Power storage device

Abstract

To provide a power storage device with excellent earthquake resistance. [Solution] The energy storage device B according to the present disclosure includes a plurality of battery modules 1 and a rack 3 that houses the battery modules 1. The rack 3 has a plurality of support plates 31 that support the battery modules 1. The bottom surfaces of the battery modules 1 are fastened to the main surfaces of the support plates 31. The support plates 31 are connected to other support plates 31 via brackets 32 that are fastened to the main surfaces of the support plates 31. With this configuration, the energy storage device according to the present disclosure can sufficiently secure the housed battery modules even when the storage battery is vibrated during an earthquake, transportation, or the like. As a result, the energy storage device B according to the present disclosure can improve earthquake resistance.

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present disclosure relates to an electricity storage device. [Background technology]

[0002] Patent Document 1 describes an energy storage device that includes battery modules, a control unit for the battery modules, a rack that houses the battery modules and the control unit, and a cover that covers the rack. The energy storage device described in Patent Document 1 uses fixing brackets to fix the battery modules from the sides. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] Patent Publication No. 2021-132006 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] As described above, in the electricity storage device described in Patent Document 1, the battery modules are fixed only by metal fittings attached to the side surfaces. Therefore, the power storage device described in Patent Document 1 may not be able to secure the battery modules sufficiently when vibrations occur due to earthquakes, transportation, etc. In other words, the power storage devices according to the prior art have a problem in that they are not sufficiently earthquake-resistant.

[0005] The present disclosure has been made to solve such problems, and has an object to provide a power storage device that can improve earthquake resistance. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] The energy storage device according to the present disclosure includes a plurality of battery modules and a rack for accommodating the battery modules. The rack has a plurality of support plates for supporting the battery modules. The bottom surfaces of the battery modules are fastened to the main surfaces of the support plates. The support plates are connected to other support plates via brackets fastened to the main surfaces of the support plates. With this configuration, the power storage device according to the present disclosure can sufficiently secure the housed battery modules even when the storage battery is vibrated during an earthquake, transportation, etc. As a result, the power storage device according to the present disclosure can improve earthquake resistance.

[0007] In the power storage device according to the present disclosure, the bracket may have a U-shaped cross section. With this configuration, the power storage device according to the present disclosure can more firmly connect the support plates, thereby improving the earthquake resistance of the power storage device according to the present disclosure.

[0008] The power storage device according to the present disclosure may further include a housing that houses the battery modules and the rack, and the bracket may be fastened to a side wall of the housing. With this configuration, the battery modules, the support plate, and the brackets can be more firmly fixed together in the power storage device according to the present disclosure, thereby improving the earthquake resistance of the power storage device according to the present disclosure.

[0009] The power storage device according to the present disclosure may further include a housing that houses the battery modules and the rack, and the housing may be positioned so that a sealing surface does not intersect with the rack. With this configuration, the power storage device according to the present disclosure can house the battery modules and racks inside a housing with high strength, thereby further improving the earthquake resistance of the power storage device according to the present disclosure. [Effects of the Invention]

[0010] The present disclosure makes it possible to provide a power storage device with excellent earthquake resistance. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0011] [Figure 1] 1 is a perspective view showing a configuration of a power storage device according to a first embodiment. [Figure 2] 1 is a perspective view showing an internal device of a power storage device according to a first embodiment. [Figure 3] FIG. 2 is a perspective view showing the configuration of a battery module and a support plate according to the first embodiment. [Figure 4] FIG. 2 is a perspective view showing the configuration of a bracket according to the first embodiment. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0012] First Embodiment (Configuration of the power storage device) DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS A first embodiment according to the present disclosure will now be described in detail with reference to the drawings. Fig. 1 is a perspective view illustrating the configuration of a power storage device according to the first embodiment.

[0013] It should be noted that the right-handed xyz Cartesian coordinate system shown in Fig. 1 and other drawings is a matter of convenience for explaining the positional relationship of the components. In this embodiment, the positive z-axis direction in Fig. 1 and other drawings is the vertically upward direction, and the xy plane is the horizontal plane, which is common among the drawings.

[0014] The power storage device B is a fixed power storage device. For example, the power storage device B is installed in a house or the like and is used to store electricity for home use, backup electricity for emergencies, electricity to be sold, and the like. The power storage device B includes an internal device I, a housing 4, and an exterior cover (not shown). The exterior cover is a cover provided to surround the periphery of the housing 4, and serves to protect the housing 4 and the internal device I from flying objects and to improve the design.

[0015] As shown in FIG. 1, in a power storage device B according to this embodiment, an internal device I is housed in the internal space of a housing 4. The housing 4 is a box-shaped structure that protects the internal device I, and is typically made primarily of metal. The housing 4 includes a housing main body 41 and a housing lid .

[0016] The housing main body 41 is a substantially rectangular box-shaped structure having an opening parallel to the zx plane. The opening of the housing main body 41 is sealed by a housing lid 42, which is a plate-shaped structure. The housing main body 41 houses the internal device I inside.

[0017] The housing main body 41 is fastened to the internal device I on the inner wall surface. Although details will be described later, the housing main body 41 according to this embodiment is fastened to the internal device I at the inner wall surface parallel to the zx plane, that is, the side wall. Furthermore, the housing main body 41 according to this embodiment is fastened to the internal device I at a surface located on the negative side of the z axis in a plane parallel to the xy plane, that is, at the bottom surface.

[0018] Furthermore, the housing 4 is fixed to the installation surface on which the power storage device B is placed. Therefore, the internal device I is also fixed to the installation surface via the housing 4. With this configuration, the power storage device B according to this embodiment can appropriately fix the housing 4 and the internal device I, and as a result, can improve earthquake resistance.

[0019] As shown in FIG. 1, the housing main body 41 according to this embodiment is configured so that the opening parallel to the zx plane is located on the negative side of the internal device I in the y-axis direction. In other words, the housing 4 according to this embodiment is disposed so that the sealing surface does not intersect with the rack 3 of the internal device I. With this configuration, there is no need to provide joints between the housing 4 and the housing lid 42 on the top and bottom surfaces parallel to the xy plane and on the sides parallel to the yz plane, thereby improving the strength of the housing 4. Furthermore, with this configuration, the housing lid 42 can be configured as a simple plate-like structure, which reduces manufacturing costs.

[0020] As shown in FIG. 1, the housing main body 41 according to this embodiment has an opening parallel to the main surface of the internal device I having a substantially rectangular parallelepiped shape. With this configuration, it becomes easier to house the internal device I in the housing 4 during manufacturing, and as a result, manufacturing efficiency can be improved.

[0021] The housing 4 is sealed by mechanically fastening the housing body 41 and the housing lid 42 along the outer edge of the opening of the housing body 41. There are no particular limitations on the method for mechanically fastening the housing body 41 and the housing lid 42, but it is preferable to fasten them using a removable method in order to perform periodic maintenance on the internal device I.

[0022] FIG. 2 is a perspective view showing an internal device of the power storage device according to the first embodiment. The internal device I is a device housed inside the housing 4, and has functions such as controlling the operation of the power storage device B, inputting and outputting power, and storing power. The internal device I includes a battery module 1 , a control unit 2 , and a rack 3 .

[0023] The battery module 1 is, for example, a secondary battery such as a lithium ion battery or a nickel-metal hydride battery. The battery module 1 operates under the control of the control unit 2. Specifically, the battery module 1 receives power from an external source and stores the power under the control of the control unit 2. Then, the battery module 1 supplies the stored power to the outside under the control of the control unit 2. In other words, the battery module 1 exchanges power with the outside under the control of the control unit 2. The battery module 1 exchanges power with the outside via a cable not shown in FIG.

[0024] As shown in FIG. 2, the power storage device B according to this embodiment includes a plurality of battery modules 1, which are housed in a rack 3 and aligned in the z-axis direction, ie, the vertical direction. Here, the battery module 1 is supported at its bottom surface, which is a surface parallel to the xy plane and located on the negative side of the z axis, by a support plate 31. As will be described in detail later, the bottom surface of the battery module 1 and the main surface of the support plate 31 are fastened together. Furthermore, the battery module 1 has a surface parallel to the xy plane that is located on the positive side of the z axis, ie, the upper surface, covered with a support plate 31 that is different from the support plate 31 described above. Furthermore, the battery module 1 has two side surfaces parallel to the yz plane covered by brackets 32, which will be described later. That is, the battery module 1 is housed in a space defined by the two support plates 31 and the two brackets 32.

[0025] Control unit 2 controls the operation of power storage device B. For example, the control unit 2 may control the amount of power supplied to the battery module 1 from the outside and the amount of power supplied from the battery module 1 to the outside. Furthermore, for example, the control unit 2 may monitor the temperature and voltage of the battery, calculate limit values ​​for the voltage and current to the battery, and further communicate with external devices.

[0026] For example, the control unit 2 includes an arithmetic unit such as a CPU (Central Processing Unit) not shown, and a storage unit such as a RAM (Random Access Memory) or a ROM (Read Only Memory) that stores programs and data for controlling the storage device B. That is, control unit 2 has the function of a computer, and controls the operation of power storage device B based on the above program.

[0027] Therefore, each function executed by the illustrated control unit 2 can be configured in hardware by the above-mentioned CPU, memory unit, other circuits, etc., and can be realized in software by a program for controlling the storage device B stored in the memory unit, etc. That is, the control unit 2 can be realized in various forms using hardware, software, or a combination of both.

[0028] The program includes a set of instructions (or software code) that, when loaded into a computer, causes the computer to perform one or more functions described in the embodiments. The program may be stored in a non-transitory computer-readable medium or a tangible storage medium. By way of example and not limitation, computer-readable media or tangible storage media include random-access memory (RAM), read-only memory (ROM), flash memory, solid-state drive (SSD) or other memory technologies, CD-ROM, digital versatile disc (DVD), Blu-ray (registered trademark) disc or other optical disk storage, magnetic cassette, magnetic tape, magnetic disk storage or other magnetic storage device. The program may also be transmitted on a transitory computer-readable medium or communication medium. By way of example and not limitation, transitory computer-readable media or communication media include electrical, optical, acoustic, or other forms of propagated signals.

[0029] The rack 3 is a shelf-like structure that houses the battery modules 1 and the control unit 2. The rack 3 has rectangular parallelepiped storage spaces arranged vertically, each capable of housing the battery modules 1, with one or more battery modules 1 housed in each storage space. The control unit 2 is installed on the top surface of the rack 3.

[0030] The rack 3 is fixed to the installation surface of the power storage device B via the housing 4. More specifically, the rack 3 is fastened to the side walls and bottom surface of the housing 4, which is fixed to the installation surface, and as a result, the rack 3 is fixed to the installation surface of the power storage device B.

[0031] The rack 3 includes a support plate 31 and a bracket 32 ​​. The support plate 31 is a plate-like member that supports either the battery module 1 or the control unit 2. As shown in Fig. 2, the rack 3 is equipped with a plurality of support plates 31, with the support plate 31 located at the top supporting the control unit 2 and the other support plates 31 supporting the battery modules 1. The plurality of support plates 31 are connected to one another via brackets 32 fastened to the main surfaces thereof.

[0032] Here, of the multiple support plates 31 that the rack 3 has, the support plate 31 that is located furthest on the negative side of the z axis, i.e., furthest vertically downward, is fastened to the bottom surface of the housing 4. The support plate 31 may be fastened to the bottom surface of the housing 4 directly or via a connector or the like. As described above, the plurality of support plates 31 are connected to one another via the brackets 32, and therefore, with the above-described configuration, all of the support plates 31 are fixed to the housing 4.

[0033] FIG. 3 is a perspective view showing the configuration of the battery module and the support plate according to the first embodiment. 3, the battery module 1 according to this embodiment is supported from below in the vertical direction with its bottom surface in contact with the main surface of the support plate 31. Here, as described above, the bottom surface of the battery module 1 according to this embodiment and the main surface of the support plate 31 are fastened together.

[0034] The method for fastening the bottom surface of the battery module 1 to the main surface of the support plate 31 is not particularly limited, and any method may be used as long as it can appropriately fix the battery module 1 to the support plate 31. For example, the battery module 1 and the support plate 31 according to this embodiment may be mechanically fastened at the four corners of the bottom surface of the battery module 1.

[0035] With this configuration, the battery module 1 of this embodiment is properly supported by the main surface of the support plate 31 against vibrations in the z-axis direction, i.e., in the height direction, and is properly fixed to the support plate 31 by mechanical fastening against vibrations in the xy plane, i.e., in a direction parallel to the horizontal plane. Therefore, the power storage device B according to this embodiment can sufficiently fix the housed battery modules 1. As a result, the power storage device B according to this embodiment can improve earthquake resistance.

[0036] FIG. 4 is a perspective view showing the configuration of the bracket according to the first embodiment. The bracket 32 ​​is a structure having a U-shaped cross section at least in part, and connects the plurality of support plates 31 together. The bracket 32 ​​according to this embodiment includes an upper support plate fastening portion 321 , a lower support plate fastening portion 322 , a connecting portion 323 , a side wall fastening portion 324 , and a hole portion 325 .

[0037] The upper support plate fastening portions 321 are plate-shaped portions parallel to the xy plane, and in the bracket 32 ​​according to this embodiment, one is provided on the positive side and one on the negative side in the y-axis direction, separated by portions corresponding to the hole portions 325. The upper support plate fastening portions 321 are fastened to the main surface of the support plate 31 located on the positive side of the z-axis, i.e., on the vertically upper side. The method for fastening the upper support plate fastening portion 321 to the support plate 31 is not particularly limited, and may be, for example, mechanical fastening or fastening by welding.

[0038] The lower support plate fastening portion 322 is a plate-like portion parallel to the xy plane and extends in the y-axis direction. The lower support plate fastening portion 322 is fastened to the main surface of the support plate 31 located on the negative side of the z-axis, i.e., the lower side in the vertical direction. The method for fastening the lower support plate fastening portion 322 to the support plate 31 is not particularly limited, and may be, for example, mechanical fastening or fastening by welding.

[0039] The connecting portion 323 is a plate-like portion parallel to the yz plane, and connects the upper support plate fastening portion 321 and the lower support plate fastening portion 322. A hole 325 is provided on the vertically upper central side of the connecting portion 323. The connecting portion 323 faces one side surface of the battery module 1 substantially parallel to the side surface, and protects the side surface of the battery module 1.

[0040] In this embodiment, when the combined portion of the upper support plate fastening portion 321, the lower support plate fastening portion 322, and the connecting portion 323 is cut along a cutting plane parallel to the zx plane, it has a U-shaped cross section. With this configuration, the brackets 32 according to this embodiment can firmly fix the support plates 31 together, thereby improving the earthquake resistance of the rack 3 according to this embodiment.

[0041] Naturally, the cross-sectional shape of the combined upper support plate fastening portion 321, lower support plate fastening portion 322, and connecting portion 323 is not limited to a U-shape, but may be, for example, an H-shape or an I-shape. In other words, the bracket 32 ​​according to the present disclosure may have any cross-sectional shape as long as it is a shape that allows the support plates 31 to be appropriately fixed and connected to each other.

[0042] The side wall fastening portion 324 is fastened to a side wall of the housing 4. That is, the side wall fastening portion 324 is fastened to an inner wall surface parallel to the vertical direction among the inner wall surfaces of the housing 4. More specifically, the side wall fastening portion 324 according to the present embodiment is fastened to a wall surface parallel to the zx plane among the inner wall surfaces of the housing 4, that is, an inner wall surface corresponding to the main surface of the housing main body 41. With this configuration, the rack 3 is more firmly fixed to the housing 4, and the earthquake resistance of the power storage device B can be further improved.

[0043] Furthermore, the side wall fastening portion 324 according to this embodiment is disposed perpendicular to the upper support plate fastening portion 321 , the lower support plate fastening portion 322 , and the connecting portion 323 . With this configuration, the rack 3 is fixed to the housing 4 more firmly, and the earthquake resistance of the power storage device B can be further improved.

[0044] The holes 325 function as passages provided for passing cables extending from the battery modules 1. With this configuration, the power storage device B according to this embodiment can ensure passages for cables (not shown) extending from the battery modules.

[0045] As described above, the energy storage device B according to this embodiment is an energy storage device including battery modules 1 and racks 3 that house the battery modules. The racks 3 have support plates 31 that support the battery modules, and the bottom surfaces of the battery modules 1 are fastened to the main surfaces of the support plates 31. This configuration improves the earthquake resistance of the energy storage device B.

[0046] The energy storage device B according to this embodiment includes a plurality of battery modules 1 and support plates 31, and the support plates 31 are connected to other support plates 31 via brackets 32 having a U-shaped cross section. This configuration allows the energy storage device B to have improved earthquake resistance.

[0047] Moreover, the power storage device B according to this embodiment further includes a housing 4 arranged so that the sealed surface does not intersect with the rack 3. With this configuration, the durability of the power storage device B according to this embodiment can be improved.

[0048] Furthermore, the side walls of the housing 4 according to this embodiment are fastened to brackets of the rack 3. With this configuration, the earthquake resistance of the power storage device B according to the present disclosure can be further improved.

[0049] The present invention has been described above in accordance with the above-described embodiments, but the present invention is not limited to the configurations of the above-described embodiments, and naturally includes various modifications, alterations, and combinations that can be made by a person skilled in the art within the scope of the invention claimed in the claims of this application. [Explanation of symbols]

[0050] 1 Battery Module 2. Control Unit 3 racks 31 Support plate 32 Bracket 321 Upper support plate fastening part 322 Lower support plate fastening part 323 Connecting part 324 Side wall fastening part 325 Hole 4. Cabinet 41 Housing main body 42 Housing lid B Energy storage device I Internal device

Claims

1. A power storage device including a plurality of battery modules and a rack that houses the battery modules, the rack has a plurality of support plates that support the battery modules; a bottom surface of the battery module and a main surface of the support plate are fastened to each other; The support plate is connected to another support plate via a bracket fastened to a main surface of the support plate. Energy storage device.

2. The bracket has a U-shaped cross section. The power storage device according to claim 1 .

3. a housing that houses the battery module and the rack; The bracket is fastened to a side wall of the housing. The power storage device according to claim 1 .

4. a housing that houses the battery module and the rack; The sealing surface of the housing is arranged so as not to intersect with the rack. The power storage device according to claim 1 .

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