Systems for suppressing adverse exothermic reactions in energy storage containers

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12021272-B2
Application number	US-202217687622-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Mar 5, 2022
Priority date	Apr 6, 2021
Publication date	Jun 25, 2024
Grant date	Jun 25, 2024

Abstract

Systems for suppressing adverse exothermic reactions in an energy storage container. One energy storage system includes a container configured to support a plurality of battery cells; a plurality of battery cells disposed inside and supported by the container; an agent supply port attached to the container; and a tube disposed inside the container and having a closed end and an open end. The open end of the tube is in fluid communication with the agent supply port. The tube comprises fusible portions which are designed to melt or soften at a temperature which is lower than the melting or softening temperature of another portion of the tube. In response to melting or softening of the fusible portions of the tube, pressurized exothermic reaction-suppressing agent is distributed inside the container via the tube.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. An energy storage system comprising:
a container configured to support a plurality of battery cells;
an agent supply port attached to the container;
a plurality of battery cells disposed inside and supported by the container;
a tube disposed inside the container and having a closed end and an open end, the open end of the tube being in fluid communication with the agent supply port, the tube comprising fusible portions which are designed to melt or soften at a temperature which is lower than the melting or softening temperature of another portion of the tube;
an agent manifold connected to the agent supply port and disposed outside the container;
a pressurized container disposed outside the container and containing exothermic reaction-suppressing agent in a fluid state; and
a ∩-shaped pipe having one end in fluid communication with the pressurized container and another end in fluid communication with the agent manifold, the n-shaped pipe being disposed outside the container,
wherein the ∩-shaped pipe is configured such that when the tube, agent manifold, and ∩-shaped pipe are filled with inert ullage gas, the ∩-shaped pipe keeps exothermic reaction-suppressing agent out of the agent manifold until a fusible portion of the tube ruptures.

2. The energy storage system as recited in claim 1 , wherein the other portion of the tube comprises a relatively thicker portion of a wall and the fusible portion of the tube comprises a relatively thinner portion of the wall.

3. The energy storage system as recited in claim 1 , wherein the other portion of the tube comprises a wall having an aperture and the fusible portion of the tube comprises a fusible cover that covers the aperture when a temperature of the fusible cover is lower than a melting or softening temperature of the fusible cover.

4. The energy storage system as recited in claim 1 , wherein the other portion of the tube comprises a wall having first and second apertures and the fusible portion of the tube comprises a strip that covers the first and second apertures when a temperature of the strip is lower than a melting or softening temperature of the strip.

5. The energy storage system as recited in claim 4 , further comprising a heating element attached to the strip.

6. The energy storage system as recited in claim 5 , wherein the tube is made of an aluminum alloy, the strip is made of a tin alloy, and the heating element is made of nichrome.

7. The energy storage system as recited in claim 5 , further comprising a switch electrically connected to the heating element, a power supply electrically connected to the switch, and a controller electrically connected to and configured to control a state of the switch.

8. The energy storage system as recited in claim 7 , further comprising a detector electrically connected to the controller and configured to output an electrical signal to the controller in response to an occurrence of an adverse exothermic reaction inside the container.

9. The energy storage system as recited in claim 1 , wherein the container is configured to define a vent plenum, the system further comprising a vent in fluid communication with the vent plenum, wherein the tube occupies space in the vent plenum.

10. The energy storage system as recited in claim 9 , wherein the container comprises a tray that supports the plurality of battery cells and a cover that partly defines the vent plenum, the system further comprising an edge seal disposed between the tray and the cover and integrally formed with the tube.

11. The energy storage system as recited in claim 1 , wherein the plurality of battery cells comprises first through fourth battery cells arranged in a 2×2 array, the tube being disposed at a center of the 2×2 array and parallel to the first through fourth battery cells.

12. An energy storage system comprising:
a container configured to support a plurality of battery cells;
an agent supply port attached to the container;
a plurality of battery cells disposed inside and supported by the container;
an agent plenum in fluid communication with the agent supply port;
a plurality of tubes disposed inside the container and in fluid communication with the agent plenum, wherein each tube is made of a first material having a first melting temperature and each tube comprises a closed end and a wall having a plurality of apertures;
a plurality of strips which are respectively attached to the plurality of tubes and which respectively cover the plurality of apertures, wherein each strip is made of a second material having a second melting temperature which is lower than the first melting temperature;
an agent manifold connected to the agent supply port and disposed outside the container;
a pressurized container disposed outside the container and containing exothermic reaction-suppressing agent in a fluid state; and
a ∩-shaped pipe having one end in fluid communication with the pressurized container and having another end in fluid communication with the agent manifold, wherein the ∩-shaped pipe is disposed outside the container,
wherein the ∩-shaped pipe is configured such that when the tube, agent manifold, and ∩-shaped pipe are filled with inert ullage gas, the ∩-shaped pipe keeps exothermic reaction-suppressing agent out of the agent manifold until at least one of the apertures of the tube is uncovered.

13. The energy storage system as recited in claim 12 , further comprising a plurality of heating elements respectively attached to the plurality of strips.

14. The energy storage system as recited in claim 13 , wherein the tubes are made of an aluminum alloy, the strips are made of a tin alloy, and the heating elements are made of nichrome.

15. The energy storage system as recited in claim 13 , further comprising a plurality of switches electrically respectively connected to the plurality of heating elements, a power supply electrically connected to the plurality of switches, and a controller electrically connected to and configured to control states of the plurality of switches.

16. The energy storage system as recited in claim 15 , further comprising a detector electrically connected to the controller and configured to output an electrical signal to the controller in response to an occurrence of an adverse exothermic reaction inside the container.

17. An energy storage system comprising:
a plurality of containers, each container being configured to support a respective plurality of battery cells;
a respective agent supply port attached to a respective one of the plurality of containers;
a respective plurality of battery cells disposed inside and supported by a respective one of the plurality of containers;
a respective tube disposed inside a respective one of the plurality of containers and in fluid communication with the respective agent supply port, wherein each tube has a closed end and an open end, the open end of the tube being in fluid communication with the agent supply port, the tube comprising fusible portions which are designed to melt or soften at a temperature which is lower than the melting or softening temperature of another portion of the tube;
an agent manifold connected to the plurality of agent supply ports and disposed outside the containers;
a pressurized container disposed outside the container and containing exothermic reaction-suppressing agent in a fluid state; and
a pipe having one end in fluid communication with the pressurized container and another end in fluid communication with the agent manifold, the pipe being disposed outside the containers

Assignees

• Boeing Co

Inventors

• Griffin Stephen D
• Ferguson Douglas E
• Kutzmann Aaron J
• Trela John A
• Lacaux Frederic

Classifications

• Y02E60/10

  Energy storage using batteries · CPC title

• H01M2200/10

  Temperature sensitive devices · CPC title

• H01M10/482

  for several batteries or cells simultaneously or sequentially · CPC title

• H01M50/627

  Filling ports · CPC title

• H01M50/213

  adapted for cells having curved cross-section, e.g. round or elliptic (H01M50/209, H01M50/216 take precedence) · CPC title