Thermo-sensitive Panel for UAV Battery Venting
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Existing battery condition monitors cannot distinguish between an overcharged battery with internal failure and a normal battery before discharge, posing a risk of hydrogen off-gassing, overheating, or fire, especially in vehicles with high-energy density batteries where a single failure can lead to combustion of multiple batteries.
Innovation Solution
A thermally sensitive panel in a sealed container that crumbles or ruptures upon heat exposure, creating an opening for gas venting, combined with sensors and electrical isolation systems to detect thermal failures and prevent fire propagation, allowing for safe operation and containment of hot gases.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If a sealed container is used to contain battery cells, then fire propagation is prevented, but thermal events cannot escape and may lead to internal pressure buildup
Solution Approach 1:
A thermo-sensitive panel is introduced as an intermediary component between the sealed container interior and exterior. This panel remains intact under normal conditions to maintain sealing but automatically activates under thermal stress to create venting openings, mediating between the conflicting requirements of sealing and pressure relief
Solution Approach 2:
The panel's physical state changes in response to temperature parameter changes. At normal temperatures, the panel maintains its structural integrity to seal the container. When temperature exceeds a threshold, the panel undergoes thermal degradation to create openings, allowing the system to adapt to thermal conditions
2Loss of information
If electronic battery condition monitors are used, then battery status can be tracked, but they cannot distinguish between overcharged batteries with internal failure and normally operating batteries before discharge
Solution Approach 1:
The thermo-sensitive panel serves as a passive intermediary that translates internal battery thermal conditions into visible external indicators. When a battery becomes overcharged or fails internally, the panel responds to the resulting temperature increase by changing state, providing measurable information about battery health without requiring complex electronic sensing
Solution Approach 2:
The patent replaces complex electronic monitoring and diagnosis systems with a simple thermal-mechanical indicator system. Instead of using electronics to detect and interpret battery failure modes, the system uses the natural thermal response of battery failure to directly drive a mechanical/physical change in the panel that indicates problematic conditions
3Reliability
If fire suppression systems are installed in vehicles, then battery fires can be suppressed, but the mass overhead is not appropriate for smaller vehicles
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts the fire suppression function from heavy active systems and implements it through passive architectural features. The sealed container with thermo-sensitive panel provides fire containment and thermal management through its structure alone, eliminating the need for active fire suppression systems with their associated weight
Solution Approach 2:
The container structure serves multiple functions simultaneously: it provides mechanical containment, thermal isolation, and automatic venting without requiring external active systems. The system uses the thermal energy from battery failure itself to trigger the venting mechanism, making the structure self-regulating
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 solution effectively prevents the escalation of thermal events into fires by venting gases outside the vehicle, reducing the risk of battery compartment ignition and maintaining system safety during flight or operation.
Implementation Method 1
A (e.g., thermo-sensitive) panel. Any portion of the panel exposed to sufficient heat crumbles or ruptures (e.g., without burning) creating an opening in the wall portion
Data Source
AI summary
The present invention extends to a container venting system. A wall portion of a container includes a (e.g., thermo-sensitive) panel. Any portion of the panel exposed to sufficient heat crumbles or ruptures (e.g., without burning) creating an opening in the wall portion. In one aspect, a container is included in a vehicle (e.g., an Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV)). The container includes a panel in an external wall of the vehicle. Any portion of the panel exposed to sufficient heat crumbles to create an opening in the external wall of the vehicle. A container can be a sealed container with the panel sealed to the wall portion or to the external wall of the vehicle. The interior of the sealed container can contain a battery cell. Creating an opening allows gases to vent out of the sealed container and/or to vent outside of the vehicle.