Battery Thermal Runaway Detection with Sleep-State Wake-Up Control

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Solution Overview

Problem

Existing systems fail to accurately detect thermal runaway in secondary batteries, particularly when the battery control unit is in a sleep state, leading to potential misalignment in activation timing and increased power consumption.

Innovation Solution

A detector system with a measurement unit and battery control unit that outputs a start-up signal based on measured battery state values, activating the battery control unit to perform arithmetic processing and detect thermal runaway, even when in a sleep state, thereby ensuring timely detection and reducing power consumption.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Reliability

If the battery control unit operates continuously to detect thermal runaway, then detection reliability is improved, but power consumption increases

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvethermal runaway detection reliabilityVSAvoidpower consumption

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSUse of energy by moving object

Solution Approach 1:

The battery control unit dynamically switches between operation modes (normal mode and sleep mode) based on detected battery state. When abnormal temperature rise is detected, the unit transitions from sleep mode to operation mode to perform detailed thermal runaway detection, thereby adapting power consumption to actual detection needs while maintaining reliability

Inventive Principle:

Principle #15Dynamics

Solution Approach 2:

The system implements periodic measurement of battery temperature and other parameters. The battery control unit wakes up at predetermined intervals to check battery state, and only activates full detection functions when abnormal conditions are detected, reducing overall power consumption while ensuring timely detection

Inventive Principle:

Principle #19Periodic action

2Use of energy by moving object

If the battery control unit enters sleep state to reduce power consumption, then power consumption is reduced, but detection timing accuracy deteriorates

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvepower consumptionVSAvoiddetection timing accuracy

Core Design Contradiction:

Use of energy by moving objectVSLoss of time

Solution Approach 1:

The measurement unit continuously monitors battery parameters and provides feedback to the battery control unit. When abnormal temperature rise or other critical changes are detected, the measurement unit triggers the battery control unit to wake up and perform detailed thermal runaway detection, ensuring timely response without continuous operation

Inventive Principle:

Principle #23Feedback

Solution Approach 2:

The measurement unit performs preliminary measurements of battery temperature and other parameters even when the battery control unit is in sleep mode. This preliminary action enables early detection of abnormal conditions and triggers the battery control unit to wake up in advance for detailed detection, maintaining detection timing accuracy

Inventive Principle:

Principle #10Preliminary action

3Measurement precision

If complex impedance measurements are performed at multiple frequencies to accurately detect thermal runaway, then measurement precision is improved, but device complexity increases

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvethermal runaway detection precisionVSAvoidmeasurement system complexity

Core Design Contradiction:

Measurement precisionVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The measurement process is segmented into different operation modes: normal mode with limited measurements and detection mode with comprehensive multi-frequency complex impedance measurements. The system transitions between modes based on battery state, performing detailed measurements only when thermal runaway is suspected, thereby reducing overall system complexity while maintaining detection precision

Inventive Principle:

Principle #1Segmentation

Data Source

PatentUS12540985B2Detector and non-transitory computer readable medium for detecting sign of thermal runaway of secondary battery

Publication Date: 2026.02.03 DENSO CORP

AI summary

A detector includes a measurement unit and a battery control unit. The measurement unit measures a measurement value indicating a battery state of a secondary battery. The battery control unit detects a sign of thermal runaway in the secondary battery. The measurement unit determines whether a start-up signal is output based on the measurement value in a case where the battery control unit is in a sleep state, and outputs the start-up signal in a case where the start-up signal is output. The battery control unit starts by receiving the start-up signal from the measurement unit when the battery control unit is in the sleep state, executes arithmetic processing on the measurement value received from the measurement unit, and detects the sign of thermal runaway based on a calculated result of the arithmetic processing.