Fuel Gas Tank Venting Control During Vehicle Thermal Runaway
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Solution Overview
Problem
Fuel gas tanks in vehicles face safety hazards due to uncontrolled pressure release during thermal runaway of electric energy storage systems, leading to potential fires and waste of fuel gas.
Innovation Solution
A fuel gas tank arrangement with a controllable valve actuator and control unit that adjusts the ventilation flow rate based on real-time data from sensors, allowing controlled release of fuel gas to prevent fires and minimize waste.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If temperature-pressure relief valves are used for safety release, then the tank can release pressure during thermal runaway, but the pressure release is very abrupt and uncontrolled, increasing fire hazard
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies dynamics by transitioning from a static relief valve to a dynamically controllable valve system. The valve opening degree is continuously adjusted based on real-time temperature and pressure measurements, allowing the system to adapt its release characteristics to the current thermal runaway conditions, thereby controlling the ventilation rate to minimize fire hazard while maintaining safety release capability
Solution Approach 2:
The patent implements feedback control by using temperature and pressure sensors to continuously monitor the tank conditions and feeding this information back to the control unit. The control unit processes this feedback and adjusts the valve opening degree accordingly, creating a closed-loop control system that dynamically optimizes the safety release process to prevent abrupt uncontrolled pressure release
2Object-affected harmful factors
If the valve is opened fully to release pressure quickly, then the fire hazard is reduced, but fuel gas is wasted
Solution Approach 1:
The system dynamically adjusts the valve opening degree based on the severity of thermal runaway conditions. During moderate thermal runaway events, the valve opens partially to provide sufficient ventilation while conserving fuel gas. Only in severe cases does the valve open fully, optimizing the balance between fire hazard reduction and fuel gas conservation throughout the thermal runaway process
Solution Approach 2:
The patent changes the valve opening parameter dynamically rather than maintaining a fixed fully-open position. The control unit modulates the opening degree as a variable parameter based on real-time conditions, allowing the system to use minimal necessary ventilation to address fire hazard while maximizing fuel gas retention during less severe thermal runaway events
3Productivity
If the valve opening degree is adjusted continuously, then fuel gas ventilation is optimized, but the device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent uses feedback control to manage the complexity of continuous valve adjustment. By implementing a control unit that automatically processes sensor data and determines optimal valve opening degrees based on predefined algorithms, the system achieves sophisticated ventilation control without requiring complex manual intervention or overly complicated mechanical adjustment mechanisms
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 system safely ventilates fuel gas in a controlled manner, avoiding fires and conserving fuel by adjusting the ventilation rate according to the risk of ignition, thereby minimizing the risk of uncontrolled release.
Implementation Method 1
a fuel gas tank for holding a pressurized fuel gas volume and a valve configured to ventilate fuel gas from the fuel gas tank into ambient surroundings
Data Source
Figure 1~2
Figure 3~4
Figure 5
AI summary
The disclosure relates to A fuel gas tank arrangement (1) in a vehicle (7). The fuel gas tank arrangement (1) comprises a fuel gas tank (12) for holding a pressurized fuel gas volume, and a valve (14) configured to ventilate fuel gas from the fuel gas tank (12) into ambient surroundings. The valve (14) comprises a controllable valve actuator (16) communicatively connected to a control unit (3). The valve actuator (16) is configured to open the valve (14) to a determined opening degree for controlling a flow rate of ventilated fuel gas. The disclosure also relates to method (2) for safety ventilation of fuel gas from a fuel gas tank arrangement (1).