Battery rack with drainage structure and energy storage system including the same

Abstract

The battery rack according to the present invention may include: a rack case having a plurality of battery modules; storage sections arranged to fit and accommodate the plurality of battery modules at predetermined heights, and having a structure in which the top, bottom, left and right sides except the front and rear are closed; extinguishing water supply piping connected to each of the battery modules accommodated in the storage sections to supply extinguishing water in the event of a fire; and a drainage guide unit disposed on at least one of the front outer surface and the rear outer surface of the rack case, and guiding the drainage of extinguishing water so that the extinguishing water discharged to the outside of the battery modules falls at a position a predetermined distance away from the outer surface of the rack case when extinguishing water is injected into the battery modules.

Description

Technical Field

[0005] ,

[0006]

[0001] The present invention relates to a battery rack and an energy storage system including the same, and more specifically, to a battery rack to which a drainage structure for preventing fire extinguishing water introduced into a battery module in which a thermal event has occurred from flowing into other surrounding battery modules is applied, and an energy storage system including the same.

[0002] This application claims priority based on Korean Patent Application No. 10-2022-0054389 filed on May 2, 2022, and all the contents disclosed in the specification and drawings of the application are incorporated into this application.

Background Art

[0003] Currently, widely used secondary batteries include lithium-ion batteries, lithium polymer batteries, nickel cadmium batteries, nickel metal hydride batteries, nickel zinc batteries, and the like. Among them, lithium secondary batteries are in the spotlight due to advantages such as being able to be freely charged and discharged because they hardly have a memory effect compared to nickel-based secondary batteries, having a very low self-discharge rate, and having a high energy density.

[0004] Generally, lithium secondary batteries can be roughly classified into can-type secondary batteries in which an electrode assembly is built into a metal can and pouch-type secondary batteries in which an electrode assembly is built into a pouch of an aluminum laminate sheet according to the shape of the exterior material.

[0005] Secondary batteries may be used alone, but generally, since the voltage of one secondary battery is only about 2.5V to 4.5V, when a higher output voltage is required, a plurality of secondary batteries are connected in series and / or in parallel with each other to form a battery module. And the battery module may be used alone or two or more may be electrically connected in series and / or in parallel with each other to form a higher-level device such as a battery rack or a battery pack.

[0006] On the other hand, in recent years, with issues such as power shortages and environmentally friendly energy being highlighted, energy storage systems that include multiple battery racks to store power during off-peak hours and are configured to use the stored power during peak hours have been attracting attention.

[0007] For example, an industrial energy storage system may consist of a battery rack comprising a rack case and numerous battery modules housed vertically within the rack case, an air conditioning system for managing the temperature of the battery rack, and a container capable of housing a fire extinguishing system for fire prevention.

[0008] More recently, as a safety measure in the event of a fire in an energy storage system, a fire suppression system has been introduced into the system that, in the event of thermal runaway of battery cells inside a specific battery module mounted on a battery rack, can inject fire suppression water into that specific battery module before the heat spreads to other battery modules, thereby extinguishing the fire.

[0009] However, existing battery racks, as shown in Figure 1, are frame-like structures with rack cases that open in all directions (top, bottom, left, and right). Because the battery modules are stacked in multiple layers within these rack cases without any suitable drainage structure, if the fire extinguishing water from the fire extinguishing system described above leaks out of a battery module, it is likely to flow into other surrounding battery modules. In this case, there is a concern that other surrounding battery modules may suffer water damage, resulting in losses as even normal battery modules become unusable. [Overview of the project] [Problems that the invention aims to solve]

[0010] The present invention was devised to solve the above-mentioned problems, and aims to provide a battery rack equipped with a drainage structure that can prevent fire extinguishing water introduced into a battery module experiencing a thermal event from flowing into other surrounding battery modules, and an energy storage system including the same.

[0011] The technical problems that this invention aims to solve are not limited to those described above, and other problems not mentioned should be clearly understood by those skilled in the art from the description of the invention below. [Means for solving the problem]

[0012] To achieve the above objectives, the battery rack according to the present invention may include: a plurality of battery modules; a rack case having a housing section provided to accommodate the plurality of battery modules at predetermined heights, with the top, bottom, left, and right sides closed except for the front and rear; a fire extinguishing water supply pipe connected to each of the battery modules housed in the housing section for supplying fire extinguishing water in the event of a fire; and a drainage guide unit provided on at least one of the front and rear outer surfaces of the rack case to guide the drainage of fire extinguishing water so that when fire extinguishing water is injected into the battery modules, the fire extinguishing water discharged to the outside of the battery modules falls to a position a predetermined distance away from the outer surface of the rack case.

[0013] The drainage guide unit may be provided so as to be coupled to the outer surface of the rack case at a position lower than the upper battery module and higher than the lower battery module among two pairs of battery modules located adjacent to each other vertically.

[0014] The drainage guide unit may be provided so as to protrude from the outer surface of the rack case so that its plate surface can form a predetermined angle with the outer surface of the rack case.

[0015] The drainage guide unit may be rotatably coupled to the outer surface of the rack case.

[0016] The drainage guide unit may be rotated upward to cover the housing located at the top of the drainage guide unit.

[0017] The drainage guide unit may be configured to rotate downward to open the housing located at the top of the drainage guide unit.

[0018] The drainage guide unit may include a drainage guide plate provided in the shape of a plate-like body hinged to the outer surface of the rack case, and a stopper that restricts the rotation of the drainage guide plate so that the drainage guide plate forms a predetermined angle with respect to the outer surface of the rack case.

[0019] The stopper may be provided as a projection extending from the edge region of the drainage guide plate near the axis of rotation, so as to contact the outer surface of the rack case at the predetermined angle.

[0020] The drainage guide unit may further include magnets positioned in the peripheral region opposite the axis of rotation of the drainage guide plate, such that it can be rotated upward to fix the drainage guide plate so that it aligns with the outer surface of the rack case.

[0021] The drainage guide unit may include a first drainage guide unit disposed on the front outer surface of the rack case and a second drainage guide unit disposed on the rear outer surface of the rack case.

[0022] In the rack case, the accommodating portion is provided such that the left - and - right width of the open end on the rear side is further narrower than the left - and - right width of the open end on the front side, and the fire - fighting water supply pipe can be provided so as to pass through the outer surface on the rear side of the rack case and be connected to each of the battery modules.

[0023] The first drainage guide unit is provided in a size that covers the open end on the front side of each accommodating portion, and the second drainage guide unit can be provided in a size that covers the open end on the rear side of each accommodating portion.

[0024] The battery module includes a blower fan on the front surface of the module housing and an air - conditioning hole on the rear surface of the module housing, and can be inserted and arranged in the accommodating portion so that the air - conditioning hole is exposed to the outside through the open end on the rear side of the accommodating portion.

[0025] When the battery module is inserted into the accommodating portion, the rear surface of the module housing can be configured such that the lower side of the air - conditioning hole is shielded by the outer surface on the rear side of the rack case.

[0026] According to another aspect of the present invention, an energy storage system including one or more of the above - described battery racks can be provided.

Advantages of the Invention

[0027] According to the present invention, when fire - fighting water is introduced into a battery module in which a thermal event has occurred among the battery modules constituting the battery rack, even if the fire - fighting water overflows from the battery module and is discharged to the outside, it is possible to prevent it from flowing into other surrounding battery modules. Therefore, even if it is necessary to introduce fire - fighting water into the battery rack, it is possible to prevent damage to other battery modules caused by flooding, except for the battery module in which a thermal event has occurred.

[0028] The effects of the present invention are not limited to the above effects, and other effects not mentioned will be clearly understood by those with ordinary knowledge in the technical field to which the present invention pertains from this specification and the accompanying drawings.

Brief Description of the Drawings

[0029] [Figure 1] It is a diagram schematically showing an area of a conventional battery rack. [Figure 2] It is a perspective view schematically showing a battery rack before insertion of a battery module according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 3] It is a perspective view schematically showing a battery rack after insertion of a battery module according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 4] It is a front view of the battery rack of FIG. 3. [Figure 5] It is a rear view of the battery rack of FIG. 3. [Figure 6] It is a side view of the battery rack of FIG. 3. [Figure 7] It is a diagram showing the rear of a battery module equipped with an air conditioning hole and a water supply valve according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 8] It is a partially exploded view of the battery module of FIG. 7. [Figure 9] It is a schematic cross-sectional view of the battery module of FIG. 7. [Figure 10] It is a diagram for explaining an example in which fire extinguishing water is introduced into and drained from a battery rack according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 11] It is a diagram schematically showing an energy storage system according to an embodiment of the present invention. ​​​​​​Preferred embodiments of the present invention will now be described in detail based on the accompanying drawings. Prior to this, terms and words used in this specification and in the claims are not to be interpreted in their ordinary or dictionary sense, but rather in accordance with the principle that the inventor may appropriately define the concepts of terms in order to best describe the invention, and are to be interpreted in the sense and concepts corresponding to the technical idea of ​​the present invention. Therefore, the embodiments described herein and the configurations shown in the drawings are merely preferred embodiments of the present invention and do not represent the entire technical idea of ​​the present invention; it should be understood that there may be a variety of equivalent and modified embodiments that can be substituted for these at the time of this application.

[0031] Figure 2 is a schematic perspective view of a battery rack according to one embodiment of the present invention, showing the battery rack before the battery modules are inserted; Figure 3 is a schematic perspective view of a battery rack according to one embodiment of the present invention, showing the battery rack after the battery modules are inserted; Figure 4 is a front view of the battery rack in Figure 3; and Figure 5 is a rear view of the battery rack in Figure 3.

[0032] Referring to these drawings, a battery rack 100 according to one embodiment of the present invention may include a plurality of battery modules 110, a rack case 120, a fire extinguishing water supply pipe 130, and a drainage guide unit 140.

[0033] Each battery module 110 may include a secondary battery 111 and a module housing 112 that houses the secondary battery 111, and may be configured to store and release electrical energy. Here, the secondary batteries 111 may be connected in series and / or parallel within the module housing 112, depending on the capacity and output required for the battery module 110.

[0034] Furthermore, each battery module 110 may be equipped with a cooling fan 114 and air vents 116 as means for dissipating the heat generated during charging and discharging. For example, the cooling fan 114 may be provided on the front of the module housing 112, and the air vents 116 may be provided on the rear of the module housing 112. When the cooling fan 114 is operating, outside air enters the battery module 110 through the air vents 116 on the rear of the battery module 110, absorbing the heat from the secondary battery 111, and then being discharged to the outside through the cooling fan 114 on the front of the battery module 110. Conversely to this embodiment, the cooling fan 114 may be provided on the rear of the battery module 110, and the air vents 116 may be provided on the front of the battery module 110.

[0035] Furthermore, each battery module 110 may be configured to directly supply fire-extinguishing water into the module housing 112 in preparation for situations where thermal events such as thermal runaway, ignition, or explosion may occur in the secondary battery 111 during charging and discharging. For example, a fire-extinguishing water supply pipe 130 may be connected to the back of each battery module 110 so that fire-extinguishing water is injected into the battery module 110 when a thermal event occurs. Details of this will be described later.

[0036] As shown in Figure 3, the rack case 120 can be provided in a generally rectangular parallelepiped shape so that the plurality of battery modules 110 can be fitted and housed inside at predetermined height intervals. Furthermore, the rack case 120 can be made of a rigid material so as to adequately protect the battery modules 110 from shocks and vibrations, preferably from a metallic material, but even if it is made of a non-metallic material, it can be made from a material with excellent mechanical rigidity.

[0037] In particular, the rack case 120 according to the present invention is provided with a plurality of storage compartments 121 along the vertical direction, and each of the storage compartments 121 is configured to accommodate a battery module 110. Each storage compartment 121 may have a structure in which the directions of +Z, -Z, -X, and +X are closed off, excluding the front -Y and rear +Y. In other words, the rack case 120 according to the present invention has a structure in which the top, bottom, left, and right are closed off, unlike the conventional rack case 1 (see Figure 1) which was provided with a structure that was open in the front, back, top, bottom, left, and right directions.

[0038] As described above in the background art section of this specification, as shown in Figure 1, in a rack case 1 with an open top, bottom, left, and right shape, when fire extinguishing water is supplied to the inside of a particular battery module 2, if the fire extinguishing water leaks out from the battery module 2, the battery module 2 located below that battery module 2 will suffer damage from flooding. To solve this problem, the rack case 120 according to the present invention may be configured such that, when suppressing a fire using fire extinguishing water, the top, bottom, left, and right sides of each housing section 121 are closed, and only the front and rear are open, in order to prevent damage to other battery modules 110 from flooding and to guide the drainage of fire extinguishing water forward or backward.

[0039] Furthermore, when the fire extinguishing water discharged from the battery module 110 moves to the front or rear of the rack case 120 and falls outside the rack case 120, a drainage guide unit 140 may be provided on at least one of the front and rear outer surfaces of the rack case 120 so that it falls at a predetermined distance from the outer surface of the rack case 120.

[0040] As shown in Figure 3, such a drainage guide unit 140 can be provided so as to protrude from the outer surface of the rack case 120 at a predetermined angle such that the plate surface forms a predetermined angle with the outer surface of the rack case. To put it another way, the drainage guide unit 140 is arranged in a shape that protrudes outward at a predetermined angle relative to the outer surface of the rack case 120 which is perpendicular to the ground, and is configured to act like an awning, protecting and shielding the battery module 110 in the housing 121 located below it from firefighting water falling from above. Such a drainage guide unit 140 can also serve to prevent vent gas or flames ejected from the battery module 110 in the event of ignition from spreading to battery modules 110 located above or below it.

[0041] Specifically, as shown in Figures 3 and 4, the drainage guide unit 140 can be coupled to the outer surface of the rack case 120 at a position lower than the upper battery module 110 and higher than the lower battery module 110 of two adjacent battery modules 110 located vertically. That is, multiple drainage guide units 140 can be arranged along the vertical direction and coupled to the outer surface of the rack case 120 at height intervals between the upper and lower battery modules 110. For example, in this embodiment, seven battery modules 110 are stacked vertically on the battery rack 100. In this case, six drainage guide units 140 can be coupled to the front outer surface 120F of the rack case 120, and six can be coupled to the rear outer surface 120R of the rack case 120. As a result, even if a thermal event occurs in any of the seven battery modules 110 and fire extinguishing water is injected, the other battery modules 110 will not be damaged by flooding from the fire extinguishing water.

[0042] Referring to Figure 3, the front of the rack case 120 is shown to have a drainage guide unit 140 positioned so as to partially obstruct the front of the open end of the housing section 121 located below it. In this case, if one attempts to immediately insert the battery module 110 into the housing section 121 in a horizontal position, it will be obstructed by the drainage guide unit 140 and will not be able to be inserted into the housing section 121. Needless to say, unlike this embodiment, when inserting the battery module 110 into the housing section 121, the length of the eaves of the drainage guide unit 140 may be shortened to the extent that it does not interfere. However, in this embodiment, the length of the eaves of the drainage guide unit 140 is made longer in order to allow the drainage of fire extinguishing water by the drainage guide unit 140 to be performed more effectively.

[0043] In this case, there is a problem in that it becomes difficult to fit the battery module 110 into the housing 121. As a means to resolve this problem, the battery rack 100 according to this embodiment is provided with the drainage guide unit 140 rotatably mounted.

[0044] Furthermore, as shown in Figure 2, the drainage guide unit 140 is configured to be rotatable and attachable to the outer surface of the rack case 120 before the battery module 110 is fitted into the housing section 121 of the rack case 120.

[0045] The drainage guide unit 140 is configured to be rotated upward to cover the housing 121 located at the top of the drainage guide unit 140. Conversely, the drainage guide unit 140 can be configured to be rotated downward to open the housing 121 located at the top of the drainage guide unit 140. In this case, the drainage guide unit 140 rotated downward can act as an overhang over the housing 121 located below it, as shown in Figure 3.

[0046] With the above configuration, when housing the battery module 110 in the rack case 120, for example, as shown in Figure 2, the battery module 110 is fitted into the lowest housing section 121 of the rack case 120, and then the drainage guide unit 140 located directly above the lowest housing section 121 is rotated downward by a predetermined angle. At this time, the second housing section 121 from the bottom of the rack case 120 is opened. The battery module 110 is then fitted into the second housing section 121 that has been opened in this manner. In this pattern, the battery modules 110 are fitted sequentially from the lowest housing section 121 to the highest housing section 121 of the rack case 120. As a result, the battery modules 110 are housed in the rack case 120, and as shown in Figure 3, each drainage guide unit 140 can be provided in a shape that protrudes from the outer surface of the rack case 120 at a predetermined angle with the outer surface of the rack case 120.

[0047] Such a drainage guide unit 140 may include a drainage guide plate 141 and a stopper 142.

[0048] The drainage guide plate 141 may be provided in the shape of a plate that is hinged 143 to the outer surface of the rack case 120. The drainage guide plate 141 is provided in a size that covers the storage section 121 above it when it is rotated upward and attached to the outer surface of the rack case 120, and can be made of any material that is rigid, such as plastic or metal. The drainage guide plate 141 may be equipped with a magnet 144 in the peripheral region opposite to the peripheral region to which it is hinged 143, as shown in the enlarged view of Figure 2. The magnet 144 can be used to rotate the drainage guide plate 141 upward and fix it to the outer surface of the rack case 120.

[0049] Furthermore, as shown in Figure 3, the drainage guide unit 140 has a stopper 142 integrated with the drainage guide plate 141, so that when the drainage guide plate 141 rotates downward (-Z direction), the rotation can be stopped at a predetermined angle.

[0050] In other words, when the drainage guide plate 141 forms a predetermined angle θ with respect to the outer surface of the rack case 120, one surface of the stopper 142 is configured to be in direct contact with the outer surface of the rack case, thereby restricting the rotation of the drainage guide plate 141. Here, the predetermined angle θ can be determined, for example, in the range of 30° to 60°. Therefore, the drainage guide unit 140 can act as an overhang for the storage section 121 located below it.

[0051] In this embodiment, the stopper 142 may be provided as a projection extending from the peripheral region of the drainage guide plate 141 near the axis of rotation, so as shown in the enlarged view portion of Figure 3, that it contacts the outer surface of the rack case 120 at the predetermined angle θ.

[0052] Preferably, the shape of the projection is a roughly right-angled triangle in cross-section, and it can be provided to extend in an elongated manner by a length corresponding to the width of the drainage guide plate 141 on both sides (±X direction). With such a stopper 142, the drainage guide plate 141 is rotated downward and stops when the inclined surface of the right-angled triangle comes into contact with the outer surface of the rack case 120. This makes it possible for the drainage guide plate 141 to form an overhang structure that protrudes at a predetermined angle relative to the outer surface of the rack case 120.

[0053] On the other hand, the drainage guide unit 140 according to this embodiment includes a first drainage guide unit 140A, which is installed on the front outer surface 120F of the rack case 120, as shown in Figure 4, and a second drainage guide unit 140B, which is installed on the rear outer surface 120R of the rack case 120, as shown in Figure 5.

[0054] The first drainage guide unit 140A is provided to cover the front open end of each of the housing sections 121, and the second drainage guide unit 140B may be provided to cover the rear open end of each of the housing sections 121. For example, as mentioned above, the first drainage guide unit 140A is provided to cover the front open end of the housing section 121 when it is rotated upward (+Z direction) and attached to the front outer surface of the rack case 120, as shown in Figure 2, and similarly, the second drainage guide unit 140B may be provided to cover the rear open end of the housing section 121 when it is rotated upward (+Z direction) and attached to the rear outer surface of the rack case 120.

[0055] In other words, as shown in Figures 4 and 5, if the size of the front open end and the size of the rear open end of the housing section 121 are different, the sizes of the first drainage guide unit 140A and the second drainage guide unit 140B may be provided to be different to correspond to this.

[0056] In particular, in this embodiment, each storage section 121 of the rack case 120 is provided such that the width of the rear open end on the left and right (±X direction) is narrower than the width of the front open end on the left and right. In other words, as shown in Figure 5, the width of the rear open end of the storage section 121 on the left and right is provided to have a width corresponding to "L1". This is to arrange the fire extinguishing water supply pipe 130 and the second drainage guide unit 140B on the rear outer surface 120R of the rack case 120 so that they do not interfere with each other. That is, the fire extinguishing water supply pipe 130 can be placed in the remaining portion corresponding to "L2" in Figure 5 to avoid interference with the second drainage guide unit 140B.

[0057] The fire extinguishing water supply piping 130 is a component for supplying fire extinguishing water to each battery module 110 in an emergency, and may be configured to pass through the rear outer surface of the rack case 120 and connect to the battery modules 110 located inside the housing 121. For example, as shown in Figure 6, the fire extinguishing water supply piping 130 may include a main pipe 131 arranged vertically along the rack case 120, and a plurality of connecting nozzles 132 branching off from the main pipe 131 in a crisscross manner, with each connecting nozzle 132 passing through the rear outer surface of the rack case 120 and connecting to a water supply valve 117 located on the rear of the battery module 110. For reference, each of the connecting nozzles 132 may be fitted inside the rack case 120 through through holes (not shown) provided on the outer surface of the rear of the rack case 120.

[0058] Next, referring to Figures 7 to 9, we will describe the configuration of the battery module 110 for injecting fire-extinguishing water into the battery module 110 in the event of thermal runaway or ignition of the secondary battery 111.

[0059] As described above, the battery module 110 may include a module housing 112, a secondary battery 111 housed inside the module housing 112, an air conditioning vent 116 and a water supply valve 117 provided on the back of the module housing 112, and a cooling fan 114 provided on the front of the module housing 112.

[0060] Therefore, when the battery module 110 is fitted into the housing section 121 of the rack case 120, the cooling fan 114 can be positioned on the front side of the rack case 120, and the air conditioning holes 116 and water supply valve 117 can be positioned on the rear side of the rack case 120. When such a battery module 110 is fitted into the housing section 121 of the rack case 120, the lower side of the air conditioning holes 116 can be shielded by the rear outer surface of the rack case 120. That is, as shown by "K1" in Figures 5 and 6, the rack case 120 may be provided with a wall protruding from the bottom surface of each housing section 121 at the rear open end of each housing section 121. The wall serves to prevent fire extinguishing water from leaking out to the rear side of the housing section 121.

[0061] The module housing 112 has an internal space capable of accommodating a cell stack formed by stacking secondary batteries 111 in one direction, and can be provided in the shape of a box with a generally rectangular parallelepiped, consisting of a bottom plate, a top plate, left and right side plates 112a, a front plate 113, and a rear plate 115. Here, the six plates may be provided so as to be assembled and disassembled from one another, or some of the six plates may be manufactured as a single unit, while the remaining plates may be manufactured separately and provided so as to be partially assembled and disassembled.

[0062] A pouch-type secondary battery 111 can be used as the secondary battery 111. Multiple pouch-type secondary batteries 111 are stacked in one direction to create a cell stack, and the cell stack is housed inside the module housing 112.

[0063] The cell stack can be arranged inside the module housing 112 such that the longitudinal direction of the pouch-type secondary battery 111 intersects with the side plate 112a of the module housing 112. In other words, as shown in Figure 9, when the directions intersecting the stacking direction of the secondary battery 111 are defined as the front direction and back direction of the cell stack, the cell stack can be arranged such that the front and back portions face the left and right side plates 112a, respectively, with a predetermined distance between them. By arranging the cell stack inside the module housing 112 in this way, it becomes possible to secure an airflow space and a space in which the fire extinguishing unit 118 can be arranged inside the module housing 112.

[0064] The fire extinguishing unit 118 may include a pipe-shaped unit body 118a and a plurality of spray nozzles 118b, as shown in Figures 8 and 9.

[0065] The unit body 118a may be provided in the shape of a pipe extending along the longitudinal direction of the module housing 112, with one end connected to a water supply valve 117. The plurality of injection nozzles 118b may be arranged at predetermined intervals along the longitudinal direction of the unit body 118a, with their discharge ports facing the cell stack.

[0066] Although not shown in detail, each spray nozzle 118b may include a glass valve (not shown) that normally discharges fire extinguishing water and closes the outlet, but opens the outlet if thermal damage is applied. The glass valve may contain a predetermined liquid or gas inside and be configured to break when heated due to the expansion of the liquid or gas's volume. With such a configuration, for example, if the temperature inside the battery module 110 rises to 70°C to 100°C or higher, or if flames or high-temperature vent gases cause thermal damage to the glass valve, the substance inside the glass valve expands, causing the glass valve to break and the outlet of the spray nozzle 118b to open. Then, the fire extinguishing water inside the unit body 118a can be discharged towards the cell stack through the outlet of the spray nozzle 118b.

[0067] Unlike this embodiment, in some cases, one end of the water supply valve 117 and the connecting nozzle 132 of the fire extinguishing water supply pipe 130 are connected on the outside of the rear plate 115, and the other end of the water supply valve 117, i.e., the outlet to which the glass valve is connected, is located on the inside of the rear plate 115. In this case, the fire extinguishing unit 118 described above can be omitted from inside the module housing 112.

[0068] According to the fire extinguishing water supply method described above, it becomes possible to supply fire extinguishing water to the interior of only the battery module 110 in which a thermal event has occurred, among the battery modules 110 contained in the battery rack 100.

[0069] In the following section, with reference to Figure 10, we will describe the mechanism by which, when a thermal event occurs inside the battery module 110 and fire extinguishing water is supplied, the fire extinguishing water is then drained to the outside, in the configuration of the battery rack 100 according to one embodiment of the present invention.

[0070] For example, if a thermal event occurs in the second battery module 110 from the top among the battery modules 110 included in the battery rack 100 shown in Figure 10, the discharge port of the spray nozzle 118b inside the second battery module 110 opens. Then, due to the pressure difference, fire extinguishing water enters the battery module 110 from the supply pipe via the water supply valve 117 of the second battery module 110, moves along the unit body 118a, and is discharged from the discharge ports of each spray nozzle.

[0071] In this way, by directly injecting fire-extinguishing water into the second battery module 110 where a thermal event has occurred, the fire and thermal runaway situation in the second battery module 110 can be suppressed more quickly and effectively in the early stages. As a result, the thermal runaway or propagation of flames to the other battery modules 110 can be blocked, and furthermore, the entire energy storage system 200, including the battery rack 100, can be prevented from burning out.

[0072] On the other hand, the module housing 112 of the battery module 110 is not completely sealed. That is, there may be gaps in the module housing 112 due to air vents 116, cooling fans 114, assembly tolerances, etc. Therefore, there is a risk that the fire extinguishing water introduced into the battery module 110 may leak out to the outside of the battery module 110 through the aforementioned parts. If the fire extinguishing water that has leaked out of the battery module 110 flows into other normal battery modules 110, there is a concern that those battery modules 110 may suffer serious water damage.

[0073] Therefore, as described above, the battery rack 100 according to the present invention is configured such that each battery module 110 is housed in a housing section 121 which has a structure in which the top, bottom, left, and right sides are closed off except for the front and rear, so that other normal battery modules 110 are not damaged by water ingress. For example, even if fire extinguishing water leaks from the second battery module 110, as shown in Figure 10, the fire extinguishing water is drained only from the front and rear sides of the rack case 120. Therefore, the possibility of other normal battery modules 110 being damaged by water ingress is very low.

[0074] Furthermore, when the fire extinguishing water is drained outside the housing 121 where the second battery module 110 is located, the flow of the fire extinguishing water is further guided outward along the drainage guide unit 140, so that the fire extinguishing water can fall from a position a predetermined distance away from the front outer surface or the rear outer surface of the rack case 120. In addition, since the drainage guide units 140 are arranged in multiple stages vertically along the height direction of the rack case 120, and the drainage guide units 140 that are relatively lower protect each battery module 110 from fire extinguishing water falling from the height of the second battery module 110, the possibility of other normal battery modules 110 below the second battery module 110 being damaged by water ingress is further reduced.

[0075] Furthermore, in the case of the rack case 120 of this embodiment, since there is a wall protruding from the bottom surface of each storage section 121 at the rear open end of each storage section 121, the fire extinguishing water can be blocked by the wall and move to the front side of the storage section 121, as shown in "F1" in Figure 10. Therefore, most of the fire extinguishing water can be drained to the front side of the rack case 120.

[0076] As described above, the battery rack 100 according to the present invention makes it possible to prevent fire extinguishing water introduced into a battery module 110 where a thermal event has occurred from flowing into other surrounding battery modules 110.

[0077] On the other hand, the energy storage system 200 according to the present invention may be configured to include one or more of the battery racks 100 described above.

[0078] For example, as shown in Figure 11, the energy storage system 200 may include a plurality of battery racks 100, a container 210 that houses the plurality of battery racks 100, and connecting pipes 220 connected to the fire extinguishing water supply pipes 130 of each battery rack 100.

[0079] Although not shown in the diagram for ease of drawing, the energy storage system 200 may further include an air conditioning system for managing the temperature inside the container 210 and a Master Battery Management System for integrated control of the battery rack 100.

[0080] As described above, the present invention has been explained with limited embodiments and drawings, but it goes without saying that the present invention is not limited thereto, and various modifications and variations are possible within the equivalent scope of the technical concept and claims of the present invention by persons with ordinary skill in the art to which the present invention belongs.

[0081] On the other hand, while directional terms such as up, down, left, right, front, and back have been used in this specification, these terms are used merely for ease of explanation, and it will be obvious to those skilled in the art that they may vary depending on the position of the object in question, the observer's position, etc. [Explanation of Symbols]

[0082] 100 Battery Rack 110 Battery Modules 111 Secondary battery 111 Pouch-type rechargeable battery 112 Module Housing 116 Air conditioning hole 117 Water supply valve 118 Fire extinguishing unit 118a Unit body 118b Spray nozzle 120 rack case 121 Storage Unit 130 Fire water supply piping 131 Main piping 132 Connection Nozzles 140 Drainage Guide Unit 140A First drainage guide unit 140B Second drainage guide unit 141 Drainage guide plate 142 Stopper 143 Hinge 144 Magnets 200 Energy Storage Systems

Claims

1. Multiple battery modules, A rack case having a housing section that is provided to accommodate the multiple battery modules, each fitted into a predetermined height, and has a structure in which the top, bottom, left, and right sides are closed off except for the front and rear, In the event of a fire, a fire extinguishing water supply pipe is connected to each of the battery modules housed in the aforementioned housing for the supply of fire extinguishing water, A drainage guide unit is provided on at least one of the front and rear outer surfaces of the rack case to guide the drainage of fire extinguishing water so that when fire extinguishing water is injected into the battery module, the fire extinguishing water discharged to the outside of the battery module falls to a position a predetermined distance away from the outer surface of the rack case. Includes, The drainage guide unit is A battery rack rotatably coupled to the outer surface of the aforementioned rack case.

2. The drainage guide unit is The battery rack according to claim 1, wherein, of the two battery modules located adjacent to each other vertically, the battery module is coupled to the outer surface of the rack case at a position lower than the upper battery module and higher than the lower battery module.

3. The drainage guide unit is The battery rack according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the plate surface protrudes from the outer surface of the rack case so that it can form a predetermined angle with the outer surface of the rack case.

4. The drainage guide unit is The battery rack according to claim 1 or 2, which is rotated upward to cover the housing located at the top of the drainage guide unit.

5. The drainage guide unit is The battery rack according to claim 1 or 2, wherein it is provided to be rotated downward to open the housing located at the top of the drainage guide unit.

6. The drainage guide unit is A drainage guide plate is provided in the shape of a plate-like body that is hinged to the outer surface of the rack case, A stopper that restricts the rotation of the drainage guide plate so that the drainage guide plate forms a predetermined angle with respect to the outer surface of the rack case, A battery rack according to claim 1 or 2, comprising:

7. The battery rack according to claim 6, wherein the stopper is provided in the form of a projection that protrudes from the peripheral region of the drainage guide plate near the axis of rotation so as to contact the outer surface of the rack case at the predetermined angle.

8. The drainage guide unit is The battery rack according to claim 6, further comprising magnets positioned in the peripheral region of the drainage guide plate opposite the axis of rotation of the drainage guide plate, such that the drainage guide plate is fixed in an upward direction so that it is aligned with the outer surface of the rack case.

9. The drainage guide unit is A first drainage guide unit is provided on the front outer surface of the rack case, A second drainage guide unit is provided on the rear outer surface of the rack case, A battery rack according to claim 1 or 2, comprising:

10. In the aforementioned rack case, the storage section is provided such that the width of the left and right sides of the rear open end is even narrower than the width of the left and right sides of the front open end. The battery rack according to claim 9, wherein the fire extinguishing water supply piping passes through the rear outer surface of the rack case and is connected to each of the battery modules.

11. The first drainage guide unit is provided to cover the front open end of each of the housing sections, The battery rack according to claim 9, wherein the second drainage guide unit is provided to cover the rear open end of each of the housing sections.

12. The battery rack according to claim 10, wherein the battery module is fitted into the housing such that it is equipped with a blower fan on the front of the module housing, has air vents on the back of the module housing, and the air vents are exposed to the outside through the rear open end of the housing.

13. The battery rack according to claim 12, wherein when the battery module is fitted into the housing, the rear surface of the module housing is shielded below the air vents by the rear outer surface of the rack case.

14. An energy storage system comprising a battery rack according to claim 1 or 2.

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