# US 2017/0288186 A1 · Thermal runaway containment apparatus for a battery

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- Number: US 2017/0288186 A1
- Document ID: US20170288186A1
- Status: Published application
- Kind: A1
- Application number: 15/505,551
- Filed: 2015-08-21
- Published: 2017-10-05
- Earliest claimed: 2014-08-22
- Assignees: Corvus Energy Inc.
- Applicants: Corvus Energy Ltd.
- Inventors: Johannes Christian Kruger; Geoffrey Frederick Crocker
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US20170288186A1

## CPC

- H01M 50/30: Arrangements for facilitating escape of gases
- H01M 10/0525: Rocking-chair batteries, i.e. batteries with lithium insertion or intercalation in both electrodes; Lithium-ion batteries
- H01M 10/613: Cooling or keeping cold
- H01M 10/65: Means for temperature control structurally associated with the cells
- H01M 50/204: Racks, modules or packs for multiple batteries or multiple cells
- H01M 50/24: adapted for protecting batteries from their environment, e.g. from corrosion (thermal insulation H01M10/658)
- H01M 50/271: Lids or covers for the racks or secondary casings
- H01M 2200/00: Safety devices for primary or secondary batteries
- Y02E 60/10: Energy storage using batteries
- H01M: PROCESSES OR MEANS, e.g. BATTERIES, FOR THE DIRECT CONVERSION OF CHEMICAL ENERGY INTO ELECTRICAL ENERGY
- Y02E: REDUCTION OF GREENHOUSE GAS [GHG] EMISSIONS, RELATED TO ENERGY GENERATION, TRANSMISSION OR DISTRIBUTION

## Abstract

A thermal runaway containment apparatus for a battery includes an enclosure base configured to receive a battery therein, an enclosure lid, and a lid constraining structure. The enclosure base has an interconnected floor and side walls, with a top rim defining an open top. The enclosure lid is seatable on the top rim in a seated position that closes the enclosure base. The lid constraining structure is positioned above the lid such that vertical movement of the lid is constrained between the seated position and a maximum partially separated position. When the lid is in the maximum partially separated position, a tortuous flow path into the base is defined; the tortuous flow path allows for venting of pressurized gases out of the enclosure base while impeding inflow of gases at a lower pressure than the pressurized gases into the enclosure base.

## Claims

### Claim 1

A thermal runaway containment apparatus for a battery, comprising:
(a) an enclosure base configured to receive a battery therein, the base having an interconnected floor and side walls, with a top rim defining an open top;
(b) an enclosure lid seatable on the top rim in a seated position that closes the enclosure base;
(c) a lid constraining structure positioned above the lid such that vertical movement of the lid is constrained between the seated position and a maximum partially separated position; and
(d) when the lid is in the maximum partially separated position, a tortuous flow path into the base, the tortuous flow path allowing for venting of pressurized gases out of the enclosure base while impeding inflow of gases at a lower pressure than the pressurized gases into the enclosure base.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The apparatus of claim 1 further comprising a releasable coupling which physically couples the lid to the base in the seated position, and is configured to release the lid from the base when an internal pressure caused by a thermal runaway event inside the enclosure exceeds a threshold release pressure.

### Claim 3 (depends on 1)

The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the lid constraining structure comprises a rack shelf member of a rack assembly in which the enclosure is mounted, the rack shelf member extending above and across at least part of the lid.

### Claim 4 (depends on 1)

The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the lid constraining structure comprises a closed strap that vertically circumscribes the lid and base, the strap having a length that constrains the vertical movement of the lid between the seated and the maximum partially separated positions.

### Claim 5 (depends on 1)

The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the lid constraining structure further comprises means for constraining the lateral movement of the lid, such that the lid can only move substantially in the vertical direction.

### Claim 6 (depends on 1)

The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the lid comprises a horizontal section and at least one vertical section extending downwardly from the vertical section, and the base comprises a lip extending upwardly from the base side walls with the rim extending laterally around the lip, and wherein the lip and at least one lid vertical section vertically overlap and are laterally spaced from each other in both the lid seated and maximum partially separated positions, thereby defining at least part of the tortuous flow path.

### Claim 7 (depends on 6)

The apparatus of claim 6 wherein the rim extends laterally outwards around the lip and the at least one lid vertical section is laterally spaced from the rim to define a venting gap, and wherein the venting gap defines at least part of the tortuous flow path when the lid is in the maximum partially separated position.

### Claim 8 (depends on 7)

The apparatus of claim 7 further comprising a gasket between the inside surface of the lid horizontal section and the rim such that the gasket establishes a fluid tight seal between the rim and the lid when the lid is in the seated position.

### Claim 9 (depends on 2)

The apparatus of claim 2 wherein the releasable coupling comprises at least one embossment extending laterally inwards from at least one of the lid vertical sections and frictionally engages an adjacent lip when the lid is in the seated position.

### Claim 10 (depends on 9)

An apparatus as claimed in claim 9 wherein the releasable coupling comprises a row of embossments extending laterally inwards from each vertical section of the lid and frictionally engages each adjacent lip of the base when the lid is in the seated position.

### Claim 11

A thermal runaway containment apparatus for a lithium ion battery, comprising:
(a) at least one enclosure, comprising:
an enclosure base configured to receive a lithium ion battery therein, the base having an interconnected floor and side walls and an open top;
(ii) an enclosure lid configured to establish a fluid tight seal with the base when the lid is in a seated position on the top of the base, and to define a venting gap between the lid and base when the lid is in a top separated position above the top of the base; and
(iii) a releasable coupling which couples the lid to the base in the seated position, and is configured to release the lid from the base when an internal pressure caused by a thermal runaway event inside the enclosure exceeds a threshold release pressure; and
(b) a rack assembly comprising interconnected vertical upright and horizontal shelf members that form at least one slot for housing at least one of the enclosures, wherein the height of the at least one slot is selected such that for at least one of the enclosures mounted in the at least one slot, the vertical movement of the lid is constrained between the seated position and the top separated position.

### Claim 12 (depends on 11)

The apparatus of claim 11 wherein the rack assembly comprises multiple slots, and each slot houses one of the enclosures.

### Claim 13 (depends on 11)

The apparatus of claim 11 wherein for the at least one enclosure, the base further comprises a lip extending upwards from a top of the side walls, and the lip comprises a rim that extends horizontally around the periphery of the side wall; and wherein the lid comprises a horizontal section and vertical sections extending downwards from the horizontal section, such that there is a vertical overlap between the vertical sections of the lip and the lip of the base when the lid is in each of the seated and top separated positions.

### Claim 14 (depends on 13)

The apparatus of claim 13 wherein at least one of the vertical sections of the lip is laterally spaced from an adjacent lip of the base, thereby defining a venting gap, and wherein the horizontal section of the lid is seated on the rim when the lid is in the seated position thereby closing the venting gap, and wherein the horizontal section of the lid is separated from the rim when the lid is in the separated position thereby opening the venting gap.

### Claim 15 (depends on 14)

The apparatus of claim 14 further comprising a gasket attached to the inside surface of the horizontal section of the rim such that the gasket establishes a fluid tight seal between the rim and the lid when the lid is in the seated position.

### Claim 16 (depends on 11)

The apparatus of claim 11 wherein the releasable coupling comprises at least one embossment extending laterally inwards from at least one of the rims and frictionally engages an adjacent lip of the base when the lid is in the seated position.

### Claim 17 (depends on 16)

The apparatus of claim 16 wherein the releasable coupling comprises a row of embossments extending laterally inwards from each vertical section of the lid and frictionally engaging each adjacent lip of the base when the lid is in the seated position.