Thermal Barrier Shipping Container for Lithium Battery Runaway
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Solution Overview
Problem
Lithium batteries are prone to thermal runaway, which can lead to fires and explosions, posing risks during transportation, especially in aircraft cargo compartments, as existing fire retardant and suppression technologies have not been wholly successful in preventing such incidents.
Innovation Solution
A shipping container with a thermal barrier member using a flowable polymer-based heat absorbing material, such as superabsorbent polymers, to reduce heat transfer between lithium batteries and the environment, thereby containing fires and preventing the spread of heat and pressure.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If fire retardant and suppression technologies are used in existing containers, then fire prevention capability is improved, but they have not been wholly successful in preventing thermal runaway incidents
Solution Approach 1:
A thermal barrier member is introduced as an intermediary component between the lithium batteries and the external environment. This barrier member includes a flowable polymer-based heat absorbing material that absorbs and dissipates heat, preventing direct thermal contact and blocking heat transfer pathways, thereby successfully preventing thermal runaway incidents that existing fire retardant technologies failed to prevent.
Solution Approach 2:
The flowable polymer-based heat absorbing material utilizes phase transition mechanisms to absorb thermal energy. The material transitions from a liquid or semi-liquid state to a gel or solid state upon heating, absorbing large amounts of heat in the process and preventing temperature rise that would lead to thermal runaway, thus improving fire prevention reliability.
2Loss of energy
If thermal barrier member with flowable polymer-based heat absorbing material is used, then heat transfer reduction is improved, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The thermal barrier member is designed as a nested structure where the flame retardant layer is positioned within the container walls, and the flowable polymer-based heat absorbing material is contained within a cavity formed by interior and exterior panels. This nested arrangement effectively reduces heat transfer through multiple layers without requiring a completely new container design, thus limiting the increase in device complexity.
Solution Approach 2:
The thermal barrier member utilizes thin panel structures (interior and exterior panels) that form a cavity for housing the heat absorbing material. These thin film-like structures provide effective thermal blocking while minimizing additional weight and structural complexity, achieving heat transfer reduction without proportionally increasing device complexity.
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 container effectively maintains the external temperature below the combustion threshold of lithium batteries, preventing adjacent containers from igniting, even during intense fires, thus enhancing safety during transportation.
Implementation Method 1
A thermal barrier member (24) including an interior panel (28) and an exterior panel (32) that define a cavity (34), into which a flowable, polymer based heat absorbing material (36) is placed.
Implementation Method 2
The thermal barrier is configured to substantially surround the thermally active materials to reduce the passage of thermal energy between the thermally active materials and the environment in which the shipping container is disposed.
Implementation Method 3
the flowable polymer based heat absorbing material consists essentially of a superabsorbent polymer
Implementation Method 4
The polymer-based heat absorbing material is hydrated with water
Data Source
Figure 1A~1B
Figure 1C~1D
Figure 2A
AI summary
A shipping container (10) for shipping thermally active materials (14) includes a plurality of structural panels (16) that define a container interior (18), and are configured for receiving the thermally active materials (14). The container (10) also includes an exterior disposed adjacent to an environment (E) in which the shipping container (100) is disposed. A thermal barrier member (24) is placeable between the thermally active materials and the environment (E) in which the container is placed. The thermal barrier (10) includes a thermal barrier interior panel (28) and a thermal barrier external panel (32) defining a heat absorbing material receiving cavity (34). A flowable polymer based heat absorbing material is disposed within the heat absorbing material receiving cavity (34). The thermal barrier (24) is configured to substantially surround the thermally active materials (14) to reduce the passage of thermal energy between the thermally active materials (14) and the environment (E) in which the shipping container (100) is disposed.