Fire alarm system for fan energy storage system

Abstract

This invention relates to the field of offshore wind power energy storage safety, specifically to a fire alarm system for a wind turbine energy storage system. The system includes: a detection module for acquiring thermal runaway characteristic information of each battery module and battery pack within the energy storage compartment; a location module connected to the detection module and each battery module and battery pack; a data acquisition module connected to both the detection and location modules; an alarm module connected to the data acquisition module for local and remote alarm activation based on alarm commands; a fire suppression module connected to both the data acquisition and location modules for activating corresponding fire suppression devices based on received location information and fire severity level; and a management module connected to the detection, location, data acquisition, alarm, and fire suppression modules for remote monitoring and data management. This invention effectively curbs the occurrence and spread of fires at their source, significantly improving the safety of offshore wind turbine energy storage systems.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to the field of offshore wind power energy storage safety, specifically to a fire alarm system for a wind turbine energy storage system. Background Technology

[0002] With the continuous advancement of the global energy transition, offshore wind power, as an important direction for clean and renewable energy, has seen a growing trend in the development of the offshore wind power industry. This trend is driven by the need to mitigate the randomness and volatility of wind power output, smooth the power output curve, improve grid connection stability and the capacity for renewable energy absorption. Deploying distributed energy storage systems within offshore wind turbine platforms has become a key technological trend in the development of the offshore wind power industry.

[0003] However, the operating environment of offshore wind turbine platforms is unique: their internal space is extremely compact, equipment is densely arranged, and they are subjected to harsh conditions of high humidity, strong vibration, and strong electromagnetic interference for a long time. At the same time, offshore wind turbines are far from land, making emergency rescue and maintenance and replenishment difficult and with long response cycles. The core component of the energy storage system is lithium batteries. During operation, lithium batteries are prone to thermal runaway due to factors such as internal short circuits, overcharging and over-discharging, heat accumulation, cell aging, or external impacts. Once thermal runaway occurs, it can easily lead to fire accidents such as combustion and explosion.

[0004] Currently, existing fire protection systems for offshore wind turbines are mainly designed for traditional electrical equipment (such as generators and control cabinets) inside the nacelle and tower. Their core technical solution involves using a single type of fire detector for fire detection, combined with a total flooding fire suppression system. This type of fire protection system cannot meet the specific fire protection requirements of the offshore wind turbine's energy storage battery compartment, and exhibits significant problems in practical applications, specifically: First, single-parameter fire detectors are susceptible to environmental interference and may cause false alarms or missed alarms under the complex operating conditions of offshore wind turbines, characterized by high humidity, strong vibration, and strong electromagnetic interference; furthermore, this type of detector can only detect fires using a single-parameter fire detector. First, detecting macroscopic features such as smoke and high temperatures after a fire cannot accurately capture the characteristic signals of the initial stage of thermal runaway in lithium batteries, resulting in the inability to provide early warning of thermal runaway and missing the best opportunity for response. Second, traditional total flooding fire suppression methods extinguish fires on a compartment-by-compartment basis, and the extinguishing agent takes a long time to fill the entire energy storage battery compartment, making it impossible to quickly and accurately target and extinguish individual battery packs that have experienced thermal runaway. Third, existing offshore wind turbine energy storage compartments are usually not equipped with effective physical fireproof barriers that meet fire safety regulations between the wind turbine main structure and between different battery modules inside the energy storage compartment. Once a fire occurs in a single battery cabinet, the high-temperature flames and toxic fumes can easily spread rapidly to adjacent battery modules, the main wind turbine equipment outside the energy storage compartment, and the tower, causing the accident area to expand rapidly and resulting in secondary disasters. Summary of the Invention

[0005] To address the problems mentioned in the prior art, this invention proposes a fire alarm system for wind turbine energy storage systems. By constructing an integrated protection architecture, it achieves early and accurate warning of fires in the energy storage compartment, rapid extinguishing at the pack level, and physical isolation protection, fundamentally improving the safety of offshore wind turbine energy storage systems.

[0006] To achieve the above objectives, the present invention adopts the following technical solution: This invention discloses a fire alarm system for a wind turbine energy storage system, comprising: The detection module is used to acquire thermal runaway characteristic information of each battery module and battery pack in the energy storage compartment; The location module, connected to the detection module and each battery module and battery pack, is used to determine the specific location where thermal runaway or fire occurs. The data acquisition module is connected to the detection module and the location module respectively, and is used to receive, analyze and process the thermal runaway characteristic information and location information to generate an alarm command containing the severity level of the fire. The alarm module is connected to the data acquisition module and performs local and remote alarms based on alarm commands. The fire suppression module is connected to the data acquisition module and the location module respectively, and is used to activate the corresponding level of fire extinguishing device to extinguish the fire based on the received location information and the severity of the fire. The management module is connected to the detection module, location module, data acquisition module, alarm module, and fire protection module respectively, and is used to realize remote monitoring and data management.

[0007] As a further improvement, the detection module includes a gas detection unit, a temperature detection unit, a smoke detection unit, and an insulation resistance detection unit.

[0008] As a further improvement, the location module includes area markers installed on each battery module and battery pack inside the energy storage compartment, as well as a positioning and parsing unit connected to the detection module, for locating the battery pack that has malfunctioned.

[0009] As a further improvement, the data acquisition module is equipped with an intelligent diagnostic model based on deep learning algorithms, which integrates and analyzes multi-parameter information to determine the stage of thermal runaway and the development trend of the fire. Combined with location information, it issues alarm information of different levels, including early warning, first-level alarm and second-level alarm.

[0010] As a further improvement, the alarm module includes an audible and visual alarm and a remote alarm unit; wherein the remote alarm unit sends alarm information to a remote monitoring center via email, telephone, SMS, or other means.

[0011] As a further improvement, the fire-fighting module includes Pack-level fire extinguishing units, module-level fire extinguishing units, and compartment-level fire extinguishing units; The Pack-level fire suppression unit is integrated inside each battery pack, with the detector and extinguishing agent nozzle directly aimed at the battery cell to suppress fires in their early stages.

[0012] As a further improvement, the module-level fire extinguishing unit and the compartment-level fire extinguishing unit are used to extinguish the fire on the entire battery module or energy storage compartment when the fire spreads.

[0013] As a further improvement, a fireproof isolation structure is also included, which includes fire-resistant partitions disposed between the energy storage compartment and the wind turbine tower, and between different battery modules within the energy storage compartment.

[0014] As a further improvement, the fire-resistant partition includes a steel plate, a rock wool board, and another steel plate arranged sequentially from the inside out.

[0015] As a further improvement, the management module is used to remotely monitor the status of the energy storage system, display the location and level of fires, and query alarm records and historical data.

[0016] Compared with the prior art, the present invention achieves the following technical effects: This invention acquires thermal runaway characteristic information (such as gas, temperature, smoke, insulation resistance, and other parameters) through a detection module. Combined with the positioning of the location module, it can capture characteristic signals in the early stage of thermal runaway of lithium batteries, realize early warning, avoid false alarms and missed alarms, and buy time for fire fighting. The fire-fighting module can activate the corresponding level of fire extinguishing device according to the location information and the severity of the fire, and can quickly extinguish the fire on a single battery pack that has experienced thermal runaway, preventing the fire from spreading to adjacent modules or compartments.

[0017] This invention generates alarm commands (such as early warning, level one alarm, and level two alarm) with fire severity levels through a data acquisition module, enabling tiered alarms. This allows monitoring personnel to take appropriate emergency measures based on the severity of the fire, thereby facilitating the allocation of firefighting resources. The management module is connected to the detection module, location module, data acquisition module, alarm module, and fire protection module, enabling remote monitoring and data management. It can display the energy storage system status, fire location and severity in real time, and query alarm records and historical data, improving the system's intelligence level and operational efficiency. Finally, through the construction of a multi-level protection architecture, this invention curbs the occurrence and spread of fires at the source, solving the technical problems of existing technologies that cannot achieve early warning, precise firefighting, and effective isolation, significantly improving the safety of offshore wind turbine energy storage systems. Attached Figure Description

[0018] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the overall connection of the fire alarm system of the wind turbine energy storage system. Detailed Implementation

[0019] In the following description, only certain exemplary embodiments are briefly described. As those skilled in the art will recognize, the described embodiments can be modified in various ways without departing from the spirit or scope of the invention. Therefore, the drawings and description are considered to be exemplary in nature and not restrictive.

[0020] In the description of this invention, it should be understood that the 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 used only for the convenience of describing this invention and simplifying the description, and do not 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 this invention.

[0021] Furthermore, the terms "first" and "second" are used for descriptive purposes only and should not be construed as indicating or implying relative importance or implicitly specifying the number of indicated technical features. Thus, a feature defined as "first" or "second" may explicitly or implicitly include one or more of that feature. In the description of this invention, "a plurality of" means two or more, unless otherwise explicitly specified.

[0022] In this invention, unless otherwise explicitly specified and limited, the terms "installation," "connection," "linking," and "fixing," etc., 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, an electrical connection, or a communication connection; they can refer to a direct connection or an indirect connection through an intermediate medium; they can refer to the internal communication of two components or the interaction between two components. Those skilled in the art can understand the specific meaning of the above terms in this invention according to the specific circumstances.

[0023] In this invention, unless otherwise explicitly specified and limited, "above" or "below" the second feature can include direct contact between the first and second features, or contact between the first and second features through another feature between them. Furthermore, "above," "over," and "on top" of the second feature includes the first feature being directly above or diagonally above the second feature, or simply indicates that the first feature is at a higher horizontal level than the second feature. "Below," "below," and "under" the second feature includes the first feature being directly above or diagonally above the second feature, or simply indicates that the first feature is at a lower horizontal level than the second feature.

[0024] It should be understood that, when used in this specification and the appended claims, the terms "comprising" and "including" indicate the presence of the described features, integrals, steps, operations, elements and / or components, but do not exclude the presence or addition of one or more other features, integrals, steps, operations, elements, components and / or collections thereof.

[0025] It should also be understood that the terminology used in this specification is for the purpose of describing particular embodiments only and is not intended to limit the invention. As used in this specification and the appended claims, the singular forms “a,” “an,” and “the” are intended to include the plural forms unless the context clearly indicates otherwise.

[0026] It should also be further understood that the term "and / or" as used in this specification and the appended claims refers to any combination of one or more of the associated listed items and all possible combinations, and includes such combinations.

[0027] The accompanying drawings illustrate various structural schematic diagrams according to embodiments disclosed in this invention. These drawings are not to scale, and some details have been enlarged for clarity, and some details may have been omitted. The shapes of the various regions and layers shown in the drawings, as well as their relative sizes and positional relationships, are merely exemplary and may deviate from reality due to manufacturing tolerances or technical limitations. Furthermore, those skilled in the art can design regions / layers with different shapes, sizes, and relative positions as needed.

[0028] The embodiments of the present invention will now be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings.

[0029] like Figure 1 As shown, this invention proposes a fire alarm system for a wind turbine energy storage system, comprising: a detection module for acquiring thermal runaway characteristic information of each battery module and battery pack within the energy storage compartment; a location module connected to the detection module and each battery module and battery pack for determining the specific location of thermal runaway or fire; a data acquisition module connected to the detection module and the location module for receiving, analyzing, and processing the thermal runaway characteristic information and location information to generate an alarm command including the fire severity level; an alarm module connected to the data acquisition module for local and remote alarms based on the alarm command; a fire suppression module connected to the data acquisition module and the location module for activating corresponding fire suppression devices based on the received location information and fire severity level; and a management module connected to the detection module, location module, data acquisition module, alarm module, and fire suppression module for remote monitoring and data management.

[0030] like Figure 1As shown in the figure, this embodiment is designed for offshore wind power energy storage scenarios. The entire system mainly consists of six modules: detection module, location module, data acquisition module, alarm module, fire protection module, and management module. Through the cooperation of these modules, a system is formed from perception, precise positioning, decision-making to hierarchical disposal, which aims to solve the thorny problem of lithium battery fires in offshore wind turbine energy storage compartments being difficult to predict, difficult to extinguish, and easy to spread.

[0031] Specifically, the detection module is used to acquire real-time thermal runaway characteristic information of each battery module and smaller battery cell—that is, the battery pack—within the energy storage compartment. To cope with the high humidity, vibration, and electromagnetic interference of the marine environment, the detection module in this embodiment integrates multiple detection units. Among them, the gas detection unit is used to capture characteristic gases released in the early stage of battery thermal runaway, such as carbon monoxide, hydrogen, or volatile organic compounds. These gases often appear before significant changes in temperature and smoke, and are key to achieving early warning. The temperature detection unit is placed close to the battery surface or in key locations to sense abnormal temperature rises, and the smoke detection unit is responsible for monitoring changes in the concentration of visible smoke.

[0032] In addition, the embodiment also includes an insulation resistance detection unit, because internal short circuits or insulation failures in the battery are often precursors to thermal runaway. Through the coordinated operation of the above detection methods, the detection module can comprehensively capture abnormal signals of the battery from multiple dimensions such as gas, temperature, smoke and electrical parameters, providing reliable data for subsequent analysis.

[0033] In this embodiment, the location module is closely connected to the detection module and each battery module and battery pack. Its function is to determine the location of thermal runaway or fire. In actual deployment, the location module comprises two parts: one part consists of area identifiers installed on each battery module and battery pack within the energy storage compartment, specifically electronic tags with unique identification information; the other part is a connected positioning and analysis unit. When a sensor in the detection module triggers a signal, the positioning and analysis unit can immediately determine which battery cabinet, which battery module, and specifically which battery pack the signal originated from by reading the information from these identifiers. This precise, pack-level positioning provides location information for subsequent firefighting operations.

[0034] The data acquisition module is connected to both the detection module and the location module for in-depth data analysis and processing. Internally, the data acquisition module incorporates a pre-set intelligent diagnostic model based on deep learning algorithms. This model, trained on extensive battery thermal runaway experimental data, can fuse and analyze multi-parameter information from the detection module. Specifically, by comprehensively considering factors such as gas concentration, heating rate, smoke change trends, and insulation resistance decrease, it determines whether the battery is in an early stage of potential hazards, has entered a severe thermal runaway reaction stage, or has developed into an open flame. Combined with location information provided by the location module, the data acquisition module can generate alarm commands with clearly defined fire severity levels, such as issuing a warning, a medium-level alarm requiring immediate response, or a high-level alarm indicating a critical situation, thus achieving graded fire alarm systems.

[0035] The alarm module is connected to the data acquisition module and is used to convert the instructions from the data acquisition module into intuitive and perceptible signals. In this embodiment, the alarm module includes an audible and visual alarm installed at a key location on site. When an alarm command is received, it will emit a sharp alarm sound and a conspicuous flashing red light to remind on-site personnel to evacuate in time or take emergency measures. At the same time, the alarm module also integrates a remote alarm unit, which can send alarm information including the location and severity level of the fire to a remote monitoring center located on land in the first instance via email, telephone, SMS, etc., to ensure that managers can grasp the abnormal situation on site in the first instance no matter where they are.

[0036] The fire suppression module is connected to the data acquisition module and the location module. In this embodiment, the fire suppression module includes a pack-level fire suppression unit integrated within each battery pack, a module-level fire suppression unit targeting the entire battery module, and a compartment-level fire suppression unit covering the entire energy storage compartment. Specifically, the miniature detectors and extinguishing agent nozzles of the pack-level fire suppression unit are directly aimed at the battery cells and integrated inside the battery pack. When the data acquisition module determines an initial fire and instructs the pack location to extinguish the fire, the pack-level fire suppression unit can spray the extinguishing agent onto the battery cell experiencing thermal runaway at the first opportunity and along the shortest path, achieving "point-to-point" suppression.

[0037] If the fire exceeds the response capability of the Pack-level unit, the data acquisition module will trigger the module-level fire suppression unit to protect the entire battery module. In addition, in extreme cases, if the fire tends to spread to the entire energy storage compartment, the compartment-level fire suppression unit will be activated to protect the entire compartment. By adopting this layered and progressive fire suppression strategy, we can ensure a rapid response in the initial stage while avoiding unnecessary waste and malfunctions.

[0038] This embodiment also includes a fire-resistant isolation structure, primarily manifested in the physical separation of space. Specifically, it includes fire-resistant partitions between the energy storage compartment and the wind turbine tower, as well as fire-resistant partitions between different battery modules within the energy storage compartment. The fire-resistant partitions employ a sandwich structure with heat-insulating properties, for example, composed of steel plates, rock wool boards, and steel plates in sequence. This design ensures that even if a battery module experiences a violent fire, the resulting high-temperature flames and toxic fumes will not easily penetrate the partition within several hours, preventing them from spreading to adjacent battery modules or affecting the main tower structure of the wind turbine. This buys time for personnel evacuation and external rescue, effectively preventing the accident from escalating.

[0039] The management module connects to all modules related to detection, location, data acquisition, alarm, and fire protection via the network to enable remote monitoring and data management of the entire system. On a large screen in the remote monitoring center, managers can see the real-time operating status of the energy storage system, including key parameters such as temperature and gas concentration in each battery area. In the event of a fire, the screen will clearly display the specific location and alarm level of the fire. In addition, the management module also has alarm record query and historical data query functions, which can record the time, location, type, and handling process of each alarm to form a complete event archive, facilitating post-event analysis and system optimization.

[0040] Combination Figure 1 The overall connection diagram shown illustrates that the detection module and location module collect feature information and location data, which are then fed into the data acquisition module. After analysis and processing, the data acquisition module sends alarm commands to the alarm module for local and remote alarm activation, and also sends activation commands and location information to the fire suppression module, which then performs fire suppression operations. The management module connects to all the above modules, enabling real-time monitoring and data exchange for the entire system's operational status.

[0041] The foregoing has shown and described the basic principles, main features, and advantages of the present invention. It will be apparent to those skilled in the art that the invention is not limited to the details of the exemplary embodiments described above, and that the invention can be implemented in other specific forms without departing from its spirit or essential characteristics. Therefore, the embodiments should be considered illustrative and non-limiting in all respects, and the scope of the invention is defined by the appended claims rather than the foregoing description. Thus, all variations falling within the meaning and scope of equivalents of the claims are intended to be included within the scope of the invention. No reference numerals in the claims should be construed as limiting the scope of the claims.

[0042] Furthermore, it should be understood that although this specification describes embodiments, not every embodiment contains only one independent technical solution. This narrative style is merely for clarity. Those skilled in the art should consider the specification as a whole, and the technical solutions in each embodiment can be appropriately combined to form other embodiments that can be understood by those skilled in the art. The above content is only for illustrating the technical concept of the present invention and should not be construed as limiting the scope of protection of the present invention. Any modifications made based on the technical concept proposed in this invention shall fall within the scope of protection of the claims of this invention.

Claims

1. A fire alarm system for a wind turbine energy storage system, characterized in that, include: The detection module is used to acquire thermal runaway characteristic information of each battery module and battery pack in the energy storage compartment; The location module, connected to the detection module and each battery module and battery pack, is used to determine the specific location where thermal runaway or fire occurs. The data acquisition module is connected to the detection module and the location module respectively, and is used to receive, analyze and process the thermal runaway characteristic information and location information to generate an alarm command containing the severity level of the fire. The alarm module is connected to the data acquisition module and performs local and remote alarms based on alarm commands. The fire suppression module is connected to the data acquisition module and the location module respectively, and is used to activate the corresponding level of fire extinguishing device to extinguish the fire based on the received location information and the severity of the fire. The management module is connected to the detection module, location module, data acquisition module, alarm module, and fire protection module respectively, and is used to realize remote monitoring and data management.

2. The fan fire alarm system according to claim 1, characterized in that, The detection module includes a gas detection unit, a temperature detection unit, a smoke detection unit, and an insulation resistance detection unit.

3. The fan fire alarm system according to claim 1, characterized in that, The location module includes area markers installed on each battery module and battery pack inside the energy storage compartment, as well as a positioning and analysis unit connected to the detection module, used to locate the battery pack that has malfunctioned.

4. The fan fire alarm system according to claim 1, characterized in that, The data acquisition module is equipped with an intelligent diagnostic model based on deep learning algorithms. It integrates and analyzes multi-parameter information to determine the stage of thermal runaway and the development trend of the fire. Combined with location information, it issues alarm information of different levels, including early warning, first-level alarm, and second-level alarm.

5. The fan fire alarm system according to claim 1, characterized in that, The alarm module includes an audible and visual alarm and a remote alarm unit; the remote alarm unit sends alarm information to a remote monitoring center via email, telephone, SMS, or other means.

6. The fan fire alarm system according to claim 1, characterized in that, The fire protection module includes Pack-level fire extinguishing units, module-level fire extinguishing units, and compartment-level fire extinguishing units; The Pack-level fire suppression unit is integrated inside each battery pack, with the detector and extinguishing agent nozzle directly aimed at the battery cell to suppress fires in their early stages.

7. The fan fire alarm system according to claim 6, characterized in that, The module-level fire extinguishing unit and the compartment-level fire extinguishing unit are used to extinguish the fire on the entire battery module or energy storage compartment when the fire spreads.

8. The fan fire alarm system according to claim 1, characterized in that, It also includes a fireproof isolation structure, which includes fire-resistant partitions installed between the energy storage compartment and the wind turbine tower, as well as between different battery modules within the energy storage compartment.

9. The fan fire alarm system according to claim 8, characterized in that, The fire-resistant partition comprises steel plates, rock wool boards, and steel plates arranged sequentially from the inside out.

10. The fan fire alarm system according to claim 1, characterized in that, The management module is used to remotely monitor the status of the energy storage system, display the location and level of fires, and query alarm records and historical data.

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