Expandable Fire Suppression Composition for Lithium-Ion Battery Safety
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Solution Overview
Problem
Lithium-ion battery fires in electrochemical energy storage systems pose a significant fire hazard due to thermal runaway and internal short-circuiting, which conventional extinguishing agents cannot effectively address, and there is a need for measures to prevent or extinguish such fires efficiently.
Innovation Solution
An expandable composition containing fire-extinguishing agents, such as chemical compounds or mineral/vitreous granulates, is deployed within or outside the storage housing, activated by sensors detecting damage, excessive acceleration, or temperature, to rapidly deliver the extinguishing agent to the critical location, using propellants or aerosol-forming agents to stop uncontrolled reactions and prevent fire spread.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If conventional extinguishing agents are used on lithium-ion battery fires, then the fire hazard cannot be effectively addressed, but using specialized extinguishing agents requires additional system complexity
Solution Approach 1:
The system uses temperature-sensitive expandable compositions that automatically activate and expand when exposed to fire heat, delivering extinguishing agents without requiring external detection or control systems. The compositions self-activate through the thermal energy of the fire itself, eliminating the need for separate sensors and control mechanisms.
Solution Approach 2:
Expandable compositions are pre-positioned in strategic locations within the battery housing before any fire occurs. These compositions remain in a compact state during normal operation and automatically expand only when thermal runaway is detected, ensuring immediate response without requiring real-time decision-making or external activation.
2Volume of moving object
If expandable compositions are disposed in limited volume inside the storage housing, then space is optimized, but rapid delivery to critical location must be achieved
Solution Approach 1:
The expandable compositions utilize phase transition from a compact solid state to an expanded foam state upon exposure to fire heat. This phase change enables the composition to rapidly increase in volume and deliver extinguishing agents throughout the battery housing, achieving both space efficiency during storage and rapid delivery when activated.
Solution Approach 2:
The compositions are designed to undergo thermal expansion when exposed to fire temperatures, causing them to expand rapidly and fill the battery housing with extinguishing agent. This thermal-driven expansion ensures both compact storage during normal operation and rapid delivery when fire occurs.
3Loss of time
If sensors are used to detect damage or excessive acceleration, then fire prevention can be activated timely, but the device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The temperature-sensitive expandable compositions automatically detect and respond to fire conditions through their own thermal properties, eliminating the need for external temperature sensors. The compositions self-activate when exposed to fire heat, providing timely response without adding sensor system complexity.
Solution Approach 2:
The invention extracts the detection function from separate sensor systems and integrates it directly into the expandable compositions themselves. The compositions inherently detect fire conditions through their thermal sensitivity, removing the need for independent detection systems and simplifying the overall architecture.
4Reliability
If specialized extinguishing agents are used for lithium-ion fires, then fire extinguishing effectiveness is improved, but the cost of the system increases
Solution Approach 1:
The expandable compositions are designed to serve multiple functions: they provide structural support during normal operation, act as thermal insulation, and deliver extinguishing agents when fire occurs. This multi-functionality reduces the need for separate fire suppression components, lowering overall system cost while maintaining effectiveness.
Solution Approach 2:
The invention merges the extinguishing agent delivery system with the battery housing structure itself. The expandable compositions are integrated into the housing design, combining structural and fire suppression functions into a single system, thereby reducing overall cost while ensuring effective fire suppression.
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 prevents or extinguishes lithium-ion battery fires by rapidly delivering fire-extinguishing agents to the source, minimizing damage and ensuring safety in electrochemical energy storage systems, even in delayed fire scenarios.
Implementation Method 1
The expandable composition may be embodied in a temperature-sensitive form such that expansion of the composition is activated at a particular minimum temperature
Implementation Method 2
an expandable composition containing fire-extinguishing agents... activated by sensors detecting damage, excessive acceleration, or temperature, to rapidly deliver the extinguishing agent to the critical location
Implementation Method 3
A sensor unit, which detects any damage or destruction of the electrochemical energy storage system or its storage housing... The sensor unit may also be embodied in such a way that it detects any excessive acceleration or braking force
Implementation Method 4
The sensor unit may also be embodied in such a way that it detects any excessive acceleration or braking force, as may occur in an accident, for example
Implementation Method 5
The expandable composition contains an extinguishing agent, in particular chemical compounds and/or a mineral or vitreous granulate, for preventing or extinguishing a fire
Data Source
Figure 1
AI summary
A device for preventing or extinguishing a fire in an electrochemical energy storage system comprising storage cells arranged in a storage housing, in particular lithium-ion cells, wherein a composition of expandable volume, containing a chemical compound for preventing or extinguishing a fire, is disposed with limited volume in one or a plurality of hollow spaces in or on the storage housing, and expansion of the volume of the composition can be activated by sensors.