Apparatus and method for controlling ventilation, and energy storage apparatus including same
Patent Information
- Authority / Receiving Office
- WO · WO
- Patent Type
- Applications
- Current Assignee / Owner
- Filing Date
- 2026-01-23
- Publication Date
- 2026-08-13
Smart Images
Figure KR2026001437_13082026_PF_FP_ABST
Abstract
Description
Ventilation control device and method and energy storage device including the same
[0001] This application is a priority claim application for Korean Patent Application No. 10-2025-0014089 filed on February 4, 2025, and all contents disclosed in the specification and drawings of said application are incorporated into this application by reference.
[0002] The present invention relates to a ventilation control device and method for controlling ventilation of a battery container, and an energy storage device comprising a battery container and a control container.
[0003] Recently, as the demand for portable electronic products such as laptops, video cameras, and mobile phones has increased rapidly, and the development of electric vehicles, energy storage batteries, robots, and satellites has accelerated, research on high-performance batteries capable of repeated charging and discharging is actively underway.
[0004] Currently commercialized batteries include nickel-cadmium, nickel-hydrogen, nickel-zinc, and lithium batteries. Among these, lithium batteries are gaining attention for their advantages, such as the ability to freely charge and discharge with almost no memory effect compared to nickel-based batteries, a very low self-discharge rate, and high energy density.
[0005] Energy storage devices utilizing such batteries may be devices that store large amounts of power and provide the stored power to multiple load facilities. For example, energy storage devices are used in forms such as industrial, building, or residential energy management systems, and provide the stored power to load facilities at their respective locations to serve as a regular power grid and / or emergency power grid.
[0006] Such energy storage devices pose a fire risk due to the vulnerability of the batteries, and technical challenges remain for early detection and rapid response.
[0007] The present invention provides a ventilation control method capable of monitoring a fire inside an energy storage device and suppressing the fire at an early stage, a ventilation control device, and an energy storage device including the same.
[0008] Other purposes and advantages of the present invention may be understood from the following description and will become more clearly apparent from the embodiments of the present invention. Furthermore, it will be readily apparent that the purposes and advantages of the present invention can be realized by the means and combinations thereof set forth in the claims.
[0009] A ventilation control device according to one aspect of the present invention is a ventilation control device installed in a battery container comprising one or more batteries, and may include: a smoke detection unit configured to detect smoke inside the battery container and output a sensing signal when the smoke is detected; and a control unit configured to control the operating state of a ventilation unit installed in the battery container to a turn-on state when the sensing signal is received, and to output a ventilation operation signal to an external device indicating that the operating state of the ventilation unit has been controlled to the turn-on state.
[0010] The control unit may be configured to control the operation state of the ventilation unit to a turn-off state when it receives a ventilation termination signal for the battery container from the external device after outputting the ventilation operation signal to the external device.
[0011] The control unit may include a first control unit configured to output the ventilation operation signal to a second control unit and an external device when receiving the sensing signal from the smoke detection unit; and the second control unit configured to control the operation state of the ventilation unit to the turn-on state when receiving the ventilation operation signal from the first control unit.
[0012] The first control unit may be configured to control the operation state of the fan included in the ventilation unit to a turn-off state when it receives a first ventilation termination signal from the external device.
[0013] The second control unit may be configured to control the operating state of the opening / closing unit included in the ventilation unit to a closed state upon receiving a second ventilation termination signal from the external device.
[0014] The first control unit may be configured to control the operation state of the ventilation unit to a turn-off state when it receives a first ventilation termination signal from the external device.
[0015] The first control unit may be configured to control the operating state of the ventilation unit to the turn-off state by controlling the operating state of a relay electrically connected to the ventilation unit to the turn-off state.
[0016] An energy storage device according to another aspect of the present invention may include the battery container including a ventilation control device according to one aspect of the present invention; and a control container.
[0017] The above control container may include a main control unit configured to determine whether a fire has occurred in the battery container upon receiving the ventilation operation signal from the control unit.
[0018] The main control unit may be configured to determine whether a fire has occurred based on at least one of the temperature of the battery container, the voltage of one or more batteries, and the temperature of one or more batteries, which are measured over a predetermined period from the time of receiving the ventilation operation signal.
[0019] The main control unit may include a first main control unit configured to receive the ventilation operation signal from the control unit; and a second main control unit configured to determine whether a fire has occurred upon receiving the ventilation operation signal from the first main control unit.
[0020] The second main control unit may be configured to output a fire non-occurrence signal to the first main control unit if it is determined that no fire has occurred in the battery container.
[0021] The first main control unit may be configured to output a ventilation termination signal to the control unit upon receiving the fire non-occurrence signal from the second main control unit.
[0022] A ventilation control method according to another aspect of the present invention may include: a smoke detection step for detecting smoke inside a battery container comprising one or more batteries; a ventilation operation step for controlling the operating state of a ventilation unit installed in the battery container to a turn-on state when the smoke is detected; and a ventilation operation signal output step for outputting a ventilation operation signal to an external device indicating that the operating state of the ventilation unit has been controlled to the turn-on state.
[0023] A ventilation control method according to another aspect of the present invention may further include a ventilation termination step of controlling the operation state of the ventilation unit to a turn-off state when, after outputting the ventilation operation signal to the external device, a ventilation termination signal for the battery container is received from the external device.
[0024] The above opening and closing unit may include a roof vent installed on the roof of the battery container and a door damper installed on the door of the battery container.
[0025] The energy storage device may further include a measurement unit that measures basic fire judgment information, including the temperature of the battery container and the voltage and temperature of one or more batteries.
[0026] The above measurement unit transmits the fire judgment basic information to the second control unit, the second control unit transmits the fire judgment basic information to the first main control unit, and the first main control unit transmits the received fire judgment basic information to the second main control unit, so that the second main control unit can determine whether a fire has occurred.
[0027] A ventilation control device according to one embodiment of the present invention has the advantage of being able to rapidly ventilate a battery container by detecting smoke generated inside the battery container and operating a ventilation unit.
[0028] The effects of the present invention are not limited to those mentioned above, and other unmentioned effects will be clearly understood by those skilled in the art from the description in the claims.
[0029] The following drawings attached to this specification serve to further enhance understanding of the technical concept of the invention in conjunction with the detailed description of the invention set forth below; therefore, the invention should not be interpreted as being limited only to the matters described in such drawings.
[0030] FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram illustrating a ventilation control device according to one embodiment of the present invention.
[0031] FIG. 2 is a schematic diagram illustrating a battery container according to one embodiment of the present invention.
[0032] FIG. 3 is a schematic diagram illustrating an energy storage device according to another embodiment of the present invention.
[0033] FIG. 4 is a schematic diagram illustrating the ventilation control operation of an energy storage device according to another embodiment of the present invention.
[0034] FIG. 5 is a schematic diagram illustrating a ventilation control method according to another practical embodiment of the present invention.
[0035] In parts of the attached drawings, corresponding components are given the same reference numerals. Those skilled in the art understand that the drawings are intended to illustrate elements simply and clearly and are not necessarily drawn to scale. For example, to aid in understanding various embodiments, the dimensions of some elements depicted in the drawings may be exaggerated compared to others. Additionally, elements of known technology that are useful or essential in commercially viable embodiments may often be omitted so as not to hinder the spirit of the various embodiments of the present invention.
[0036] Terms and words used in this specification and claims should not be interpreted as being limited to their ordinary or dictionary meanings, but should be interpreted in a meaning and concept consistent with the technical spirit of the invention, based on the principle that the inventor can appropriately define the concept of the terms to best describe his invention.
[0037] Therefore, the embodiments described in this specification and the configurations illustrated in the drawings are merely one embodiment of the present invention and do not represent all of the technical ideas of the present invention; thus, it should be understood that various equivalents and modifications that can replace them may exist at the time of filing this application.
[0038] In addition, in describing the present invention, if it is determined that a description of related known components or functions may obscure the essence of the invention, such detailed description is omitted.
[0039] Terms including ordinal numbers, such as first, second, etc., are used for the purpose of distinguishing one of the various components from the rest, and are not used to limit the components by such terms.
[0040] Throughout the specification, when a part is described as "including" a certain component, this means that, unless specifically stated otherwise, it does not exclude other components but may include additional components.
[0041] Additionally, throughout the specification, when a part is described as being "connected" to another part, this includes not only cases where they are "directly connected," but also cases where they are "indirectly connected" with other components in between. Conventional energy storage devices are configured in container units, and a single container contains multiple battery racks and switchboards. In other words, a container of a size capable of accommodating all components of the energy storage device was required. Furthermore, when multiple energy storage devices are provided, since each energy storage device is configured as an independent container, there was a problem of having to control each container-unit energy storage device individually.
[0042] Because batteries have the disadvantage of being vulnerable to external surges and high temperatures, energy storage systems (ESS) that store batteries in a concentrated manner face the problem of a persistent fire risk. Generally, fires in energy storage systems begin at the individual battery cell level and can subsequently progress to the battery rack level. In such cases, since a fire originating at the battery cell level can spread to the entire energy storage system, it is necessary to monitor for fire occurrences and take prompt countermeasures in the early stages of a fire.
[0043] In consideration of these points, the present invention provides a ventilation control method, a ventilation control device, and an energy storage device including the same, which can monitor a fire inside an energy storage device and suppress the fire at an early stage.
[0044]
[0045] Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the attached drawings.
[0046] FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram illustrating a ventilation control device (100) according to one embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 2 is a schematic diagram illustrating a battery container (10) according to one embodiment of the present invention.
[0047] Referring to FIG. 2, the battery container (10) may include one or more batteries, a ventilation unit (12), and a measuring unit (13).
[0048] A battery container (10) includes one or more battery racks (11), and each battery rack (11) may include one or more battery modules. Each battery module may include one or more battery cells. Here, a battery cell refers to a single independent cell that is physically separable and has a negative terminal and a positive terminal. For example, a lithium-ion battery or a lithium-polymer battery may be considered as a battery cell. Additionally, the type of battery cell may be cylindrical, prismatic, or pouch type.
[0049] The measuring unit (13) may be configured to measure the temperature of the battery container (10) and the voltage and temperature of the battery contained in the battery container (10). For example, the measuring unit (13) may measure the internal temperature of the battery container (10). Additionally, the measuring unit (13) may measure the voltage and temperature of each battery module contained in the battery container (10). Optionally, the measuring unit (13) may also measure the voltage and temperature of each battery cell contained in the battery module. For convenience of explanation, the information regarding the temperature of the battery container (10) and the voltage and temperature of the battery is described below as basic information for fire judgment.
[0050] The ventilation unit (12) may be configured to circulate and ventilate the air inside the battery container (10). For example, the ventilation unit (12) may include a fan (12-1) that circulates the air inside the battery container (10) and discharges the air inside the battery container (10) to the outside. Additionally, the ventilation unit (12) may include an opening / closing unit (12-2) that can ventilate the battery container (10) by opening and closing. For example, the opening / closing unit (12-2) may include a roof vent (roof exhaust vent) and / or a door damper (door intake damper).
[0051] Referring to FIG. 1, the ventilation control device (100) may include a smoke detection unit (110) and a control unit (120).
[0052] The smoke detection unit (110) can be configured to detect smoke inside the battery container (10).
[0053] For example, the smoke detection unit (110) may include one or more smoke sensors. And, the smoke detection unit (110) can determine whether smoke is generated inside the battery container (10).
[0054] The smoke detection unit (110) can be configured to output a sensing signal when smoke is detected.
[0055] For example, the smoke detection unit (110) may be connected to communicate with the control unit (120). The smoke detection unit (110) may output a sensing signal to the control unit (120) indicating that smoke has been detected. If smoke is not detected, the smoke detection unit (110) may not output a sensing signal to the control unit (120).
[0056] The control unit (120) may be configured to control the operation state of the ventilation unit (12) installed in the battery container (10) to a turn-on state when it receives a sensing signal.
[0057] For example, when the control unit (120) receives a sensing signal from the smoke detection unit (110), it can control the operation state of the ventilation unit (12) to turn on to ventilate the battery container (10).
[0058] For example, the control unit (120) can ventilate the battery container (10) by operating the fan (12-1) and opening the opening / closing unit (12-2).
[0059] The control unit (120) may be configured to output a ventilation operation signal to an external device (140) indicating that the operation state of the ventilation unit (12) has been controlled to a turned-on state.
[0060] For example, the control unit (120) can notify that the operation state of the ventilation unit (12) has been controlled to the turn-on state by outputting a ventilation operation signal to an external device connected to enable communication.
[0061] Here, the external device (140) is a device located outside the ventilation control device (100) and may be included inside or outside the battery container (10). Referring to FIG. 2, according to one embodiment, the external device (140) may be included inside the battery container (10). The external device (140) is a higher-level control device for the ventilation control device (100) and is a device capable of determining whether the ventilation unit (12) has been operated due to a smoke detection error of the smoke detection unit (110). The control unit (120) may request a determination from the external device (140) regarding whether a fire has occurred in the battery container (10) by outputting a ventilation operation signal to the external device (140).
[0062] A ventilation control device (100) according to one embodiment of the present invention has the advantage of being able to quickly ventilate a battery container (10) by detecting smoke generated inside a battery container (10) and operating a ventilation unit (12).
[0063] Meanwhile, the control unit (120) provided in the ventilation control device (100) may optionally include a processor, an ASIC (application-specific integrated circuit), other chipsets, logic circuits, registers, communication modems, data processing devices, etc., known in the art, to execute various control logics performed in the present invention. Additionally, when the control logic is implemented in software, the control unit (120) may be implemented as a set of program modules. In this case, the program modules may be stored in memory and executed by the control unit (120). The memory may be located inside or outside the control unit (120) and may be connected to the control unit (120) by various well-known means.
[0064] Additionally, the ventilation control device (100) may further include a storage unit (130). The storage unit (130) may store data or programs necessary for each component of the ventilation control device (100) to perform operations and functions, or data generated during the process of performing operations and functions. The storage unit (130) is not subject to any special restrictions on its type as long as it is a known information storage means capable of recording, erasing, updating, and reading data. As an example, the information storage means may include RAM, flash memory, ROM, EEPROM, registers, etc. Additionally, the storage unit (130) may store program codes that define processes executable by each component of the ventilation control device (100).
[0065] The control unit (120) can be configured to control the operation state of the ventilation unit (12) to turn off when it receives a ventilation termination signal for the battery container (10) from the external device (140) after outputting a ventilation operation signal to the external device (140).
[0066] According to one embodiment, the control unit (120) can determine whether to readjust the operating state of the ventilation unit (12) through feedback from an external device (140).
[0067] For example, if the external device (140) determines that a fire has occurred in the battery container (10), the external device (140) may not output a ventilation termination signal to the control unit (120). In this case, since the operating state of the ventilation unit (12) is maintained in the turned-on state, gas and smoke inside the battery container (10) are discharged to the outside, and the internal temperature of the battery container (10) can be reduced. In addition, the spread of fire can be prevented by controlling the oxygen concentration inside the battery container (10).
[0068] As another example, if the external device (140) determines that no fire has occurred in the battery container (10), the external device (140) may output a ventilation end signal to the control unit (120) to stop the operation of the ventilation unit (12). When the control unit (120) receives the ventilation end signal from the external device (140), it may control the operation state of the ventilation unit (12) to a turn-off state.
[0069] Since the smoke detection unit (110) detects smoke inside the battery container (10), it can detect smoke generated not only in situations where a fire has occurred but also in situations where no fire has occurred. Additionally, due to a malfunction of the smoke detection unit (110), a sensing signal indicating that smoke has been detected in an environment without smoke may be output to the control unit (120). In such cases, since the operation of the ventilation unit (12) must be stopped, the control unit (120) can control the operating state of the ventilation unit (12) again based on a signal received from an external device (140).
[0070] If the external device (140) controls the operation state of the ventilation unit (12) to turn on after determining whether a fire has occurred in the battery container (10), the control unit (120) can only control the operation state of the ventilation unit (12) when it receives a separate signal from the external device (140), so fire suppression may not proceed quickly. In this case, even if smoke is detected in a situation where a fire has occurred, the operation state of the ventilation unit (12) may not be immediately controlled due to communication delays between the control unit (120) and the external device (140), and the fire that has occurred in the battery container (10) may spread further. Therefore, it may be more effective for the ventilation unit (12) to operate preemptively first, and then for the external device (140) to determine the fire situation and transmit a ventilation termination signal if necessary.
[0071] In addition, even if the operation state of the ventilation unit (12) is controlled to the turned-on state due to a malfunction of the smoke detection unit (110), damage to the battery container (10) is not caused by the operation of the ventilation unit (12). Based on this stability, the present invention can operate the ventilation unit (12) in a suspected fire situation without worrying about malfunction. In addition, it has the effect of securing response time to prevent the spread of fire by blocking operation delays due to communication delays or waiting for judgment when a fire occurs.
[0072] Accordingly, the ventilation control device (100) according to one embodiment of the present invention has the advantage of being able to respond quickly in the event of a fire by prioritizing the control of the operating state of the ventilation unit (12) based on the sensing signal of the smoke detection unit (110). In addition, the ventilation control device (100) has the advantage of being able to correct a malfunction of the ventilation unit (12) by controlling the operating state of the ventilation unit (12) again based on a signal from an external device (140).
[0073] Hereinafter, an embodiment of the control unit (120) will be described.
[0074] Referring to FIG. 2, the control unit (120) may include a first control unit (121) and a second control unit (122).
[0075] The first control unit (121) may be configured to output a ventilation operation signal to the second control unit (122) and an external device (140) when it receives a sensing signal from the smoke detection unit (110).
[0076] For example, the first control unit (121) may be connected to communicate with the smoke detection unit (110), the second control unit (122), and the external device (140). And, when the first control unit (121) receives a sensing signal from the smoke detection unit (110), it may output a ventilation operation signal to the second control unit (122) and the external device (140).
[0077] For example, the first control unit (121) may be a fire alarm control panel (FACP).
[0078] The second control unit (122) may be configured to control the operation state of the ventilation unit (12) to a turn-on state when it receives a ventilation operation signal from the first control unit (121).
[0079] According to one embodiment, the second control unit (122) may be configured to control the operating state of the ventilation unit (12). For example, the second control unit (122) may control the operating state of the fan (12-1) included in the ventilation unit (12) to a turned-on state. Also, the second control unit (122) may control the operating state of the opening / closing unit (12-2) included in the ventilation unit (12) to an open state (turn-on state).
[0080] The first control unit (121) and the second control unit (122) are included in the ventilation control device (100), and the second control unit (122) may be configured to receive a ventilation operation signal before the external device (140). Accordingly, the operation state of the ventilation unit (12) may be controlled to turn on before the first control unit (121) receives a ventilation termination signal from the external device (140).
[0081] For example, if the battery container (10) is referred to as M-LINK, the second control unit (122) may be an M-PLC (Programmable logic controller) included in the battery container (10). The second control unit (122) is connected to the HVAC (Heating, ventilation and air conditioning), uninterruptible power supply unit, door sensor, switch, SMPS (Switching mode power supply), FSS (Fire suppression system), smoke detection unit (110), and ventilation unit (12) included in the battery container (10), and can control these components.
[0082] When the external device (140) determines that no fire has occurred in the battery container (10), it may output a first ventilation end signal to the first control unit (121) and a second ventilation end signal to the second control unit (122). Here, the first ventilation end signal is a signal to notify the first control unit (121) of the cancellation of the ventilation diagnosis, and the second ventilation end signal is a signal to control the operation state of the ventilation unit (12) to a turn-off state. Depending on the embodiment, the first ventilation end signal and the second ventilation end signal may be implemented as the same or different signals.
[0083] In one embodiment, the first control unit (121) and the second control unit (122) can control the operating state of different devices among the ventilation units (12).
[0084] For example, the first control unit (121) may be configured to control the operating state of the fan (12-1) included in the ventilation unit (12) to a turn-off state when it receives a first ventilation end signal from an external device (140). And, the second control unit (122) may be configured to control the operating state of the opening / closing unit (12-2) included in the ventilation unit (12) to a closed state when it receives a second ventilation end signal from an external device (140).
[0085] In another embodiment, in order to stop the operation of the ventilation unit (12) more quickly, the first control unit (121) can control the operation state of the ventilation unit (12) to a turn-off state.
[0086] For example, the first control unit (121) can control the operating state of both the fan (12-1) and the opening / closing unit (12-2) included in the ventilation unit (12) to a turned-off state. The first control unit (121) can be configured to control the operating state of the ventilation unit (12) to a turned-off state by controlling the operating state of a relay electrically connected to the ventilation unit (12) to a turned-off state.
[0087] In a ventilation control device (100) according to one embodiment of the present invention, since the first control unit (121) and the second control unit (122) can be operated independently, even if a problem occurs in one of the control units (e.g., the first control unit (121)), the remaining control unit (e.g., the second control unit (122)) can perform control functions and maintain normal operation without interruption of the system. Therefore, the system safety of the ventilation control device (100) can be increased compared to when only one control unit (120) is used. In addition, each control unit (120) can be designed as an independent module, making maintenance and replacement easier. Furthermore, according to one embodiment, the first control unit (121) is optimized for processing communication with the smoke detection unit (110), the second control unit (122), and the external device (140), and the second control unit (122) is optimized for controlling the operating state of the ventilation unit (12), thereby allowing the functions of each control unit (120) to be implemented more detailedly and professionally.
[0088] FIG. 3 is a schematic diagram illustrating an energy storage device (1) according to another embodiment of the present invention.
[0089] Referring to FIG. 3, the energy storage device (1) may include a battery container (10) and a control container (20). The ventilation control device (100) may include a smoke detection unit (110), a control unit (120) including a first control unit (121) and a second control unit (122), a storage unit (130), etc., according to the embodiment shown in FIG. 2. Here, the battery container (10) may be an M-LINK or B-LINK including one or more batteries, and the control container (20) may be an E-LINK.
[0090] The control container (20) may include a main control unit (21) configured to determine whether a fire has occurred in the battery container (10) upon receiving a ventilation operation signal from the control unit (120).
[0091] For example, the main control unit (21) may be configured to determine whether a fire has occurred based on at least one of the temperature of the battery container (10), the voltage of one or more batteries, and the temperature of one or more batteries, which are measured over a predetermined period from the time of receiving the ventilation operation signal.
[0092] Here, since the main control unit (21) is included in the control container (20), it can receive fire judgment basic information from the control unit (120).
[0093] The second control unit (122) can receive basic fire judgment information from the measurement unit (13). And, the main control unit (21) can receive basic fire judgment information from the second control unit (122).
[0094] For example, the main control unit (21) may determine that a fire has occurred in the battery container (10) if at least one of the following persists for a predetermined period: when the temperature of the battery container (10) is above a first threshold temperature, when the temperature of at least one battery is above a second threshold temperature, and when the voltage of at least one battery is above a threshold voltage. For example, the predetermined period may be pre-set to 30 seconds.
[0095] However, it should be noted that since the main control unit (21) can determine whether a fire has occurred in the battery container (10) in various ways based on basic information for fire determination, the method of determining whether a fire has occurred by the main control unit (21) is not particularly limited by the embodiment described above.
[0096] First, when it is determined by the main control unit (21) that a fire has occurred in the battery container (10), the operation state of the ventilation unit (12) is already controlled to the turn-on state, so the main control unit (21) may not output a separate ventilation termination signal to the first control unit (121) and the second control unit (122).
[0097] Meanwhile, when it is determined by the main control unit (21) that no fire has occurred in the battery container (10), the ventilation unit (12) is operating unnecessarily, so the main control unit (21) can output a ventilation termination signal to the first control unit (121) and the second control unit (122).
[0098] An energy storage device (1) according to another embodiment of the present invention can quickly suppress a fire by activating a ventilation unit (12) even before it is determined whether a fire has occurred when smoke is detected. In addition, if no fire has occurred, the operation of the ventilation unit (12) can be stopped to prevent or suppress unnecessary operation of the ventilation unit (12).
[0099] Meanwhile, the main control unit (21) provided in the energy storage device (1) may optionally include a processor, an ASIC (application-specific integrated circuit), other chipsets, logic circuits, registers, communication modems, data processing devices, etc., known in the art, to execute various control logics performed in the present invention. Additionally, when the control logic is implemented in software, the main control unit (21) may be implemented as a set of program modules. In this case, the program modules may be stored in memory and executed by the main control unit (21). The memory may be located inside or outside the main control unit (21) and may be connected to the main control unit (21) by various well-known means.
[0100] Below, an embodiment of the main control unit (21) is described.
[0101] The main control unit (21) may include a first main control unit (211) and a second main control unit (212).
[0102] The first main control unit (211) may be configured to receive a ventilation operation signal from the control unit (120). The first main control unit (211) may transmit the received ventilation operation signal to the second main control unit (212).
[0103] The first main control unit (211) can be connected to communicate with the first control unit (121), the second control unit (122), and the second main control unit (212). The main control unit (21) connected to communicate with the ventilation control device (100) is the first main control unit (211).
[0104] For example, if the control container (20) is referred to as E-LINK, the first main control unit (211) may be an E-PLC. The first main control unit (211) is connected to components such as HVAC, uninterruptible power supply unit, door sensor, fuse, switch, SMPS, FSS, surge protection unit, and insulation measurement unit (13) included in the control container (20), and can control these components.
[0105] The second main control unit (212) may be configured to determine whether a fire has occurred when it receives a ventilation operation signal from the first main control unit (211).
[0106] The second main control unit (212) can receive basic fire judgment information from the second control unit (122) through the first main control unit (211). For example, the measurement unit (13) can transmit basic fire judgment information to the second control unit (122), the second control unit (122) can transmit basic fire judgment information to the first main control unit (211), and the first main control unit (211) can transmit basic fire judgment information to the second main control unit (212). Basic fire judgment information output from the measurement unit (13) can reach the second main control unit (212) via the second control unit (122) and the first main control unit (211).
[0107] For example, the second main control unit (212) is a BSC (battery system controller) and is the top-level controller included in the energy storage device (1). The second main control unit (212) can receive all signals regarding the internal operation of the control container (20) and the battery container (10).
[0108] The second main control unit (212) may be configured to output a fire non-occurrence signal to the first main control unit (211) when it is determined that no fire has occurred in the battery container (10). Additionally, the first main control unit (211) may be configured to output a ventilation termination signal to the control unit (120) upon receiving the fire non-occurrence signal from the second main control unit (212). Upon receiving the ventilation termination signal from the second main control unit (212), the control unit (120) may control the operation state of the ventilation unit (12) to a turn-off state.
[0109] FIG. 4 is a schematic diagram illustrating the ventilation control operation of an energy storage device (1) according to another embodiment of the present invention.
[0110] In step S10, the smoke detection unit (110) can be operated to detect smoke inside the battery container (10). For example, the smoke detection unit (110) can detect smoke at preset intervals.
[0111] In step S11, if the smoke detection unit (110) detects smoke inside the battery container (10) (YES), step S20 is performed, and if not (NO), step S10 can be performed.
[0112] In step S20, the smoke detection unit (110) can output a sensing signal to the first control unit (121) indicating that smoke has been detected inside the battery container (10).
[0113] In step S30, the first control unit (121) can output a ventilation operation signal to the second control unit (122) and the first main control unit (211).
[0114] In step S40, the second control unit (122) that receives the ventilation operation signal can control the operation state of the ventilation unit (12) to a turned-on state. For example, the operation state of both the fan (12-1) and the opening / closing unit (12-2) can be controlled to a turned-on state by the second control unit (122).
[0115] In step S50, the first main control unit (211) can transmit a ventilation operation signal from the second main control unit (212). Then, the second main control unit (212) can determine whether a fire has occurred in the battery container (10) based on fire judgment basis information for a predetermined period from the time of receiving the ventilation operation signal.
[0116] Here, since the first control unit (121) and the second control unit (122) are configured to communicate with priority over the first control unit (121) and the first main control unit (211), the ventilation unit (12) can be operated from a point in time before the second main control unit (212) determines whether a fire has occurred. Additionally, the ventilation unit (12) can be operated even while the second main control unit (212) determines whether a fire has occurred.
[0117] In step S51, if it is determined that no fire has occurred in the battery container (10) (NO), step S60 is performed, and if not (YES), the ventilation control operation can be terminated.
[0118] In step S60, if the second main control unit (212) determines that no fire has occurred in the battery container (10), it may output a ventilation end signal to the first main control unit (211). Then, the first main control unit (211) may output a ventilation end signal to the first control unit (121) and the second control unit (122). For example, the first main control unit (211) may output a first ventilation end signal to the first control unit (121) and a second ventilation end signal to the second control unit (122).
[0119] In one embodiment, at step S70, the first control unit (121) and the second control unit (122) that receive the ventilation termination signal can control the operation state of the ventilation unit (12) to a turn-off state. For example, the first control unit (121) can control the operation state of the fan (12-1) included in the ventilation unit (12) to a turn-off state, and the second control unit (122) can control the operation state of the opening / closing unit (12-2) included in the ventilation unit (12) to a closed state.
[0120] In another embodiment, in step S70, in order to quickly stop the operation of the ventilation unit (12), the first control unit (121) that receives the ventilation termination signal can control the operation state of both the fan (12-1) and the opening / closing unit (12-2) of the ventilation unit (12) to a turn-off state.
[0121] FIG. 5 is a schematic diagram illustrating a ventilation control method according to another embodiment of the present invention.
[0122] Referring to FIG. 5, the ventilation control method may include a smoke detection step (S100), a ventilation operation step (S200), and a ventilation operation signal output step (S300).
[0123] Each step of the ventilation control method can be performed by a ventilation control device (100). For convenience of explanation, details that overlap with previously described content will be omitted or briefly explained below.
[0124] The smoke detection step (S100) is a step of detecting smoke inside a battery container (10) containing one or more batteries, and can be performed by a smoke detection unit (110).
[0125] For example, the smoke detection unit (110) includes one or more smoke sensors and can detect smoke inside the battery container (10).
[0126] The ventilation operation step (S200) is a step of controlling the operation state of the ventilation unit (12) installed in the battery container (10) to turn on when smoke is detected, and can be performed by the control unit (120).
[0127] For example, when the control unit (120) receives a sensing signal from the smoke detection unit (110), it can control the operation state of the ventilation unit (12) to turn on to ventilate the battery container (10).
[0128] The ventilation operation signal output step (S300) is a step of outputting a ventilation operation signal to an external device (140) indicating that the operation state of the ventilation unit (12) has been controlled to a turn-on state, and can be performed by the control unit (120).
[0129] The control unit (120) can notify the external device (140) connected for communication that the operation state of the ventilation unit (12) has been controlled to the turn-on state by outputting a ventilation operation signal.
[0130] Referring further to FIG. 5, the ventilation control method may further include a ventilation termination step (S400).
[0131] The ventilation termination step (S400) is a step of controlling the operation state of the ventilation unit (12) to turn off when a ventilation termination signal for the battery container (10) is received from the external device (140) after outputting a ventilation operation signal to the external device (140), and can be performed by the control unit (120).
[0132] For example, if the external device (140) determines that a fire has occurred in the battery container (10), the external device (140) may not output a ventilation termination signal to the control unit (120). In this case, since the operating state of the ventilation unit (12) is maintained in the turned-on state, gas and smoke inside the battery container (10) are discharged to the outside, and the internal temperature of the battery container (10) may be reduced. In addition, by controlling the oxygen concentration inside the battery container (10), the spread of the fire may be prevented or suppressed.
[0133] As another example, if the external device (140) determines that no fire has occurred in the battery container (10), the external device (140) may output a ventilation end signal to the control unit (120) to stop the operation of the ventilation unit (12). When the control unit (120) receives the ventilation end signal from the external device (140), it may control the operation state of the ventilation unit (12) to a turn-off state.
[0134] The embodiments of the present invention described above are not limited to implementation through devices and methods, but may also be implemented through a program that realizes a function corresponding to the configuration of the embodiments of the present invention or a recording medium on which such a program is recorded. Such implementation can be easily achieved by a person skilled in the art to which the present invention pertains, based on the description of the embodiments described above.
[0135] Although the present invention has been described above by limited embodiments and drawings, the present invention is not limited thereto, and it is obvious that various modifications and variations are possible within the scope of the technical spirit of the present invention and the equivalent scope of the claims described below by those skilled in the art to which the present invention belongs.
[0136] Furthermore, since the present invention described above allows for various substitutions, modifications, and changes within the scope of the technical concept of the present invention to those skilled in the art without departing from the technical spirit of the present invention, it is not limited by the aforementioned embodiments and attached drawings, but rather all or part of each embodiment may be selectively combined to allow for various modifications.
[0137] (Explanation of symbols)
[0138] 1: Energy storage device
[0139] 10: Battery Container
[0140] 11: Battery rack
[0141] 12: Ventilation unit
[0142] 13: Measurement unit
[0143] 20: Control Container
[0144] 21: Main control unit
[0145] 211: 1st Main Control Unit
[0146] 212: Second Main Control Unit
[0147] 100: Ventilation control unit
[0148] 110: Smoke detector
[0149] 120: Control unit
[0150] 121: First control unit
[0151] 122: Second control unit
[0152] 130: Storage section
Claims
1. A ventilation control device installed in a battery container comprising one or more batteries, A smoke detection unit configured to detect smoke inside the battery container and output a sensing signal when the smoke is detected; and A ventilation control device comprising a control unit configured to control the operating state of a ventilation unit installed in the battery container to a turn-on state upon receiving the above sensing signal, and to output a ventilation operation signal to an external device indicating that the operating state of the ventilation unit has been controlled to the turn-on state.
2. In Paragraph 1, The above control unit is, A ventilation control device configured to control the operating state of the ventilation unit to a turn-off state when, after outputting the ventilation operation signal to the external device, a ventilation termination signal for the battery container is received from the external device.
3. In Paragraph 1, The above control unit is, A first control unit configured to output the ventilation operation signal to a second control unit and an external device upon receiving the sensing signal from the smoke detection unit; and A ventilation control device comprising a second control unit configured to control the operating state of the ventilation unit to the turn-on state upon receiving the ventilation operation signal from the first control unit.
4. In Paragraph 3, The above first control unit is, When a first ventilation termination signal is received from the above external device, the operating state of the fan included in the ventilation unit is controlled to a turn-off state, and The above second control unit is, A ventilation control device configured to control the operating state of an opening / closing unit included in the ventilation unit to a closed state upon receiving a second ventilation termination signal from the above external device.
5. In Paragraph 3, The above first control unit is, A ventilation control device configured to control the operating state of the ventilation unit to a turn-off state upon receiving a first ventilation termination signal from the above external device.
6. In Paragraph 5, The above first control unit is, A ventilation control device configured to control the operating state of the ventilation unit to the turn-off state by controlling the operating state of a relay electrically connected to the ventilation unit to the turn-off state.
7. An energy storage device comprising: the battery container including a ventilation control device according to claim 1; and the control container; wherein The above control container is, An energy storage device comprising a main control unit configured to determine whether a fire has occurred in the battery container upon receiving the ventilation operation signal from the control unit.
8. In Paragraph 7, The above main control unit is, An energy storage device configured to determine whether a fire has occurred based on at least one of the temperature of the battery container measured for a predetermined period from the time of receiving the ventilation operation signal, the voltage of one or more batteries, and the temperature of one or more batteries.
9. In Paragraph 7, The above main control unit is, A first main control unit configured to receive the ventilation operation signal from the control unit; and An energy storage device comprising a second main control unit configured to determine whether a fire has occurred upon receiving a ventilation operation signal from the first main control unit.
10. In Paragraph 9, The above second main control unit is, If it is determined that no fire has occurred in the battery container, the system is configured to output a fire non-occurrence signal to the first main control unit, and The above-mentioned first main control unit is, An energy storage device configured to output a ventilation termination signal to the control unit when receiving the fire non-occurrence signal from the second main control unit.
11. A smoke detection step for detecting smoke inside a battery container containing one or more batteries; A ventilation operation step for controlling the operating state of a ventilation unit installed in the battery container to a turn-on state when the above smoke is detected; and A ventilation control method comprising a ventilation operation signal output step of outputting a ventilation operation signal to an external device indicating that the operating state of the ventilation unit is controlled to the turn-on state.
12. In Paragraph 11, A ventilation control method further comprising a ventilation termination step of controlling the operation state of the ventilation unit to a turn-off state when, after outputting the ventilation operation signal to the external device, a ventilation termination signal for the battery container is received from the external device.
13. In Paragraph 4, The above-mentioned opening and closing unit is, A ventilation control device comprising a roof vent installed on the roof of the battery container and a door damper installed on the door of the battery container.
14. In Paragraph 9, It further includes a measuring unit that measures basic fire judgment information including the temperature of the battery container and the voltage and temperature of one or more batteries, and An energy storage device configured such that the measurement unit transmits the fire judgment basic information to the second control unit, the second control unit transmits the fire judgment basic information to the first main control unit, and the first main control unit transmits the received fire judgment basic information to the second main control unit so that the second main control unit determines whether a fire has occurred.