Explosive-Driven Fire Suppression for Battery Packs
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Solution Overview
Problem
The existing technologies fail to effectively suppress fires in battery packs, particularly in high-voltage batteries used in hybrid electric vehicles and electric vehicles, which can lead to property damage and safety risks due to the risk of fire spreading.
Innovation Solution
A fire suppression apparatus comprising a fire detection sensor, a fire-extinguishing chemical tank with a piston driven by an explosive, and a control unit that injects fire-extinguishing chemicals into the battery pack upon detection of a fire, using a fire-extinguishing chemical tank with an outlet valve and a piston that discharges the chemical through an outlet connected to the battery pack.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Speed
If a fire suppression apparatus uses a conventional discharge mechanism, then the structure is simple, but the fire suppression speed is insufficient
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces conventional mechanical discharge mechanisms with an explosive-driven system. The explosive charge rapidly propels the fire-extinguishing chemical from the storage chamber through the discharge outlet into the battery pack, achieving instantaneous fire suppression that mechanical systems cannot provide.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent changes the energy state parameter of the discharge mechanism by using explosive energy instead of mechanical energy. This parameter change enables the system to achieve extremely high discharge speeds and pressures, allowing the fire-extinguishing chemical to be injected into the battery pack rapidly enough to suppress fires before they spread.
2Reliability
If the fire-extinguishing chemical tank is positioned away from the battery pack, then safety is improved, but response time increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements a nested structure where the fire-extinguishing chemical storage chamber is positioned within or immediately adjacent to the battery pack housing. This nested arrangement allows the discharge outlet to be in direct communication with the battery pack interior, enabling immediate fire suppression while maintaining safe separation between the explosive mechanism and combustible materials through strategic placement.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent uses a controlled explosive charge as an intermediary mechanism that bridges the safety requirement and response time requirement. The explosive provides the necessary force to rapidly discharge the fire-extinguishing chemical over the short distance between the storage chamber and battery pack interior, achieving both safety and speed requirements simultaneously.
3Device complexity
If the apparatus uses a slow discharge mechanism, then device complexity is reduced, but fire suppression effectiveness decreases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces slow mechanical discharge mechanisms with an explosive-driven system that delivers the fire-extinguishing chemical instantaneously. This substitution is critical because battery pack fires spread rapidly and require immediate suppression; conventional mechanical systems cannot discharge the chemical fast enough to be effective.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent employs the explosive force to rush the fire-extinguishing chemical through the discharge outlet and into the battery pack in a single, rapid action. This 'rushing through' approach skips the gradual discharge process of mechanical systems, delivering the full dose of extinguishing chemical instantly to suppress the fire before it can spread to surrounding vehicles or structures.
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 apparatus rapidly suppresses fires at battery packs, preventing them from spreading and causing damage or casualties by injecting fire-extinguishing chemicals quickly into the battery pack.
Implementation Method 1
an explosive for moving the piston by explosion, and when fire occurrence is detected, the control unit explodes the explosive of the fire-extinguishing chemical tank to move the piston
Data Source
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AI summary
Disclosed is an apparatus capable of suppressing a fire of a battery pack when a fire occurs at the battery pack. The fire suppression apparatus includes a fire detection sensor for detecting the probability of fire occurrence at a battery pack, a fire-extinguishing chemical tank containing a fire-extinguishing chemical in an inner space therein, and a control unit for allowing the fire-extinguishing chemical of the fire-extinguishing chemical tank into the battery pack when fire occurrence is detected by the fire detection sensor.