Pre-Ceramic Polymer Coatings for Battery Pack Electrical Isolation
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing dielectric coatings in energy storage systems degrade at high temperatures during thermal runaway events, leading to loss of electrical isolation and potential electrical shorts or arcs between battery cells and components.
Innovation Solution
Utilizing pre-ceramic polymer coatings that maintain electrical insulation up to high temperatures, including materials like polysilazane and boron nitride, applied through methods such as dipping and electrostatic spraying, to coat electrically conductive components in energy storage systems.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If existing dielectric coatings are used to provide electrical isolation, then electrical insulation is achieved at normal temperatures, but the coatings degrade at high temperatures during thermal runaway events, leading to loss of electrical isolation
Solution Approach 1:
The patent changes the material parameter from conventional dielectric coatings to pre-ceramic polymer coatings, which fundamentally alters the thermal stability parameter. Pre-ceramic polymers undergo pyrolysis at high temperatures to form ceramic layers that maintain electrical insulation properties up to 1000°C or higher, resolving the contradiction between maintaining electrical isolation reliability and temperature resistance.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent employs composite material structure where pre-ceramic polymer coatings combine organic polymer matrix with inorganic ceramic fillers (such as alumina, silica, or boron nitride). This composite structure provides both the adhesion and flexibility of polymers and the high-temperature stability of ceramics, enabling electrical isolation to be maintained across both normal and extreme temperature conditions.
2Reliability
If thicker dielectric coatings are applied to prevent electrical shorts, then electrical isolation is improved, but component packaging density decreases and energy density is reduced
Solution Approach 1:
The patent changes the dielectric strength parameter by using pre-ceramic polymer coatings that achieve ultra-high dielectric breakdown strength (exceeding 100 kV/mm) after pyrolysis. This allows the use of much thinner coating layers (micrometer or sub-micrometer thickness) while maintaining superior electrical isolation, thereby preserving component packaging density and energy density.
3Reliability
If more potting material is used to provide electrical isolation, then electrical safety is improved, but manufacturing complexity and material usage increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts the electrical isolation function from the bulk potting material and relocates it to the pre-ceramic polymer coating layer applied directly on conductive components. This eliminates the need for excessive potting material and simplifies the manufacturing process, as the coating provides inherent electrical isolation that prevents short circuits without requiring additional isolating measures.
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
Prevents electrical arcing and shorts during thermal runaway events, maintains electrical isolation, allows closer component packaging, reduces the need for potting material, and increases energy density in energy storage systems.
Implementation Method 1
the one or more pre-ceramic polymer layers of each of the one or more electrically conductive components electrically insulate the one or more electrically conductive components from other electrically conductive components
Implementation Method 2
the one or more pre-ceramic polymer layers of the one or more electrically conductive components maintain electrical insulation of the one or more electrically conductive components up to at least melting points of the one or more electrically conductive components
Implementation Method 3
coating the one or more electrically conductive components with a pre- ceramic polymer material to form one or more pre-ceramic polymer layers on surfaces of the one or more electrically conductive components
Implementation Method 4
curing the one or more pre-ceramic polymer coating layers
Data Source
AI summary
An energy storage system is disclosed and includes: at least one battery pack; and one or more electrically conductive components each of which including one or more pre-ceramic polymer layers, where the one or more pre-ceramic polymer layers of each of the one or more electrically conductive components electrically insulate the one or more electrically conductive components from other electrically conductive components of the at least one battery pack.