Electric energy storage device transport container and method for transporting an electric energy storage device using the same

Abstract

To provide a power storage device transport container capable of reducing the risk of catching fire at the breakage of a power storage device or a power storage device stack in which the plurality of power storage devices are stacked, and in an abnormal condition in a high-temperature environment and the like.SOLUTION: A power storage device transport container has a structure in which a molded body including an acrylic polymer is arranged in a cavity between a power storage device and a transport container. Preferably, the molded body is formed like a film, a sheet or a plate.SELECTED DRAWING: None

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a transport container for transporting and moving while enclosing a power storage device such as a lithium ion battery, a lithium ion capacitor, an electric double layer capacitor, etc., and a method for transporting a power storage device using the same. In particular, it relates to a power storage device transport container and a transport method capable of reducing the risk of spreading combustion outside the container even when ignition occurs during an abnormality such as damage to the power storage device or a high temperature environment.

Background Art

[0002] In recent years, as a power source for high-output portable devices and electric vehicles, etc., power storage devices such as secondary batteries, lithium ion capacitors, and electric double layer capacitors in which a power storage device using a non-aqueous electrolyte is housed in a casing have been used.

[0003] When such a power storage device is usually transported and moved in a container, it is common to transport and move it with a low state of charge (SOC) (for example, 30% or less). However, due to external factors such as short circuits or being left in a high temperature environment, there is a risk of ignition or explosion even when the state of charge is low.

[0004] As a technique for preventing ignition of this power storage device, for example, a method has been proposed in which gas generated inside a lithium ion battery is absorbed by a combustible gas absorbent to prevent rupture of the battery (Patent Documents 1, 2).

[0005] On the other hand, a method has also been proposed in which a fire extinguishing agent is disposed inside a lithium ion battery to lower the temperature of the gas released to the outside when a safety valve is opened due to an increase in internal pressure caused by gas generation inside the battery (Patent Document 3). Furthermore, a method has also been proposed in which a porous material in which an incombustible gas, an aqueous solvent, or an incombustible solvent is adsorbed on pores and the surface is disposed inside a lithium ion battery to prevent ignition by gas generated from the lithium ion battery (Patent Document 4).

Prior Art Documents

Patent Document

[0006]

Patent Document 1

Patent Document 2

Patent Document 3

Patent Document 4

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0007] However, when there is an electrical abnormality or thermal runaway in the power storage device, a large amount of gas is generated instantaneously. Therefore, in the method of disposing a gas adsorbent as described in Patent Documents 1 and 2 inside the power storage device, for the limited space of the power storage device, both the gas adsorption amount and the gas adsorption rate are insufficient, and there is a problem that the gas ejection from the power storage device cannot be completely suppressed. Also, as described in Patent Documents 3 and 4, in the method of disposing a fire extinguishing agent or a material adsorbed with a non-flammable gas, an aqueous solvent, or a non-flammable solvent in the pores and on the surface of a porous material inside the lithium-ion battery to lower the internal temperature of the lithium-ion battery, if the gas adsorption amount is insufficient, the effect cannot be fully exerted, and there is also a problem that the gas ejection cannot be completely suppressed.

[0008] Due to these problems, in the technologies described in Patent Documents 1 to 4, when transporting and moving the power storage device in a container, the effect of suppressing short circuits due to external factors, ignition, explosion, etc. when left in a high-temperature environment, and suppressing the spread of fire to the external environment is not sufficient.

[0009] The present invention has been made in view of the above problems, and when transporting and moving a power storage device and a plurality of power storage devices by enclosing them, it is possible to reduce the risk of spreading fire outside the container in the event of an abnormality such as damage to the power storage device or a high-temperature environment. An object of the present invention is to provide a power storage device transport container and a transport method using this transport container.

Means for Solving the Problems

[0010] First, in order to solve the above problems, the present invention provides a power storage device transport container in which a molded body containing an acrylic polymer is disposed in a gap between a power storage device and a transport container body that houses the power storage device (Invention 1). In particular, in the above invention (Invention 1), it is preferable that the power storage device uses a non-aqueous electrolyte (Invention 2).

[0011] According to such inventions (Inventions 1 and 2), by disposing a molded body containing an acrylic polymer in the space between the power storage device and the transport container body, the risk of spreading fire outside the transport container in the event of an abnormality such as damage to the power storage device or a high-temperature environment can be reduced.

[0012] In the above inventions (Inventions 1 and 2), it is preferable that the molded body containing the acrylic polymer contains 10% by weight or more of the acrylic polymer in total (Invention 3).

[0013] According to such an invention (Invention 3), the effect of preventing the spread of fire outside the transport container when an abnormality occurs in the power storage device can be preferably exhibited.

[0014] In the above inventions (Inventions 1 to 3), the acrylic polymer is preferably a homopolymer or copolymer synthesized using one or more (meth)acrylic acid alkyl esters as monomers, polyacrylonitrile synthesized using acrylonitrile as a monomer, or a copolymer of (meth)acrylic acid alkyl ester or acrylonitrile and one or more other monomers (Invention 4).

[0015] In the above inventions (Inventions 1 to 4), it is preferable that the molded body containing the acrylic polymer is in the form of a film, sheet or plate (Invention 5).

[0016] According to such an invention (Invention 5), by forming the molded body containing the acrylic polymer into a film, sheet or plate, it can be attached to the inner wall surface of the transport container, inserted into the gap, or configured to form a partition structure, etc., so that its installation variations can be made rich, and it can be made excellent in handleability.

[0017] In the above invention (Invention 5), it is preferable that the molded body containing the film-like, sheet-like or plate-like acrylic polymer has a thickness of 1 μm to 5000 μm (Invention 6). In particular, in the above invention (Inventions 5 or 6), the weight per unit area of the film-like, sheet-like or plate-like molded body is 10 g to 2000 g / m 2 It is preferably (Invention 7).

[0018] According to such inventions (Inventions 6 and 7), by arranging a film-like, sheet-like or plate-like molded body with a predetermined thickness and weight in the gap between the power storage device and the transport container, when an abnormality occurs in the power storage device, the effect of preventing the spread of fire to the outside of the transport container can be preferably exerted.

[0019] In the above inventions (Inventions 1 to 7), a plurality of the power storage devices may be stacked (Invention 8).

[0020] In the above invention (Invention 8), in a power storage device stack in which a plurality of power storage devices are stacked, even if a combustible gas jets out from a power storage device and flows into the space of the transport container when there is an abnormality in one power storage device, since the material of the molded body containing the acrylic polymer affects the combustible gas, the risk of fire spreading to the outside of the transport container can be significantly reduced, so it can be particularly preferably applied to the power storage device stack.

[0021] Second, the present invention also provides a method for transporting a power storage device (Invention 9), which involves placing a molded body containing an acrylic polymer in the gap between the power storage device and the transport container body that houses the power storage device, and then housing and transporting the power storage device in the power storage device transport container.

[0022] According to such an invention (Invention 9), by arranging a molded body containing an acrylic polymer in the space between the power storage device and the power storage device transport container body, it is possible to transport the power storage device while reducing the risk of the fire spreading outside the transport container in case of abnormalities such as damage to the power storage device or high-temperature environment.

Advantages of the Invention

[0023] In the power storage device transport container of the present invention, since a molded body containing an acrylic polymer is arranged in the gap between the power storage device and the transport container body, the acrylic polymer is affected by the high-temperature ejecta and ejecta gas released from the power storage device due to a short circuit or the like of the power storage device, thereby significantly reducing the risk of ignition of the power storage device transport container.

Modes for Carrying Out the Invention

[0024] The power storage device transport container of the present invention will be described in detail based on the following embodiments.

[0025] [Power Storage Device Transport Container] The power storage device transport container of this embodiment has a structure in which a molded body containing an acrylic polymer is arranged in the gap between the region where the power storage device is housed and the container body in the transport container body that houses the power storage device.

[0026] (Power Storage Device) In this embodiment, there is no particular limitation on the power storage device, and either a primary battery or a secondary battery can be used, but a secondary battery is preferably used. There is no particular limitation on the type of this secondary battery. For example, a lithium ion battery, a lithium ion polymer battery, an all-solid-state battery, a lead storage battery, a nickel-hydrogen storage battery, a nickel-cadmium storage battery, a nickel-iron storage battery, a nickel-zinc storage battery, a silver oxide-zinc storage battery, a metal-air battery, a polyvalent cation battery, a capacitor, a capacitor, etc. can be used. Among these, those using a non-aqueous electrolyte can be preferably used. Among these secondary batteries, as suitable application targets for the battery materials of the present invention, a lithium ion battery, a lithium ion polymer battery, a lithium ion capacitor, an all-solid-state battery, etc. can be preferably used.

[0027] The power storage device as described above may be in the form of a power storage device stack in which a plurality are stacked.

[0028] (Power storage device transport container body) In this embodiment, there is no particular limitation on the transport container body as long as it can externally wrap the above-described power storage device (power storage device stack) with a gap, and various materials such as those made of synthetic resin or metal can be used. As this transport container body, a rectangular box shape is common, but it is not limited thereto. It is preferable that the transport container body is provided with a relief valve or a relief hole so that when an abnormality occurs in the power storage device, the ejected gas or ejected matter released from the power storage device is released to the outside of the transport container.

[0029] (Fire prevention material) In this embodiment, a molded body containing an acrylic polymer is disposed as a fire prevention material installed in the gap between the power storage device and the transport container body.

[0030] Examples of the acrylic polymer include acrylic polymers (homopolymers or copolymers) synthesized using one or more (meth)acrylic acid alkyl esters as monomers. Also included is polyacrylonitrile synthesized using acrylonitrile as a monomer. Further, copolymers of these (meth)acrylic acid alkyl esters or acrylonitrile with one or more other monomers are included.

[0031] Specific examples of the (meth)acrylic acid alkyl ester include, but are not limited to, methyl methacrylate, ethyl methacrylate, n-propyl methacrylate, isopropyl methacrylate, n-butyl methacrylate, tert-butyl methacrylate, sec-butyl methacrylate, isobutyl methacrylate, and the like.

[0032] Other monomers copolymerizable with the monomers used in the acrylic polymer include other (meth)acrylic acid alkyl esters, acrylonitrile, acrylamide, vinyl acetate, vinyl chloride, vinylidene chloride, styrene, and the like, but are not limited thereto. It is preferable that this other monomer be 90% by weight or less, particularly about 40% by weight or less, based on the total 100% by weight of the monomers used in the acrylic polymer and the other monomers. If there are too many other monomers, the effect of reducing the ignition risk of the power storage device transport container will be insufficient.

[0033] The acrylic polymer may further contain various commonly used additives as long as the effects of the present invention are not impaired. Examples of the additives include crosslinked rubber particles, ultraviolet absorbers, lubricants, antioxidants, mold release agents, antistatic agents, flame retardants, and the like. Also, a material coated on the surface of the acrylic polymer to enhance functionality may be used as long as the effects of the present invention are not impaired.

[0034] The fire prevention material as described above may be used alone or in combination of two or more kinds of materials.

[0035] Furthermore, these fire prevention materials can also be used by applying materials that exhibit a cooling effect by heat transfer absorption, an effect of suppressing combustion radical reactions, and an extinguishing effect that makes the flame unstable on the adsorbent surface, against the ejecta and ejected gas from the power storage device.

[0036] In this embodiment, the shape of the molded body of the fire prevention material disposed in the gap between the power storage device and the transport container is not particularly limited. However, considering the ease of handling when installing in the gap between the power storage device and the transport container, it is preferably in the form of a film, sheet, or plate. By forming the fire prevention material into a film, sheet, or plate, its installation variations can be made rich, such as pasting it inside the casing of the transport container, inserting it into the gap, or forming a partition structure, and it can be made excellent in handleability.

[0037] [Method for transporting a power storage device] For the power storage device and the transport container as described above, after installing a molded body of the fire prevention material in the transport container body in advance, for example, a power storage device with a charge rate (SOC) of about 30% can be accommodated and the transport container can be sealed and transported. Alternatively, after accommodating the power storage device in the transport container body, a molded body of the fire prevention material can be installed in the gap and the transport container can be sealed and transported.

[0038] By accommodating and transporting the power storage device in such a transport container of this embodiment, even if a short circuit due to external factors or being left in a high-temperature environment causes the power storage device to catch fire, by providing the molded body of the fire prevention material, when transporting and moving the power storage device in the container, even if a short circuit due to external factors or ignition or explosion occurs when left in a high-temperature environment, the spread of fire inside the transport container can be prevented, so the risk of fire spreading outside the transport container can be reduced.

[0039] As described above, the power storage device transport container of the present invention has been explained. The present invention only needs to arrange a molded body containing an acrylic polymer in the gap between the power storage device (power storage device stack) and the transport container body, and the size, shape, etc. of the power storage device (power storage device stack) are not particularly limited. Therefore, it is applicable to power storage devices for various uses such as power storage devices (power storage device stacks) of a wide range of sizes from smartphones to in-vehicle use.

Example

[0040] The present invention will be described in more detail based on the following specific examples, but the present invention is not limited to the following examples.

[0041] [Puncture test] (Comparative Example 1) A PP resin container (inner diameter: 80 mm wide × 105 mm long × 34 mm deep, resin thickness 2 mm) assuming a transport container for a power storage device was prepared. The side of the power storage device with a width of 80 mm of the PP resin container was arranged on the 80 mm side of the PP resin container, and a container with an open top having 5 holes with a diameter of 10 mm was opened on the 80 mm side of the PP resin container. Inside this PP resin container, a fully charged aluminum laminate lithium-ion battery (35 mm wide, 75 mm long) with a positive electrode ternary system of 1500 mAh was installed, and it was covered with a PP resin plate with a resin thickness of 4 mm from above, and the periphery of the lid was sealed without gaps using heat-resistant tape so that the ejecta from the lithium-ion battery due to overcharging was discharged only from the 5 opened holes.

[0042] On the outside of a PP resin container assumed to be the container of this power storage device, a PP resin container assumed to be a transport container (inner diameter: 98 mm wide × 148 mm long × 48 mm deep, resin thickness 2 mm, with 5 holes each with a diameter of 10 mm opened on the 98 mm wide side and an open top (a container with holes drilled on the side opposite to the hole drilling location of the PP resin container assumed to be the container of the above power storage device)) is arranged, and it is covered with a PP resin plate with a thickness of 4 mm from above, and the periphery of the lid is sealed with a heat-resistant tape so that there is no gap, and the ejecta of the battery in the nail penetration test is made to be discharged only from the 5 opened holes, thus forming a power storage device transport container.

[0043] When a nail penetration test was conducted on this power storage device transport container, the battery was destroyed, and intense ignition was confirmed outside the transport container.

[0044] (Example 1) Using the power storage device transport container used in Comparative Example 1 as the transport container body, a film-shaped molded body (thickness 125 μm, weight per area 150 g / m2) of an acrylic polymer (94% or more of a polymer mainly composed of polymethyl methacrylate and 5% or less of an additive) is pasted on the inner surface thereof with a double-sided tape in an area of 0.05 m 2 to form a power storage device transport container.

[0045] When a nail penetration test was conducted on this power storage device transport container under the same conditions as in Comparative Example 1, the battery was destroyed, but no ignition was observed outside the transport container.

Claims

1. A molded body made of a fire prevention material containing an acrylic polymer is disposed in the gap between the power storage device and the transport container body that houses the power storage device. The power storage device uses a non-aqueous electrolyte. The fire prevention material contains 10% by weight or more of an acrylic polymer based on the whole. The acrylic polymer is a homopolymer or copolymer synthesized using one or more (meth)acrylic acid alkyl esters as monomers, polyacrylonitrile synthesized using acrylonitrile as a monomer, or a copolymer of (meth)acrylic acid alkyl ester or acrylonitrile and one or more other monomers. A power storage device transport container.

2. The power storage device transport container according to claim 1, wherein the molded body containing the acrylic polymer is in the form of a film, sheet, or plate.

3. The power storage device transport container according to claim 2, wherein the molded body containing the acrylic polymer in the form of a film, sheet, or plate has a thickness of 1 μm to 5000 μm.

4. The weight per area of the film-shaped, sheet-shaped or plate-shaped molded body is 10 g to 2000 g / m ２ The power storage device transport container according to claim 2 or 3, which is such.

5. The power storage device transport container according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein a plurality of the power storage devices are stacked.

6. A method for transporting a power storage device, which comprises housing and transporting the power storage device in a power storage device transport container in which a molded body made of a fire prevention material containing an acrylic polymer is disposed in the gap between the power storage device and the transport container body that houses the power storage device.