Pouch Battery Cell Fire-Extinguishing Pad for Thermal Runaway
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Solution Overview
Problem
Lithium-ion battery cells, particularly pouch type, are prone to thermal runaway and fire due to weak case stiffness, leading to gas ejection and potential chain ignition, necessitating a solution to prevent fire propagation to adjacent cells.
Innovation Solution
Integration of a fire extinguishing pad on the battery cell case with a temperature-sensitive fire extinguishing agent that vaporizes and is sprayed to cool and extinguish the cell, combined with a carrier and sealing member to manage the agent, preventing fire propagation.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of manufacture
If a pouch type case is used for the battery cell, then the case has excellent mold ability and is freely bendable, but the case stiffness is weak leading to gas ejection and thermal runaway
Solution Approach 1:
The case is divided into a body portion and a lid portion that can be separately formed and then assembled. The body portion includes a bottom wall and side walls, while the lid portion includes a top wall and side walls, allowing independent optimization of each segment for both formability and structural strength.
Solution Approach 2:
The case is constructed using composite material structure combining metal foil as the middle layer with insulating film layers on both surfaces. This composite structure provides both the formability of flexible materials and the structural integrity needed to prevent gas ejection and thermal runaway.
2Power
If the battery cell operates at high temperature, then the battery can deliver high power output, but thermal runaway occurs and fire propagates to adjacent cells
Solution Approach 1:
Fire extinguishing pads are pre-installed on the outer surface of the case at locations corresponding to vulnerable sealing areas. These pads contain fire extinguishing agents that automatically activate when temperature rises, preventing fire propagation to adjacent cells before thermal runaway can spread.
Solution Approach 2:
The fire extinguishing pad acts as an intermediary protective layer between the battery cell and the surrounding environment. When thermal runaway occurs, the fire extinguishing agent in the pad is ejected to suppress flames and prevent heat transfer to adjacent cells, serving as a buffer zone.
3Stress or pressure
If gas is generated inside the battery cell, then the battery can vent pressure, but gas is ejected through weak sealing parts causing thermal runaway
Solution Approach 1:
The fire extinguishing pads are pre-positioned on the outer surface of the case at locations corresponding to vulnerable sealing parts such as tab sealing areas. The sealing structures are designed with predetermined weak points that will fail in a controlled manner to redirect gas ejection away from critical areas, and the fire extinguishing agents are ready to activate immediately if gas ejection occurs.
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 fire extinguishing pad effectively lowers the temperature and extinguishes flames, preventing thermal runaway and fire propagation to adjacent cells, enhancing safety by applying the solution without altering the conventional battery cell or pack design.
Implementation Method 1
a fire extinguishing agent which vaporizes when the battery cell is overheated or ignited and is sprayed out of the fire extinguishing pad
Implementation Method 2
cool and extinguish the surroundings
Implementation Method 3
a sealing member which accommodates the fire extinguishing agent and is incised by a vaporization pressure of the fire extinguishing agent to eject the extinguishing agent
Data Source
AI summary
Provided are a battery cell and a battery pack, and more particularly, a battery cell which has a fire extinguishing means for cooling and extinguishing the battery cell when the battery cell is overheated or initially ignited to prevent a battery fire accident, and a battery pack including the same.