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US 2023/0398384 A1Published application
Thermal protection of lithium ion batteries
AssigneeThe Chemours Company Fc, LLC
InventorMARK L. ROBIN
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A method for extinguishing a flame and terminating thermal runaway in a device powered by a lithium ion battery. The disclosure also provides a system for extinguishing fires generated by lithium ion batteries exhibiting thermal runaway.
Claims47
A method for extinguishing a flame and terminating thermal runaway in a device powered by a lithium ion battery, which comprises:
- (a) providing an enclosure;
- (b) providing a device positioned within the enclosure, wherein the device comprises and is powered by a lithium ion battery;
- (c) providing a source of a thermal runaway termination agent, wherein the source comprises a container and a two-way control valve, wherein the container contains the thermal runaway termination agent, the two-way control valve is attached to an opening in the container, and the thermal runaway termination agent comprises HFC-227ea;
- (d) providing a temperature sensitive tube containing an inert gas or a thermal runaway termination agent at a predetermined pressure and temperature suitable for normal operating conditions of the device, wherein the tube has two ends, wherein (i) one end is in communication with the control valve and the other end is capped, (ii) the tube is located within the enclosure and comprises a temperature sensor for detection of a threshold temperature, and (iii) the tube is disposed in proximity to the lithium ion battery;
- and (e) providing a heat stimulus, which generates a flame and initiates thermal runaway, whereupon the temperature sensitive tube ruptures, creating an opening in the temperature sensitive tube and causing release of the inert gas or thermal runaway termination agent within the temperature sensitive tube through the heat stimulus-created opening in the temperature sensitive tube and into the enclosure, resulting in a pressure drop within the temperature sensitive tube which actuates the control valve to deliver the thermal runaway termination agent from the storage container through the control valve to the temperature sensitive tube and out of the heat stimulus-created opening in the temperature sensitive tube and into the enclosure;
- wherein the delivery of the thermal runaway termination agent is characterized by a discharge time, a thermal runaway termination agent concentration, and hold time, thereby extinguishing the flame and terminating thermal runaway and preventing reignition following the extinguishment of the flame.
3 more elements
4-5. (canceled)
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A method for extinguishing a flame and terminating thermal runaway in a device powered by a lithium ion battery, which comprises:
- (a) providing an enclosure;
- (b) providing a device positioned within the enclosure, wherein the device comprises and is powered by a lithium ion battery;
- (c) providing a source of a thermal runaway termination agent, wherein the source comprises a container and a three-way control valve, wherein the container contains the thermal runaway termination agent, the three-way control valve is attached to an opening in the container, and the thermal runaway termination agent comprises HFC-227ea;
- (d) providing a temperature sensitive tube containing an inert gas or a thermal runaway termination agent at a predetermined pressure and temperature suitable for normal operating conditions of the device, wherein the tube has two ends, wherein (i) one end is in communication with the three-way control valve and the other end is capped, (ii) the tube is located within the enclosure and comprises a temperature sensor for detection of a threshold temperature, and (iii) the tube disposed in proximity to the lithium ion battery;
- (e) providing a nozzle-connecting tube which is in communication with the three-way control valve on one end and terminates in a nozzle proximal to the lithium ion battery at the other end of the nozzle-connecting tube;
- and (f) providing a heat stimulus, which generates a flame and initiates thermal runaway, whereupon the temperature sensitive tube ruptures, creating an opening in the temperature sensitive tube (“heat stimulus-created opening”) and causing release of the inert gas or thermal runaway termination agent within the temperature sensitive tube through the heat stimulus-created opening in the temperature sensitive tube and into the enclosure, resulting in a pressure drop within the temperature sensitive tube which actuates the three-way control valve to deliver the thermal runaway termination agent from the storage container through the three-way control valve to the nozzle-connecting tube, resulting in the release of the thermal runaway termination agent from the nozzle into the enclosure;
- wherein the delivery of the thermal runaway termination agent is characterized by a discharge time, a thermal runaway termination agent concentration, and hold time, thereby extinguishing the flame and terminating thermal runaway and preventing reignition following the extinguishment of the flame.
4 more elements
11-12. (canceled)
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20-23. (canceled)
26-27. (canceled)
29-30. (canceled)
32-33. (canceled)
35-36. (canceled)
A fire protection system which comprises:
- (a) an enclosure;
- (b) a device, positioned within the enclosure, wherein the device comprises and is powered by a lithium ion battery;
- (c) a source of a thermal runaway termination agent, wherein the source comprises a container and a two-way control valve, wherein the container contains the thermal runaway termination agent, the two-way control valve is attached to an opening in the container, and the thermal runaway termination agent comprises HFC-227ea;
- and (d) a temperature sensitive tube containing an inert gas or a thermal runaway termination agent at a predetermined pressure and temperature suitable for normal operating conditions of the device, wherein the tube has two ends, wherein (i) one end is in communication with the two-way control valve and the other end is capped, (ii) the tube is located within the enclosure and comprises a temperature sensor for detection of a threshold temperature, and (iii) the tube is disposed in proximity to the lithium ion battery, and the tube is burstable upon sensing a threshold temperature.
1 more element
40-42. (canceled)
A fire protection system which comprises:
- (a) an enclosure;
- (b) a device, positioned within the enclosure, wherein the device comprises and is powered by a lithium ion battery;
- (c) a source of a thermal runaway termination agent, wherein the source comprises a container and a three-way control valve, wherein the container contains the thermal runaway termination agent, the three-way control valve is attached to an opening in the container, and the thermal runaway termination agent comprises HFC-227ea;
- and (d) a temperature sensitive tube containing an inert gas or a thermal runaway termination agent at a predetermined pressure and temperature suitable for normal operating conditions of the device, wherein the temperature sensitive tube has two ends, wherein (i) one end is in communication with the three-way control valve and the other end is capped, (ii) the temperature sensitive tube is located within the enclosure and comprises a temperature sensor for detection of a threshold temperature, and (iii) the temperature sensitive tube disposed in proximity to the lithium ion battery, and the temperature sensitive tube is burstable upon sensing a threshold temperature;
- and (e) a nozzle-connecting tube which is in communication with the three-way control valve on one end and terminates in a nozzle proximal to the lithium ion battery at the other end of the nozzle-connecting tube.
2 more elements
46-47. (canceled)
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Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.