Battery Pack Melt-Through Plate for Thermal Runaway Suppression
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current battery pack designs face challenges in effectively and timely extinguishing thermal runaways due to inefficient distribution of fire extinguishing fluids and the risk of diffusion, leading to increased thermal runaway incidents in electric vehicles.
Innovation Solution
A battery pack design featuring an upper and lower box structure with an explosion-proof valve system, where the lower plate has a weakened area to melt and discharge fire extinguishing agents directly to the thermal runaway area, ensuring rapid cooling and flame extinguishment.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If a complicated fire extinguishing fluid pipeline is arranged in the battery pack, then fire extinguishing capability is improved, but device complexity and manufacturing cost increase
Solution Approach 1:
The invention extracts the fire extinguishing fluid from the complicated pipeline system and places it directly in the battery module housing. The housing itself serves as the containment structure, eliminating the need for separate pipelines and complex distribution systems while maintaining effective fire suppression coverage.
Solution Approach 2:
The battery module housing is designed to serve multiple functions: structural containment of battery cells, thermal management, and fire suppression. By integrating the fire extinguishing fluid storage and delivery mechanism into the housing structure, the system achieves multi-functionality without increasing device complexity.
2Ease of manufacture
If fire extinguishing fluid is kept in a free space inside the battery pack, then ease of filling is improved, but fire extinguishing effectiveness deteriorates due to fluid flow and adhesion
Solution Approach 1:
The invention introduces a foam structure that creates localized fluid retention zones throughout the battery module. The foam's cellular structure provides capillary forces to hold the fire extinguishing fluid in specific locations, ensuring it remains positioned for effective suppression rather than flowing freely or adhering to surfaces.
Solution Approach 2:
The foam material used in the invention is a porous structure that utilizes capillary action to retain and distribute the fire extinguishing fluid. The porous nature of the foam allows it to absorb and hold the fluid while maintaining readiness for rapid discharge during thermal runaway events.
3Temperature
If refractories are arranged at and/or near an explosion-proof valve, then resistance to high-temperature and flame is improved, but thermal runaway diffusion increases
Solution Approach 1:
The invention uses foam as an intermediary medium between the explosion-proof valve and the battery cells. The foam structure provides thermal insulation and flame retardation while simultaneously acting as a barrier to prevent thermal runaway diffusion, replacing the need for separate refractory materials.
Solution Approach 2:
The invention employs composite materials including foam and fire-retardant substances that combine thermal resistance properties with diffusion prevention capabilities. These composite materials are integrated into the battery module structure to provide both high-temperature resistance and thermal runaway containment.
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 ensures quick and effective suppression of thermal runaways by rapidly discharging fire extinguishing agents to the source, reducing the risk of diffusion and enhancing safety by inhibiting the thermal runaway.
Implementation Method 1
the lower plate is set to be able to discharge the fire extinguishing agent from the accommodating space after being melted
Implementation Method 2
when the battery occurs a thermal runaway, the generated high-temperature gas and/or flame could melt through a position of the lower plate of the upper box corresponding to the explosion-proof valve
Data Source
Figure 1
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AI summary
The invention provides a battery pack, which includes a plurality of batteries and a box, the plurality of batteries accommodated in the box; each battery including an explosion-proof valve; the box including a lower box for supporting the batteries and an upper box matching the lower box, wherein the upper box includes an upper plate and a lower plate, the upper plate covers the lower plate to form an accommodating space for accommodating a fire extinguishing agent; the explosion-proof valve of each battery faces the lower plate of the upper box, and the lower plate is set to be able to discharge the fire extinguishing agent from the accommodating space after being melted. When the battery occurs a thermal runaway, a generated high-temperature gas and/or flame could melt through a position of the lower plate of the upper box corresponding to the explosion-proof valve, thereby forming a melted area that is melted through on the lower plate and causing the fire extinguishing agent in the lower plate to flow rapidly from the melted area to the runaway area. On the one hand, the fire extinguishing agent cools the high-temperature gas and/or extinguishes the flame, and on the other hand, the discharged fire extinguishing agent enters the explosion-proof valve to reduce the temperature of the battery, thus inhibiting the thermal runaway of the battery.