Battery Gas Manifold Liners for Thermal Runaway Isolation
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current battery assemblies in electric vehicles face challenges in managing thermal runaway, where uncontrolled heat generation can lead to unstable battery states and potential fires, due to inadequate venting and thermal management systems.
Innovation Solution
The implementation of gas manifold liners with thermal and electrical insulation, combined with conformable thermal seals, to optimize gas venting and prevent heat propagation, while ensuring electrical isolation and safe gas evacuation during thermal events.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Temperature
If battery cells are grouped into modules with cooling plates and manifolds, then thermal management capability is improved, but thermal runaway propagation risk increases due to inadequate isolation
Solution Approach 1:
The battery assembly is divided into modular sections with individual cooling plates for each cell or group of cells. Each cooling plate acts as an independent thermal management unit, allowing localized heat dissipation and isolation. This segmentation prevents thermal runaway from propagating across the entire battery pack, as each module can be independently managed and isolated.
Solution Approach 2:
Gas manifold liners are introduced as intermediary components between battery cells and the cooling manifold system. These liners serve as thermal and electrical isolation barriers that prevent direct heat transfer and electrical arcing while still allowing gas venting. The liners act as a mediator that enables safe gas evacuation without compromising thermal isolation between cells.
2Stress or pressure
If gas venting is enabled during thermal events, then pressure relief is improved, but heat propagation to adjacent cells increases without proper isolation
Solution Approach 1:
Gas manifold liners serve as intermediary components that enable pressure relief while blocking heat transfer. These liners are positioned in the gas manifold to allow vented gases to escape while simultaneously acting as thermal barriers that prevent heat from propagating to adjacent cells through the manifold structure.
Solution Approach 2:
The cooling plate assembly utilizes composite material construction with thermally isolating layers integrated into the manifold and cooling plate structure. These composite materials provide both the necessary thermal conductivity for heat dissipation from active cells and thermal isolation properties to prevent heat propagation to neighboring cells during thermal events.
3Temperature
If cooling plates provide direct thermal contact for heat dissipation, then cooling efficiency is improved, but electrical conductivity between cells increases creating arc risks
Solution Approach 1:
The cooling plate structure implements local quality differentiation with electrically conductive regions for heat dissipation and electrically insulating regions for electrical isolation. Specific zones of the cooling plate maintain thermal contact with cells for efficient cooling, while other zones incorporate insulating materials or geometric features that prevent electrical arcing between adjacent cells.
Solution Approach 2:
Cooling plates are constructed using composite materials that combine thermally conductive properties for efficient heat dissipation with electrical insulation properties to prevent arcing. This composite construction allows the cooling plate to simultaneously achieve both cooling efficiency and electrical isolation reliability without compromising either function.
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 effectively reduces the risk of thermal runaway propagation, enhances thermal management, and increases battery capacity, leading to improved vehicle efficiency and extended driving range.
Implementation Method 1
The manifold liner includes one or more thermal barrier layers, each formed with a thermally insulating material
Implementation Method 2
each attached to a thermal barrier layer and formed with an electrically insulating material
Implementation Method 3
A conformable thermal seal between the manifold liner, cold plate, and support tray may act as a thermally expansive firestop
Data Source
AI summary
Presented are battery assemblies with gas manifold liners and support tray seals for optimized gas venting, methods for making/using such battery assemblies, and vehicles equipped with such battery assemblies. A battery assembly, such as a rechargeable high-voltage traction battery pack, includes a support tray that seats thereon a cold plate. The cold plate is formed with a thermally conductive material and includes a gas manifold that exhausts gases from the battery assembly. At least one battery cell is supported on the cold plate and includes a cell case that contains a galvanic electrochemical cell and has a cell vent fluidly coupled with the gas manifold. A manifold liner is located within and abuts opposing walls of the gas manifold. The manifold insert includes one or more thermal barrier layers, each formed with a thermally insulating material, and one or more electrical barrier layers, each formed with an electrically insulating material.