Battery Module Venting Cover for Thermal Runaway Gas Redirection
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Solution Overview
Problem
Secondary battery cells can ignite due to various events, leading to flame and gas emissions that can cause secondary ignition in adjacent cells and damage external components, posing risks of chain ignition and thermal runaway.
Innovation Solution
A battery module and pack design featuring a housing with a cover containing venting holes that discharge gases and flames in a specific direction, with protruding regions that open or bend to increase the discharge area when pressure exceeds a specified threshold, and a vent control member to manage gas release, preventing secondary ignition and thermal runaway.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Object-generated harmful factors
If a venting hole is provided in the cover to discharge gas, then gas discharge function is improved, but flame may directly escape to external components causing damage
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces a flame arrester as an intermediary component installed in the venting hole. This flame arrester allows gas to pass through while blocking flames, serving as a mediator between the internal cell assembly and external environment. The flame arrester structure includes a porous material or mesh that permits gas flow but prevents flame propagation, thus resolving the contradiction between needing gas discharge and preventing flame exposure to external components.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent applies local quality by providing different functional zones in the cover structure. The venting hole area is specifically treated with a flame arrester mechanism that has different properties from the rest of the cover. This localized treatment allows the cover to simultaneously provide protection (blocking flames) and discharge function (allowing gas passage) in different local areas, resolving the contradiction between these two opposing requirements.
2Strength
If the cover is made rigid to protect cell assembly, then structural strength is improved, but gas discharge area is limited when thermal runaway occurs
Solution Approach 1:
The patent incorporates a movable protruding region in the cover that can dynamically change its position or shape in response to internal pressure. When thermal runaway occurs and pressure increases, the protruding region moves outward or deforms to expand the gas discharge area. This dynamic adjustment allows the cover to maintain structural strength under normal conditions while automatically increasing discharge capacity when needed, resolving the contradiction between rigidity and discharge area.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent designs the protruding region as a nested structure that can be contained within the cover body under normal conditions but can be deployed outward when pressure increases. This nested design allows the cover to maintain a compact, strong structure while having the capability to expand the discharge area when thermal runaway occurs, effectively resolving the contradiction between structural strength and discharge area.
3Stress or pressure
If venting holes are provided to discharge gas, then pressure relief function is improved, but gas may spread to adjacent cell assemblies causing secondary ignition
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces a flame arrester as an intermediary component in the venting hole that allows gas to pass through while blocking flames and hot gases. This flame arrester acts as a mediator between the pressurized cell assembly and the surrounding environment, enabling pressure relief while preventing the spread of ignitable gases and flames to adjacent cell assemblies, thus resolving the contradiction between pressure relief and prevention of secondary ignition.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent converts the harmful effect of pressure buildup into a beneficial controlled discharge mechanism. By designing the venting hole with a flame arrester, the system allows pressure to be relieved in a controlled manner while the flame arrester captures and contains the hot gases and flames, transforming what would be a harmful uncontrolled explosion into a controlled pressure relief event that does not spread to adjacent cells.
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 design effectively delays or prevents gas and flame transfer to adjacent cells, reducing the risk of chain ignition and protecting external components by staged gas discharge, thereby enhancing safety in battery packs used in green technologies like electric vehicles and renewable energy systems.
Implementation Method 1
The plurality of venting holes are configured to discharge gas in a second direction, different from the first direction
Implementation Method 2
the plurality of protruding regions may be configured to be separated from the upper surface or bent with respect to the upper surface when a pressure inside the battery module is equal to or greater than a specified pressure
Data Source
AI summary
A battery module and a battery pack including the battery module are disclosed. The battery module includes a housing forming an accommodating space and a cell assembly disposed within the accommodating space and including a plurality of battery cells. The housing includes: an accommodating portion surrounding at least a portion of the cell assembly and a cover disposed in a first direction with respect to the accommodating portion and including a plurality of venting holes. The plurality of venting holes are configured to discharge gas in a second direction, different from the first direction, and the cover includes an upper surface and a plurality of protruding regions protruding from the upper surface in the first direction and surrounding at least some of the plurality of venting holes, respectively.