Electrical equipment, power converters, battery units, and energy storage systems

Abstract

We provide electrical equipment, power converters, battery units, and energy storage systems that can prevent the intrusion of foreign objects. [Solution] The electrical equipment includes a housing with a recess formed on its side and electrical components housed within the housing, wherein at least one of the wiring and the wiring conduit is positioned at a predetermined angle with respect to the vertical upward at the upper end of the recess, and the angle is between 0° and less than 90°.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present disclosure relates to electrical equipment, power conversion devices, battery units, and power storage systems.

Background Art

[0002] Wiring pipes such as PF pipes (Plastic Flexible conduit) are used to protect electrical wiring (hereinafter simply referred to as wiring) that electrically connects electrical equipment installed outdoors to each other. For example, Patent Document 1 below discloses a battery system including a battery case and a battery unit housed inside the battery case. This battery system is connected to an external device such as a power conditioner by a wiring pipe, and power and signals are transmitted and received by electrical wiring passed through the inside of the wiring pipe.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0003]

Patent Document 1

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0004] The battery system of Patent Document 1 is connected to an external device arranged at a position higher than the battery system, and the end of the wiring pipe is connected to the side surface of the battery case. Therefore, there is a possibility that foreign matter (for example, rainwater) may enter the inside of the battery case through the inside of the wiring pipe. This intrusion of foreign matter may cause problems such as malfunction or failure of the device (battery system).

[0005] Therefore, an object of the present disclosure is to provide an electrical equipment, a power conversion device, a battery unit, and a power storage system that can prevent the intrusion of foreign matter.

Means for Solving the Problems

[0006] An electrical device relating to a certain aspect of the present disclosure includes a housing having a recess formed on its side and electrical components housed within the housing, wherein at least one of a wire and a conduit is positioned at a predetermined angle with respect to the vertical upward at the upper end of the recess, the angle being 0° or more and less than 90°. [Effects of the Invention]

[0007] According to this disclosure, it is possible to provide electrical equipment, power converters, battery units, and energy storage systems that can prevent the intrusion of foreign matter. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0008] [Figure 1] Figure 1 is a perspective view showing an energy storage system according to an embodiment of this disclosure. [Figure 2] Figure 2 is a rear perspective view of the second enclosure of the energy storage system shown in Figure 1. [Figure 3] Figure 3 is a side view showing the energy storage system shown in Figure 1. [Figure 4] Figure 4 is a perspective view showing the inside of the first enclosure of the energy storage system shown in Figure 1. [Figure 5] Figure 5 is a rear view of the second housing of the energy storage system according to the first modified example. [Figure 6] Figure 6 is a block diagram showing the energy storage system according to the second modified example. [Figure 7] Figure 7 is a rear perspective view of the lower part of the first housing and the upper part of the second housing of the energy storage system according to the third modified example. [Modes for carrying out the invention]

[0009] [Description of Embodiments in this Disclosure] The embodiments of this disclosure are listed and described below. At least some of the embodiments described below may be combined in any way.

[0010] (1) An electrical device relating to the first aspect of the present disclosure includes a housing with a recess formed on its side and electrical components housed within the housing, wherein at least one of the wiring and the wiring conduit is positioned at a predetermined angle with respect to the vertical upward at the upper end of the recess, the angle being 0° or more and less than 90°. This prevents foreign matter such as rainwater from entering the inside of the electrical device and prevents damage to the electrical components.

[0011] (2) In (1) above, the recess may be formed in at least one of the right corner and the left corner of the back of the housing. This allows wiring work on the back of the housing to be performed from the side of the electrical equipment, making the work easier and improving work efficiency.

[0012] (3) In (2) above, the recess may be formed on the back of the housing, including the right corner and the left corner. This allows wiring work on the back of the housing to be performed from both sides, making the work easier and improving work efficiency.

[0013] (4) In any one of (1) to (3) above, the depth of the recess may be less than half the depth of the portion of the housing in which the recess is not formed. This allows the mechanical strength of the electrical equipment to be maintained.

[0014] (5) In any one of the above (1) to (4), a power converter may be housed inside the enclosure. This prevents foreign matter such as rainwater from entering the inside of the enclosure, thereby preventing damage to the power converter.

[0015] (6) In any one of the above (1) to (5), a storage battery may be housed inside the enclosure. This prevents foreign matter such as rainwater from entering the inside of the enclosure, thereby preventing damage to the storage battery.

[0016] (7) In any one of the above (1) to (4), the housing may be arranged between the storage battery and the power converter. Thereby, a plurality of components can be stacked vertically to realize a stack-type power storage system, and the installation space of the power storage system can be reduced. Since the components can be separated and transported, the handling operation is easy.

[0017] (8) The power conversion device according to the second aspect of the present disclosure includes any one of the electrical devices of the above (1) to (4) and a power conversion unit. Thereby, it is possible to prevent foreign matter such as rainwater from entering the housing included in the power conversion device.

[0018] (9) The storage battery unit according to the third aspect of the present disclosure includes any one of the electrical devices of the above (1) to (4) and a storage battery. Thereby, it is possible to prevent foreign matter such as rainwater from entering the housing included in the storage battery unit.

[0019] (10) The power storage system according to the fourth aspect of the present disclosure includes any one of the electrical devices of the above (1) to (4), a power converter, and a storage battery. Thereby, it is possible to prevent foreign matter such as rainwater from entering the housing included in the power storage system.

[0020] [Details of Embodiments of the Present Disclosure] In the following embodiments, the same parts are given the same reference numerals. Their names and functions are also the same. Therefore, detailed descriptions thereof will not be repeated.

[0021] Referring to Figure 1, the energy storage system 100 according to the embodiment of this disclosure includes a first housing 102, a second housing 104, a third housing 106, and legs 108. The first housing 102, the second housing 104, and the third housing 106 are stacked vertically and fixed to each other by fastening members (not shown), such as screws, to form a single unit. The legs 108 are fixed to the bottom of the third housing 106 by fastening members. The energy storage system 100 is installed, for example, on the ground near the exterior wall of a house. The energy storage system 100 is stably installed by fixing the legs 108 to a concrete base or the like formed on the outdoor ground by fastening members.

[0022] Each of the first enclosure 102, the second enclosure 104, and the third enclosure 106 is a roughly rectangular parallelepiped with equal width W and equal depth D1. Figure 1 shows the orthogonal axes set relative to the energy storage system 100. The X-axis is set perpendicular to the front and back of the energy storage system 100, with the positive direction being from the back to the front. The Y-axis is set perpendicular to the left and right sides of the energy storage system 100, with the positive direction being from the left side to the right side of the energy storage system 100. The Z-axis is set perpendicular to the top and bottom surfaces of the energy storage system 100, with the positive direction being from the bottom to the top. The orthogonal axes shown in Figures 2 and later are set in the same way as in Figure 1.

[0023] The first enclosure 102 houses a power converter 132 containing electrical components and has a front panel 130. The power converter 132 is, for example, a PCS (Power Conditioning System). The front panel 130 is fixed to the first enclosure 102 by a number of screws 140. As will be described later, in order to access the inside of the first enclosure 102, the front panel 130 is removed by unscrewing the screws 140.

[0024] The second housing 104 has a recess 110 with a depth D2 on its rear surface. The second housing 104 houses a BMS (Battery Management System) 112 containing electrical components. The third housing 106 houses a storage battery 150. The storage battery 150 is a rechargeable secondary battery (such as a lithium-ion secondary battery). The BMS 112 and the storage battery 150 are connected by wiring. The BMS 112 has functions to prevent overcharging and over-discharging of the storage battery 150, a function to calculate the remaining battery charge, and a function to balance the voltages of the multiple cells that make up the storage battery 150.

[0025] The power converter 132 and the battery 150 are connected by wiring, which runs inside the second enclosure 104. The power converter 132 converts AC power (such as commercial power) supplied from an external power source via wiring into DC power to charge the battery 150. Furthermore, when DC power is supplied from a solar power generation system or the like, the power converter 132 converts its voltage into a DC voltage suitable for charging the battery 150, thereby charging the battery 150. During battery 150 discharge, the power converter 132 converts the DC power output from the battery 150 into AC power and supplies it to an external load via wiring. Therefore, the energy storage system 100 can also be considered a power conversion device.

[0026] Referring to Figure 2, a plurality of holes 136 are formed in the bottom surface 134 of the first housing 102. The holes 136 penetrate the bottom surface 134 of the first housing. Connectors 202 for attaching a wiring conduit 200 to the first housing 102 can be fixed to the holes 136. The wiring conduit 200 is for protecting the wiring and is, for example, a PF conduit. The wiring is inserted into the interior of the first housing 102 through the inside of the wiring conduit 200.

[0027] The second housing 104 has a rear surface 114, two first support parts 116, and a second support part 118. The recess 110 is mainly formed by the rear surface 114 of the second housing, the top surface 120 of the second support part, and the bottom surface 134 of the first housing, and the recess 110 defines the working space 204. The bottom surface 134 of the first housing is located at the upper end 122 of the recess 110. In Figure 2, the two first support parts 116 also contribute to defining the working space 204, but the two first support parts 116 are for stably holding the first housing 102 on the second housing 104 and are not essential for defining the working space 204.

[0028] As described above, the wiring conduit 200 is attached vertically below the horizontal bottom surface 134 of the first housing. That is, the wiring conduit 200 is positioned vertically at the upper end 122 of the recess 110. Therefore, it is possible to prevent foreign matter such as rainwater from entering the inside of the first housing 102 and to prevent damage to the power converter 132 housed in the first housing 102. As described above, in the energy storage system 100, the wiring connecting the power converter 132 housed in the first housing 102 and the battery 150 housed in the third housing 106 passes through the inside of the second housing 104. That is, the insides of the first housing 102, the second housing 104, and the third housing 106 are interconnected. Therefore, since it is possible to prevent foreign matter from entering the inside of the first housing 102, it is also possible to prevent foreign matter from entering the insides of the second housing 104 and the third housing 106, and to prevent damage to the BMS 112 and the battery 150.

[0029] Referring to Figure 3, the energy storage system 100 is installed near the exterior wall 220 of the house as described above. When installing the energy storage system 100, the third housing 106, the second housing 104, and the first housing 102 are stacked in order and fixed to each other. Then, the connector 202 and wiring conduit 200 are installed in the hole 136 (see Figure 2), and the wiring 206 is inserted into the first housing 102 through them. The wiring 206 includes power supply wiring and communication wiring. These operations are performed manually. When the energy storage system 100 is installed, it is installed so that the gap D3 between its back and the exterior wall 220 of the house is as narrow as possible. The energy storage system 100 has a recess 110 (see Figure 2) on the back of the second housing 104, forming a working space 204, and a gap D4 (= depth D2 + gap D3) can be secured between the back of the second housing 114 and the exterior wall 220 of the house. Furthermore, the wiring conduits and wiring can be installed manually from the side of the second enclosure 104. This makes the work easier and improves work efficiency. In addition, the distance D3 (see Figure 3) between the back of the energy storage system 100 and the exterior wall of the house can be shortened, allowing the energy storage system 100 to be installed even in narrow spaces around the house.

[0030] In contrast, if the second housing 104 does not have the recess 110, a hole for attaching the wiring conduit must be formed, for example, on the side or back of the first housing 102, and the energy storage system must be installed with a larger spacing D3 to secure space for the installation of the wiring conduit and wiring. Therefore, installation space including a greater distance from the house wall is required to install the energy storage system.

[0031] The depth D2 of the recess 110 is less than half the depth D1 of the energy storage system 100. This allows the second housing 104 to stably support the first housing 102 while forming a working space 204, and maintain the mechanical strength of the energy storage system 100.

[0032] In the energy storage system 100, the recess 110 is formed to open up a portion of the left and right sides of the second housing 104, so that work can be performed from either the left or right side. Therefore, as will be described later, work is easier and work efficiency is improved compared to when the recess is formed to open up only one side.

[0033] Referring to Figure 4, as described above, the interior of the first housing 102 can be accessed by removing the front panel 130. The first housing 102 has a terminal block 138 for connecting wiring to the power converter 132. Wiring 206 (see Figure 3), inserted into the interior of the first housing 102 from outside the energy storage system 100 through the conduit 200 and connector 202, is connected to the terminal block 138 through a hole 144 formed in the partition plate 142. The hole 144 penetrates the partition plate 142. This allows the power converter 132 to charge the battery 150 by receiving AC or DC power from an external power source via the wiring 206. The power converter 132 can also supply the discharge power of the battery 150 to an external load via the wiring 206. If the wiring 206 includes a communication line, the power converter 132 can communicate with an external device via the communication line.

[0034] As described above, the first enclosure 102 of the energy storage system 100 houses the power converter 132. As described above, since foreign matter such as rainwater can be prevented from entering the inside of the first enclosure 102, damage to the power converter 132 can be prevented.

[0035] As described above, the third enclosure 106 of the energy storage system 100 houses the battery 150. As described above, since foreign matter such as rainwater can be prevented from entering the inside of the third enclosure 106, damage to the battery 150 can be prevented.

[0036] As described above, the second enclosure 104 is positioned between the third enclosure 106, which houses the battery 150, and the first enclosure 102, which houses the power converter 132. This allows for the stacking of multiple components vertically to realize a stack-type energy storage system 100, thereby reducing the installation space required for the energy storage system 100. Since the energy storage system 100 can be transported in the form of multiple components, transportation is easy.

[0037] In the above description, the case in which the energy storage system 100 is formed by three enclosures, a first enclosure 102, a second enclosure 104, and a third enclosure 106, has been explained, but it is not limited to this. The energy storage system may be formed by a single enclosure. In that case, a recess can be provided in the single enclosure, as described above. At the upper end of the recess, a wiring conduit can be vertically positioned to protect the wiring that connects the power converter 132 housed in the energy storage system to an external power source and an external load. This prevents foreign matter such as rainwater from entering the inside of the energy storage system and prevents damage to the housed electrical components.

[0038] The energy storage system may be formed by two enclosures. For example, the first enclosure 102 and the second enclosure 104 may be a single enclosure. The enclosure includes a power converter 132 and a BMS 112, forming a power conversion unit. A recess may be formed in the enclosure, and a conduit for protecting the wiring connecting the power converter housed in the energy storage system to an external power source and an external load may be vertically positioned at the upper end of the recess. This prevents foreign matter such as rainwater from entering the inside of the power conversion unit and prevents damage to the housed power converter 132.

[0039] Furthermore, the second housing 104 and the third housing 106 may be a single housing. The housing includes a storage battery 150 and a BMS 112, forming a storage battery unit. When the first housing 102, which includes a power converter 132 as a power conversion unit, is placed on top of the housing of the storage battery unit, the housing of the storage battery unit may have a recess as described above. This prevents foreign matter such as rainwater from entering the inside of the first housing 102 and prevents damage to the power converter 132 housed in the first housing 102.

[0040] As described above, it is preferable from an aesthetic standpoint for the recess 110 to be formed on the back. However, it is not limited to this, and the recess 110 may also be formed on the front or side of the second housing 104. In that case as well, the wiring conduit 200 can be attached vertically below to the bottom surface 134 of the first housing housed in the first housing 102, preventing foreign matter such as rainwater from entering the inside of the energy storage system.

[0041] The above describes a case in which the wiring 206 is inserted into the first housing 102 through the wiring conduit 200 and connector 202, but is not limited to this. The wiring conduit 200 and connector 202 may be omitted, and the wiring 206 may be inserted directly into the first housing 102 through the hole 136.

[0042] (First variation) The above describes a case in which a working space 204 is formed so as to be accessible from both sides of the second housing 104, but is not limited to this. The working space may be formed so as to be accessible from only one side of the second housing 104. Referring to Figure 5, the first modified example of the energy storage system 300 includes a first housing 102, a second housing 302, and a third housing 106. The second housing 302 has a first surface 304, a second surface 306, and a third surface 308 on its rear surface. The first surface 304, the second surface 306, the third surface 308, and the bottom surface 134 of the first housing form a recess 310. The recess 310 defines a working space 312. Similar to Figure 2, in Figure 5, a wiring conduit 200 is attached via a connector 202 to a hole 136 formed in the bottom surface 134 of the first housing 102. Since the recess 310 is formed to open a portion of the right side of the second housing 302, manual work can be performed from the right side of the recess 310 when installing the wiring conduit 200 and the wiring passing through its interior. Therefore, the work is easier and work efficiency is improved. In addition, the distance D3 (see Figure 3) between the back of the energy storage system 300 and the exterior wall of the house can be shortened, allowing the energy storage system 300 to be installed even if the space around the house is narrow.

[0043] In the above description, a recess 310 is formed on the right side of the energy storage system, thereby defining a workspace 312. However, a workspace may also be formed on the left side. In that case, manual work can be performed from the left side of the energy storage system when installing the wiring conduit and wiring. Therefore, the work is easier and the work efficiency is improved.

[0044] (Second variation) The above describes a case where the energy storage system is integrated, but is not limited to this. Referring to Figure 6, the energy storage system 330 according to the second modified example is separate and includes a power conversion unit 332 and a third housing 106. The power conversion unit 332 includes a first housing 102 and a second housing 104 and is formed integrally. The power conversion unit 332 and the third housing 106 are installed, for example, on the ground near the exterior wall of a house. The first housing 102, the second housing 104 and the third housing 106 are the same as those shown in Figure 1. The second housing 104 is fitted with a conduit 200, similar to the energy storage system 100. A conduit 208 is connected between the second housing 104 and the third housing 106 to protect the wiring connecting the power conversion unit 332 and the third housing 106. The wiring inside the conduit 208 includes communication lines for the BMS 112 housed in the second housing 104 to control the battery 150 housed in the third housing 106, and wiring for transmitting power between the power converter 132 housed in the first housing 102 and the battery 150 housed in the third housing 106.

[0045] As described above, the second housing 104 included in the power conversion unit 332 has a recess 110. This prevents foreign matter such as rainwater from entering the inside of the power conversion unit 332.

[0046] The second housing 104 has a recess 110 (see Figure 2) on its rear surface, and the recess 110 defines a working space 204. Therefore, when installing the wiring conduits 200 and 208, and installing the wiring that passes through them, manual work can be performed from the side of the second housing 104. Thus, the work is easier and work efficiency is improved.

[0047] (Third variation) In the above, the case in which the connector 202 and wiring conduit 200 are mounted vertically below the horizontal bottom surface 134 of the first housing was described, as shown in Figures 2 and 3, but the invention is not limited to this. The portion of the bottom surface of the first housing to which the wiring conduit is mounted may be inclined with respect to the horizontal. Referring to Figure 7, the energy storage system 350 according to the third modified example includes a first housing 352, a second housing 104, and a third housing 106 (not shown in Figure 7). The second housing 104 and the third housing 106 are the same as those shown in Figures 1 to 4. The first housing 352 differs from the first housing 102 in the shape of its lower rear surface, but is otherwise the same as the first housing 102. That is, the first housing 352 houses the power converter 132 (see Figure 1).

[0048] The rear portion 354 of the bottom surface of the first housing 352, which is the rear side of the first housing 352, forms a predetermined angle θ (acute angle) with respect to the horizontal portion of the bottom surface. The angle θ is, for example, greater than 0° and 45° or less. The angle θ may also be greater than 45° and less than 90°. When a wiring conduit or connector is mounted perpendicularly to the rear portion 354 of the first housing 352 in a hole 136 formed in the rear portion 354 of the first housing 352, the mounting direction 356 forms an angle θ with respect to the vertically upward direction 358 (i.e., the Z-axis direction). By mounting the wiring conduit or connector perpendicularly to the rear portion 354 of the first housing 352, it is possible to prevent foreign matter such as rainwater from entering the inside of the first housing 352 and to prevent damage to the power converter 132 housed in the first housing 352. If the angle θ is 0°, the first housing 352 will be the same as the first housing 102.

[0049] In the energy storage system 350, the recess on the back of the second housing 104 is mainly formed by the back of the second housing 114, the top surface of the second support 120, and the rear bottom surface 354 of the first housing. The rear bottom surface 354 of the first housing corresponds to the upper end of the recess. Therefore, in the energy storage system 350, a workspace similar to the workspace 204 shown in Figures 2 and 3 is formed. When installing the wiring conduit and the wiring passing through its interior, manual work can be performed from both sides of the recess. Therefore, the work is easier and the work efficiency is improved. In addition, the distance D3 (see Figure 3) between the back of the energy storage system 350 and the exterior wall of the house can be shortened, and the energy storage system 350 can be installed even if the space around the house is narrow.

[0050] The present disclosure has been described above by describing embodiments, but the embodiments described above are illustrative and the present disclosure is not limited to the embodiments described above. The scope of the present disclosure is given with reference to the description in the detailed description of the invention and is indicated by each claim, including all changes within the meaning and scope of the wording and equivalents contained herein. [Explanation of symbols]

[0051] 100, 300, 330, 350 energy storage systems 102, 352 First enclosure 104, 302 Second cabinet 106 Third cabinet 108 Legs 110, 310 recess 112 BMS 114 Rear view of the second cabinet 116 1st support part 118 Second support part 120 Top surface of the second support section 122 Upper end 130 Front Panel 132 Power Converters 134 Bottom of the first enclosure 136, 144 holes 138 Terminal block 140 screws 142 Partition Plate 150 Battery 200, 208 Raceway 202 Connector 204, 312 workspace 206 Wiring 220 House exterior wall 304 1st page 306 2nd page 308 3rd page 332 Power Conversion Unit 354 Rear of the bottom of the first enclosure 356 Mounting direction 358 Vertically upward D1 Depth D2 Depth D3, D4 interval W width θ angle

Claims

1. A housing with a recess formed on the side, Including electrical components housed within the aforementioned housing, At the upper end of the recess, at least one of the wiring and the wiring conduit is positioned at a predetermined angle with respect to the vertical upward. An electrical device in which the angle is between 0° and less than 90°.

2. The electrical device according to claim 1, wherein the recess is formed in at least one of the right corner and the left corner of the back of the housing.

3. The electrical device according to claim 2, wherein the recess is formed on the back surface of the housing, including the right corner and the left corner.

4. The electrical equipment according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the depth of the recess is less than half the depth of the portion of the housing in which the recess is not formed.

5. The electrical equipment according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein a power converter is housed inside the enclosure.

6. The electrical equipment according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein a storage battery is housed inside the enclosure.

7. The aforementioned housing is an electrical device according to any one of claims 1 to 3, disposed between a storage battery and a power converter.

8. An electrical appliance according to any one of claims 1 to 3, A power conversion device, including a power conversion unit.

9. An electrical appliance according to any one of claims 1 to 3, A battery storage unit, including a battery.

10. An electrical appliance according to any one of claims 1 to 3, Power converter and Energy storage systems, including batteries.

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