Battery Module Spacer With Phase-Change Heat Propagation Blocking
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing battery modules fail to effectively prevent the propagation of heat generated by an event in a battery cell, which can lead to thermal runaway and damage to adjacent cells.
Innovation Solution
Incorporating insulating spacers with a pouch region containing a phase change material that vaporizes at a predetermined temperature, increasing the volume and spacing between battery cells to block heat propagation.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If battery cells are arranged closely to increase energy density, then productivity and space utilization are improved, but heat propagation between cells increases leading to thermal runaway risk
Solution Approach 1:
An insulating spacer is introduced as an intermediary component between adjacent battery cells. The spacer includes a pouch region filled with phase change material that remains inactive during normal operation but activates during thermal events to block heat propagation pathways, thus mediating between the conflicting needs of close cell arrangement and heat isolation.
Solution Approach 2:
The phase change material within the pouch region undergoes phase transition from liquid to gas when exposed to high temperature. This phase change causes volumetric expansion that increases the spacing between battery cells, thereby blocking heat propagation while maintaining close arrangement during normal operation.
2Reliability
If insulating spacers are added between battery cells to block heat propagation, then thermal safety is improved, but device complexity and space occupation increase
Solution Approach 1:
The insulating spacer integrates multiple functions into a single component: structural support for maintaining cell spacing, containment of phase change material, and active heat propagation blocking through phase change. This merging reduces the need for separate components and simplifies the overall battery module structure.
Solution Approach 2:
The phase change material provides passive, automatic thermal protection without requiring external control systems or complex mechanisms. The phase transition occurs naturally in response to temperature increase, activating thermal protection in a simple and reliable manner.
3Reliability
If the volume of phase change material is increased to improve heat blocking capability, then thermal safety is improved, but the space available for battery cells decreases
Solution Approach 1:
The phase change material is designed to undergo volumetric expansion upon phase transition from liquid to gas. This allows a small volume of material during normal operation to expand into a larger volume during thermal events, providing effective heat blocking capability while minimizing space occupation during normal battery operation.
Solution Approach 2:
The pouch region is pre-configured with sufficient volume capacity to accommodate the expanded phase change material. The structure is prepared in advance to allow for volume increase without compromising battery cell arrangement, ensuring that thermal protection can be activated when needed.
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 insulating spacers with phase change material effectively increase the distance between battery cells upon thermal events, preventing heat transfer and mitigating the risk of thermal runaway.
Implementation Method 1
The phase change material may be configured to vaporize from a liquid state to a gas state in the space of the pouch region in response to the temperature of the phase change material being equal to or higher than the predetermined temperature
Implementation Method 2
the volume of the pouch region may increase, thereby the distance between the battery cell in which the event has occurred and the battery cells adjacent to each other may be increased
Implementation Method 3
An edge of the pouch region may be ultrasonically fused or bonded
Data Source
AI summary
A battery module configured to block heat propagation in response to an event occurring in a battery cell. The battery module includes battery cells arranged in one direction and at least one insulating spacer between the battery cells. The insulating spacer includes a pouch region having a space defined therein and a phase change material configured to fill at least a part of the space.