Operation method of module transport box and module transport box
The module transport box efficiently manages and stores spare battery modules by connecting them to an external charger for status monitoring and charging, addressing the inefficiencies of existing methods and enhancing storage and transport efficiency.
Patent Information
- Authority / Receiving Office
- JP · JP
- Patent Type
- Patents
- Current Assignee / Owner
- GS YUASA CORP
- Filing Date
- 2021-11-02
- Publication Date
- 2026-05-21
AI Technical Summary
The challenge of efficiently managing and storing spare battery modules near power storage systems to prevent self-discharge and over-discharge, while minimizing the need for frequent manual inspection and charging, is not adequately addressed by existing methods.
A module transport box that allows for communication and charging of spare modules within the box, enabling efficient storage and management by connecting the communication section of the spare module to an external charger, monitoring their status, and charging as needed.
This method reduces the burden on maintenance staff by allowing in-situ charging and monitoring of spare modules, minimizing self-discharge, and optimizing storage and transport efficiency without the need for additional equipment or storage boxes.
Smart Images
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Abstract
Description
Technical Field
[0001] One aspect of the present invention relates to an operation method of a module carrying case.
Background Art
[0002] Battery modules are used in power storage systems for mobile objects such as railways and in stationary power storage systems. The performance of the battery module deteriorates with use and over time.
[0003] Conventionally, after a failure or a sign thereof of a battery module is detected, a battery manufacturer or a maintenance contractor arranges for replacement of the module. Specifically, a new module is put into a cardboard box and shipped to the site, or a maintenance worker visits the site with a replacement module.
[0004] Patent Document 1 discloses a containment system for a battery module.
Prior Art Documents
Patent Documents
[0005]
Patent Document 1
Summary of the Invention
Problems to be Solved by the Invention
[0006] In recent years, with the introduction and expansion of renewable energy, power storage systems are being built all over the world. In operating such power storage systems, it may become necessary in the future to store spare parts (hereinafter referred to as spare modules) of battery modules in the vicinity of the power storage system.
[0007] In particular, large-scale energy storage systems have a huge number of operational battery modules, which inevitably increases the probability of failure. Rather than shipping spare modules in cardboard boxes or having maintenance personnel bring them on site, stockpiling them close to the energy storage system allows for quick module replacement and rapid system recovery.
[0008] If spare modules are left unused for extended periods, their state of charge (SOC) will decrease due to self-discharge. If the initial charge level of a spare module is around 50% or less, self-discharge may lead to over-discharge. To prevent over-discharge of spare modules, it is necessary to periodically check their charge level and recharge (supplementary charge) any spare modules with a low charge level.
[0009] One aspect of the present invention provides a method for operating a module transport box that enables efficient work related to the storage of spare modules. [Means for solving the problem]
[0010] The inventors considered using module transport boxes to store and manage spare modules at energy storage system sites, and thus devised the present invention.
[0011] A method for operating a module transport box according to one aspect of the present invention is: A module transport box containing multiple spare modules is placed at the installation location. A communication connection is established between the communication section of the spare module inside the module transport box and the charger on the outside of the module transport box. By communication, status information of the spare module, including at least one of the charge state and voltage, is obtained. Based on the acquired status information, the need for charging or whether charging is possible is determined, and the spare module in the module transport box is charged using the charger. [Effects of the Invention]
[0012] According to the above aspect, the work related to the storage of spare modules can be efficiently carried out by the module carrying case and the charger outside thereof.
Brief Description of the Drawings
[0013] [Figure 1] It is a front view of the module carrying case and the charger. [Figure 2] It is a side view of the module carrying case. [Figure 3] It is a perspective view of the spare module. [Figure 4] It is a side view and a front view of the charger. [Figure 5] It is a diagram showing the internal structure of the charger and the spare module. [Figure 6] It is a flowchart showing the work procedure related to the storage of the spare module. [Figure 7] It is a diagram showing an example of display on the display unit of the charger. [Figure 8] It is a diagram showing an example of display on the display unit of the charger.
Mode for Carrying Out the Invention
[0014] The operation method of the module carrying case according to an embodiment is as follows: Install the module carrying case containing a plurality of spare modules at the installation position. Connect the communication unit of the spare module in the module carrying case to the charger outside the module carrying case for communication connection. Obtain the state information including at least one of the charging state and voltage of the spare module through communication. Determine the necessity or feasibility of charging based on the obtained state information, and charge the spare module in the module carrying case with the charger.
[0015] Here, the module carrying case is preferably a metal housing excellent in strength, cost, fire resistance, weather resistance, etc., but is not limited thereto. The charger preferably has a charge-discharge function for receiving discharge from the spare module, but is not limited thereto. From the perspective of simplifying the configuration, the communication between the communication unit of the spare module and the charger is preferably wired communication, but is not limited thereto and may be wireless communication. From the perspective of simplifying the configuration, the charging of the spare module by the charger is preferably performed via a charging cable, but is not limited thereto and may be non-contact charging (wireless charging).
[0016] The first technical effect of this method is that since the module carrying box is also used for storing and managing the spare module at the site of the power storage system in addition to carrying the spare module, there is no need to separately prepare a dedicated spare module storage box. Also, there is no need for the cost of discarding or collecting the module carrying box after the transportation of the spare module.
[0017] The second technical effect is that the state of the spare module can be grasped and the spare module can be charged as needed by the charger outside the module carrying box with the spare module stored in the module carrying box (i.e., without taking out the spare module from the module carrying box). Since the operations of taking out the spare module with a certain weight from the module carrying box and putting back the spare module whose state has been grasped and charged into the module carrying box can be omitted, the burden on the maintenance staff is reduced.
[0018] The operation of storing a plurality of spare modules in the module carrying box and storing them in close proximity to the power storage system has no precedent in the past, and therefore a standard operation method has not yet been established. According to the method described above, the operations related to storing the spare module can be efficiently performed by the module carrying box and the charger.
[0019] The third technical benefit is that by not having the module transport box perform the functions of the charger (monitoring the status of spare modules and charging them as needed), the configuration of the module transport box can be simplified. The module transport box does not need to have a charger, nor does it need to have connecting members for electrically connecting multiple spare modules to each other, nor connecting members / interfaces for electrically connecting spare modules to other electrical equipment. The module transport box only needs to have a configuration that can properly store multiple spare modules, so costs and weight can be reduced. By suppressing the increase in weight of the module transport box, the burden required for transporting spare modules is also reduced.
[0020] In the operation method of the module transport box described above, the charger may be used to detect abnormalities in the spare module.
[0021] It is conceivable that a spare module stored in a module transport box may be in an abnormal state, such as containing a battery cell with excessively low voltage among its multiple internal battery cells. According to the method described above, during the process of checking the status of the spare module and charging it as needed, the charger can be used to make maintenance personnel aware of any spare modules in an abnormal state, thereby preventing such spare modules from being incorporated into the energy storage system.
[0022] In the operation method of the module transport box described above, the charger may indicate the status information of the spare module and whether or not there is an abnormality. The method for indicating the status information and whether or not there is an abnormality may be to display whether or not there is an abnormality on the display unit of the charger, or the charger may announce whether or not there is an abnormality.
[0023] According to the method described above, it is not necessary to install a display unit or a speech unit in the module transport box. Therefore, there is no need to supply power to the module transport box to operate electrical equipment such as the display unit and speech unit, and the configuration of the module transport box can be simplified. In addition, the flexibility of the installation location of the module transport box is increased (it can be installed in locations where there is no commercial power supply).
[0024] In the module transport box management method described above, the communication line from the charger may be connected to the communication connector provided on the spare module from the first direction of the module transport box, and the charging cable from the charger may be connected to the external terminal provided on the spare module from the first direction.
[0025] According to the method described above, maintenance personnel can efficiently access the communication connector and external terminals of the spare module from the same direction. For example, a maintenance worker can open the front door of the module transport box and access the communication connector and external terminals located on the front of the spare module from the front of the spare module, and connect communication lines and charging cables to them.
[0026] In the method for managing the spare module described above, after connecting the communication line and the charging cable to the communication connector and the external terminal, the front door may be closed and the spare module may be charged.
[0027] Charging the spare module requires a predetermined amount of time. Rapid charging in a short period of time is undesirable as it may accelerate the degradation of the spare module. The method described above allows for safer charging of the spare module compared to charging with the front door open.
[0028] Other module transport boxes according to this embodiment include: A base plate with multiple wheels, Multiple shelves are provided at intervals in the vertical direction, each capable of accommodating a spare module, It features a front door that can be opened and closed, The system is configured to allow the spare module to be charged by an external charger while the front door is closed.
[0029] Traditionally, multiple energy storage modules have been transported on a single pallet, but this requires a large footprint and is not very efficient. The module transport box described above has multiple shelves, allowing multiple spare modules to be placed vertically, thus improving transport efficiency. Furthermore, when storing spare modules near an energy storage system, the module transport box occupies a relatively small footprint, resulting in high space efficiency.
[0030] The plurality of wheels may be provided on the base plate so that a pair of forks of a forklift can be inserted between them.
[0031] Embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings. The numerical values, shapes, materials, components, arrangement positions of components, and connection configurations shown in the embodiments are examples and do not limit the present invention.
[0032] In the following description and drawings, the direction in which a pair of electrode terminals are aligned in a single energy storage cell (prismatic cell), the direction in which the short sides of the energy storage cell's container face each other, or the direction in which the long sides of the energy storage unit's casing face each other is defined as the X-axis direction. The direction in which multiple energy storage cells are aligned, the direction in which the long sides of the energy storage cell's container face each other, the direction in which the short sides of the energy storage unit's casing face each other, or the direction in which the energy storage unit and the substrate unit are aligned is defined as the Y-axis direction. The direction in which the base member and the casing cover of the energy storage unit are aligned, the direction in which the energy storage cell and the busbar are aligned, the direction in which the energy storage cell's container body and the cover are aligned, or the vertical direction is defined as the Z-axis direction. These X-axis, Y-axis, and Z-axis directions intersect each other (orthogonal in this embodiment).
[0033] As shown in Figure 1, the module transport box 100 stores multiple spare modules 50. The module transport box 100 is a metal casing and has multiple shelves arranged vertically at intervals inside, each capable of holding a spare module 50. In the example shown in Figure 1, there are four vertical shelves, with three spare modules 50 stored on each shelf (a total of 12 modules). The number of spare modules 50 that can be stored in the module transport box 100 is not limited to this example.
[0034] The multiple spare modules 50 stored in the module transport box 100 are not electrically connected to each other, nor are they connected to any other electrical equipment or wiring (they are disconnected from the power circuit). In this state, the spare modules 50 stored in the module transport box 100 have extremely low self-discharge.
[0035] In the example shown in Figure 1, the module transport box 100 has a rectangular parallelepiped shape and includes a front door 101 that covers the front of multiple shelves, a top plate 104, and a bottom plate 106. The front door 101 covers the front of the spare modules 50 installed in multiple tiers. The front door 101 is provided with a door handle 102. When a maintenance worker operates the door handle 102 to open the front door 101, they can access the front of the multiple (multiple tiers) spare modules 50 inside. Preferably, the front door 101 is lockable.
[0036] The modular transport box 100 has multiple wheels 106a on its bottom plate 106. In the example shown in Figure 1, casters whose rotation axis direction can be freely changed are provided as wheels 106a at the four corners of the rectangular bottom plate 106. In Figure 1 (front view), the multiple wheels 106a are provided on the bottom plate 106 so that a pair of forklift tines (shown as dashed lines in Figure 1) can be inserted between them.
[0037] In the example shown in Figure 1, fittings 104a for suspending the modular transport box 100 are provided at the four corners of the rectangular top plate 104 of the modular transport box 100. Therefore, the modular transport box 100 can be loaded and unloaded onto moving objects such as transport vehicles using a small crane or a truck with a crane.
[0038] By closing the front door 101, the spare modules 50 inside are covered by the module transport box 100 (they are no longer exposed to the outside). This module transport box 100 allows for the safe transport of the spare modules 50. The spare modules 50 will not fall out of the module transport box 100 during transport by the transport vehicle. The same applies when unloading from the transport vehicle and transporting the module transport box 100 to the storage location by rolling it on wheels 106a.
[0039] While the spare module 50 is stored near the energy storage system, the module transport box 100 protects the spare module 50 from unintentional external metal contact, contact with foreign objects containing moisture, heat, theft, and other threats.
[0040] The module transport box 100 is configured to allow charging of spare modules 50 by an external charger 10 while the front door 101 is closed, and this will be described later. Preferably, the charger 10 is a portable type that is not fixed to the module transport box 100.
[0041] As shown in Figure 2, the module transport box 100 has a back panel 103 located on the opposite side of the front door 101 and facing the front door 101, and a pair of side panels 105 extending between the front door 101 and the back panel 103. The spare modules 50 are inserted from the front of the module transport box 100 (from the left side in Figure 2) with the front door 101 open and placed on each shelf. The spare modules 50 are stored in the module transport box 100 so that their backs face the back panel 103 of the module transport box 100.
[0042] With the front door 101 closed, the charging cable 16a of the charger 10 (see Figure 1) can be led out from the bottom of the front door 101 to the outside of the module transport box 100. Inside the module transport box 100, a gap is formed between the shelf and the inner surface of the front door 101, and the charging cable 16a is led out through this gap, and further through a gap or opening (whose width or diameter is less than 10 mm) between the bottom plate 106 and the inner surface of the front door 101.
[0043] In Figure 2 (side view), the multiple wheels 106a are provided on the bottom plate 106 so that a pair of forklift tines (shown by dashed lines in Figure 2) can be inserted between them. After the modular transport box 100 is installed in the correct position, the bottom plate 106 may be fixed to the floor using fixing brackets 107 (for example, L-shaped brackets) and bolts.
[0044] As shown in Figure 3, the spare module 50 includes a power storage unit 50a and a circuit board unit 52a attached to the power storage unit 50a. On the front of the spare module 50 (on the front of the circuit board unit 52a), there is a communication connector 52b to which the communication line of the charger 10 is connected, and a positive connector 41 and a negative connector 42 to which the charging cable of the charger 10 is connected. The positive connector 41 and the negative connector 42 correspond to the external terminals of the spare module 50.
[0045] The energy storage unit 50a shown in Figure 3 is a battery pack having a roughly rectangular parallelepiped shape with an elongated length in the Y-axis direction. Multiple energy storage cells 55a are housed in an outer casing along with a busbar frame and multiple busbars. The outer casing has an outer casing body, a base member, and an outer casing cover.
[0046] A positive power cable 41a and a negative power cable 42a are connected to the energy storage unit 50a. A positive connector 41 and a negative connector 42 are provided at the ends of the positive power cable 41a and the negative power cable 42a, respectively. Figure 3 shows the positive connector 41 facing upwards and the negative connector 42 facing downwards, but the power cables 41a and 42a are flexible, and the orientation of the connectors 41 and 42 can be freely changed. With the spare module 50 stored in the module transport box 100, it is sufficient for a maintenance worker to connect the charging cable 16a to the connectors 41 and 42 from the front of the module transport box 100.
[0047] In this embodiment, the energy storage cell 55a is a secondary battery (single cell), and more specifically, a non-aqueous electrolyte secondary battery such as a lithium-ion secondary battery. The energy storage cell 55a (prismatic cell) has a flattened rectangular parallelepiped (square) shape, and in this embodiment, 16 energy storage cells 55a are arranged in the Y-axis direction. The shape, arrangement position, and number of energy storage cells 55a are not particularly limited. Furthermore, the energy storage cell 55a is not limited to a non-aqueous electrolyte secondary battery, but may be a secondary battery other than a non-aqueous electrolyte secondary battery, or it may be a capacitor. The energy storage cell 55a may be a primary battery instead of a secondary battery. The energy storage cell 55a may be a battery using a solid electrolyte. The energy storage cell 55a may be a pouch cell having a laminated case.
[0048] Next, I will explain the charger 10. As shown in Figure 4(A), the housing 11 of the charger 10 has a front surface 11a, a rear surface 11b, and a pair of side surfaces 11c, and has a substantially rectangular parallelepiped shape. A touch panel 20, which serves as both a display and a user interface, is provided on the front surface 11a. The rear surface 11b has connection terminals 18 to which an AC power supply is connected. The charger 10 is portable and has a pair of handles 12 on its top surface.
[0049] As shown in Figure 4(B), the front panel 11a is provided with a power switch 14 for the charger 10, and a first communication channel 15a and a second communication channel 15b, which are communication interfaces with the spare module. The front panel 11a is also provided with charging terminals 16 for the charger 10 (in this embodiment, charging and discharging terminals for charging and discharging), which are connected to connectors 41 and 42 (see Figure 3) of the spare module.
[0050] As shown in Figure 5, the charger 10 includes a management unit 30 electrically connected to the touch panel 20, a first converter 40a communicatively connected to the management unit 30, and a second converter 40b communicatively connected to the first converter 40a. The management unit 30 may be able to communicate directly with both the first converter 40a and the second converter 40b.
[0051] The AC power input to the connection terminal 18 on the rear of the charger 10 is supplied to the first converter 40a and the second converter 40b via a breaker 14a that is linked to the aforementioned power switch 14. The AC power is also input to a power supply 32 that supplies stepped-down power to the management unit 30.
[0052] The second converter 40b and the first converter 40a are connected in series. The negative output terminal of the second converter 40b is connected to the charging terminal 16 on the front of the charger 10 via a cutoff switch (e.g., relay) 34 and a current sensor 36. The positive output terminal of the second converter 40b is connected to the negative output terminal of the first converter 40a. The positive output terminal of the first converter 40a is connected to the charging terminal 16. The charging terminal 16 is connected to connectors 41 and 42 of the spare module 50 by a charging cable 16a.
[0053] The charger 10 of this embodiment is configured as a charger / discharger, with a discharge circuit 60 for discharging the spare module 50 provided inside the housing. The discharge circuit 60 may have a heat-resistant enamel resistor.
[0054] The management unit 30 of the charger 10 is communicatively connected to the monitoring board 52 housed in the circuit board unit 52a (see Figure 3) of the spare module 50. The management unit 30 of the charger 10 may have the same configuration as the battery management unit (higher-level controller) to which the monitoring board 52 is connected when the spare module 50 is incorporated into an energy storage system (not shown). In Figure 5, the dashed lines indicate the communication path.
[0055] The monitoring board 52 uses a voltage sensor to detect the voltage value of each energy storage cell 55a and transmits it to the management unit 30 of the charger 10 via communication. The monitoring board 52 transmits the sum of the voltage values of each energy storage cell 55a to the management unit 30 as the voltage value of the spare module 50. Alternatively, the management unit 30 may calculate the sum of the voltage values of each energy storage cell 55a and recognize it as the voltage value of the spare module 50.
[0056] The monitoring board 52 further detects the temperature of the spare module 50 using a temperature sensor and transmits this information to the management unit 30 of the charger 10 via communication.
[0057] By connecting the management unit 30 of the charger 10 to the monitoring board 52 of the spare module 50 in this way, the management unit 30 can understand the status of the spare module 50.
[0058] Next, the work involved in stockpiling the spare module 50 will be explained with reference to Figure 6. A module transport box 100 containing multiple spare modules 50 is placed in a suitable location for storage near the energy storage system (step S10).
[0059] The communication line from the charger 10 (see Figure 1) on the outside of the module transport box 100 is connected to the communication connector 52b of one of the spare modules 50 inside the module transport box 100 (step S20). At this time, the charging cable 16a (see Figure 5) from the charger 10 may also be connected to the connectors 41 and 42 of the spare module 50.
[0060] The charger 10 on the outside of the module transport box 100 acquires status information of the spare module 50 via communication (step S30). If the management unit 30 of the charger 10 has the same configuration as the battery management unit in an energy storage system (not shown), the management unit 30 can grasp the status of the spare module 50 in great detail. Based on the acquired status information, the management unit 30 detects abnormalities in the spare module 50. For example, the management unit 30 can grasp the voltage of each energy storage cell 55a of the spare module 50 and determine whether or not the spare module 50 contains any abnormal cells 55a (e.g., cells with internal short circuits).
[0061] The charger 10 on the outside of the module transport box 100 displays the acquired status information of the spare module 50 and whether or not there is an abnormality (step S40). As shown in Figure 7(A), the touch panel 20 of the charger 10 may have an icon (button) 21 on a single display screen that indicates whether or not there is an abnormality. The icon 21 may transition between "no abnormality" and "abnormality occurred".
[0062] The status information of the spare module 50 may also be displayed on the same display screen. In the example in Figure 7(A), icon 22, which indicates the model "XYZ" of the spare module 50 to which the charger 10 is connected, is shown on the same display screen as icon 21.
[0063] As shown in Figure 8, status information of the spare module 50 may be displayed on other display screens. When the icon 24 indicating "charging mode" is selected on the display screen of Figure 7(A), the display screen of Figure 8 may be accessed. In the example of Figure 8, "battery voltage (total voltage of spare module 50)", "SOC (state of charge of spare module 50)", "battery current (current flowing through spare module 50)", and "battery temperature (temperature of spare module 50)" are displayed.
[0064] If icon 21 in Figure 7(A) displays "Anomaly Occurred," selecting icon 21 will transition to the display screen shown in Figure 7(B). Figure 7(B) shows the detected anomaly items, such as temperature status, communication status, voltage status, status of the management unit 30 (BMU), and status of the monitoring board 52 (CMU: Cell Monitoring Unit). An icon 23 may be provided on the display screen of Figure 7(B) to transition to a screen that displays the degree and details of the anomaly in more detail.
[0065] Returning to Figure 6, the maintenance worker determines whether charging is necessary for the spare module 50 connected to the communication line, based on the display on the touch panel 20 of the charger 10 (step S50). If an abnormality in the spare module 50 is detected in S30, it may be determined that charging is not necessary. Alternatively, the charger 10 may autonomously determine whether charging is necessary (whether charging is possible or not) and display the determination result.
[0066] If charging is not required (S50:NO), the maintenance work on the spare module 50 connected to the communication line is terminated (step S70). The maintenance worker may then begin checking the status of other spare modules stored in the module transport box 100 (or return to S20).
[0067] If charging is required (S50:YES), the spare module is charged via the charging cable 16a of the charger 10. If charging requires a predetermined amount of time, it is preferable to close the front door 101 of the module transport box 100 (see Figure 2). If the front door 101 is left open, it is possible that it may move unintentionally due to wind or earthquake tremors. Closing the front door 101 enhances the safety of the charging process. The charging cable 16a and the communication line are led to the outside through the gap or opening between the bottom plate 106 of the module transport box 100 and the front door 101.
[0068] The present invention is not limited to the embodiments described above. Instead of connecting the communication line from the charger 10 and the charging cable 16a to the spare module 50, the charging cable 16a may be left unconnected, and the charger 10 may be allowed to communicate with the spare module 50. The status can be determined through communication, and if it is determined that charging is necessary, the charging cable 16a may be connected to the spare module 50.
[0069] The module transport box 100 may have gaps or openings other than the area between the bottom plate 106 and the front door 101. When the module transport box 100 is installed outdoors or in a well-ventilated place, it is preferable to have as few of these gaps or openings as possible, and to have them located on the underside of the module transport box 100.
[0070] The module transport box 100 may also be of a type that can open and close a rear door or a side door in place of, or in addition to, the front door 101.
[0071] The module transport box 100 may have stoppers to brake the rotation of the wheels 106a. The module transport box 100 does not need to have wheels 106a on the bottom plate 106.
[0072] The module transport box 101 may be composed of a combination of multiple boxes, each containing a spare module 50. Each of the multiple boxes may be configured to allow a communication connection from an external charger to the internal spare module 50.
[0073] This technology may also be applied to an existing module transport box 101. That is, the operation method of the module transport box 101 may involve establishing a communication connection from a charger on the outside of the module transport box to the communication section of a spare module inside a module transport box (existing) containing multiple spare modules, obtaining status information of the spare module including at least one of the charge state and voltage through communication, determining whether charging is necessary or possible based on the acquired status information, and then charging the spare module inside the module transport box using the charger. [Explanation of symbols]
[0074] 10 charger 16A charging cable 50 spare modules 100 Module Transport Box 101 Front Door 106 Bottom plate 106a wheels
Claims
1. A method for operating a module transport box that stores spare battery modules used in an energy storage system and which are stored in close proximity to the energy storage system, The module transport box containing multiple spare modules is placed at the installation location. A communication connection is established between the communication unit of the spare module inside the module transport box and the charger on the outside of the module transport box. By communication, status information of the spare module, including at least one of the charge state and voltage, is obtained. A method for operating a module transport box, comprising determining whether charging is necessary or possible based on the acquired status information, and charging the spare modules in the module transport box with the charger.
2. A module transport box containing multiple spare modules is placed at the installation location. A communication connection is established between the communication unit of the spare module inside the module transport box and the charger on the outside of the module transport box. By communication, status information of the spare module, including at least one of the charge state and voltage, is obtained. Based on the acquired status information, the necessity or feasibility of charging is determined, and the spare module in the module transport box is charged using the charger. A method for operating a module transport box, wherein the charger detects an abnormality in the spare module.
3. The method according to claim 2, wherein the charger indicates the status information of the spare module and whether or not there is an abnormality.
4. A module transport box containing multiple spare modules is placed at the installation location. A communication connection is established between the communication unit of the spare module inside the module transport box and the charger on the outside of the module transport box. By communication, status information of the spare module, including at least one of the charge state and voltage, is obtained. Based on the acquired status information, the necessity or feasibility of charging is determined, and the spare module in the module transport box is charged using the charger. A method for operating a module transport box, comprising connecting a communication line from the charger to a communication connector provided on the spare module from a first direction of the module transport box, and connecting a charging cable from the charger to an external terminal provided on the spare module from the first direction.
5. The module transport box has a front door that covers a plurality of the spare modules from the front, and the front of the plurality of spare modules can be accessed by opening the front door. A method for operating a module transport box according to claim 4, comprising connecting the communication line and the charging cable to the communication connector and the external terminal, then closing the front door and charging the spare module.
6. A method for operating a module transport box that houses spare battery modules used in an energy storage system and spare modules used in close proximity to the said energy storage system, A communication connection is established from a charger located outside the module transport box to the communication section of a spare module located inside a module transport box containing multiple spare modules. By communication, status information of the spare module, including at least one of the charge state and voltage, is obtained. A method for operating a module transport box, comprising determining whether charging is necessary or possible based on the acquired status information, and charging the spare modules in the module transport box with the charger.
7. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 6, wherein the plurality of spare modules are stored in the module transport box in a state where they are not electrically connected to each other and are disconnected from the power circuit.
8. A module transport box that houses spare battery modules used in an energy storage system and spare modules used in close proximity to the said energy storage system, A base plate with multiple wheels, Multiple shelves are provided at intervals in the vertical direction, each capable of accommodating the aforementioned spare modules, It features a front door that can be opened and closed, A module transport box configured to allow charging of the spare module by an external charger while the front door is closed.
9. The modular transport box according to claim 8, wherein the plurality of wheels are provided on the bottom plate so that a pair of forklift tines can be inserted between them.