Mixed-Chemistry Battery Pack Layout for Thermal Runaway Delay
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Solution Overview
Problem
The increasing demand for secondary batteries in mobility applications necessitates improved safety measures to prevent accidents such as fires, which can endanger drivers.
Innovation Solution
A battery pack design featuring alternating arrangements of first battery devices with nickel-manganese positive electrode active materials and second battery devices with iron-phosphorus active materials, incorporating thermal separators between the first devices to manage thermal runaway and enhance energy efficiency.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Quantity of substance
If nickel-manganese positive electrode active materials are used in battery devices, then energy density and capacity are improved, but fire stability and safety deteriorate
Solution Approach 1:
The battery pack is divided into first battery devices containing nickel-manganese positive electrode active materials and second battery devices containing iron-phosphorus positive electrode active materials. By segmenting the battery pack into different types of battery devices with different active materials, the invention achieves both high energy density (from nickel-manganese) and high fire stability (from iron-phosphorus), resolving the contradiction between energy density and fire stability.
2Reliability
If thermal separators are added between battery cells to prevent thermal runaway, then safety is improved, but energy efficiency and device complexity worsen
Solution Approach 1:
Thermal separators are selectively placed only between first battery devices that contain nickel-manganese positive electrode active materials, rather than between all battery cells. This local application approach provides necessary safety protection where thermal runaway risk is highest, while avoiding unnecessary complexity and energy loss from universal thermal separator installation.
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 delays heat propagation and improves fire stability while maintaining high energy efficiency by leveraging the unique properties of iron-phosphorus and nickel-manganese active materials, with thermal separators mitigating thermal runaway risks.
Implementation Method 1
each of the plurality of first battery devices may further include a thermal separator interposed between the plurality of first battery cells
Implementation Method 2
The thermal separator may be configured to emit at least one of a fire retarding material and a fire extinguishing agent when at least some of the plurality of first battery cells are in a thermal runaway state
Implementation Method 3
The second battery devices include second battery cells including phosphoric acid and iron as positive electrode active materials. In this case, the fire stability of the second battery cells is relatively high and thus the propagation of heat in a battery pack may be delayed
Data Source
AI summary
A battery pack can include a plurality of first battery devices mounted on a housing and spaced apart from each other, and a plurality of second battery devices mounted on the housing and interposed between the plurality of first battery devices. In addition, each of the plurality of first battery devices can include a plurality of first battery cells including a first positive electrode active material, and each of the plurality of second battery devices can include a plurality of second battery cells including a second positive electrode active material different from the first positive electrode active material.