A battery module includes a first battery cell and a second battery cell respectively having a positive electrode lead and a negative electrode lead and connected to each other in series; and a short circuit inducing member having one longitudinal side interposed between the negative electrode lead of the first battery cell and the positive electrode lead of the second battery cell and the other longitudinal side located between the positive electrode lead of the first battery cell and the negative electrode lead of the second battery cell. When a potential difference between the negative electrode lead of the first battery cell and the positive electrode lead of the second battery cell increases over a reference value, the other longitudinal side of the short circuit inducing member makes flexural deformation toward the negative electrode lead of the second battery cell to come into contact with the negative electrode lead.

A battery module includes a first battery cell and a second battery cell respectively having a positive electrode lead and a negative electrode lead and connected to each other in series; and a short circuit inducing member having one longitudinal side interposed between the negative electrode lead of the first battery cell and the positive electrode lead of the second battery cell and the other longitudinal side located between the positive electrode lead of the first battery cell and the negative electrode lead of the second battery cell. When a potential difference between the negative electrode lead of the first battery cell and the positive electrode lead of the second battery cell increases over a reference value, the other longitudinal side of the short circuit inducing member makes flexural deformation toward the negative electrode lead of the second battery cell to come into contact with the negative electrode lead.

A battery pack includes at least one battery module including a plurality of battery cells, and a module housing to receive the plurality of battery cells, at least one thermoelectric module disposed outside or inside of the module housing of the battery module and configured to generate voltage when a temperature of the battery module rises to a predetermined temperature or above, and an energy drain unit configured to discharge the battery module when a predetermined magnitude of voltage or above is applied from the thermoelectric module.

A battery system may include multiple battery cells grouped into modules. Each battery module may have a diffuser plate to direct the hot gases and molten material that are ejected during cell failure. The gas and material may be directed away from the nearest neighboring cells in the event of a single cell thermal runaway. Residual thermal energy is wicked away, absorbed or contained to keep heat away from the neighboring cells. These and other features may manage the blast energy and residual thermal energy of a single cell failure event. This may prevent a cascading failure of the larger battery system, thereby mitigating the risk of injury to personnel and property.

In a battery heating system an inverter includes a first-phase bridge arm, a second-phase bridge arm and a third-phase bridge arm connected in parallel, each of a upper bridge arm and a lower bridge arm is provided with a switch module, the switch module is connected in parallel with a buffer module; and a motor controller in the inverter is provided for providing driving signals to the switch module of a target upper bridge arm and the switch module of a target lower bridge arm to control the switch module of the upper bridge arm of any bridge arm among the three phases of bridge arms and the switch module of the lower bridge arm of at least one bridge arm among the bridge arms except the bridge arm where the switch module of the target upper bridge arm is located to be periodically turned on and off.

The present invention provides an electrode assembly comprising: a radical unit provided with first and second electrodes stacked with a separator therebetween, wherein the first electrode is stacked at the outermost side; and a safety unit disposed on the outermost surface of the radical unit, wherein the safety unit comprises: a first safety plate disposed above the outermost surface of the radical unit; and a first semiconductor material provided between the radical unit and the first safety plate, wherein the first semiconductor material changes from an insulator to a conductor at the first set temperature or more to connect the radical unit to the first safety plate, thereby dissipating heat of the radical unit while conducting the heat to the first safety plate.

The present invention provides an electrode assembly comprising: a radical unit provided with first and second electrodes stacked with a separator therebetween, wherein the first electrode is stacked at the outermost side; and a safety unit disposed on the outermost surface of the radical unit, wherein the safety unit comprises: a first safety plate disposed above the outermost surface of the radical unit; and a first semiconductor material provided between the radical unit and the first safety plate, wherein the first semiconductor material changes from an insulator to a conductor at the first set temperature or more to connect the radical unit to the first safety plate, thereby dissipating heat of the radical unit while conducting the heat to the first safety plate.

A vehicle includes an electric machine, a battery, an inverter, and a controller. The controller switches the inverter at a switching frequency selected to generate an AC current to heat the battery, adjusts a d-axis current of the electric machine to increase a battery heating power, and adjusts a q-axis current of the electric machine according to the adjusted d-axis current.

A vehicle includes an electric machine, a battery, an inverter, and a controller. The controller switches the inverter at a switching frequency selected to generate an AC current to heat the battery, adjusts a d-axis current of the electric machine to increase a battery heating power, and adjusts a q-axis current of the electric machine according to the adjusted d-axis current.

Presented are passive temperature control systems for thermal management of electrical components, methods for making/using such thermal management systems, and aircraft equipped with smart-material activated temperature control systems for passive cooling of battery modules. A thermal management system is presented for passively cooling an electrical component stored inside a module housing. The thermal management system includes a cooling chamber that movably attaches adjacent a module housing that contains an electrical component, such as a rechargeable battery module. The cooling chamber contains a sublimable cooling agent, such as dry ice. A biasing member biases the cooling chamber away from the module housing. A smart material actuator is attached to and interposed between the cooling chamber and module housing. The smart material actuator extracts thermal energy from the module housing and, once heated to a phase transformation temperature, contracts and thereby pulls the cooling chamber into contact with the module housing.