Fire extinguishing device for secondary batteries

Abstract

To provide a secondary battery-powered fire extinguishing device that has a simple configuration and can achieve space savings and low costs. [Solution] A fire extinguishing device 10 for extinguishing a fire or smoke-emitting secondary battery 11 by submerging it in liquid, comprising: a storage tank 12 for storing fire extinguishing liquid supplied when the secondary battery 11 is fire-emitting or smoke-emitting, which is capable of positioning the secondary battery 11 above and surrounding the secondary battery 11 when viewed from above; and a wall body 13 provided inside the storage tank 12 along at least a part of its peripheral wall 12a, which can rise by buoyancy when fire extinguishing liquid is supplied into the storage tank 12. The wall body 13 is normally located inside the storage tank 12, and when fire extinguishing liquid is supplied into the storage tank 12, it rises from inside the storage tank 12, forming an upper wall 20 along the peripheral wall 12a of the storage tank 12 to surround the secondary battery 11, and extinguishing the fire by submerging the secondary battery 11.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a secondary battery fire extinguishing apparatus capable of responding to ignition and smoke emission of a secondary battery.

Background Art

[0002] Conventionally, in the manufacturing process of secondary batteries, manufactured secondary batteries are inspected (tested) to determine whether they satisfy predetermined performances and characteristics, and the secondary batteries are charged and discharged. At that time, ignition or smoke emission may occur due to initial defects or the like of the secondary batteries. In particular, a secondary battery with a large capacity can store a large amount of energy, but proportionally thereto, there is a risk that damage will be extremely serious if a fire breaks out.

[0003] Accordingly, for example, Patent Document 1 discloses a water-immersion type fire extinguishing charging and discharging facility that includes a water tank for submerging a secondary battery below, and pushes the secondary battery down into the water tank to submerge it. However, since the above facility has a configuration in which the water tank is separately provided below the secondary battery, the space in the height direction cannot be effectively utilized. In addition, since the water tank is required to have airtightness and watertightness in manufacturing, increasing the volume of the water tank according to the size of the secondary battery or a tray on which a plurality of the secondary batteries are arranged leads to high costs. Furthermore, since the structure pushes the secondary battery down into the water tank, a power source such as a cylinder is required, and the mechanical structure is complicated. For example, in the event of loss of power supply accompanying a fire or malfunction of the control system, there is a risk that the secondary battery cannot be submerged in water.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0004]

Patent Document 1

Summary of the Invention

Problem to be Solved by the Invention

[0005] The object of the present invention is to provide a fire extinguishing device using a secondary battery that has a simple configuration and can achieve space savings and low costs. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] As a result of studies conducted to address the above issues, the inventors discovered that when a secondary battery catches fire or emits smoke, if a fire extinguishing liquid is supplied to the containment tank, it will rise from the tank due to buoyancy, forming an upper wall along the periphery of the containment tank, surrounding the secondary battery, and extinguishing the fire by submerging the battery. This discovery led to the completion of the present invention.

[0007] In other words, the present invention is as follows: [1] A fire extinguishing device that extinguishes a fire or smoke-emitting secondary battery by immersing it in liquid, A storage tank is provided that allows the secondary battery to be positioned above it and, when viewed from above, can surround the secondary battery, and which contains a fire extinguishing liquid to be supplied when the secondary battery catches fire or emits smoke. The aforementioned containment tank is provided with a wall body that is provided along at least a portion of its peripheral wall and is capable of rising by buoyancy when fire extinguishing liquid is supplied into the containment tank. The fire extinguishing device for a secondary battery is characterized in that the wall is normally placed inside the containment tank, and when fire extinguishing liquid is supplied into the containment tank, it rises from inside the containment tank, forms an upper wall along the peripheral wall of the containment tank, surrounds the secondary battery, and extinguishes the fire by submerging the secondary battery.

[0008] [2] The fire extinguishing device for a secondary battery according to [1] above, characterized in that it is provided with a charge / discharge chamber above the storage tank for housing and charging / discharging the secondary battery.

[0009] [3] The fire extinguishing device for a secondary battery according to [1] or [2] above, characterized in that the wall body is composed of multiple wall materials that overlap in the thickness direction, and when fire extinguishing liquid is supplied into the containment tank, the multiple wall materials rise sequentially to different height positions from within the containment tank by buoyancy.

[0010] [4] The fire extinguishing device for a secondary battery according to any one of [1] to [3] above, characterized in that the wall is provided along the entire peripheral wall of the storage tank.

[0011] [5] A fire extinguishing device for a secondary battery according to any one of [1] to [4] above, characterized in that an extended side wall extending upward is provided on a part of the peripheral wall of the storage tank, and the wall body is provided along the peripheral wall of the portion of the storage tank where the extended side wall is not present. [6] The fire extinguishing device for a secondary battery according to [5] above, characterized in that at least a portion of the extended side wall has an opening, and the wall body is further provided along the peripheral wall of the portion of the storage tank where the extended side wall having the opening exists, and can rise from inside the storage tank to close the opening of the extended side wall.

[0012] [7] The fire extinguishing device for a secondary battery according to [1] or [2] above, characterized in that an extended side wall extending upward is provided over the entire periphery wall of the storage tank, and at least a portion of the extended side wall has an opening, and the wall body is provided along the periphery wall of the portion of the storage tank where the extended side wall having the opening exists, and can rise from inside the storage tank to close the opening of the extended side wall.

[0013] [8] The storage tank is rectangular in shape when viewed from above, The fire extinguishing device for a secondary battery according to [5] above, characterized in that the extended side wall is present on one to three of the four side walls that constitute the peripheral wall of the storage tank.

[0014] [9] The fire extinguishing device for a secondary battery according to [8] above, characterized in that the extended side wall is located on the far side opposite to the loading and unloading port of the secondary battery in the charging and discharging chamber.

[10] The fire extinguishing device for a secondary battery according to any one of [5] to [9] above, characterized in that the extended side wall is through which a pressing portion of a pressing means for pressing the secondary battery forward during charging and discharging can be inserted.

[0015]

[11] The charge and discharge chamber is provided with an opening / closing door capable of opening and closing the loading / unloading port, and the opening / closing door constitutes a part of the extended side wall of the storage tank, the fire extinguishing apparatus for a secondary battery according to any one of the above [2] to [6] and [8] to

[10] .

[0016]

[12] The charge and discharge chamber is equipped with a charge and discharge probe that can be connected to the electrode terminals of the secondary battery arranged such that the electrode terminals face both lateral sides, and that can move forward and backward in the horizontal direction in a state of facing the electrode terminals of the secondary battery, the fire extinguishing apparatus for a secondary battery according to any one of the above [2] to

[11] . [Effects of the Invention]

[0017] According to the fire extinguishing apparatus for a secondary battery of the present invention, it is possible to provide a fire extinguishing apparatus for a secondary battery that can achieve space saving and cost reduction with a simple configuration. [Brief Description of the Drawings]

[0018] [Figure 1] This is an explanatory diagram showing the basic operation of the fire extinguishing apparatus for a secondary battery according to the present invention. [Figure 2] This is a plan view of a battery transport tray on which the secondary battery used in the same fire extinguishing apparatus for a secondary battery is arranged. [Figure 3] This is an explanatory diagram showing a state where a secondary battery is arranged in the charge and discharge chamber of the fire extinguishing apparatus for a secondary battery according to the first embodiment of the present invention, where (a) is an explanatory diagram viewed from the front, (b) is an explanatory diagram viewed from the side, and (c) is an explanatory diagram viewed from above. [Figure 4] This is an explanatory diagram showing the operation of the fire extinguishing apparatus for a secondary battery according to the second embodiment of the present invention, where (a) is an explanatory diagram viewed from the front, (b) is an explanatory diagram viewed from the side, and (c) is an explanatory diagram viewed from above. [Figure 5] This is an explanatory diagram showing the operation of the fire extinguishing apparatus for a secondary battery according to the third embodiment of the present invention, where (a) is an explanatory diagram viewed from the front, (b) is an explanatory diagram viewed from the side, and (c) is an explanatory diagram viewed from above. [Figure 6]It is an explanatory diagram showing the operation of the fire extinguishing device for a secondary battery according to the fourth embodiment of the present invention, where (a) is an explanatory diagram in plan view, and (b) is an explanatory diagram in side view. [Figure 7] It is an explanatory diagram showing the operation of the fire extinguishing device for a secondary battery according to the fifth embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 8] It is an explanatory diagram showing the operation of the fire extinguishing device for a secondary battery according to the sixth embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 9] It is an explanatory diagram showing the operation of the fire extinguishing device for a secondary battery according to the seventh embodiment of the present invention, where (a) is an explanatory diagram in front view, (b) is an explanatory diagram in side view, and (c) is an explanatory diagram in plan view. [Figure 10] It is an explanatory diagram showing the operation of the fire extinguishing device for a secondary battery according to the eighth embodiment of the present invention. [Modes for Carrying Out the Invention]

[0019] A fire extinguishing device for a secondary battery according to the present invention is a fire extinguishing device that extinguishes fire by submerging a secondary battery that has caught fire or emitted smoke in a liquid, comprising a storage tank in which the secondary battery can be disposed above, which can enclose the periphery of the secondary battery in plan view, and which stores a fire extinguishing liquid to be supplied when the secondary battery catches fire or emits smoke; and a wall body provided inside the storage tank along at least a part of the peripheral wall thereof, which can rise by buoyancy when the fire extinguishing liquid is supplied into the storage tank. The wall body is normally disposed inside the storage tank, and when the fire extinguishing liquid is supplied into the storage tank, the wall body rises from the inside of the storage tank, forms an upper wall along the peripheral wall of the storage tank to enclose the periphery of the secondary battery, and submerges the secondary battery in the liquid to extinguish the fire.

[0020] The fire extinguishing device for a secondary battery of the present invention may be a device provided with a charge / discharge chamber for accommodating the secondary battery and performing charge and discharge above the storage tank, or may be a dedicated fire extinguishing device not provided with a charge / discharge chamber. When the fire extinguishing device for a secondary battery of the present invention is a dedicated fire extinguishing device, it is disposed in the vicinity of a charge / discharge device that does not have a fire extinguishing function, and when the secondary battery catches fire or emits smoke in the charge / discharge device, the instrument or apparatus equipped with the secondary battery is transferred to the fire extinguishing device of the present invention (above the storage tank) to perform fire extinguishing.

[0021] Here, the charge / discharge chamber is an area where a secondary battery equipped with a charge / discharge probe (current-carrying probe) for connecting to the secondary battery is charged and discharged. For example, it is an area where the secondary battery is tested by repeatedly charging and discharging to determine whether it meets predetermined performance and characteristics (see Figure 1). Examples of secondary batteries that are charged and discharged in the charge / discharge chamber include cylindrical, rectangular parallelepiped, and thin plate-shaped batteries, with thin plate-shaped, thin secondary batteries being particularly preferred (see Figure 2).

[0022] In the charge / discharge chamber, to efficiently perform the charging and discharging of secondary batteries, multiple secondary batteries are usually placed in a tray (battery holder) and charged and discharged simultaneously. Specifically, for example, multiple thin secondary batteries are stacked (arranged) in the direction of their thickness, and charging and discharging are performed by contacting a pair of electrode terminals protruding from the periphery of each thin secondary battery with a charge / discharge probe (see Figures 1 and 2). Note that the charge / discharge operation may also be performed on a single secondary battery in the charge / discharge chamber.

[0023] The charge / discharge probe provided in the charge / discharge chamber is a terminal that can be connected to the electrode terminals of a secondary battery. In the case of a secondary battery in which the two electrode terminals are arranged facing each other, the probe can move horizontally in opposition to the electrode terminals of the secondary battery (see Figure 3). In the case of a secondary battery in which the two electrode terminals are arranged facing upward, the probe can move vertically in opposition to the electrode terminals of the secondary battery (see Figure 5(a)). If the secondary battery is, for example, a cylindrical battery in which the two electrode terminals are arranged facing each other in the vertical direction, one of the charge / discharge probes can be placed inside the housing chamber, thereby allowing the charge / discharge probe to be connected to the electrode terminals at the bottom of the battery without requiring additional vertical space in the charge / discharge chamber.

[0024] The charging and discharging chamber preferably has an entrance and exit for secondary batteries at its front, and this entrance and exit is preferably equipped with an opening and closing door that allows the entrance and exit to be opened and closed (see Figures 6(a) and (b)). The opening and closing doors are not particularly limited as long as they can open and close the loading and unloading ports to isolate the charging and discharging chamber from the outside. Examples include doors that are located above and / or below the loading and unloading ports when open and move up and down, doors that are located on either side or one side of the loading and unloading ports when open and slide in the left and right directions, and doors that open and close outward or inward towards the charging and discharging chamber around a pivot axis provided on either side or one side of the loading and unloading ports.

[0025] The fire extinguishing device for secondary batteries of the present invention has a wall structure that is normally positioned along the perimeter wall inside the containment tank. When fire extinguishing liquid is supplied to the containment tank, the wall rises from inside the tank, forming an upper wall along the perimeter wall of the containment tank, surrounding the secondary battery and extinguishing the fire by submerging the battery. As a result, the device configuration can be made compact, saving space in the height direction. Furthermore, since the wall structure rises due to buoyancy from the fire extinguishing liquid supplied to the containment tank, a power source is not required, the structure can be simplified, costs can be reduced, and even in the event of power loss or control system malfunction, the secondary battery can be submerged as long as fire extinguishing liquid can be supplied to the containment tank.

[0026] The following describes the various components of the fire extinguishing device for secondary batteries according to the present invention. [Storage tank] The containment tank is a tank that can accommodate a secondary battery positioned above it and, when viewed from above, can surround the secondary battery, and contains fire extinguishing liquid to be supplied when the secondary battery catches fire or emits smoke (see Figure 1). Here, the statement that the secondary battery can be positioned above the housing means that it is above the upper edge of the perimeter wall of the housing (excluding the extended side wall), that is, above the portion where the upper wall is not formed. In other words, it means a height position where the housing and the secondary battery do not overlap when viewed from the side, and this prevents the secondary battery from colliding with the housing when, for example, the secondary battery is moved horizontally and positioned above the housing.

[0027] The storage tank can be any shape that can surround the secondary battery when viewed from above, and is preferably rectangular when viewed from above (see Figure 3(c)). This allows for compactly surrounding a battery transport tray that is rectangular when viewed from above and contains multiple secondary batteries. The height of the surrounding wall of this containment tank is not particularly limited as long as it can contain a certain amount of fire extinguishing liquid. For example, it can be appropriately changed according to the height of the wall that is normally placed inside the containment tank, i.e., the height of the wall that allows the secondary battery to be submerged, but it is typically around 100 to 200 mm.

[0028] The containment tank may have an extended side wall extending upward from a portion of its peripheral wall. Alternatively, an extended side wall having an opening may be provided on a portion or all of its peripheral wall. The upper end height of the extended side wall should be at a position where it can surround and immerse the secondary battery.

[0029] Here, the supply of fire extinguishing liquid to the containment tank can be done indirectly, for example, by a nozzle positioned above the secondary battery located above the containment tank (see Figure 1), but it can also be done directly via piping connected to the containment tank. Examples of this fire extinguishing liquid include water and liquids containing agents suitable for extinguishing secondary batteries. Thus, the containment tank can be kept empty of fire extinguishing liquid during normal operation, except when the secondary battery is igniting or emitting smoke. In this case, the space inside the containment tank can be used to place, for example, a cooling fan or charge / discharge probe to cool the secondary battery which generates heat during charging and discharging, thus making effective use of the space (see Figure 1).

[0030] [Wall] The wall is provided inside the containment tank, along at least a portion of its peripheral wall, and is a component that can rise due to buoyancy when fire extinguishing liquid is supplied into the containment tank (see Figure 1). The wall structure is not particularly limited as long as it can be configured to be able to rise due to buoyancy, that is, as long as the weight of the wall structure is less than the buoyancy obtained from its volume. For example, the wall structure can be constructed by combining different parts such as a wall surface member and a buoyancy member, or by forming a space inside and constructing the wall structure itself as a buoyancy member in an integrated structure.

[0031] Here, since the wall members and the wall itself may be exposed to high-temperature atmospheres due to, for example, the ignition or smoke emission of secondary batteries, it is preferable that they be made of materials that have heat resistance and fire resistance, and specifically, for example, it is preferable that they be made of non-combustible materials such as steel, stainless steel plates, and relatively lightweight metal materials such as aluminum alloys and titanium. The buoyancy component is preferably made of a foamed material made of a resin such as polyethylene, or a foam made of a fire-resistant material having a large number of pores inside.

[0032] As a result, the wall is normally positioned inside the containment tank, and when fire extinguishing liquid is supplied to the containment tank, it rises from inside the tank, forming an upper wall along the perimeter wall of the containment tank, surrounding the secondary battery, and extinguishing the fire by submerging the secondary battery (see Figure 1). Thus, since the upper wall submerges the secondary battery, it is preferable to set the height of the upper wall such that its upper end is at least above the upper end of the secondary battery. Furthermore, it is preferable to limit the upward position of the wall using, for example, an upward limiting member such as a stopper.

[0033] As the aforementioned wall rises, an upper wall is formed over part or all of the containment tank. This surrounds the secondary battery located above the containment tank, allowing the battery to be submerged and the fire to be extinguished. The following are examples of configurations in which a wall is formed to enclose the secondary battery by creating an upper wall.

[0034] (Aspect 1) The containment tank does not have an extended side wall that extends upward from the surrounding wall; instead, a wall is provided along the entire circumference of the containment tank's surrounding wall, thereby forming an upper wall around the entire perimeter (see Figures 3(a) to (c)). In this case, the wall structure may be a single, integrated structure covering the entire perimeter of the containment tank, or it may be a structure where each section is individually separated. If the wall structure is individually separated, even if there is a difference in the height of each wall section when the upper wall is constructed (they do not have to be at the same height), it is sufficient as long as the secondary battery is surrounded and submerged in the liquid.

[0035] (Aspect 2) An extended side wall is provided on a portion of the perimeter wall of the containment tank, extending upward. The wall is constructed along the perimeter wall in the portion of the containment tank where the extended side wall does not exist, so that the upper wall is formed in the portion where the extended side wall does not exist (see Figures 4(a)-(c) and 5(a)-(c)). The upper end height position of the upper wall formed by the wall structure may be the same as the upper end height position of the extended side wall, or it may be different from the upper end height position of the extended side wall.

[0036] The part of the peripheral wall of the storage tank on which the extended side wall is provided refers, for example, if the storage tank is rectangular in plan view, to one, two, or three of the four sides. In the sides where the extended side wall does not exist, specifically, three, two, or one side, a wall is provided along the peripheral wall. Furthermore, the extended side wall can be integrally constructed by being continuous with a portion of the upper end of the perimeter wall of the storage tank, but it can also be separately attached and fixed to a portion of the perimeter wall of the storage tank, thereby improving maintainability.

[0037] Here, if the storage tank is rectangular in shape when viewed from above, and the extended side wall is located on the far side opposite the loading / unloading port of the secondary battery in the charging / discharging chamber, the pressing portion of the pressing means, which presses the secondary battery forward during charging and discharging, can be inserted into the extended side wall (see Figures 6(a) and (b)). By providing a pressing mechanism, it is possible to suppress misalignment of the electrode terminals of the secondary battery relative to the charge / discharge probe provided in the charge / discharge chamber, which can occur due to the expansion of the secondary battery during charging and discharging. As a result, the secondary battery can be submerged even when it is being pressed.

[0038] In the above configuration, it is preferable to provide a plate that receives the load during pressurization on the loading / unloading side of the secondary battery in the charging / discharging chamber, i.e., the front side, and this plate can also be configured as part of the extended side wall. In this configuration, it is preferable to place the above-mentioned wall on both sides of the charging / discharging chamber where the rear extended side wall and plate are not present.

[0039] (Aspect 3) In the above embodiment 2, part or all of the extended side wall has an opening (see Figures 7 and 8). At least a portion of the extended side wall has an opening, and the wall body is provided along the perimeter wall of the portion where the extended side wall with the opening of the storage tank is present, in addition to the portion where the extended side wall does not exist, and can rise from inside the storage tank to close the opening of the extended side wall. Here, walls are provided not only in areas where there are no extended side walls, but also in areas where there are extended side walls with openings, thereby closing off the openings in these extended side walls. In other words, the walls are used to close off the openings. For this reason, the size of the walls placed on the extended side walls with openings only needs to be large enough to block the openings, and can be smaller than the walls in areas where there are no extended side walls.

[0040] The selection of the extended side wall to which the opening is to be formed, as well as the size and shape of the opening formed in the extended side wall, can be appropriately changed according to the intended use of the opening. Examples of uses for the opening include insertion of the charge / discharge probe, insertion of the pressing part of the pressing means, and loading and unloading of secondary batteries into the charge / discharge chamber. When the pressing part of the pressing means is inserted through the opening, the secondary battery can be submerged by closing the opening with the wall while the pressing part is retracted.

[0041] (Aspect 4) The entire perimeter wall of the containment tank is provided with an extended side wall that extends upward, and part or all of this extended side wall has an opening (see Figures 7 and 8). In other words, the wall is used solely for closing the opening described in Embodiment 3 above.

[0042] (Appendix 5) In this configuration, a portion of the extended side wall is composed of the aforementioned opening and closing door that allows for the opening and closing of the loading and unloading ports of the charging and discharging chamber (see Figure 9). The charging and discharging chamber is equipped with an opening and closing door that allows for the opening and closing of the loading and unloading ports, and the opening and closing door forms part of the extended side wall of the storage tank. For example, if the opening / closing door is located above the loading / unloading port when open and moves up and down, it forms part of the extended side wall of the storage tank when it is in the lowered closed position. Similarly, if the opening / closing door is located below the loading / unloading port when open and moves up and down, it forms part of the extended side wall of the storage tank when it is in the raised closed position. The opening / closing door may be located inside the storage tank (inside the storage tank) or outside the storage tank (outside the storage tank) when viewed from above. In this case, the other parts of the opening and closing door consist of an extended side wall (with or without an opening) and a wall body (upper wall).

[0043] (Aspect 6) The wall is composed of multiple wall materials that overlap in the thickness direction, and when fire extinguishing liquid is supplied into the containment tank, the multiple wall materials rise sequentially to different height positions from within the containment tank due to buoyancy (see Figure 10). In other words, the wall is constructed with an expandable and contractible mechanism that can expand and contract in the vertical direction. The number of overlapping wall materials in the thickness direction is preferably around 2 to 5, and structurally even more preferably around 2 to 3. By constructing the wall with multiple wall materials in this way, it is possible to make it more compact compared to constructing the wall with a single material. For example, it is possible to make the height of the storage tank where the wall is normally placed more compact.

[0044] When a wall is constructed from multiple wall materials, the weight of each material may be the same or different, thereby allowing for adjustment of the timing of when each wall material floats due to buoyancy. Here, the weight of each wall material can be adjusted, for example, by changing the material, size, etc. of each wall material. This wall may be provided along the entire perimeter of the storage tank to form an upper wall around the entire perimeter, or it may be provided on a part of the perimeter of the storage tank to form an upper wall on a part of the perimeter. When the above wall is provided on a part of the perimeter of the storage tank, the other part can be made up of an extended side wall (with or without an opening) and / or a wall made up of only a single wall material.

[0045] Furthermore, a small gap may be left between the inner surface of the containment tank and the outer surface of the wall forming the upper wall, for example, without ensuring complete watertightness. This facilitates the installation of the wall relative to the containment tank and allows for smooth raising and lowering. In this case, by supplying the amount of fire extinguishing liquid into the containment tank and the upper wall to an amount that exceeds the amount of leakage from the gap between the containment tank and the upper wall, the fire extinguishing liquid can be accumulated at a predetermined height within the upper wall, making it possible to submerge the secondary battery. The fire extinguishing liquid that overflows from the gap between the containment tank and the upper wall is preferably collected by, for example, a receiving pan located below the containment tank, and then drained, or it can be recycled and reused within the fire extinguishing device of the secondary battery.

[0046] The following describes embodiments for carrying out the present invention with reference to the drawings, but the present invention is not limited to these embodiments.

[0047] [Basic operation of a fire extinguishing system using secondary batteries] First, the fire extinguishing device for secondary batteries according to the present invention will be described with reference to Figures 1 and 2. Here, Figure 1 is an explanatory diagram showing the basic operation of the secondary battery fire extinguishing device according to the present invention. It is a front view of the fire extinguishing device and is an explanatory diagram showing how the form of the secondary battery fire extinguishing device changes from the left figure to the right figure due to the supply of fire extinguishing liquid to the storage tank. Figure 2 is a plan view of the battery transport tray on which the secondary batteries used in the secondary battery fire extinguishing device are arranged.

[0048] As shown in Figure 1, the secondary battery fire extinguishing device 10 (hereinafter also simply referred to as the fire extinguishing device 10) is a device that extinguishes a fire in a secondary battery 11 by submerging it in liquid. It comprises a storage tank 12 for storing fire extinguishing liquid (referred to as fire extinguishing water in Figure 1, and the same applies to other figures) supplied when the secondary battery 11 catches fire or emits smoke, a wall body 13 provided inside the storage tank 12 along its peripheral wall 12a and capable of rising by buoyancy when fire extinguishing liquid is supplied into the storage tank 12, a charge / discharge chamber 14 positioned above the storage tank 12 for housing and charging / discharging the secondary battery 11, and a fire extinguishing nozzle 15 positioned above the charge / discharge chamber 14 for spraying fire extinguishing liquid.

[0049] As shown in Figures 1 and 2, the secondary battery 11 is a thin, plate-shaped battery with electrode terminals 11a and 11b facing both sides. Multiple secondary batteries 11 are arranged in a line along their thickness on a battery transport tray 16, and the loading and unloading operations to and from the charge / discharge chamber 14 are performed in this state. To facilitate the removal of the secondary batteries 11 from the battery transport tray 16, for example, multiple openings (not shown) are formed in the bottom of the tray, allowing the secondary batteries 11 to be pushed up through these openings. Fire extinguishing liquid can also enter through these openings in the battery transport tray 16.

[0050] As shown in Figure 1, the charging and discharging chamber 14 is provided with a pair of rails 18 (or rollers) for positioning a battery transport tray 16 (hereinafter referred to as workpiece 17) containing a secondary battery 11 above the storage tank 12. This allows the workpiece 17 to be loaded into and unloaded from the charging and discharging chamber 14 along the rails 18. Here, the loading and unloading of workpieces 17 into and out of the charging / discharging chamber 14 is performed, for example, by a conveying device such as a stacker crane or by human labor.

[0051] Inside the charge / discharge chamber 14, a probe unit 19 having charge / discharge probes 19a is positioned at approximately the same height as the secondary battery 11, on both sides of the storage tank 12, in a position that does not come into contact with the upper wall 20. Multiple charge / discharge probes 19a are arranged in this probe unit 19 from the loading / unloading side of the charge / discharge chamber 14 towards the back, and each charge / discharge probe 19a is facing the electrode terminals 11a and 11b on both sides of the secondary battery 11, and is able to move horizontally back and forth (see Figure 4(a)). Here, the charge / discharge probes 19a maintain a state of being connected to the electrode terminals 11a and 11b when the secondary battery 11 is being charged or discharged, and maintain a state of being separated from the electrode terminals 11a and 11b when not being charged or discharged, as shown in Figure 1. Note that the fire extinguishing operation is also possible when the probe unit 19 is connected to the electrode terminals 11a and 11b of the secondary battery 11.

[0052] Multiple cooling fans 21 are arranged inside the storage tank 12 to cool the secondary battery 11, which generates heat during charging and discharging. This allows for efficient use of the space inside the storage tank 12, resulting in space savings. Furthermore, various sensors can be installed in the charging / discharging chamber 14. For example, by installing a temperature sensor, it becomes possible to measure the temperature of the secondary battery 11. This allows for the detection of the risk of fire or smoke emission from the secondary battery 11 in advance, and the fire extinguishing nozzle 15 to be activated.

[0053] The containment tank 12 is rectangular in shape when viewed from above, and a wall 13 is provided inside the containment tank 12 along its peripheral wall 12a, and is normally located inside the containment tank 12 (when no fire extinguishing liquid is supplied). The wall 13 is composed of a wall surface member 13a and a buoyancy member 13b attached and fixed to the lower outer part of the wall surface member 13a. The buoyancy member 13b can be made of, for example, foam or a square pipe that has been watertight welded together.

[0054] With the above configuration, when the secondary battery 11 catches fire or emits smoke, the fire extinguishing liquid is supplied downward from the fire extinguishing nozzle 15, causing the fire extinguishing liquid to be sprayed onto the secondary battery 11 and also stored in the storage tank 12. As shown in the left diagram of Figure 1, when the fire extinguishing liquid is contained in the containment tank 12, the wall 13 rises from inside the containment tank 12 and, as shown in the right diagram of Figure 1, forms an upper wall 20 along the peripheral wall 12a of the containment tank 12, surrounding the secondary battery 11 and extinguishing the fire by submerging the secondary battery 11.

[0055] Here, the fire extinguishing liquid supplied from the fire extinguishing nozzle 15 into the storage tank 12 and the upper wall 20 leaks out from between the upper inner surface of the storage tank 12 and the lower outer surface of the upper wall 20. By setting the amount of fire extinguishing liquid supplied from the fire extinguishing nozzle 15 to exceed the amount of leaking fire extinguishing liquid, the fire extinguishing liquid can be accumulated up to a predetermined height within the upper wall 20. This allows the secondary battery 11 to be submerged and the fire to be extinguished. Furthermore, any fire extinguishing liquid that overflows from the gap between the containment tank 12 and the upper wall 20 is collected by a receiving pan 22 located below the containment tank 12, and then drained.

[0056] [First Embodiment] A fire extinguishing device for a secondary battery according to the first embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to Figure 3. In Figure 3, components identical to those in Figures 1 and 2 are denoted by the same reference numerals. Here, Figure 3 is an explanatory diagram showing a secondary battery placed in the charge / discharge chamber of a secondary battery fire extinguishing device according to the first embodiment of the present invention, where (a) is an explanatory diagram of a front view, (b) is an explanatory diagram of a side view, and (c) is an explanatory diagram of a top view. Note that in Figure 3(b), the wall 31 shown in Figure 3(c) is omitted for the sake of illustration.

[0057] As shown in Figures 3(a) to 3(c), the secondary battery fire extinguishing device 30 (hereinafter also simply referred to as fire extinguishing device 30) includes a charge / discharge chamber 14 equipped with a charge / discharge probe 19a that can move horizontally back and forth in order to charge and discharge the secondary battery 11, which has two electrode terminals 11a and 11b facing both sides, and a storage tank 12 for storing fire extinguishing liquid, and a pair of opposing walls 13 and a pair of walls 31 that can rise due to buoyancy when fire extinguishing liquid is supplied into the storage tank 12. These walls 31 have the same configuration as the walls 13, but are members with different widths. In other words, in this embodiment, an upper wall 32 is formed around the entire circumference of the peripheral wall 12a of the storage tank 12 by a pair of opposing walls 13 and a pair of opposing walls 31, and the secondary battery 11 can be submerged by the pair of walls 13 and the pair of walls 31.

[0058] [Second Embodiment] A fire extinguishing device for a secondary battery according to a second embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to Figure 4. In Figure 4, components identical to those in Figures 1 to 3 are denoted by the same reference numerals. Here, Figure 4 is an explanatory diagram showing the operation of a fire extinguishing device for a secondary battery according to the second embodiment of the present invention, where (a) is an explanatory diagram of a front view, (b) is an explanatory diagram of a side view, and (c) is an explanatory diagram of a top view. Note that although the charge / discharge probe 19a is not shown in Figure 4(c), it is present in the same way as in Figure 3(c), and in Figure 4(b), for the sake of illustration convenience, the front wall 31 shown in Figure 4(c) is omitted.

[0059] As shown in Figures 4(a) to 4(c), the secondary battery fire extinguishing device 35 (hereinafter also simply referred to as fire extinguishing device 35) is equipped with a charge / discharge chamber 14, a storage tank 12 for storing fire extinguishing liquid, a pair of opposing walls 13 and a front wall 31 that can be raised by buoyancy when fire extinguishing liquid is supplied into the storage tank 12, and an extended side wall 36 that extends upward and is provided on the rear side (partially) of the peripheral wall 12a of the storage tank 12. In other words, in this embodiment, the upper wall 37 is formed by a pair of opposing walls 13 and a front wall 31, and the secondary battery 11 can be submerged by the pair of walls 13, the front wall 31, and the extended side wall 36.

[0060] [Third Embodiment] A fire extinguishing device for a secondary battery according to a third embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to Figure 5. In Figure 5, components identical to those in Figures 1 to 4 are denoted by the same reference numerals. Here, Figure 5 is an explanatory diagram showing the operation of a secondary battery fire extinguishing device according to the third embodiment of the present invention, where (a) is an explanatory diagram of a front view, (b) is an explanatory diagram of a side view, and (c) is an explanatory diagram of a top view.

[0061] As shown in Figures 5(a) to 5(c), the secondary battery fire extinguishing device 40 (hereinafter also simply referred to as fire extinguishing device 40) includes a charge / discharge chamber 14a equipped with a charge / discharge probe 19a that can move up and down in order to charge and discharge a secondary battery 11c with two electrode terminals 11a and 11b facing upward, a storage tank 12 for storing fire extinguishing liquid, a front wall 31 that can be raised by buoyancy when fire extinguishing liquid is supplied into the storage tank 12, and an upwardly extending side wall 36 and a pair of extending side walls 41 provided on the rear and both sides (partially) of the peripheral wall 12a of the storage tank 12. Reference numeral 17a denotes a workpiece in which a secondary battery 11c is placed on a battery transport tray 16a. In other words, in this embodiment, the front wall 31 forms the upper wall 42, and the front wall 31, the rear extended side wall 36, and the extended side walls 41 on both sides allow the secondary battery 11c to be submerged. As a result, the charge / discharge probe 19a can be connected to the electrode terminals 11a and 11b of the secondary battery 11c.

[0062] [Fourth Embodiment] A fire extinguishing device for a secondary battery according to the fourth embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to Figure 6. In Figure 6, components identical to those in Figures 1 to 5 are denoted by the same reference numerals. Here, Figure 6 is an explanatory diagram showing the operation of a secondary battery fire extinguishing device according to the fourth embodiment of the present invention, where (a) is a plan view and (b) is a side view.

[0063] As shown in Figures 6(a) and (b), the secondary battery fire extinguishing device 45 (hereinafter also simply referred to as fire extinguishing device 45) is equipped with a charge / discharge chamber 14, a storage tank 12 for storing fire extinguishing liquid, a pair of opposing walls 13 that can be raised by buoyancy when fire extinguishing liquid is supplied into the storage tank 12, an extended side wall 36 provided on the rear side (partially) of the peripheral wall 12a of the storage tank 12, and a plate 46 provided on the front side of the peripheral wall 12a of the storage tank 12 so as to be able to move up and down. In other words, in this embodiment, the upper wall 47 is formed by a pair of opposing wall bodies 13, and the secondary battery 11 can be submerged by the pair of wall bodies 13, the rear extended side wall 36, and the plate 46.

[0064] The extended side wall 36 at the rear of the charging / discharging chamber 14 is provided through which a pressing portion 49 of a pressing means 48, which presses the secondary battery 11 forward during charging and discharging, can be inserted. A pressurizing cylinder or a servo motor can be used as this pressing means 48. Furthermore, the front plate 46 of the charging / discharging chamber 14 is a member that is located above the front of the charging / discharging chamber 14 and moves up and down, thereby being able to withstand the load when pressurized. This makes it possible to suppress misalignment of the electrode terminals 11a and 11b of the secondary battery 11 with respect to the charge / discharge probe 19a provided in the charge / discharge chamber 14, which may be caused by the expansion of the secondary battery 11 during charging and discharging.

[0065] [Fifth Embodiment] A fire extinguishing device for a secondary battery according to the fifth embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to Figure 7. In Figure 7, components identical to those in Figures 1, 3, and 5 are denoted by the same reference numerals. Here, Figure 7 is an explanatory diagram showing the operation of a secondary battery fire extinguishing device according to the fifth embodiment of the present invention, and is a view of the fire extinguishing device from the front. Note that in Figure 7, for the sake of illustration, the wall 31 described in Figure 3(c) is omitted.

[0066] As shown in Figure 7, the secondary battery fire extinguishing device 55 (hereinafter also simply referred to as fire extinguishing device 55) includes a charge / discharge chamber 14, a storage tank 12 for storing fire extinguishing liquid, a pair of walls 31 facing each other in the front-to-back direction of the charge / discharge chamber 14 and a pair of walls 56 facing each other in the width direction, which can be raised by buoyancy when fire extinguishing liquid is supplied into the storage tank 12, and a pair of extended side walls 41 provided on both sides (partially) of the peripheral wall 12a of the storage tank 12. An opening 41a is formed in this pair of extended side walls 41 through which a charge / discharge probe 19a can be inserted, and this opening 41a can be closed by the wall 56. This wall 56 has the same configuration as the wall 31, but is a different size component. In other words, in this embodiment, the upper wall 57 is formed by a pair of walls 31 and a pair of walls 56, and the secondary battery 11 can be submerged by the pair of walls 31, the pair of walls 56, and the pair of extended side walls 41.

[0067] [Sixth Embodiment] A fire extinguishing device for a secondary battery according to the sixth embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to Figure 8. In Figure 8, components identical to those in Figures 1 and 5 to 7 are denoted by the same reference numerals. Here, Figure 8 is an explanatory diagram showing the operation of a fire extinguishing device for a secondary battery according to the sixth embodiment of the present invention, and is a side view of the fire extinguishing device. Note that in Figure 8, the extended side wall 41 shown in Figure 7 is omitted for illustrative purposes.

[0068] As shown in Figure 8, the secondary battery fire extinguishing device 60 (hereinafter also simply referred to as fire extinguishing device 60) is provided with an extended side wall 61 on the front (partial) side of the peripheral wall 12a of the storage tank 12 and an extended side wall 36 on the rear side, instead of the pair of walls 31 facing each other in the front-to-rear direction of the charge / discharge chamber 14. In other words, the extended side walls 41, 61, and 36 are provided on the entire peripheral wall 12a of the storage tank 12.

[0069] The extended side wall 61 has an opening 61a through which the workpiece 17 can be inserted, and this opening 61a can be closed by the wall body 62. The extended side wall 36 has an opening 36a through which the pressing portion 49 of the pressing means 48 can be inserted, and this opening 36a can be closed by the wall body 63. The wall bodies 62 and 63 have the same configuration as the wall body 56, but are components of different sizes. In other words, in this embodiment, the upper wall 64 is formed by a pair of walls 56, 62, and 63, and the secondary battery 11 can be submerged by the pair of walls 56, 62, 63, a pair of extended side walls 41, 61, and 36.

[0070] [Seventh Embodiment] A fire extinguishing device for a secondary battery according to the seventh embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to Figure 9. In Figure 9, components identical to those in Figures 1 and 4 are denoted by the same reference numerals. Here, Figure 9 is an explanatory diagram showing the operation of a secondary battery fire extinguishing device according to the seventh embodiment of the present invention, where (a) is an explanatory diagram of a front view, (b) is an explanatory diagram of a side view, and (c) is an explanatory diagram of a top view.

[0071] As shown in Figures 9(a) to 9(c), the secondary battery fire extinguishing device 66 (hereinafter also simply referred to as fire extinguishing device 66) is equipped with an opening / closing door 67 in place of the front wall 31 of the charging / discharging chamber 14, as is the case with the secondary battery fire extinguishing device 35 according to the second embodiment described above. This opening / closing door 67 can be configured as, for example, a shutter powered by a power source, which allows the loading and unloading of the charging / discharging chamber 14 to be opened and closed. In other words, in this embodiment, the upper wall 68 is formed by a pair of opposing wall bodies 13, and the secondary battery 11 can be submerged by the pair of wall bodies 13, the opening / closing door 67, and the extended side wall 36.

[0072] [Eighth Embodiment] A fire extinguishing device for a secondary battery according to the eighth embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to Figure 10. In Figure 10, components identical to those in Figures 1 and 4 are denoted by the same reference numerals. Here, Figure 10 is an explanatory diagram showing the operation of a fire extinguishing device for a secondary battery according to the eighth embodiment of the present invention, and is a view of the fire extinguishing device from the front.

[0073] As shown in Figure 10, the secondary battery fire extinguishing device 70 (hereinafter also simply referred to as the fire extinguishing device 70) is equipped with a charge / discharge chamber 14, a storage tank 12 for storing fire extinguishing liquid, and a wall 71 that can be raised by buoyancy when fire extinguishing liquid is supplied into the storage tank 12. The wall 71 is composed of multiple wall materials 72 and 73 that overlap in the thickness direction, and when fire extinguishing liquid is supplied into the containment tank 12, the multiple wall materials 72 and 73 rise sequentially to different height positions from within the containment tank 12 due to buoyancy. In other words, in this embodiment, the upper wall 74 is formed by a wall body 71 composed of multiple wall materials 72, 73, and the secondary battery 11 can be submerged by the wall body 71.

[0074] Although the present invention has been described above with reference to one embodiment, the present invention is not limited in any way to the configuration described in the above embodiment, and includes other embodiments and modifications that can be considered within the scope of the matters described in the claims. For example, the scope of the present invention also includes cases in which some or all of the above embodiments and modifications are combined to constitute a fire extinguishing device for a secondary battery of the present invention. [Industrial applicability]

[0075] The fire extinguishing device for secondary batteries of the present invention is industrially useful because it has a simple configuration, can save space, and can reduce costs. [Explanation of symbols]

[0076] 10: Fire extinguishing device for secondary battery, 11: Secondary battery, 11a, 11b: Electrode terminals, 11c: Secondary battery, 12: Storage tank, 12a: Peripheral wall, 13: Wall body, 13a: Wall surface member, 13b: Buoyancy member, 14, 14a: Charging and discharging chamber, 15: Fire extinguishing nozzle, 16, 16a: Battery transport tray, 17, 17a: Workpiece, 18: Rail, 19: Probe unit, 19a: Charging and discharging probe, 20: Top wall, 21: Blower fan, 22: Receiving pan, 30: Fire extinguishing device for secondary battery, 31: Wall body, 32: Top wall, 35: Fire extinguishing device for secondary battery, 36: Extendable side wall, 36a: opening, 37: upper wall, 40: secondary battery fire extinguishing device, 41: extendable side wall, 41a: opening, 42: upper wall, 45: secondary battery fire extinguishing device, 46: plate, 47: upper wall, 48: pressing means, 49: pressing part, 55: secondary battery fire extinguishing device, 56: wall body, 57: upper wall, 60: secondary battery fire extinguishing device, 61: extendable side wall, 61a: opening, 62, 63: wall body, 64: upper wall, 66: secondary battery fire extinguishing device, 67: opening / closing door, 68: upper wall, 70: secondary battery fire extinguishing device, 71: wall body, 72, 73: wall material, 74: upper wall

Claims

1. A fire extinguishing device that extinguishes a fire or smoke-emitting secondary battery by immersing it in liquid, A storage tank is provided that allows the secondary battery to be positioned above it and, when viewed from above, can surround the secondary battery, and which contains a fire extinguishing liquid to be supplied when the secondary battery catches fire or emits smoke. The aforementioned containment tank is provided with a wall body that is provided along at least a portion of its peripheral wall and is capable of rising by buoyancy when fire extinguishing liquid is supplied into the containment tank. The fire extinguishing device for a secondary battery is characterized in that the wall is normally placed inside the containment tank, and when fire extinguishing liquid is supplied into the containment tank, it rises from inside the containment tank, forms an upper wall along the peripheral wall of the containment tank, surrounds the secondary battery, and extinguishes the fire by submerging the secondary battery.

2. The secondary battery fire extinguishing device according to claim 1, further comprising a charge / discharge chamber above the storage tank for housing and charging / discharging the secondary battery.

3. The fire extinguishing device for a secondary battery according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that the wall body is composed of multiple wall materials that overlap in the thickness direction, and when fire extinguishing liquid is supplied into the containment tank, the multiple wall materials rise sequentially to different height positions from within the containment tank by buoyancy.

4. The fire extinguishing device for a secondary battery according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that the wall is provided along the entire peripheral wall of the storage tank.

5. The fire extinguishing device for a secondary battery according to claim 2, characterized in that an extended side wall extending upward is provided on a part of the peripheral wall of the storage tank, and the wall body is provided along the peripheral wall of the portion of the storage tank where the extended side wall does not exist.

6. The fire extinguishing device for a secondary battery according to claim 5, characterized in that at least a portion of the extended side wall has an opening, and the wall body is further provided along the peripheral wall of the portion of the storage tank where the extended side wall having the opening exists, and can rise from inside the storage tank to close the opening of the extended side wall.

7. The fire extinguishing device for a secondary battery according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that an extended side wall extending upward is provided over the entire peripheral wall of the storage tank, and at least a portion of the extended side wall has an opening, and the wall body is provided along the peripheral wall of the portion of the storage tank where the extended side wall with the opening exists, and can rise from inside the storage tank to close the opening of the extended side wall.

8. The aforementioned storage tank is rectangular in shape when viewed from above, The fire extinguishing device for a secondary battery according to claim 5, characterized in that the extended side wall is present on one to three of the four side walls that constitute the peripheral wall of the storage tank.

9. The secondary battery fire extinguishing device according to claim 8, characterized in that the extended side wall is located at the back of the charging and discharging chamber opposite to the loading and unloading port for the secondary battery.

10. The fire extinguishing device for a secondary battery according to claim 5 or 6, characterized in that the extended side wall is through which a pressing portion of a pressing means for pressing the secondary battery toward the secondary battery loading / unloading side of the charging / discharging chamber during charging and discharging can be inserted.

11. The fire extinguishing device for a secondary battery according to claim 2, characterized in that the charging and discharging chamber is equipped with an opening and closing door that allows for the opening and closing of the loading and unloading port, and the opening and closing door constitutes a part of the extended side wall of the storage tank.

12. The fire extinguishing device for a secondary battery according to claim 2, characterized in that the charging and discharging chamber is connected to the electrode terminals of the secondary battery which are arranged so that the electrode terminals face both sides, and the charging and discharging probe is capable of moving horizontally back and forth while facing the electrode terminals of the secondary battery.

Images