Battery Cell Vent Layout to Limit Thermal Runaway Spread
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Solution Overview
Problem
During battery usage, thermal runaway in one battery cell can lead to thermal spread across the entire pack, posing a safety risk due to uncontrolled high-temperature emissions from pressure relief mechanisms.
Innovation Solution
The battery design incorporates staggered pressure relief mechanisms on opposite battery cells, preventing high-temperature emissions from spraying onto adjacent cells and thereby alleviating or eliminating thermal spread within the battery pack.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Quantity of substance
If pressure relief mechanisms are arranged oppositely on battery cells to improve space utilization and energy density, then the space utilization is improved, but thermal spread occurs when one cell releases high-temperature emissions onto the opposite cell
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies asymmetry by staggering the pressure relief mechanisms of oppositely arranged battery cells along the first direction, breaking the symmetric opposite arrangement. This asymmetric positioning ensures that when one cell releases high-temperature emissions, they do not directly impinge on the opposite cell, thereby preventing thermal spread while maintaining efficient space utilization.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces an intermediary protective plate arranged between the first and second battery cells. This protective plate serves as a mediator that blocks high-temperature emissions from reaching the opposite cell, providing an additional layer of protection against thermal spread while allowing the pressure relief mechanisms to remain in their staggered positions.
2Reliability
If pressure relief mechanisms are staggered to prevent thermal spread, then safety is improved, but the arrangement complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements asymmetry in the positioning of pressure relief mechanisms, staggering them along the first direction rather than arranging them in simple opposite positions. This asymmetric arrangement prevents thermal spread by ensuring emissions from one cell do not directly reach the opposite cell, while the staggering follows a systematic pattern that manages complexity.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent resolves the complexity issue by introducing a dimensional aspect - staggering the pressure relief mechanisms along the first direction in addition to their opposite arrangement. This adds a positional dimension to the configuration, preventing direct thermal pathways while maintaining a structured, manageable arrangement rather than random complexity.
Data Source
AI summary
A battery includes a first battery cell and the second battery cell, wherein the first battery cell is provided with a first surface, and the first battery cell has a first pressure relief mechanism arranged on the first surface. The second battery cell is provided with a second surface, and the second battery cell has a second pressure relief mechanism arranged on the second surface. The first surface and the second surface are arranged opposite to each other along a first direction, and the first pressure relief mechanism and the second pressure relief mechanism are staggered along the first direction.