Thermal-Expandable Layer Interrupts Battery Heat
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing battery technologies fail to effectively suppress anomalous heat generation, which can lead to overheating, fires, and smoke emission, particularly during short-circuiting or overcharging, due to limitations in thermal management and electroconductivity.
Innovation Solution
A battery configuration featuring a first current collector, a laminate with active material layers, an electrolyte layer, and a thermal-expandable layer between the current collectors, where the thermal-expandable layer expands to separate the electrolyte and active material layers, interrupting electrical connection and heat transmission when anomalous heat occurs.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If a thermal-expandable layer is added between current collectors to suppress heat generation, then safety against overheating and fires is improved, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The thermal-expandable layer is pre-installed between the current collectors in the battery structure before any abnormal heat generation occurs. When temperature rises beyond a threshold, this pre-positioned layer automatically expands to separate the electrodes and interrupt current flow, preventing fire without requiring external detection or control systems.
Solution Approach 2:
The thermal-expandable layer performs the safety function autonomously based on temperature-induced physical expansion. The material itself responds to heat by expanding and separating the electrodes, eliminating the need for external sensors, control units, or additional safety mechanisms, thus improving reliability without proportionally increasing complexity.
2Speed
If the thermal-expandable layer has high thermal expansion ratio to rapidly separate layers, then heat transmission interruption speed is improved, but manufacturing precision requirements increase
Solution Approach 1:
The thermal-expandable layer is applied selectively only in specific regions between the current collectors where thermal expansion is most effective for safety, rather than uniformly across the entire battery structure. This localized application reduces the overall complexity of manufacturing while maintaining rapid heat interruption capability where it is most needed.
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
This configuration effectively suppresses anomalous heat generation by interrupting electrical current and heat transmission, preventing battery fires and smoke emission by ensuring rapid thermal expansion and separation of critical layers.
Implementation Method 1
the thermal expansion ratio of the thermal-expandable layer is greater than the thermal expansion ratio of the laminate
Data Source
AI summary
A battery includes a first current collector, a laminate disposed on a first region of a surface of the first current collector, a thermal-expandable layer disposed on a second region of the surface of the first current collector, and a second current collector disposed on both of the laminate and the thermal-expandable layer. The laminate includes a first active material layer disposed on the first region, an electrolyte layer disposed on the first active material layer, and a second active material layer disposed on the electrolyte layer. A thermal expansion ratio of the thermal-expandable layer is greater than a thermal expansion ratio of the laminate.