:
The partition member is constructed from composite materials or multi-layer structures that exhibit direction-dependent thermal properties. The composite structure allows optimization of thermal conductivity in specific directions, achieving low thermal resistance in the plane direction while maintaining high thermal resistance in the thickness direction.
2Reliability
If thermal resistance in the thickness direction is increased to prevent heat transfer to adjacent batteries, then safety is improved, but heat dissipation capability in the plane direction must be enhanced to avoid heat accumulation
Solution Approach 1:
The partition member exhibits spatially varying thermal resistance properties: high thermal resistance in the thickness direction (perpendicular to battery surfaces) to block heat transfer to adjacent batteries, and low thermal resistance in the plane direction (parallel to battery surfaces) to facilitate lateral heat dissipation. This directional thermal management prevents both heat accumulation and thermal runaway spread.
3Use of energy by moving object
If energy density of secondary batteries is increased to extend cruising range, then vehicle performance is improved, but safety level decreases due to higher risk of thermal runaway
Solution Approach 1:
The partition member acts as an intermediary structure between adjacent unit batteries. It provides a controlled thermal interface that allows necessary heat dissipation while blocking excessive heat transfer, thereby enabling high-energy-density battery configurations to operate safely by mediating thermal interactions between batteries.
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 partition member effectively suppresses heat transfer in the thickness direction while promoting heat dissipation in the plane direction, preventing thermal runaway in adjacent batteries and ensuring safe operation of high-energy density battery systems.
Implementation Method 1
thermal resistance per unit area in a thickness direction and thermal resistance per unit area in a plane direction
Data Source
AI summary
A partition member which partitions between a pair of unit batteries or a partition member which partitions between a unit battery and a member other than the unit battery, the thermal resistances θd1, θd2, θp1, and θp2 of the partition member satisfy (θp1/θp2)/(θd1/θd2)≤1.0×10−4.