Battery Partitioning Member With Controlled Coolant Release

Solution Overview

Problem

Existing partitioning members in battery assemblies lack control over the opening position of coolant release, leading to potential short circuits and inefficient cooling due to unpredictable rupture points and coolant spray direction.

Innovation Solution

A partitioning member with a multilayer sheet structure, featuring a sealing portion and a weak seal strength portion or non-sealing protrusion, which concentrates strain energy to control the opening position and direction of coolant release when internal pressure increases, ensuring targeted cooling and reducing the risk of short circuits.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Temperature

If a partitioning member with a sheet-like bag containing coolant is used, then heat transfer efficiency is improved, but the opening position of the bag is unpredictable leading to potential short circuits

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvecooling efficiencyVSAvoidshort circuit risk

Core Design Contradiction:

TemperatureVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

The patent applies preliminary action by pre-forming a weak seal strength portion at a specific location in the sealing portion during manufacturing. This pre-designed weak point ensures that when internal pressure increases due to heat, the bag will rupture at the predetermined location rather than an unpredictable position, allowing coolant to discharge safely without causing short circuits while maintaining reliable cooling function

Inventive Principle:

Principle #10Preliminary action

Solution Approach 2:

The patent applies local quality by creating a localized weak seal strength portion within the otherwise strong sealing portion. This localized modification (reducing seal strength at a specific point) allows the bag to rupture controllably at that specific location when needed, while the rest of the sealing portion remains intact to maintain structural integrity and prevent unwanted coolant leakage

Inventive Principle:

Principle #3Local quality

2Strength

If the sealing portion is made strong to prevent premature opening, then structural integrity is improved, but controlled opening at a specific position becomes difficult

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvesealing strengthVSAvoidopening position control

Core Design Contradiction:

StrengthVSManufacturing precision

Solution Approach 1:

The patent applies local quality by creating a localized weak seal strength portion within the otherwise strong sealing portion. This localized modification (reducing seal strength at a specific point) allows the bag to rupture controllably at that specific location when needed, while the rest of the sealing portion remains intact to maintain structural integrity and prevent unwanted coolant leakage

Inventive Principle:

Principle #3Local quality

Solution Approach 2:

The patent applies preliminary action by pre-forming a weak seal strength portion at a specific location in the sealing portion during manufacturing. This pre-designed weak point ensures that when internal pressure increases due to heat, the bag will rupture at the predetermined location rather than an unpredictable position, allowing coolant to discharge safely while maintaining reliable cooling function

Inventive Principle:

Principle #10Preliminary action

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 controlled opening position and direction of coolant release enhance cooling efficiency while minimizing the risk of short circuits, effectively managing heat transfer in battery assemblies.

Implementation Method 1

strain energy is concentrated at a part of an internal space in which a liquid is sealed in a partitioning member, in other words, an opening point is defined by causing the strain energy to concentrate at a spot

Methodology Applied

Scientific EffectStrain energy concentration:

Implementation Method 2

the coolant inside the sheet-like bag to evaporate and thus increase an internal pressure to cause the bag to rupture and open

Methodology Applied

Scientific EffectEvaporation: Evaporation

Implementation Method 3

The coolant flowing out from an opened portion of the partitioning member adheres to a surface of a neighboring single cell to cool the single cell

Methodology Applied

Scientific EffectHeat transfer:

Data Source

PatentUS20250023145A1Partitioning member and battery assembly

Publication Date: 2025.01.16 MITSUBISHI CHEM CORP

AI summary

In a partitioning member that is accommodated in a battery assembly to partition single cells and in which a liquid is sealed, an opening position of the partitioning member that opens upon receiving heat generated from the single cells is defined at a specific spot at a peripheral edge portion or a surface of the partitioning member. A partitioning member 1 includes a sealing portion 32 formed by sealing edge portions of multilayer sheets 31, 31 each including a resin layer and a metal layer in a band-like manner, a liquid and a heat insulation material 2 are sealed in an internal space surrounded by the sealing portion 32, and a weak seal strength portion 4A protruding from a side facing the internal space to an edge portion side of the sealing portion 32 is provided in the sealing portion 32.