Battery Rack Vent Hood for Targeted Fire Suppression

Solution Overview

Problem

Existing energy storage systems face challenges in preventing direct exposure to fires within battery compartments, which can lead to complete burning or damage of components, and require separate air conditioning for fire prevention compartments, increasing costs and reducing battery energy density.

Innovation Solution

An energy storage system with a hood containing a vent and an opening/closing member that responds to internal pressure, coupled with a fire extinguishing unit outside the container to spray extinguishing liquid through the vent, including a detection and control unit to manage the system's operation.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Object-affected harmful factors

If an impermeable firewall is erected in the middle of the container to create fire prevention compartments, then fire exposure prevention is improved, but device complexity and cost increase due to requiring separate air conditioning equipment for each compartment

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvefire exposureVSAvoidair conditioning equipment

Core Design Contradiction:

Object-affected harmful factorsVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The container is divided into multiple battery compartments using fire-resistant partitions, allowing each compartment to be independently managed. This segmentation enables targeted fire suppression while maintaining shared air conditioning systems, reducing overall system complexity compared to fully separate systems for each compartment.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

Fire-resistant partitions act as intermediaries between battery compartments, providing fire protection without requiring complete physical separation. These partitions allow the system to maintain fire safety while sharing common air conditioning infrastructure, thus reducing device complexity and cost.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

2Object-affected harmful factors

If separate air conditioning equipment is installed for each fire prevention compartment, then fire safety is improved, but manufacturing cost increases

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvefire safetyVSAvoidmanufacturing cost

Core Design Contradiction:

Object-affected harmful factorsVSEase of manufacture

Solution Approach 1:

The container is divided into multiple battery compartments using fire-resistant partitions, allowing each compartment to be independently managed. This segmentation enables targeted fire suppression while maintaining shared air conditioning systems, reducing overall system complexity compared to fully separate systems for each compartment.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

A single air conditioning system serves multiple battery compartments simultaneously, providing universal cooling functionality. This multi-functional approach reduces the number of required air conditioning units, thereby lowering manufacturing costs while maintaining fire safety through proper compartmentalization.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #6Universality (Multi-functionality)

3Object-affected harmful factors

If separate air conditioning equipment is installed for each fire prevention compartment, then fire safety is improved, but battery energy density decreases

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvefire safetyVSAvoidbattery energy density

Core Design Contradiction:

Object-affected harmful factorsVSQuantity of substance

Solution Approach 1:

A single air conditioning system serves multiple battery compartments simultaneously, providing universal cooling functionality. This multi-functional approach reduces the number of required air conditioning units, thereby lowering manufacturing costs while maintaining fire safety through proper compartmentalization.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #6Universality (Multi-functionality)

Solution Approach 2:

Multiple air conditioning functions are merged into a single shared system that serves multiple battery compartments. This consolidation reduces the total volume and weight of air conditioning equipment, thereby improving battery energy density while maintaining adequate cooling and fire safety.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #5Merging (Combining)

Applied Scientific Principles

This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.

Function Achieved in This Case

The system effectively prevents direct exposure to fires by automatically spraying extinguishing liquid only where needed, reducing damage and improving fire suppression reliability while maintaining battery energy density.

Implementation Method 1

the opening/closing member may open or close the vent in response to an internal pressure of the container

Methodology Applied

Scientific EffectPressure: Pressure Increase

Implementation Method 2

a fire extinguishing unit outside the container that sprays a fire extinguishing liquid toward the vent

Methodology Applied

Scientific EffectSpray: Fluid Spray

Data Source

PatentUS20250239726A1Energy storage system

Publication Date: 2025.07.24 SAMSUNG SDI CO LTD

AI summary

An energy storage system according to one or more embodiments of the present disclosure includes: a container configured to accommodate a battery rack; a hood comprising a vent connected with an internal space of the container; an opening/closing member that is installed in the hood and opens or closes the vent; and a fire extinguishing unit outside the container that sprays a fire extinguishing liquid toward the vent as the opening/closing member opens the vent.