Energy storage apparatus and method for cooling the energy storage apparatus

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10164305-B2
Application number	US-201715494707-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Apr 24, 2017
Priority date	Apr 25, 2016
Publication date	Dec 25, 2018
Grant date	Dec 25, 2018

Abstract

An energy storage apparatus includes a chamber including a receiving space therein, battery racks including first and second battery rack groups positioned in the receiving space and spaced apart from each other while facing each other with reference to a center of the receiving space, an upper duct positioned above the receiving space configured to supply cooling fluid to a cooling space which is a space between the first battery rack group and the second battery rack group, a cooling unit positioned outside the receiving space and configured to cool the cooling fluid, and a fluid moving member comprising a moving space where the cooling fluid heated after cooling the battery racks moves to the cooling unit, in which the cooling unit is supplied with the heated cooling fluid from the moving space, cools the supplied cooling fluid, and then supplies a resultant fluid to the upper duct.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An energy storage apparatus, comprising:
a chamber comprising a first sidewall, a second sidewall positioned perpendicularly to the first sidewall, a third sidewall facing the first sidewall and positioned perpendicularly to the second sidewall, a fourth sidewall facing the second sidewall and positioned perpendicularly to the first sidewall and the third sidewall, and a receiving space therein;
battery racks comprising a first battery rack group and a second battery rack group positioned in the receiving space and spaced apart from each other while facing each other with reference to a center of the receiving space, the battery racks of the first battery rack group being spaced apart from the second sidewall by a certain distance and disposed in parallel along a first direction, the battery racks of the second battery rack group being spaced apart from the fourth sidewall by a certain distance and disposed in parallel along the first direction, each battery rack including a plurality of batteries staked in a third direction perpendicular to the first direction;
an upper duct positioned above the receiving space configured to supply cooling fluid to a cooling space which is a space between the first battery rack group and the second battery rack group;
a cooling unit positioned outside the receiving space and configured to cool the cooling fluid; and
a fluid moving member comprising a moving space where the cooling fluid heated after passing through the battery racks from the cooling space moves to the cooling unit,
wherein the cooling unit is configured to be supplied with the heated cooling fluid from the moving space, cool the supplied cooling fluid, and then supply a resultant fluid to the upper duct and the cooling space, the battery racks, and the moving space have locations relative to one another that are configured to move the cooling fluid through the battery racks in a second direction perpendicular to each of the first and third directions.

2. The energy storage apparatus of claim 1 ,
wherein a plurality of cooling units are provided on an outer side of the first sidewall and the third sidewall.

3. The energy storage apparatus of claim 2 , wherein each battery rack group comprises:
a rack housing comprising a space therein;
a plurality of battery modules positioned in the inner space of the rack housing; and
a cooling fan coupled with the battery module.

4. The energy storage apparatus of claim 3 , wherein each rack housing comprises:
a front cover comprising a plurality of holes; and
a rear plate having a coupling hole to be inserted with a portion of the battery module.

5. The energy storage apparatus of claim 4 , wherein a plurality of battery modules are stacked on one another and positioned within each rack housing, and
the cooling fan is positioned on an outer side of the rear plate.

6. The energy storage apparatus of claim 5 , wherein
the cooling fans of each group are positioned adjacently to the second sidewall or the fourth sidewall.

7. The energy storage apparatus of claim 5 , wherein the fluid moving member comprises:
a partition positioned above the first battery rack group and the second battery rack group;
a pair of blocking plates configured to block a space between the battery rack positioned on an outermost side of the first battery rack group or the second battery rack group and the second sidewall or the fourth sidewall; and
a pair of inner ducts configured to connect a moving space between the cooling unit and the second sidewall or a moving space between the second sidewall and the first battery rack group or the second battery rack group.

8. The energy storage apparatus of claim 7 , wherein the chamber is provided with a door formed on the second sidewall or the fourth sidewall and positioned adjacently to the first sidewall or the third sidewall, and
the inner duct is positioned to be higher than an upper surface of the door.

9. The energy storage apparatus of claim 5 , wherein the upper duct comprises:
a first horizontal part positioned adjacently to the first sidewall;
a second horizontal part positioned adjacently to the third sidewall and in parallel to the first horizontal part; and
a center part coupled perpendicularly to centers of the first horizontal part and the second horizontal part, respectively.

10. The energy storage apparatus of claim 9 , wherein the first horizontal part, the second horizontal part, and the center part are combined with each other to be formed into an I-shape when seen from above.

11. The energy storage apparatus of claim 9 , wherein the upper duct comprises a supply which is configured to supply the cooling fluid to the receiving space and positioned on the center part,
wherein the supply comprises:
an opening where the cooling fluid flowing inside the upper duct is passed through;
a plurality of guide plates disposed on a center region of the opening in parallel while being spaced apart from each other along the first direction, the guide plate being rotatably provided; and
a controller configured to control the guide plate.

12. The energy storage apparatus of claim 11 , wherein a plurality of supplies are positioned on a lower surface of the center part, and the plurality of supplies are spaced apart by a certain distance along the first direction.

13. The energy storage apparatus of claim 11 , wherein the controller controls the guide plate so as to adjust a supply direction of the cooling fluid supplied to the cooling space through the opening.

14. The energy storage apparatus of claim 5 , wherein the fluid moving member comprises:
a partition positioned above the first battery rack group or above the second battery rack group; and
an outer duct positioned outside the second sidewall or the fourth sidewall, having therein the moving space where the cooling fluid flows, and configured to supply the cooling fluid to the cooling unit.

15. The energy storage apparatus of claim 14 , wherein the second sidewall and the fourth sidewall are provided with a plurality of outlets where the cooling fluid is discharged to the moving space.

16. A method for cooling the energy storage apparatus of claim 1 , the method comprising:
cooling the battery racks,
wherein the battery racks are cooled when the cooling fluid is supplied to the cooling space between the first battery rack group and the second battery rack group from above the receiving space and passed through the first battery rack group or the second battery rack group, respectively,
the cooling fluid passed through the battery racks is moved through the moving space and cooled by the cooling unit, and
the cooling fluid is supplied to above the receiving space, and then supplied into the cooling space to cool the battery racks.

17. The method of claim 16 , wherein the cooling space and the moving space are respectively positioned within the receiving space.

18. The method of claim 17 , wherein the cooling space is positioned at a center of the receiving space, and the moving space is positioned on both edge regions of the cooling space.

19. The method of claim 16 , wherein the cooling space is positioned within the receiving space, and the moving space is positioned outside the receiving space.

20. The method of claim 16 , wherein each battery rack comprises a cooling fan configured to move the cooling fluid from the cooling space to the moving space.

Assignees

• Lg Chemical Ltd

Inventors

• Lee Hyun-Min
• Lee Ji-Won
• Kim Suk-Chul
• Cho Tae-Shin

Classifications

• H01M10/617

  for achieving uniformity or desired distribution of temperature · CPC title

• H01M10/647

  Prismatic or flat cells, e.g. pouch cells · CPC title

• H01M2220/10

  Batteries in stationary systems, e.g. emergency power source in plant · CPC title

• H01M10/6557 Primary

  arranged between the cells · CPC title

• H01M10/6556

  Solid parts with flow channel passages or pipes for heat exchange (closed pipes H01M10/6552) · CPC title