Impact-Responsive Busbar for Battery Safety
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current battery technologies lack a mechanism to interrupt current flow during mechanical impact loads, such as in automobile accidents, which can lead to overcharging and potential explosions, especially in pouch cells that do not have the capability to open freely and thus lack integrated current interrupt devices.
Innovation Solution
Incorporating busbars that electrically connect anode and cathode terminals of battery cells and are designed to interrupt current flow upon mechanical impact, using cladded metal components that can be bonded and separated under impact loading, thereby functioning as both a current transmission and interrupt device.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of manufacture
If pouch cells are used to reduce manufacturing cost, then manufacturing cost is reduced, but safety is worsened because pouch cells cannot open freely under high internal pressure and lack CID functionality
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges the electrical connection function and mechanical protection function into a single busbar component. The busbar not only conducts electricity between cells but also acts as a current interrupt device that mechanically breaks the electrical connection when subjected to impact forces, thereby providing both electrical functionality and safety protection in one element.
Solution Approach 2:
The busbar is designed to perform multiple functions: electrical conduction during normal operation and mechanical impact sensing with current interruption during accident conditions. This multi-functional design eliminates the need for separate CID devices in pouch cells, maintaining manufacturing cost advantages while adding safety functionality.
2Reliability
If traditional CID devices are added to pouch cells to improve safety, then safety is improved, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent combines the CID functionality with the existing busbar structure, eliminating the need for separate CID devices. The busbar itself is designed with specific mechanical properties and geometry that enable it to break under impact loads, integrating the protection function directly into the electrical connection component.
Solution Approach 2:
The busbar serves dual purposes: electrical conduction and impact-responsive current interruption. This multi-functionality reduces the overall device complexity by eliminating redundant components while maintaining both electrical and safety functions within a single element.
3Reliability
If busbars are designed to interrupt current under mechanical impact, then safety is improved, but manufacturing precision requirements increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent achieves impact-responsive current interruption by modifying the mechanical parameters of the busbar, such as its cross-sectional geometry, material properties, and attachment method to the cell terminals. These parameter changes enable the busbar to have sufficient strength for normal electrical connection while being designed to break at controlled locations under impact loads, balancing safety functionality with manufacturing feasibility.
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
This solution enhances battery safety by physically disconnecting electrical connections during mechanical impacts, reducing the likelihood of overcharging and explosions, while also potentially reducing manufacturing costs by eliminating the need for machine screws and allowing for the use of welding or soldering.
Implementation Method 1
a busbar configured to electrically connect an anode terminal of a first of the at least two battery cells and a cathode terminal of a second of the at least two battery cells
Implementation Method 2
the busbar is configured to interrupt the flow of electrical current between the anode terminal of the first battery cell and the cathode terminal of the second battery cell in response to a mechanical impact load
Data Source
AI summary
A current interrupt device, method thereof, and battery assembly suitable for reducing the likelihood of an overcharge of the battery. The battery assembly includes a busbar electrically connecting an anode of a first battery cell and a cathode of a second battery cell of the battery assembly. The busbar is configured to interrupt the flow of electrical current between the anode and cathode in response to a mechanical impact load, for example an automobile crash.