Explosion-proof Battery Container Isolation

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Solution Overview

Problem

Explosion-proof devices used in explosive atmospheres face the risk of battery ignition due to contact with explosive gases, which can cause damage to surroundings, despite existing measures to block power supply to electrical components.

Innovation Solution

An explosion-proof device with a battery housed in an explosion-proof container, equipped with an explosion-proof logic circuit and a management device that monitors battery state parameters, and a switching relay to control power supply, ensuring the battery and management device are isolated from the explosive atmosphere, reducing the risk of ignition and damage.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Reliability

If power supply is blocked to electrical components when pressure decreases, then explosion risk from electrical components is reduced, but battery may still ignite explosive gas and cause damage

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveexplosion preventionVSAvoiddamage to surroundings
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSObject-affected harmful factors

Solution Approach 1:

The device is divided into two separate containers: a frame containing electrical components and an explosion-proof container housing the battery. This segmentation isolates the battery from the explosive atmosphere even when pressure differential protection fails, preventing battery ignition from affecting the surroundings while maintaining the pressure-based protection for electrical components.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #1Segmentation

2Device complexity

If battery is housed inside the frame with electrical components, then device structure is simplified, but battery may contact explosive gas and cause ignition

Engineering Contradiction:
ImprovestructureVSAvoidignition risk
Core Design Contradiction:
Device complexityVSObject-affected harmful factors

Solution Approach 1:

The battery is separated from the frame and housed in a dedicated explosion-proof container. This segmentation physically isolates the battery from the explosive atmosphere, eliminating the ignition risk while maintaining a relatively simple overall structure through integrated design.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

The battery is extracted from the frame structure and placed in a separate explosion-proof container. This extraction removes the battery from the potential explosive environment, preventing contact with explosive gases while allowing the frame to focus on protecting electrical components.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #2Taking out (Extraction)

3Reliability

If explosion-proof container houses both battery and management device, then safety is improved, but device size and weight increase

Engineering Contradiction:
ImprovesafetyVSAvoiddevice weight
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSWeight of stationary object

Solution Approach 1:

The management device is combined with the battery inside the same explosion-proof container. This merging allows both components to share the same protective housing, improving safety by containing potential ignition sources together while avoiding the need for a separate container for the management device, thus limiting the weight increase.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #5Merging (Combining)

Data Source

PatentEP3352316B1Explosion-proof device
Publication Date: 2021.08.11 MITSUBISHI HEAVY IND LTD
  • EP3352316B1 patent drawingFigure 1
  • EP3352316B1 patent drawingFigure 2
  • EP3352316B1 patent drawingFigure 3

AI summary

An explosion-proof device includes a frame having a hollow shape, the frame housing an electrical component and a battery capable of supplying the electrical component with electric power. A protection device is configured to stop electric supply to the electrical component from the battery, if there is a risk of an explosive atmosphere entering the frame. The battery is housed in an explosion-proof container, within the frame, and thus it is possible to suppress damage to surroundings effectively even in case of ignition of an explosive atmosphere flowing into the frame by the battery.