Ceramic-Forming Busbar Insulation for Battery Pack Fire Resistance
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional busbar assemblies in battery packs fail to maintain electrical insulation and fire resistance when exposed to high temperatures, potentially leading to short circuits and explosions due to melting of insulation materials.
Innovation Solution
A busbar assembly featuring a fire-resistant silicone insulating layer that becomes ceramic at high temperatures, combined with a cap made of fire-resistant plastic, and optionally wrapped with fiberglass, to maintain insulation and prevent exposure of the busbar even in a flame, ensuring electrical insulation and enhanced fire resistance.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If conventional insulation materials are used for busbar assemblies, then the structure is simple and cost-effective, but the electrical insulation and fire resistance are lost when exposed to high temperatures
Solution Approach 1:
The insulating layer undergoes a parameter change from a flexible polymer state at normal temperatures to a rigid ceramic state at high temperatures. This phase transition maintains structural integrity and electrical insulation properties even when exposed to flame, resolving the contradiction between maintaining reliability under thermal stress and keeping the material structure manageable.
Solution Approach 2:
The insulating layer is constructed as a composite material combining polymer and ceramic phases. The polymer provides flexibility and ease of manufacturing at normal conditions, while the ceramic phase provides fire resistance and structural stability at high temperatures. This composite structure resolves the contradiction by integrating both soft and hard material properties in a single layer.
2Temperature
If the insulating layer is made completely rigid to maintain shape at high temperatures, then fire resistance improves, but the material becomes difficult to manufacture and install
Solution Approach 1:
The insulating layer exhibits dynamic properties that change with temperature. At normal temperatures, it remains flexible and soft, enabling easy manufacturing, handling, and installation. When exposed to high temperatures, it transitions to a rigid state that maintains structural integrity and fire resistance. This dynamic behavior resolves the contradiction between ease of manufacture and fire resistance.
Solution Approach 2:
The insulating layer utilizes a phase transition from polymer to ceramic state in response to temperature changes. This phase transition allows the material to be soft and formable during manufacturing, then automatically becomes rigid and fire-resistant when exposed to flame or high temperatures, resolving the contradiction between manufacturability and thermal stability.
3Reliability
If a multi-layer insulation system is implemented to ensure fire resistance, then safety improves, but the device complexity and manufacturing cost increase
Solution Approach 1:
The insulating layer performs multiple functions simultaneously: electrical insulation at normal temperatures, thermal insulation during heating, and structural support at high temperatures. By combining polymer and ceramic phases in a single layer, it eliminates the need for separate insulation layers and fire-resistant coatings, resolving the contradiction between fire resistance and system complexity.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent merges the functions of flexible insulation and fire-resistant protection into a single insulating layer with dual-phase composition. This consolidation eliminates the need for multiple separate layers, reducing structural complexity while maintaining both electrical insulation and fire resistance properties.
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 maintains electrical insulation and fire resistance, preventing short circuits and explosions by transforming into a ceramic state at high temperatures, thus ensuring the safety and performance of battery packs.
Implementation Method 1
the insulating layer may include a polymer and a ceramic, and the ceramic may have a higher decomposition temperature than the polymer
Data Source
AI summary
A busbar assembly includes: a busbar including a body and end portions that extend from both ends of the body and have through holes defined therein; an insulating layer that encloses the body and has a groove formed in a recessed shape; and a cap that encloses each of the end portions of the busbar while a portion of the cap is inserted into the groove. The insulating layer has a higher elasticity than the cap.