SECONDARY BATTERY SYSTEM

Abstract

The present invention relates to fire-extinguishing equipment integrated with a secondary battery system for early detection and early extinguishing for reducing the risk of fire spreading inside battery modules, and, more specifically, the present invention comprises: a plurality of battery modules constituting a secondary battery system; module unit fire detection devices mounted inside the modules so as to sense a fire in advance; and integrated fire extinguishing equipment partially coupled to the battery modules so as to directly spray a fire extinguishing agent at the inside of each module, wherein the battery modules include additional members for a cooling effect and the instantaneously supply of a fire-extinguishing agent when a fire is detected.

Claims

1-16. (canceled)

17. A secondary battery system comprising: a cell assembly member comprising a plurality of cylindrical secondary battery cell; a battery module accommodating at least one or more of the said cell assembly member; an upper space and a lower space formed inside the said battery module and formed between the case of the said battery module and the said cell assembly member to allow a fire extinguishing agent to move into the battery module smoothly; a fire extinguishing agent spray opening formed on a side of the battery module to allow the fire extinguishing agent to be sprayed into the upper space or the lower space; a spray nozzle disposed in the said fire extinguishing agent spray opening; wherein the said cylindrical secondary battery cell has cylindrical shape having smaller capacity than pouch type or polyhedral type secondary battery cells, and the said spray nozzle is a permanently open nozzle for early fire extinguishing because fire spreads more rapidly inside the said battery module compared to a battery module with pouch type or polyhedral type secondary battery cells; and wherein the said spray nozzle is configured such that its distal end portion is inserted in one end of a tube made of a certain length of insulation material, and the other end of the said tube having a circular cross-section is disposed in the said upper space; and and further comprising an ignition member for the ignition of a heat source member by an electrical signal, and a heat source supply member comprising a heat source member connected to and ignited by the said ignition member; and wherein the said heat source supply member is molded with a heat-sensitive material, and wherein the other end of the said tube is filled with the heat-sensitive material so that the opening of the other end of the said tube is closed by the heat-sensitive material, and wherein the heat source member burns through the ignition of the said ignition member when a fire is detected and the heat-sensitive material increases in temperature and melts, whereby the said tube opens.

18. The secondary battery system of claim 17, wherein a plurality of the said battery module is arranged in a predetermined direction and electrically connected; and the said secondary battery system further comprises a fire extinguishing equipment comprising a fire extinguishing agent which is water or a fire extinguishing substance mixed with water; a fire extinguishing tank configured to receive the said fire extinguishing agent; a pipeline connected from the fire extinguishing tank to the spray nozzle disposed in the extinguishing agent spray opening of each of battery modules; a valve disposed on the said pipeline for the purpose of controlling the supply of the said fire extinguishing agent to each of the said battery modules; a control unit comprising a fire extinguishing pump configured to move the fire extinguishing agent through the pipeline from the fire extinguishing tank, a receiver for receiving a fire detection signal, and a pump control member to actuate the said fire extinguishing pump.

19. The secondary battery system of claim 18, wherein the said valve is an active on/off valve; and the said control unit further comprises a valve controller configured to open the said active on/off valve when fire is detected.

Description

DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS

[0044] FIG. 1 is a schematic front perspective view of a battery module that shows the inside of a partial cut portion according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0045] FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view schematically showing a cross-section of a side of the battery module according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0046] FIG. 3 is a plan view of the inside of the battery module that shows spraying a fire extinguishing agent to the top of the battery module according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0047] FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view of a side of the battery module that shows movement of a fire extinguishing agent in the battery module according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0048] FIG. 5 is a plan view of the inside of the battery module that shows spraying a fire extinguishing agent from a spray nozzle inserted in a tube in accordance with an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0049] FIG. 6 is a cross-sectional view of a side of the battery module that shows movement of a fire extinguishing agent that is sprayed through the spray nozzle inserted in the tube in accordance with an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0050] FIG. 7A is a view showing a tube having a plurality of open holes connected to a spray nozzle in accordance with an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0051] FIG. 7B is a plan view of the inside of the battery module that shows movement of a fire extinguishing agent through the tube connected to the spray nozzle in accordance with an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0052] FIG. 8 is a cross-section showing a heat-sensitive material accommodated in a tube and saw tooth-shaped anti-pushing grooves formed on the inner wall of the tube in the section in which the heat-sensitive material is accommodated in accordance with another embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0053] FIG. 9 is a cross-section showing a heat-sensitive material and a heat source supply member molded with the heat-sensitive material in accordance with another embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0054] FIG. 10 is a schematic block configuration diagram of a secondary battery system including fire extinguishing equipment in accordance with the configuration of the present disclosure.

[0055] FIG. 11 is a schematic configuration diagram of a fire extinguishing control unit according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0056] FIG. 12 is a perspective view showing a secondary battery system including fire extinguishing equipment according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0057] FIG. 13 is a plan view schematically showing a secondary battery system including battery racks arranged in two rows according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0058] FIG. 14 is a schematic block configuration diagram showing signal relays provided respectively for battery racks and a control unit that receives signals from the signal relays in a secondary battery system including a plurality of battery racks according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

MODE FOR INVENTION

[0059] Exemplary embodiments of the present disclosure will be described with reference to the accompanying drawings to help sufficiently understand the present disclosure. Embodiments of the present disclosure may be modified in various ways and the scope of the present disclosure should not be construed as being limited to the embodiments to be described below. Embodiments are provided to more completely explain the present disclosure to those skilled in the art. Accordingly, the shapes of components may be exaggerated in the drawings to emphasize clearer description. It should be noted that same components may be indicated by same reference numerals in the drawings. Further, when functions and configurations of components well known in the art may make the gist of the present disclosure unclear, a detailed description of the components will be omitted.

[0060] Therefore, it should be understood that embodiments described herein and the configurations shown in the drawings are only the most preferable examples of the present disclosure and do not represent the entire of the spirit of the present disclosure.

[0061] The present disclosure includes a battery module 20 composed of battery cells 1, a battery rack 30, etc.

[0062] In detail, the battery module 20 is composed of a cell assembly member 10 composed of a plurality of battery cells 1 and a module housing receiving at least one or more the cell assemblies. The secondary battery cell 1 may be polyhedral, pouch-shaped, and cylindrical battery cells.

[0063] As shown in FIG. 1, when cylindrical battery cells are used, the battery module 20 is configured to receive at least one or more cell assemblies 10. The cell assembly member has cell holders 2 physically fixing the upper portion and the lower portion of a plurality of battery cells 1 and taps (not shown) connecting the cell holders 2 and terminal portions of the battery cells. The cell assemblies in the module are connected through bus bars (not shown), whereby the energy capacity of the module is determined. The module may have a terminal 28, through which electrical energy is finally input/output, on a side of the module.

[0064] The battery module includes a module unit fire detector 210 that senses ambient temperature inside the module that is changed by gas or flames produced by thermal runaway in the module, and the module unit fire detector is disposed in the module.

[0065] The module unit fire detector 210 is configured as a temperature sensor that senses ambient temperature and can sense generation of fire by determining a thermal runaway event when the instantaneous temperature rise rate of temperature that is sensed by the temperature sensor is larger than an allowable temperature rise rate.

[0066] According to small-capacity battery cells such as a cylindrical type, the immanent electrical energy capacity is small in comparison to large-capacity battery cells, so the thermal energy that is emitted by thermal runaway is relatively low. Further, since flames are discharged by a high increased pressure inside the battery cell case, the flames can go out of the module 20 within 1 to 3 seconds. Accordingly, the response time of a sensor that senses temperature is very important to sense instantaneous variation of ambient temperature due to gas or flames that are quickly discharged. That is, when the response time of the sensor is longer than the instantaneous variation of ambient temperature by thermal runaway, sensing the thermal runaway may fail. Accordingly, in order to increase the reliability and accuracy in sensing of fire in the battery module 20, a thermocouple, thermistor, or optical fiber temperature sensor of which the response time is shorter than the time for which flames go out of a module may be used.

[0067] Further, the module unit fire detector 210 may include a gas detector that can sense gas that is discharged from the battery cells before generation of runaway. When the gas detector senses a rise of gas concentration and there is a rapid rise of gas concentration, the gas detector determines a gas detection event and determines sensing of fire in the module 20 by combining the gas detection event with a temperature rise event signal of the module unit fire detector 210, thereby being able to increase the reliability of a fire sensing signal.

[0068] The battery module may have a gas discharge port 22 having openings on one side or two sides in the front-rear direction of the module to discharge gas or flames to the outside.

[0069] In order to smoothly discharge gas or flames produced by thermal runaway, the battery module 20 may have a space 23 between the top 10a or the bottom 10b of the cell assembly member 10 and the module case housing 21. In detail, as shown in FIG. 2, the gap from the module housing case is maintained by a plurality of spacing members (not shown) protruding from the top and the bottom of the cell assembly member, whereby the internal space 23 is formed.

[0070] The space 23 (23a, 23b) has the purpose of securing an insulation distance between the cell assembly member 10 and the module case 21 and providing a gas path for discharging gas, which is discharged from the cell assembly member 10, out of the battery module 20. For this reason, the module unit fire detector 210 may be positioned around the gas discharge port 22 positioned at the distal end of the path through which gas or flames are discharged to the outside.

[0071] As shown in FIG. 1, a fire extinguishing agent may have difficulty in quickly permeating and moving to an ignition origin due to the battery cells 1 densely disposed in the battery module 20. Accordingly, the space 23 (23a, 23b) shown in FIG. 2 may be used as a path of a fire extinguishing agent that is supplied into the module to suppress fire in the module 20.

[0072] As the fire extinguishing agent 200, water, water having a fire extinguishing agent substance added, air foam fire extinguishing agent substance containing foam having high expansivity, or the like may be used.

[0073] As shown in FIG. 3, the battery module 20 may have a fire extinguishing agent spray opening 26 on a side of the module so that when fire is sensed, a fire extinguishing agent can be directly supplied into the module through the hole.

[0074] In more detail, the fire extinguishing agent spray opening 26 for supplying the fire extinguishing agent 200 into the module may be positioned to correspond to the upper space 23a or/and the lower space 23b in the module so that the fire extinguishing agent 200 smoothly moves into the module.

[0075] However, the battery module 20 according to the present disclosure is not limited only to cylindrical battery cells described above and may be applied to various types of secondary battery (a polyhedral type, a pouch type) through various changes and modifications by those skilled in the art.

[0076] As shown in FIG. 4, according to an embodiment of the present disclosure, the fire extinguishing agent spray opening 26 may be positioned at the upper end of the rear surface of the battery module 20 that corresponds to the upper space 23a in the module so that the fire extinguishing agent moves toward the front of the module. In FIG. 4, the front surface of the battery module is the surface on which the terminal is positioned and the rear surface is the surface positioned at the opposite side when seen from the front surface.

[0077] When a fire extinguishing agent containing water is used as the fire extinguishing agent 200, the fire extinguishing agent 200 supplied into the battery module 200 can easily leak to the outside through several gaps (e.g., a gas discharge port, an output terminal mount, a module fan mounting portion, a module case joint surface and edges, etc.). Accordingly, a plate-shaped water block fence 27 may be provided in the module, whereby it is possible to increase the cooling effect of the entire module and effectively prevent diffusion of fire due to thermal runaway and re-ignition by keeping the fire extinguishing agent up to the height of the water block fence in the module for a predetermined time.

[0078] As for water block fence 27 according to an embodiment of the present disclosure, as shown in FIGS. 5 and 6, the height of the water block fence may be determined such that a predetermined portion of the battery cells 1 received in the battery module 20 is submerged in a fire extinguishing agent and the water block fence may be disposed across the space between a side of the module positioned at the end in the spray direction of a fire extinguishing agent from the spray nozzle 251 and the cell assembly member 10 positioned closest to the side.

[0079] Further, the edges of the water block fence and the floor and both sides inside the module that are in contact with the edges are finished with an adhesive waterproof finishing material, a waterproof sealing material, or a waterproof tape to prevent a fire extinguishing agent from easily leaking between them, or, as shown in FIG. 5, the edges of the water block fence may be finished with packing members 29.

[0080] Further, referring to FIGS. 5 and 6, in order to quickly and uniformly cool the bodies of the battery cells 1 densely disposed in the module, up-down through holes 11 are formed in the cell assembly member 10, so the fire extinguishing agent can uniformly move on the entire floor of the module 20.

[0081] The battery module may be provided with a spray nozzle 251 that sprays the fire extinguishing agent 200 into the module at a predetermined pressure. The spray nozzle may be inserted and fixed in the module through the fire extinguishing agent spray opening 26.

[0082] In this configuration, the spray nozzle may be a normal open type so that the fire extinguishing agent 200 can be immediately sprayed into the battery module 200 when fire is sensed. In general, fire extinguishing agent spray nozzles are equipped with a valve having a glass bulb that breaks by responding to a predetermined temperature, so such nozzles are closed normally, but when the nozzles are exposed to a predetermined temperature for a predetermined time, the glass bulb breaks, thereby opening the nozzles. However, when fire rapidly spreads in a module, the timing of suppressing the fire at an early stage may be missed due to the time that is taken to open a nozzle. Accordingly, when the spray nozzle 251 is provided in a normal open type, it is possible to supply a fire extinguishing agent into the module 20 immediately when sensing fire without consuming the time to open a nozzle.

[0083] In general, fire extinguishing agent spray nozzles are made of metal materials to resist the pressure of fluid that is sprayed, and as in the configuration of the present disclosure, when the spray nozzle 251 is directly inserted in the module 20, it may be difficult to secure an insulation distance from the cell assembly member 10. According to another embodiment of the present disclosure, the distal end portion of the open-type spray nozzle 251 is inserted in an insulating tube 256, whereby it is possible to maintain insulation by preventing direct contact between the spray nozzle and the cell assembly member. As shown in FIG. 5, for example, a first end portion of the tube 256 may receive the distal end portion of the spray nozzle 251 and a second end portion of the tube may be open and disposed in the upper space 23a in the module. In this configuration, the final spray point of a fire extinguishing agent is formed at the open end of the tube 256.

[0084] Further, the distal end of the tube can be positioned deep inside the upper space 23a by adjusting the length of the tube. In this case, as shown in FIGS. 7A and 7B in accordance with an embodiment of the present disclosure, a plurality of open holes 255 may be formed on the side of the tube in the longitudinal direction of the tube so that a fire extinguishing agent is uniformly sprayed into the module even through the side open holes 255 while the fire extinguishing agent moves in the tube.

[0085] According to another embodiment of the present disclosure, the tube may be more directly exposed to flames and high-temperature gas due to thermal runaway generated in the module. The opening at the distal end of the tube may be filled with a heat-sensitive material 257 having a predetermined length so that when the end of the tube 256 is in a closed state and the ambient temperature in the module reaches a predetermined temperature due to thermal runaway, the heat-sensitive material melts and the distal end portion of the tube opens. For example, wax of which the melting point is between 60? C. and 90? C. may be used as the heat-sensitive material to open the tube.

[0086] However, when fire is sensed and the internal pressure of the tube 256 is increased by spray pressure acting in the spray nozzle, the entire heat-sensitive material 257 may be pushed out of the tube by the pressure like a cylinder. Accordingly, not only the tube 256 inserted in the problematic module 20 on fire, but also the tubes 256 inserted in surrounding normal modules 20 are opened, so it may be difficult to selectively spray a fire extinguishing agent as it intended. Accordingly, an adhesive may be added to the heat-sensitive material 257 according to an embodiment of the present disclosure to maintain the adhesive force between the inner wall of the tube and the wax even while the internal pressure of the tube 256 is increased, or, as shown in FIG. 8, saw tooth-shaped anti-pushing grooves are formed around the inner wall of the tube that corresponds to the section receiving the heat-sensitive material 257, whereby it is possible to physically prevent the heat-sensitive material from being pushed to the outside.

[0087] For quick and immediate opening more than the passive opening type described above, a heat source supply member 258 may be molded in the heat-sensitive material 257 so that when fire is sensed, the tube is opened by instantaneously burning the heat source supply member and melting the heat-sensitive material 257 by an electrical signal. According to an embodiment of the present disclosure, as shown in FIG. 9, the heat source supply member may be composed of an ignition member 258a and a heat source member 258b, in which the ignition member is a device that locally generates high-temperature heat in an ignition terminal composed of a (+) terminal and a (?) terminal by an electrical signal so that the heat source member 258b starts burning. Further, the heat source member serves to increase ambient temperature within a short time through burning. In general, Fe/KClO.sub.4, Zr/BaCrO.sub.4, or the like is used in a solid type as the material of the heat source member and the heat source supply member may be molded with the heat-sensitive material.

[0088] When fire is sensed and an electrical signal is transmitted from the module unit fire detector 210 to the ignition member 258a, the ignition member can instantaneously increase the temperature of a local area. The heat source member starts burning due to the ignition member and supplies heat to the surrounding. In this process, the heat-sensitive material 257 covering the heat source supply member melts, whereby the tube can be opened. In general, since the combustion speed of heat sources is 10?50 cm/s, the tube can be opened within a short time by melting of the heat-sensitive material 257.

[0089] Since the heat-sensitive material in the tube is melted in the opening type described above, there is the advantage that it is possible to selectively spray a fire extinguishing agent only into a corresponding module 20 at an early stage.

[0090] Referring to FIG. 10, the secondary battery system of the present disclosure may include at least two or more battery modules and fire extinguishing equipment.

[0091] In detail, the fire extinguishing equipment includes a fire extinguishing control unit 220, a fire extinguishing tank 230, a fire extinguishing pump 240, a pipeline 250 connected from the fire extinguishing tank to the battery modules, an on/off valve 260 disposed on any one portion of the pipeline, etc., and is at least partially coupled to the battery modules 20.

[0092] The fire extinguishing equipment of the present disclosure may be configured, as shown in FIGS. 3 to 7, to be able to suppress fire in the modules by directly spraying the fire extinguishing agent 200 into the modules when fire is sensed. In this configuration, when the fire extinguishing agent 200 contains water, the fire extinguishing agent 200 may be mixed and used with an additive to increase the cooling ability of the water. Further, a permeator that decreases the surface tension of water may be added to the additive so that the fire extinguishing agent easily permeates into the internal space of the modules 20.

[0093] As shown in FIG. 10, the fire extinguishing tank 230 receiving the fire extinguishing agent discharges the fire extinguishing agent and supplies the fire extinguishing agent to the battery modules 20 through the pipeline 250 using the fire extinguishing pump 240. The pipeline may connect the fire extinguishing tank and the fire extinguishing pump and diverge in parallel at any one position after passing through the on/off valve 260 from the fire extinguishing tank to be connected to the insides of the battery modules 20. Since the pipeline is opened at the position of the on/off valve, the fire extinguishing agent can be supplied to the modules connected to the open pipeline.

[0094] The fire extinguishing control unit 220 includes a receiver 221 that receives a fire sensing signal from the module unit fire detector 210 and a pump control member 22 that actuates the fire extinguishing pump.

[0095] Referring to FIG. 10 again, the on/off valve 260 may be an active on/off valve that is normally in a closed state and can open when fire is sensed. For example, the active on/off valve may be a solenoid valve, an electric ball valve, etc. For a configuration of the present disclosure, FIG. 11 shows a schematic configuration including a valve control member 223 such that the fire extinguishing control unit 220 can control the active on/off valve 260.

[0096] Referring to FIG. 12 according to an embodiment of the present disclosure, a battery rack 30 may include a cabinet-type container that receives the battery modules 20 in a vertically stacked type. In order to supply the fire extinguishing agent 200 to the modules 20 received in the battery rack 30, the pipeline 250 may be composed of a common pipeline 250a extending from the fire extinguishing pump 240 into the upper portion receiving the battery rack 30, a horizontal main pipeline 250b extending horizontally at a predetermined height from the upper end of the battery rack 30 in the space, a vertical cross pipeline 250c diverging downward along a side of the battery rack 30 from the horizontal main pipeline, and branch pipelines 250d diverging in parallel horizontally from the vertical cross pipeline at positions respectively corresponding to the modules 20 received in the battery rack, and connected to spray nozzles 251 of the modules, respectively.

[0097] As shown in FIG. 12, the active on/off valve 260 is disposed at any one position on the vertical cross pipeline 250c diverging from the horizontal main pipeline 250b and opens the vertical cross pipeline when fire is sensed, so the fire extinguishing agent 200 can be supplied to all of the pipelines 250d diverging in parallel from the vertical cross pipeline.

[0098] Further, the secondary battery system according to a configuration of the present disclosure may include a plurality of battery racks 30. The battery racks may be arranged in one row or two or more rows in one direction. For example, FIG. 13 is an example in which the secondary battery system includes a plurality of battery racks 30 arranged in two rows in one direction. In this configuration, the horizontal main pipeline 250b may be configured to diverge to the rows from the common pipeline 250a at the position where all of the rows of battery racks start.

[0099] Further, as shown in FIG. 14, the battery racks 30 each may be provided with a signal relay 270 that receives a fire sensing signal from module unit fire detectors 210 received in each battery rack 30 and transmits the fire sensing signal to the fire extinguishing control unit 220. Due to the signal relays that transmit a sensing signal, it is possible to easily determine the location of a battery rack having a problematic module and open only the valve 260 disposed on the vertical cross pipeline 250c connected with the problematic battery rack.