Insulated Inter-Busbar Structure for Thermal Runaway Isolation
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional inter-busbars in battery packs are prone to exposure during thermal runaway, increasing the risk of internal short circuits due to discharge accumulation.
Innovation Solution
An inter-busbar design featuring a conductive member enclosed by an insulating portion, seated within a pack housing with recesses, and a case, which minimizes exposed areas and uses insulating materials to prevent short circuits.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of manufacture
If the inter-busbar is designed with minimal insulation to reduce manufacturing complexity, then the manufacturing process is simpler and cost is reduced, but the exposed area increases the risk of internal short circuit during thermal runaway
Solution Approach 1:
The insulating portion wraps around the conductive member to create an equipotential surface, ensuring that the entire exposed surface of the inter-busbar is at the same electrical potential. This prevents discharge accumulation and internal short circuits by eliminating potential differences on the surface, while maintaining a compact design that doesn't significantly increase manufacturing complexity
Solution Approach 2:
The insulating portion acts as an intermediary layer between the conductive member and the external environment. It provides electrical isolation without requiring complex manufacturing processes, using simple wrapping or coating techniques to achieve both reliability and ease of manufacture
2Reliability
If the insulating portion completely encloses the conductive member to maximize safety, then short circuit prevention is improved, but the device complexity and manufacturing difficulty increase
Solution Approach 1:
The insulating portion provides partial enclosure rather than complete encapsulation of the conductive member. It wraps around the exposed areas to provide sufficient insulation for safety while avoiding the complexity of fully enclosing the component, achieving an optimal balance between protection and simplicity
Solution Approach 2:
The insulating portion is implemented as a thin film or flexible insulating material that can be easily wrapped around the conductive member. This approach provides effective insulation without adding significant structural complexity or manufacturing difficulty, as the thin film can be applied using simple processes
3Reliability
If the inter-busbar design uses more insulating material to reduce exposed area, then the probability of internal short circuit is reduced, but the manufacturing cost and process complexity increase
Solution Approach 1:
The design optimizes the parameters of the insulating portion, such as its thickness, material properties, and coverage area, to achieve the minimum required insulation level. By carefully selecting these parameters, the design reduces exposed area sufficiently to prevent short circuits while avoiding excessive material usage that would complicate manufacturing or increase costs
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 design effectively prevents internal short circuits by enclosing non-contact areas of the inter-busbar with insulating materials, enhancing safety and simplifying manufacturing processes.
Implementation Method 1
an insulating portion (120) enclosing a remaining area of the conductive member (110) excluding an area configured to be in contact with the module terminal (310)
Data Source
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AI summary
Disclosed are an inter-busbar including a conductive member configured to be electrically connected to a module terminal provided at a battery module, an insulating portion enclosing a remaining area of the conductive member excluding an area configured to be in contact with the module terminal, and a case allowing the insulating portion inserted thereinto, a pack housing including the same, a battery pack including the same, and a method of manufacturing the same.