Fire suppression system for electric vehicle

Abstract

The present invention relates to an electric vehicle fire suppression system. The vehicle fire suppression system according to an embodiment comprises: a water supply pipe that receives water from a water tank and provides water to be sprayed into a battery pack of an electric vehicle; automatic water supply reels arranged at preconfigured intervals on the water supply pipe; a water spray pipe that receives water from the water tank through a water inlet provided at one side of the electric vehicle and is disposed in a multi-row structure or a mesh structure at an upper side of the battery pack to supply water; a connection part made of a soft material and connecting the water inlet and the water spray pipe; and a water spray control part for controlling whether water is sprayed from the automatic water supply reel hoses.

Description

Electric vehicle fire suppression system

[0001] The present invention relates to an electric vehicle fire suppression system, and more specifically, to a system for suppressing a fire by spraying water onto a battery when a fire is detected in an electric vehicle, and a method for controlling the operation thereof.

[0002] Automobiles are the most common means of transportation in modern society, playing a major role in people's movement and logistics. They are used as essential tools for both individuals and businesses by providing mobility and convenience, and are continuously evolving in pursuit of better efficiency, safety, and environmental friendliness, while various structures and roads for automobile traffic are continuously being developed.

[0003] Recently, the use of electric vehicles that actively utilize electric energy is gradually expanding; however, due to battery fires and other incidents causing damage not only to the vehicle itself but also to surrounding vehicles, a reluctance to park electric vehicles in underground parking lots is emerging.

[0004] This atmosphere is not limited to a reluctance to park electric vehicles but is expanding into a reluctance to purchase and use them, making it urgent to establish systems and countermeasures for accurately detecting electric vehicle fires and rapidly suppressing them.

[0005] Therefore, there is an urgent need to develop an additional system to detect the occurrence of electric vehicle battery fires and rapidly suppress them.

[0006] (Patent Document 1) Korean Registered Patent No. 10-2646558

[0007] The present invention aims to provide an electric vehicle fire suppression system that performs effective fire suppression by automatically spraying water through a water spraying device provided inside the battery pack when the occurrence of a fire in the electric vehicle battery is detected, thereby suppressing the fire inside the battery pack and enabling rapid and direct water spraying onto the battery where the fire occurred.

[0008] In addition, the purpose is to provide an electric vehicle fire suppression system capable of rapid and accurate fire detection by using multiple detection sensors, such as heat detection, gas detection, and pressure detection, to detect the occurrence of a fire in an electric vehicle battery.

[0009] In addition, the purpose is to provide an electric vehicle fire suppression system that can enhance the reliability of fire detection by providing a sensor monitoring device to diagnose malfunctions or failures of the fire detection sensors.

[0010] In addition, the purpose is to provide an electric vehicle fire suppression system capable of immediately extinguishing a fire by connecting a water supply hose to a water inlet provided in the electric vehicle when the vehicle is parked or charged, and spraying water onto the battery pack when a fire is detected.

[0011] An electric vehicle fire suppression system according to one embodiment of the present invention may include a water supply pipe that receives water from a water tank and provides water for spraying water into an electric vehicle battery pack, an automatic water supply reel provided at a predetermined interval in the water supply pipe, a water spray pipe that receives water from the water tank from a water inlet provided on one side of the electric vehicle and supplies water arranged in a multi-row structure or mesh structure on the upper side of the battery pack, a connecting part made of a soft material connecting the water inlet and the water spray pipe, and a water spray control part that controls whether water is ejected from the automatic water supply reel.

[0012] Additionally, the electric vehicle fire suppression system may further include a distributor that distributes water stored in the water tank through a plurality of pipes and a water pump that provides power to send water inside the water tank to the outside through the plurality of distributors.

[0013] In addition, the electric vehicle fire suppression system further includes a pipe mounting bracket on which the plurality of pipes are mounted, and the pipe mounting bracket is provided across the upper surface of one point of each parking space, and an automatic water supply valve may be provided at preset intervals.

[0014] In addition, the water inlet is provided with a water control valve that controls the opening for water supply; and the water injection control unit can control the discharge of water through the automatic water supply reel by controlling the opening of the water control valve of the electric vehicle in which the fire is detected when the occurrence of an electric vehicle fire is detected.

[0015] In addition, the electric vehicle fire suppression system may further include an alarm transmission unit that transmits a fire occurrence alarm to a pre-stored emergency contact network and pre-stored relevant organizations associated with the electric vehicle when the occurrence of a fire in the electric vehicle is detected.

[0016] According to the present invention, when a fire in an electric vehicle battery is detected, water is automatically sprayed through a water spraying device provided inside the battery pack to suppress the fire inside the battery pack, thereby enabling rapid and direct water spraying onto the battery where the fire occurred, thereby allowing for effective fire suppression.

[0017] In addition, by using multiple detection sensors, such as heat detection, gas detection, and pressure detection, to detect the occurrence of a fire in an electric vehicle battery, rapid and accurate fire detection can be achieved.

[0018] In addition, the reliability of fire detection can be enhanced by providing a sensor monitoring device to diagnose malfunctions or failures of the fire detection sensors.

[0019] In addition, when parking or charging an electric vehicle, a water supply hose is connected to the water inlet provided in the electric vehicle, and if a fire is detected, water is sprayed onto the battery pack to immediately extinguish the fire.

[0020] FIG. 1 is a drawing illustrating an indoor parking structure for operating an electric vehicle fire suppression system according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0021] FIG. 2 is a drawing illustrating an outdoor parking structure for operating an electric vehicle fire suppression system according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0022] FIG. 3 is a drawing illustrating a structure for connecting a water supply pipe to an electric vehicle according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0023] FIG. 4 is a drawing illustrating a structure in which an automatic water supply reel is installed inside a battery pack according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0024] FIG. 5 is a drawing illustrating the appearance of water being sprayed from an automatic water supply reel installed inside a battery pack according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0025] FIG. 6 is a graph showing the state of sensor data in which the slope of the output data of a fire detection sensor according to an embodiment of the present invention is constant.

[0026] FIG. 7 is a graph illustrating the state of sensor data in which the slope of the output data of a fire detection sensor according to an embodiment of the present invention changes rapidly.

[0027] Specific details regarding the problem to be solved, the means for solving the problem, and the effects of the invention as described above are included in the embodiments and drawings to be described below. The advantages and features of the present invention, and the methods for achieving them, will become clear by referring to the embodiments described below in detail together with the accompanying drawings.

[0028] The scope of the present invention is not limited to the embodiments described below, and various modifications can be made by those skilled in the art within the scope of the technical essence of the present invention.

[0029] Hereinafter, the electric vehicle fire suppression system of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the attached FIGS. 1 to 7.

[0030] FIG. 1 is a drawing illustrating an indoor parking structure for operating an electric vehicle fire suppression system according to an embodiment of the present invention, FIG. 2 is a drawing illustrating an outdoor parking structure for operating an electric vehicle fire suppression system according to an embodiment of the present invention, FIG. 3 is a drawing illustrating a structure for connecting a water supply pipe to an electric vehicle according to an embodiment of the present invention, FIG. 4 is a drawing illustrating a structure in which an automatic water supply reel is installed inside a battery pack according to an embodiment of the present invention, FIG. 5 is a drawing illustrating the appearance of water being sprayed from an automatic water supply reel installed inside a battery pack according to an embodiment of the present invention, FIG. 6 is a drawing illustrating a sensor data state graph in which the slope of the output data of a fire detection sensor is constant according to an embodiment of the present invention, and FIG. 7 is a drawing illustrating a sensor data state graph in which the slope of the output data of a fire detection sensor changes rapidly according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0031]

[0032] Referring to FIGS. 1 to 5, an electric vehicle fire suppression system (100) according to an embodiment of the present invention may include a water supply pipe (110), a water supply automatic reel (111), a water spray pipe (), a connection part (), and a water spray control part (not shown).

[0033] The water supply pipe (110) receives water from a water tank and provides water for spraying into the electric vehicle battery pack. The installation path of the water supply pipe (110) can vary depending on the environment of the parking lot so that water can be supplied close to the electric vehicle parked in the parking space.

[0034] The water supply pipe (110) can be mounted on a pipe mounting bracket (120), which can be installed across the parking surface of a vehicle and can be positioned at an appropriate location depending on the usage environment, such as the upper side of the parking surface or the floor surface.

[0035] That is, the water supply pipe (110) may be installed in the direction of the vehicle's parking surface with the pipe exposed, but it may also be installed by penetrating the inside of the pipe holder (120) or mounted on the outside.

[0036] In the embodiment of FIG. 1, a pipe holder (120) is installed across the upper surface of one point of each parking space, and water can be supplied by connecting a water inlet (411) provided on one side of the electric vehicle to an automatic water supply reel (111) provided at predetermined intervals on the pipe holder (120) when charging the electric vehicle.

[0037] More specifically, the automatic water supply reel (111) is provided at predetermined intervals so that water can be supplied to the electric vehicle from the water supply pipe (110) mounted on the pipe holder (120), and can be installed at appropriate intervals so that water can be easily supplied to each parking space.

[0038] For example, as shown in FIG. 3, when a water inlet is provided at the bottom of the front hood of an electric vehicle, it is preferable to install a pipe holder (120) at the front upper part of the parking space, and it is preferable to install an automatic water supply reel (111) at the midpoint of the width of each parking space.

[0039] Additionally, the water spray pipe (413) is arranged in a multi-row structure or mesh structure on the upper side of the battery, and can form a line for spraying water onto the battery pack by receiving water from the water tank through a water inlet (411) provided on one side of the electric vehicle.

[0040] The above water spray pipe (413) receives water from the water inlet (411), and the connecting part (412) connecting the water spray pipe (413) and the water inlet (411) is made of a soft material and can be configured to be easily bent during installation. Through this, the connecting part (412) can freely implement the necessary bending depending on the installation environment and can perform various functions, such as cushioning the battery pack so that direct impact is not applied even when the electric vehicle receives an external impact due to a traffic accident, etc. By providing the connecting part (412) made of a soft material as described above, the effect of protecting the battery, which is a core component of the electric vehicle, more effectively can be achieved.

[0041] Meanwhile, the water spray control unit (not shown) can control whether water is ejected from the water supply automatic reel (111) through the water supply automatic valve (121). For example, when a fire is detected in a specific electric vehicle through a fire detection sensor, various control methods are possible, such as a method of strongly ejecting water by increasing the water pressure of the water supply automatic reel (111) connected to the electric vehicle, or a method of controlling the valve opening of the water inlet (411) combined with the water supply automatic reel (111) so that water is sprayed into the battery by opening the valve as much as possible when a fire occurs.

[0042] Additionally, when an electric vehicle is parked in a parking space, the water supply hose (112) of the automatic water supply reel (111) that was wound on the top of the parking space is lowered to assist the user in connecting the water supply hose (112) to the water inlet (411) more conveniently, and at the same time, a voice, alarm, etc. guiding the connection of the water supply hose (112) and the water inlet (411) can be output.

[0043]

[0044] Meanwhile, an electric vehicle fire suppression system (100) according to one embodiment of the present invention may further include a distributor (132) and a water pump (131) in addition to a water supply pipe (110), a water supply automatic reel (111), and a water spray control unit (not shown).

[0045] That is, the water tank (130) is a space for storing water to supply water to the water supply pipe (110), and by providing a water pump (131) inside or outside, the water inside the water tank (130) can be discharged to the outside.

[0046] Additionally, water stored in the water tank (130) can be distributed to various locations through multiple pipes via a distributor (132), and pipes where water supply must be provided, pipes where water supply must be temporarily stopped, pipes where the pressure of water supply must be increased or decreased, etc., can be controlled through the distributor (132) according to the command of the water spray control unit (not shown).

[0047] As shown in FIG. 4, the above water spray pipe (413) can be provided in a structure that covers one side of the battery so that water introduced from the water inlet can be evenly sprayed onto the battery. Generally, the battery is rectangular in shape, and a plurality of lines can be formed along the length of the rectangular battery so that water can be evenly sprayed over the entire area of ​​the battery. Here, the water spray pipe (413) can be installed in a form that is mounted on the battery pack (430) that protects the battery. In this case, the water spray pipe (413) can be installed in various forms utilizing the frame, such as in the same direction as the frame forming the battery pack (430) or in a direction perpendicular to it.

[0048] In addition, a plurality of water spray nozzles (414) are provided facing the battery on one side of the water spray pipe (413) covering the entire battery area, so that when a fire occurs, the battery fire can be extinguished through water sprayed from the water spray nozzles (414).

[0049] Additionally, a check valve is provided at one point of the water spray pipe (413) to prevent water from being supplied when pressure is applied to the battery pack when water is sprayed from the water spray pipe (413), so that when a preset pressure is applied to the battery pack, the check valve automatically opens to discharge hot water and air.

[0050] Additionally, the check valve can also perform the function of controlling the opening and closing of the entire water spray nozzle (414). It can control the supply or blockage of water, thereby controlling the flow of water in case of fire and in normal conditions, and can also control the amount of water supplied by controlling the opening of the check valve as needed.

[0051] More specifically, the amount of water sprayed from the water spray nozzle (414) can be controlled to the maximum amount so that water is sprayed from the water spray nozzle when a fire occurs through the check valve, and during normal times, water can be circulated in a closed state so that water, moisture, or foreign substances cannot enter the battery pack, thereby cooling the heat of the battery.

[0052] Meanwhile, the electric vehicle fire suppression system (100) may be equipped with a plurality of fire detection sensors, and the fire detection sensors may be installed in various spaces such as at one point of the water supply pipe (110), on the wall or floor of the parking lot, and on one side of the water tank (130).

[0053] Fire detection sensors may include, for example, temperature sensors, pressure sensors, gas detection sensors, vibration sensors, etc., and all of the above various types of sensors may be used to increase the accuracy of detection.

[0054] Meanwhile, to prevent failure or malfunction of the fire detection sensor, a sensor failure diagnosis unit (not shown) that monitors whether the fire detection sensor is faulty may be further included, thereby ensuring a more accurate fire diagnosis result.

[0055] More specifically, the sensor fault diagnosis unit (not shown) can analyze the output data of the sensor within the sensor module in real time and determine that a fault has occurred in the sensor if the instantaneous rate of change of the output data is greater than or equal to a preset value.

[0056] To this end, in the first embodiment, the instantaneous rate of change (R) of the sensor output data change Calculate ) and the above instantaneous rate of change (R change ) is a preset limit value (S err If it is greater than ), it can be determined that an error has occurred in the sensor's real-time output data (e.g., due to a failure of the sensor itself).

[0057] Instantaneous rate of change (R) of sensor output data change) can be calculated through the derivative f'(x) of the function f(x) representing the characteristics of the sensor as shown in [Mathematical Formula 1] below.

[0058] [Mathematical Formula 1]

[0059]

[0060] Here, R change represents the instantaneous rate of change of the sensor output data, and △t represents the time change.

[0061] In the second embodiment, the instantaneous rate of change of the sensor calculated in the above [Equation 1] is a preset limit value (S err It can be determined that a sensor failure has occurred only when the number of times greater than ) occurs during a preset period exceeds a preset number of times. In other words, since it is unreasonable to determine that a sensor failure has occurred even in cases where the instantaneous rate of change is high on a one-time basis, a criterion can be set so that a sensor failure is determined only when the number of times greater than a preset number of times occurs during a preset period in order to improve the accuracy of sensor failure determination.

[0062] In the third embodiment, the instantaneous rate of change of the sensor calculated in the above [Equation 1] is a preset limit value (S err It can be determined that a sensor failure has occurred only when the cumulative number of cases greater than ) is greater than or equal to a preset number. This is because, similar to the second embodiment above, it is unreasonable to determine that a sensor failure has occurred even in cases where the instantaneous rate of change is high in a single instance, and rather than setting a preset period, the criterion is to determine that a sensor failure has occurred only when the cumulative number of cases from the time of sensor operation to the present time is greater than or equal to a preset number.

[0063] In the fourth embodiment, if the change in the instantaneous rate of change of the sensor calculated in [Equation 1] above occurs rapidly, it can be determined that a failure has occurred in the sensor.

[0064] To do this, f'(x) calculated in [Equation 1] is differentiated again to calculate f''(x), and if the value is greater than or equal to a preset value, it can be determined that a fault has occurred in the sensor.

[0065] Meanwhile, in the fifth embodiment, even if it is determined that a failure has occurred in the sensor through any one of the first to fourth embodiments, the sensor failure is not immediately confirmed, and the sensor failure may be confirmed when the 'sudden data occurrence condition' described below is simultaneously satisfied.

[0066] Here, the condition for the occurrence of sudden data is to calculate the slopes of the upper line (310, 410) connecting the upper limit values ​​of the sensor output data and the lower line (320, 420) connecting the lower limit values ​​of the sensor output data, as illustrated in FIGS. 6 and 7, and to determine that sudden data has occurred if the difference in slopes calculated in [Equation 2] below is greater than or equal to a preset value.

[0067] Accordingly, at the same time as it is determined that a failure has occurred in the sensor through any one of the first to fourth embodiments above, the slope difference (I) calculated in [Equation 2] below diff It may also be set to confirm a sensor failure if ) is greater than or equal to a preset value and satisfies the condition for sudden data occurrence.

[0068] [Mathematical Formula 2]

[0069]

[0070] Here, I max is the slope of the upper limit line connecting the upper limit values ​​of the sensor output data, I min is the slope of the lower limit line connecting the lower limit values ​​of the sensor output data, I diff represents the slope difference (absolute value) respectively.

[0071] More specifically, as shown in FIGS. 6 and 7, sensor data is collected at regular intervals, and after calculating the slopes of the upper line (310) connecting the upper part of the collected data and the lower line (320) connecting the lower part, the difference in slopes (I) of the two lines diff If the difference is not significant (less than the preset value) when ) is calculated, it is determined that the sensor data is moving within the error range and that normal operation is being judged, and the difference in slope between the two lines (I diff If ) increases beyond the preset value, it can be determined that the sensor is faulty, as inaccurate values ​​are being output due to the sensor's failure.

[0072] That is, in the case of FIG. 6, since the slope of the upper line (310) is 0.26 and the slope of the lower line (320) is 0.24, the difference in slopes (I) between the two lines diff ) is 0.02, and since this is smaller than the preset reference value of 0.12, it can be determined that the sensor is operating normally.

[0073] Meanwhile, in cases where the upper or lower line appears as a broken line, the slopes can be compared by dividing the area at each bend of the line or by calculating the average of the slopes within a certain period.

[0074] Referring to Fig. 7, we will first explain the case where the slope is compared by dividing the area at each bending section of the straight line. In FIG. 7, if the upper limit line (410) is composed of three lines, and the slope of the first line (411) is 0.26, the slope of the second line (412) is 0.45, the slope of the third line (413) is 0.38, and the slope of the lower limit line (420) is 0.24, then the difference in slope (0.26-0.24) between the first line (411) and the lower limit line (420) is 0.02, which is smaller than the preset reference value of 0.12, so it is judged to be operating normally; however, the difference in slope (0.45-0.24) between the second line (412) and the lower limit line (420) is 0.21, which is larger than the preset reference value of 0.12, so it is judged to be operating abnormally; and in the case of the third line (413), the slope between the lower limit line (420) Since the difference (0.38-0.24) is 0.14, which is greater than the preset threshold value of 0.12, it can be determined that the operation is abnormal. In this case, where the area is divided at each bend of the straight line to compare the slopes and determine whether a failure has occurred, the time at which the failure occurred can also be estimated, making it very useful when the time of failure needs to be identified.

[0075] Next, the slope can be compared by calculating the average slope within a certain period. In the entire section of FIG. 7, the average slope of the upper line (410) is {(0.24+0.45+0.38) / 3}=0.35, and since the difference from the average slope (0.24) of the lower line (420) is 0.11, it is smaller than the preset reference value of 0.12, so it can be determined that it is operating normally. In this way, determining whether there is a failure by calculating the average slope within a certain period does not determine it as a failure even if there are temporary slope fluctuations, as long as the average value does not exceed the reference value. This allows the sensitivity of failure determination to be lowered somewhat, thereby preventing unnecessary failure determinations.

[0076]

[0077] According to one embodiment of the present invention as described above, when a fire in an electric vehicle battery is detected, water is sprayed through a water spraying device provided on the upper part of the battery to suppress the fire, thereby enabling rapid and direct water spraying onto the battery where the fire occurred, thereby allowing for effective fire suppression.

[0078] In addition, by using multiple detection sensors, such as heat detection, gas detection, and pressure detection, to detect the occurrence of a fire in an electric vehicle battery, rapid and accurate fire detection can be achieved.

[0079] In addition, the reliability of fire detection can be enhanced by providing a sensor monitoring device to diagnose malfunctions or failures of the fire detection sensors.

[0080] As described above, although an embodiment of the present invention has been explained by limited embodiments and drawings, the embodiment of the present invention is not limited to the embodiments described above, and various modifications and variations are possible from this description by those skilled in the art to which the present invention pertains. Accordingly, an embodiment of the present invention should be understood only by the claims described below, and all equivalent or analogous variations thereof shall be considered to fall within the scope of the inventive concept.

[0081]

[0082] 100: Electric Vehicle Fire Suppression System

[0083] 110: Water supply piping

[0084] 111: Automatic water supply reel

[0085] 112: Water supply lake

[0086] 120 : Pipe holder

[0087] 121 : Automatic water supply valve

[0088] 130 : Water tank

[0089] 131 : Water pump

[0090] 132 : Distributor

[0091] 411: Water inlet

[0092] 412 : Connection part

[0093] 413: Water spray piping

[0094] 414: Water spray nozzle

[0095] 420 : Battery

[0096] 430 : Battery pack

[0097] 440 : Check valve

Claims

1. Water supply piping that receives water from a water tank and provides water for spraying into the electric vehicle battery pack; Automatic water supply reels provided at preset intervals in the above water supply pipe; A water injection pipe that receives water from the water tank through a water inlet provided on one side of the electric vehicle and supplies water by being arranged in a multi-row structure or mesh structure on the upper side of the battery pack; A connecting part made of a soft material connecting the water inlet and the water spray pipe; and A water spray control unit that controls whether water is ejected from the above-mentioned automatic water supply reel; An electric vehicle fire suppression system including 2. In Paragraph 1, A distributor that distributes water stored in the above water tank through a plurality of pipes; and A water pump that provides power to send water inside the water tank to the outside through the plurality of distributors; An electric vehicle fire suppression system that further includes 3. In Paragraph 2, A pipe holder on which the above-mentioned plurality of pipes are mounted; Includes more, The above pipe holder is, An electric vehicle fire suppression system characterized by being provided across the upper surface of one point of each parking space, with automatic water supply valves provided at preset intervals.

4. In Paragraph 3, In the above water inlet, A water control valve for controlling the opening for water supply is provided, The above water spray control unit is, An electric vehicle fire suppression system characterized by controlling the discharge of water through the automatic water supply reel by adjusting the opening degree of the water control valve of the electric vehicle where the fire is detected when the occurrence of an electric vehicle fire is detected.

5. In Paragraph 4, An alarm transmission unit that transmits a fire alarm to a pre-stored emergency contact network and pre-stored relevant organizations associated with the electric vehicle when a fire in the electric vehicle is detected. An electric vehicle fire suppression system characterized by further including

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