Power cable for energy storage systems

Abstract

This invention relates to a power cable for an energy storage system, comprising a conductor core, multiple insulating protective sleeves equidistantly connected on the conductor core, a straight sheath fitted onto the insulating protective sleeve, and protective gaskets covering the end faces of the insulating protective sleeves fixedly connected to both ends of the straight sheaths. A corrugated protective sleeve is connected between adjacent protective gaskets. A spiral reinforcing strip is fixedly connected to the conductor core, and a pair of reinforcing cables are installed at the outer end of the spiral reinforcing strip. An optical fiber sensor is installed on the reinforcing cables, and the top end of the spiral reinforcing strip is in contact with the inner wall of the straight sheath. The protective gaskets include an outer protective ring, an inner venting ring fixedly connected to one end of the outer protective ring near the straight sheath, and an inner venting ring installed on the outer protective ring. The inner venting ring has multiple evenly distributed oblique vent holes. The corrugated protective sleeve includes a corrugated tube body connected to two protective gaskets. Multiple evenly distributed venting support rings are provided inside the corrugated tube body, and flame retardants are encapsulated in the venting support rings by a hot melt film.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a power cable, and more particularly to a power cable for an energy storage system used in the field of cables. Background Technology

[0002] Existing power cable technologies for energy storage systems primarily focus on high-efficiency, high-reliability, and long-life cable designs to meet the stringent requirements of energy storage systems for power transmission and distribution. Energy storage systems, such as battery storage, supercapacitors, and flywheel storage, require cables to operate stably under high current and high voltage environments, while also possessing good thermal stability, mechanical strength, and corrosion resistance. To meet these requirements, cables typically use highly conductive materials, such as copper or aluminum, and may employ multi-strand strand designs to improve flexibility and current carrying capacity. The choice of insulation materials is also crucial; commonly used materials include polyethylene (PE), cross-linked polyethylene (XLPE), and rubber. These materials not only provide necessary electrical insulation but also withstand extreme temperatures and chemical corrosion. Furthermore, to further enhance cable performance, some advanced cable designs integrate thermal management systems, such as built-in cooling channels or the use of thermally conductive materials, to optimize heat distribution and extend cable life.

[0003] Chinese invention patent CN117393215B discloses a bend-resistant and waterproof cable for power energy storage systems. From the outside in, it comprises the following components: a sheath layer, an impact-resistant layer, a waterproof layer, a heat-insulating layer, an insulation layer, and a metal conductor. The sheath layer is made of a combination of polyvinyl chloride and modified kaolin. The bend-resistant and waterproof cable prepared by this invention has good tensile strength, flexibility, and bend resistance, as well as excellent waterproof performance. It is resistant to high and low temperatures, corrosion, and abrasion, making it suitable for power energy storage systems and other fields.

[0004] Chinese invention patent CN113380447A discloses a cable for an energy storage system, including a center conductor, an XLPO insulation layer, and a sheath layer. The XLPO insulation layer covers the outside of the center conductor, and the sheath layer tightly covers its outer periphery. The sheath layer is made of halogen-free cross-linked flame-retardant sheath material. This invention discloses a cable for an energy storage system with the advantages of high flexibility, good elasticity, and good flame retardancy.

[0005] Existing technologies may lack effective mechanisms for cable ventilation, cooling, and flame retardant protection, and also lack real-time monitoring and dynamic early warning mechanisms for cable status. This makes it difficult to detect and address issues promptly when the humidity or temperature inside the cable is high. Summary of the Invention

[0006] The technical problem that this invention aims to solve in view of the above-mentioned prior art is that the prior art may lack effective cable ventilation, cooling and flame-retardant protection mechanisms, and also does not provide a real-time monitoring and dynamic early warning mechanism for cable status, making it inconvenient to detect and deal with situations where the humidity or temperature inside the cable is high in a timely manner.

[0007] To solve the above problems, the present invention provides a power cable for an energy storage system, including a conductor core, multiple insulating protective sleeves connected at equal intervals on the conductor core, a straight sheath fitted on the insulating protective sleeve, and protective pad rings covering the end faces of the insulating protective sleeves fixedly connected to both ends of the straight sheaths, and a corrugated protective sleeve connected between two adjacent protective pad rings.

[0008] A spiral reinforcing strip is fixedly connected to the core wire. A pair of reinforcing cables are installed at the outer end of the spiral reinforcing strip. An optical fiber sensor is installed on the reinforcing cables. The top of the spiral reinforcing strip is in contact with the inner wall of the straight sheath.

[0009] The protective ring includes an outer protective ring, and an inner vent ring is fixedly connected to one end of the outer protective ring near the straight sheath. The inner vent ring is installed on the outer protective ring and has multiple evenly distributed oblique vent holes.

[0010] The corrugated protective sleeve includes a corrugated tube body connected to two protective gasket rings. Multiple evenly distributed breathable support rings are provided inside the corrugated tube body, and flame retardant is encapsulated in the breathable support rings by a hot melt film.

[0011] In the power cables used in the aforementioned energy storage systems, convenient ventilation, cooling, and flame-retardant protection for the cables are achieved.

[0012] As a further improvement of this application, an annular groove is provided at the outer end of the ventilated support ring, and flame retardant is filled in the annular groove. Multiple side through holes are provided on the ventilated support ring in a circular pattern, and the side through holes communicate with the annular groove. The openings of the annular groove and the openings of the side through holes are sealed by a hot melt film.

[0013] As a further improvement of this application, multiple fixing screws are connected between both ends of the corrugated pipe body and the two outer protective rings. The straight sheath includes a tubular bag layer. A sealing ring is fixedly connected to one end of the tubular bag layer near the protective gasket ring. An outer ring is fixedly connected to the sealing ring. The fixing screws pass through the outer ring, the outer protective ring, and the corrugated pipe body.

[0014] As a further improvement of this application, the protective pad ring is equipped with a terminal block that matches the reinforcing cable, and a connecting wire is connected between the terminals of two adjacent protective pad rings. The ventilated support ring has multiple evenly distributed vent holes, and the connecting wire passes through the vent holes of multiple ventilated support rings.

[0015] As another improvement of this application, a one-way air pipe is installed on the outer protective ring, which communicates with the oblique through hole in the inner vent ring, and the one-way air pipe is connected to an external air pump.

[0016] As a further improvement to this application, an auxiliary protection system is also included, which includes a processor and a control module, a data acquisition module, a data processing module and an alarm module connected to the processor.

[0017] The control module is used to control the operation of the air pump based on the analysis results of the data processing module;

[0018] The data acquisition module is used to collect monitoring data, including cable environment and status data collected by the reinforced cable.

[0019] The data processing module is used to analyze the cable condition based on the monitoring data of the reinforced cable;

[0020] The alarm module is used to issue an alarm and execute preset emergency strategies. The preset emergency strategies include a primary early warning strategy for Level 1 alarms, an intermediate response strategy for Level 2 alarms, and an advanced handling strategy for Level 3 alarms.

[0021] As a further improvement to this application, the primary warning strategy is triggered when the temperature is greater than 70 degrees Celsius or the humidity is greater than 85%RH. When triggered, the air pump is started to input airflow into the oblique vent of the protective gasket ring. The air pump operates at 30% power to force ventilation of the cable.

[0022] As another improvement of this application, the intermediate response strategy is triggered when the temperature is greater than 100°C. At this time, the heat-melting film partially fails, and the air pump system is started at full power to accelerate the diffusion of the flame retardant by airflow, cut off the DC contactor of the affected cable segment, and send an alarm message to the preset contact person.

[0023] As another improvement of this application, the advanced response strategy is triggered when the temperature is greater than 130°C, the heat-fused films on multiple breathable support rings fail, a signal is sent to the external fire extinguishing system and it is activated, and an alarm message is sent to the preset contact person.

[0024] In summary, the cable in this solution has a multi-level safety protection mechanism. By strengthening the cable, corrugated protective sleeve, ventilated support ring, and protective pad ring, it not only enhances the cable's mechanical properties and flame retardancy, but also facilitates real-time monitoring and dynamic early warning of the cable's status. Attached Figure Description

[0025] Figure 1 This is a perspective view of the cable portion according to the first embodiment of this application;

[0026] Figure 2 This is a cross-sectional view of the cable portion according to the first embodiment of this application;

[0027] Figure 3 for Figure 2Schematic diagram of the structure at point A;

[0028] Figure 4 This is a perspective view of the sheath without straight sections according to the first embodiment of this application;

[0029] Figure 5 This is a perspective view of the breathable support ring according to the first embodiment of this application;

[0030] Figure 6 This is a diagram of the protective pad ring according to the first embodiment of this application;

[0031] Figure 7 This is a system block diagram of the second embodiment of this application.

[0032] Explanation of the labels in the diagram:

[0033] 1. Core wire; 11. Insulating protective sleeve; 12. Spiral reinforcing tape; 13. Reinforced cable; 2. Straight sheath; 21. Outer ring; 22. Sealing ring; 23. Outer ring; 3. Protective pad ring; 31. Outer protective ring; 32. Inner vent ring; 4. Corrugated protective sleeve; 41. Corrugated tube body; 42. Fixing screw; 43. Ventilation support ring; 5. Connecting wire. Detailed Implementation

[0034] The two embodiments of this application will be described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings.

[0035] Implementation method 1:

[0036] Figures 1-6 As shown, a power cable for an energy storage system includes a conductor core 1, a plurality of insulating protective sleeves 11 are connected at equal intervals on the conductor core 1, a straight sheath 2 is sleeved on the insulating protective sleeve 11, and protective pad rings 3 covering the end faces of the insulating protective sleeves 11 are fixedly connected to both ends of the straight sheath 2, and a corrugated protective sleeve 4 is connected between two adjacent protective pad rings 3.

[0037] A spiral reinforcing strip 12 is fixedly connected to the core 1. A pair of reinforcing cables 13 are installed at the outer end of the spiral reinforcing strip 12. An optical fiber sensor is installed on the reinforcing cable 13. The top of the spiral reinforcing strip 12 is attached to the inner wall of the straight sheath 2. The optical fiber sensor on the reinforcing cable 13 monitors the monitoring data at multiple insulating protective sleeves 11, including temperature, humidity and pressure.

[0038] The protective pad ring 3 includes an outer protective ring 31. An inner vent ring 32 is fixedly connected to one end of the outer protective ring 31 near the straight sleeve 2. The inner vent ring 32 is installed on the outer protective ring 31 and has multiple evenly distributed oblique vent holes.

[0039] The corrugated protective sleeve 4 includes a corrugated tube body 41 connected to two protective pad rings 3. Multiple evenly distributed breathable support rings 43 are provided inside the corrugated tube body 41. The breathable support rings 43 are sealed with flame retardant through a hot melt film. After the flame retardant is released, it blocks the oblique vent holes on the inner breathable ring 32. At this time, the protective pad ring 3 plays a role in area isolation and effectively prevents the spread of fire.

[0040] The outer end of the breathable support ring 43 is provided with an annular groove, and flame retardant is filled in the annular groove. The breathable support ring 43 is provided with multiple circumferentially distributed side through holes, and the side through holes are connected to the annular groove. The opening of the annular groove and the opening of the side through holes are sealed by a hot melt film.

[0041] Multiple fixing screws 42 are connected between both ends of the corrugated pipe body 41 and the two outer protective rings 31. The straight sleeve 2 includes a tube bag layer 21. A sealing ring 22 is fixedly connected to one end of the tube bag layer 21 near the protective gasket ring 3. An outer ring 23 is fixedly connected to the sealing ring 22. The fixing screws 42 pass through the outer ring 23, the outer protective ring 31 and the corrugated pipe body 41.

[0042] The protective pad ring 3 is equipped with a terminal block that matches the reinforced cable 13. A connecting wire 5 is connected between the terminals of two adjacent protective pad rings 3. The ventilated support ring 43 has multiple evenly distributed vent holes. The connecting wire 5 passes through the vent holes of the multiple ventilated support rings 43 to connect multiple reinforced cables 13 and realize the stable transmission of signals inside the cable.

[0043] This solution achieves comprehensive optimization of the cable structure. The corrugated protective sleeve 4 not only enhances the cable's flexibility and bending ability, but also encapsulates flame retardant in the breathable support ring 43 through a hot melt film. The side through holes and annular groove structure on it are sealed by the hot melt film. The sealing effect of the hot melt film fails at high temperatures, allowing the flame retardant to be released rapidly at high temperatures, effectively protecting the inner core 1 of the corrugated protective sleeve 4.

[0044] Furthermore, the design of the fixing screws 42 at both ends of the corrugated tube body 41 ensures a stable connection between the corrugated protective sleeve 4 and the protective gasket ring 3, further enhancing the overall stability of the cable. Meanwhile, the structure of the tube bag layer 21, sealing ring 22, and outer ring 23 of the straight sheath 2 forms an effective sealing system, preventing the intrusion of external moisture and dust, and ensuring the cleanliness and dryness of the internal environment of the straight sheath 2 and the corrugated protective sleeve 4.

[0045] The second implementation method:

[0046] Figure 7As shown, a one-way air pipe is installed on the outer protective ring 31, which communicates with an oblique through hole in the inner vent ring 32. The one-way air pipe passes through the outer protective ring 31 and is inserted into an oblique through hole in the inner vent ring 32. The one-way air pipe is connected to an external air pump (the one-way air pipe and air pump are not shown in the figures. The one-way air pipe and air pump are set by those skilled in the art according to the prior art).

[0047] It also includes an auxiliary protection system, which includes a processor connected to a control module, a data acquisition module, a data processing module, and an alarm module.

[0048] The control module is used to control the operation of the air pump based on the analysis results of the data processing module;

[0049] The data acquisition module is used to collect monitoring data, including cable environment and status data collected from reinforced cable 13;

[0050] The data processing module is used to analyze the cable status based on the monitoring data of the reinforced cable 13;

[0051] Set dynamic early warning thresholds:

[0052] Temperature-level alarm: Level 1: 70℃; Level 2: 100℃ (trigger point for hot melt film failure); Level 3: 130℃ (full release of flame retardant).

[0053] Humidity gradient warning: When the humidity difference between adjacent breathable support rings 43 is >15%, a ventilation command is triggered, and the external air pump is set to work to output airflow through the inclined through hole in the inner breathable ring 32;

[0054] Pressure surge monitoring: Sends an early warning signal when mechanical stress fluctuations exceed the rated value by 20%;

[0055] The alarm module is used to issue alarms and execute preset emergency strategies; the preset emergency strategies include a primary warning strategy for Level 1 alarms, an intermediate response strategy for Level 2 alarms, and an advanced handling strategy for Level 3 alarms.

[0056] The primary warning strategy is triggered when the temperature is greater than 70 degrees Celsius or the humidity is greater than 85%RH. When triggered, the air pump is started to input airflow into the oblique vent of the protective pad ring 3. The air pump operates at 30% power to force ventilation of the cable.

[0057] The intermediate response strategy is triggered when the temperature exceeds 100°C, at which point the heat-melting film partially fails. At this time, the air pump system is activated at full power to accelerate the diffusion of the flame retardant, disconnect the DC contactor of the affected cable segment, and send an alarm message to the preset contact person.

[0058] The advanced response strategy is triggered when the temperature exceeds 130°C. The heat-fused films on multiple breathable support rings 43 fail, a signal is sent to the external fire extinguishing system and it is activated (the fire extinguishing system is a conventional fire extinguishing system for cable fires in the prior art), and an alarm message is sent to the preset contact person.

[0059] This implementation achieves multi-level safety protection for the cable. The primary early warning strategy effectively reduces the risk of overheating due to high temperature or humidity by activating an air pump for forced ventilation. The intermediate response strategy, when the temperature rises further, accelerates the diffusion of flame retardant by activating the air pump at full power, simultaneously disconnecting the DC contactor of the affected cable section to prevent the fault from escalating, and sending alarm information to preset contacts for timely manual intervention. The advanced handling strategy, when the cable temperature is extremely high and the heat-fusion films on multiple breathable support rings 43 fail, sends a signal to and activates an external fire suppression system to quickly extinguish the fire source, while continuing to send alarm information to preset contacts to ensure timely and effective handling of the cable fault. This multi-level safety protection mechanism greatly improves the safety and reliability of power cables used in energy storage systems.

[0060] In summary, the cable in this solution has a multi-level safety protection mechanism. By strengthening the cable 13, corrugated protective sleeve 4, breathable support ring 43, and protective pad ring 3, not only are the mechanical properties and flame retardant capabilities of the cable enhanced, but real-time monitoring and dynamic early warning of the cable status are also facilitated.

[0061] In light of current practical needs, the above-described embodiments adopted in this application are not limited to these. Any changes made within the scope of knowledge possessed by those skilled in the art without departing from the concept of this application still fall within the protection scope of this invention.

Claims

1. A power cable for energy storage systems, comprising a core (1) on which a plurality of insulating sheaths (11) are connected equidistantly, and a straight sheath (2) is sleeved on the insulating sheaths (11), characterized in that: Both ends of the straight sheath (2) are fixedly connected with protective pad rings (3) covering the end face of the insulating protective sleeve (11), and a corrugated protective sleeve (4) is connected between two adjacent protective pad rings (3). A spiral reinforcing strip (12) is fixedly connected to the core (1), and a pair of reinforcing cables (13) are installed at the outer end of the spiral reinforcing strip (12). An optical fiber sensor is installed on the reinforcing cable (13), and the top end of the spiral reinforcing strip (12) is in contact with the inner wall of the straight sheath (2). The protective pad ring (3) includes an outer protective ring (31), and an inner vent ring (32) is fixedly connected to one end of the outer protective ring (31) near the straight sleeve (2). The inner vent ring (32) is installed on the outer protective ring (31), and multiple evenly distributed oblique vent holes are opened on the inner vent ring (32). The corrugated protective sleeve (4) includes a corrugated tube body (41) connected to two protective pad rings (3). The corrugated tube body (41) is provided with a plurality of evenly distributed breathable support rings (43). The breathable support rings (43) are encapsulated with flame retardant through a hot melt film. It also includes an auxiliary protection system, which includes a processor and is connected to a control module, a data acquisition module, a data processing module and an alarm module. The alarm module is used to issue an alarm and execute a preset emergency strategy. The preset emergency strategy includes a primary early warning strategy for a level 1 alarm, an intermediate response strategy for a level 2 alarm, and an advanced handling strategy for a level 3 alarm. The primary warning strategy is triggered when the temperature is greater than 70 degrees Celsius or the humidity is greater than 85%RH. When triggered, the air pump is started to input airflow into the inclined vent of the protective pad ring (3). The air pump operates at 30% power to force ventilation of the cable. The intermediate response strategy is triggered when the temperature is greater than 100°C. At this time, the heat melt film is partially ineffective. At this time, the air pump system is started at full power to accelerate the diffusion of flame retardant by airflow, cut off the DC contactor of the affected cable section, and send alarm information to the preset contact person. The advanced handling strategy is triggered when the temperature is greater than 130°C. The heat melt film on multiple ventilated support rings (43) is ineffective. A signal is sent to the external fire extinguishing system and it is activated. At the same time, an alarm information is sent to the preset contact person.

2. The power cable for an energy storage system according to claim 1, characterized in that: The outer end of the breathable support ring (43) is provided with an annular groove, the flame retardant is filled in the annular groove, the breathable support ring (43) is provided with a plurality of circumferentially distributed side through holes, and the side through holes are connected to the annular groove. The opening of the annular groove and the opening of the side through holes are sealed by a hot melt film.

3. The power cable for an energy storage system according to claim 1, characterized in that: Multiple fixing screws (42) are connected between both ends of the corrugated pipe body (41) and the two outer protective rings (31). The straight sleeve (2) includes a tube bag layer (21). A sealing ring (22) is fixedly connected to one end of the tube bag layer (21) near the protective pad ring (3). An outer ring (23) is fixedly connected to the sealing ring (22). The fixing screws (42) pass through the outer ring (23), the outer protective ring (31) and the corrugated pipe body (41).

4. The power cable for an energy storage system according to claim 1, characterized in that: The protective pad ring (3) is equipped with a terminal block that matches the reinforcing cable (13). A connecting wire (5) is connected between the terminals of two adjacent protective pad rings (3). The breathable support ring (43) has multiple evenly distributed ventilation holes. The connecting wire (5) passes through the ventilation holes of multiple breathable support rings (43).

5. A power cable for an energy storage system according to claim 1, characterized in that: The outer protective ring (31) is equipped with a one-way air pipe that communicates with the oblique through hole inside the inner vent ring (32), and the one-way air pipe is connected to an external air pump.

6. A power cable for an energy storage system according to claim 5, characterized in that: The control module is used to control the operation of the air pump based on the analysis results of the data processing module; The data acquisition module is used to collect monitoring data, including cable environment and status data collected by the reinforced cable (13); The data processing module is used to analyze the cable status based on the monitoring data of the reinforced cable (13).

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