Fire suppression system for a battery enclosure

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2023338766-A1
Application number	US-202118009246-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Jul 7, 2021
Priority date	Jul 8, 2020
Publication date	Oct 26, 2023
Grant date	—

Abstract

A fire suppression system includes a battery enclosure, a liquid carbon dioxide (CO2) storage system, and a controller. The liquid CO2 storage system is fluidly coupled to the battery enclosure. The controller is configured to receive an indication of a fire condition associated with the battery enclosure. The controller is configured to control operation of the liquid CO2 storage system to provide liquid CO2 to an interior of the battery enclosure. The liquid CO2 converts into dry ice to cool the battery enclosure.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1 . A fire suppression system comprising:
a sensor configured to monitor a battery compartment; a liquid carbon dioxide (CO2) supply configured to selectably discharge liquid CO2; a manifold fluidly coupled with the liquid CO2 supply and configured to selectably direct the liquid CO2 to the battery compartment via a conduit; a controller configured to:
receive sensor signals from the sensor;
detect a fire event at the battery compartment based on the sensor signals; and
operate the liquid CO2 storage system and the manifold to discharge liquid CO2 into the battery compartment based on detecting the fire event.

2 . The fire suppression system of claim 1 , wherein the liquid CO2 is discharged into the battery compartment, decreases in pressure, and converts into dry ice to cool battery cells of the battery compartment.

3 . The fire suppression system of claim 1 , further comprising a valve fluidly coupled between the liquid CO2 supply and the manifold, the valve actuatable between an open position to allow the liquid CO2 to transfer from the liquid CO2 supply to the manifold and a closed position to limit transfer of the liquid CO2 from the liquid CO2 supply to the manifold, wherein the controller is configured to operate the valve to transition into the open position in response to detecting the fire event at one or more of the plurality of battery compartments.

4 . The fire suppression system of claim 1 , wherein the battery compartment comprises an off-gas detector operatively coupled with the controller and configured to detect a presence of electrolyte gas.

5 . The fire suppression system of claim 2 , wherein the battery cells of the battery compartment are Lithium Ion battery cells.

6 . The fire suppression system of claim 1 , wherein the manifold comprises a plurality of inner channels and valves, wherein the manifold is configured to transition between a plurality of modes to fluidly couple the liquid CO2 supply with any of, or any combination of, a plurality of battery compartments.

7 . The fire suppression system of claim 1 , wherein the controller is configured to generate control signals for the liquid CO2 supply and the manifold to provide a metered amount of liquid CO2 into each of a plurality of battery compartments, wherein the metered amount is either is a same amount for each of the plurality of battery compartments, or corresponds to a size of each of the plurality of battery compartments.

8 . The fire suppression system of claim 1 , wherein the fire event comprises any of:
a temperature exceeding a threshold temperature value; a rate of change of the temperature exceeding a rate of change threshold value; a detection of a gas indicating battery cell degradation; a detection of smoke; or a flame detection.

9 . A fire suppression system comprising:
a battery enclosure configured to hold a Lithium Ion battery; a liquid carbon dioxide (CO2) storage system coupled to the battery enclosure; a controller configured to:
receive an indication of a fire condition associated with the battery enclosure; and
control operation of the liquid CO2 storage system to provide liquid CO2 to an interior of the battery enclosure;
wherein the liquid CO2 converts into dry ice within the interior to cool the Lithium Ion battery within the battery enclosure.

10 . The fire suppression system of claim 9 , further comprising:
a manifold fluidly coupled with a storage tank of the liquid CO2 storage system and configured to selectably direct the liquid CO2 to one or more of a plurality of delivery pipes, each of the plurality of delivery pipes configured to provide liquid CO2 to a corresponding one of a plurality of battery compartments of the battery enclosure.

11 . The fire suppression system of claim 10 , wherein the liquid CO2 storage system comprises a valve fluidly coupled between the storage tank and the manifold, the valve actuatable between an open position to allow the liquid CO2 to transfer from the storage tank to the manifold, and a closed position to limit transfer of the liquid CO2 from the storage tank to the manifold, wherein the controller is configured to operate the valve to transition into the open position in response to detecting a fire event at one or more of the plurality of battery compartments.

12 . The fire suppression system of claim 10 , wherein each of the plurality of battery compartments comprises an off-gas detector operatively coupled with the controller and configured to detect a presence of electrolyte gas.

13 . The fire suppression system of claim 10 , wherein each of the plurality of battery compartments comprise one or more battery cells.

14 . The fire suppression system of claim 13 , wherein the one or more battery cells are Lithium Ion battery cells.

15 . The fire suppression system of claim 10 , wherein the controller is configured to generate control signals for the liquid CO2 storage system and the manifold to provide a metered amount of liquid CO2 into each of the plurality of battery compartments.

16 . A method comprising:
receiving, by a controller, sensor data associated with a battery enclosure; determining, by the controller, that a fire condition exists within the battery enclosure based on the sensor data; controlling, by the controller, a CO2 storage and delivery system to provide liquid CO2 from a CO2 storage system to the battery enclosure based on determining that the fire condition exists within the battery enclosure.

17 . The method of claim 16 , wherein the CO2 storage system is configured to provide the liquid CO2 to a manifold fluidly coupled with a storage tank of the CO2 storage system and direct the liquid CO2 to one or more of a plurality of delivery pipes, each of the plurality of delivery pipes configured to provide liquid CO2 to a corresponding one of a plurality of battery compartments of the battery enclosure.

18 . The method of claim 17 , wherein the CO2 storage system comprises a valve fluidly coupled between the storage tank and the manifold, the valve actuatable between an open position to allow the liquid CO2 to transfer from the storage tank to the manifold, and a closed position to limit transfer of the liquid CO2 from the storage tank to the manifold, the method further comprising transitioning the valve into the open position in response to detecting that a fire condition exists at one or more of the plurality of battery compartments.

19 . The method of claim 17 , wherein each of the plurality of battery compartments comprises an off-gas detector operatively coupled with the controller and configured to detect a presence of electrolyte gas, and wherein each of the plurality of battery compartments comprise one or more battery cells.

20 . The method of claim 16 , wherein the fire condition comprises any of:
a temperature exceeding a threshold temperature value; a rate of change of the temperature exceeding a rate of change threshold value; a detection of a gas indicating battery cell degradation; a detection of smoke; or a flame detection.

Assignees

• Tyco Fire Products Lp

Inventors

• Chaltry Robert A
• Libal John P

Classifications

• A62C37/44 Primary

  only the sensor being in the danger zone · CPC title

• A62C3/16

  in electrical installations, e.g. cableways · CPC title

• A62C5/004

  for producing carbon-dioxide snow, carbon-dioxide ice, carbon-dioxide gas, carbon-dioxide liquid, or mixtures thereof (carbon-dioxide jet-pipes or snow jet-pipes A62C31/03) · CPC title

• H01M50/383

  Flame arresting or ignition-preventing means · CPC title

• H01M50/673

  Containers for storing liquids; Delivery conduits therefor · CPC title