JP2703430B2 - Fire extinguisher in sodium-sulfur battery - Google Patents

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a fire extinguisher in a battery pack composed of sodium-sulfur batteries.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art In general, in order to extinguish an accidental fire in a sodium-sulfur battery, a powder or granular fire extinguishing agent is put in a flow of an inert gas such as nitrogen and charged into a battery case. Will be In this case, the fire extinguishing agent and the inert gas are injected into the storage case from a nozzle provided on a wall in the storage case. And the flow rate of the inert gas and the fire extinguishing agent in the storage case decreases,
The fire extinguishing agent is settled in the storage case and fire is extinguished.
The inert gas in the storage case is discharged to the outside of the storage case from the outlet of the wall of the storage case.

[0003] In the event of an accidental fire in the storage case, it is desirable that a fire extinguisher be placed in the inert gas flow so that the fire extinguishing agent can be quickly injected into the storage case.

[0004]

If the inside of the storage tank is maintained at the atmospheric pressure, it takes time to pressurize the inside of the tank during operation, so that the pressure of the inert gas is always kept high and the fire is extinguished promptly. It is conceivable to add the agent. However, when the pressure of the inert gas in the storage tank is always in a pressurized state, a valve provided in a pipe connecting the storage tank and the storage case, or a fire extinguisher is required to be injected into the storage tank. The inlet provided at the top of the tank,
Inert gas leaks little by little from the safety valve. Especially,
Since the granular fire extinguishing agent enters and exits from the valve and the flange of the fire extinguishing agent inlet, the granular fire extinguishing agent is bitten into the valve seat of the valve and the flange around the fire extinguishing agent inlet and the inert gas flows from those parts. Is easy to leak, and it is difficult to eliminate this leak.

[0005] Therefore, the pressure of the inert gas in the pressurized cylinder for supplying the inert gas into the storage tank gradually decreases. In such a state, there is a problem that when a fire occurs in the storage case, the amount of inert gas for transporting the fire extinguishing agent is insufficient, which hinders fire extinguishing.

On the other hand, if the inside of the tank is kept at about atmospheric pressure, it takes time for the tank internal pressure to reach a state in which the fire extinguishing agent can be conveyed, so that quick extinguishing of the fire cannot be expected. The present invention has been made to solve the above-mentioned problem, and an object of the present invention is to secure the pressure of an inert gas in a storage tank containing a fire extinguishing agent, and to prevent a fire in a storage case of a sodium-sulfur battery. To provide a fire extinguishing device in a sodium-sulfur battery that can be quickly and quickly handled.

[0007]

In order to achieve the above object, according to the present invention, there is provided a storage case for storing an assembled battery constituted by a sodium-sulfur battery, and a storage tank for storing a powder or granular fire extinguishing agent. A connection pipe for connecting the storage case and the storage tank, a valve provided in the connection pipe, and a gas supply device for supplying an inert gas into the storage tank, and the fire is extinguished by opening the valve. In a fire extinguisher configured to put an agent in an inert gas flow into a storage case, an inert gas for supplying an inert gas into the storage tank separately from the gas supply device is provided in the storage tank. The gist is a fire extinguisher in a sodium-sulfur battery provided with an auxiliary supply device.

Further, in the present invention, the inert gas auxiliary supply device contains an inert gas generating agent in a container, and burns the inert gas by burning the inert gas generating agent when a fire occurs in the storage case. It is a gas generator that is instantaneously generated.

Further, in the present invention, the gas generator is provided with a plurality of ignition chambers having an ignition charge, a plurality of combustion chambers having an inert gas generation agent, and the like, and sequentially ignites the ignition charge to generate an inert gas. .

Further, in the present invention, the inert gas auxiliary supply device is an auxiliary cylinder filled with an inert gas under pressure.

[0011]

The storage tank is provided with an inert gas auxiliary supply device for supplying an inert gas into the storage tank separately from the gas supply device. Therefore, since the inert gas can be supplied from the inert gas auxiliary supply device into the storage tank, the inert gas supplied from the gas supply device is not wasted. Therefore, in the event of an accident fire in the storage case of the sodium-sulfur battery, an inert gas is supplied from the gas supply device into the storage tank. As a result, the fire extinguishing agent is put on the inert gas and quickly charged into the storage case, and the fire in the storage case is extinguished.

When a gas generator is used as an inert gas auxiliary supply device, an inert gas is instantaneously supplied into the storage tank in the event of an accident in the storage case and a predetermined pressure is secured.

Further, the gas generator is provided with a plurality of ignition chambers provided with an igniting agent, a plurality of combustion chambers provided with an inert gas generating agent, etc., and igniting the igniting agent sequentially to generate an inert gas.
The predetermined pressure is gradually secured without rapidly increasing the internal pressure of the storage tank.

If an auxiliary cylinder filled with inert gas under pressure is used as the inert gas auxiliary supply device, the inert gas can be constantly supplied from the auxiliary cylinder to the storage tank. Is always kept constant.

[0015]

【Example】

(First Embodiment) An embodiment of the present invention will be described below with reference to FIGS.

As shown in FIG. 1, a plurality of assembled batteries 2 incorporating a large number of sodium-sulfur batteries are stored in a storage case 1 having a rectangular box shape.
Are installed side by side. Although the inside of the battery pack 2 is not shown, a single sodium-sulfur battery is provided inside the single battery or in a state of being stacked in the vertical direction and connected in series. In a single sodium-sulfur battery, metallic sodium and sulfur are stored separately through a solid electrolyte tube. Further, the inside of the storage case 1 is constantly heated to about 300 ° C., so that metallic sodium and sulfur in the battery are in a molten state.

A fire detection device 3 such as a temperature sensor is mounted inside the storage case 1 and an exhaust pipe 1a is provided.
Is attached to exhaust gas in the storage case 1. Note that the exhaust pipe 1a is normally closed.

A storage tank 5 filled with a particulate fire extinguishing agent 4 and filled with an inert gas at atmospheric pressure is connected to a connecting pipe 6.
Is connected to the storage case 1 via the. The fire extinguisher 4 is non-reactive with the active material of the battery and the product at the time of fire occurrence, and has no hygroscopic property and has insulating properties. More specifically, the fire extinguishing agent 4 is formed of ceramic particles having a particle diameter of 0.2 to 2.0 mm or sand alone or as a mixture.

As the ceramic, feldspar-like ordinary porcelain, alumina-containing porcelain, cristobalite porcelain and the like are used. The connection pipe 6 has a fire extinguishing agent 4 in a storage tank 5.
A normally-closed introduction valve 7 for charging the storage case 1 is provided, and a portion of the connecting pipe 6 connected to each storage case 1 is branched into branch pipes 6a, and a fire occurs in these branch pipes 6a. A normally closed selection valve 8 for charging the fire extinguishing agent 4 into the storage case 1 is provided.

A pressure cylinder 16 for pressurizing and storing nitrogen as an inert gas is connected to the storage tank 5 by a nitrogen pipe 17. The nitrogen pipe 17 is branched on the way, and the branch pipe 18 is connected to the connection pipe 6 via the outlet pipe 10 of the storage tank 5. A normally closed storage tank pressurizing valve 20 is attached to the nitrogen pipe 17, and a transfer valve 21 is connected to the branch pipe 18.

The inert gas may be a gas such as helium, neon, or argon. A gas supply device is constituted by the nitrogen pressurizing cylinder 16, the nitrogen pipe 17, the storage tank pressurizing valve 20, and the like. Each of the introduction valve 7, the selection valve 8, the storage tank pressurizing valve 20, and the transfer valve 21 is an electromagnetic valve, an electric valve, or an automatic valve driven by a pneumatic drive or the like, and is operated by an electric signal.
The storage tank pressurizing valve 20 and the transport valve 21 are opened based on the detection signal of the fire detecting device 3, and the introduction valve 7 and the selection valve 8 are opened.

The branch pipe 18 is for forming a gas carrier flow for introducing the fire extinguishing agent 4 in the storage tank 5 from the connection pipe 6 to the storage case 1 via the outlet pipe 10. A gas generator 31 as an inert gas auxiliary supply device is attached to the upper part of the storage tank 5. Similarly, a hole for extinguishing a fire extinguisher is provided in the upper part of the storage tank 5, and a flange 9 for attaching a lid is formed on the periphery of the hole. Note that a safety valve 15 is attached to a part of the storage tank 5.

Here, the gas generator 31 will be described. As shown in FIG. 2, the ignition chamber 3 is provided at the center of a housing 33 of the gas generator 31 by a cylindrical partition wall.
5, a combustion chamber 37 is formed on the outer peripheral portion by the partition wall 34 and the partition wall 36 on the outer peripheral portion, and a cooling collection chamber 39 is formed on the outer peripheral portion by the partition wall 36 and the peripheral wall 38. ing.

An igniter 41 having a lead wire 40 is attached to a lower portion of the ignition chamber 35, and an outer periphery thereof is filled with an igniter 42. When the igniter 41 is ignited, the igniter 42 is ignited. It has become. This ignition chamber 3
5, the partition wall 34 is provided with an opening 43,
The flame in the ignition chamber 35 is propagated to the combustion chamber 37. The combustion chamber 37 is filled with particulates of sodium azide (NaN ₃ ) as a gas generating agent 44,
The combustion from the flame 5 generates nitrogen gas. An opening 45 is provided in the outer peripheral portion of the combustion chamber 37 to guide the nitrogen gas to the cooling and collecting chamber 39.

A cooling collecting material 46 is disposed in the cooling collecting chamber 39 so as to cool the nitrogen gas and collect by-products. A gas outlet 47 is provided through one portion of the peripheral wall 38 so that nitrogen gas can be supplied to the storage tank 5 through a pipe (not shown) connected to the gas outlet 47. When a fire in the storage case 1 is detected by the fire detection device 3, the gas generator 31 is activated to supply nitrogen gas to the storage tank 5.
And the pressure in the storage tank 5 is instantaneously increased to a predetermined pressure.

Next, the operation of such a fire extinguisher will be described. In any one of the plurality of storage cases 1, if the solid electrolyte tube inside the battery is broken for some reason, molten metal sodium, which is the active material of the anode and the cathode, and sulfur come into direct contact to cause a sudden chemical reaction. A fire accident occurs. At this time, the temperature inside the storage case 1 increases, and the fire detection device 3 detects a fire. Then, based on a signal from the fire detection device 3, the igniter 41 of the gas generator 31 causes an ignition charge 42 on the outer peripheral portion thereof.
Is ignited. The flame generated by the ignition of the igniter 42 is guided from the opening 43 to the combustion chamber 37, where the gas generator 44 is burned to generate nitrogen gas.

This nitrogen gas is introduced into the cooling and collecting chamber 39 through the opening 45, where it is cooled by the cooling and collecting material 46 and solid by-products are collected. Then, nitrogen gas is spouted from the gas spout 47 and the storage tank 5
Supplied inside. Therefore, even if the pressure of the nitrogen in the storage tank 5 is the atmospheric pressure until immediately before, it immediately rises to a predetermined pressure. Simultaneously with the increase in the pressure in the storage tank 5, the storage tank pressurizing valve 20, the transfer valve 21, the introduction valve 7, and the selection valve 8 corresponding to the storage case 1 in which a fire has occurred are opened.

Then, the fire extinguishing agent 4 in the storage tank 5 is transported by the nitrogen gas and introduced into the storage case 1 via the outlet pipe 10, the connecting pipe 6, the introduction valve 7 and the selection valve 8. Then, the granular fire extinguishing agent 4 flies by its inertia force, falls by its own weight, and gradually accumulates so as to cover each battery in the storage case 1. Therefore, the sulfur, metallic sodium, and sodium polysulfide in the molten state are deprived of heat and solidified by cooling, and at the same time, oxygen and moisture are shut off to suppress the chemical reaction, thereby extinguishing the fire. The inert gas fed into the storage case 1 is discharged to the outside from the exhaust pipe 1a.

As described above, according to the present embodiment, simultaneously with the occurrence of a fire in the storage case 1 in the storage tank 5 for storing the fire extinguishing agent 4, the nitrogen gas is supplied from the gas generator 31 provided separately from the gas supply device. And a predetermined pressure can be secured in a short time. As a result, a fire in the storage case 1 can be quickly dealt with. Therefore, by opening the storage tank pressurizing valve 20 and constantly pressurizing the inside of the storage tank 5 to the specified pressure, the leakage from the introduction valve 7 and the like causes the nitrogen in the pressurizing cylinder 16 to drop below a predetermined pressure and extinguish the fire. There is no danger at times. Further, since strict design is not required for the airtightness of the introduction valve 7 and the flange 11, the design of the apparatus is facilitated. Second Embodiment Next, another embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to FIG. In the present embodiment, parts different from those of the first embodiment will be mainly described, and the same members as those of the first embodiment will be denoted by the same reference numerals and description thereof will be omitted.

FIG. 3 is an explanatory view showing a main part of the fire extinguisher according to this embodiment. As shown in the figure, a nitrogen pressurized cylinder 51 is provided above the storage tank 5 via a connection pipe 52. Are linked. This connection pipe 52 has a pressure control valve 53
Is provided to constantly adjust the pressure of the nitrogen gas to a predetermined pressure. And the storage tank 5 is a pressurized cylinder 5
It is constantly pressurized by the gas from 1. The pressurized cylinder 51, the connection pipe 52, and the pressure control valve 53 constitute an inert gas auxiliary supply device. When the pressure of nitrogen in the pressure cylinder 51 falls below the predetermined pressure, the pressure is replaced.

As described above, according to this embodiment, the pressure of nitrogen in the storage tank 5 containing the fire extinguishing agent 4 is reduced by connecting the pressurized cylinder 51 to the storage tank 5 separately from the gas supply device. Since the pressure is always maintained at a predetermined pressure, the main pressurizing cylinder 16 is used when a fire occurs in the battery storage case 1.
When the internal gas pressure is applied to the tank 5, it is possible to quickly cope with the problem.

The present invention is not limited to the above embodiment. For example, when it is dangerous to rapidly increase the internal pressure of the storage tank 5, the present invention may be embodied as follows. That is, in the first embodiment, a plurality of ignition chambers 35, combustion chambers 37, cooling and collecting chambers 39, gas injection ports 47, and the like of the gas generator 31 are provided, and the nitrogen gas is gradually ignited while sequentially igniting the ignition charge 42. May be ejected. Gas generator 3
1 may be arranged in the upper space in the storage tank 5.

[0033]

As described above in detail, according to the present invention, the pressure of the inert gas in the storage tank containing the fire extinguishing agent can be secured, and the fire in the storage case of the sodium-sulfur battery can be promptly prevented. It has an excellent effect of being able to cope.

When a gas generator is used as the inert gas auxiliary supply device, the pressure in the storage tank is instantaneously secured in the event of an accident fire in the storage case, and the fire in the storage case can be quickly dealt with. It has excellent effects.

Further, the gas generator is provided with a plurality of ignition chambers provided with an igniting agent, a plurality of combustion chambers provided with an inert gas generating agent, and the like. When the igniting agents are sequentially ignited, the internal pressure of the storage tank is rapidly increased. Without the pressure gradually being secured,
As a result, there is an excellent effect that it is possible to sufficiently cope with a fire in the storage case without exposing the storage tank to a dangerous state.

When an auxiliary cylinder filled with an inert gas under pressure is used as the inert gas auxiliary supply device, the internal pressure of the storage tank is always kept constant, so that a fire in the storage case can be quickly dealt with. It has an excellent effect that it can be done.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is an explanatory view showing a fire extinguisher according to a first embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a schematic sectional view showing a gas generator.

FIG. 3 is an explanatory view of a main part showing a fire extinguisher according to a second embodiment.

[Explanation of symbols]

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 ... Storage case, 4 ... Granular fire extinguishing agent, 5 ... Storage tank, 6
... connecting pipe, 7 ... introduction valve as a valve.

Claims (4)

(57) [Claims] A storage case storing an assembled battery including a sodium-sulfur battery, a storage tank storing a powder or granular fire extinguishing agent, a connection pipe connecting the storage case and the storage tank, It comprises a valve provided in the connecting pipe and a gas supply device for supplying an inert gas into the storage tank. By opening the valve, a fire extinguishing agent is put in the inert gas flow and charged into the storage case. In the fire extinguisher configured as described above, the storage tank is provided with an inert gas auxiliary supply device for supplying an inert gas into the storage tank separately from the gas supply device. Fire extinguisher. 2. The inert gas auxiliary supply device contains an inert gas generating agent in a container, and when the fire occurs in the storage case, the inert gas generating agent burns to generate an inert gas instantaneously. The fire extinguisher in the sodium-sulfur battery according to claim 1, wherein the fire extinguisher is a gas generator. 3. The gas generator according to claim 2, wherein a plurality of igniting chambers having an igniting agent, a plurality of combustion chambers having an inert gas generating agent, and the like are provided, and the igniting agent is sequentially ignited to generate an inert gas. The fire extinguisher in a sodium-sulfur battery according to claim 2, wherein the fire is extinguished. 4. The fire extinguishing system for a sodium-sulfur battery according to claim 1, wherein the auxiliary inert gas supply device is an auxiliary cylinder filled with an inert gas under pressure.