Battery Module Pressure Sensing for Cell Expansion Warning

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Solution Overview

Problem

Lithium ion battery modules face safety hazards due to expansion of battery cells, which leads to rapid deterioration and safety issues, necessitating a solution to detect and alert users of potential dangers.

Innovation Solution

A safety warning apparatus for battery modules, comprising a flexible filling layer with embedded pressure sensors to detect pressure between adjacent cells and issue warnings when exceeding a predetermined value, ensuring reliable installation and timely alerts.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Power

If battery cells are connected to form battery modules, then electrical energy is provided for terminal products, but expansion of battery cells causes safety hazards and rapid deterioration

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveelectrical energy provisionVSAvoidsafety of battery module
Core Design Contradiction:
PowerVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

The patent embeds pressure sensors in the filling layer between battery cells to detect expansion in advance. The warning unit issues alerts before critical failure occurs, enabling preventive action rather than reactive response to safety hazards.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #10Preliminary action

Solution Approach 2:

The pressure sensors continuously monitor the state of battery cells and provide feedback to the warning unit. When expansion exceeds predetermined thresholds, the system provides feedback alerts to users, enabling real-time monitoring and response to safety conditions.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #23Feedback

2Measurement precision

If pressure sensors are installed to detect battery cell expansion, then safety monitoring is improved, but sensor misalignment or tilted detection positions reduce accuracy

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvepressure detection accuracyVSAvoidsensor installation alignment
Core Design Contradiction:
Measurement precisionVSManufacturing precision

Solution Approach 1:

The patent embeds pressure sensors in a flexible filling layer that can conform to the contours of battery cells. This flexible mounting approach eliminates the need for precise rigid alignment, allowing sensors to maintain contact and detect pressure accurately even with variations in installation position or cell surface irregularities.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #30Flexible shells and thin films

Solution Approach 2:

The flexible filling layer automatically adapts to the battery cell surfaces, self-adjusting to maintain proper sensor contact and orientation without requiring external alignment adjustments or high-precision installation procedures.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #25Self-service

3Ease of manufacture

If gap between battery cells is left empty, then assembly is simple, but pressure sensor installation is unreliable and detection accuracy decreases

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveassembly simplicityVSAvoidsensor installation stability
Core Design Contradiction:
Ease of manufactureVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

The filling layer serves multiple functions simultaneously: it maintains mechanical spacing between battery cells, provides a mounting substrate for pressure sensors, ensures reliable sensor contact with cell surfaces, and enables accurate pressure detection. This multi-functional approach simplifies overall assembly while improving sensor reliability.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #6Universality (Multi-functionality)

Solution Approach 2:

The flexible filling layer acts as an intermediary between the battery cells and pressure sensors, providing a compliant mounting surface that ensures reliable sensor attachment and accurate detection while maintaining simple assembly procedures.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

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 apparatus effectively detects pressure changes between battery cells, providing timely warnings to users about safety hazards, enhancing detection accuracy and stability by embedding sensors in a flexible filling layer, thus preventing misalignment and tilted detection.

Implementation Method 1

The pressure sensor is embedded in the flexible filling layer and is configured to detect a pressure between the two adjacent battery cells

Methodology Applied
Scientific EffectPressure detection:

Data Source

PatentEP4621934A1Battery module and safety early-warning apparatus thereof
Publication Date: 2025.09.24 SUNGROW POWER SUPPLY CO LTD
  • EP4621934A1 patent drawingFigure 1~2
  • EP4621934A1 patent drawingFigure 3
  • EP4621934A1 patent drawing

AI summary

Disclosed in the present invention are a battery module and a safety early-warning apparatus thereof. The safety early-warning apparatus comprises a flexible filling layer, a pressure sensor and an early-warning unit, wherein the flexible filling layer is filled in a gap between any two adjacent battery cells in a battery module; the pressure sensor is embedded in the flexible filling layer to be configured to measure a pressure value between two adjacent battery cells; and the early-warning unit is in communication connection with the pressure sensor, so as to send out early-warning information when the pressure value measured by the pressure sensor exceeds a preset value. In the safety early-warning apparatus, when a pressure value measured by a pressure sensor exceeds a preset value, an early-warning unit can send out early-warning information, so as to warn a user that a battery module has potential safety hazards; in addition, since the pressure sensor is embedded in a flexible filling layer, the reliability and stability of installation of the pressure sensor can be ensured, thereby avoiding the problem of the measurement sensitivity and accuracy being reduced due to misplacement or measurement position inclination, etc., of the pressure sensor.