Protection Assembly for Energy Storage Pressure Relief

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Solution Overview

Problem

Secondary battery modules face safety issues due to high temperature particles ejected during pressure relief, which can melt through covers and housings, compromising operational safety.

Innovation Solution

A protection assembly with a particle-blocking layer and a separate protective layer is introduced, where the particle-blocking layer intercepts high temperature particles using a concave-convex arrangement and the separate protective layer further blocks heat transfer, preventing the particles from reaching structural members.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Reliability

If a pressure relief element is provided on the battery module to release pressure when internal pressure increases, then the battery module can prevent explosion and maintain pressure balance, but high temperature particles will be ejected from the pressure relief element which can melt through the cover and housing, creating safety hazards

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvepressure relief functionVSAvoidhigh temperature particles ejection

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSObject-affected harmful factors

Solution Approach 1:

A protection assembly is introduced as an intermediary component between the pressure relief element and the external environment. This assembly includes a particle-blocking layer with concave-convex structure that intercepts high temperature particles ejected from the pressure relief element, and a separate protective layer that blocks heat transfer, thereby preventing particles from melting through the cover and housing while maintaining the pressure relief function

Inventive Principle:

Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

Solution Approach 2:

The protection assembly is divided into two distinct functional layers: a particle-blocking layer for intercepting particles and a separate protective layer for heat blocking. This segmentation allows each layer to specialize in one protective function, with the particle-blocking layer containing concave-convex structures optimized for particle interception and the protective layer optimized for thermal insulation

Inventive Principle:

Principle #1Segmentation

2Stress or pressure

If the pressure relief element is designed to burst at high pressure to release particles, then pressure relief is achieved, but the structural integrity of the cover and housing is compromised due to particle impact and heat transfer

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvepressure reliefVSAvoidcover and housing integrity

Core Design Contradiction:

Stress or pressureVSStrength

Solution Approach 1:

The protection assembly is positioned in advance between the pressure relief element and the cover/housing to provide protective cushioning. The particle-blocking layer with its concave-convex structure is designed to intercept particles before they can impact the cover, and the separate protective layer provides thermal insulation to prevent heat-induced damage to structural members before such damage can occur

Inventive Principle:

Principle #11Beforehand cushioning (Prior cushioning)

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 protection assembly effectively blocks high temperature particles and prevents heat transfer, significantly reducing the risk of structural members melting and enhancing the operational safety of energy storage devices.

Implementation Method 1

the particle-blocking layer comprises a plurality of particle-blocking units in a concave-convex arrangement, and the particle-blocking unit can block the high temperature particles

Methodology Applied

Scientific EffectParticle interception and blocking: Absorption (physical)

Implementation Method 2

the separate protective layer can further intercept and block the high temperature particles and prevent heat of the high temperature particles from being transferred to external structural members

Methodology Applied

Scientific EffectThermal insulation: Thermal Insulation

Data Source

PatentUS11228073B2Protection assembly, cover and housing

Publication Date: 2022.01.18 CONTEMPORARY AMPEREX TECHNOLOGY (HONG KONG) LIMITED

AI summary

The disclosure relates to a protection assembly, a cover and a housing. The protection assembly is applied for an energy storage device having a pressure relief element, wherein the pressure relief element is structured to deform in response to an increasing internal pressure in the energy storage device until the pressure relief element bursts, and the energy storage device can expel high temperature particles through the burst pressure relief element. The protection assembly comprises: a particle-blocking layer comprising a receiving side for receiving the high temperature particles and a connecting side opposite to the receiving side, wherein the particle-blocking layer comprises a plurality of particle-blocking units in a concave-convex arrangement, and the particle-blocking unit can block the high temperature particles; and a separate protective layer disposed at the connecting side of the particle-blocking layer and connected to the particle-blocking layer.