Energy storage system

Abstract

An energy storage system includes: a rack including a plurality of horizontal frames arranged at intervals in a vertical direction and having a length in a horizontal direction; a plurality of vertical frames arranged at intervals in the horizontal direction, having a length in the vertical direction, and coupled to the horizontal frame; and a plurality of guide rails coupled to an inner side of the horizontal frame and extending in an inward direction of the chassis; the battery module is mounted on the guide rail; and a fire extinguishing sheet coupled to the horizontal frame. The fire extinguishing sheet is configured to release a fire extinguishing agent to the battery module at a reference temperature.

Description

[0001] Cross - reference to related applications

[0002] This application claims the priority and benefit of Korean Patent Application No. 10 - 2023 - 0166673, filed with the Korean Intellectual Property Office on November 27, 2023, the entire disclosure of which is incorporated herein by reference. Technical field

[0003] Aspects of embodiments of the present disclosure relate to an energy storage system. Background art

[0004] An energy storage system is a device including a large number of battery cells, and the large number of battery cells form a secondary battery to store electrical energy.

[0005] Generally, a plurality of battery cells can be stored in trays, a plurality of trays can be stored in a rack, and a plurality of racks can be stored in a container. However, there is a risk of fire in the rack storing a plurality of battery cells. If a fire occurs in one rack, the flame may spread to adjacent racks, or the surface temperature of adjacent racks may increase significantly.

[0006] The information disclosed in this section is provided to enhance the understanding of the background art of the present disclosure, and thus, it may include information that does not constitute related (or prior) art. Summary of the invention

[0007] According to an embodiment of the present disclosure, there is provided an energy storage system capable of suppressing an increase in the surface temperature of adjacent racks and effectively preventing the spread of flame to adjacent racks in the event of a fire in one rack.

[0008] According to an embodiment of the present disclosure, an energy storage system includes: a rack including: a plurality of horizontal frames spaced apart in a vertical direction and having a length in a horizontal direction; a plurality of vertical frames spaced apart in a horizontal direction, having a length in a vertical direction, and coupled to the horizontal frames; and a plurality of guide rails coupled to the inner side of the horizontal frames and extending in an inward direction of the rack; a battery module mounted on the guide rails; and a fire - extinguishing sheet coupled to the horizontal frames. The fire - extinguishing sheet is configured to release a fire - extinguishing agent to the battery module at a reference temperature.

[0009] In one or more embodiments, the fire - extinguishing sheet may be coupled to the horizontal frame to face the battery module.

[0010] In one or more embodiments, the width of the fire - extinguishing sheet may be the same as the width of the horizontal frame.

[0011] In one or more embodiments, the width of the fire - extinguishing sheet may be greater than the width of the horizontal frame.

[0012] In one or more embodiments, the horizontal frame may include: a first horizontal frame corresponding to the upper end of the battery module; and a second horizontal frame corresponding to the lower end of the battery module.

[0013] In one or more embodiments, the fire extinguishing sheet may include: a first fire extinguishing sheet coupled to the first horizontal frame; and a second fire extinguishing sheet coupled to the second horizontal frame.

[0014] In one or more embodiments, the first fire extinguishing sheet and the second fire extinguishing sheet may be spaced apart from each other to allow a cooling fluid to pass between the first fire extinguishing sheet and the second fire extinguishing sheet.

[0015] In one or more embodiments, the fire extinguishing sheet may be coupled between the first horizontal frame and the second horizontal frame.

[0016] In one or more embodiments, the fire extinguishing sheet may have a plurality of through holes.

[0017] In one or more embodiments, each of the plurality of through holes may have a size in the range of 5 mm to 15 mm.

[0018] In one or more embodiments, the fire extinguishing sheet may include: a cover formed of a resin; and a fire extinguishing agent dispersed inside the cover.

[0019] In one or more embodiments, the energy storage system may further include another rack on one side of the rack and spaced apart from the rack. The fire extinguishing sheet may be coupled to one horizontal frame of the plurality of horizontal frames facing the other rack.

[0020] In one or more embodiments, the energy storage system may further include a fire extinguishing pipe coupled to a guide rail, the fire extinguishing pipe being configured to spray a fire extinguishing liquid toward the battery module.

[0021] In one or more embodiments, the guide rail may have a groove to accommodate the fire extinguishing pipe in the groove.

[0022] In one or more embodiments, the fire extinguishing pipe may have a length in the horizontal direction.

[0023] In one or more embodiments, the battery module may include a top cover facing the guide rail, and the top cover is spaced apart from the guide rail. Description of the Drawings

[0024] The accompanying drawings incorporated in this specification illustrate the preferred embodiments and, together with the detailed description of the following exemplary embodiments, further illustrate the technical idea of the present disclosure, and the present disclosure should not be construed as being limited to the content shown in such drawings. In the drawings:

[0025] Figure 1is a perspective view of an energy storage system according to an embodiment of the present disclosure;

[0026] Figure 2 is Figure 1 an exploded perspective view of a rack and a fire extinguishing sheet of the energy storage system shown in

[0027] Figure 3 is Figure 1 and Figure 2 a perspective view of a guide rail and a battery module of the energy storage system shown in

[0028] Figure 4 is a partial cross-sectional view taken along line IV-IV in Figure 3 ;

[0029] Figure 5 is a perspective view of a rack of an energy storage system with a fire extinguishing sheet installed according to another embodiment of the present disclosure; and

[0030] Figure 6 is a perspective view of a rack of an energy storage system with a fire extinguishing sheet installed according to another embodiment of the present disclosure. Detailed Description of Embodiments

[0031] Hereinafter, embodiments of the present disclosure will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings.

[0032] Embodiments of the present disclosure are provided to more comprehensively explain aspects and features of the present disclosure to those of ordinary skill in the art. Therefore, the following embodiments can be modified in various other forms, and the scope of the present disclosure is not limited to the following embodiments. The embodiments are provided to make the present disclosure more comprehensive and complete, and to fully convey aspects and features of the present disclosure to those skilled in the art.

[0033] It will be understood that when an element or layer is referred to as being "on", "connected to", or "coupled to" another element or layer, it can be directly on, connected to, or coupled to the other element or layer, or one or more intervening elements or layers may also be present. When an element or layer is referred to as being "directly on", "directly connected to", or "directly coupled to" another element or layer, intervening elements or layers are absent. For example, when a first element is described as being "coupled" or "connected" to a second element, the first element can be directly coupled or connected to the second element, or the first element can be indirectly coupled or connected to the second element via one or more intervening elements.

[0034] In the figures, for clarity of illustration, the dimensions of various elements, layers, etc. may be exaggerated. The same reference numerals indicate the same elements. As used herein, the term "and / or" includes any and all combinations of one or more of the associated listed items. Further, the use of "may" in describing embodiments of the present disclosure refers to "one or more embodiments of the present disclosure". Expressions such as "at least one of" and "any one of" before a list of elements modify the entire list of elements and do not modify a single element in the list. For example, the expression "at least one of a, b, or c" refers to only a, only b, only c, both a and b, both a and c, both b and c, all of a, b, and c, or variations thereof. As used herein, the term "use" may be considered synonymous with the term "utilize". As used herein, the terms "substantially", "about", and similar terms are used as approximate terms rather than terms of degree, and are intended to account for the inherent variations in measured or calculated values that would be recognized by a person of ordinary skill in the art.

[0035] It will be understood that although the terms "first", "second", "third", etc. may be used herein to describe various elements, components, regions, layers, and / or sections, these elements, components, regions, layers, and / or sections should not be limited by these terms. These terms are used to distinguish one element, component, region, layer, or section from another element, component, region, layer, or section. Thus, without departing from the teachings of the exemplary embodiments, the first element, component, region, layer, or section discussed below may be referred to as the second element, component, region, layer, or section.

[0036] For ease of description, spatial relative terms such as "beneath", "below", "lower", "above", and "upper" are used herein to describe the relationship of one element or feature to another element or feature as shown in the figures. It will be understood that the spatial 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 device in the figures is turned over, an element or feature described as "beneath" or "below" other elements or features may be oriented "above" or "over" the other elements or features. Thus, the term "below" can encompass both an upper and a lower orientation. The device may be otherwise oriented (rotated 90 degrees or at other orientations), and the spatial relative descriptors used herein should be interpreted accordingly.

[0037] The terms used herein are for the purpose of describing embodiments of the present disclosure and are not intended to limit the present 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 when used in this specification, the terms "comprises" and / or "comprising" specify the presence of the stated features, integers, steps, operations, elements, components, and / or groups thereof, but do not preclude the presence or addition of one or more other features, integers, steps, operations, elements, components, and / or groups thereof.

[0038] In view of the entire content of the present disclosure, those of ordinary skill in the art will understand that each suitable feature of the various embodiments of the present disclosure can be partially or fully combined or combined with each other, and can be interlocked and operated technically in various suitable ways, and each embodiment can be implemented independently of each other or in combination with each other in any suitable way, unless otherwise stated or implied.

[0039] Figure 1 is a perspective view of an energy storage system according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. Figure 2 is Figure 1 an exploded perspective view of the rack and the fire extinguishing sheet of the energy storage system shown in Figure 3 is Figure 1 and Figure 2 a perspective view of the guide rail and the battery module of the energy storage system shown in Figure 4 is a partial cross-sectional view taken along line IV-IV in Figure 3 shown in

[0040] Figure 1 Schematically shows an energy storage system 10 according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. The energy storage system 10 may include a rack 11, a battery module 13, and a fire extinguishing sheet 25. The rack 11 may be configured to accommodate one or more battery modules 13. For ease of understanding, Figure 1 illustrates one battery module 13 outside the rack 11 in Figure 1 The battery module 13 may move in the direction of the arrow shown in Figure 1 to be accommodated (e.g., installed) in the rack 11. The rack 11 may be configured to accommodate a plurality of battery modules 13. As shown in

[0041] The rack 11 may be a structure formed by assembling a plurality of frames. See Figure 1, the frame 11 may include a plurality of horizontal frames 15 and a plurality of vertical frames 17. The plurality of horizontal frames 15 may be arranged at intervals in a first direction (e.g., the vertical direction), and each of the horizontal frames 15 may have a length in a second direction (e.g., the horizontal direction) perpendicular to the vertical direction. The plurality of vertical frames 17 may be arranged at intervals in the second direction, and each of the vertical frames 17 may have a length in the first direction. The horizontal frames 15 and the vertical frames 17 may be assembled (e.g., connected) to each other such that the frame 11 has an approximately cuboid outer shape. The horizontal frames 15 and the vertical frames 17 may be coupled to each other by using various fasteners such as bolts. As Figure 1 shown, the upper plate 18 and the lower plate 19 may be coupled to the upper end and the lower end of the assembly of the horizontal frames 15 and the vertical frames 17, respectively.

[0042] The frame 11 may include guide rails 21 configured to support the battery modules 13. For example, the guide rails 21 may be coupled to the inner sides of the horizontal frames 15 and may be arranged in pairs. Each pair of the guide rails 21 may be arranged to face each other to guide the insertion of a corresponding one of the battery modules 13 and support the inserted battery module 13. The guide rails 21 may extend in the inward direction of the frame 11 (e.g., the direction in which the battery module 13 is inserted).

[0043] The battery modules 13 may be mounted on the guide rails 21. The battery modules 13 may be mounted on the guide rails 21 such that two opposite side end portions in the width direction of each of the battery modules 13 are placed on the upper surfaces of a corresponding pair of the guide rails 12 that face each other.

[0044] Each of the battery modules 13 may include a housing 23 defining a space for accommodating batteries (e.g., battery cells), a plurality of batteries accommodated in the housing 23, and a top cover 24. The housing 23 may be a tray-shaped structure for accommodating the batteries, and the top cover 24 may be coupled to the upper end of the housing 23.

[0045] The fire extinguishing sheet 25 may be coupled to the horizontal frame 15. Refer to Figure 1 and Figure 2 , the fire extinguishing sheet 25 may be coupled to the horizontal frame 15 to cover at least a part of the space between adjacent horizontal frames 15.

[0046] The fire extinguishing sheet 25 can be configured to release a fire extinguishing agent to the battery module 13 at a reference temperature. The fire extinguishing sheet 25 can contain a fire extinguishing agent and can be configured to undergo a phase change and release of the fire extinguishing agent in response to an increase in temperature. For example, the phase change of the fire extinguishing agent can occur in the fire extinguishing sheet 25 at an ambient temperature in the range of about 40°C to about 60°C. If the ambient temperature further rises to the range of about 120°C to about 200°C, the fire extinguishing agent can be ejected (e.g., emitted from a part of the fire extinguishing sheet 25) from a part of the fire extinguishing sheet 25.

[0047] The fire extinguishing sheet 25 can include a cover formed of a resin and a fire extinguishing agent dispersed inside the cover. The cover can be formed of a polyurea resin and / or a polyurethane resin, and the fire extinguishing agent can contain, for example, a halogenated carbon (e.g., a halogen-containing hydrocarbon compound, such as a compound composed only of carbon atoms and halogen atoms), such as a halogenated ketone (e.g., NOVEC 1230 of 3M Company). If the fire extinguishing agent is ejected from the fire extinguishing sheet 25, the flame in the battery module 13 in the rack 11 can be extinguished.

[0048] The fire extinguishing sheet 25 can be coupled to the outer side and / or the inner side of the horizontal frame 15 and can face the installed battery module 13 to improve the fire extinguishing effect of the fire extinguishing sheet 25.

[0049] The width of the fire extinguishing sheet 25 (e.g., Figure 1 and Figure 2 the vertical height of the fire extinguishing sheet 25 in Figure 1 and 2 can be equal to or greater than the width of the horizontal frame 15 (e.g.,

[0050] the vertical height of the horizontal frame 15 in Figure 1 ). Thus, the fire extinguishing sheet 25 can cover the area of the horizontal frame 15 in the width direction of the horizontal frame 15 and at least a part of the space between adjacent horizontal frames 15 to improve the fire extinguishing effect of the fire extinguishing sheet 25.

[0051] See Figure 3 and Figure 4, the battery module 13 (e.g., each battery module 13) may have a fire extinguishing pipe 27 coupled to the guide rail 21 and configured to eject a fire extinguishing liquid. The guide rail 21 may have a groove 29 formed therein to accommodate the fire extinguishing pipe 27 in the groove 29. When the fire extinguishing liquid flows through the fire extinguishing pipe 27, the fire extinguishing pipe 27 may eject the fire extinguishing liquid toward the battery module 13 mounted on the guide rail 21. The fire extinguishing pipe 27 may be a pipe member having a length in a second direction and configured to allow the fire extinguishing liquid to flow through the fire extinguishing pipe 27. The fire extinguishing pipe 27 may be configured to eject the fire extinguishing liquid through ejection holes 28 (e.g., ejection openings) formed in the fire extinguishing pipe 27.

[0052] See Figure 4 , the top cover 24 of the battery module 13 may face the battery module 13 disposed below the top cover 24, may face the guide rail 21, and may be spaced apart from the guide rail 21 disposed directly above the top cover 24. Accordingly, an empty space (e.g., a gap) may be defined between the top cover 24 and the lower surface of the guide rail 21 disposed above the top cover 24.

[0053] Figure 5 is a perspective view of a rack of an energy storage system with fire extinguishing sheets according to another embodiment of the present disclosure. Hereinafter, reference will be made to Figure 5 describe an energy storage system according to another embodiment of the present disclosure. Descriptions of components and configurations that are the same as or substantially similar to those of the above-described embodiment will be omitted or repeated only briefly.

[0054] See Figure 5 , the horizontal frame 31 may include a first horizontal frame 32 corresponding to the upper end of the battery module and a second horizontal frame 33 corresponding to the lower end of the battery module. For example, the first horizontal frame 32 may be disposed above the second horizontal frame 33, and the battery module may be disposed between the first horizontal frame 32 and the second horizontal frame 33 in the vertical direction. The fire extinguishing sheets may include a first fire extinguishing sheet 36 coupled to the first horizontal frame 32 and a second fire extinguishing sheet 37 coupled to the second horizontal frame 33. The first fire extinguishing sheet 36 and the second fire extinguishing sheet 37 may be spaced apart from each other to allow a cooling fluid to pass between the first fire extinguishing sheet 36 and the second fire extinguishing sheet 37. This configuration may allow the cooling fluid to flow through the gap between the first fire extinguishing sheet 36 and the second fire extinguishing sheet 37 and ensure a stable flow of the cooling fluid despite the installation of the fire extinguishing sheets 36, 37.

[0055] Figure 6 is a perspective view of a rack of an energy storage system with fire extinguishing sheets according to another embodiment of the present disclosure. Hereinafter, reference will be made to Figure 6Describe an energy storage system according to another embodiment of the present disclosure. Descriptions of components and configurations that are the same as or substantially similar to those of the above-described embodiment will be omitted or repeated only briefly.

[0056] Referring to Figure 6 , the horizontal frame 41 may include a first horizontal frame 42 corresponding to the upper end of the battery module and a second horizontal frame 43 corresponding to the lower end of the battery module. For example, the first horizontal frame 42 may be disposed above the second horizontal frame 43, and the battery module may be disposed between the first horizontal frame 42 and the second horizontal frame 43 in the vertical direction. The fire extinguishing sheet 45 may be coupled between the first horizontal frame 42 and the second horizontal frame 43. For example, the fire extinguishing sheet 45 may be positioned to cover at least a portion of the area between the first horizontal frame 42 and the second horizontal frame 43. The fire extinguishing sheet 45 may have a plurality of through holes (e.g., openings) 47 formed therein. The through holes 47 may serve as channels through which the cooling fluid passes. For example, the through holes 47 may have dimensions in the range of about 5 mm to about 15 mm. For example, the through holes 47 may have a circular shape with a diameter in the range of about 5 mm to about 15 mm.

[0057] It is obvious from the above description that, according to an embodiment of the present disclosure, the fire extinguishing sheet is installed on the rack that houses the battery module. Therefore, in the case of a fire occurring in one rack, the surface temperature rise of adjacent racks can be suppressed, and the spread of flames to adjacent racks can be effectively prevented.

[0058] The above are only some embodiments for implementing the energy storage system according to the present disclosure, and the present disclosure is not limited thereto. Those skilled in the art should understand that various modifications can be made without departing from the gist of the present disclosure as described in the claims and their equivalents.

Claims

1. An energy storage system, comprising: Rack, including: A plurality of horizontal frames are arranged at intervals in the vertical direction and have a length in the horizontal direction; a plurality of vertical frames arranged at intervals in the horizontal direction, having a length in the vertical direction, and coupled to the horizontal frame; and a plurality of guide rails coupled to the inner side of the horizontal frame and extending in an inward direction of the rack; A battery module mounted on the guide rail; and A fire extinguishing sheet is coupled to the horizontal frame, and is configured to release a fire extinguishing agent toward the battery module at a reference temperature. 2 . The energy storage system according to claim 1 , wherein the fire extinguishing sheet is coupled to the horizontal frame to face the battery module. 3 . The energy storage system according to claim 1 , wherein a width of the fire extinguishing sheet is equal to or greater than a width of the horizontal frame.

4. The energy storage system according to claim 1, wherein the horizontal frame comprises: A first horizontal frame corresponding to the upper end of the battery module; and The second horizontal frame corresponds to the lower end of the battery module.

5. The energy storage system according to claim 4, wherein the fire extinguishing sheet comprises: a first fire extinguishing sheet coupled to the first horizontal frame; and A second fire extinguishing sheet is coupled to the second horizontal frame. 6 . The energy storage system according to claim 5 , wherein the first fire extinguishing sheet and the second fire extinguishing sheet are spaced apart from each other to allow a cooling fluid to pass between the first fire extinguishing sheet and the second fire extinguishing sheet. 7 . The energy storage system of claim 4 , wherein the fire extinguishing sheet is coupled between the first horizontal frame and the second horizontal frame. The energy storage system according to claim 7 , wherein the fire extinguishing sheet has a plurality of through holes. 9 . The energy storage system according to claim 8 , wherein each of the plurality of through holes has a size in the range of 5 mm to 15 mm.

10. The energy storage system according to claim 1, wherein the fire extinguishing sheet comprises: a cover formed of resin; and A fire extinguishing agent is dispersed inside the cover.

11. The energy storage system according to claim 1, further comprising another rack on one side of the rack and spaced apart from the rack, The fire extinguishing sheet is coupled to one of the plurality of horizontal frames that faces the other rack. 12 . The energy storage system according to claim 1 , further comprising a fire extinguishing pipe coupled to the guide rail, the fire extinguishing pipe being configured to spray a fire extinguishing liquid toward the battery module. 13 . The energy storage system according to claim 12 , wherein the guide rail has a groove to accommodate the fire extinguishing pipe in the groove. The energy storage system according to claim 12 , wherein the fire extinguishing pipe has a length in the horizontal direction.

15. The energy storage system according to claim 1, wherein the battery module comprises a top cover facing the guide rail, and The top cover is spaced apart from the guide rail.

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