Energy storage systems and their control methods, computing devices, storage media and software products

Abstract

This application provides an energy storage system and its control method, computing device, storage medium, and program product, belonging to the field of energy storage. The energy storage system includes an energy storage device, a first detection unit, a high-pressure gas storage tank, a low-pressure gas storage tank, and a control unit. The battery device of the energy storage device is housed in a cabinet cavity. The first detection unit is used to detect the smoke concentration in the cavity and emit a detection signal. The control unit is configured to acquire the detection signal, and in response to the detection signal satisfying a first preset condition, determine that the battery device is smoldering. It then controls the high-pressure gas storage tank to inject a first inert gas into the cavity, so that the oxygen concentration in the cavity is below a safe threshold, reducing the possibility of flaming combustion. Next, it controls the low-pressure gas storage tank to inject a second inert gas into the cavity, maintaining the oxygen concentration in the cavity below the safe threshold to reduce the possibility of reignition, causing the thermally runaway battery device to spontaneously combust, thus improving the reliability of the energy storage system.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This application relates to the field of energy storage technology, and in particular to an energy storage system and its control method, computing device, storage medium and program product. Background Technology

[0002] With increasing demand for energy, home energy storage and large-scale energy storage technologies are gradually emerging. Taking energy storage systems as an example, these systems are equipped with a large number of battery devices that can store electrical energy as needed and output it when appropriate.

[0003] Batteries may experience thermal runaway during prolonged operation. Thermal runaway can lead to fires, explosions, and other hazards, thus compromising the reliability of energy storage systems. Therefore, improving the reliability of energy storage systems is a pressing issue that needs to be addressed. Summary of the Invention

[0004] This application aims to at least address one of the technical problems existing in the background art. Therefore, one object of this application is to provide an energy storage system and its control method, computing device, storage medium, and program product, which can improve the reliability of the energy storage system.

[0005] An embodiment of the first aspect of this application provides an energy storage system, including: an energy storage device, a first detection unit, a high-pressure gas storage tank, a low-pressure gas storage tank, and a control unit. The energy storage device includes a cabinet and a battery device. The cabinet has a receiving cavity, in which the battery device is received. The first detection unit is used to detect the smoke concentration in the receiving cavity and emit a detection signal, the detection signal including at least a smoke concentration signal. The high-pressure gas storage tank is connected to the receiving cavity through a first gas path, which is openable and disconnectable. The low-pressure gas storage tank is connected to the receiving cavity through a second gas path, which is openable and disconnectable. The control unit is configured to acquire the detection signal, and in response to the detection signal satisfying a first preset condition, determine that the battery device is smoldering, control the first gas path to be opened and the second gas path to be closed, so that the high-pressure gas storage tank injects a first inert gas into the receiving cavity, making the oxygen concentration in the receiving cavity lower than a safe threshold, and then control the second gas path to be opened, so that the low-pressure gas storage tank injects a second inert gas into the receiving cavity.

[0006] In the technical solution of this application embodiment, the acquired detection signal can detect smoldering of the battery device early. When smoldering occurs, a first inert gas is rapidly injected into the containment cavity through a high-pressure gas storage tank. This rapidly reduces the oxygen concentration in the containment cavity to below a safe threshold, thus reducing the possibility of smoldering turning into flaming combustion to some extent. Then, a second inert gas is continuously injected into the containment cavity through a low-pressure gas storage tank, maintaining the oxygen concentration in the containment cavity below the safe threshold to reduce the possibility of reignition of the battery device. Furthermore, because the injection rate of the second inert gas into the containment cavity from the low-pressure gas storage tank is relatively low, it prevents the gas pressure in the containment cavity from continuously increasing and becoming excessively high. In summary, this helps to improve the reliability of the energy storage system.

[0007] In some embodiments, the energy storage system further includes a second detection unit, a liquid storage container, and a spraying device connected to the liquid storage container; the second detection unit is used to detect the temperature inside the containment cavity and emit a temperature signal; the control unit is configured to also acquire the temperature signal, and in response to the temperature signal indicating that the temperature inside the containment cavity is not less than a temperature threshold, after controlling the first gas path to be opened and the second gas path to be closed, control the spraying device to spray coolant into the containment cavity. By spraying coolant, the battery device can be cooled, which can further reduce the possibility of reignition.

[0008] In some embodiments, a partition is provided inside the cabinet, dividing the interior into a receiving cavity and an installation cavity. The liquid storage container and the high-pressure gas tank are housed in the installation cavity, while the low-pressure gas tank is located outside the cabinet. By ensuring that the battery device is not located in the same chamber as the liquid storage container, the high-pressure gas tank, and the low-pressure gas tank, the high-temperature substances and gases ejected during thermal runaway of the battery device will not directly act on the liquid storage container, the high-pressure gas tank, and the low-pressure gas tank, thus preventing them from rupturing.

[0009] In some embodiments, the control unit is configured to, after controlling the first gas path to be opened and the second gas path to be cut off, delay for a first preset time to control the second gas path to be opened, and within the first preset time, the first inert gas in the high-pressure gas tank is injected into the receiving cavity along the first gas path.

[0010] This embodiment ensures that when the low-pressure gas tank injects gas into the receiving cavity, the first inert gas in the high-pressure gas tank has been exhausted. This allows the second gas path to be opened without needing to cut off the first gas path, thus preventing the high-pressure gas tank from filling the low-pressure gas tank with the first inert gas under the action of the pressure difference. This simplifies the control process.

[0011] In some embodiments, the energy storage system further includes a third detection unit for detecting the environment of the containment cavity and emitting an environmental signal; the control unit is configured to acquire the environmental signal in response to the detection signal not meeting a first preset condition, and to determine that the environment of the containment cavity is abnormal in response to the environmental signal meeting a second preset condition, and to control the second gas path to be opened so that the low-pressure gas tank injects a second inert gas into the containment cavity.

[0012] In this embodiment, when the environment of the containment cavity is abnormal before the battery device smolders, a second inert gas is injected into the containment cavity at low pressure, so that the containment cavity is in an inert gas atmosphere to achieve inertization protection.

[0013] In some embodiments, the third detection unit includes at least one of a humidity sensor, an oxygen concentration sensor, and a pressure sensor, wherein the humidity sensor is used to detect the ambient humidity of the containment cavity, the oxygen concentration sensor is used to detect the oxygen concentration of the containment cavity, and the pressure sensor is used to detect the air pressure of the containment cavity.

[0014] In some embodiments, the control unit is configured to, after determining that the environment of the containment cavity is abnormal and controlling the second gas path to open, also acquire an environmental signal, and in response to the environmental signal satisfying a third preset condition, determine that the environment of the containment cavity is normal and control the second gas path to close. This embodiment sets a stop condition for the injection of the second inert gas, causing the low-pressure gas tank and the second gas path to operate intermittently, thereby extending their service life.

[0015] In some embodiments, the third detection unit includes a pressure sensor for detecting the air pressure in the containment cavity. The second preset condition includes that the difference between the air pressure in the containment cavity and the atmospheric pressure is within a first pressure range. The third preset condition includes that the difference between the air pressure in the containment cavity and the atmospheric pressure is within a second pressure range. The pressure in the first pressure range is positive, the pressure in the second pressure range is greater than the pressure in the first pressure range, and the sum of the upper limit of the second pressure range and the atmospheric pressure is less than the pressure of the low-pressure gas storage tank.

[0016] This embodiment ensures that the air pressure inside the containment cavity is positive relative to atmospheric pressure, while also being lower than the pressure of the high-pressure gas storage tank and the low-pressure gas storage tank, so that air can be smoothly injected into the containment cavity.

[0017] In some embodiments, the pressure of the high-pressure gas storage tank is greater than or equal to 15 MPa and less than or equal to 20 MPa, the pressure of the low-pressure gas storage tank is greater than or equal to 0.4 MPa and less than or equal to 0.6 MPa, and the second pressure range is 300 Pa to 1000 Pa.

[0018] In some embodiments, the third detection unit includes an oxygen concentration sensor for detecting the oxygen concentration in the containment cavity. The second preset condition includes the oxygen concentration in the containment cavity being greater than or equal to a first oxygen concentration threshold. The third preset condition includes the oxygen concentration in the containment cavity reaching a second oxygen concentration threshold. The first oxygen concentration threshold is greater than the second oxygen concentration threshold, and the second oxygen concentration threshold is a positive value.

[0019] This embodiment maintains a low-oxygen environment rather than an anaerobic environment within the containment cavity when the environment is normal, allowing operators to perform operations within the containment cavity.

[0020] In some embodiments, the control unit includes a first controller and a second controller. Both the first controller and the second controller can acquire detection signals. The first controller is configured to control the opening and closing of a first air path, and the second controller is configured to control the opening and closing of a second air path. The second controller is communicatively connected to a third detection unit and acquires environmental signals.

[0021] Compared to the technical solution of controlling the on / off state of the first and second air passages simultaneously through the same controller, this approach simplifies the control operation of a single controller.

[0022] In some embodiments, the first controller is communicatively connected to the second controller, the first controller sends communication information every second preset time interval, and the first controller is electrically connected to the battery device; the second controller is configured to, after determining that the battery device is smoldering, control the second gas path to be opened in response to not receiving communication information within the second preset time interval, so that the low-pressure gas storage tank injects a second inert gas into the receiving cavity.

[0023] In this embodiment, when smoldering of the battery device is determined, if the first controller, which is electrically connected to the battery device, fails due to high voltage breakdown, resulting in the inability to smoothly control the high-pressure gas tank to fill the containment cavity with the first inert gas, the second controller determines that the first controller has failed if it does not obtain communication information within a second preset time period. Then, the second inert gas is filled into the containment cavity through the low-pressure gas tank, so as to reduce the possibility of smoldering turning into flaming combustion to a certain extent.

[0024] In some embodiments, the energy storage system includes a plurality of energy storage devices and a first detection unit, a third detection unit, a high-pressure gas storage tank, and a first controller, the number of which is equal to the number of energy storage devices. Each first detection unit, each third detection unit, each high-pressure gas storage tank, and each first controller are located in one energy storage device. The plurality of energy storage devices are controlled by the same second controller, and the receiving cavities of the plurality of energy storage devices are connected to the same low-pressure gas storage tank.

[0025] This embodiment enables the energy storage system to integrate multiple energy storage devices, thereby providing a larger amount of electrical energy to electrical equipment.

[0026] In some embodiments, the energy storage system further includes an alarm, and the control unit is further configured to issue an alarm signal after determining that the battery device is smoldering, the alarm receiving the alarm signal and issuing an alarm.

[0027] In this embodiment, an alarm is triggered by an alarm device, allowing operators to be notified of smoldering in the battery device as early as possible and take appropriate measures in a timely manner.

[0028] In some embodiments, the battery device is connected to an electrical appliance via a circuit, the circuit having a circuit breaker, and the control unit is further configured to control the circuit breaker to open after determining that the battery device is smoldering.

[0029] In some embodiments, the energy storage system further includes an inert gas generator connected to a low-pressure gas storage tank via a connecting pipe; the control unit is configured to control the inert gas generator to produce a second inert gas while controlling the second gas path to be open, and to fill the low-pressure gas storage tank with the second inert gas via the connecting pipe.

[0030] This embodiment enables the inert gas generator to continuously supply the second inert gas to the low-pressure gas storage tank when the low-pressure gas storage tank fills the receiving cavity with the second inert gas.

[0031] The second aspect of this application provides a control method for an energy storage system, applied to the energy storage system in the above embodiments. The control method includes: acquiring a detection signal; in response to the detection signal satisfying a first preset condition, determining that the battery device is smoldering, controlling the first gas path to be opened and the second gas path to be cut off, so that the high-pressure gas storage tank injects a first inert gas into the receiving cavity, so that the oxygen concentration in the receiving cavity is lower than a safety threshold, and then controlling the second gas path to be opened, so that the low-pressure gas storage tank injects a second inert gas into the receiving cavity.

[0032] An embodiment of the third aspect of this application provides a computing device, including: at least one processor; and at least one memory communicatively connected to the at least one processor, the at least one memory storing instructions that, when executed individually or jointly by the at least one processor, cause the computing device to perform the control method of the energy storage system in the above embodiments.

[0033] An embodiment of the fourth aspect of this application provides a computer-readable storage medium storing instructions that, when executed individually or jointly by one or more processors of a computing device, cause the computing device to perform the control method of the energy storage system described above.

[0034] An embodiment of the fifth aspect of this application provides a computer program product including instructions that, when executed individually or jointly by one or more processors of a computing device, cause the computing device to perform the control method of the energy storage system described above.

[0035] The above description is only an overview of the technical solution of this application. In order to better understand the technical means of this application and to implement it in accordance with the contents of the specification, and to make the above and other objects, features and advantages of this application more obvious and understandable, the following are specific embodiments of this application. Attached Figure Description

[0036] In the accompanying drawings, unless otherwise specified, the same reference numerals throughout the various drawings denote the same or similar parts or elements. These drawings are not necessarily drawn to scale. It should be understood that these drawings depict only some embodiments disclosed in this application and should not be construed as limiting the scope of this application.

[0037] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of an energy storage system according to some embodiments of this application;

[0038] Figure 2 for Figure 1 The diagram shows the principle of the low-pressure gas storage tank of the energy storage system injecting gas into the cabinet.

[0039] Figure 3 This is a schematic diagram illustrating the principle of injecting gas into the cabinet from the low-pressure gas storage tank in some other embodiments of the energy storage system of this application.

[0040] Figure 4 This is a flowchart illustrating the control method of an energy storage system according to some embodiments of this application;

[0041] Figure 5 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of a computing device provided in an embodiment of this application.

[0042] Explanation of reference numerals in the attached figures:

[0043] 100. Energy storage system;

[0044] 10. Energy storage device; 11. Cabinet; 111. Partition; 112. Receiving cavity; 113. Installation cavity; 114. Alarm; 116. Start / stop button; 12. Battery device.

[0045] 20. First detection unit; 21. Smoke concentration sensor; 22. Second detection unit;

[0046] 30. High-pressure gas storage tank;

[0047] 40. Low-pressure gas storage tank; 41. Second valve; 42. Check valve; 43. Pressure reducing valve; 44. Main pipeline; 45. Control valve.

[0048] 50. Control unit; 51. First controller; 52. Second controller; 53. Signal processor;

[0049] 60. Liquid storage container;

[0050] 70. Third detection unit; 71. Humidity sensor; 72. Oxygen concentration sensor; 73. Pressure sensor;

[0051] 80. Inert gas generator; 81. Connecting pipes;

[0052] 200. Computing device; 201. Processor; 202. Memory; 203. Communication component; 204. Bus. Detailed Implementation

[0053] The embodiments of the technical solution of this application will now be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. These embodiments are only used to more clearly illustrate the technical solution of this application and are therefore merely examples, and should not be used to limit the scope of protection of this application.

[0054] Unless otherwise defined, all technical and scientific terms used herein have the same meaning as commonly understood by one of ordinary skill in the art to which this application pertains; the terminology used herein is for the purpose of describing particular embodiments only and is not intended to limit the application; the terms “comprising” and “having”, and any variations thereof, in the specification, claims, and foregoing description of the drawings are intended to cover non-exclusive inclusion.

[0055] In the description of the embodiments of this application, technical terms such as "first" and "second" are used only to distinguish different objects and should not be construed as indicating or implying relative importance or implicitly specifying the number, specific order, or primary and secondary relationship of the indicated technical features. In the description of the embodiments of this application, "multiple" means two or more, unless otherwise explicitly defined.

[0056] In this document, the term "embodiment" means that a particular feature, structure, or characteristic described in connection with an embodiment may be included in at least one embodiment of this application. The appearance of this phrase in various places throughout the specification does not necessarily refer to the same embodiment, nor is it a separate or alternative embodiment mutually exclusive with other embodiments. It will be explicitly and implicitly understood by those skilled in the art that the embodiments described herein can be combined with other embodiments.

[0057] In the description of the embodiments in this application, the term "and / or" is merely a description of the relationship between related objects, indicating that three relationships can exist. For example, A and / or B can represent: A existing alone, A and B existing simultaneously, and B existing alone. Additionally, the character " / " in this document generally indicates that the preceding and following related objects have an "or" relationship.

[0058] In the description of the embodiments of this application, the term "multiple" refers to two or more (including two), similarly, "multiple sets" refers to two or more (including two sets), and "multiple pieces" refers to two or more (including two pieces).

[0059] In the description of the embodiments of this application, the technical terms "center," "longitudinal," "lateral," "length," "width," "thickness," "upper," "lower," "front," "rear," "left," "right," "vertical," "horizontal," "top," "bottom," "inner," "outer," "clockwise," "counterclockwise," "axial," "radial," and "circumferential" indicate the orientation or positional relationship based on the orientation or positional relationship shown in the accompanying drawings. They are only for the convenience of describing the embodiments of this application and simplifying the description, and are not intended to indicate or imply that the device or element referred to must have a specific orientation, or be constructed and operated in a specific orientation. Therefore, they should not be construed as limitations on the embodiments of this application.

[0060] In the description of the embodiments of this application, unless otherwise expressly specified and limited, the technical terms such as "installation", "connection", "linking", and "fixing" should be interpreted broadly. For example, they can refer to a fixed connection, a detachable connection, or an integral part; they can refer to a mechanical connection or an electrical connection; they can refer to a direct connection or an indirect connection through an intermediate medium; they can refer to the internal connection of two components or the interaction between two components.

[0061] In this application, the term "parallel" includes not only absolute parallelism but also approximate parallelism as commonly understood in engineering; similarly, "perpendicular" also includes not only absolute perpendicularity but also approximate perpendicularity as commonly understood in engineering. Those skilled in the art can understand the specific meaning of the above terms in the embodiments of this application based on the specific circumstances.

[0062] With the continuous development of power storage systems, energy storage technology is widely used in new energy power generation, power services, and other fields. Among various forms of energy storage, electrochemical energy storage has been vigorously developed due to its advantages such as high energy conversion efficiency, fast response speed, and modularity. Because the working environment of energy storage systems is relatively enclosed and heat dissipation conditions are limited, rechargeable batteries in energy storage systems are prone to heat accumulation during charging and discharging. Especially under extreme operating conditions, heat accumulation can easily lead to a rapid increase in the internal temperature of the battery, resulting in thermal runaway. If thermal runaway is not controlled, the large amount of heat and harmful gases released can cause a chain reaction, leading to fires and explosions of other batteries. Battery fires and explosions not only easily cause personal injury and death but also result in significant economic losses.

[0063] Current fire suppression systems for energy storage systems primarily identify battery fires by collecting thermal runaway information from within the enclosure and triggering fire suppression operations once the thermal runaway information indicates a fire. However, this approach only provides emergency response after a fire has occurred, which has significant limitations. Furthermore, when energy storage systems use lithium batteries, if a lithium battery experiences thermal runaway, a chain of exothermic reactions will occur internally (such as SEI film (solid electrolyte interface film) decomposition, positive and negative electrode material reactions, and electrolyte combustion). In such cases, even if the open flame is extinguished, the lithium battery may continue to generate heat due to chemical reactions, easily leading to reignition.

[0064] Based on the above considerations, an energy storage system was designed. In the event of thermal runaway of a single battery cell within the battery device, without open flame and with smoldering of the battery device, inert gas is rapidly injected into the containment cavity containing the battery device to reduce the concentration of oxidizers at the source, thus reducing the possibility of flame combustion. Furthermore, inert gas is continuously injected into the containment cavity thereafter, which reduces the possibility of reignition, enabling the thermally runaway battery device to self-ignite completely.

[0065] The energy storage system described in this application can be used in energy storage power stations, wind power generation systems, solar power generation systems, mobile power systems, or temporary power supply systems, etc. Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the energy storage system according to some embodiments of this application, such as... Figure 1 As shown, the energy storage system includes an energy storage device that uses a battery as its power source. The energy storage device can store electrical energy as needed and output it when appropriate. For example, the energy storage device can store electrical energy during off-peak hours and provide power to relevant users or electrical equipment during peak hours.

[0066] In some embodiments, the energy storage device may be an energy storage container, an energy storage cabinet, an energy storage power station, an energy storage battery pack, or a portable energy storage system.

[0067] In some embodiments, such as Figure 1 As shown, the energy storage device 10 may include a cabinet 11 and one or more battery clusters housed within the cabinet 11. Each battery cluster may include multiple battery devices 12, which are connected in series via a busbar to increase the voltage of the energy storage device 10. When the energy storage device 10 includes multiple battery clusters, these clusters are connected in parallel to increase the capacity of the energy storage device 10.

[0068] In some embodiments, the battery device 12 can be a battery pack, which includes a housing and one or more individual battery cells housed within the housing. The housing can be a simple three-dimensional structure such as a single cuboid, cylinder, or sphere, or a complex three-dimensional structure composed of combinations of simple three-dimensional structures such as cuboids, cylinders, or spheres. The housing can be made of alloy materials such as aluminum alloy or iron alloy, polymer materials such as polycarbonate or polyisocyanurate foam, or composite materials such as glass fiber and epoxy resin.

[0069] The battery cells involved in the embodiments of this application can be secondary batteries, which are battery cells that can be recharged after discharge to activate the active materials and continue to be used. The battery cells involved in the embodiments of this application can be lithium-ion batteries, sodium-ion batteries, sodium-lithium-ion batteries, lithium metal batteries, sodium metal batteries, lithium-sulfur batteries, magnesium-ion batteries, nickel-metal hydride batteries, nickel-cadmium batteries, lead-acid batteries, etc., and this application is not limited in this regard. As an example, the battery cell can be a cylindrical battery cell, a prismatic battery cell, or a battery cell of other shapes. Prismatic battery cells include prismatic battery cells, blade-shaped battery cells, and multi-prismatic battery cells, such as hexagonal prismatic battery cells, etc., and this application has no particular limitations.

[0070] like Figure 1 As shown, the energy storage system 100 of this embodiment may further include a first detection unit 20, a high-pressure gas storage tank 30, a low-pressure gas storage tank 40, and a control unit 50. The first detection unit 20 is at least used to detect the smoke concentration in the containment cavity 112 and emit a detection signal, the detection signal including at least a smoke concentration signal. The high-pressure gas storage tank 30 is connected to the containment cavity 112 through a first gas path, which is openable and closedable. The low-pressure gas storage tank 40 is connected to the containment cavity 112 through a second gas path, which is openable and closedable. The control unit 50 is configured to acquire the detection signal, and in response to the detection signal satisfying a first preset condition, determine that the battery device 12 is smoldering, control the first gas path to be opened and the second gas path to be closed, so that the high-pressure gas storage tank 30 injects a first inert gas into the containment cavity 112, so that the oxygen concentration in the containment cavity 112 is lower than a safe threshold, and then control the second gas path to be opened, so that the low-pressure gas storage tank 40 injects a second inert gas into the containment cavity 112.

[0071] The high-pressure gas storage tank 30 stores a first inert gas, and the low-pressure gas storage tank 40 stores a second inert gas. High pressure and low pressure are relative terms; the gas pressure in the high-pressure gas storage tank 30 is relatively high, and the gas pressure in the low-pressure gas storage tank 40 is relatively low. Both the gas pressures in the high-pressure and low-pressure gas storage tanks are greater than the gas pressure inside the cabinet 11, creating a pressure difference. This allows the first inert gas to be injected into the receiving cavity 112 when the first gas path is open, and the second inert gas to be injected into the receiving cavity 112 when the second gas path is open.

[0072] The first inert gas and the second inert gas can be one or more of nitrogen, argon, helium, neon, etc., and the first inert gas and the second inert gas can be the same or different.

[0073] In some embodiments, the first and second gas paths can be independent of each other and not interconnected. Specifically, the energy storage system 100 may further include two pipes, with the outlets of the high-pressure gas storage tank 30 and the low-pressure gas storage tank 40 respectively connected to one end of each pipe. The other ends of the two pipes extend into the receiving cavity 112, and each pipe has a through hole communicating with the receiving cavity 112. The inner surface of the pipe connected to the outlet of the high-pressure gas storage tank 30 forms the first gas path, and the inner surface of the pipe connected to the outlet of the low-pressure gas storage tank 40 forms the second gas path. An on / off valve may be provided on the outlet or pipe, and the opening and closing of the on / off valve controls the flow of the gas path it encloses.

[0074] In some embodiments, a portion of the first air passage and a portion of the second air passage are shared. For example... Figure 1 As shown, the outlet of the high-pressure gas storage tank 30 is connected to one end of a connecting pipe, and the other end of the connecting pipe is connected to the outlet of the low-pressure gas storage tank 40. A portion of the connecting pipe is located within the receiving cavity 112, and an opening communicating with the receiving cavity 112 is provided on the connecting pipe. A first valve is provided at the outlet of the high-pressure gas storage tank 30 or on the connecting pipe between the outlet and the opening. Controlling the opening and closing of the first valve allows the first gas path to be opened or closed. A second valve 41 is provided at the outlet of the low-pressure gas storage tank 40 or on the connecting pipe between the outlet and the opening. Controlling the opening and closing of the second valve 41 allows the second gas path to be opened or closed. In this example, after determining that the battery device 12 is smoldering, controlling the first gas path to be open and the second gas path to be closed prevents the high-pressure gas storage tank 30 from charging the low-pressure gas storage tank 40 with the first inert gas under the influence of the pressure difference. Furthermore, the second valve 41 can be a one-way valve, which only allows the second inert gas to flow unidirectionally from the outlet of the low-pressure gas storage tank 40 to the receiving cavity 112, so as to prevent the first inert gas from being filled into the low-pressure gas storage tank 40 under the action of pressure difference.

[0075] The control unit 50 is an electronic device capable of receiving sensor signals, processing data, and driving actuators. The control unit 50 is communicatively connected to the first detection unit 20. Since the detection signal includes a smoke concentration signal, the control unit 50 can at least receive the smoke concentration signal. In this embodiment, smoldering refers to combustion without a flame; smoldering produces no visible light and is accompanied by smoke. Therefore, smoldering produces smoke, and the smoke concentration signal can be used to determine whether the battery device 12 is smoldering.

[0076] The first detection unit 20 includes at least a smoke detection element, which can be any of a smoke concentration sensor 21, a photoionization detector, etc. As a possible example, the first detection unit 20 may only include a smoke detection element; in this example, the first preset condition is that the smoke concentration in the containment cavity 112 reaches a preset smoke concentration. As an example, the first detection unit 20 may include a smoke detection element and a flame detection element. The flame detection element is used to detect the flame intensity in the containment cavity 112. The flame detection element can be implemented as a flame sensor, etc., and the detection signal includes a smoke concentration signal and a flame intensity signal. In this example, the first preset condition includes the following conditions: the smoke concentration in the containment cavity 112 reaches a preset smoke concentration; the flame intensity in the containment cavity 112 is lower than a preset value. The aforementioned preset smoke concentration can be a smoke concentration threshold characterizing smoldering of the battery device 12, and the preset value is a threshold characterizing the flame intensity when the battery device 12 is not burning. As an example, the first detection unit 20 may further include a sound detection unit, which is used to detect sound within the containment cavity 112. The detection signal includes a smoke concentration signal and a sound signal. In this example, the first preset conditions include the following: the smoke concentration within the containment cavity 112 reaches a preset smoke concentration; and the sound within the containment cavity 112 is a predetermined popping sound. Since the battery device 12 emits a popping sound when smoldering, the sound signal can help determine whether the battery device 12 is smoldering.

[0077] The installation position of the first detection unit 20 (smoke detection element) in the receiving cavity 112 is not limited. For example, it can be installed on the top wall of the cabinet 11, or on the bottom wall of the cabinet 11, or on the support frame inside the cabinet 11 used to support the battery device 12. The number of first detection units 20 is also not limited; there can be one or more. Figure 1 The diagram shows two smoke detection elements, but there can also be three, four, or more. In embodiments where multiple first detection units 20 are provided, they can be used as backups so that even if some first detection units 20 fail, the others can still function normally to ensure reliable detection.

[0078] In this embodiment, during actual operation, when a battery cell experiences thermal runaway, the energy storage system 100 can detect smoldering (flameless combustion) of the battery device 12 early by acquiring detection signals. First, a first inert gas is rapidly injected into the containment cavity 112 via the high-pressure gas storage tank 30. This rapidly reduces the oxygen concentration in the containment cavity 112 to below a safe threshold when smoldering occurs, suppressing oxygen concentration (one of the three elements of combustion) before ignition. This reduces the possibility of smoldering turning into flaming combustion to a certain extent, allowing the thermally runaway battery cell to self-ignite in the smoldering state (i.e., stop burning on its own), thus reducing the risk of igniting adjacent battery devices 12. Furthermore, after rapidly injecting the first inert gas into the containment cavity 112, this embodiment continuously injects a second inert gas into the containment cavity 112 via the low-pressure gas storage tank 40. This maintains the oxygen concentration in the containment cavity 112 below a safe threshold (maintaining a low-oxygen environment) while suppressing the combustion reaction of the battery device 12, thereby reducing the possibility of reignition of the battery device 12. Based on this, the injection rate of the second inert gas from the low-pressure gas storage tank 40 into the receiving cavity 112 is relatively low to prevent the gas pressure in the receiving cavity 112 from continuously increasing and becoming too high. In summary, this helps to improve the reliability of the energy storage system 100.

[0079] Based on some embodiments of this application, please continue to refer to Figure 1 The energy storage system 100 may further include a liquid storage container 60 and a spraying device connected to the liquid storage container 60. The energy storage system 100 may also include a second detection unit 22, which is used to detect the temperature inside the containment cavity 112 and emit a temperature signal. In this example, the control unit 50 is further configured to acquire the temperature signal, and in response to the temperature signal indicating that the temperature inside the containment cavity 112 is not less than a temperature threshold, after controlling the first air path to open and the second air path to close, control the spraying device to spray coolant into the containment cavity 112.

[0080] The storage container 60 is used to hold coolant, which can be any of water, liquid carbon dioxide, liquid nitrogen, etc. The storage container 60 can be connected to a spray device via a connecting pipe. The spray device is located within the receiving cavity 112 and can be, for example, a spray nozzle. Figure 1 As shown, the spray device can be located above all battery devices 12, or the spray device can be located on the side wall of the receiving cavity 112.

[0081] The control unit 50 is also communicatively connected to the second detection unit 22 to receive temperature signals. The second detection unit 22 can be implemented as any of a temperature sensor, an infrared thermal imager, etc. The installation location of the second detection unit 22 in the receiving cavity 112 is not limited; for example, it can be located on the top wall of the cabinet 11, or on the bottom wall of the cabinet 11, or on a support frame inside the cabinet 11 for carrying the battery device 12. The number of second detection units 22 is also unlimited; there can be one or more. Figure 1 The diagram shows two, but there could also be three, four, or more. In embodiments where multiple second detection units 22 are provided, they can be used as backups so that even if some second detection units 22 fail, the others can still operate normally to reliably detect the temperature.

[0082] In actual operation, if a single battery cell experiences thermal runaway, the detection signal can be obtained and it can be determined that the battery device 12 is smoldering. The first inert gas is rapidly injected into the containment cavity 112 through the high-pressure gas storage tank 30. During thermal runaway and smoldering, the temperature also rises. When the temperature signal is obtained and the temperature in the containment cavity 112 is greater than or equal to the temperature threshold, the spray device is controlled to spray coolant.

[0083] In this embodiment, in the event of smoldering in the battery device 12, after rapidly injecting the first inert gas into the receiving cavity 112, coolant is also sprayed into the receiving cavity 112. Since thermal runaway and smoldering are accompanied by a temperature rise, spraying coolant can cool the battery device 12, which not only reduces the possibility of reignition but also further reduces the possibility of smoldering turning into flaming combustion. This reduces the risk of thermal runaway spreading and causing thermal runaway of adjacent battery cells in the battery device 12.

[0084] It should be noted that in methods for triggering fire extinguishing operations after a battery catches fire, heptafluoropropane, perfluorohexanone, and thermal aerosols are commonly used as extinguishing agents, but these extinguishing agents are not environmentally friendly. In this embodiment, thermal runaway can be prevented from producing open flames, thus eliminating the need for extinguishing agents, and the first inert gas, second inert gas, and coolant used are more environmentally friendly.

[0085] In some embodiments, the control unit 50 may determine whether the temperature signal is not less than a temperature threshold after controlling the first gas path to open and the second gas path to close, and before controlling the second gas path to open, and control the spray device to spray coolant into the receiving cavity 112 in response to the temperature signal being not less than the temperature threshold. In this example, the determination of whether the temperature signal is not less than the temperature threshold is performed after the first inert gas is charged under high pressure.

[0086] In some embodiments, the control unit 50 can, in response to a detection signal satisfying a first preset condition to determine that the battery device 12 is smoldering, and in response to a temperature signal not being less than a temperature threshold, first control the opening of a first gas path and the cutting off of a second gas path, so that the high-pressure gas storage tank 30 injects a first inert gas into the receiving cavity 112; then control the spray device to spray coolant into the receiving cavity 112; and then control the opening of the second gas path, so that the low-pressure gas storage tank 40 injects a second inert gas into the receiving cavity 112. In this example, the determination of whether the temperature signal is not less than the temperature threshold is performed before the high-pressure charging of the first inert gas.

[0087] In general, whether before or after filling the containment cavity 112 with the first inert gas, if the temperature signal is determined to be no less than the temperature threshold, the spray device is controlled to spray coolant after filling with the first inert gas.

[0088] In some embodiments, the control unit 50 may be further configured to control the spray device to spray coolant into the receiving cavity 112 after controlling the first gas path to be opened and the second gas path to be closed, and before controlling the second gas path to be opened. In this example, if it is determined that the battery device 12 is smoldering, the first inert gas is first rapidly injected into the receiving cavity 112 through the high-pressure gas storage tank 30. If the temperature signal indicates that the temperature inside the receiving cavity 112 is greater than or equal to a temperature threshold, the spray device is controlled to spray coolant, and then the second inert gas is injected into the receiving cavity 112 through the low-pressure gas storage tank 40.

[0089] In other embodiments, the control unit 50 may be further configured to control the spray device to spray coolant into the receiving cavity 112 after controlling the second gas path to be opened. In this example, if smoldering of the battery device 12 is determined to occur, the receiving cavity 112 is first rapidly charged with a first inert gas through the high-pressure gas storage tank 30, and then charged with a second inert gas through the low-pressure gas storage tank 40, so that the receiving cavity 112 is maintained in a low-oxygen environment before spraying.

[0090] Based on some embodiments of this application, please continue to refer to Figure 1 The cabinet 11 is equipped with a partition 111, which divides the interior of the cabinet 11 into a receiving cavity 112 and an installation cavity 113. The liquid storage container 60 and the high-pressure gas storage tank 30 can both be accommodated in the installation cavity 113, while the low-pressure gas storage tank 40 is located outside the cabinet 11.

[0091] The cabinet 11 can be rectangular, and the thickness direction of the partition 111 can be parallel to the length or width direction of the cabinet 11. In some embodiments, the outlet of the high-pressure gas tank 30 is connected to one end of the pipe, and in this example, the pipe extends from the mounting cavity 113 into the receiving cavity 112. The flow pipe connected to the liquid storage container 60 also extends from the mounting cavity 113 into the receiving cavity 112.

[0092] This embodiment ensures that the battery device 12 is not located in the same chamber as the liquid storage container 60, the high-pressure gas storage tank 30, and the low-pressure gas storage tank 40. This prevents the high-temperature substances and gases ejected during thermal runaway of the battery device 12 from directly affecting the liquid storage container 60, the high-pressure gas storage tank 30, and the low-pressure gas storage tank 40, reducing the risk of the liquid storage container 60, the high-pressure gas storage tank 30, and the low-pressure gas storage tank 40 rupturing due to the influence of high-temperature substances and gases, and enabling the energy storage system 100 to operate reliably.

[0093] According to some embodiments of this application, the control unit 50 is configured to control the second gas path to be turned on after controlling the first gas path to be turned on and the second gas path to be turned off, and during the first preset time, the first inert gas in the high-pressure gas storage tank 30 is injected into the receiving cavity 112 along the first gas path.

[0094] The first preset duration is related to the gas volume in the high-pressure gas storage tank 30 and the outflow rate of the first inert gas. The first preset duration is greater than or equal to the time required for the gas volume in the high-pressure gas storage tank 30 to become 0 cubic meters (i.e., the time required for the first inert gas to be exhausted). In some embodiments, the first preset duration is greater than or equal to 3 minutes (min) and less than or equal to 5 minutes, specifically a range of 3 minutes, 4 minutes, 5 minutes, or any two of them.

[0095] As a possible example, the energy storage system 100 may include a timer connected to a control unit 50. When the control unit 50 determines that the battery device 12 is smoldering, it controls the first gas path to be opened and the second gas path to be closed, while controlling the timer to keep running. When the timer reaches a first preset duration, the first inert gas in the high-pressure gas tank 30 is exhausted, and the second gas path is opened.

[0096] As a possible example, the second valve 41 that enables the opening and closing of the second air passage can also be a time delay valve, which is configured to open the second air passage after the first air passage has been opened for a first preset time.

[0097] In this embodiment, when the low-pressure gas storage tank 40 injects gas into the receiving cavity 112, the first inert gas in the high-pressure gas storage tank 30 has been exhausted. This allows the second gas path to be opened without the need to control the first gas path to be cut off, thus preventing the high-pressure gas storage tank 30 from filling the low-pressure gas storage tank 40 with the first inert gas under the action of the pressure difference. This simplifies the control process.

[0098] Figure 2 for Figure 1 The diagram illustrates the principle of the low-pressure gas storage tank 40 of the energy storage system 100 injecting gas into the cabinet 11. According to some embodiments of this application, such as... Figure 1 and Figure 2As shown, the energy storage system 100 may further include a third detection unit 70, which is used to detect the environment of the containment cavity 112 and emit an environmental signal. In this example, the control unit 50 may also be configured to acquire the environmental signal in response to the detection signal not meeting a first preset condition, and to determine that the environment of the containment cavity 112 is abnormal in response to the environmental signal meeting a second preset condition, and to control the second gas path to be opened so that the low-pressure gas storage tank 40 injects a second inert gas into the containment cavity 112.

[0099] The third detection unit 70 is communicatively connected to the control unit 50. The second preset condition refers to the condition under which the environmental signal indicates an environmental anomaly in the containment cavity 112. In this embodiment, when the detection signal does not meet the first preset condition, i.e., the battery device 12 is not smoldering, it is determined whether the environmental signal meets the second preset condition. If the environmental signal meets the second preset condition, a second inert gas is injected into the containment cavity 112 at low pressure through the low-pressure gas storage tank 40. Figure 3 In the middle, when the low-pressure gas storage tank 40 fills the receiving cavity 112 with a second inert gas at low pressure, the airflow direction of the second inert gas is shown by a solid arrow.

[0100] In some embodiments, a one-way valve 42 and a pressure reducing valve 43 are sequentially arranged along the inflow end to the outflow end of the first gas path. The one-way valve 42 only allows the second inert gas to flow from the outlet of the high-pressure gas storage tank 30 to the receiving cavity 112.

[0101] In this embodiment, if the environment of the containment cavity 112 is abnormal before the battery device 12 smolders, a second inert gas is injected into the containment cavity 112 at low pressure, so that the containment cavity 112 is in an inert gas atmosphere to achieve inerting protection. It can be understood that throughout the entire product life cycle of the energy storage system 100 of this embodiment, the containment cavity 112 is maintained in an inert gas atmosphere to achieve inerting protection.

[0102] Based on some embodiments of this application, please continue to refer to Figure 2 The third detection unit 70 may specifically include at least one of a humidity sensor 71, an oxygen concentration sensor 72, and a pressure sensor 73. The humidity sensor 71 is used to detect the ambient humidity of the containment cavity 112, the oxygen concentration sensor 72 is used to detect the oxygen concentration of the containment cavity 112, and the pressure sensor 73 is used to detect the air pressure of the containment cavity 112.

[0103] The installation position of the third detection unit 70 in the receiving cavity 112 is not limited. For example, it can be installed on the top wall of the cabinet 11, or on the bottom wall of the cabinet 11, or on the support frame inside the cabinet 11 for carrying the battery device 12.

[0104] As an example, the third detection unit 70 includes a humidity sensor 71. Correspondingly, the second preset condition includes that the humidity of the containment cavity 112 is not less than a first humidity threshold, which is a threshold characterizing an abnormal ambient humidity in the containment cavity 112. For example, the first humidity threshold can be 40%, that is, when the humidity of the containment cavity 112 is greater than or equal to 40%, it is determined that the environment of the containment cavity 112 is abnormal, and the ambient humidity of the containment cavity 112 is reduced by injecting a second inert gas into the containment cavity 112. In this embodiment, when the humidity of the containment cavity 112 is abnormal, the inerting protection achieved by injecting a second inert gas into the containment cavity 112 reduces the humidity of the containment cavity 112, thereby reducing the possibility of insulation failure (short circuit / leakage) of the energy storage system 100 due to high humidity, thus improving the reliability of the energy storage system 100.

[0105] As an example, the third detection unit 70 includes an oxygen concentration sensor. Correspondingly, the second preset condition includes that the oxygen concentration in the containment cavity 112 is not less than a first oxygen concentration threshold, which is a threshold characterizing an abnormal oxygen concentration in the containment cavity 112. For example, the first oxygen concentration threshold can be 9%, meaning that when the oxygen concentration in the containment cavity 112 is greater than or equal to 9%, an abnormal environment in the containment cavity 112 is determined, and the oxygen concentration in the containment cavity 112 is reduced by injecting a second inert gas into the containment cavity 112. In this embodiment, when the oxygen concentration in the containment cavity 112 is abnormal before smoldering, the inerting protection achieved by injecting a second inert gas into the containment cavity 112 reduces the oxygen concentration in the containment cavity 112, thereby preventing the possibility of combustion of the battery cells.

[0106] As an example, the third detection unit 70 includes a pressure sensor 73. Correspondingly, the second preset condition includes the difference between the air pressure in the containment cavity 112 and atmospheric pressure being within a first pressure range. The pressure in the first pressure range is positive, indicating that the air pressure in the containment cavity 112 is slightly higher than atmospheric pressure (i.e., the difference between the air pressure in the containment cavity 112 and atmospheric pressure is small). The difference between the air pressure in the containment cavity 112 and atmospheric pressure is the air pressure in the containment cavity 112 minus the atmospheric pressure. In this embodiment, when the air pressure in the containment cavity 112 is slightly higher than atmospheric pressure, the inerting protection achieved by injecting a second inert gas into the containment cavity 112 increases the air pressure within the containment cavity 112, ensuring that the air pressure within the containment cavity 112 is positive relative to atmospheric pressure (i.e., the air pressure within the containment cavity 112 is greater than atmospheric pressure). This prevents oxygen from the atmosphere from flowing into the containment cavity 112, keeping the oxygen concentration in the containment cavity 112 below a first oxygen concentration threshold.

[0107] According to some embodiments of this application, the control unit 50 may also be configured to, after determining that the environment of the receiving cavity 112 is abnormal and controlling the second air path to be opened, acquire an environmental signal, and in response to the environmental signal satisfying a third preset condition, determine that the environment of the receiving cavity 112 is normal and control the second air path to be cut off.

[0108] The third preset condition refers to the condition under which the environmental signal characterizes the environment of the receiving cavity 112 as normal. In this embodiment, when it is determined that the environment of the receiving cavity 112 is abnormal, the second gas path is controlled to be opened to inject the second inert gas into the receiving cavity 112. Then, the third detection unit 70 continuously detects the environment of the receiving cavity 112 and sends an environmental signal. The control unit 50 continuously judges whether the environmental signal meets the third preset condition. When the environmental signal meets the third preset condition, the second gas path is controlled to be cut off to stop the injection of the second inert gas into the receiving cavity 112.

[0109] This embodiment stops injecting the second inert gas into the receiving cavity 112 after the environment in the receiving cavity 112 has returned to normal. In other words, this embodiment sets a stop condition for the injection of the second inert gas. On the one hand, this can save the cost of inert gas; on the other hand, it allows the low-pressure gas storage tank 40 and the second gas path to operate intermittently, which helps to extend their service life.

[0110] According to some embodiments of this application, in an embodiment where the third detection unit 70 includes a pressure sensor 73 for detecting the air pressure in the containment cavity 112, the second preset condition includes that the difference between the air pressure in the containment cavity 112 and the atmospheric pressure is located in a first pressure range, and the third preset condition includes that the difference between the air pressure in the containment cavity 112 and the atmospheric pressure is located in a second pressure range, the pressure in the first pressure range is positive, the pressure in the second pressure range is greater than the pressure in the first pressure range, and the sum of the upper limit of the second pressure range and the atmospheric pressure is less than the pressure of the low-pressure gas storage tank 40.

[0111] A positive pressure in the first pressure range means that any value within the first pressure range is greater than 0 Pa. A pressure in the second pressure range greater than the pressure in the first pressure range means that the lower limit of the second pressure range is greater than the upper limit of the first pressure range. When the difference between the air pressure in the receiving cavity 112 and atmospheric pressure is equal to the upper limit of the second pressure range, the air pressure in the receiving cavity 112 reaches the maximum safety threshold. Since the sum of the upper limit of the second pressure range and atmospheric pressure is less than the pressure of the low-pressure gas storage tank 40, this means that even when the air pressure in the receiving cavity 112 reaches the maximum safety threshold, it is still less than the pressure of the low-pressure gas storage tank 40.

[0112] In this embodiment, when the battery device 12 is not smoldering, when the pressure difference between the gas pressure in the containment cavity 112 and the atmospheric pressure is in the first pressure range, the low-pressure gas storage tank 40 injects a second inert gas into the containment cavity 112 until the gas pressure in the containment cavity 112 increases to the point where the pressure difference with the atmospheric pressure is in the second pressure range. Then, the low-pressure gas storage tank 40 stops injecting the second inert gas into the containment cavity 112, so that the gas pressure in the containment cavity 112 is positive relative to the atmospheric pressure when the environment is normal, so as to prevent oxygen in the atmosphere from flowing into the containment cavity 112, and keep the oxygen concentration in the containment cavity 112 below the first oxygen concentration threshold.

[0113] In this embodiment, when the battery device 12 smolders, the pressure of both the high-pressure gas storage tank 30 and the low-pressure gas storage tank 40 is greater than the gas pressure of the containment cavity 112 under normal environmental conditions, so as to ensure that gas can be injected into the containment cavity 112 under the action of pressure difference.

[0114] This embodiment ensures that the air pressure inside the containment cavity 112 is positive relative to atmospheric pressure, while also being lower than the pressure of the high-pressure gas storage tank 30 and the low-pressure gas storage tank 40. This allows for the reduction of the oxygen concentration inside the containment cavity 112 by injecting gas when smoldering occurs in the battery device 12, thus preventing open flame combustion of the battery cells that have experienced thermal runaway.

[0115] According to some embodiments of this application, the pressure of the high-pressure gas storage tank 30 can be greater than or equal to 15 MPa and less than or equal to 20 MPa, the pressure of the low-pressure gas storage tank 40 can be greater than or equal to 0.4 MPa and less than or equal to 0.6 MPa, and the second pressure range can be 300 Pa to 1000 Pa.

[0116] The pressure of the high-pressure gas storage tank 30 can be in the range of 15MPa, 16MPa, 17MPa, 18MPa, 19MPa, 20MPa, or any combination thereof. The pressure of the low-pressure gas storage tank 40 can be in the range of 0.4MPa, 0.45MPa, 0.5MPa, 0.55MPa, 0.6MPa, or any combination thereof.

[0117] The upper limit of the second pressure range is 1000 Pa, and the sum of 1000 Pa and atmospheric pressure is less than the pressure of the low-pressure gas storage tank 40. The first pressure range can be 50 Pa to 100 Pa. In the embodiments of this application, unless otherwise specified, the numerical ranges such as m Pa to n Pa include both the upper and lower limits. That is, "m Pa to n Pa" represents the numerical range of "above m Pa and n Pa".

[0118] According to some embodiments of this application, in an embodiment where the third detection unit 70 includes an oxygen concentration sensor 72 for detecting the oxygen concentration in the containment cavity 112, the second preset condition includes the oxygen concentration in the containment cavity 112 being greater than or equal to a first oxygen concentration threshold, and the third preset condition includes the oxygen concentration in the containment cavity 112 reaching a second oxygen concentration threshold, wherein the first oxygen concentration threshold is greater than the second oxygen concentration threshold, and the second oxygen concentration threshold can be a positive value.

[0119] For example, the second oxygen concentration threshold can be 3% to 6%, such as a range of 3%, 4%, 5%, 6%, or any two of these. In this embodiment, when the battery device 12 is not smoldering, and the oxygen concentration in the containment cavity 112 is greater than or equal to the first oxygen concentration threshold, the low-pressure gas storage tank 40 injects a second inert gas into the containment cavity 112 until the oxygen concentration in the containment cavity 112 decreases to the second oxygen concentration threshold. At this point, the low-pressure gas storage tank 40 stops injecting the second inert gas into the containment cavity 112, so that the oxygen concentration in the containment cavity 112 is maintained between the first and second oxygen concentration thresholds under normal environmental conditions.

[0120] This embodiment maintains a low-oxygen environment rather than an anaerobic environment in the containment cavity 112 when the environment is normal. The oxygen concentration in the containment cavity 112 will not be too high or too low, allowing the operator to stay and perform operations in the containment cavity 112.

[0121] According to some embodiments of this application, in an embodiment where the third detection unit 70 includes a humidity sensor 71 for detecting the ambient humidity of the receiving cavity 112, the second preset condition includes that the humidity of the receiving cavity 112 is greater than or equal to a first humidity threshold, and the third preset condition includes that the humidity of the receiving cavity 112 reaches a second humidity threshold, wherein the second humidity threshold is less than the first humidity threshold. Exemplarily, the second humidity threshold can be from 15% to 30%, for example, it can be a range of 15%, 18%, 20%, 22%, 25%, 28%, 30%, or any two of these. This embodiment ensures that the humidity of the receiving cavity 112 is maintained between the first and second humidity thresholds when the environment is normal, so that the humidity of the receiving cavity 112 is neither too high nor too low.

[0122] According to some embodiments of this application, such as Figure 1 and Figure 2 As shown, the control unit 50 may specifically include a first controller 51 and a second controller 52. Both the first controller 51 and the second controller 52 can acquire detection signals. The first controller 51 is configured to control the opening and closing of the first air path, and the second controller 52 is configured to control the opening and closing of the second air path. The second controller 52 is communicatively connected to the third detection unit 70 and acquires environmental signals.

[0123] The first controller 51 and the second controller 52 can generate operation control signals based on the instruction operation code and timing signals to complete the control of instruction fetching and execution. Both the first controller 51 and the second controller 52 are communicatively connected to the first detection element. The first controller 51 is connected to a valve for controlling the on / off state of the first air path, and the second controller 52 is connected to a valve for controlling the on / off state of the second air path. Figure 2 In this configuration, the second controller 52 is connected to the second valve 41. Figure 2In this configuration, both the first controller 51 and the second controller 52 can be connected to the signal processor 53. Figure 2 A dashed line can represent a signal line.

[0124] As a possible example, both the first controller 51 and the second controller 52 can acquire the detection signal and determine whether the detection signal meets the first preset condition. As a possible example, only the first controller 51 can determine whether the detection signal meets the first preset condition and send the determination result to the second controller 52.

[0125] Compared with the technical solution of controlling the on / off state of the first and second air passages simultaneously through the same controller, this embodiment controls them separately through the first controller 51 and the second controller 52, which simplifies the control operation of a single controller.

[0126] According to some embodiments of this application, the first controller 51 and the second controller 52 can also be communicatively connected. The first controller 51 sends communication information every second preset time interval, and the first controller 51 is electrically connected to the battery device 12. The second controller 52 can be configured to, after determining that the battery device 12 is smoldering, control the second gas path to be opened in response to not receiving communication information within the second preset time interval, so that the low-pressure gas storage tank 40 injects a second inert gas into the receiving cavity 112.

[0127] The second preset duration can be reasonably selected based on actual operating conditions. For example, it can be from 3 seconds to 10 seconds, specifically a range of 3 seconds, 5 seconds, 6 seconds, 8 seconds, 10 seconds, or any combination thereof. The communication information can be heartbeat messages, status data, level signals, etc. If no communication information is obtained within the second preset duration, it indicates that the first controller 51 and the second controller 52 are disconnected, and the second controller 52 determines that the first controller 51 has failed.

[0128] In this embodiment, when the battery device 12 is determined to be smoldering, if the first controller 51, which is electrically connected to the battery device 12, fails due to high voltage breakdown, resulting in the inability to smoothly control the high-pressure gas storage tank 30 to fill the receiving cavity 112 with the first inert gas, the second controller 52 determines that the first controller 51 has failed when it does not obtain communication information within a second preset time period. Then, the second inert gas is filled into the receiving cavity 112 through the low-pressure gas storage tank 40, so as to reduce the possibility of smoldering turning into flaming combustion to a certain extent, thereby reducing the risk of adjacent battery devices 12 being ignited.

[0129] In some embodiments, the second controller 52 may be further configured to issue a prompt message in response to the failure to acquire communication information within a second preset time period. The prompt message may be, but is not limited to, one or more of sound, light, image, and text information. By issuing the prompt message, the operator is alerted that communication between the first controller 51 and the second controller 52 has been lost, allowing the operator to be aware of the first controller 51's failure as early as possible and thus perform maintenance on the first controller 51 promptly.

[0130] Figure 3 This is a schematic diagram illustrating the principle of low-pressure gas storage tank 40 injecting gas into cabinet 11 in an energy storage system 100 according to some embodiments of this application. According to some embodiments of this application, the energy storage system 100 may include multiple energy storage devices 10 and a first detection unit 20, a third detection unit 70, a high-pressure gas storage tank 30, and a first controller 51, the number of which is equal to the number of energy storage devices 10. Each first detection unit 20, each third detection unit 70, each high-pressure gas storage tank 30, and each first controller 51 is located within one energy storage device 10. The multiple energy storage devices 10 are controlled by the same second controller 52, and the receiving cavity 112 of the multiple energy storage devices 10 is connected to the same low-pressure gas storage tank 40.

[0131] Multiple energy storage devices 10 can be connected in series and / or in parallel. Figure 3 The diagram shows two energy storage devices 10. Correspondingly, there are two of each of the following: a first detection unit 20, a second detection unit 22, a third detection unit 70, a high-pressure gas storage tank 30, a liquid storage container 60, and a first controller 51. Each energy storage device 10 has one first detection unit 20, one second detection unit 22, one third detection unit 70, one high-pressure gas storage tank 30, one liquid storage container 60, and one first controller 51. Of course, in other embodiments, there may be three, four, or more energy storage devices 10.

[0132] In some embodiments, such as Figure 3As shown, the energy storage system 100 may include a main pipe 44, a first branch pipe, and a second branch pipe. One end of the main pipe 44 is connected to the outlet of the low-pressure gas storage tank 40, and the other end of the main pipe 44 is connected to both the first and second branch pipes. The first branch pipe extends into and connects to the receiving cavity 112 of one of the energy storage devices 10. Thus, the main pipe 44 and the first branch pipe are connected to form a second gas passage between the low-pressure gas storage tank 40 and one of the energy storage devices 10. The second branch pipe extends into and connects to the receiving cavity 112 of another energy storage device 10. Thus, the main pipe 44 and the second branch pipe are connected to form a second gas passage between the low-pressure gas storage tank 40 and the other energy storage device 10. Each of the first and second branch pipes is equipped with a second valve 41, and the main pipe 44 is equipped with a control valve 45, which can control the opening and closing of the main pipe 44.

[0133] In this embodiment, by setting a main pipe 44, the second gas paths corresponding to the two energy storage devices 10 are partially shared. By setting a control valve 45, when both energy storage devices 10 meet the conditions that the battery device 12 is not smoldering and the environment of the receiving cavity 112 is normal, only one valve (i.e., control valve 45) needs to be closed, so that the second inert gas is not injected into the receiving cavity 112 of the two energy storage devices 10 at the same time, and it is not necessary to control the closure of the two second valves 41.

[0134] Based on this, by setting a second valve 41 on both the first branch pipe and the second branch pipe, when the control valve 45 is open and one of the two second valves 41 is open, a second inert gas can be injected into the containment cavity 112 of one of the two energy storage devices 10. This can adapt to usage scenarios where one of the two energy storage devices 10 meets the requirements of either the battery device 12 smoldering or the battery device 12 not smoldering and the environment of the containment cavity 112 is abnormal.

[0135] This embodiment enables the energy storage system 100 to integrate multiple energy storage devices 10, thereby providing a larger amount of electrical energy to electrical equipment. Furthermore, designing multiple energy storage devices 10 to be controlled by the same second controller 52 facilitates management and broadens the applicable scenarios.

[0136] According to some embodiments of this application, the energy storage system 100 may further include an alarm 114. The control unit 50 may also be configured to issue an alarm signal after determining that the battery device 12 is smoldering, and the alarm 114 receives the alarm signal and sounds an alarm. Figure 1 As shown, the energy storage system 100 may further include an alarm 114, which is communicatively connected to the control unit 50. In embodiments where the control unit 50 includes the aforementioned first controller 51 and second controller 52, the alarm 114 may specifically be communicatively connected to the first controller 51. Wherein, as Figure 1As shown, the alarm 114 can be installed on the cabinet 11, or it can be installed outside the cabinet 11. The alarm information emitted by the alarm 114 can be, but is not limited to, one or more of the following: sound information, light information, image information, and text information. For example, the alarm 114 can be a buzzer. In this embodiment, the alarm operation is performed by the alarm 114, so that the operator can be notified of the smoldering of the battery device 12 as early as possible and take appropriate measures in a timely manner.

[0137] According to some embodiments of this application, the battery device 12 is connected to an electrical device via a circuit, which includes a circuit breaker. The control unit 50 can also be configured to control the circuit breaker to open after determining that the battery device 12 is smoldering. By disconnecting the circuit between the battery device 12 and the electrical device after determining that the battery device 12 is smoldering, the reliability of the energy storage system 100 is improved. Of course, in other embodiments, the control unit 50 can also be configured to control other circuit breakers of the energy storage device 10 to open after determining that the battery device 12 is smoldering, in order to ensure reliability.

[0138] According to some embodiments of this application, the energy storage system 100 may further include an inert gas generator 80, which is connected to the low-pressure gas storage tank 40 via a connecting pipe 81. The control unit 50 may also be configured to control the inert gas generator 80 to generate a second inert gas while controlling the second gas path to be open, and to fill the low-pressure gas storage tank 40 with the second inert gas via the connecting pipe 81. The inert gas generator 80 is used to generate the second inert gas. Specifically, while controlling the second gas path to be open, the control unit 50 issues a gas generation command, and the inert gas generator 80 receives the gas generation command and generates the second inert gas. This embodiment enables the inert gas generator 80 to continuously supply the second inert gas to the low-pressure gas storage tank 40 while the low-pressure gas storage tank 40 is filling the receiving cavity 112 with the second inert gas, thus solving the problem of the limited storage capacity of the low-pressure gas storage tank 40.

[0139] In some embodiments, the energy storage system 100 may further include a capacity detection unit, which is used to detect the amount of gas in the low-pressure gas storage tank 40 and send a gas volume signal. The control unit 50 may also be configured to, after controlling the inert gas generator 80 to generate a second inert gas, determine that the environment of the containment cavity 112 is normal in response to the environmental signal meeting a third preset condition, and then acquire a gas volume signal. In response to the gas volume signal indicating that the low-pressure gas storage tank 40 is full, control the inert gas generator 80 to stop.

[0140] The capacity detection unit can be implemented as any of the following: pressure sensor 73, mass flow meter, etc. The gas volume signal is used to characterize whether the low-pressure gas storage tank 40 is full, that is, whether the gas volume in the low-pressure gas storage tank 40 has reached the maximum allowable gas volume.

[0141] In this embodiment, when the battery device 12 is not smoldering and the environment of the receiving cavity 112 is abnormal, the low-pressure gas storage tank 40 simultaneously fills the receiving cavity 112 with the second inert gas, while the inert gas generator 80 supplies the second inert gas to the low-pressure gas storage tank 40 until the environment of the receiving cavity 112 returns to normal. The low-pressure gas storage tank 40 then stops filling the receiving cavity 112 with the second inert gas, and continues to check whether the low-pressure gas storage tank 40 is full. If it is not full, the supply of the second inert gas to the low-pressure gas storage tank 40 continues; if it is full, the supply of the second inert gas to the low-pressure gas storage tank 40 stops. In this way, the gas volume in the low-pressure gas storage tank 40 is sufficient, enabling the energy storage system 100 to operate reliably subsequently.

[0142] In some embodiments, the energy storage system 100 may further include a start / stop button 116, which stops the energy storage system 100 when pressed. Thus, in an emergency, an operator can stop the energy storage system 100 by applying the start / stop button 116, thereby ensuring safety. For example, Figure 1 As shown, the start / stop button 116 can be located on the cabinet 11 or outside the cabinet 11.

[0143] The second aspect of this application provides a control method for an energy storage system 100. The solution provided by this control method is similar to the solution described in the energy storage system 100 above. Therefore, the specific limitations of one or more control method embodiments of the energy storage system 100 provided below can be found in the limitations of the energy storage system 100 above. Repeated content will not be repeated.

[0144] Figure 4 This is a flowchart illustrating a control method for an energy storage system 100 according to some embodiments of this application. This control method is applied to any of the aforementioned energy storage systems 100, such as... Figure 4 As shown, the control method includes the following steps S10 to S20.

[0145] S10, acquire the detection signal.

[0146] S20, in response to the detection signal meeting the first preset condition, it is determined that the battery device 12 is smoldering, and the first gas path is opened and the second gas path is cut off, so that the high-pressure gas storage tank 30 injects the first inert gas into the receiving cavity 112, so that the oxygen concentration in the receiving cavity 112 is lower than the safety threshold, and then the second gas path is opened, so that the low-pressure gas storage tank 40 injects the second inert gas into the receiving cavity 112.

[0147] The control method of this embodiment enables the energy storage system 100 to detect smoldering (flameless combustion) of the battery device 12 as early as possible in the event of thermal runaway of a single battery cell during actual operation, based on the acquired detection signal. First, a first inert gas is rapidly injected into the containment cavity 112 through the high-pressure gas storage tank 30. This quickly reduces the oxygen concentration in the containment cavity 112 during smoldering, suppressing oxygen concentration (one of the three elements of combustion) before ignition. This reduces the possibility of smoldering turning into flaming combustion to a certain extent, allowing the thermally runaway battery cell to self-ignite in the smoldering state (i.e., stop burning on its own), thus reducing the risk of igniting adjacent battery devices 12. Furthermore, after rapidly injecting the first inert gas into the containment cavity 112, a second inert gas is injected into the containment cavity 112 through the low-pressure gas storage tank 40. This maintains a low-oxygen environment in the containment cavity 112 while suppressing the combustion reaction of the battery device 12, thereby reducing the possibility of reignition of the battery device 12. In summary, this helps to improve the reliability of the energy storage system 100.

[0148] Optionally, the control method may also include S10. S30, acquiring the temperature signal.

[0149] In this embodiment, the specific implementation process of S20 may include steps S21 to S23.

[0150] S21, in response to the detection signal meeting the first preset condition, it is determined that the battery device 12 is smoldering, and the first gas path is opened and the second gas path is cut off, so that the high-pressure gas storage tank 30 injects the first inert gas into the receiving cavity 112.

[0151] S22, in response to the temperature signal not being less than the temperature threshold, controls the spray device to spray coolant into the receiving cavity 112.

[0152] S23, control the second gas path to open so that the low-pressure gas storage tank 40 injects the second inert gas into the receiving cavity 112.

[0153] Optionally, S23 may specifically involve delaying the opening of the second gas path for a first preset time, and during the first preset time, all the first inert gas in the high-pressure gas storage tank 30 is injected into the receiving cavity 112 along the first gas path. The order of steps S22 and S23 is not limited; S22 may be executed before or after S23.

[0154] Optionally, the control method may also include steps S40 and S50.

[0155] S40, in response to the detection signal not meeting the first preset condition, acquire the environmental signal.

[0156] S50, in response to the environmental signal meeting the second preset condition, determines that the environment of the containment cavity 112 is abnormal, controls the second gas path to be opened so that the low-pressure gas storage tank 40 injects the second inert gas into the containment cavity 112.

[0157] Optionally, after S50, the control method may also include steps S60 and S70.

[0158] S60, acquires environmental signals.

[0159] S70, in response to the environmental signal meeting the third preset condition, determines that the environment of the receiving cavity 112 is normal, and controls the second air path to be cut off.

[0160] Optionally, S21 can specifically be, in response to the detection signal meeting the first preset condition, determining that the battery device 12 is smoldering, controlling the first gas path to be opened and the second gas path to be cut off, so that the high-pressure gas storage tank 30 injects the first inert gas into the receiving cavity 112, and at the same time sends an alarm signal to the alarm device 114, which is used to trigger the alarm device 114 to perform an alarm operation.

[0161] Optionally, S21 can specifically be, in response to the detection signal meeting the first preset condition, determining that the battery device 12 is smoldering, controlling the first gas path to be opened and the second gas path to be cut off, so that the high-pressure gas tank 30 injects the first inert gas into the receiving cavity 112, while controlling the circuit breaker to open.

[0162] Optionally, S50 may specifically involve responding to an environmental signal meeting a second preset condition, determining an environmental anomaly in the receiving cavity 112, controlling the second gas path to open, so that the low-pressure gas storage tank 40 injects a second inert gas into the receiving cavity 112, and simultaneously controlling the inert gas generator 80 to generate the second inert gas and fill it into the low-pressure gas storage tank 40 through the connecting pipe 81. Further, after S70, the control method may also include steps S80 and S90.

[0163] S80, acquire gas volume signal.

[0164] S90, in response to the gas volume signal indicating that the low-pressure gas storage tank 40 is full, controls the inert gas generator 80 to stop.

[0165] Figure 5 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of a computing device provided in an embodiment of this application. A third aspect of this application also provides a computing device 200, which includes at least one processor 201 and a memory 202. Optionally, the computing device 200 further includes a communication component 203. The processor 201, memory 202, and communication component 203 are connected via a bus 204.

[0166] In the specific implementation process, at least one processor 201 executes the computer execution instructions stored in the memory 202, causing at least one processor 201 to perform the above-described method. The specific implementation process of the processor 201 can be found in the above-described method embodiments, and its implementation principle and technical effects are similar; therefore, it will not be repeated here.

[0167] In the above embodiments, it should be understood that the processor can be a Central Processing Unit (CPU), or other general-purpose processors, digital signal processors (DSPs), application-specific integrated circuits (ASICs), etc. The general-purpose processor can be a microprocessor or any conventional processor. The steps of the method disclosed in this invention can be directly implemented by a hardware processor, or implemented by a combination of hardware and software modules within the processor.

[0168] The memory may include random access memory (RAM) and may also include non-volatile memory (NVM), such as at least one disk storage device.

[0169] The bus can be an Industry Standard Architecture (ISA) bus, a Peripheral Component Interconnect (PCI) bus, or an Extended Industry Standard Architecture (EISA) bus, etc. Buses can be categorized as address buses, data buses, control buses, etc. For ease of illustration, the buses shown in the accompanying drawings are not limited to a single bus or a single type of bus.

[0170] This application also provides a computer-readable storage medium storing instructions that, when executed individually or jointly by one or more processors of a computing device, cause the computing device to perform the methods described in any of the above embodiments.

[0171] Computer-readable storage media include volatile and non-volatile, removable and non-removable media implemented by any method or technology for storing information such as computer-readable instructions, data structures, program modules, or other data. Computer-readable storage media include, but are not limited to, RAM, ROM, EEPROM, flash memory or other memory technologies, CD-ROM, Digital Universal Disc (DVD) or other optical storage devices, magnetic cassettes, magnetic tapes, disk storage devices or other magnetic storage devices, or any other non-transfer medium that can be used to store information for access by a computing device.

[0172] This application also provides a computer program product including instructions that, when executed individually or jointly by one or more processors of a computing device, cause the computing device to perform the methods as described in any of the above embodiments.

[0173] The above description is only an overview of the technical solution of this application. In order to better understand the technical means of this application and to implement it in accordance with the contents of the specification, and to make the above and other objects, features and advantages of this application more obvious and understandable, the following are specific embodiments of this application.

[0174] A specific embodiment of this application is described below. It should be understood that this specific embodiment is described for illustrative purposes only and should not be construed as limiting the scope of this application.

[0175] like Figure 1 As shown, the energy storage system 100 includes a cabinet 11 and one or more battery clusters housed within the cabinet 11. Each battery cluster may include multiple battery devices 12. The cabinet 11 has a partition 111 that divides the interior of the cabinet 11 into a receiving cavity 112 and a mounting cavity 113. The battery clusters are housed in the receiving cavity 112. The cabinet 11 is equipped with an alarm 114 and a start / stop button 116. The battery devices 12 are connected to electrical equipment via a circuit, which includes a circuit breaker.

[0176] The energy storage system 100 also includes a first controller 51, a second controller 52, a high-pressure gas storage tank 30, a low-pressure gas storage tank 40, a liquid storage container 60, and two smoke concentration sensors 21 and two temperature sensors installed on the cabinet 11.

[0177] The high-pressure gas storage tank 30 stores nitrogen gas and is connected to the receiving cavity 112 via a first gas passage. The low-pressure gas storage tank 40 also stores nitrogen gas and is connected to the receiving cavity 112 via a second gas passage. The pressure of the high-pressure gas storage tank 30 is greater than or equal to 15 MPa and less than or equal to 20 MPa, and the pressure of the low-pressure gas storage tank 40 is greater than or equal to 0.4 MPa and less than or equal to 0.6 MPa. Both the liquid storage container 60 and the high-pressure gas storage tank 30 can be accommodated in the mounting cavity 113. The low-pressure gas storage tank 40 is located outside the cabinet 11 and is connected to the inert gas generator 80 located outside the cabinet 11 via a connecting pipe 81. The liquid storage container 60 is connected to a spray device located inside the receiving cavity 112.

[0178] A smoke concentration sensor 21 is used to detect the smoke concentration inside the containment cavity 112 and emit a smoke concentration signal. A temperature sensor is used to detect the temperature inside the containment cavity 112 and emit a temperature signal. Both the first controller 51 and the second controller 52 are communicatively connected to the smoke concentration sensor 21 and the temperature sensor, enabling them to receive the smoke concentration and temperature signals. The first controller 51 can control the opening and closing of the first air passage, and the second controller 52 can control the opening and closing of the second air passage. The first controller 51 is mounted on the cabinet 11, and the second controller 52 is mounted outside the cabinet 11. The first controller 51 and the second controller 52 are communicatively connected. The first controller 51 emits communication information every second preset time interval, and the first controller 51 is electrically connected to the battery device 12.

[0179] The energy storage system 100 also includes a humidity sensor 71, an oxygen concentration sensor 72, a pressure sensor 73, and a capacity detection unit that are communicatively connected to the second controller 52. The humidity sensor 71 is used to detect the ambient humidity of the containment cavity 112, the oxygen concentration sensor 72 is used to detect the oxygen concentration of the containment cavity 112, the pressure sensor 73 is used to detect the air pressure of the containment cavity 112, and the capacity detection unit is used to detect the amount of gas in the low-pressure gas storage tank 40.

[0180] The control process of the energy storage system 100 can be as follows:

[0181] Step 1) Acquire smoke concentration and temperature signals;

[0182] Step 2) In response to the smoke concentration signal meeting the first preset condition, determine that the battery device 12 is smoldering, control the first gas path to be opened and the second gas path to be cut off, so that the high-pressure gas storage tank 30 injects nitrogen into the receiving cavity 112; the first preset condition is that the smoke concentration in the receiving cavity 112 reaches the preset smoke concentration, and at the same time, send an alarm signal to the alarm 114 and control the circuit breaker to open.

[0183] Step 3) In response to the temperature signal indicating that the temperature inside the containment cavity 112 is not less than the temperature threshold, control the spray device to spray coolant into the containment cavity 112;

[0184] Step 4) Delay for 3 to 5 minutes to control the second gas path to be opened so that the low-pressure gas storage tank 40 injects nitrogen into the receiving cavity 112, and the nitrogen in the high-pressure gas storage tank 30 is exhausted when the second gas path is opened.

[0185] Step 5) In response to the smoke concentration signal not meeting the first preset condition, acquire the signals sent by the humidity sensor 71, oxygen concentration sensor 72 and pressure sensor 73;

[0186] Step 6) Determine whether the humidity of the receiving cavity 112 is not less than 40%; if so, control the second gas path to open so that the low-pressure gas storage tank 40 injects nitrogen into the receiving cavity 112.

[0187] Step 7) Obtain the signal sent by the humidity sensor 71, determine that the humidity of the containment cavity 112 has reached 20%, and if so, control the second air path to be cut off;

[0188] Step 8) Determine whether the oxygen concentration in the receiving cavity 112 is not less than 9%; if so, control the second gas path to open so that the low-pressure gas storage tank 40 injects nitrogen into the receiving cavity 112.

[0189] Step 9) Obtain the signal sent by the oxygen concentration sensor, determine whether the oxygen concentration in the containment cavity 112 has reached 4%, and if so, control the second gas path to be cut off.

[0190] Step 10) Determine whether the difference between the gas pressure in the receiving cavity 112 and the atmospheric pressure is within [50Pa, 100Pa]; if so, control the second gas path to open so that the low-pressure gas storage tank 40 injects nitrogen into the receiving cavity 112.

[0191] Step 11) Obtain the signal sent by the pressure sensor 73, and determine whether the difference between the air pressure in the containment cavity 112 and the atmospheric pressure is within [300Pa, 1000Pa]. If so, control the second air path to be cut off.

[0192] In steps 6), 8), and 10), while controlling the second gas path to open, the inert gas generator 80 is also controlled to generate a second inert gas, which is then introduced into the low-pressure gas storage tank 40 through the connecting pipe 81. Furthermore, after controlling the second gas path to close, based on the gas path detected by the capacity detection unit, the inert gas generator 80 is controlled to stop operating when the low-pressure gas storage tank 40 is full.

[0193] Step 3) above can also be followed by step 4). In this example, when the battery device 12 does not smolder, nitrogen is injected into the receiving cavity 112 through the low-pressure gas storage tank 40 to make the receiving cavity 112 a low-oxygen environment. When the battery device 12 does not smolder, nitrogen is first rapidly injected into the receiving cavity 112 through the high-pressure gas storage tank 30 to quickly reduce the oxygen concentration of the receiving cavity 112 to a safe threshold. Then, nitrogen is injected into the receiving cavity 112 through the low-pressure gas storage tank 40 to keep the oxygen concentration of the receiving cavity 112 below the safe threshold before spraying.

[0194] Finally, it should be noted that the above embodiments are only used to illustrate the technical solutions of this application, and not to limit them. Although this application has been described in detail with reference to the foregoing embodiments, those skilled in the art should understand that modifications can still be made to the technical solutions described in the foregoing embodiments, or equivalent substitutions can be made to some or all of the technical features therein. These modifications or substitutions do not cause the essence of the corresponding technical solutions to deviate from the scope of the technical solutions of the embodiments of this application, and they should all be covered within the scope of the claims and specification of this application. In particular, as long as there is no structural conflict, the various technical features mentioned in the embodiments can be combined in any way. This application is not limited to the specific embodiments disclosed herein, but includes all technical solutions falling within the scope of the claims.

Claims

1. An energy storage system, characterized in that, include: An energy storage device includes a cabinet and a battery device, wherein the cabinet has a receiving cavity in which the battery device is housed; The first detection unit is used at least to detect the smoke concentration in the containment cavity and to emit a detection signal, the detection signal including at least a smoke concentration signal; A high-pressure gas storage tank is connected to the receiving cavity through a first gas passage, which can be switched on or off. A low-pressure gas storage tank is connected to the receiving cavity via a second gas passage, which can be switched on or off. The control unit includes a first controller for controlling the opening and closing of the first gas path and a second controller for controlling the opening and closing of the second gas path. Both the first controller and the second controller can acquire the detection signal. In response to the detection signal satisfying a first preset condition, the control unit determines that the battery device is smoldering, controls the first gas path to be opened and the second gas path to be closed, so that the high-pressure gas storage tank injects a first inert gas into the receiving cavity, so that the oxygen concentration in the receiving cavity is lower than a safety threshold. Then, the control unit controls the second gas path to be opened, so that the low-pressure gas storage tank injects a second inert gas into the receiving cavity. The first controller is communicatively connected to the second controller. The first controller sends communication information every second preset time interval. The first controller is electrically connected to the battery device. The second controller is configured to, after determining that the battery device is smoldering, control the second gas path to open in response to not receiving the communication information within the second preset time period, so that the low-pressure gas storage tank injects a second inert gas into the receiving cavity.

2. The energy storage system according to claim 1, characterized in that, The energy storage system also includes a second detection unit, a liquid storage container, and a spray device connected to the liquid storage container; the second detection unit is used to detect the temperature inside the storage cavity and send a temperature signal. The control unit is configured to also acquire the temperature signal, and in response to the temperature signal indicating that the temperature inside the containment cavity is not less than a temperature threshold, control the spraying device to spray coolant into the containment cavity after controlling the first air path to be opened and the second air path to be cut off.

3. The energy storage system according to claim 2, characterized in that, The cabinet is equipped with a partition that divides the interior of the cabinet into a receiving cavity and an installation cavity. The liquid storage container and the high-pressure gas storage tank are housed in the installation cavity, and the low-pressure gas storage tank is located outside the cabinet.

4. The energy storage system according to claim 1, characterized in that, The control unit is configured to, after controlling the first gas path to be opened and the second gas path to be cut off, delay for a first preset time to control the second gas path to be opened, and within the first preset time, the first inert gas in the high-pressure gas storage tank is injected into the receiving cavity along the first gas path.

5. The energy storage system according to claim 1, characterized in that, The energy storage system also includes a third detection unit, which is used to detect the environment of the containment cavity and send an environmental signal; The control unit is configured to acquire the environmental signal in response to the detection signal not meeting the first preset condition, and to determine that the environment of the containment cavity is abnormal in response to the environmental signal meeting the second preset condition, and to control the second gas path to be opened so that the low-pressure gas storage tank injects a second inert gas into the containment cavity.

6. The energy storage system according to claim 5, characterized in that, The third detection unit includes at least one of a humidity sensor, an oxygen concentration sensor, and a pressure sensor. The humidity sensor is used to detect the ambient humidity of the containment cavity, the oxygen concentration sensor is used to detect the oxygen concentration of the containment cavity, and the pressure sensor is used to detect the air pressure of the containment cavity.

7. The energy storage system according to claim 5, characterized in that, The control unit is configured to, after determining that the environment of the receiving cavity is abnormal and controlling the second air path to be opened, also acquire the environmental signal, and in response to the environmental signal satisfying a third preset condition, determine that the environment of the receiving cavity is normal and control the second air path to be cut off.

8. The energy storage system according to claim 7, characterized in that, The third detection unit includes a pressure sensor for detecting the air pressure in the containment cavity. The second preset condition includes that the difference between the air pressure in the containment cavity and the atmospheric pressure is within a first pressure range. The third preset condition includes that the difference between the air pressure in the containment cavity and the atmospheric pressure is within a second pressure range. The pressure in the first pressure range is positive, the pressure in the second pressure range is greater than the pressure in the first pressure range, and the sum of the upper limit of the second pressure range and the atmospheric pressure is less than the pressure of the low-pressure gas storage tank.

9. The energy storage system according to claim 8, characterized in that, The pressure of the high-pressure gas storage tank is greater than or equal to 15 MPa and less than or equal to 20 MPa, the pressure of the low-pressure gas storage tank is greater than or equal to 0.4 MPa and less than or equal to 0.6 MPa, and the second pressure range is 300 Pa to 1000 Pa.

10. The energy storage system according to claim 7, characterized in that, The third detection unit includes an oxygen concentration sensor for detecting the oxygen concentration in the containment cavity. The second preset condition includes that the oxygen concentration in the containment cavity is greater than or equal to a first oxygen concentration threshold. The third preset condition includes that the oxygen concentration in the containment cavity reaches a second oxygen concentration threshold. The first oxygen concentration threshold is greater than the second oxygen concentration threshold, and the second oxygen concentration threshold is a positive value.

11. The energy storage system according to claim 5, characterized in that, The second controller is communicatively connected to the third detection unit and acquires the environmental signal.

12. The energy storage system according to claim 11, characterized in that, The energy storage system includes a plurality of energy storage devices and a first detection unit, a third detection unit, a high-pressure gas storage tank, and a first controller, the number of which is the same as the number of energy storage devices. Each first detection unit, each third detection unit, each high-pressure gas storage tank, and each first controller are located in one of the energy storage devices. The multiple energy storage devices are controlled by the same second controller, and the accommodating chambers of the multiple energy storage devices are connected to the same low-pressure gas storage tank.

13. The energy storage system according to any one of claims 1 to 12, characterized in that, The energy storage system also includes an alarm, and the control unit is further configured to issue an alarm signal after determining that the battery device is smoldering, the alarm receiving the alarm signal and triggering an alarm; and / or, The battery device is connected to an electrical device via a circuit, the circuit being equipped with a circuit breaker, and the control unit is further configured to control the circuit breaker to open after determining that the battery device is smoldering.

14. The energy storage system according to any one of claims 1 to 12, characterized in that, The energy storage system also includes an inert gas generator, which is connected to the low-pressure gas storage tank via a connecting pipe. The control unit is configured to control the second gas path to open while simultaneously controlling the inert gas generator to produce the second inert gas and to fill the low-pressure gas storage tank with the second inert gas through the connecting pipe.

15. A control method for an energy storage system, applied to the energy storage system according to any one of claims 1 to 14, characterized in that, The control method includes: Acquire the detection signal; In response to the detection signal satisfying a first preset condition, it is determined that the battery device is smoldering; Controlling the first gas path to open and the second gas path to close, so that the high-pressure gas storage tank injects a first inert gas into the receiving cavity, so that the oxygen concentration in the receiving cavity is lower than a safe threshold, then controlling the second gas path to open, so that the low-pressure gas storage tank injects a second inert gas into the receiving cavity; or, in response to not obtaining communication information within a second preset time period, controlling the second gas path to open, so that the low-pressure gas storage tank injects a second inert gas into the receiving cavity.

16. A computing device, characterized in that, include: At least one processor; as well as At least one memory communicatively connected to the at least one processor, the at least one memory storing instructions that, when executed individually or jointly by the at least one processor, cause the computing device to perform the method of claim 15.

17. A computer-readable storage medium, characterized in that, The device stores instructions that, when executed individually or jointly by one or more processors of the computing device, cause the computing device to perform the method of claim 15.

18. A computer program product, characterized in that, Includes instructions that, when executed individually or jointly by one or more processors of the computing device, cause the computing device to perform the method of claim 15.

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