Energy storage system and fire control method of the energy storage system

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10933263-B2
Application number	US-201716079481-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Aug 29, 2017
Priority date	Sep 21, 2016
Publication date	Mar 2, 2021
Grant date	Mar 2, 2021

Abstract

Provided are an energy storage system (ESS) capable of increasing precision of a fire control system to accurately determine and extinguish a fire, and a fire control method of the ESS. The ESS according to the present disclosure includes a container, a heating, ventilation and air conditioning (HVAC) system, and a fire control system, wherein the fire control system includes a fire extinguisher and a control panel, a smoke detector, a heat detector, and a flame detector mounted in the container, and a duct smoke detector mounted in a duct of the HVAC system, and wherein the control panel has a mode for operating the fire extinguisher when all of the smoke detector, the heat detector, and the flame detector detect a fire, a mode for operating the fire extinguisher when the duct smoke detector detects a fire, and a mode for operating the fire extinguisher when a manipulation button is operated.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An energy storage system (ESS) comprising:
a container having an accommodation space therein;
a heating, ventilation and air conditioning (HVAC) system configured to condition internal air of the container, to adjust an internal temperature of the container, and to adjust air flowing into the container;
battery racks located in the accommodation space and comprising a first battery rack group and a second battery rack group spaced apart from each other to face each other with respect to a center of the accommodation space; and
a fire control system provided in the container,
wherein the fire control system comprises:
a fire extinguisher and a control panel located entirely within the accommodation space;
a plurality of smoke detectors, a plurality of heat detectors, and a plurality of flame detectors mounted in the container; and
a duct smoke detector, and
wherein the control panel has:
a first mode for operating the fire extinguisher when all of the smoke detector, the heat detector, and the flame detector detect a fire;
a second mode for operating the fire extinguisher when the duct smoke detector detects a fire; and
a third mode for operating the fire extinguisher when a manipulation button is operated,
wherein the HVAC system comprises:
an upper duct located on the accommodation space to supply a cooling fluid to a cooling space between the first battery rack group and second battery rack group;
at least one cooling unit located outside the container to cool the cooling fluid and fluidly connected to the upper duct, wherein each cooling unit is an air conditioner; and
a fluid channel member having a passage space where the cooling fluid that is heated after cooling the battery racks flows to each cooling unit, wherein the upper duct overlaps the entirety of the fluid channel member and the upper duct is above the fluid channel member, and
wherein each cooling unit cools the heated cooling fluid received from the passage space, and then supplies cooled cooling fluid to the upper duct.

2. The ESS of claim 1 , wherein the fire extinguisher is a valve-type extinguishing gas sprayer.

3. The ESS of claim 1 , wherein the duct smoke detector is mounted in at least one of an inlet duct and an outlet duct of the HVAC system.

4. The ESS of claim 1 , wherein the accommodation space is divided into a first region and a second region, and
wherein one of the smoke detectors, one of the heat detectors and one of the flame detectors are mounted in the first region and the second region.

5. The ESS of claim 4 , wherein each smoke detector and each heat detector are mounted on a top wall of the container corresponding to a center part of the respective one of the first region and the second region, and
wherein each flame detector is mounted on the top wall of the container.

6. The ESS of claim 4 , wherein the control panel operates the fire extinguisher when at least one the plurality of smoke detectors, at least one of the plurality of heat detectors and one of the plurality of flame detectors mounted in either a same region or a different region among the first region and the second region, detect a fire.

7. The ESS of claim 4 , wherein the control panel does not operate the fire extinguisher but issues a fire alarm when all of the same type of the detectors among the plurality of smoke detectors, the plurality of heat detectors and the plurality of flame detectors mounted in different regions detect a fire.

8. The ESS of claim 1 ,
wherein the duct smoke detector is mounted in at least one of the upper duct and the fluid channel member.

9. The ESS of claim 1 , wherein the container comprises:
a first side wall;
a second side wall located perpendicular to the first side wall;
a third side wall facing the first side wall and located perpendicular to the second side wall; and
a fourth side wall facing the second side wall and located perpendicular to the first and third side walls, and
wherein the at least one cooling unit is provided outside the first and third side walls.

10. The ESS of claim 1 ,
wherein the fluid channel member comprises:
a partition located on the first and second battery rack groups;
a pair of blocking plates configured to block a space between an outermost battery rack of the first or second battery rack group and the second or fourth side wall; and
a pair of inner ducts configured to provide the passage space between each cooling unit and the second side wall or between the second side wall and the first or second battery rack group, and
wherein the duct smoke detector is mounted in the inner ducts.

11. The ESS of claim 9 , wherein the upper duct comprises:
a first horizontal part overlapping the first side wall;
a second horizontal part overlapping the third side wall and parallel to the first horizontal part; and
a center part attaching the first horizontal part to the second horizontal part and extending in a direction perpendicular to a direction of the first horizontal part and the second horizontal part, and
wherein the duct smoke detector is mounted in the center part.

12. The ESS of claim 11 , wherein the battery racks of the first battery rack group are spaced apart from the second side wall by a first predetermined distance and aligned along a first direction, and the battery racks of the second battery rack group are spaced apart from the fourth side wall by a second predetermined distance and aligned along the first direction,
wherein the upper duct comprises a supplier configured to supply the cooling fluid into the accommodation space, the supplier being located on the center part,
wherein the supplier comprises:
an opening through which the cooling fluid flowing in the upper duct passes;
a plurality of guide plates aligned in a center region of the opening, spaced apart from each other along the first direction, and provided in a rotatable form; and
a guide plate controller configured to control the guide plates, and
wherein the duct smoke detector is mounted on the supplier.

13. Afire control method of an energy storage system (ESS) comprising a container having an accommodation space therein, a heating, ventilation and air conditioning (HVAC) system configured to condition internal air of the container, to adjust an internal temperature of the container and to adjust air flowing into the container, battery ranks located in the accommodation space and comprising a first battery rack group and a second battery rack group spaced apart from each other to face each other with respect to a center of the accommodation space, and a fire extinguisher, the method comprising:
mounting a plurality of smoke detectors, a plurality of heat detectors and a plurality of flame detectors in the container;
mounting a duct smoke detector in a duct of the HVAC system;
a first mode of operating the fire extinguisher when all of the smoke detector, the heat detector, and the flame detector detect a fire;
a second mode of operating the fire extinguisher when the duct smoke detector detects a fire; and
a third mode of operating the fire extinguisher when a manipulation button is operated, wherein the HVAC system further comprises:
an upper duct located on the accommodation space to supply a cooling fluid to a cooling space between the first and second battery rack groups;
at least one cooling unit located outside the container to cool the cooling fluid and fluidly connected to the upper duct, wherein each cooling unit is an air conditioner; and
a fluid channel member having a passage space where the cooling fluid heated after cooling the battery racks moves to each

Assignees

• Lg Chemical Ltd

Inventors

• Lee Ji-Won
• Lee Hyun-Min
• Kim Suk-Chul
• Lee Jun-Min

Classifications

• H01M50/24

  adapted for protecting batteries from their environment, e.g. from corrosion (thermal insulation H01M10/658) · CPC title

• H01M50/20

  Mountings; Secondary casings or frames; Racks, modules or packs; Suspension devices; Shock absorbers; Transport or carrying devices; Holders (structural combination of accumulators with charging apparatus H01M10/46) · CPC title

• H01M10/613

  Cooling or keeping cold · CPC title

• A62C99/0018

  using gases or vapours that do not support combustion, e.g. steam, carbon dioxide · CPC title

• H01M2220/10

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