Energy storage container

Abstract

The invention relates to an energy storage container which comprises a container body and a plurality of battery packs, an energy storage chamber and a fire fighting chamber are arranged in the container body, and the energy storage chamber and the fire fighting chamber are separated through a partition plate. A spray head is arranged in the fire-fighting chamber and is used for spraying a fire extinguishing agent into the fire-fighting chamber. A supporting piece is arranged in the energy storage chamber and is obliquely arranged, so that the battery pack can be obliquely placed on the supporting piece relative to the horizontal plane, and the relatively low end of the battery pack faces the fire fighting chamber. A through hole is formed in the partition plate, the through hole directly faces the relatively low end of the battery pack, a cover plate capable of being selectively opened covers the through hole, and the cover plate is used for limiting the battery pack to move towards the relatively low end of the supporting piece. The energy storage container can carry out centralized fire extinguishing treatment on the battery packs in thermal runaway, the fire extinguishing efficiency is high, and the cost and the control difficulty of a fire fighting unit can be reduced.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to the field of energy storage technology, and more particularly to an energy storage container. Background Technology

[0002] Currently, battery energy storage systems are increasingly widely used in the new energy industry, smart grid industry, and energy-saving technology industry. Their main functions include grid upgrading and transformation, peak shaving and valley filling, and renewable energy grid connection. Therefore, energy storage containers have emerged. In related technologies, energy storage containers mainly consist of a container body and several battery packs installed inside. To ensure the safe operation of the battery packs, each battery pack is designed with a pressure relief channel. When thermal runaway occurs, high-temperature, high-pressure gases and flammable materials are discharged through the pressure relief channel. Due to the large number of battery packs inside the energy storage container, a fire or explosion of these packs would inevitably lead to a major safety accident, causing fatal damage to surrounding buildings and power facilities. Therefore, energy storage containers are equipped with fire suppression systems to monitor, cool, and extinguish fires involving the battery packs. Because the battery packs are arranged in multiple stacked rows inside the container, when fire sprinklers are installed in designated areas, the sprinklers spray extinguishing agents in the corresponding areas. It is difficult for the extinguishing agent to be concentrated on the burning battery packs, thus reducing extinguishing efficiency and increasing the amount of extinguishing agent used. Installing fire sprinklers at the location of each battery pack results in a huge number of fire sprinklers, increasing equipment costs and control complexity. Summary of the Invention

[0003] The purpose of this invention is to provide an energy storage container that can centrally extinguish thermal runaway battery packs with high fire extinguishing efficiency, and can reduce the cost and control difficulty of fire protection units.

[0004] To achieve this objective, the present invention adopts the following technical solution:

[0005] An energy storage container is provided, comprising a container body and a plurality of battery packs installed inside the container body. The container body has an energy storage chamber and a fire-fighting chamber adjacent to the energy storage chamber, which are separated by a partition. The fire-fighting chamber is provided with a nozzle for spraying fire extinguishing agent into the fire-fighting chamber. The energy storage chamber is provided with a support for placing the battery packs. The support is inclined so that the battery packs can be placed on the support at an angle relative to the horizontal plane. The lower end of the battery packs faces the fire-fighting chamber. The partition has a through hole for the battery packs to pass through, which faces the lower end of the battery packs. The through hole is covered with a selectively openable cover plate for restricting the movement of the battery packs toward the lower end of the support.

[0006] When the battery pack experiences thermal runaway, the cover opens, allowing the battery pack to pass through the through-hole and move into the fire-fighting chamber.

[0007] As a preferred embodiment of the energy storage container, there are multiple nozzles, which are spaced apart near the bottom of the fire-fighting chamber.

[0008] As a preferred embodiment of the energy storage container, the energy storage chamber is equipped with multiple battery packs, which are arranged in an array along a vertical plane. Two support members form a group, and the opposite ends of the battery packs are placed on the two support members in the same group.

[0009] As a preferred embodiment of the energy storage container, the support member includes a vertically arranged support plate and a limiting plate. The support plate is used to abut against the bottom surface of the battery pack, and the battery pack is located between the limiting plates corresponding to two of the support members in the same group.

[0010] As a preferred embodiment of the energy storage container, the container body further includes a locking assembly disposed on the partition. The locking assembly includes a lock housing and a lock tongue. The lock housing is disposed on both sides of the through hole in the horizontal direction. The lock tongue is retractably disposed on each lock housing. The cover plate is inserted into the through hole. The lock tongue selectively abuts against the side of the cover plate facing the fire chamber.

[0011] As a preferred embodiment of the energy storage container, the locking assembly further includes a pull rope, the locking tongue is elastically connected to the lock housing and has the potential energy to move in a direction away from the through hole, the two ends of the pull rope are respectively connected to the two locking tongues, the cover plate is provided with a pressure relief hole, the pressure relief hole is connected to the explosion-proof valve on the battery pack, the pull rope crosses the pressure relief hole, and when the battery pack is depressurized, the high-temperature material discharged from the pressure relief hole can burn through the pull rope.

[0012] As a preferred embodiment of the energy storage container, a spring is provided on the cavity wall of the energy storage chamber away from the through hole, and the battery pack is connected to the spring. The spring is used to drive the battery pack to move towards the relatively lower end of the support member.

[0013] As a preferred embodiment of the energy storage container, a cooling unit is also included, which includes a gas supply pipe and a gas nozzle disposed on the gas supply pipe. The gas nozzle is located inside the energy storage chamber and is used to supply cooling gas into the energy storage chamber.

[0014] As a preferred embodiment of the energy storage container, an airflow channel for the cooling gas is provided between two adjacent battery packs.

[0015] As a preferred embodiment of the energy storage container, a plurality of energy storage chambers are arranged along a first direction inside the container, with two adjacent energy storage chambers forming a group, and a fire-fighting chamber located between two energy storage chambers in the same group.

[0016] The advantages of this invention compared to the prior art are:

[0017] The energy storage container of this invention, by setting up an energy storage chamber and a fire-fighting chamber within the container, allows the battery pack to be installed at an angle within the energy storage chamber. When a battery pack experiences thermal runaway, it can slide through a perforation in a partition into the fire-fighting chamber, thus separating the normally operating battery pack from the thermally runaway one. The thermally runaway battery pack, upon falling into the fire-fighting chamber, is then sprayed with extinguishing agent through nozzles to extinguish the fire. Because the thermally runaway battery pack is located within the fire-fighting chamber, the high-temperature substances generated by the depressurization of the battery pack can be prevented from causing thermal impact and contamination to the surrounding normal battery packs. Simultaneously, the extinguishing agent sprayed from the thermally runaway battery pack can concentrate on covering the burning battery pack, improving fire-fighting efficiency. Furthermore, since the nozzles only need to be installed within the fire-fighting chamber, it is not necessary to arrange fire-fighting nozzles at each battery pack's installation location, reducing the number of nozzles required and eliminating the need for numerous monitoring sensors and complex control circuits, thereby reducing costs and control complexity. Attached Figure Description

[0018] The present invention will now be described in further detail with reference to the accompanying drawings and embodiments.

[0019] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of an energy storage container according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0020] Figure 2 This is a cross-sectional view of an energy storage container according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0021] Figure 3 This is a schematic diagram of the installation of the partition and support members according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0022] Figure 4 This is a schematic diagram of the locking component according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0023] In the picture:

[0024] 1. Housing; 11. Energy storage chamber; 12. Fire-fighting chamber; 13. Partition; 14. Cover plate; 141. Pressure relief hole; 15. Locking assembly; 151. Lock housing; 152. Lock tongue; 153. Pull rope; 154. Sleeve; 16. Support component; 161. Support plate; 162. Limiting plate; 17. Spring; 2. Fire-fighting unit; 21. Nozzle; 3. Cooling unit; 31. Gas supply pipe; 4. Battery pack; 5. High-voltage box; 6. Circuit assembly. Detailed Implementation

[0025] The advantages and features of the present invention, as well as methods of implementing them, will become apparent from the following detailed description of the embodiments in conjunction with the accompanying drawings. However, the present invention is not limited to the embodiments disclosed below, but can be implemented in various different forms. These embodiments are provided merely to complete the disclosure of the invention and to enable those skilled in the art to fully understand the scope of the invention, which is defined only by the scope of the claims. The same reference numerals denote the same constituent elements throughout the specification.

[0026] The present invention will now be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings.

[0027] like Figure 1 and Figure 2 As shown, this invention provides an energy storage container, including a container body 1 and battery packs 4. The container body 1 has a rectangular parallelepiped structure, similar in shape to existing freight containers. Several battery packs 4 are installed inside the container body 1 for energy storage. An energy storage chamber 11 and a fire-fighting chamber 12 are provided inside the container body 1, adjacent to each other. The energy storage chamber 11 is used to install the battery packs 4, and the fire-fighting chamber 12 is used to extinguish fires involving battery packs 4 that have experienced thermal runaway. A partition 13 is provided inside the container body 1, separating the energy storage chamber 11 from the fire-fighting chamber 12. A support member 16 is provided inside the energy storage chamber 11, used to install the battery packs 4. The support member 16 is inclined relative to the horizontal plane, allowing the battery packs 4 to tilt relative to the horizontal plane when placed on the support member 16. The lower end of the battery pack 4 faces the fire chamber 12, a structure that gives the battery pack 4 a tendency to slide towards the fire chamber 12. A through-hole is provided on the partition 13, directly opposite the lower end of the battery pack 4. The shape and size of the through-hole match the battery pack 4, allowing it to pass through. A cover plate 14 is provided over the through-hole. The cover plate 14 can be selectively opened; that is, in normal operation of the battery pack 4, the cover plate 14 covers the through-hole to prevent the battery pack 4 from sliding downwards; in the event of thermal runaway of the battery pack 4, the cover plate 14 opens, allowing the battery pack 4 to pass through the through-hole and slide into the fire chamber 12. The cover plate 14 restricts the movement of the battery pack 4 towards the lower end of the support member 16. A sprinkler head 21 is provided inside the fire chamber 12, used to spray extinguishing agent into the fire chamber 12 to extinguish the thermal runaway battery pack 4.

[0028] Understandably, by setting up an energy storage chamber 11 and a fire-fighting chamber 12 within the housing 1, and with the battery pack 4 installed at an angle within the energy storage chamber 11, when the battery pack 4 experiences thermal runaway, it can slide through the through-holes in the partition 13 into the fire-fighting chamber 12, thus separating the normally operating battery pack 4 from the thermally runaway battery pack 4. The thermally runaway battery pack 4 falls into the fire-fighting chamber 12, where extinguishing agent is sprayed through the nozzle 21 to extinguish the fire. Because the thermally runaway battery pack 4 is located within the fire-fighting chamber 12, the high-temperature substances generated by the depressurization of the battery pack 4 can be prevented from causing thermal impact and contamination to the surrounding normal battery packs 4. Simultaneously, the sprayed extinguishing agent, concentrated on covering the burning battery pack 4, improves fire-fighting efficiency. Furthermore, the sprinkler head 21 only needs to be installed in the fire chamber 12, and there is no need to arrange fire sprinkler heads 21 at the installation position of each battery pack 4. This reduces the number of sprinkler heads 21 and eliminates the need for a large number of monitoring sensors and complex control circuits, thereby helping to reduce costs and control difficulty.

[0029] Specifically, the energy storage container also includes a fire-fighting unit 2, which is used to extinguish the thermal runaway battery pack 4. The fire-fighting unit 2 includes a storage tank and nozzles 21. The storage tank stores the extinguishing agent, and the storage tank and nozzles 21 are connected by pipelines. Correspondingly, valves are installed on the pipelines to control their opening and closing. Multiple nozzles 21 are spaced apart within each fire-fighting chamber 12, and the nozzles 21 are installed near the bottom of the fire-fighting chamber 12. Since the battery pack 4 will fall to the bottom of the fire-fighting chamber 12 after passing through the through-hole, the nozzles 21 can be installed at the bottom of the fire-fighting chamber 12. This method also allows for a highly concentrated extinguishing area for the battery pack 4, which helps reduce the number of nozzles 21 required and improves the coverage effect of the extinguishing agent on the battery pack 4.

[0030] Specifically, refer to Figure 1 and Figure 3 As shown, multiple energy storage chambers 11 are arranged along a first direction inside the container 1. The first direction is the length direction of the container 1 (X direction in the figure). Multiple energy storage chambers 11 are provided to accommodate more battery packs 4. Two adjacent energy storage chambers 11 form a group, and a fire-fighting chamber 12 is provided between two energy storage chambers 11 in the same group. The purpose of this structure is that two energy storage chambers 11 can share a fire-fighting chamber 12, which helps to reduce the number of fire-fighting chambers 12 and allows for the installation of more battery packs 4, thereby increasing the energy density of the entire energy storage container.

[0031] Multiple battery packs 4 are installed inside the energy storage chamber 11, and the battery packs 4 are arranged in a vertical plane array. The number of support members 16 corresponds to the number of battery packs 4. In this embodiment, two support members 16 support one battery pack 4, that is, two support members 16 form a group, and the opposite ends of the battery pack 4 are placed on the two support members 16 in the same group. The support member 16 is L-shaped and includes a vertically arranged support plate 161 and a limiting plate 162. The support plate 161 is used to abut against the bottom surface of the battery pack 4, that is, the battery pack 4 is placed on the support plate 161. The two support members 16 are symmetrically distributed so that the battery pack 4 is located between the corresponding limiting plates 162 of the two support members 16 in the same group. The limiting plates 162 play a limiting role to restrict the battery pack 4 between the two limiting plates 162, so that the battery pack 4 can only move in the direction of the through hole.

[0032] To ensure the battery pack 4 can slide smoothly in the event of thermal runaway, a spring 17 is installed on the wall of the energy storage chamber 11 opposite to the through hole, and the battery pack 4 is connected to the spring 17. When the battery pack 4 is installed, the battery pack 4 pushes the spring 17 to compress, so that the spring 17 has elastic potential energy to drive the movement of the battery pack 4. When the battery pack 4 loses the restraining effect of the cover plate 14, the spring 17 can drive the battery pack 4 to move towards the relatively lower end of the support member 16, so that the battery pack 4 slides from the through hole into the fire chamber 12. In this embodiment, two springs 17 are provided, and the two springs 17 are spaced apart in the horizontal direction. By setting the springs 17, the force on the battery pack 4 is made more uniform, which facilitates the smooth passage of the battery pack 4 through the through hole.

[0033] The energy storage container also includes a cooling unit 3, which is used to cool the battery pack 4. The cooling unit 3 includes a gas source, a gas supply pipe 31, and a gas nozzle (not shown in the figure). The gas nozzle is connected to the gas source through the gas supply pipe 31. The gas nozzle is located inside the energy storage chamber 11 to introduce cooling gas into the energy storage chamber 11. The cooling gas can be air or cryogenic nitrogen. In practical applications, when the battery pack 4 experiences an abnormal temperature, cooling gas can be introduced into the corresponding energy storage chamber 11 through the cooling unit 3 to improve the cooling effect of the battery pack 4 and prevent the risk of thermal runaway. Multiple battery packs 4 are spaced apart within the energy storage chamber 11 to form airflow channels between adjacent battery packs 4. Cooling gas flows within these airflow channels to cool each battery pack 4. In this embodiment, the battery pack 4 itself is equipped with a liquid cooling plate for cooling. The cooling unit 3 is normally off. When the cooling system of the battery pack 4 itself cannot meet the cooling effect, the cooling unit 3 is turned on and the cooling gas is introduced into the corresponding energy storage chamber 11 to centrally cool down the battery pack 4 that has an abnormal temperature.

[0034] Specifically, refer to Figure 2 and Figure 4As shown, the number and position of the through holes on the partition 13 correspond one-to-one with the number and position of the battery packs 4 in the energy storage chamber 11, that is, each battery pack 4 is provided with one through hole. The cover plate 14 is inserted into the through hole to block the battery pack 4. The housing 1 also includes a locking assembly 15, which is installed on the partition 13 and is used to lock the cover plate 14. The locking assembly 15 has a locked state and an unlocked state. In the locked state, the locking assembly 15 locks the cover plate 14; in the unlocked state, the locking assembly 15 separates from the cover plate 14, and the cover plate 14 falls off the partition 13 by itself. The locking assembly 15 includes a lock housing 151, a lock tongue 152, a pull rope 153, and a sleeve 154. Lock housings 151 are provided on both sides of the through hole in the horizontal direction, that is, each cover plate 14 is provided with two lock housings 151. Each lock housing 151 is equipped with a retractable latch 152. When the latch 152 extends, one end of the latch 152 abuts against the side of the cover plate 14 facing the fire chamber 12. When the latch 152 retracts, it separates from the cover plate 14. A pull rope 153 is connected to each of the two latches 152 at both ends. The pull rope 153 spans across the cover plate 14, pulling the latches 152 out and abutting against the cover plate 14. The cover plate 14 has a pressure relief hole 141, which is connected to the explosion-proof valve on the battery pack 4. When the battery pack 4 experiences pressure relief, high-temperature substances are discharged through the pressure relief hole 141. The pull rope 153 spans across the pressure relief hole 141; when the battery pack 4 experiences pressure relief, the high-temperature substances discharged from the pressure relief hole 141 can burn through the pull rope 153. A sleeve 154 is mounted on the cover plate 14, and a pull rope 153 is threaded through the sleeve 154 to restrict the position of the pull rope 153. The latch 152 is elastically connected to the lock housing 151. After the pull rope 153 is burned out, the latch 152 retracts under elastic force, thereby unlocking the locking assembly 15. In this embodiment, the unlocking of the locking assembly 15 is triggered by thermal runaway and pressure relief of the battery pack 4 itself. In another embodiment, the pull rope 153 can be omitted, and other driving components can be used to drive the extension and retraction of the latch 152. For example, a linear drive mechanism consisting of a cylinder and a linear motor can be installed on the lock housing 151 to drive the extension and retraction of the latch 152.

[0035] Specifically, refer to Figure 1 As shown, the energy storage container also includes a high-voltage box 5 and a circuit assembly 6. Each energy storage chamber 11 is equipped with a high-voltage box 5 to connect multiple battery packs 4 within the energy storage chamber 11 to the high-voltage box 5. All high-voltage boxes 5 are connected to the circuit assembly 6 via wiring to obtain the required output voltage. Correspondingly, the circuit assembly 6 is provided with ports for charging and discharging. The fire suppression unit 2 and the cooling unit 3 are both connected to the circuit assembly 6 to control their activation and deactivation.

[0036] Specifically, the energy storage chamber 11 has terminals installed on its wall that connect to the high-voltage box 5, and the terminals on the battery pack 4 are detachably connected to the terminals inside the energy storage chamber 11. Since the battery pack 4 needs to slide off the support 16 in the event of thermal runaway, the terminals between the battery pack 4 and the energy storage chamber 11 should be easily disconnectable so that the terminals can be easily disconnected when the battery pack 4 slides down. Furthermore, a liquid cooling plate is installed inside the battery pack 4, and the battery pack 4 is detachably connected to the liquid delivery pipes arranged in the energy storage chamber 11. When the battery pack 4 slides down, the liquid cooling plate can separate from the liquid delivery pipes. Alternatively, a flexible hose with a certain redundant length can be installed between the battery pack 4 and the liquid delivery pipes to ensure that the battery pack 4 can fall into the fire-fighting chamber 12.

[0037] Specifically, an asbestos layer is provided on the side of the partition 13 facing the fire chamber 12 to isolate the heat energy of combustion in the fire chamber 12 from the surrounding battery pack 4.

[0038] The beneficial effects of this embodiment are as follows: By setting an energy storage chamber 11 and a fire-fighting chamber 12 inside the housing 1, and installing the battery pack 4 at an angle in the energy storage chamber 11, when the battery pack 4 experiences thermal runaway, it can slide through the through-hole on the partition 13 into the fire-fighting chamber 12, thereby separating the normally operating battery pack 4 from the thermally runaway battery pack 4. The thermally runaway battery pack 4 falls into the fire-fighting chamber 12, and extinguishing agent is sprayed into the fire-fighting chamber 12 through the nozzle 21 to extinguish the fire. Since the thermally runaway battery pack 4 is located in the fire-fighting chamber 12, the high-temperature substances generated by the depressurization of the battery pack 4 can be prevented from causing thermal impact and pollution to the surrounding normal battery packs 4. Simultaneously, the sprayed extinguishing agent can be concentrated on the burning battery pack 4 as the thermally runaway battery pack 4 slides into the fire-fighting chamber 12, which helps to improve the fire-fighting efficiency. Furthermore, the sprinkler head 21 only needs to be installed in the fire chamber 12, and there is no need to arrange fire sprinkler heads 21 at the installation position of each battery pack 4. This reduces the number of sprinkler heads 21 and eliminates the need for a large number of monitoring sensors and complex control circuits, thereby helping to reduce costs and control difficulty.

[0039] Although embodiments of the invention have been described above with reference to the accompanying drawings, the invention is not limited to the above embodiments, but can be made in various forms, and those skilled in the art will understand that the invention can be implemented in other specific forms without changing the technical spirit or essential characteristics of the invention. Therefore, it should be understood that the above embodiments are exemplary in all respects and not restrictive.

Claims

1. An energy storage container, characterized in that, The device includes a housing and several battery packs installed inside the housing. The housing contains an energy storage chamber and an adjacent fire-fighting chamber, separated by a partition. A nozzle is installed in the fire-fighting chamber to spray extinguishing agent. A support member is installed in the energy storage chamber to hold the battery packs. The support member is tilted so that the battery packs can be placed at an angle relative to the horizontal plane, with the lower end of the battery pack facing the fire-fighting chamber. A through-hole is provided on the partition for the battery packs to pass through, directly opposite the lower end of the battery packs. A selectively openable cover is provided over the through-hole to restrict movement of the battery packs toward the lower end of the support member. When the battery pack experiences thermal runaway, the cover opens, allowing the battery pack to pass through the through-hole and move into the fire-fighting chamber.

2. The energy storage container according to claim 1, characterized in that, There are multiple sprinklers, and the multiple sprinklers are arranged at intervals near the bottom of the fire chamber.

3. The energy storage container according to claim 1, characterized in that, The energy storage chamber is equipped with multiple battery packs, which are arranged in an array along a vertical plane. Two support members form a group, and the opposite ends of the battery packs are placed on two support members in the same group.

4. The energy storage container according to claim 3, characterized in that, The support member includes a vertically arranged support plate and a limiting plate. The support plate is used to abut against the bottom surface of the battery pack. The battery pack is located between the limiting plates corresponding to two of the support members in the same group.

5. The energy storage container according to claim 1, characterized in that, The enclosure also includes a locking assembly disposed on the partition. The locking assembly includes a lock housing and a lock tongue. The lock housing is disposed on both sides of the through hole in the horizontal direction. The lock tongue is retractably disposed on each lock housing. The cover plate is inserted into the through hole. The lock tongue selectively abuts against the side of the cover plate facing the fire chamber.

6. The energy storage container according to claim 5, characterized in that, The locking assembly also includes a pull cord. The latch is elastically connected to the lock housing and has the potential energy to move in a direction away from the through hole. The two ends of the pull cord are respectively connected to the two latches. The cover plate is provided with a pressure relief hole, which is connected to the explosion-proof valve on the battery pack. The pull cord crosses the pressure relief hole. When the battery pack is depressurized, the high-temperature material discharged from the pressure relief hole can burn through the pull cord.

7. The energy storage container according to claim 1, characterized in that, A spring is provided on the cavity wall of the energy storage chamber away from the through hole. The battery pack is connected to the spring, and the spring is used to drive the battery pack to move toward the relatively lower end of the support.

8. The energy storage container according to any one of claims 1 to 7, characterized in that, It also includes a cooling unit, which includes a gas supply pipe and a gas nozzle disposed on the gas supply pipe. The gas nozzle is located in the energy storage chamber and is used to input cooling gas into the energy storage chamber.

9. The energy storage container according to claim 8, characterized in that, There is an airflow channel between two adjacent battery packs for the cooling gas to pass through.

10. The energy storage container according to any one of claims 1 to 7, characterized in that, The box contains a plurality of energy storage chambers arranged along a first direction. Two adjacent energy storage chambers form a group, and there is a fire-fighting chamber between two energy storage chambers in the same group.

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