Storage device

Abstract

Storage device for a dangerous good (10) comprising at least one battery (11) and / or an accumulator, comprising a lockable, thermally insulated housing (12), a container (16) for dry ice (18), a dosing device (22) for dosing the dry ice (18) that can be fed from the container (16) into the housing (12), at least one sensor (28, 30, 32) for determining housing data, and a control device (34) for controlling the dosing device (22) based on the housing data.

Description

The invention relates to a storage device for hazardous material having at least one battery and / or one rechargeable battery.Hazardous material, for example batteries, accumulators and / or electric vehicles, are at risk of uncontrolled thermal events in the event of a fault. In the event of damage, short circuit and / or overheating, a thermal reaction, for example a thermal runaway (thermal runaway), can occur, in which the hazardous material comes into fire or even explodes. Such fires are difficult to quench and release toxic gases as well as large heat.This represents a risk for the environment and / or persons.Customary measures for handling and / or fire fighting include immersing damaged hazardous materials in water containers or covering them with an extinguishing powder or sand.However, permanent storage in water can lead to subsequent damage. For example, invading water and / or extinguishing chemicals can irreparably damage and / or contaminate hazardous material. In addition, contaminated extinguishing water must be disposed of as special waste.Alternative approaches use inert fillers such as vermiculite or special granules (e.g., PyroBu ®) in shipping boxes to prevent the spread of fire. However, these materials may leave residues behind and require costly cleaning and / or disposal after use.Furthermore, temperature-resistant security containers and rooms with fire insulation exist which, although offering a certain protection, do not actively cool or inert the interior.It is therefore an object of the invention to provide a storage device which securely stores hazardous material.This object is achieved by the subject matter of claim 1.According to the invention, the storage device is designed for hazardous material having at least one battery and / or one rechargeable battery and / or can be used for this purpose.The hazardous material is, for example, a battery, a rechargeable battery, e.g., a lithium-ion rechargeable battery, and / or an electric vehicle. Hazardous materials of this type are subject to an increased thermal risk, for example due to damage and / or overheating.The batteries and / or accumulators can be present individually or as a system, for example as a power storage system and / or battery pack.The hazardous material can be stored in the storage device, for example, for storage and / or transport.For example, a conspicuous battery of a battery park may be stored in the storage device. A conspicuous battery may be characterized, for example, by voltage and / or current characteristics, charging and / or discharging behavior, and / or temperatures that deviate from comparative batteries. The storage device can be designed here, for example, as a stationary device.Stationary storage devices may be positioned, for example, at fire shop houses, test laboratories, or envelope locations.Further, a crashed electric car can be stored in a storage device. The storage device can be designed here, for example, as a mobile device which is brought, for example, from the fire weir to the accident site.It is likewise conceivable to store the hazardous material in a storage device for transport, for example in aircraft or on ships.The storage device has a closable, thermally insulated housing.The hazardous material can thus be accommodated in the housing. The housing is then closed. In this case, for example, a door, a door, a cover and / or a side wall can be closed.The thermal insulation allows the temperature inside the housing to be regulated without greater interaction with the environment. Furthermore, the outside of the housing does not heat up, so that the housing can be transported safely.The housing is preferably lined on the inside in a heat-insulating and / or refractory manner. This provides a thermal insulation and / or, in the event of a hazardous material fire, protects the housing structure from direct flame action.The storage device comprises a container for dry ice.The container can be arranged, for example, in the interior of the housing. The storage device is extremely compact.Alternatively, the container can be attached to the housing, preferably directly. In this case, the inner volume of the housing is not reduced by the container.It is also conceivable that the container is not connected to the housing, but rather is designed as an external dry ice bearing. This variant is particularly useful in the case of a stationary storage device.Preferably, the container and / or the housing has a connection for filling with dry ice. Dry ice can be filled and / or replenished as needed.Dry ice is very well suited for tempering the housing, since it can be transported in a simple manner, is relatively cost-effective, occupies little space and / or can be handled easily.Furthermore, dry ice changes into CO2when heated, which prevents a possible fire or begins an existing fire.In contrast to extinguishing water or extinguishing powder, dry ice or the CO2 Therefrom can be removed again without residue. Complicated cleaning and / or disposal operations after use are thus dispensed with.The storage device has a metering device for metering the dry ice that can be conveyed from the container into the housing.Preferably, the dosing device is placed above the hazardous material. Thus, the dry ice can reach the hazardous material from above. Alternatively or additionally, the dry ice can also pass laterally and / or from below into the housing.It can be accurately regulated how much dry ice enters the interior of the housing.The storage device has at least one sensor for ascertaining housing data, for example temperature data.The housing data is preferably data relating to the state inside the housing.Finally, the storage device has a control device for controlling the dosing device on the basis of the housing data.The metering device can be used to meter exactly the amount of dry ice which reaches the interior of the housing from the container.The dosing is effected on the basis of the housing data. For example, if the temperature inside the housing is too high, more dry ice is let into the housing.The storage device securely retains the hazardous material. For example, the storage device can safely enclose a damaged and / or thermally unstable hazardous material, actively cool and / or inertize it without causing additional damage.In the case of a thermal runaway (thermal runaway) or fire of the hazardous material, the storage device minimizes the risk for the environment and / or persons.The storage device is preferably reusable, especially since very little to no residues are left behind during use.Further developments of the invention can also be taken from the dependent claims, the description and the accompanying drawings.According to an embodiment, the package data includes temperature data, pressure data, and / or CO2data.Preferably, the housing data is measured continuously. Thus, it is possible to react quickly to possible changes, for example a suddenly rising temperature.Depending on these data, for example, further dry ice can be dosed into the interior of the housing.For example, it is always possible to supply sufficient dry ice to keep the temperature almost constant, for example at 70° C.According to a further embodiment, a pressure relief device is provided for reducing the pressure in the housing.For example, the pressure relief device can be arranged in an upper region of the housing.The pressure relief device can be, for example, a pressure relief valve, e.g., a spring- and / or diaphragm-controlled pressure relief valve.The pressure relief device can, for example, access the housing data and / or be connected to the control device.The valve can also open automatically if the internal pressure due to released gas, for example sublimed carbon dioxide and / or battery gases, exceeds a predefined threshold value.If the pressure in the housing becomes too high, the pressure relief device can be activated or can activate itself in order to reduce the pressure in the housing and to prevent a hazardous pressure build-up situation in the interior.Damage to the housing is prevented in this way.According to a further embodiment, the pressure relief device has a filter device.The gases emerging from the housing are thus filtered. Adverse effects on the environment are thereby kept low.For example, toxic particles and / or reaction products, e.g., smoke and / or electrolytic decomposition products of the battery, may be retained.The filter device may comprise, for example, a multistage particle and / or gas filter to partially absorb both solid aerosols and certain noxious gases.According to a further embodiment, the housing is designed as an ISO container.For example, the ISO container can be designed as a 20-foot ISO container.The storage device can be transported and / or handled like a conventional freight container with stackers, cranes and / or trucks.For this purpose, the housing can have, for example, stacker pockets, crane eyes and / or ISO-free locking elements for the container cover.More compact, mobile variants can also be designed such that they can be carried on conventional transport vehicles, for example roll-off containers and / or trailers.The housing can be firmly connected to a transport vehicle and form a unit therewith or can be temporarily loaded, lashing and / or locked onto the transport vehicle.The storage device is compatible, for example in terms of dimension and / or handling, with the existing logistics chains. Thus, the storage device can be integrated into existing transport and / or storage processes without problems.For example, fire weirs and / or disposal companies could replace the storage device at sites of use or bring it to central collection locations without requiring special vehicles and / or special infrastructure.According to a further embodiment, the container is arranged in the interior of the housing.The container thus does not increase the outer dimension of the housing. This is advantageous, for example, when the storage device is designed as an ISO container. Thus, a plurality of storage devices can be stacked together or with normal freight containers.According to a further embodiment, the container comprises dry ice, i.e. solid carbon dioxide.The container is accordingly filled with dry ice.Filling and / or refilling can take place, for example, via a connection.The dry ice can be present, for example, as pellets, granules and / or powders.According to a further embodiment, the container is heat insulated.The dry ice can be held in the heat-insulated container for several hours. During transport, the dry ice only minimally sublimes, so that it is available in sufficient quantity if necessary.The container thus does not have to be actively cooled, although this is optionally possible in principle.According to a further embodiment, a data transmission device is provided for transmitting the housing data to an external monitoring device.The external monitoring device can be, for example, a remote monitoring device.When certain limit values of the housing data are exceeded, an alarm can be issued, for example. For example, the fire weir and / or a central control station can be informed.Various Havarie concepts are conceivable here. For example, an internal alarm can be triggered at a temperature of 50° C., the fire weir can be informed at 70° C., which then makes research, while the fire weir immediately disengages at 80° C. or 90° C.In the case of a mobile storage device, the external monitoring device can be provided, for example, in a driver's cab of a transport vehicle, for example of a truck.Emergency personnel and / or the transport personnel can preferably monitor the state in the housing from a safe distance at any time. If, for example, predetermined temperature, gas or pressure thresholds are exceeded-which could indicate a continuous fire and / or an unusual reaction-alarm is automatically triggered. The alarm can be provided, for example, optically and / or acoustically on the monitoring display. Alternatively or additionally, an alarm via radio communication to the responsible personnel is also conceivable.The transmission of the housing data can be effected in a wired or wireless manner.For example, wireless transmission techniques such as UMTS, GSM, LTE, e.g. LTE-Advanced or LTE-Advanced Pro, W-CDMA, e.g. HSPA, 3G, 4G, 5G, 6G, Bluetooth, infrared, WLAN, e.g. WiFi, ZigBee, NFC, Wibree, WiMAX, IrDA, optical radio communication or the like can be used for data transmission.The invention also relates to a method for storing hazardous goods having at least one battery and / or one rechargeable battery, using a storage device according to the inventionOptionally, the housing can first be filled with an initial amount of dry ice.The hazardous material is placed in the housing.The housing is then closed.The sensor determines the housing data.Dry ice is conducted from the container into the housing, wherein the dosing of dry ice takes place on the basis of the housing data.The cooling and / or inerting process is concluded as soon as the internal temperature has dropped to a safe level and there is no longer a risk of reaction.The dry ice introduced completely sublimes to carbon dioxide and escapes from the housing in a controlled manner. No residues such as water, foam or powder remain in the interior. Secondary damage to the hazardous material stored is thereby avoided. Thus, there is no moisture that could short-circuit electronic components and / or promote corrosion. Furthermore, there are no chemical residues which would have to be disposed of and / or removed in a complicated manner. The hazardous material stored remains dry and clean. The housing can be immediately reinserted after venting and optionally after changing the filter device. The storage device is reusable and environmentally friendly, since no contaminated extinguishing agent has to be disposed of.An integrated approach for checking the risk in the case of fired hazard objects is thus created. Thus, a preferably robust, thermally insulated housing with automatic dry ice metering is used for immediate cooling and / or inertization, which is preferably equipped with a sensor system, a pressure relief device and / or a data transmission device.The method and the storage device effectively protect the environment from fire, heat and / or toxic emissions, while at the same time protecting the stored hazardous material from additional damage. A high degree of safety is ensured in the handling of hazardous materials under critical conditions.One possible embodiment of the invention is described below:An electric vehicle, the high-voltage battery of which shows signs of damage and / or overheating after an accident, is introduced into a housing. The housing can be lined on the inside with a heat-resistant insulation and can have a large lid flap on the top side. Once the vehicle is fully positioned within the interior of the housing, the lid is locked and the system activated manually or automatically.Immediately, the metering device can uniformly distribute a predefined quantity of dry ice pellets from an integrated container, for example a storage hopper, onto the vehicle in the cover region. Within seconds, a thick layer of carbon dioxide ice forms on and around the battery pack of the vehicle. The internal temperature, measured by sensors close to the battery, falls rapidly.In parallel, a part of the dry ice sublimes and fills the remaining air space in the housing with cold CO2 gas, which drastically reduces the oxygen content.The sensors report an increasing CO2and a decreasing O2content, whereupon the controller maintains the dry ice feed at a level just enough to ensure the target temperature (e.g. below 70°C).Via the external monitoring device in the nearby firefighting control station or directly on the display on the housing, the emergency personnel track the temperature curve in the housing and the CO2concentration.If a new temperature increase is detected for a short time, which can represent an indication of a delayed thermal event in a battery cell, the system responds automatically and a further quantity of dry ice is introduced in metered fashion.Any overpressure that may occur due to increased CO2gas formation is discharged through the pressure relief device, wherein a connected special filter cleanses the escaping smoke.After a certain time, the measured values stabilize: the temperature remains low and constant and no further gas flows occur. The emergency workers determine that alarm limits are no longer exceeded. The vehicle is still left in the housing for a few hours or days for safety. During this time, the remaining dry ice completely sublimes.At the end of this process, the CO2sensor again displays normal values, meaning that all the CO2has evaporated. The lid flap is opened and the vehicle can be removed. Apart from the original accident damage, it does not have any additional damage due to the cooling method. For example, no water spots and / or corrosion traces are present and the electrical installation is dry.The filter device of the pressure relief device can be removed and replaced by a new filter device in order to be able to properly dispose of the residues bound in the filter device.The storage device is now immediately ready for the next use.This example illustrates how the combination according to the invention of rapid dry ice cooling and monitoring effectively suppresses and checks a lithium battery burn without the hazardous material to be protected being contaminated by the environment or emergency forces or passants being injured.The invention can be used predominantly in the field of logistics, in transport in aviation, in ship travel, in railway and / or in transport with trucks.For example, electrical energy storage systems can frequently cause fires. Here, the storage device is a very important helper in order to prevent the fires from arising at all or in order to avoid major damage and to protect lives.The storage devices can also be used in battery storage systems which are overheated or in which a fire has already been triggered. Rapid cooling or rapid quenching is ensured here.Another important field of application is the secure intermediate storage of abnormal battery systems, for example if they have been damaged and / or have abnormal heat signatures. In this case, these battery systems or individual modules thereof can be temporarily stored in a safe storage device until checking.All embodiments and components of the device described here are preferably designed to be operated, for example by means of the control device, according to the method described here. Furthermore, all embodiments of the device described here and all embodiments of the method described here can each be combined with one another, preferably also separately from the specific configuration in the context of which they are mentioned.It is generally noted that terms such as "a" or "an" do not necessarily mean "exactly one" or "exactly one", this being likewise possible. The terms "a" and "an" can therefore be understood as "at least or exactly one" or "at least or exactly one". The use of the singular preferably includes the presence of the plural components and vice versa.It is noted that "preferably" and "preferably" may be translated as "preferably" to English. A feature introduced by "preferably" or "preferably" is purely optional, may be omitted and does not represent a limitation, for example of the claims.The invention is described below by way of example with reference to the drawings. The following are shown: FIG. 1 is a sectional view of an embodiment of a storage device according to the invention, and FIG. 2 is a perspective view of a further embodiment of a storage device according to the invention.First, it should be noted that the illustrated embodiments are merely exemplary in nature. Thus, individual features can be realized not only in the combination shown, but also alone or in other technically meaningful combinations. For example, the features of one embodiment can be combined with features of another embodiment as desired. The number of batteries may vary. Furthermore, the number and / or type of sensors is fundamentally arbitrary.If a figure contains a reference sign which is not explained in the directly associated text of the description, reference is made to the corresponding preceding or following explanations in the description of the figures. Thus, the same reference numerals are used for identical or comparable components in the figures and these are not explained again.FIG. 1 shows a storage device in which a hazardous goods 10 with four batteries 11 is stored.The storage device has a closable, thermally insulated housing 12. Preferably, the housing 12 is designed as an ISO container.The housing 12 can have, for example, recesses 14 for a loading and unloading system.In the housing 12 a container 16 is provided which is filled with dry ice 18.Via a connection 20, the container 16 can be filled with dry ice 18 and / or refilled.The dry ice 18 can escape via a metering device 22 with a controlled outlet system 24, for example a flap.Optionally, a filling connection 26 can be provided, via which dry ice 18 can be directly filled into the housing 12.The storage device has a temperature sensor 28, a CO2concentration sensor 30 and / or a pressure sensor 32. Housing data, e.g., temperature, CO2concentration, and / or pressure inside the housing 12, may be determined therewith.The sensors 28, 30, 32 are connected to a control device 34, which in turn is connected to the dosing device 22.On the basis of the housing data determined by the sensors 28, 30, 32, the control device 34 controls the outlet system 24 of the metering device 22.The housing data determined by the sensors 28, 30, 32 can optionally be forwarded, e.g. wirelessly, via a data transmission device 36 to an external monitoring device 38.For example, if the temperature rises, more dry ice 18 is let into the interior of the housing 12.The dry ice 18 at least partially converts into gaseous carbon dioxide 40.Carbon dioxide 40 prevents ignition of hazardous material 10 or can ensure that oxygen is drawn from a burning hazardous material 10.When the pressure inside the housing 12 reaches a certain limit value, a part of the carbon dioxide 40 can be discharged. For this purpose, a pressure relief device 42, for example a pressure relief valve, can be provided for venting.The pressure relief device 42 may optionally include a filter device 44.As can be seen in FIG. 2, the hazardous material 10 can be designed as an electric car.The container 16 and / or the dosing device 22 can be placed on the housing 12.For example, a display device 46 may be disposed on the housing 12. This can display the housing data. The display device 46 can form a constituent part of the control device 34, for example.The floor on which the hazardous material 10 rests can preferably be perforated.The hazardous material 10 can be brought into the housing 12. After the housing 12 is closed, dry ice 18 can be dosed in, which preferably completely covers the hazardous material 10.Due to the complete enclosure with dry ice 18, the interior of the housing 12 is abruptly cooled and simultaneously flooded with carbon dioxide 40 as soon as the dry ice 18 sublimes. This process extracts heat from the hazardous material 10 and displaces the oxygen, as a result of which any fire is first ignited and a further exothermic reaction is slowed down or stopped.The quantity of dry ice 18 introduced is controlled automatically on a temperature and / or volume basis. The control device 34, which is preferably integrated into the housing 12 or arranged on the housing, continuously monitors the temperature via the temperature sensor 28 and can automatically re-meter additional dry ice 18 depending on the measured temperature in order to maintain a target temperature or to reach it quickly.Alternatively or additionally, the control device 34 can calculate the required quantity of dry ice 18 on the basis of the inner volume of the housing 12 and / or the size of the hazardous material 10 introduced, in order to ensure that sufficient dry ice 18 or carbon dioxide 40 is present for complete encapsulation. Thus, on the one hand, effective cooling is ensured and, on the other hand, an economical use of the dry ice 18 is achieved.List of reference characters10 Hazardous material 11 Battery 12 Housing 14 Cutout 16 Container 18 Dry ice 20 Connection 22 Metering device 24 Outlet system, flap 26 Filling connection 28 Temperature sensor 30 CO2concentration sensor 32 Pressure sensor 34 Control device 36 Data transmission device 38 External monitoring device 40 Carbon dioxide 42 Pressure relief device, pressure relief valve 44 Filter device 46 Display device

Claims

Storage device for a hazardous material (10) comprising at least one battery (11) and / or an accumulator, comprising a sealable, thermally insulated housing (12), a container (16) for dry ice (18), a metering device (22) for metering the dry ice (18) that can be conducted from the container (16) into the housing (12), at least one sensor (28, 30, 32) for ascertaining housing data, and a control device (34) for controlling the metering device (22) on the basis of the housing data.Storage device according to claim 1, characterised in that the housing data comprise temperature data, pressure data and / or CO2 data.Storage device according to claim 1 or 2, characterised in that a pressure relief device (42) is provided for reducing the pressure in the housing (12).Storage device according to claim 3, characterised in that the pressure relief device (42) has a filter device (44).Storage device according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the housing (12) is designed as an ISO container.Storage device according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the container (16) is arranged inside the housing (12).Storage device according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the container (16) has dry ice (18).Storage device according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the container (16) is heat-insulated.Storage device according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that a data transmission device (36) is provided for transmitting the housing data to an external monitoring device (38).

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