EP-4738526-A1 - SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR DIFFERENTIATING VENT CONDITION AND LEAKAGE CONDITION IN A BATTERY PACK

EP4738526A1EP 4738526 A1EP4738526 A1EP 4738526A1EP-4738526-A1

Abstract

A system to differentiate between a vent condition and a leakage condition of electrolyte vapors released from a battery pack is disclosed. The system comprises a sensing element having a polymer support to detect a concentration of the electrolyte vapors, a heating element positioned and configured to heat the polymer support of the sensing element to evaporate electrolyte from the polymer support, at least one processor communicatively coupled with the sensing element and the heating element to activate and subsequently deactivate the heating element for an amount of time, determine the vent condition when the concentration of the electrolyte vapors exceeds a threshold level within a predefined time interval after the deactivation of the heating element, determine the leakage condition when the concentration of the electrolyte vapors does not exceed the threshold level within the predefined time interval.

Inventors

FOLEY, Thomas Mark
PRATT, KEITH FRANCIS EDWIN
CHAPPLES, JOHN

Assignees

Life Safety Distribution GmbH

Dates

Publication Date: 20260506
Application Date: 20251001

Claims (15)

A system to differentiate between a vent condition and a leakage condition of electrolyte vapors released from a battery pack, the system comprising: a sensing element configured to detect a concentration of the electrolyte vapors released from the battery pack, wherein the sensing element comprising a polymer support; a heating element positioned and configured to heat the polymer support of the sensing element to evaporate electrolyte from the polymer support; and at least one processor communicatively coupled with the sensing element and the heating element, wherein the at least one processor is configured to: activate the heating element for an amount of time and subsequently deactivate the heating element; determine the vent condition in an instance in which the concentration of the electrolyte vapors exceeds a threshold level within a predefined time interval after the deactivation of the heating element; and determine the leakage condition in an instance in which the concentration of the electrolyte vapors does not exceed the threshold level within the predefined time interval.
The system of claim 1, wherein the at least one processor is configured to trigger an alarm via an alarm unit communicatively coupled to the at least one processor in an instance in which the vent condition is determined.
The system of claim 2, wherein the concentration of the electrolyte vapors increases rapidly during the vent condition as compared to the concentration of the electrolyte vapors during the leakage condition.
The system of claim 2, wherein the at least one processor is configured to iteratively: activate the heating element for the amount of time; and subsequently deactivate the heating element for a second amount of time, wherein the second amount of time is less than or equal to the predefined time interval to prevent the concentration of the electrolyte vapors from exceeding the threshold level and to prevent triggering of the alarm by the alarm unit when there is the leakage condition of the electrolyte vapors being released from the battery pack.
The system of claim 1, wherein the amount of time that the heating element is activated by the at least one processor is sufficient to evaporate the electrolyte from the polymer support of the sensing element.
The system of claim 5, wherein the heating element is configured to increase temperature of the polymer support of the sensing element by a set temperature that is sufficient to evaporate the electrolyte from the polymer support of the sensing element.
The system of claim 1, wherein the polymer support is positioned to and configured to absorb the electrolyte vapors that are released from the battery pack.
The system of claim 1, wherein the heating element comprises a Micro-Electro-Mechanical Systems (MEMS) heater.
The system of claim 1, wherein the heating element is positioned to heat the polymer support by being positioned locally to, in contact with, co-planar with, or under the sensing element.
The system of claim 1, wherein the predefined time interval is greater than five minutes.
A method for differentiating between a vent condition and a leakage condition of electrolyte vapors released from a battery pack comprising: detecting, via a sensing element, a concentration of the electrolyte vapors released from the battery pack, wherein the sensing element comprising a polymer support; heating, via a heating element positioned with the polymer support of the sensing element, the polymer support to evaporate electrolyte from the polymer support; activating, via at least one processor communicatively coupled with the sensing element and the heating element, the heating element for an amount of time and subsequently deactivate the heating element; determining, via the at least one processor, the vent condition in which the concentration of the electrolyte vapors exceeds a threshold level within a predefined time interval, after the deactivation of the heating element; and determining, via the at least one processor, the leakage condition in an instance in which the concentration of the electrolyte vapors does not exceed the threshold level within the predefined time interval.
The method of claim 11, further comprising triggering via the at least one processor, an alarm via an alarm unit communicatively coupled to the at least one processor, in an instance in which the vent condition is determined.
The method of claim 12, wherein the concentration of the electrolyte vapors increases rapidly during the vent condition as compared to the concentration of the electrolyte vapors during the leakage condition.
The method of claim 12, further comprising: activating, via the at least one processor, the heating element for the amount of time; and subsequently deactivating, via the at least one processor, the heating element, for a second amount of time, wherein the second amount of time is less than or equal to the predefined time interval to prevent the concentration of the electrolyte vapors from exceeding the threshold level and to prevent triggering of the alarm by the alarm unit when there is the leakage condition of the electrolyte vapors being released from the battery pack.
The method of claim 11, wherein the amount of time that the heating element is activated by the at least one processor is sufficient to evaporate the electrolyte from the polymer support of the sensing element.

Description

TECHNOLOGICAL FIELD Example embodiments of the present disclosure generally relates to a system for battery pack, and more particularly relates to a system and a method for differentiating between a vent condition and a leakage condition of electrolyte vapors released from the battery pack. BACKGROUND In battery packs such as lithium-ion battery packs, traces of electrolyte vapor are sometimes released due to leakage and/or the venting of the electrolyte vapor. During a vent condition within the battery pack, a higher concentration of the electrolyte vapor is released than during a leakage condition. Conventional sensors, however, struggle to distinguish between leakage and vent conditions in the battery packs. The inventors have identified numerous areas of improvement in the existing technologies and processes, which are the subjects of embodiments described herein. Through applied effort, ingenuity, and innovation, many of these deficiencies, challenges, and problems have been solved by developing solutions that are included in embodiments of the present disclosure, some examples of which are described in detail herein. BRIEF SUMMARY The following presents a simplified summary in order to provide a basic understanding of some aspects of the present disclosure. This summary is not an extensive overview and is intended to neither identify key or critical elements nor delineate the scope of such elements. Its purpose is to present some concepts of the described features in a simplified form as a prelude to the more detailed description that is presented later. In an example embodiment, a system to differentiate between a vent condition and a leakage condition of electrolyte vapors released from a battery pack is disclosed. The system comprises a sensing element configured to detect a concentration of the electrolyte vapors released from the battery pack. Further, the sensing element comprises a polymer support. The system further comprises a heating element positioned and configured to heat the polymer support of the sensing element to evaporate electrolyte from the polymer support and at least one processor communicatively coupled with the sensing element and the heating element. Further, the at least one processor is configured to activate the heating element for an amount of time and subsequently deactivate the heating element, determine the vent condition in an instance in which the concentration of the electrolyte vapors exceeds a threshold level within a predefined time interval after the deactivation of the heating element, and determine the leakage condition in an instance in which the concentration of the electrolyte vapors does not exceed the threshold level within the predefined time interval. In some embodiments, the at least one processor is configured to trigger an alarm via an alarm unit communicatively coupled to the at least one processor in an instance in which the vent condition is determined. In some embodiments, the concentration of the electrolyte vapors increases rapidly during the vent condition as compared to the concentration of the electrolyte vapors during the leakage condition. In some embodiments, the at least one processor is further configured to iteratively activate the heating element for the amount of time, and subsequently deactivate the heating element for a second amount of time. Further, the second amount of time is less than or equal to the predefined time interval to prevent the concentration of the electrolyte vapors from exceeding the threshold level and to prevent triggering of the alarm by the alarm unit when there is the leakage condition of the electrolyte vapors being released from the battery pack. In some embodiments, the amount of time that the heating element is activated by the at least one processor is sufficient to evaporate the electrolyte from the polymer support of the sensing element. In some embodiments, the heating element is configured to increase temperature of the polymer support of the sensing element by a set temperature that is sufficient to evaporate the electrolyte from the polymer support of the sensing element. In some embodiments, the polymer support is positioned to and configured to absorb the electrolyte vapors that are released from the battery pack. In some embodiments, the heating element comprises a Micro-Electro-Mechanical Systems (MEMS) heater. In some embodiments, the heating element is positioned to heat the polymer support by being positioned locally to, in contact with, co-planar with, or under the sensing element. In some embodiments, the predefined time interval is greater than five minutes. In another example embodiment, a method is disclosed. The method comprising steps of detecting, via a sensing element, a concentration of the electrolyte vapors released from the battery pack, wherein the sensing element comprising a polymer support, heating, via a heating element positioned with the polymer support of the sensing ele