This application claims priority to and the benefit of Korean Patent Application No. 10-2022-0012601, filed on Jan. 27, 2022, in the Korean Intellectual Property Office, the contents of which in its entirety are herein incorporated by reference.
The present disclosure relates to an energy storage system capable of accurately detecting a module where an event has occurred and injecting a fire extinguishing agent.
An energy storage system may be linked with a renewable energy system, e.g., a solar cell, and may be configured to store power when electric power demand is low and to use the stored power at a time when electric power demand is high. The energy storage system may include an apparatus having a large number of battery cells composed of secondary batteries.
For example, an energy storage system may be configured such that the battery cells are received in multiple trays, which are received in a rack, and the multiple racks may be received in a container box. Since the energy storage system includes a large number of battery cells, it may have high capacity and high output.
An energy storage system according to an embodiment of the present disclosure may include a rack having a space inside; a plurality of modules accommodated in the rack and including a plurality of battery cells arranged in one direction therein; and a sensing line formed along one side for the plurality of modules, respectively.
The sensing line may be disposed in the same direction as one direction in which the plurality of battery cells are arranged in the plurality of modules.
In addition, the sensing line may be arranged in alternating directions for the plurality of modules positioned vertically in the rack.
In addition, the sensing line may be configured as a constant-temperature sensing linear sensor.
In addition, the sensing line may have a wiring structure formed by twisting a steel wire coated with a temperature sensitive material.
In addition, power and ground lines may be connected to both ends of the sensing line.
In addition, a shunt resistor connected in series with the sensing line may exist between the power and ground lines, and a controller connected to the shunt resistor may be further provided.
In addition, the controller may receive a voltage of both ends of the shunt resistor as an input value.
In addition, a fire extinguishing system that is connected in parallel with the controller and receives a voltage of both ends of the shunt resistor as an input value may be further included.
In addition, the controller or the fire extinguishing system may apply a control signal to spray a fire extinguishing agent to the fire extinguishing device when the voltage across the shunt resistor is sensed.
Features will become apparent to those of skill in the art by describing in detail exemplary embodiments with reference to the attached drawings, in which:
Example embodiments will now be described more fully hereinafter with reference to the accompanying drawings; however, they may be embodied in different forms and should not be construed as limited to the embodiments set forth herein. Rather, these embodiments are provided so that this disclosure will be thorough and complete, and will fully convey exemplary implementations to those skilled in the art.
In the drawing figures, the dimensions of layers and regions may be exaggerated for clarity of illustration. It will also be understood that when a layer or element is referred to as being “on” another layer or substrate, it can be directly on the other layer or substrate, or intervening layers may also be present. In addition, it will also be understood that when a layer is referred to as being “between” two layers, it can be the only layer between the two layers, or one or more intervening layers may also be present. Like reference numerals refer to like elements throughout.
As used herein, the term “and/or” includes any and all combinations of one or more of the associated listed items. In addition, it will be understood that when an element A is referred to as being “connected to” an element B, the element A can be directly connected to the element B or an intervening element C may be present therebetween such that the element A and the element B are indirectly connected to each other.
The terminology used herein is for the purpose of describing particular embodiments only and is not intended to be limiting of the disclosure. As used herein, the singular forms are intended to include the plural forms as well, unless the context clearly indicates otherwise. It will be further understood that the terms that the terms “comprise or include” and/or “comprising or including,” when used in this specification, specify the presence of stated features, numbers, steps, operations, elements, and/or components, but do not preclude the presence or addition of one or more other features, numbers, steps, operations, elements, components, and/or groups thereof.
It will be understood that, although the terms first, second, etc. may be used herein to describe various members, elements, regions, layers and/or sections, these members, elements, regions, layers and/or sections should not be limited by these terms. These terms are only used to distinguish one member, element, region, layer and/or section from another. Thus, for example, a first member, a first element, a first region, a first layer and/or a first section discussed below could be termed a second member, a second element, a second region, a second layer and/or a second section without departing from the teachings of the present disclosure.
Spatially relative terms, such as “beneath,” “below,” “lower,” “above,” “upper,” and the like, may be used herein for ease of description to describe one element or feature's relationship to another element(s) or feature(s) as illustrated in the figures. It will be understood that the spatially relative terms are intended to encompass different orientations of the device in use or operation in addition to the orientation depicted in the figures. For example, if the element or feature in the figures is turned over, elements described as “below” or “beneath” other elements or features would then be oriented “on” or “above” the other elements or features. Thus, the exemplary term “below” can encompass both an orientation of above and below.
First, referring to
As shown in
The rack frame 110 may have accommodation spaces divided at regular intervals inside. The plurality of battery modules 120 and 130 may be accommodated in the rack frame 110. In addition, a circuit board including a module battery management system (BMS) may be coupled to a rear surface of the rack frame 110 to perform sensing and control of respective ones of the plurality of battery modules 120 and 130.
In addition, as will be described in detail below, the sensing line 140 may be formed along the rack frame 110 to sense an event occurring in the plurality of battery modules 120 and 130. For example, the sensing line 140 may be configured as a constant-temperature sensing linear sensor.
Inside each of the plurality of battery modules 120 and 130, a plurality of battery cells may be arranged and connected in various ways, e.g., in series, parallel, or series/parallel, according to a required output. For example, as illustrated in
In each of the battery cells, an electrode assembly may be accommodated inside a case, and the electrode assembly may be configured to be wound, stacked, or laminated in a state in which a separator is placed between a positive electrode plate and a negative electrode plate having a region (e.g., a coating portion) coated with an active material. In addition, the top portion of the case may be sealed by a cap plate. In addition, in in each of the battery cells, electrode terminals electrically connected to uncoated portions of the positive electrode plate and the negative electrode plate may be exposed above the cap plate. In addition, a vent having a thickness smaller than that of other regions may be formed at an approximate center of the cap plate, and when the internal pressure of the battery cell rises above a reference level, the vent may be opened to discharge gas to the outside to prevent an explosion.
The sensing line 140 may be formed along a side of each of the plurality of battery modules 120 and 130. Accordingly, when an event, e.g., an opening of a vent or a fire, occurs in some of the battery cells of the plurality of battery modules 120 and 130, the position of the corresponding battery cell (in which the event occurs) may be sensed through the sensing line 140. Accordingly, an operation of spraying a fire extinguishing agent may be triggered, e.g., may accompany detection of an event.
Referring to
In detail, referring to
The arrangement shape of the sensing line 140 will be described on the basis of the direction within each sub-module. It is noted that while
For example, referring to
In addition, as shown in
Hereinafter, a configuration of the sensing line 140 of an energy storage system according to an embodiment of the present disclosure will be described in more detail with reference to
Referring to
In detail, the sensing line 140 may be configured such that exterior sides of steel wires are covered with the temperature sensitive materials 141 and 142. The temperature sensitive materials 141 and 142 may have very small heat-resistant performance and may be electrical insulating materials. The two insulated steel wires (which are coated with the temperature sensitive materials 141 and 142) may be twisted and wrapped with the protective tape 143, and exterior sides of the protective tape 143 may be coated with the insulating molten material 144 and the flame retardant material 145. In case of overheating or fire, in the sensing line 140, as the temperature sensitive materials 141 and 142 melt due to heat or flames, the twisted steel wires come into contact with each other, thereby causing a short circuit between the two wires and a short circuit current flow between the two wires.
For example, the temperature sensitive materials 141 and 142 may be set to be melted at a temperature of about 80 degrees to about 120 degrees. Accordingly, when a vent is opened or a fire occurs in a specific battery cell and reaches a corresponding temperature range, the temperature sensitive materials 141 and 142 in the specific battery cell (where temperature is increased due to an open vent of a fire) are melted, and the internal steel wires in the specific battery cell (where the temperature sensitive materials 141 and 142 are melted due to high temperature) contact each other, thereby causing a short circuit.
In addition, when the resistance of a steel wire up to a point of short-circuit of the sensing line 140 is known in advance from a controller, the controller may detect a position of the short-circuit by using a short-circuit current. For example, since the sensing line 140 is disposed along the lower surfaces of the battery cells 120_1 to 130_n in the first rack 100 and the second rack 200, each battery cell in each sub-module has a different distance from the controller. Therefore, the controller can identify accurate positions in the first rack 100 and the second rack 200 or the sub-modules 120 and 130, as well as the battery cells, through the short-circuit current.
Hereinafter, the operation of a controller when an event occurs in an energy storage system according to an embodiment of the present disclosure will be described.
Referring to
In this state, the controller 30 may check the presence or absence of a short circuit current flowing through the sensing line 140 and the magnitude of the short circuit current in real time through the voltage across the shunt resistor 20. In a normal state, since no short-circuit current is generated in the sensing line 140, the voltage across the shunt resistor 20 may be displayed as 0 V.
Meanwhile, referring to
Hereinafter, the operation of a controller when an event occurs in an energy storage system according to another embodiment of the present disclosure will be described.
Referring to
Meanwhile, referring to
By way of summation and review, due to a structure of the energy storage system, when a fire occurs, it may be difficult to extinguish the fire. Accordingly, a technology for increasing the safety of the energy storage system may be required.
Therefore, embodiments provide an energy storage system capable of accurately detecting a module where an event has occurred and injecting a fire extinguishing agent. That is, as described above, in the energy storage system according to embodiments, a sensing line is disposed on one surface of each module, e.g., each battery cell, installed in a rack. This, when an event occurs in a battery cell in a module, the position of the corresponding module and battery cell can be accurately sensed.
Example embodiments have been disclosed herein, and although specific terms are employed, they are used and are to be interpreted in a generic and descriptive sense only and not for purpose of limitation. In some instances, as would be apparent to one of ordinary skill in the art as of the filing of the present application, features, characteristics, and/or elements described in connection with a particular embodiment may be used singly or in combination with features, characteristics, and/or elements described in connection with other embodiments unless otherwise specifically indicated. Accordingly, it will be understood by those of skill in the art that various changes in form and details may be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the present invention as set forth in the following claims.
Number | Date | Country | Kind |
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10-2022-0012601 | Jan 2022 | KR | national |