Composite Fire Extinguishing Agent Cooling Battery Fires

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Solution Overview

Problem

Existing fire extinguishing agents for battery fires lack effective cooling capabilities, leading to secondary reignition due to inadequate heat absorption, with water being conductive and chemical gas agents having poor latent heat of vaporization.

Innovation Solution

A composite fire extinguishing agent is prepared by refining and hydrophobically treating heat-absorbing materials like crystalline hydrated salts, which are then mixed with fire extinguishing agents to enhance cooling performance, using methods like ball milling and spray drying to achieve particle sizes below 20 μm and incorporating emulsified silicone oil for hydrophobic treatment.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Temperature

If water is used as fire extinguishing agent, then cooling effect is improved, but electrical conductivity increases causing secondary disasters

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvecooling effectVSAvoidelectrical conductivity
Core Design Contradiction:
TemperatureVSObject-affected harmful factors

Solution Approach 1:

The patent combines heat-absorbing material (providing cooling effect) with fire extinguishing agent (providing fire suppression and electrical insulation) to create a composite fire extinguishing agent that simultaneously achieves cooling, fire extinguishing, and electrical insulation functions

Inventive Principle:
Principle #40Composite materials

Solution Approach 2:

The patent merges multiple functions into a single fire extinguishing agent system: heat absorption through phase change of crystalline hydrated salt, fire suppression through fire extinguishing agent, and electrical insulation through the non-conductive properties of the composite formulation

Inventive Principle:
Principle #5Merging (Combining)

2Object-affected harmful factors

If chemical gas extinguishing agents are used, then electrical conductivity is reduced, but cooling effect deteriorates

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveelectrical conductivityVSAvoidcooling effect
Core Design Contradiction:
Object-affected harmful factorsVSTemperature

Solution Approach 1:

The patent formulates a composite fire extinguishing agent combining heat-absorbing material with chemical gas extinguishing agent, achieving both electrical insulation and enhanced cooling effect through the phase change properties of crystalline hydrated salt

Inventive Principle:
Principle #40Composite materials

Solution Approach 2:

The patent utilizes phase transition of crystalline hydrated salt (solid-liquid transition) which absorbs large amounts of heat during melting, providing significant cooling effect while the composite formulation maintains electrical insulation properties

Inventive Principle:
Principle #36Phase transitions

3Temperature

If heat-absorbing material is added to fire extinguishing agent, then cooling effect is improved, but device complexity increases

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvecooling effectVSAvoidformulation complexity
Core Design Contradiction:
TemperatureVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent optimizes parameters including particle size of heat-absorbing material (≤20 μm), mass ratio of heat-absorbing material to fire extinguishing agent (1-50:50-99), and processing conditions (hydrophobic treatment at 50-60°C for 7-10 hours) to balance cooling effect with formulation simplicity and operational ease

Inventive Principle:
Principle #35Parameter changes

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 composite agent effectively extinguishes battery fires by absorbing heat through phase transition, preventing secondary reignition and improving fire extinguishing efficiency while maintaining non-conductivity.

Implementation Method 1

The heat-absorbing material is crystalline hydrated salt... absorbing heat through phase transition

Methodology Applied
Scientific EffectPhase transition: Phase Change

Implementation Method 2

the latent heat of vaporization of perfluorhexanone extinguishing agents is only 88 kJ/kg, which is far less than the latent heat 2257 kJ/kg of vaporization of water

Methodology Applied
Scientific EffectLatent heat of vaporization: Latent Heat

Implementation Method 3

a hydrophobic treatment method of the heat-absorbing material comprises: stirring and dispersing the refined heat-absorbing material powder in anhydrous n-hexane; then adding emulsified silicone oil with mass fraction of 1-3% and mixing evenly

Methodology Applied
Scientific EffectHydrophobic treatment: Hydrophobe

Implementation Method 4

a refining treatment method of the heat-absorbing material comprises: refining the heat-absorbing material by at least one of a ball milling method, a supersonic airflow crushing method and a spray drying method to obtain heat-absorbing material powder with a particle size of less than or equal to 20 μm

Methodology Applied
Scientific EffectBall milling:

Implementation Method 5

a refining treatment method of the heat-absorbing material comprises: refining the heat-absorbing material by at least one of a ball milling method, a supersonic airflow crushing method and a spray drying method to obtain heat-absorbing material powder with a particle size of less than or equal to 20 μm

Methodology Applied
Scientific EffectSpray drying:

Data Source

PatentUS11738225B2Preparation method for composite fire extinguishing agent with cooling function
Publication Date: 2023.08.29 CIVIL AVIATION UNIV OF CHINA

AI summary

A preparation method for a composite fire extinguishing agent with a cooling function is provided, comprising the steps of conducting refining and hydrophobic treating on heat-absorbing material; and mixing the treated heat-absorbing material and a fire extinguishing agent proportionally to obtain a composite fire extinguishing agent with a cooling function. The present invention enhances the cooling performance of the fire extinguishing agent by adding the heat-absorbing material on the basis of the existing fire extinguishing agent, wherein the heat-absorbing material can absorb the heat released by batteries through phase transition (solid-liquid) heat absorption and decomposition heat absorption.