Battery Module Swelling Detection for Fire Shutdown and Cooling
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional battery management systems fail to effectively monitor and manage internal battery cell conditions, leading to potential fire hazards due to the lack of monitoring for swelling or pressure changes within battery cells.
Innovation Solution
Incorporating a sensor to detect swelling or pressure changes in battery cells, which triggers an alarm and automatically halts charging and discharging, and implementing a water-based fire suppression system with cascading water flow and exhaust ducting to control and prevent the spread of fires.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If conventional battery management systems only monitor voltage and temperature, then the system complexity is low, but the ability to detect internal battery cell conditions and prevent fires is insufficient
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces intermediary sensors (pressure sensors, swelling detectors) that mediate between the battery cell internal state and the management system. These sensors detect internal conditions indirectly through pressure changes and dimensional variations, enabling fire hazard detection without requiring direct intrusion into battery cells, thus improving reliability while controlling complexity.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent replaces conventional electrical monitoring methods with mechanical sensing approaches. Pressure sensors and swelling detectors use mechanical deformation and pressure differential principles to detect internal battery conditions, providing a new paradigm for monitoring that enhances fire prevention capability beyond traditional voltage and temperature monitoring.
2Reliability
If high frequency AC power is used for cell balancing, then isolation transformers can be used improving safety, but the device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent changes the operating parameters of the cell balancing system by using high frequency AC power instead of conventional DC or low frequency AC. This parameter change enables the use of isolation transformers for enhanced safety while managing complexity through optimized high-frequency circuit design. The high frequency operation allows for smaller, more efficient transformer components.
3Object-affected harmful factors
If water fire suppression system with cascading flow is implemented, then fire spread control is improved, but the device complexity and water management requirements increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the water suppression system into multiple zones with cascading flow paths. Water is distributed through a network of channels and nozzles that create segmented cooling zones throughout the battery rack. This segmentation enables targeted fire suppression and heat management while controlling system complexity through modular design principles.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces a vertical dimension to the water suppression system through cascading flow from upper to lower levels of the battery rack. This dimensional approach creates a three-dimensional cooling network that improves fire spread control by addressing heat in multiple spatial dimensions, while the cascading design simplifies water distribution compared to complex pumping systems.
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 prevents battery cell fires by detecting abnormal swelling, halting operations, and utilizing a water-based suppression system to cool and extinguish fires, thereby ensuring safety and preventing damage to neighboring cells and racks.
Implementation Method 1
a battery module having a sensor that detects swelling of a battery cell
Implementation Method 2
high frequency AC power is used as a power source for balancing the battery module cells
Implementation Method 3
a top cover that collects water and directs this water to plates of the battery module to cool the battery
Implementation Method 4
a water fire suppression system having a cascading water flow among the battery modules, which provides cooling in the event of a battery cell fire
Data Source
AI summary
Provided is a battery module and battery rack having enhanced fire safety features. The battery module includes a swelling/pressure sensor that detects swelling of a battery cell. An output signal of the sensor is used to halt operation of a battery rack/battery system containing the battery module and prevent charging and discharging of the battery module. In an embodiment. the battery module uses an AC-to-AC power supply to provide AC frequency power for balancing battery cells of the battery module. In an embodiment. the battery rack includes an internal water fire suppression system that provides battery cooling in the event of a battery cell fire to prevent the spread and/or reigniting of the fire.