Self-Activated Battery Drain Device for Coolant Leakage
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Solution Overview
Problem
High voltage battery cooling systems face risks of liquid coolant leakage leading to electrical shorts, arcing, and potential explosions due to the inability to automatically and safely drain leaked coolant, requiring expert intervention and posing safety hazards in vehicles.
Innovation Solution
A self-activating drain device with a dissolvable element that reacts to liquid coolant, opening a valve to expel the leaking fluid and preventing contact with internal electrical components, while also detecting and reporting the leak to the battery management system to initiate safety measures.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Temperature
If a liquid coolant cooling system is used for high voltage batteries, then battery thermal management and performance are improved, but the risk of electrical shorts, arcing, and explosion increases due to potential coolant leakage
Solution Approach 1:
The battery system is divided into separate compartments: a first compartment for the high voltage battery and a second compartment for the liquid coolant. This physical segmentation prevents direct contact between the coolant and electrical components, eliminating the risk of electrical shorts and arcing while maintaining effective thermal management through the divided cooling system.
Solution Approach 2:
A partition wall with a fluid communication aperture acts as an intermediary structure between the battery compartment and coolant compartment. The aperture allows thermal energy to transfer from the battery to the coolant while the partition wall itself prevents direct liquid contact with electrical components, thus mediating both cooling and isolation functions simultaneously.
2Loss of substance
If manual draining of leaked coolant is performed, then coolant removal is achieved, but expert knowledge and external intervention are required, increasing response time and complexity
Solution Approach 1:
The drain valve is configured to automatically open and drain leaked coolant from the battery compartment without requiring external intervention. The system self-activates when coolant leaks into the battery compartment, eliminating the need for expert knowledge or manual operation while efficiently removing the leaked substance.
Solution Approach 2:
The manual mechanical draining operation is replaced with an automatic detection and activation system. Sensors detect coolant leakage and trigger the drain valve to open automatically, substituting the complex manual process with an automated electromechanical or electronic system that simplifies operation while maintaining effective coolant removal.
3Object-affected harmful factors
If containment structures are added to prevent coolant spread, then electrical component protection is improved, but device complexity and manufacturing difficulty increase
Solution Approach 1:
The partition wall serves multiple functions simultaneously: it provides structural support for the battery system, acts as a containment barrier to prevent coolant spread, and includes an integrated fluid communication aperture for thermal management. This multi-functionality reduces overall system complexity compared to adding separate containment structures.
Solution Approach 2:
The containment function is merged with the thermal management system by integrating the fluid communication aperture directly into the partition wall structure. This combination eliminates the need for separate containment vessels or additional complex isolation mechanisms, achieving both protection and cooling with a unified simplified 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 system effectively contains and expunges leaking coolant, protecting internal components and ensuring safety by automatically draining the liquid, reducing the risk of electrical hazards and enabling timely vehicle responses to mitigate potential damage.
Implementation Method 1
an absorbing material that in an expanded state causes the membrane to be opened
Data Source
AI summary
A method of managing leakage of liquid inside a battery system comprises: containing leaking liquid in a non-liquid sensitive region of the battery system so as to protect internal electrical components of the battery system from coming in contact with the leaking liquid; and in direct response to the leakage, expunging the leaking liquid from the battery system. A drain device includes: a body with a port therethrough, the body configured to be positioned in a wall of a container; means for opening the port in response to a first liquid contacting the drain device on an inside of the container; and means for resisting ingress into the container by a second liquid that contacts the drain device on an outside of the container.