Battery Pack Venting Layout and Cooling for Thermal Runaway
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Existing thermal runaway protection for power batteries in new energy vehicles is primarily passive and lacks effective performance, posing safety concerns due to limited temperature resistance, heat release, and pressure control.
Innovation Solution
A battery pack design with integrated cooling components and pressure relief mechanisms, including exhaust passages and fireproof insulation, along with an active thermal runaway protection method that involves exhaust operations, thermal insulation, electrical insulation, and liquid cooling to manage and prevent thermal runaway.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If passive thermal runaway protection is used, then the structure is simple, but the protection performance is poor
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements preliminary action by pre-configuring exhaust passages, cooling components, and insulation structures before thermal runaway occurs. The exhaust passages are pre-formed between the cell group pressure relief side and chamber inner wall, cooling components are integrated into the housing in advance, and insulation layers are pre-applied to partitions and exhaust passage walls, enabling immediate protective action when thermal runaway is detected
Solution Approach 2:
The patent uses intermediary elements including the exhaust passage as a mediator for gas discharge, cooling components as intermediaries for heat removal, insulation layers as mediators for thermal isolation, and partitions as intermediaries for spatial separation. These intermediaries facilitate the protection function without requiring direct intervention in the cell chemistry
2Object-generated harmful factors
If the pressure relief side is spaced apart from the chamber inner wall to form exhaust passages, then gas discharge capability is improved, but the structural complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges the exhaust passage function with the existing housing structure by utilizing the space between the cell group pressure relief side and chamber inner wall. The exhaust passage is not a separate component but is formed by the spatial relationship between existing structural elements, combining multiple functions (structural support, gas discharge pathway, thermal isolation) into a unified design
3Speed
If cooling components are integrated into the housing, then the cooling response is faster, but the manufacturing complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The cooling components are merged with the housing structure, where the housing serves dual purposes as both structural enclosure and cooling system integration platform. This integration eliminates separate cooling system assemblies and reduces the number of manufacturing steps while maintaining fast thermal response capability
4Reliability
If partitions with fireproof insulating layers are used to separate cell groups, then thermal runaway spread prevention is improved, but the manufacturing complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The partition employs composite material construction with fireproof insulating layers (such as ceramic coatings or fire-resistant composites) applied to the partition structure. This composite approach provides enhanced thermal isolation and fire resistance while maintaining the structural integrity and separation function of the partition
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 provides enhanced thermal runaway protection, improving safety by timely gas discharge, cooling, and insulation to prevent the spread of thermal runaway, thereby ensuring better operational safety and reliability of battery packs.
Implementation Method 1
a cooling component integrated into the housing and configured to cool the cell group in case of a temperature of at least part of the cell group higher than a preset temperature
Implementation Method 2
the exhaust passage is adapted to discharge gas generated by the cell group in case of thermal runaway of the cell group
Implementation Method 3
an inner wall of the exhaust passage is provided with a fireproof flame-retardant layer with a fire-resistance rating not less than 200 °C
Implementation Method 4
a thermal insulation layer is arranged between two adjacent cells, and formed of at least one of an aerogel material, a silicone rubber and a silicone foam
Data Source
Figure 1~2
Figure 3~4
AI summary
A battery pack and a thermal runaway protection method for a battery pack are provided. The battery pack includes: a housing (1) defining a chamber (141); a cell group (2) located in the chamber (14) and having a pressure relief side (21); and a cooling component (10) integrated into the housing (1) and configured to cool the cell group (2) in case of a temperature of at least part of the cell group (2) higher than a preset temperature. The pressure relief side (21) is spaced apart from an inner wall of the chamber (14) to define an exhaust passage (3) therebetween, and the exhaust passage (3) is adapted to discharge gas generated by the cell group (2) in case of thermal runaway of the cell group (2).