Bi-material electric vehicle battery disconnect
An electric vehicle battery disconnect bracket configured disconnect one or more battery cells or modules experiencing a thermal event within a battery pack to mitigate propagation of the thermal event throughout the battery pack, including a bracket body formed of a first material on a first major surface of the body, and a second material on an opposing second major surface of the body, the first material having a larger coefficient of thermal expansion than the second material, such that an increase in temperature above a defined threshold experienced by the body causes the first material to expand more than the second material, thereby transitioning the body from a first equilibrium state representing a closed, conductive position to a second equilibrium state representing an open, isolation position.
1. An electric vehicle battery disconnect bracket configured disconnect one or more battery cells or modules experiencing a thermal event within a battery pack to mitigate propagation of the thermal event throughout the battery pack, the bracket comprising:
a bracket body formed of a first material on a first major surface of the body, and a second material on an opposing second major surface of the body, the first material having a larger coefficient of thermal expansion than the second material, wherein an increase in temperature above a defined threshold experienced by the body causes the first material to expand more than the second material, wherein the bracket body is configured to, upon exceeding said defined threshold, transition from a first equilibrium state representing a closed, conductive position to a second equilibrium state representing an open, isolation position.
2. The electric vehicle battery disconnect bracket of claim 1 , wherein the first material comprises at least one of a metal, alloy, polymer, or composite, and the second material comprises at least one of an electrically conductive metal having a different coefficient of thermal expansion than the first material.
3. The electric vehicle battery disconnect bracket of claim 2 , wherein the second material comprises at least one of a copper or aluminum alloy.
4. The electric vehicle battery disconnect bracket of claim 1 , wherein the bracket is a bistable, bimetallic element.
5. The electric vehicle battery disconnect bracket of claim 1 , wherein the bracket is tuned to transition from the first equilibrium state to the second equilibrium state at a designated temperature in a range of between about 100° C. and about 180° C.
6. The electric vehicle battery disconnect bracket of claim 1 , wherein the bracket is tuned to transition from the first equilibrium state to the second equilibrium state at a temperature above about 140° C.
7. The electric vehicle battery disconnect bracket of claim 6 , wherein the bracket is configured to transition from the second equilibrium state to the first equilibrium state at a temperature below about 140° C.
8. An electric vehicle battery disconnect system configured to disconnect one or more battery cells or modules experiencing a thermal event within a battery pack to mitigate propagation of the thermal event, the system comprising:
an electronic control unit; and
a deformable connection body formed of a first material on a first major surface of the body, and a second material on an opposing second major surface of the body, the first material having a larger coefficient of thermal expansion than the second material, wherein an increase in temperature above a defined threshold experienced by the body causes the first material to expand more than the second material, wherein a bracket is configured to, upon exceeding said defined threshold, transition from a first equilibrium state representing a closed, conductive position configured to electrically couple a first terminal of a first battery cell or module to a second terminal of a second battery cell or module to a second equilibrium state representing an open, isolation position configured to decouple the first terminal from the second terminal to at least partially isolate one cell of the one or more battery cells,
wherein in the second equilibrium state the body is further configured to close a circuit of the electronic control unit, enabling the electronic control unit to perform one or more functions on the at least partially isolated cell.
9. The electric vehicle battery disconnect system of claim 8 , wherein the deformable connection body is tuned to transition from the first equilibrium state to the second equilibrium state at a temperature above about 140° C.
10. The electric vehicle battery disconnect system of claim 8 , wherein the deformable connection body is configured to transition from the second equilibrium state to the first equilibrium state at a temperature below about 140° C.
11. The electric vehicle battery disconnect system of claim 8 , wherein the deformable connection body is tuned to transition from the first equilibrium state to the second equilibrium state at a designated temperature in a range of between about 100° C. and about 180° C.
12. The electric vehicle battery disconnect system of claim 8 , further comprising one or more sensors configured to sense at least one of a temperature, pressure, voltage, amperage of the at least partially isolated cell.
13. The electric vehicle battery disconnect system of claim 8 , wherein the electronic control unit is configured to evaluate at least one of a temperature, pressure, voltage, amperage of the isolated cell to confirm whether the at least partially isolated cell is experiencing a thermal event.
14. The electric vehicle battery disconnect system of claim 8 , wherein the electronic control unit is configured to rapidly discharge an electrical potential from the at least partially isolated cell through one or more resisters.
15. The electric vehicle battery disconnect system of claim 8 , wherein the electronic control unit is configured to effect a transfer of electrical potential from the at least partially isolated cell to one or more other battery cells within the battery pack.
16. The electric vehicle battery disconnect system of claim 8 , wherein the first material of the deformable connection body comprises at least one of a metal, alloy, polymer, or composite, and the second material of the deformable connection body comprises at least one of an electrically conductive metal having a different coefficient of thermal expansion than the first material.
17. The electric vehicle battery disconnect system of claim 16 , wherein the second material of the deformable connection body comprises at least one of a copper or aluminum alloy.
18. The electric vehicle battery disconnect system of claim 8 , wherein the deformable connection body is a bistable, bimetallic element.
19. An electric vehicle battery disconnect bracket configured disconnect one or more battery cells or modules experiencing a thermal event within a battery pack to mitigate propagation of the thermal event throughout the battery pack, the bracket comprising:
a bracket body formed of a first material on a first major surface of the body, and a second material on an opposing second major surface of the body, the first material having a larger coefficient of thermal expansion than the second material, wherein an increase in temperature above a defined threshold experienced by the body causes the first material to expand more than the second material, wherein the bracket body is configured to, upon exceeding said defined threshold, transition from a first equilibrium state representing a closed, conductive position to a second equilibrium state representing an open, isolation position, wherein the first material comprises at least one of a metal, alloy, polymer, or composite, and the second material comprises at least one of an electrically conductive copper or aluminum alloy having a different coefficient of thermal expansion than the first material, and wherein the bracket is tuned to transition from the first equilibrium state to the second equilibrium state at a designated temperature in a range of between about 100° C. and about 180° C.