Flat panel fire extinguishing device and battery module equipped with the same

Abstract

A flat-type fire extinguishing device (100) according to the present invention, which extinguishes a fire by spraying a stored fire extinguishing agent to a fire occurrence site when a fire occurs in a battery, includes an outer shape member (110) configured in a plate shape with a certain width by a chamber sealed in a manner that an internal space with a certain capacity is formed, a fire extinguishing agent (not shown) filled in a certain amount at a certain spraying pressure in the internal space of the chamber, a plurality of nozzles (120) coupled to the outer shape member in a manner that the internal space of the chamber is communicated along an upper and / or lower direction, respectively, and a plurality of sealing covers (130) configured of a low-melting alloy, sealed by being filled into the plurality of nozzles (120), respectively, and melted when heated to a certain temperature or more by the battery and spraying the fire extinguishing agent into the battery through the nozzles (120).

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to a fire extinguishing device, and more particularly to a flat-plate fire extinguishing device comprising a plate containing a certain volume and pressure of fire extinguishing agent, and arranged in contact with or adjacent to a battery, thereby extinguishing a fire by spraying the stored fire extinguishing agent onto the fire site when the battery catches fire. Furthermore, this invention also relates to a battery module equipped with the flat-plate fire extinguishing device described above. Background Technology

[0002] In recent years, the number of electric vehicles using batteries has been increasing rapidly. Furthermore, battery fires occur frequently, and those caused by sparks or short circuits are often unpredictable. Therefore, an effective fire response system is needed.

[0003] Electric vehicle batteries are designed to be battery modules consisting of multiple battery cells connected together. This presents a problem where a fire in one battery cell can quickly spread to other connected battery cells or modules.

[0004] In addition, an Energy Storage System (ESS) is a storage device used in power plants to store excess electricity and transmit it when there is a temporary shortage of power supply. Recently, there has been an increasing trend of miniaturizing large Energy Storage System (ESS) devices and using them for general consumers such as buildings, factories and homes for emergency power outages or peak power reduction.

[0005] In recent years, the imbalance between electricity supply and demand has led to a sharp increase in attention to new renewable energy sources. As a result, people are continuously developing technologies that can store electricity generated from new renewable energy sources through energy storage systems (ESS) and utilize it for the time periods in need.

[0006] In particular, the installation of energy storage systems (ESS) has become mandatory in newly constructed public buildings, and is also increasingly being installed in residential buildings for energy-saving purposes, resulting in a continued growth trend in the ESS market.

[0007] When installing an energy storage system (ESS) in a building or similar structure, the battery that stores energy, the battery management system (BMS) that manages the battery, and the power conversion converter (PCS) that converts electricity are first housed in the battery rack (battery module) of the energy storage system (ESS), and then used after the battery rack described above is housed in a specific space such as a basement.

[0008] Generally speaking, rechargeable batteries can be reused after charging, and in recent years, lithium-ion batteries with higher charge-discharge efficiency have become widely used. Due to their relatively small size and relatively high charge-discharge efficiency, lithium-ion batteries are increasingly used in power plants and charging stations, including electric vehicles and energy storage systems (ESS), as well as portable devices.

[0009] However, because lithium-ion batteries have a thin separation membrane installed between the cathode and anode materials, the membrane may be damaged by impact, or a short circuit may occur between the cathode and anode materials due to aging or dendritic growth, which could lead to a fire. This situation could cause serious property damage to large equipment.

[0010] Prior technology documents

[0011] Patent documents

[0012] Korean Patent Publication No. 10-2021-0106063

[0013] Korean Patent Registration No. 10-2123685

[0014] Korean Patent Registration No. 10-2185759

[0015] Detailed description of the invention

[0016] Technical issues

[0017] Therefore, the present invention was developed to solve the problems existing in the prior art described above, and its object is to provide a flat-plate fire extinguishing device that is configured in the form of a plate containing a certain capacity and a certain pressure of fire extinguishing agent, and is arranged in contact with or adjacent to a battery, so that when the battery catches fire, the heat will cause the nozzle outlet to open and the stored fire extinguishing agent will be sprayed onto the fire site to extinguish the fire, as well as a battery module equipped with the flat-plate fire extinguishing device.

[0018] Problem-solving methods

[0019] To achieve the aforementioned objectives, the present invention provides a flat-plate fire extinguishing device for extinguishing fires in batteries by spraying extinguishing agents onto the fire site. The device comprises: an outer frame assembly consisting of one or more chambers sealed with a certain internal space of a certain capacity, forming a plate-like shape of a certain width; extinguishing agents, a certain amount of which are filled into the internal space of the chambers at a certain spray pressure; a plurality of nozzles configured to communicate with the internal space of the chambers in at least one direction and integrated into or integrally formed on the outer frame assembly; and a plurality of sealing caps made of a fusible alloy, sealed by filling the nozzles respectively, which melt at a certain temperature when the battery catches fire, and spray the extinguishing agents into the battery through the nozzles; the fire is extinguished by spraying the extinguishing agents at a certain spray pressure through the nozzle where the fusible alloy melts first.

[0020] Furthermore, in this invention, the outer shape component includes: an upper plate and a lower plate, each formed along an edge and welded together along the edge to form a certain internal space; the upper and lower plates are each equipped with a plurality of formed portions formed such that their ends are in face-to-face contact and protrude inward when they are pressed together; the lower plate is also equipped with a plurality of holes that communicate with the outlets of the plurality of nozzles or allow the bodies of the plurality of nozzles to be inserted and fixed; preferably, the sealing cap in a solid state that seals the outlet of the nozzle is prevented from detaching from the outlet due to the spray pressure of the extinguishing agent by forming a tap or giving it a tapered inclined surface on the inner side of the outlet of the nozzle.

[0021] Furthermore, in this invention, when the plurality of holes are respectively connected to the outlets of the plurality of nozzles, it is preferable to provide a plurality of receiving grooves around the plurality of holes in order to combine them in a state where the ends of the plurality of nozzles are embedded.

[0022] Furthermore, in this invention, in order to make the body of the nozzle fit snugly around the hole and weld together while embedded in the hole, the body of the nozzle is preferably configured in a stepped shape.

[0023] Furthermore, in this invention, the outer shape assembly includes: an upper plate and a lower plate, each formed along an edge and joined together by welding along the edge to form a certain internal space; the upper and lower plates are each equipped with a plurality of formed portions formed such that their ends are in face-to-face contact and protrude inward when they are pressed together; the nozzle is integrally formed on the lower plate by forming a hole in a state in which a portion of the lower plate is further protruded outward; and it is preferable to further strengthen the bonding force between the sealing cap of the low melting point alloy and the inner surface of the nozzle by machining a tap on the inner surface of the nozzle.

[0024] Furthermore, in this invention, a certain injection pressure of the fire extinguishing agent can be achieved by filling the internal space of the chamber with compressed air or nitrogen.

[0025] Furthermore, in this invention, a pressure gauge for measuring the internal pressure of the chamber may be provided, or it may be connected to a tank containing a separate fire extinguishing agent.

[0026] Furthermore, in this invention, the extinguishing agent is fluorinated ketone (C6F). 12 (O) or fluoroketones (FK-5-1-12, dodecafluoro-2-methylpentan-3-one), wherein the injection pressure of the extinguishing agent is 5-15 kg / cm². 2 It is advisable.

[0027] Furthermore, in this invention, it is preferable that the low-melting-point alloy melts at a temperature of 60°C to 130°C.

[0028] Furthermore, in this invention, the outer shape assembly may be composed of multiple chambers having their own internal spaces sealed and separated from each other.

[0029] Furthermore, in order to achieve the objectives described above, the present invention, as a battery module comprising a battery equipped with a plurality of battery cells stacked on top of each other and a housing formed in such a way as to enclose at least a portion of the outer surface of the battery, is characterized in that it includes: a flat-plate fire extinguishing device configured as described above, arranged in a form that is in contact with or adjacent to the battery.

[0030] Furthermore, in this invention, the outer casing includes: a casing body that can house the battery internally and has an opening on one side; and a casing cover that can be opened and closed on the opening side of the casing body; the casing cover may be formed by the flat-plate fire extinguishing device.

[0031] The effects of the invention

[0032] This invention can be easily applied to batteries by using a flat plate structure. In the event of a battery fire that causes its temperature to rise, the temperature of the nozzle closest to the burning battery will rise, causing the low-melting-point alloy sealing the outlet of the corresponding nozzle to melt and open the outlet. The extinguishing agent stored in the internal space of the chamber will then be sprayed onto the burning battery at a certain spray pressure through the opened outlet, thereby easily extinguishing the fire.

[0033] Brief description of the attached diagram

[0034] Figure 1 This is a perspective view of a flat-plate fire extinguishing device according to one embodiment of the present invention.

[0035] Figure 2 yes Figure 1 The diagram shows a plan view of a flat-plate fire extinguishing device.

[0036] Figure 3 as well as Figure 4 It is Figure 2 The diagram shows cross-sectional views of the flat-plate fire extinguishing device taken along lines AA and BB.

[0037] Figure 5 yes Figure 1 The diagram shows the bottom surface of a flat-plate fire extinguishing device.

[0038] Figure 6 yes Figure 4 The enlarged cross-sectional view of part C shown in the figure.

[0039] Figures 7 to 9 yes Figure 4 A cross-sectional view of a modified example of part C shown in the figure.

[0040] The best form for implementing the invention

[0041] According to the present invention, the flat-plate fire extinguishing device can be configured in contact with or adjacent to batteries of electric vehicles and energy storage systems (ESS), etc., so as to be used for extinguishing fires when a fire occurs in the battery.

[0042] Next, a preferred embodiment of the flat-plate fire extinguishing device according to the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. The present invention is not limited to the embodiments disclosed below, but can be implemented in many different forms. These embodiments are only provided to more fully disclose the invention and to more completely introduce the scope of the invention to those skilled in the art.

[0043] Figure 1This is a perspective view of a flat-plate fire extinguishing device according to one embodiment of the present invention. Figure 2 yes Figure 1 The diagram shows a plan view of a flat-plate fire extinguishing device. Figure 3 as well as Figure 4 It is Figure 2 The diagram shows cross-sectional views of the flat-plate fire extinguishing device taken along lines AA and BB. Furthermore, Figure 5 yes Figure 1 The diagram shows the bottom surface of a flat-plate fire extinguishing device. Figure 6 yes Figure 4 The enlarged cross-sectional view of part C shown in the figure is as follows. Figures 7 to 9 yes Figure 4 A cross-sectional view of a modified example of part C shown in the figure.

[0044] like Figures 1 to 6 As shown, the flat-plate fire extinguishing device 100 according to this embodiment extinguishes a fire by spraying stored fire extinguishing agent onto the fire site when a battery fire occurs. It includes: an outer frame assembly 110, which is a plate-shaped structure of a certain width, consisting of a chamber sealed with a certain internal space of a certain capacity; fire extinguishing agent (not shown), which is filled in a certain amount into the internal space of the chamber at a certain spray pressure; multiple nozzles 120, which are connected to the outer frame assembly 110 in a manner that communicates with the internal space of the chamber along the upper and / or lower directions; and multiple sealing caps 130, made of a low-melting-point alloy, which are sealed by filling the multiple nozzles 120 respectively, and melt when heated to a certain temperature by the battery, spraying the fire extinguishing agent into the battery through the nozzles 120.

[0045] The external component 110 serves as a framework for the appearance of the flat-panel fire extinguishing device, including an upper plate 111 and a lower plate 115, which are formed along their edges and welded together along the edges to form a certain internal space. According to this embodiment, the upper and lower plates 111 and 115 are made of stainless steel, specifically STS 304. Considering the space required for the battery module (including the battery rack), a thin plate of approximately 0.5 to 1 ton is preferable.

[0046] In addition, such as Figure 3 as well as Figure 4 As shown, the upper plate 111 and the lower plate 115 are each equipped with a plurality of molded portions 112 and 116 that are molded in an inwardly protruding manner. The upper and lower plates 111 and 115 are configured to be equipped with the same molded portions 112 and 116, so that when they are pressed together, the ends of the molded portions 112 and 116 form surface contact with each other.

[0047] In addition, such as Figures 6 to 8 As shown, the lower plate 115 is equipped with multiple holes 117 that communicate with the outlets of the multiple nozzles 120 or allow the bodies of the nozzles 120 to be inserted and fixed. The multiple forming parts 112 and 116 are formed using a thin stainless steel sheet through a general forming process, while the multiple holes 117 are formed simply by stamping. Furthermore, as... Figure 8 As shown, in the case where the multiple holes 117 are respectively connected to the outlets of the multiple nozzles 120, it is preferable to have multiple receiving grooves 118 around the multiple holes 117 in order to engage the multiple nozzles 120 with their ends inserted from the outside. The multiple receiving grooves 118 are formed by a general molding process, while the multiple holes 117 only need to be formed by stamping at the central portion of the receiving grooves 118 as described above.

[0048] In addition, such as Figure 6 as well as Figure 7 As shown, when inserting and fixing the body of the nozzle 120 into the hole 117, it is only necessary to weld it together while the body of the nozzle 120 is embedded in the hole 117 for fixation. At this time, in order to ensure that the body of the nozzle 120 is close to the periphery of the hole 117 while embedded in the hole 117, it is preferable that the body of the nozzle 120 is configured to have a stepped shape. That is, the stepped portion is close to the surrounding surface of the hole 117, and the close portion described above is welded for fixation.

[0049] However, as Figure 8 As shown, when the hole 117 is fixed in a state where it is connected to the outlet of the plurality of nozzles 120, the nozzles 120 are welded and fixed in a state where they are embedded in each receiving groove 118. At this time, the outlet of the nozzle 117 is connected to the hole 117 formed in the center of the receiving groove 118 and the end of the nozzle 120 is pressed against the receiving groove 118 around the hole 117.

[0050] Furthermore, a sealing cap 130 is formed on the outlet of the nozzle 120, which achieves a seal by solidifying after being filled with a molten low-melting-point alloy. The sealing cap 130 is made of a low-melting-point alloy (fusible alloy) that can melt at a certain temperature, and can be composed of components such as bismuth, lead, tin, indium, cadmium, and gallium. In this embodiment, it is preferable to use a material that melts at 60°C to 130°C as the low-melting-point alloy. That is, in this embodiment, if a fire occurs on the battery and the temperature rises to 60°C to 130°C, the low-melting-point alloy will melt, thereby opening the outlet of the nozzle 120.

[0051] In this embodiment, the lower plate 115 is equipped with a plurality of nozzles 120 and a sealing cap 130, but it is also possible to equip the upper plate 111 with a plurality of nozzles 120 and a sealing cap 130 of the same concept as the lower plate 115 as needed.

[0052] According to the flat-plate fire extinguishing device 100 of this embodiment, a certain amount of extinguishing agent is filled into the internal space of the chamber at a certain injection pressure. Therefore, in the absence of the low-melting-point alloy constituting the sealing cap 130 melting due to external heat such as fire, the sealing cap 130, which seals the outlet of the nozzle 120, must not detach from the outlet due to the injection pressure of the extinguishing agent. Therefore, a thread-like tap is formed on the inner surface of the nozzle 120 outlet (see...). Figure 6 Or it can be constructed with a tapered, inclined surface (see [reference]). Figure 7 It is advisable to use ). In addition, such as Figure 7 As shown, for a conical inclined surface, it can be formed with the inner side being the widest under the spray pressure of the extinguishing agent and gradually narrowing towards the outer side.

[0053] Furthermore, the embodiments described above are configured such that the nozzle 120 is manufactured separately and then configured and attached to the outer shape assembly. However, as... Figure 9 As shown, it can also be integrally formed on the outer shape assembly. That is, since the lower plate 115 has an embossed shape, the nozzle 120 can be integrally formed on the lower plate 115 by forming a hole in a part of the lower plate 115 that protrudes further outward during stamping using a burring process. When the nozzle 120 is integrally formed on the lower plate 115 as described above, it is not necessary to install a separate plug for manufacturing the nozzle separately, thus achieving the effect of saving manufacturing costs and reducing thickness. Furthermore, as Figure 9 As shown, the bonding force between the low-melting-point alloy sealing cap 130 and the inner surface of the nozzle 120 is further strengthened by machining a threaded tap on the inner surface of the nozzle 120, so that it can withstand the higher spray pressure of the extinguishing agent.

[0054] According to this embodiment, the chamber is formed by welding upper and lower plates 111 and 115, which are respectively formed along their edges, together along their edges to create an internal space. The upper and lower plates 111 and 115 are welded together along their edges with their ends pressed together, thus forming an internal space between them in an integrated state. As described above, the internal space of the chamber will have a certain internal pressure (e.g., 5-15 kg / cm²). 2Therefore, by welding the upper and lower plates 111 and 115 together along the edges of the molding parts 112 and 116, they can be made to fully withstand the internal pressure as described above.

[0055] Furthermore, a certain amount of extinguishing agent is filled into the internal space of the chamber at a certain injection pressure. To achieve a certain injection pressure for the stored extinguishing agent, compressed air or nitrogen is injected into the internal space of the chamber at a certain pressure. Specifically, an injection section 13 communicating with the internal space of the chamber can be formed, for example, at one location on one side of the upper plate 111. After a vacuum is created in the internal space of the chamber through the injection section 113, a certain amount of extinguishing agent is filled into the internal space of the chamber using the vacuum pressure, followed by the injection of compressed air or nitrogen. This achieves the state where the extinguishing agent expands and fills the internal space of the chamber at a certain injection pressure. Thus, with the outlet of the nozzle 120 open, the extinguishing agent is injected into the battery using its own injection pressure. Furthermore, the extinguishing agent is an agent that extinguishes fires by reacting with flames and undergoing thermal decomposition, utilizing the inhibitory, suffocating, and cooling effects of the substances generated at this time, at a pressure of 5–15 kg / cm³. 2 The injection pressure (internal pressure) should be sufficient to fill the internal space of the chamber.

[0056] When the flat-plate fire extinguishing device 100 according to this embodiment is installed in a state of being tightly attached to the battery, it can also dissipate heat generated in the battery. Therefore, as the extinguishing agent, it is preferable to use an agent that has the characteristic of dissipating heat generated in the battery by means of a repeated process of evaporation followed by condensation. In particular, in order to achieve the latent heat of vaporization cooling effect, it is preferable to use an agent that can easily evaporate at a low temperature, especially fluorinated ketone (C6F) which also has insulating properties. 12 O) or fluoroketones (FK-5-1-12, dodecafluoro-2-methylpentan-3-one, etc.) are preferred.

[0057] In this embodiment, the outer shape assembly 110 is constructed using a single chamber, but it can also be constructed using multiple chambers, each with its own sealed internal space. In this case, the number of chambers can be arbitrarily changed according to the applicable environment.

[0058] The flat-plate fire extinguishing device 100 configured as described above according to this embodiment can extinguish a battery fire in its early stages. Specifically, when the battery temperature rises due to a fire, the temperature of the nozzle 120 closest to the burning battery will increase, causing the low-melting-point alloy sealing the outlet of the corresponding nozzle 120 to melt and open. The fire extinguishing agent stored inside the chamber will then be sprayed at a certain pressure through the opened outlet onto the burning battery, thus extinguishing the fire in its early stages.

[0059] Furthermore, the flat-plate fire extinguishing device 100 according to this embodiment can also be equipped with a pressure gauge 140 for measuring the pressure inside the chamber. Additionally, the flat-plate fire extinguishing device 100 according to this embodiment can be used connected to a tank containing a separate fire extinguishing agent, spraying the fire extinguishing agent stored inside the chamber and in the tank onto the location of the fire, thereby extinguishing the fire more effectively. The tank is designed to be filled with a certain amount of fire extinguishing agent at the same spray pressure as the interior space of the chamber. In this case, to achieve a certain pressure for the stored fire extinguishing liquid, compressed air or nitrogen can be filled into the interior space of the tank.

[0060] The flat-plate fire extinguishing device 100 according to this embodiment, configured as described above, is arranged in contact with or adjacent to a battery, such as that of an electric vehicle or an energy storage system (ESS), for use in extinguishing fires when the battery catches fire. Furthermore, a battery module (including a battery rack), such as that of an electric vehicle or an energy storage system (ESS), may include a battery equipped with multiple stacked battery cells and a housing formed to cover at least a portion of the outer surface of the battery. Therefore, the battery module (including a battery rack) according to this embodiment can be configured such that the flat-plate fire extinguishing device 100 is disposed between the battery and the housing, and the flat-plate fire extinguishing device 100 is arranged in contact with or adjacent to the battery. In this case, the flat-plate fire extinguishing device 100 can be configured to be supported or fixed by the housing or the like. Furthermore, the battery module according to this embodiment can also be used as a battery pack constituting a large-capacity battery.

[0061] The housing of a typical battery module can house the battery internally, and includes a housing body with an opening on one side and a housing cover that opens and closes to the opening on one side of the housing body. The housing cover can be constructed using a flat-plate fire extinguishing device 100 as described above.

[0062] In the foregoing description, technical matters related to the flat-plate fire extinguishing device of the present invention and the battery module equipped with the flat-plate fire extinguishing device have been described with reference to the accompanying drawings. However, this is only an exemplary description of the preferred embodiment of the present invention. Therefore, the present invention is not limited to the embodiments described above. Those skilled in the art can make various modifications and variations without departing from the spirit and scope of the present invention, and such modifications or variations are all included within the scope of the claims of the present invention.

[0063] [Symbol Explanation]

[0064] 100: Flat-plate fire extinguishing device; 110: External components

[0065] 111: Upper plate; 112, 116: Molding section

[0066] 113: Injection part 115: Lower plate

[0067] 117: Hole 118: Receiving slot

[0068] 120: Nozzle 130: Sealing cap

[0069] 140: Pressure gauge

[0070] Industry availability

[0071] According to the present invention, the flat-plate fire extinguishing device can be configured in contact with or adjacent to batteries of electric vehicles and energy storage systems (ESS), etc., so as to be used for extinguishing fires when a fire occurs in the battery.

Claims

1. A flat-plate fire extinguishing device, characterized in that, include: The outer component is composed of one or more chambers sealed with a certain internal space in a plate-like form of a certain width; Fire extinguishing agent is filled into the internal space of the chamber in a certain amount at a certain injection pressure; Multiple nozzles are configured and incorporated into the shape assembly in a manner that communicates with the interior space of the chamber in at least one direction; as well as, Multiple sealing caps, made of a low-melting-point alloy, are sealed by filling the multiple nozzles respectively. When the battery catches fire, they melt at a certain temperature and spray the extinguishing agent into the battery through the nozzles. The outer shape component includes: an upper plate and a lower plate, which are respectively formed along the edge and are welded together along the edge to form a certain internal space; The upper plate and the lower plate are each equipped with a plurality of molded parts that are welded together between the upper and lower parts by forming such that their ends are in face-to-face contact and protrude inward when they are pressed tightly together. The lower plate is also equipped with multiple holes for inserting and fixing the bodies of the multiple nozzles respectively. In order to ensure that the nozzle body fits snugly around the hole and is welded together while embedded in the hole, the nozzle body is constructed in a stepped shape. A tap is formed on the inner side of the nozzle outlet or it is made to have a tapered inclined surface.

2. The flat-plate fire extinguishing device according to claim 1, characterized in that: The extinguishing agent's injection pressure is achieved by filling the internal space of the chamber with compressed air or nitrogen.

3. The flat-plate fire extinguishing device according to claim 2, characterized in that: It is further equipped with a pressure gauge to measure the internal pressure of the chamber, or connected to a tank containing a separate fire extinguishing agent.

4. The flat-plate fire extinguishing device according to claim 2, characterized in that: The extinguishing agent is fluorinated ketone (C6F). 12 (O) or fluoroketones (FK-5-1-12, dodecafluoro-2-methylpentan-3-one), wherein the injection pressure of the extinguishing agent is 5-15 kg / cm². 2 .

5. The flat-plate fire extinguishing device according to claim 1, characterized in that: The low-melting-point alloy melts at 60℃ to 130℃.

6. The flat-plate fire extinguishing device according to claim 1, characterized in that: The outer frame assembly consists of multiple chambers, each having its own sealed internal space separated from the others.

7. A battery module, characterized in that: A battery module comprising a battery equipped with a plurality of battery cells stacked on top of each other and a casing formed in such a way as to enclose at least a portion of the outer surface of the battery includes: This includes the flat-plate fire extinguishing device according to claim 1, configured in a form that is in contact with or adjacent to the battery.

8. The battery module according to claim 7, characterized in that: The housing includes: a housing body that can house the battery internally and has an opening on one side; and a housing cover that can be opened and closed on the opening side of the housing body. The outer casing is composed of the flat-plate fire extinguishing device.

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