Sacrificial Electrodes for Battery Pack Fluid Ingress Protection
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Solution Overview
Problem
Ingress of electrically-conductive and/or chemically-corrosive fluids into battery packs can cause short circuits, leading to overheating and irreversible damage, as existing technologies fail to effectively protect battery cells from such ingress.
Innovation Solution
Incorporation of sacrificial electrodes with a strategically selected spacing and design within the battery pack to short circuit and discharge energy before damage occurs, using electrically-conductive materials like Zn, Sn, Ni, Fe, Cr, Al, Cu, and their alloys, positioned both inside and outside the core housing to intercept and divert fluid ingress.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If battery cells are protected from fluid ingress using traditional sealing methods, then reliability is improved, but device complexity increases due to additional sealing components and manufacturing steps
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts the protection function from complex sealing systems and concentrates it in a single sacrificial electrode component. The sacrificial electrode is positioned to intercept fluid ingress and sacrificially short circuit before the fluid reaches the battery cells, eliminating the need for multiple sealing components and complex manufacturing steps while maintaining reliability
Solution Approach 2:
The sacrificial electrode acts as an intermediary element between the potential fluid ingress path and the battery cells. It intercepts the harmful fluid and sacrificially short circuits, preventing direct contact with the battery cells and eliminating the need for complex sealing barriers
2Reliability
If sacrificial electrodes are positioned closer to battery cells for better protection, then protection effectiveness is improved, but risk of normal operation interference increases
Solution Approach 1:
The sacrificial electrode is positioned in a specific location where it can intercept fluid ingress without interfering with normal battery operation. The electrode's placement creates a localized protection zone that sacrifices itself to protect the battery cells, achieving effective protection while maintaining normal operational functionality
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 sacrificial electrodes effectively reduce voltage and discharge battery energy before damage can occur, preventing overheating and thermal runaway by intercepting and shorting incoming corrosive fluids, thus protecting the battery cells and pack.
Implementation Method 1
an ingress fluid entering the battery pack electrically shorts the first sacrificial electrode and the second sacrificial electrode to drop a voltage of the core battery assembly and discharge battery energy
Data Source
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AI summary
An arrangement for battery pack protection during fluid ingress. The battery pack includes a housing, a terminal block, and a core battery assembly supported in the housing. the core battery assembly including a core housing, a plurality of battery cells supported in the core housing, a first weld strap connecting the battery cells to a positive power terminal, a second weld strap connecting the battery cells to a negative power terminal, a first sacrificial electrode connected to the first weld strap, and a second sacrificial electrode connected to the second weld strap. A spacing between the first sacrificial electrode and the second sacrificial electrode is selected such that an ingress fluid entering the battery pack electrically shorts the first sacrificial electrode and the second sacrificial electrode to drop a voltage of the core battery assembly and discharge battery energy before damaging the battery cells.