Insulation protection mechanism, conveying apparatus, and flow battery energy storage system

Abstract

The present disclosure relates to but not limited to insulation protection technology. Disclosed in the embodiments of the present disclosure are an insulation protection mechanism, a conveying apparatus, and a flow battery energy storage system. The insulation protection mechanism comprises a support body, an insulation protective cover, a transmission assembly, a sensing assembly and a control unit. The insulation protective cover is arranged on the support body, and the insulation protective cover and the support body together enclose a mounting space for mounting a conveying mechanism. The control unit controls the transmission assembly to conveniently drive the insulation protective cover to open or close the mounting space, so as to facilitate maintenance and replacement of the conveying mechanism in the mounting space, and to reset the insulation protective cover after the maintenance and replacement of the conveying mechanism. The sensing assembly can monitor whether the mounting space is closed, so as to prevent the conveying apparatus and the flow battery energy storage system from being turned on when the insulation protective cover is not closed, thereby reducing the risk of electric shocks.

Description

Insulation protection mechanism, conveying equipment and flow battery energy storage system Technical Field

[0001] This article relates to but is not limited to insulation protection technology, and in particular to an insulation protection mechanism, conveying equipment and liquid flow battery energy storage system. Background Art

[0002] With the rapid development of new clean energy sources in recent years, energy storage technology has experienced rapid growth within the industry. Vanadium flow batteries, due to their excellent stability and safety, have been widely adopted in the energy storage industry, becoming a mainstream technology solution in this field. The electrolyte delivery equipment used in flow battery energy storage systems currently utilizes a magnetic pump. The internal wiring of the motor utilizes a floating ground design, with the 380V three-phase line connected to the motor input terminal, while the PE line is not connected. If a phase line contact fault or induced current occurs in the equipment, personnel may accidentally touch the metal casing of the motor (pump) and receive an electric shock. The current method for protecting motors (pumps) from contact electric shock is to install an insulating shield over the motor (pump). During actual operation of a flow battery energy storage system, if the insulating shield is not properly installed or not promptly restored after removal, the metal casing of the motor (pump) may remain unprotected and energized, posing a risk of electric shock to personnel passing through exposed conductive parts of the energized equipment.

[0003] Utility Model Content

[0004] The main purpose of this article is to provide an insulation protection mechanism, conveying equipment and liquid flow battery energy storage system, aiming to solve the technical problem that when the insulation protection cover is not installed in place or is not restored in time after removal, people are at risk of electric shock when passing through the exposed conductive parts of live equipment.

[0005] To achieve the above objectives, an insulation protection mechanism proposed in the embodiments of this document includes:

[0006] frame;

[0007] An insulating protective cover is provided on the frame, and the insulating protective cover and the frame can enclose an installation space, wherein the installation space has space for installing a conveying mechanism;

[0008] A transmission assembly, transmission-connected between the frame and the insulating protective cover;

[0009] a sensing component configured to detect whether the installation space is closed; and

[0010] The control unit is configured to control the transmission assembly to drive the insulating protective cover to open or close the installation space.

[0011] In some embodiments of the insulation protection mechanism, the insulation protection cover includes a fixed part and a movable part, the fixed part is fixed to the frame, the movable part is movably connected to the fixed part, and the transmission assembly can drive the movable part to move relative to the frame to open or close the installation space.

[0012] In some embodiments of the insulation protection mechanism, the transmission assembly includes a transmission unit, a gear and a rack, the gear is arranged on the output end of the transmission unit, the transmission unit is arranged on one of the frame and the movable part, the rack is arranged on the other of the frame and the movable part and is engaged with the gear, and the control unit controls the transmission unit to drive the movable part to move relative to the frame through the cooperation of the gear and the rack.

[0013] In some embodiments of the insulation protection mechanism, the sensing component is installed in the installation space, and the sensing component includes a photosensor.

[0014] In some embodiments of the insulation protection mechanism, there are multiple photosensors.

[0015] In some embodiments of the insulation protection mechanism, a plurality of the light-sensitive sensors are spaced apart along a moving path of the movable portion and configured to monitor an opening size of the installation space.

[0016] To achieve the above objectives, the embodiments of this document further provide a conveying device, comprising:

[0017] Insulation protection means as described above; and

[0018] A conveying mechanism is installed in the installation space and arranged on the frame, and the conveying mechanism is configured to convey electrolyte to the battery stack.

[0019] In some embodiments of the conveying equipment, the control unit is further configured to control the conveying mechanism to always be in a closed state after the sensing component detects that the installation space is open, and to release the control of the conveying mechanism in the closed state after the sensing component detects that the installation space is closed.

[0020] In some embodiments of the conveying device, the conveying device further comprises an alarm unit, and the alarm unit is configured to issue an alarm after the sensing component detects that the installation space is open.

[0021] To achieve the above objectives, the embodiments of this document further propose a flow battery energy storage system, comprising:

[0022] Battery stack;

[0023] a liquid storage unit configured to store electrolyte; and

[0024] In the transport device as described above, the transport mechanism transports the electrolyte to the fuel cell stack, so that the electrolyte circulates among the liquid storage unit, the transport mechanism, and the fuel cell stack.

[0025] Implementing the embodiments of this article will have the following beneficial effects:

[0026] The insulation protection mechanism of the above-mentioned scheme is applied to conveying equipment and liquid flow battery energy storage systems. In addition to protecting the conveying mechanism in the conveying equipment and liquid flow battery energy storage system, it can also monitor whether the insulation protection cover is closed to prevent the conveying equipment and liquid flow battery energy storage system from being opened when the insulation protection cover is not closed, thereby reducing the risk of electric shock. Specifically, the insulation protection mechanism includes a frame, an insulation protection cover, a transmission component, a sensing component and a control unit. The insulation protection cover is arranged on the frame and can be combined with the frame to form an installation space for installing the conveying mechanism. The control unit controls the transmission component to facilitate driving the insulation protection cover to realize the opening or closing of the installation space, so as to facilitate the maintenance and replacement of the conveying mechanism in the installation space, and reset the insulation protection cover after the conveying mechanism is repaired and replaced. The sensing component can monitor whether the installation space is closed to prevent the conveying equipment and liquid flow battery energy storage system from being opened when the insulation protection cover is not closed, thereby reducing the risk of electric shock.

[0027] Other features and advantages of this invention will be described in the following description, and part of them will become obvious from the description, or they can be understood by practicing this invention. Other advantages of this invention can be realized and obtained by the schemes described in the description and the drawings. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0028] The accompanying drawings are used to provide an understanding of the technical solution of this article and constitute a part of the specification. Together with the embodiments of this article, they are used to explain the technical solution of this article and do not constitute a limitation to the technical solution of this article.

[0029] FIG1 is a schematic diagram of an embodiment of a flow battery energy storage system in this article.

[0030] Explanation of the accompanying drawings: 10. Fuel cell stack; 20. Liquid storage unit; 30. Conveying mechanism; 40. Frame; 50. Insulating protective cover; 51. Fixed part; 52. Movable part; 60. Transmission assembly; 70. Control unit; 100. Installation space.

[0031] The realization of the purpose, functional features and advantages of this article will be further explained with reference to the accompanying drawings in conjunction with the embodiments. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0032] To make the purpose, technical solutions and advantages of this article more clear, the embodiments of this article will be described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings. It should be noted that the embodiments and features in the embodiments of this article can be combined with each other in any way unless there is a conflict.

[0033] With the rapid development of new clean energy sources in recent years, energy storage technology has experienced rapid growth within the industry. Vanadium flow batteries, due to their excellent stability and safety, have been widely adopted in the energy storage industry, becoming a mainstream technology solution in this field. The electrolyte delivery equipment used in flow battery energy storage systems currently utilizes a magnetic pump. The internal wiring of the motor utilizes a floating ground design, with the 380V three-phase line connected to the motor input terminal, while the PE line is not connected. If a phase line contact fault or induced current occurs in the equipment, personnel may accidentally touch the metal casing of the motor (pump) and receive an electric shock. The current method for protecting motors (pumps) from contact electric shock is to install an insulating shield over the motor (pump). During actual operation of a flow battery energy storage system, if the insulating shield is not properly installed or not promptly restored after removal, the metal casing of the motor (pump) may remain unprotected and energized, posing a risk of electric shock to personnel passing through exposed conductive parts of the energized equipment.

[0034] To address the above technical issues, embodiments herein provide an insulation protection mechanism, conveying equipment, and a flow battery energy storage system. As shown in FIG1 , the flow battery energy storage system includes a battery stack 10, a liquid storage unit 20, and a conveying equipment. The liquid storage unit 20 is configured to store electrolyte. The conveying equipment includes an insulation protection mechanism and a conveying mechanism 30. The insulation protection mechanism includes a frame 40, an insulation protection cover 50, a transmission assembly 60, a sensing assembly (not shown), and a control unit 70. The insulation protection cover 50 is disposed on the frame 40. The insulation protection cover 50 and the frame 40 can enclose an installation space 100, which has space for installing the conveying mechanism 30. The transmission assembly 60 is transmission-connected between the frame 40 and the insulation protection cover 50. The sensing assembly is configured to monitor whether the installation space 100 is closed. The control unit 70 is configured to control the transmission assembly 60 to drive the insulation protection cover 50 to open or close the installation space 100. In the embodiments herein, the conveying mechanism 30 is a magnetic pump. The control unit 70 is, but is not limited to, a PLC controller. The conveying mechanism 30 is installed in the installation space 100 and disposed on the frame 40 . The conveying mechanism 30 is configured to convey electrolyte to the fuel cell stack 10 so that the electrolyte circulates among the liquid storage unit 20 , the conveying mechanism 30 and the fuel cell stack 10 .

[0035] In the embodiments herein, the liquid flow battery energy storage system is an all-vanadium liquid flow battery energy storage system, which is a redox battery with vanadium as the active material in a circulating liquid state. The electrical energy of the all-vanadium liquid flow battery energy storage system is stored in the form of chemical energy in a sulfuric acid electrolyte containing vanadium ions of different valence states. The electrolyte is pressed into the battery stack 10 by a conveying mechanism 30. Under the action of mechanical power, it circulates in a closed loop between the liquid storage unit 20 and the battery stack 10. A proton exchange membrane is used as the separator of the battery pack. The electrolyte solution flows parallel to the electrode surface and an electrochemical reaction occurs. The current is collected and conducted through the double electrode plates, thereby converting the chemical energy stored in the electrolyte into electrical energy. It can be understood that in other embodiments, the liquid flow battery energy storage system can also be, but is not limited to, a lithium-ion liquid flow energy storage system, a zinc-cerium liquid flow energy storage system, an iron-chromium liquid flow energy storage system, or a zinc-iron liquid flow energy storage system.

[0036] In addition, in some embodiments, the conveying mechanism 30 may also be other equipment with risks of live operations, such as a driving mechanism or a water pump.

[0037] In summary, the implementation of the embodiments of this invention will have the following beneficial effects: the insulation protection mechanism of the above scheme is applied to the conveying equipment and the liquid flow battery energy storage system. In addition to protecting the conveying mechanism 30 in the conveying equipment and the liquid flow battery energy storage system, it can also monitor whether the insulation protection cover 50 is closed to prevent the conveying equipment and the liquid flow battery energy storage system from being opened when the insulation protection cover 50 is not closed, thereby reducing the risk of electric shock. Specifically, the insulation protection mechanism includes a frame 40, an insulation protection cover 50, a transmission assembly 60, a sensing assembly and a control unit 70. The insulation protection cover 50 is arranged on the frame 40 and can be combined with the frame 40 to form an installation space 100 for installing the conveying mechanism 30. The control unit 70 controls the transmission assembly 60 to facilitate driving the insulation protection cover 50 to open or close the installation space 100, so as to facilitate the maintenance and replacement of the conveying mechanism 30 in the installation space 100, and reset the insulation protection cover 50 after the conveying mechanism 30 is repaired or replaced. The sensing component can monitor whether the installation space 100 is closed to prevent the conveying equipment and the flow battery energy storage system from being turned on when the insulating protective cover 50 is not closed, thereby reducing the risk of electric shock.

[0038] In one embodiment, as shown in Figure 1, the insulating protective cover 50 includes a fixed portion 51 and a movable portion 52. The fixed portion 51 is fixed to the frame 40, and the movable portion 52 can be movably connected to the fixed portion 51, so that part of the insulating protective cover 50 can be fixedly connected to the frame 40, increasing the connection stability between the insulating protective cover 50 and the frame 40, thereby ensuring the stability of the installation space 100 enclosed by the insulating protective cover 50 and the frame 40, avoiding accidental collision with the conveying mechanism 30 located in the installation space 100, and ensuring that the conveying mechanism 30 has a more stable working environment.

[0039] The transmission assembly 60 is capable of driving the movable portion 52 to move relative to the frame 40 to open or close the installation space 100. By driving a portion of the structure of the insulating protective cover 50, the energy consumption generated by driving the installation space 100 to open or close can be reduced. At the same time, the transmission resistance of the transmission assembly 60 can be reduced, reducing the losses caused by the transmission mechanism, and extending the life of the transmission assembly 60. It is understood that in other embodiments, the transmission assembly 60 can also be a lifting assembly configured to drive the entire movement of the insulating protective cover 50 to open or close the installation space 100.

[0040] In one embodiment, the transmission assembly 60 includes a transmission unit, a gear and a rack, the gear being arranged on the output end of the transmission unit, the transmission unit being arranged on one of the frame 40 and the movable portion 52, and the rack being arranged on the other of the frame 40 and the movable portion 52 and meshing with the gear. In this way, through the meshing of the gear and the rack, the transmission accuracy between the frame 40 and the movable portion 52 can be improved, ensuring that the installation space 100 can be opened or closed smoothly. In the embodiment of this article, the transmission unit is arranged on the movable portion 52, and the rack is arranged on the frame 40. It can be understood that in other embodiments, the transmission unit can also be arranged on the frame 40, and the rack can be arranged on the movable portion 52.

[0041] The control unit 70 controls the transmission unit to drive the movable portion 52 to move relative to the frame 40 through the cooperation of the gear and the rack.

[0042] In one embodiment, a sensing component is installed in the installation space 100, and the sensing component includes a photosensor. When the installation space 100 is closed, there is no light or the light is dim in the installation space 100, and the photosensor cannot be triggered, thereby determining that the installation space 100 is in a closed state. When the installation space 100 is open, light enters the installation space 100 and directly or indirectly shines on the photosensor, triggering the photosensor to send a signal, thereby determining that the installation space 100 is in an open state. Compared to laser sensors that may be blocked by the outside world and cause inaccurate monitoring, photosensors are more compatible with the use state of the insulating protective cover 50, can be installed in the installation space 100 without being interfered with by the outside world, and have higher monitoring accuracy.

[0043] In one embodiment, multiple photosensors are provided to further improve the accuracy of monitoring whether the installation space 100 is closed. Multiple photosensors are spaced apart along the movement path of the movable portion 52 to monitor the extent of the opening of the installation space 100. The extent of the opening of the installation space 100 can be determined based on the number of triggered photosensors. The signals emitted by the photosensors after being triggered can be received by the control unit 70, which can drive the movable portion 52 to move relative to the frame 40 based on the number of triggered photosensors to meet the required extent of the opening of the installation space 100. At this time, the light sensitivity of the photosensors can be appropriately adjusted to prevent the movable portion 52 from not moving into position, i.e., triggering the photosensors in that position to emit signals.

[0044] In one embodiment, the control unit 70 is further configured to control the conveying mechanism 30 to remain in a closed state after the sensing component detects that the installation space 100 is open, thereby avoiding maintenance under power. This can also prevent the flow battery energy storage system from operating when the insulating protective cover 50 is not properly installed or has not been promptly restored after removal. The control unit 70 is also configured to release the control of the conveying mechanism 30 from being in a closed state after the sensing component detects that the installation space 100 is closed, thereby facilitating personnel to control the operation of the flow battery energy storage system.

[0045] In one embodiment, the conveying equipment further includes an alarm unit (not shown). The alarm unit is configured to issue an alarm upon detecting that the installation space 100 is open based on the sensing component. This serves as a warning, notifying the user that the installation space 100 is open, and preventing maintenance while powered on. Furthermore, the alarm unit can prevent the flow battery energy storage system from operating if the insulating protective cover 50 is not properly installed or promptly restored after removal. The alarm unit can issue an alarm in at least one of audible and luminous forms.

[0046] When the liquid flow battery energy storage system is running, the installation space 100 is always in a closed state. Once it is shut down for maintenance, the installation space 100 is opened, the photosensor is exposed to the light from the external environment, and sends a signal to the control unit 70. The control unit 70 triggers the alarm unit to alarm according to the signal. If the liquid flow battery energy storage system is turned off (the conveying mechanism 30 is turned off), the control unit 70 will not intervene to control the liquid flow battery energy storage system. If the liquid flow battery energy storage system is not turned off (the conveying mechanism 30 is not turned off), the control unit 70 controls the conveying mechanism 30 to always be in a closed state.

[0047] When the maintenance is completed and the installation space 100 is not closed, the photosensor continues to send a signal to the control unit 70. At this time, the control unit 70 controls the conveying mechanism 30 to always be in the closed state, and the alarm unit continues to alarm. When the staff needs to close the installation space 100, the control unit 70 controls the transmission unit to drive the movable part 52 to move relative to the frame 40 through the gear and rack to close the installation space 100. After the installation space 100 is closed, the control unit 70 no longer intervenes in the opening and closing of the liquid flow battery energy storage system (conveyance mechanism 30). The control unit 70 can realize signal connection with the conveying mechanism 30, the transmission component 60, the sensing component and the alarm unit through wireless or wired connections.

[0048] In the description of this document, it should be noted that the terms "upper", "lower", "one side", "the other side", "one end", "the other end", "side", "relative", "four corners", "periphery", ""mouth"-shaped structure", etc., indicating the orientation or positional relationship, are based on the orientation or positional relationship shown in the accompanying drawings. They are only for the convenience of describing this document and simplifying the description, and do not indicate or imply that the structure referred to has a specific orientation, is constructed and operated in a specific orientation. Therefore, they should not be understood as limitations on this document.

[0049] In the description of the embodiments herein, unless otherwise expressly specified or limited, the terms "connect," "direct connection," "indirect connection," "fixed connection," "installation," and "assembly" should be understood in a broad sense. For example, they may refer to a fixed connection, a detachable connection, or an integral connection. The terms "installation," "connection," and "fixed connection" may refer to a direct connection, an indirect connection through an intermediate medium, or internal communication between two components. Those skilled in the art will understand the specific meanings of the above terms in this document in specific contexts.

[0050] Although the embodiments disclosed herein are as described above, the contents described are merely examples of embodiments adopted to facilitate understanding of this document and are not intended to limit this document. It should be noted that the above examples or implementations are merely illustrative and not restrictive. Therefore, this document is not limited to the contents specifically shown and described herein. Various modifications, substitutions, or omissions may be made to the forms and details of the implementations without departing from the scope of this document.

Claims

1. An insulation protection mechanism, characterized in that: include: Frame; An insulating protective cover is arranged on the frame, and the insulating protective cover can be combined with the frame to form an installation space, and the installation space has a space for installing a conveying mechanism; A transmission assembly, transmission-connected between the frame and the insulating protective cover; a sensing component configured to detect whether the installation space is closed; and The control unit is configured to control the transmission assembly to drive the insulating protective cover to open or close the installation space.

2. The insulation protection mechanism according to claim 1, characterized in that: The insulating protective cover comprises a fixed part and a movable part, wherein the fixed part is fixedly arranged on the frame, and the movable part is movably connected to the fixed part, and the transmission assembly can drive the movable part to move relative to the frame to open or close the installation space.

3. The insulation protection mechanism according to claim 2, characterized in that: The transmission assembly includes a transmission unit, a gear and a rack, wherein the gear is arranged on the output end of the transmission unit, the transmission unit is arranged on one of the frame and the movable part, the rack is arranged on the other of the frame and the movable part and meshes with the gear, and the control unit controls the transmission unit to drive the movable part to move relative to the frame through the cooperation of the gear and the rack.

4. The insulation protection mechanism according to claim 2 or 3, characterized in that: The sensing component is installed in the installation space, and the sensing component includes a photosensitive sensor.

5. The insulation protection mechanism according to claim 4, characterized in that: There are multiple photosensitive sensors.

6. The insulation protection mechanism according to claim 5, characterized in that: A plurality of the light-sensitive sensors are arranged at intervals along the moving path of the movable part, and are configured to monitor the opening size of the installation space.

7. A conveying device, characterized in that: include: An insulation protection mechanism as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 6; and A conveying mechanism is installed in the installation space and arranged on the frame, and the conveying mechanism is configured to convey electrolyte to the battery stack.

8. The conveying device according to claim 7, characterized in that The control unit is further configured to control the conveying mechanism to always be in a closed state after the sensing component detects that the installation space is open, and to release the control of the conveying mechanism being in a closed state after the sensing component detects that the installation space is closed.

9. The conveying device according to claim 8, characterized in that The conveying device further comprises an alarm unit, which is configured to issue an alarm after the sensing component detects that the installation space is open.

10. A liquid flow battery energy storage system, characterized in that: include: Battery stack; A liquid storage unit configured to store an electrolyte; and The transport device according to any one of claims 7 to 9, wherein the transport mechanism transports electrolyte to the battery stack so that the electrolyte circulates between the liquid storage unit, the transport mechanism and the battery stack.

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