Battery unit storage warehouse

Abstract

Provided is a battery unit storage warehouse which is characterized by comprising: a pallet that can collectively hold a plurality of battery units in a vertical orientation; a junction box which is provided to each pallet and which collects the cables of the plurality of battery units; and a rack on which a plurality of pairs of the pallet and the junction box can be placed.

Description

Battery unit storage warehouse

[0001] The present invention relates to a warehouse for storing battery units.

[0002] As electricity consumption expands, the amount of electricity generated by renewable energy sources such as solar power and wind power increases, creating a need to stabilize the balance between supply and demand. On the other hand, the widespread use of devices that use batteries (storage batteries), such as electric vehicles (EVs), is increasing the supply of batteries.

[0003] For example, Patent Document 1 describes a storage system that includes multiple rails or tracks arranged in a grid pattern above a stack of multiple containers. Patent Document 2 describes a warehouse that measures battery voltage while trays containing multiple batteries are stored on shelves by a crane. Patent Document 3 describes a warehouse that includes battery storage sections in racks that are equipped with charging storage sections that allow batteries to be charged. Patent Document 4 describes a storage system that provides a connection section to a storage device for used battery units, recognizes the battery status, and manages charging and discharging.

[0004] Japanese Patent Publication No. 2020-186133 Japanese Patent No. 3435749 Japanese Patent Publication No. 2011-193690 Japanese Patent No. 6912125

[0005] Existing battery storage methods result in wasted space, making it difficult to achieve high density.

[0006] An object of the present invention is to provide a battery unit storage warehouse capable of storing a plurality of battery units at high density.

[0007] A first aspect of the present invention is a warehouse for storing battery units, characterized by comprising: pallets capable of holding multiple battery units each in a vertical orientation; junction boxes installed on each of the pallets to consolidate the cables of the multiple battery units; and racks capable of installing multiple pairs of the pallet and the junction box.

[0008] A second aspect of the present invention is characterized in that, in the first aspect, power can be stored in the battery unit installed on the pallet, and power can be supplied from the battery unit through the junction box.

[0009] A third aspect of the present invention is characterized in that, in the second aspect, a power conditioner and a transformer are connected to the junction box.

[0010] A fourth aspect of the present invention is characterized in that, in any one of the first to third aspects, the rack is movable.

[0011] According to the first aspect, it becomes possible to store a plurality of battery units at high density.

[0012] According to the second aspect, multiple battery units can be used to store and supply power.

[0013] According to the third aspect, adjustments required when connecting the battery unit to another power system can be made easily.

[0014] According to the fourth aspect, when a pallet is moved in and out of the rack, it is easy to ensure a working space using a forklift or the like.

[0015] It is a front view illustrating a battery unit storage warehouse of an embodiment. It is a layout diagram illustrating an arrangement of racks and aisles. It is a plan view of an example in which a work space is arranged outside a plurality of racks. It is a plan view of an example in which a work space is arranged between a plurality of racks.

[0016] The present invention will be described below based on preferred embodiments.

[0017] 1 illustrates a battery unit storage warehouse 10 according to an embodiment. The battery unit storage warehouse 10 includes a rack 12 on which a plurality of pairs of pallets 20 and junction boxes 15 can be installed.

[0018] The rack 12 in the illustrated example is installed on the floor 11 of a warehouse. The rack 12 includes support columns 13 that support the rack 12 on the floor 11, and shelves 14 on which pallets 20 are placed.

[0019] The rack 12 may include at least one shelf 14, or may include two or more shelves 14. When the shelf 14 is omitted from the lowest shelf of the rack 12, the pallet 20 may be placed on the floor 11. The number of shelves in the rack 12 is not particularly limited, but the total number of pallets 20 that can be placed on the floor 11 or the shelves 14 is preferably two or more, and may be, for example, three to five.

[0020] The pallet 20 can hold a plurality of battery units 23, each oriented vertically. The battery units 23 held on the pallet 20 are arranged so that the height of the battery units 23 is greater than the width and depth of the battery units 23 included in the occupied area. By placing the battery units 23 vertically, the occupied area of ​​the battery units 23 can be reduced relative to the installation area formed by the pallet 20.

[0021] The rack 12 can have a junction box 15 installed for each pallet 20. The junction box 15 is connected to aggregate cables 24 of a plurality of battery units 23 included in the pallet 20.

[0022] When the pallet 20 holding the battery units 23 is installed on the rack 12, the cable 24 may be connected to the junction box 15. When the pallet 20 holding the battery units 23 is removed from the rack 12, the cable 24 may be disconnected from the junction box 15.

[0023] The rack 12 holds a wiring duct 16 above the pallets 20. A plurality of pallets 20 may be installed on each level of the rack 12. The wiring duct 16 may be installed on each level of the rack 12. In this case, each battery unit 23 held on a plurality of pallets 20 installed on the same level of the rack 12 is connected to the same wiring duct 16 via a junction box 15.

[0024] According to the battery unit storage warehouse 10 of the embodiment, the pallets 20 holding the battery units 23 are placed on the racks 12, so that the racks 12 can support the load. This makes it possible to store a plurality of battery units 23 at high density without the upper and lower battery units 23 exerting a load on each other.

[0025] It is preferable to provide a gap around the battery units 23 held on the pallet 20 to allow airflow for cooling to pass through. The battery unit storage warehouse 10 may also be equipped with cooling equipment (not shown) such as a fan or air conditioning equipment.

[0026] The battery unit 23 installed on the pallet 20 can store power. In addition, power can be supplied from the battery unit 23 through the junction box 15. This makes it possible to store and supply power using a plurality of battery units 23.

[0027] The pallet 20 in the illustrated example includes a holding portion 21 that holds a battery unit 23. The holding portion 21 may have insertion openings 22 into which forks are inserted when a forklift handles the pallet 20.

[0028] The holding portion 21 of the pallet 20 may include a loading surface disposed below the battery unit 23 and a support portion that supports the battery unit 23 from the side. The loading surface of the pallet 20 may be a plate-like surface such as a deck board.

[0029] The support portion of the pallet 20 may be configured in one or more shapes, such as a pillar shape, a basket shape, a lattice shape, a fence shape, a plate shape, or a wall shape. The support portion of the pallet 20 may be fixed to the loading surface, may be removable from the loading surface or foldable, or may have an opening / closing structure such as a gate. From the viewpoint of air-cooling the battery unit 23, it is preferable that the support portion of the pallet 20 has a ventilation function.

[0030] The number of battery units 23 that the pallet 20 can hold (holding capacity) is not particularly limited, but examples include 2 to 10, 3 to 5, etc. The number of battery units 23 held on the pallet 20 is not particularly limited as long as it is within the holding capacity. It is more efficient to install and remove battery units 23 on and from the rack 12 using a pallet 20 that holds the same number of battery units 23 as the holding capacity.

[0031] The battery unit 23 is a unit representing a group of battery structures that can be functionally or physically separated. The battery unit 23 may include multiple batteries therein.

[0032] The rack 12 may be mobile or fixed. When the rack 12 is fixed, the rack 12 and an aisle 43 may be arranged, for example, as shown in FIG. 2 . In this example, rack spaces 41 and 42 in which the rack 12 is installed are provided on the floor 11 on both sides of the aisle 43. A forklift 50 can be operated on the aisle 43. There are no particular limitations on the forklift 50, and it may be operated by a person or an unmanned person.

[0033] The forklift 50 is preferably a three-way type in which the direction of the forks 51 can be changed forward, left, or right relative to the mast 52, which can raise and lower the forks 51. By pointing the forks 51 toward the rack 12 while the forklift 50 is stopped on the aisle 43, it becomes possible to put the pallet 20 in or take it out of the rack 12. In other words, the aisle 43 adjacent to the rack 12 can be used as a working space for exchanging the pallet 20 on the rack 12, etc.

[0034] 3 and 4, when a plurality of racks 12A, 12B, 12C, 12D, and 12E are arranged, the work space 40 may be secured at a location adjacent to the rack 12 or at any location between the racks 12. This makes it easy to secure the work space 40 using a forklift 50 or the like when loading and unloading the pallet 20 into and out of the rack 12.

[0035] 3 illustrates a case in which the work space 40 is secured adjacent to the rack 12E, and in Fig. 4 illustrates a case in which the work space 40 is secured between the racks 12B and 12C. The position of the work space 40 is not limited to the illustrated example, and can be changed as desired, for example, between the racks 12A and 12B, between the racks 12C and 12D, or between the racks 12D and 12E.

[0036] Each rack 12 may include a power conditioner 31 and a transformer 32 connected to the junction box 15. This allows for adjustments necessary when connecting the battery units 23 stored in the rack 12 to other power systems.

[0037] The power conditioner 31 may have a function of converting DC in the battery unit 23 and AC in an external power system. The transformer 32 may have a function of transforming voltage between the battery unit 23 and voltage in the external power system.

[0038] The rack 12 can be connected to the power conditioner 31 and the transformer 32 by, for example, a connection cable 33. The connection cable 33 is flexible, so that it can be laid in any direction between the rack 12 and the power conditioner 31 and the transformer 32.

[0039] To stabilize the power supply-demand balance, it is necessary to adjust the amount of power demand and demand. The power supply-demand adjustment is carried out at an appropriate timing between a business operator involved in the transmission or distribution of power (power transmission and distribution business operator) and a business operator that supplies power for adjustment (adjustment capacity).

[0040] Generally, control power is divided into primary control power, which controls frequency, secondary control power, which restores frequency based on the frequency, and tertiary control power, which adjusts the supply and demand balance. The control speed is set by the response time from when a request for control power supply is made by the power transmission and distribution company to when control power is supplied. When a high speed of control is required, control power may be supplied based on information detected at the local end without the need for communication lines.

[0041] Primary control may require a response time of, for example, 10 seconds or less, secondary control may require a response time of, for example, 5 minutes or less, and tertiary control may require a response time of, for example, 15 minutes or less for relatively fast settings and 45 minutes or less for relatively slow settings.

[0042] According to the battery unit storage warehouse 10 of the embodiment, power is stored in the battery units 23 in advance, and when adjustment power is needed, power is supplied from the battery units 23, thereby enabling a faster response time. The supply destination of adjustment power is not particularly limited, but examples thereof include the power transmission network and power distribution network of the power system.

[0043] The battery units 23 stored in the battery unit storage warehouse 10 are not particularly limited, and may be, for example, battery units 23 used in electric vehicles (EVs) or second-hand battery units 23. For example, battery units 23 that need to be stored in the process of selling, leasing, recycling, etc. second-hand battery units 23 may be stored in the battery unit storage warehouse 10 and used to supply power.

[0044] When a plurality of battery units 23 are stored in the battery unit storage warehouse 10, the timing for removing a specific battery unit 23 from there can be set appropriately.

[0045] For example, when a decrease in performance due to aging or the like of the battery unit 23 is detected, the battery unit 23 may be removed from the rack 12 or the pallet 20. The battery unit 23 may also be removed from the rack 12 or the pallet 20 due to an artificial reason, such as an increase in demand for the battery unit 23, such as transfer or loan.

[0046] While the present invention has been described above based on preferred embodiments, the present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiments and various modifications are possible without departing from the spirit of the present invention. Modifications include addition, substitution, omission, and other changes to components in each embodiment.

[0047] The present invention can be used to store and supply power using a battery unit.

[0048] 10...battery unit storage warehouse, 11...floor, 12, 12A, 12B, 12C, 12D, 12E...rack, 13...pillar, 14...shelf, 15...junction box, 16...wiring duct, 20...pallet, 21...holding portion, 22...outlet, 23...battery unit, 24...cable, 31...power conditioner, 32...transformer, 33...connection cable, 40...work space, 41, 42...rack space, 43...aisle, 50...forklift, 51...fork, 52...mast.

Claims

1. A battery unit storage warehouse comprising: pallets capable of holding a plurality of battery units each in a vertical orientation; a junction box installed on each of the pallets to consolidate the cables of the plurality of battery units; and a rack on which a plurality of pairs of the pallet and the junction box can be installed.

2. The battery unit storage warehouse according to claim 1, wherein the battery units installed on the pallets can store electricity and the battery units can supply electricity through the junction box.

3. The battery unit storage warehouse according to claim 2, further comprising a power conditioner and a transformer connected to the junction box.

4. A battery unit storage warehouse as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that the rack is mobile.

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