System for spraying fire extinguishing agent

Abstract

A system for spraying a fire extinguishing agent according to one or more embodiments of the present disclosure comprises: a main pipe extending in a first direction and having one end connected to a storage unit for storing a fire extinguishing agent; a shelf tube branched from the main tube and extending in a second direction crossing the first direction; a plurality of branch pipes branched from the shelf pipe and extending in a third direction crossing the second direction; and a plurality of injection pipes branched from the plurality of branch pipes, respectively, extending in a fourth direction crossing the third direction, and having a plurality of nozzle portions therein, respectively, the plurality of nozzle portions defining injection holes configured to be closed by a cover, respectively.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This disclosure relates to a system for spraying fire extinguishing agents. Background Technology

[0002] Energy storage systems (ESS) have been introduced as an alternative to fossil fuels to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. These systems store electrical energy in batteries and supply the stored energy when needed. Demand for ESS is growing rapidly both domestically and internationally. An ESS is a large-scale facility that primarily uses high-energy-density and high-efficiency lithium-ion batteries, with dozens of modules—dozens of individual cells connected in series and parallel—stacked in a rack unit. Utility Model Content

[0003] This disclosure provides a system for spraying extinguishing agents that can reduce or minimize the loss of extinguishing agents.

[0004] Embodiments of this disclosure relate to a system for spraying extinguishing agents that reduces or minimizes extinguishing agent loss by allowing the extinguishing agent to move only to the corresponding pipe where an event has occurred.

[0005] According to one or more embodiments of this disclosure, a system for spraying extinguishing agent includes: a main pipe extending in a first direction and having one end connected to a storage unit for storing the extinguishing agent; a support pipe branching from the main pipe and extending in a second direction intersecting the first direction; a plurality of branch pipes branching from the support pipe and extending upward in a third direction intersecting the second direction; and a plurality of spray pipes, each branching from the plurality of branch pipes and extending in a fourth direction intersecting the third direction, and each having a plurality of nozzle portions therein, the plurality of nozzle portions defining spray orifices configured to be closed by a cap.

[0006] The main support may include a plurality of pipes arranged in the first direction and a plurality of T-connectors connecting the plurality of pipes, wherein the upper end of the support pipe is connected to the lower end of one of the plurality of T-connectors, and wherein the system further includes a barrier between the lower end of the one of the plurality of T-connectors and the upper end of the support pipe, the barrier being configured to change from a connection-blocking state to a connection-open state when the extinguishing agent injection pressure exceeds a threshold, so as to allow the extinguishing agent to move to the support pipe.

[0007] The system may further include a blocking portion to keep the interior of the barrier tube in the communication blocked state, and when pressure exceeding the threshold is applied to the blocking portion, the interior of the barrier tube changes to the communication open state.

[0008] The system may further include: a plurality of frames arranged in a row; and a pipe connection structure on one of the plurality of frames, including the main pipe, the frame pipe, one of the plurality of branch pipes and one of the plurality of spray pipes, and each pipe in the plurality of frames is connected to each other to sequentially supply the extinguishing agent inside the pipe.

[0009] The support tube can be connected to the main tube via the barrier tube, wherein the support tube is in communication with one of the plurality of branch tubes and one of the plurality of spray tubes downstream therefrom, and wherein the barrier tube, which engages with the support tube connected to one of the plurality of spray tubes corresponding to the battery cell that has experienced an incident, is configured to switch to the open communication state to allow extinguishing agent to move to the support tube.

[0010] The blocking portion may include: a membrane configured to block the interior of the barrier tube in the communication blocking state; and a rupture line in the membrane, configured to rupture when the extinguishing agent injection pressure applied thereon exceeds the threshold, thereby allowing the barrier tube to enter the communication opening state.

[0011] The rupture line may include a straight line, a cross, or a circle, wherein the threshold is approximately 1.5 bar.

[0012] The blocking portion may be a ball for blocking communication with the interior of the barrier tube, wherein the system further includes a protrusion at the inner surface of the barrier tube for restricting separation of the ball from the barrier tube and is configured to be damaged by the ball when the extinguishing agent injection pressure applied to the ball exceeds the threshold, thereby causing the barrier tube to enter the communication open state.

[0013] The barrier tube may include a circular or polygonal cross-section.

[0014] The system may further include a plurality of frames arranged in a row, wherein the plurality of injection tubes pass through the upper side of a plurality of battery cells on the plurality of frames, and wherein the plurality of nozzles are respectively located in the plurality of injection tubes to correspond one-to-one with the plurality of battery cells.

[0015] The plurality of nozzles can be located directly above the safety vent of one of the plurality of battery cells.

[0016] At least some of the above and other features of this utility model are stated in the claims. Attached Figure Description

[0017] Figure 1 This is a conceptual diagram of a system for spraying fire extinguishing agents according to one or more embodiments of the present disclosure.

[0018] Figure 2 This shows the pipe connection structure installed on Figure 1 A perspective view of the state of the frame in the middle.

[0019] Figure 3 yes Figure 2 A magnified view of a portion of the image.

[0020] Figure 4 Is only shown Figure 1 A perspective view of the pipe-connected structure in the image.

[0021] Figure 5A This is a perspective view of the jet pipes connected to the frame, viewed from above.

[0022] Figure 5B This is a perspective view of the jet pipes connected to the frame, viewed from below.

[0023] Figure 6 This is a partial perspective view showing the structure in which the injection pipes and battery cells are arranged.

[0024] Figure 7A This is a conceptual diagram of a barrier tube for a system for spraying fire extinguishing agent according to one or more embodiments of the present disclosure.

[0025] Figure 7B This is a conceptual diagram of a barrier tube for a system for spraying fire extinguishing agent according to one or more other embodiments of this disclosure. Detailed Implementation

[0026] Aspects of some embodiments of this disclosure and their implementation methods can be more readily understood by referring to the detailed description and accompanying drawings of the embodiments. The described embodiments are provided as examples so that this disclosure will be thorough and complete, and will fully convey aspects of this disclosure to those skilled in the art. Therefore, redundant processes, elements, and techniques that are irrelevant or unrelated to the description of the embodiments, or that are not essential for a person of ordinary skill in the art to fully understand aspects of this disclosure, may be omitted. Unless otherwise stated, the same reference numerals, characters, or combinations thereof indicate the same elements throughout the drawings and written description, and therefore their repeated description may be omitted.

[0027] The described embodiments may have various modifications, may be implemented in different forms, and should not be construed as being limited to the embodiments illustrated herein. The terms "can," "may," or "may not" are used in the description of embodiments to correspond to one or more embodiments of this disclosure.

[0028] In view of the full contents of this disclosure, those skilled in the art will recognize that this disclosure covers all modifications, equivalents and substitutions within the spirit and technical scope of this disclosure, each feature of the embodiments of this disclosure may be combined with each other in part or in whole, and various technical interlocks and operations are possible, and each embodiment may be implemented independently of each other or may be implemented together in an associated manner unless otherwise stated or implied.

[0029] In the accompanying drawings, the relative dimensions of elements, layers, and regions may be enlarged for clarity and / or descriptive purposes. Various embodiments are described herein with reference to illustrative cross-sectional examples as schematic illustrations and / or intermediate structures. Therefore, variations in the illustrated shapes due to, for example, manufacturing techniques and / or tolerances are to be expected. Furthermore, the specific structural or functional descriptions disclosed herein are merely illustrative for the purpose of describing embodiments according to the concepts of this disclosure. Therefore, the embodiments disclosed herein should not be construed as limited to the illustrated shapes of elements, layers, or regions, but should include shape deviations due to, for example, manufacturing processes.

[0030] For ease of explanation, this document uses spatial relative terms such as “below,” “under,” “lower,” “below,” “below,” “above,” “upper,” and “upper side” to describe the relationship of an element or feature to other elements or features as shown in the figures. It will be understood that spatial relative terms are intended to include different orientations of the device in use or operation, in addition to those depicted in the figures. For example, if the device in the figures is flipped, an element or feature described as “below,” “under,” or “below” other elements or features can be positioned “above” other elements or features. Therefore, the terms “below” and “below” can encompass both above and below orientations. The device can be positioned in other ways (e.g., rotated 90 degrees or in other orientations), and the spatial relative descriptors used herein should be interpreted accordingly. Similarly, when a first part is described as being arranged “on” a second part, this means that the first part is arranged above or below the second part, not limited to its upper side based on the direction of gravity.

[0031] It will be understood that when an element, layer, region, or component is referred to as being "formed on," "on," "connected to," or "(operably or communicatively) coupled to" another element, layer, region, or component, it can be directly formed on, on, directly connected to, or coupled to the other element, layer, region, or component, or indirectly formed on, on, indirectly connected to, or coupled to the other element, layer, region, or component, thereby allowing one or more intermediate elements, layers, regions, or components to exist. Furthermore, this can broadly refer to direct or indirect connections or linkages, as well as integral or non-integral connections or linkages. For example, when a layer, region, or component is referred to as being "electrically connected" or "electrically coupled" to another layer, region, or component, it can be directly electrically connected or coupled to the other layer, region, and / or component, or one or more intermediate layers, regions, or components may exist. One or more intermediate components may include switches, resistors, and / or capacitors, etc. When describing embodiments, unless explicitly described as a direct connection, the expression of connection indicates an electrical connection, and "direct connection / direct coupling" or "directly on" means that one component is directly connected to or coupled to another component or on another component without any intermediate components.

[0032] Furthermore, in this specification, when a portion of a layer, film, region, plate, etc., is formed on another portion, the forming direction is not limited to the upward direction, but includes forming the portion on the side surface or downward direction. Conversely, when a portion of a layer, film, region, plate, etc., is formed "below" another portion, this includes not only the case where the portion is "directly" "below" the other portion, but also the case where there is another portion between the portion and the other portion. Similarly, other expressions describing the relationship between components, such as "between," "directly between," or "adjacent" and "directly adjacent," can be interpreted similarly. It will be understood that when an element or layer is referred to as being "between" two elements or layers, it can be the only element or layer between these two elements or layers, or there may be one or more intermediate elements or layers.

[0033] For the purposes of this disclosure, expressions such as “at least one of…”, “any one of…”, or “one or more of…” modify an entire list of elements, rather than a single element in the list, when placed before / after a list of elements. For example, “at least one of X, Y, and Z” and “at least one selected from the group consisting of X, Y, and Z” can be interpreted as any combination of two or more of X, Y, Z, X, Y, and Z, such as, for example, XYZ, XYY, YZ, and ZZ, or any variation thereof. Similarly, the expression “at least one of A and B” can include A, B, or A and B. As used herein, “or” generally means “and / or”, and the term “and / or” includes any and all combinations of one or more of the associated listed items. For example, the expression “A and / or B” can include A, B, or A and B. Similarly, expressions such as “at least one of…”, “a plurality of,” “one of…”, and other prepositional phrases modify an entire list of elements, rather than a single element in the list, when placed before / after a list of elements.

[0034] It will be understood that while the terms “first,” “second,” and “third,” etc., may be used herein to describe various elements, components, regions, layers, and / or segments, these elements, components, regions, layers, and / or segments should not be limited by these terms. These terms do not correspond to a particular order, position, or superiority, and are used only to distinguish one element, component, part, region, area, layer, segment, or portion from another element, component, part, region, area, layer, segment, or portion. Therefore, without departing from the scope of this disclosure, the first element, component, region, layer, or segment described below may be referred to as a second element, component, region, layer, or segment. Describing an element as a “first” element may not require or imply the presence of a second element or other elements. The terms “first,” “second,” etc., may also be used herein to distinguish elements of different categories or groups. For the sake of brevity, the terms “first,” “second,” etc., may respectively represent “first class (or first group),” “second class (or second group),” etc.

[0035] The terminology used herein is for the purpose of describing embodiments only and is not intended to limit this disclosure. As used herein, unless the context clearly indicates otherwise, the singular form “a” is intended to include the plural form as well, and the plural form is intended to include the singular form as well. It will be further understood that the terms “comprising,” “having,” and “including” as used in this specification specify the presence of the stated features, integers, steps, operations, elements, and / or components, but do not exclude the presence or addition of one or more other features, integers, steps, operations, elements, components, and / or groups thereof.

[0036] As used herein, the terms “approximately,” “about,” “approximately,” and similar terms are used as approximate terms rather than terms of degree and are intended to take into account the inherent biases of measured or calculated values ​​that would be apparent to those skilled in the art. For example, “approximately” can include a range of + / - 5% of the corresponding value. As used herein, “about” or “approximately” includes the value as well as a value within an acceptable range of deviations for a particular value, determined by those skilled in the art, taking into account the measurement in question and the errors associated with the measurement of the particular quantity (i.e., limitations of the measurement system). For example, “about” can refer to being within one or more standard deviations, or within ±30%, ±20%, ±10%, ±5% of the value. Further, the word “may” is used in describing embodiments of this disclosure to refer to “one or more embodiments of this disclosure.”

[0037] Unless otherwise defined, all terms used herein (including technical and scientific terms) shall have the same meaning as commonly understood by one of ordinary skill in the art to which this disclosure pertains. It will be further understood that terms such as those defined in common dictionaries shall be interpreted as having the same meaning as in the context of the relevant technology and / or this specification, and shall not be interpreted in an idealized or overly formal sense unless expressly defined herein.

[0038] Energy storage systems (ESS) can be large facilities that primarily use lithium-ion batteries with high energy density and high efficiency, and consist of dozens of modules of dozens of battery cells connected in series and parallel stacked in a rack unit.

[0039] Lithium-ion batteries are suitable for high energy density and lightweight design, but they also have the disadvantage of potentially threatening system safety due to the use of flammable electrolytes. Furthermore, lithium-ion batteries can be temperature-sensitive, with capacity potentially decreasing significantly due to over-discharge and becoming highly unstable due to overcharging, potentially leading to explosions and fires due to short circuits in internal electrodes or external impacts. For example, to extinguish fires in lithium-ion batteries, it may be suitable to reduce or prevent the possibility of continuous reignition caused by thermal runaway, which rapidly generates heat when the oxidized positive electrode and reduced negative electrode come into contact due to the collapse of the polymer separator. Similarly, reducing or preventing the possibility of fire spreading to adjacent cells is also suitable.

[0040] Traditionally, if thermal runaway occurs in each of the secondary cells in an ESS (Emergency Storage System) rack, or if a secondary cell catches fire or explodes, the secondary cell can be cooled or the fire extinguished by activating fire suppression equipment. For this purpose, a system can be constructed to inject extinguishing agent into each cell of the ESS. For example, multiple pipes can be interconnected to form a path for the extinguishing agent from a storage unit to each cell. If an event such as thermal runaway occurs in a corresponding cell, the fire in that cell can be extinguished by initiating the injection of extinguishing agent into the pipe and then allowing the extinguishing agent to move sequentially to the cell where the event has occurred.

[0041] However, an ESS may comprise many individual units, and the extinguishing system may include numerous connecting pipes to supply and spray extinguishing agent to each individual unit. For example, the main pipe supplying the extinguishing agent branches into multiple main pipes in the direction of agent supply, support pipes are installed in each of the main pipes, multiple branch pipes are again installed in the support pipes, and multiple spray pipes are connected to the individual branch pipes. The extinguishing agent can be sprayed onto the individual units by means of multiple nozzles provided in the spray pipes.

[0042] However, in the event of thermal runaway in a particular unit, extinguishing agent can be supplied from the storage unit to the main pipe in order to supply the extinguishing agent to the nozzles that house the unit. Traditionally, because the extinguishing agent is not supplied only to the nozzles leading to the unit, it can leak into every nozzle branching off from the main pipe and extending therefrom, resulting in unnecessary loss of extinguishing agent.

[0043] Figure 1 This is a conceptual diagram of a system for spraying fire extinguishing agents according to one or more embodiments of the present disclosure. Figure 2 This shows the pipe connection structure installed on Figure 1 A perspective view of the state of the frame in the middle. Figure 3 yes Figure 2 A magnified view of a portion of the image. Figure 4 Is only shown Figure 1 A perspective view of the pipe-connected structure in the middle. Figure 5A This is a perspective view of the jet pipes connected to the frame, viewed from above. Figure 5B This is a perspective view of the injection pipes connected to the frame, viewed from below. Figure 6 This is a partial perspective view showing the structure in which the injection pipes and battery cells are arranged. Figure 7A This is a conceptual diagram of a barrier for a system for spraying extinguishing agents according to one or more embodiments of this disclosure, and Figure 7B This is a conceptual diagram of a barrier tube for a system for spraying fire extinguishing agent according to one or more other embodiments of this disclosure.

[0044] The extinguishing agent injection system 100 disclosed herein includes a storage unit or storage section 10, a frame, and a pipe connection structure mounted on the frame.

[0045] Storage section 10 is a container for storing extinguishing agents such as water, carbon dioxide, and halogen compounds used to extinguish fires or flames.

[0046] Multiple battery cells 11 are stored in a rack frame, and a pipe connection structure is installed in the frame. The pipe connection structure includes a main pipe 110, a rack pipe 120, multiple branch pipes 130, and multiple spray pipes 140. The pipe connection structure is configured to allow these pipes to be connected to each other, so that the extinguishing agent flows sequentially within the pipes.

[0047] In one or more embodiments, the extinguishing agent dispensing system 100 of this disclosure includes a plurality of frames and can be configured such that pipe communication structures are mounted on each frame. The pipe communication structures are interconnected via connections between main pipes. The extinguishing agent dispensing system 100 may include a storage unit 10, a plurality of frames arranged in a row, and pipe communication structures mounted on each frame.

[0048] The pipe connection structure can be installed on each frame. As described above, each of the pipe connection structures may include a main pipe 110, a frame pipe 120, one of a plurality of branch pipes 130, and one of a plurality of spray pipes 140. These pipes can be connected to each other to form a structure in which the extinguishing agent flows sequentially.

[0049] The main unit 110 has one end connected to the storage unit 10 and extends in a first direction. (Reference) Figure 3 and Figure 4 The main pipe 110 can be connected to the T-connector 112, and can be connected to the support pipe 120 via the T-connector 112. For example, the first direction can be generally horizontal. In one or more embodiments, the main pipe 110 may include a plurality of pipes arranged in the first direction and the T-connector 112 connecting the plurality of pipes.

[0050] In one or more embodiments of a system comprising multiple frames, the pipe connection structure provided in each frame may be designed to receive extinguishing agent from the storage section 10 by connecting the main pipes 110 to communicate with each other.

[0051] In one or more embodiments, the support tube 120 branches off from the main tube 110 and extends in a second direction (e.g., a downward direction). For example, a T-connector 112 may be coupled to the main tube 110, the upper end of the support tube 120 may be coupled to the lower end of the T-connector 122, and as shown, the second direction may be a downward direction or a direction generally perpendicular to the first direction.

[0052] In one or more embodiments, a plurality of branch pipes 130 are arranged vertically and horizontally within the frame and at intervals from each other in a second direction. Each branch pipe 130 extends from the frame pipe 120 in a third direction. As shown, the third direction can also be a generally horizontal direction and can have an orientation generally parallel to the first direction. For example, in Figure 1 In this configuration, twelve branch pipes 130 can be arranged in a frame and can be spaced apart from each other in the vertical direction (e.g., in the second direction).

[0053] In one or more embodiments, a plurality of injection pipes 140 branch from respective branch pipes 130 and extend in a fourth direction. The plurality of injection pipes 140 are arranged along a third direction and at intervals from each other in the respective branch pipes 130. The injection pipes 140 extend in the fourth direction. Figure 5A As shown, the injection pipe 140 can be positioned in place and can extend along the pipe receiving groove 160 provided on each frame. The fourth direction can be a generally horizontal direction that is generally perpendicular to the first direction.

[0054] refer to Figure 5A , Figure 5B and Figure 6 The injection tube 140 is arranged to pass through the upper portion or upper side of the battery cell 11 mounted on the frame. A plurality of nozzle portions 141 are provided in the injection tube 140 at intervals (e.g., a predetermined interval) in the extending direction (e.g., a fourth direction). The plurality of nozzle portions 141 may be located in the injection tube 140 to correspond one-to-one with a plurality of battery cells 11. In one or more embodiments, the battery cell 11 is arranged adjacent to each nozzle portion 141. The battery cell 11 is not directly coupled to the nozzle portion 141, but each of the nozzle portions 141 may be placed directly above the safety vent of the corresponding one of the battery cells 11. For example, each of the nozzle portions 141 includes or defines an injection orifice 142 in a closed state. The battery cell 11 may be arranged one-to-one below each nozzle portion 141 such that the nozzle portion 141 and the battery cell 11 are placed very close together. For example, the injection orifice 142 may be plugged with a cap, which may be of the type of membrane or sheet, whose state can be changed due to heat generated by thermal runaway of the battery cell 11. If an event occurs in the corresponding battery cell 11, the cap blocking the spray hole 142 of each of the nozzle portions 141 adjacent to the battery cell 11 can melt and open due to heat, and the extinguishing agent can be supplied to the battery cell 11.

[0055] In one or more embodiments, this disclosure provides a fire extinguishing agent spraying system 100 capable of controlling the movement path of the fire extinguishing agent so that the agent only moves to the pipe corresponding to the incident. A barrier pipe 150 may be installed between the main pipe 110 and a branch pipe 120 branching from the main pipe 110. For example, the barrier pipe 150 may be installed between the lower end of a T-connector 112 provided in the main pipe 110 and the upper end of the branch pipe 120 branching from the main pipe 110.

[0056] The baffle 150 can be configured to remain in a disconnected state during normal operation and to transition to a connected open state if the extinguishing agent injection pressure exceeds a threshold of the baffle 150. For example, the baffle 150 can be configured to rupture at a pressure greater than approximately 1 bar. As described above, the baffle 150 can be provided in the path of the extinguishing agent to selectively allow a connected state and can allow the extinguishing agent to move only to the corresponding support pipe 120. The baffle 150 can be configured such that the interior of the baffle 150 transitions to a disconnected state via a stop (e.g., a blocking member) 151. The baffle 150 can be configured such that the interior of the baffle 150 can transition to a connected open state if the injection pressure applied to the stop 151 exceeds, for example, 1.5 bar. The respective support pipes 120 can be connected to the main pipe 110 via the baffle 150. The support pipes 120 can communicate with the branch pipes 130 and the injection pipes 140. Because the baffle 150 can be set to a disconnected state via the stop 151, the main pipe 110 and the support pipes 120 can be blocked from fluid movement. In one or more embodiments, any of the obstruction pipes 150 can be switched to an open state, and fluid movement can be permitted only through the support pipes 120 connected to the corresponding obstruction pipe 150. In one or more embodiments, when the nozzle portion 140 adjacent to the corresponding battery cell where an incident has occurred is opened, only the obstruction pipes 150 connected to the support pipe 120 communicating with the injection pipe 140 are switched to an open state. The obstruction pipes 150 corresponding to the remaining support pipes 120 can remain in a closed state. As a result, the extinguishing agent can be permitted to move only to the corresponding support pipe 120 of the corresponding battery cell 11 where an incident has occurred.

[0057] The barrier 150 can be configured to open if the extinguishing agent spray pressure applied to it exceeds a threshold (e.g., a preset threshold).

[0058] refer to Figure 7A or Figure 7BIn the barrier pipe 150, the upper space of the blocking portion 151 (e.g., upstream of the blocking portion 151 within the barrier pipe 150) is communicatively connected to the main pipe 110. The lower space of the blocking portion 151 (e.g., downstream of the blocking portion 151 within the barrier pipe 150) is communicatively connected to the support pipe 120, the branch pipe 130, and the spray pipe 140. In one or more embodiments, if no event occurs in the corresponding battery cell 11, the spray orifice 142 of the nozzle portion 141 connected to the battery cell 11 can remain closed, and the gas generated due to runaway may not be detected by the controller controlling the delivery operation of the extinguishing agent. The command to spray the extinguishing agent from the storage unit 10 is not sent, and in this state, the blocking portion 151 can remain in a communication-blocked state.

[0059] If an event does occur in the corresponding battery cell 11, the extinguishing agent can be sprayed from the storage unit 10 via the controller. If a thermal runaway occurs in the corresponding battery cell 11, the nozzle portion 141 connected to the battery cell 11 can be melted by the heat of the battery cell 11 in the nozzle portion 141 mounted on the spray pipe 140, and the corresponding nozzle portion 141 of the spray pipe 140 can communicate with the interior of the battery cell 11. In the extinguishing agent spraying system of this disclosure, the controller controlling the delivery operation of the extinguishing agent can start the delivery of the extinguishing agent by detecting the gas generated during thermal runaway. The extinguishing agent can be sprayed from the storage unit 10 to move along each pipe. The extinguishing agent spraying pressure can be about 3 bar. If the extinguishing agent reaches the top of the support pipe 120 through the main pipe 110, the extinguishing agent spraying pressure in the support pipe 120 can be about 1.5 bar.

[0060] As described above, the barrier pipe 150 is placed between the main pipe 110 and the support pipe 120. If the extinguishing agent injection pressure applied to the barrier pipe 150 exceeds the design rupture pressure of the barrier pipe 150, the membrane of the barrier pipe 150 ( Figure 7A The barrier can rupture, opening the baffle 150. For example, if the rupture pressure of the baffle 150 is designed to be below 1.5 bar, the baffle 150 can be opened by the extinguishing agent injection pressure. In one or more embodiments, if the baffle 150 opens, the extinguishing agent can be introduced into the support pipe 120, the branch pipes 130, and the spray pipes 140. In the spray holes 142 provided in the spray pipes 140, only the spray hole 142 adjacent to the corresponding battery cell 11 ruptures, the pressure in the corresponding area becomes relatively low, and the extinguishing agent passing through the baffle 150 can be concentratedly introduced into the corresponding spray pipe 140 where the spray hole 142 is opened.

[0061] For example, the obstacle 150 capable of implementing these functions according to embodiments of this disclosure can be practiced through the following two embodiments. First, Figure 7AThis is a conceptual diagram of a barrier 150 for a system for spraying extinguishing agents according to one or more embodiments of the present disclosure. The blocking portion 151 of the barrier 150 may be a membrane. The interior of the barrier 150 may be blocked by the membrane. The membrane may be designed in a circular shape and may be placed in the center of the barrier 150. In one or more embodiments, a rupture line 152 may be provided in the membrane; for example, the rupture line 152 may be formed in the shape of a straight line, a cross, or a circle. In one or more embodiments, the rupture line 152 may be configured to rupture if pressure (e.g., a preset pressure) is applied. For example, the rupture line 152 may rupture if an extinguishing agent spray pressure higher than a critical pressure of about 1.5 bar is applied.

[0062] Because only the blocking portion 151 provided in the corresponding support tube 120 is switched to the open state, the extinguishing agent can flow through the corresponding support tube 120 to the battery cell 11 where the incident has occurred, and can be centrally supplied to the corresponding battery cell 11. The barrier tube 150 can be modified into various shapes; for example, a barrier tube with a circular or polygonal cross-section can be used. In one or more embodiments, the membrane can be modified according to the shape of the barrier tube 150. Reference Figure 7A The rupture line 152 can be configured in a cross shape and can be modified to other shapes, such as a straight line or a circle. In one or more embodiments, the rupture line 152 may also be formed at the edge of the circular membrane, taking into account the movement path of the extinguishing agent.

[0063] In one or more embodiments, Figure 7B This is a conceptual diagram of a barrier tube 150 of a system 100 for spraying extinguishing agent according to one or more other embodiments of the present disclosure. The blocking portion 151 of the barrier tube 150 may be a ball (e.g., a spherical member or ball component). A protrusion 163 may be provided on the lower inner circumferential surface of the barrier tube 150 to restrict the separation of the ball. The protrusion 163 may reduce or prevent the possibility of the interior of the barrier tube 150 being blocked by the ball. If the extinguishing agent spray pressure applied to the ball exceeds a threshold, the protrusion 163 may be damaged by the ball, and the ball may separate from the barrier tube 150 to communicate with both spaces. The threshold may be set to about 1.5 bar. If a pressure greater than about 1.5 bar is applied to the ball, the protrusion 163 may be damaged, only the blocking portion 151 provided in the corresponding support tube 120 becomes open, and the extinguishing agent can flow downstream through the corresponding support tube 120 and can be centrally supplied to the battery cell 11 where the incident has occurred.

[0064] In one or more embodiments, the barrier tube 150 may be positioned between the main tube 110 and the T-connector 112. The barrier tube 150 may be arranged in a generally horizontal direction, and the protrusion 163 may be provided on the inner circumferential surface of the lateral side of the barrier tube 150 to restrict the separation of the ball and may reduce or prevent the possibility that the interior of the barrier tube 150 may be blocked by the ball.

[0065] According to this configuration, in the multiple support tubes 120, the extinguishing agent can be supplied only to the corresponding battery cell 11 where an incident has occurred, and leakage of the extinguishing agent into the remaining support tubes 120 can be prevented. A potential advantage is that the extinguishing agent sprayed to resolve thermal runaway can be supplied to the battery cell 11 where the incident occurred, further improving the fire suppression function. In one or more embodiments, since the loss of extinguishing agent is significantly mitigated, it is not necessary to spray additional extinguishing agent to achieve the same fire suppression effect, which has the advantage of saving extinguishing agent.

[0066] As described above, according to one or more embodiments of this disclosure, since the movement of the extinguishing agent is only permitted through the corresponding pipe connected to the unit where an event such as thermal runaway has occurred, the movement of the extinguishing agent into unnecessary pipes is blocked, which can reduce or minimize the loss of the extinguishing agent.

[0067] While a system for spraying extinguishing agents according to embodiments of the present disclosure has been described with reference to the accompanying drawings, this is merely an example, and those skilled in the art will understand that various modifications can be made therein. Various changes in form and detail may be made therein without departing from the scope of the present disclosure as defined by the claims, which include their functional equivalents.

Claims

1. A system for injecting fire extinguishing agent, characterized in that, The system includes: a main pipe extending in a first direction and having one end connected to a storage unit for storing a fire extinguishing agent; a rack pipe branching from the main pipe and extending in a second direction crossing the first direction; a plurality of branch pipes branching from the rack pipe and extending in a third direction crossing the second direction; and a plurality of spray pipes respectively branching from the plurality of branch pipes, extending in a fourth direction crossing the third direction, and having a plurality of nozzle portions respectively therein, the plurality of nozzle portions respectively defining spray holes configured to be closed by a cap.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein, The main pipe includes a plurality of pipes arranged in the first direction and a plurality of T-shaped connectors coupling the plurality of pipes, wherein an upper end of the rack pipe is coupled to a lower end of one of the plurality of T-shaped connectors, and wherein the system further includes a barrier pipe between the lower end of the one of the plurality of T-shaped connectors and the upper end of the rack pipe, the barrier pipe being configured to transition from a communication blocking state to a communication open state to allow the fire extinguishing agent to move to the rack pipe when a fire extinguishing agent spray pressure exceeds a threshold value.

3. The system of claim 2, wherein, The system further includes a blocking portion to maintain an inside of the barrier pipe in the communication blocking state, and the inside of the barrier pipe transitions to the communication open state when a pressure exceeding the threshold value is applied to the blocking portion.

4. The system of claim 3, wherein, The system further includes: a plurality of rack frames arranged in a row; and a pipe communication structure on one of the plurality of rack frames, including the main pipe, the rack pipe, one of the plurality of branch pipes, and one of the plurality of spray pipes, and each of the plurality of rack frames is connected to each other, thereby sequentially supplying the fire extinguishing agent inside the pipes.

5. The system of claim 4, wherein, The rack pipe is connected to the main pipe through the barrier pipe, wherein the rack pipe communicates with the one of the plurality of branch pipes and the one of the plurality of spray pipes downstream thereof, and wherein the barrier pipe engaged with the rack pipe to which the one of the plurality of spray pipes corresponding to a battery cell in which an event has occurred is connected is configured to transition to the communication open state to allow the fire extinguishing agent to move to the rack pipe.

6. The system of claim 5, wherein, The blocking portion includes: a film configured to block the inside of the barrier pipe in the communication blocking state; and a rupture line in the film and configured to rupture when the fire extinguishing agent spray pressure applied thereto exceeds the threshold value, such that the barrier pipe enters the communication open state.

7. The system of claim 6, wherein, The rupture line includes a straight line, a cross, or a circle, and wherein the threshold value is 1.5 bar.

8. The system of claim 5, wherein, The blocking portion is a ball for blocking communication with the inside of the barrier pipe, wherein the system further includes a protrusion at an inner surface of the barrier pipe for restricting the ball from being separated from the barrier pipe, and configured to be damaged by the ball when the fire extinguishing agent spray pressure applied to the ball exceeds the threshold value, to make the barrier pipe enter the communication open state.

9. The system of any one of claims 2 to 8, wherein, The barrier pipe includes a circular or polygonal cross-section.

10. The system of claim 2 or 3, wherein, The system further includes a plurality of rack frames arranged in a row, wherein the plurality of injection tubes pass through upper sides of the plurality of battery cells on the plurality of racks, and wherein the plurality of nozzles are respectively located in the plurality of injection tubes to correspond to the plurality of battery cells one-to-one.

11. The system of claim 10, wherein, The plurality of nozzles are respectively located directly above safety vents of corresponding ones of the plurality of battery cells.

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