Safe battery charging station mounted fire extinguishing facilitating apparatus
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Solution Overview
Problem
Lithium-ion batteries in electric bicycle charging stations are prone to fires due to manufacturing flaws or incorrect charging, which can spread to adjacent cabinets, posing a risk of toxic smoke and damage.
Innovation Solution
A fire extinguishing facilitating apparatus is integrated into lockable cabinets with heat-sensitive packages containing a flowable fire extinguishing material that is released upon exposure to high temperatures, effectively extinguishing fires within the cabinet while minimizing external dimensions to maintain economic viability and prevent fire spread.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If fire extinguishing apparatus is integrated into the cabinet, then fire safety is improved, but the cabinet volume increases
Solution Approach 1:
The fire extinguishing material is nested within a heat-sensitive package that is itself nested within the cabinet's peripheral cavity. The package is confined by partitions that define the cavity, creating a compact nested structure where the extinguishing material is housed within a protective package that is integrated into the cabinet structure.
Solution Approach 2:
The heat-sensitive package is configured to be sufficiently deformed so as to become perforated during exposure to fire-induced temperature. This flexible, deformable package structure allows the system to maintain a compact form while enabling automatic discharge when needed, resolving the contradiction between small size and fire safety functionality.
2Speed
If heat sensitive package is made deformable for automatic discharge, then fire response speed is improved, but package structural integrity deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The package material's structural properties change in response to temperature parameters. The heat-sensitive package maintains its structural integrity at normal temperatures but becomes sufficiently deformed and perforated when exposed to predetermined fire-induced temperatures, enabling automatic discharge while maintaining strength when needed.
Solution Approach 2:
The heat-sensitive package undergoes a phase transition or structural transformation when exposed to fire-induced temperatures. This transformation causes the package to become perforated and discharge the extinguishing material automatically, providing rapid fire response while maintaining structural integrity under normal conditions.
3Ease of manufacture
If cabinet is made compact for economic viability, then manufacturing cost is reduced, but fire containment capability is compromised
Solution Approach 1:
The cabinet is segmented into an interior volume and peripheral cavities by partitions, creating a compartmentalized structure. This segmentation allows the compact cabinet to contain fire within the interior volume while the peripheral cavities house fire extinguishing materials, preventing fire spread to adjacent cabinets without requiring excessive cabinet size.
Solution Approach 2:
The fire extinguishing material is pre-positioned within the peripheral cavities in heat-sensitive packages. When fire occurs in the interior volume, the packages automatically discharge the extinguishing material into the interior volume, providing preliminary prepared fire suppression that prevents fire spread without requiring a large cabinet structure.
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 apparatus effectively contains and extinguishes battery-caused fires, reducing the risk of fire spread to adjacent cabinets and minimizing damage, as demonstrated by temperature reduction from 1300°C to 250°C, maintaining the economic viability of the charging station.
Implementation Method 1
said heat sensitive package is configured to be sufficiently deformed so as to become perforated in at least one package region during exposure to a predetermined fire-induced temperature
Implementation Method 2
said heat sensitive package...is configured to be sufficiently deformed so as to become perforated...when said battery is inflamed
Implementation Method 3
allowing the contained fire extinguishing material to be discharged from said package via a perforation at said at least one package region, to flow into said interior volume, and to extinguish the fire
Data Source
AI summary
Charging station mounted fire extinguishing facilitating apparatus, comprising a plurality of spaced interconnected partitions fixedly mounted at a charging station that define an interior volume within which an electric bicycle battery is introducible and rechargeable, and one or more peripheral cavities in communication with the interior volume, within each of the cavities a sealed heat sensitive package containing a flowable fire extinguishing material is receivable, wherein the heat sensitive package is confined by the partitions defining the cavity within which it is received so as to remain in positional relation with the interior volume and is configured to be sufficiently deformed so as to become perforated in at least one package region during exposure to a predetermined fire-induced temperature when the battery is inflamed, thereby allowing the contained fire extinguishing material to be discharged from the package via a perforation at the at least one package region, to flow into the interior volume, and to extinguish the fire.