JPH07254438A - Sodium-sulfer battery module - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To prevent generation of sulfur dioxide when a battery is broken by forming a battery chamber containing Na-S batteries in a semi gas-tight structure, and providing a sulfur oxidation preventing means in the battery chamber. CONSTITUTION:A number of Na-S batteries 1 are series connected and contained in a battery chamber 2, and oxidation elimination means are provided as sulfur oxidation preventing means in part of or outside the battery chamber 2. As the means 2, that of an electrolytic type capable of eliminating oxygen only without performing heat exchange of high temperature gas by zirconia electrolysis like that in a zirconia electrolysis type oxygen pump is favorable, and diffused oxygen only is discharged by applying a constant voltage to it for regulating a partial pressure of oxygen in the battery chamber 2 at a specified value or less normally. An oxygen adsorption means may be provided as the sulfur oxidation preventing means. As the means, metal such as Zr, Mn, Fe, Ti, Al, their alloy, or inorganic material such as zeolite is installed in the battery chamber 2.

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a sodium-sulfur battery module, and more specifically, a sodium ion conductive solid electrolyte tube having a cathode chamber inside.
Sodium with externally formed anode chamber-Sodium with a large number of sulfur batteries connected in series and stored in the battery chamber-
The present invention relates to improving the safety of a sulfur battery module when the battery is damaged.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art A cathode chamber is formed inside a sodium ion conductive solid electrolyte tube, and an anode chamber is formed outside. Sodium as a cathode active material is used in the cathode chamber and sulfur is used as an anode active material in the anode chamber. The sodium-sulfur battery thus formed is often used as a sodium-sulfur battery module which is connected in series and in parallel and is housed in a battery chamber.

Such a sodium-sulfur battery module is particularly attracting attention for load leveling (LL), which is charged at night by surplus power at night and discharged at daytime when power is insufficient to level power consumption. .

Then, the above-mentioned load leveling (L
The sodium-sulfur battery module for L) is generally installed near a substation or in a basement of a building.

On the other hand, the sodium-sulfur battery uses sodium as a cathode active material and has an operating temperature of 315 to 350.
Since the temperature is as high as ℃, the sodium-sulfur battery module has a function of quickly extinguishing a fire when a fire or the like occurs.

[0006]

DISCLOSURE OF THE INVENTION Problems to be Solved by the Invention Sodium-
The sulfur battery module can be extinguished by ejecting a fire extinguisher or an inert gas in the event of a fire.However, if the battery is damaged and the sulfur of the positive electrode active material scatters into the battery chamber, this sulfur is oxidized. As a result, a toxic gas such as sulfur dioxide is generated, and in some cases, the generated sulfur dioxide leaks to the outside.

[0007]

In order to solve the above problems, the present invention provides a sodium-sulfur battery in which a sodium ion conductive solid electrolyte is used as an electrolyte, sodium is used as a cathode active material, and sulfur is used as an anode active material. In a sodium-sulfur battery module in which a large number of batteries are connected in series and parallel to each other and housed in a battery chamber, the battery chamber has a semi-airtight structure, and in this battery chamber, sulfur of the anode active material is contained in the battery chamber when the battery is damaged. It is characterized in that a sulfur oxidation preventing means for preventing reaction with oxygen is provided.

[0008]

Therefore, in the sodium-sulfur battery module of the present invention, since the battery chamber has a semi-hermetic structure, it is possible to prevent the generation of sulfur dioxide due to the inflow of air from the outside into the battery chamber when the battery is damaged. it can.

Further, since the sodium-sulfur battery module of the present invention is provided with the sulfur oxidation preventing means in the battery chamber, oxygen and sulfur remaining in the battery chamber react with each other when the battery is damaged to generate sulfur dioxide. Can be prevented.

[0010]

EXAMPLES The present invention will be described below with reference to examples.

FIG. 1 is a sectional view of a sodium-sulfur battery module according to a first embodiment of the present invention.
The sulfur batteries 1 are connected in series and parallel to each other and housed in a battery chamber 2, and an oxygen removing unit 3 as a sulfur oxidation preventing unit is provided in a part of or outside the battery chamber 2.

The oxygen removing means 3 is preferably an electrolytic type, such as a zirconia electrolytic oxygen pump, which can remove only oxygen without heat exchange of a high temperature gas by a zirconia electrolyte, and is usually constant. Although a voltage is applied to adjust the oxygen partial pressure in the battery chamber 2 to a certain value or less and only diffused oxygen is discharged, the gas in the battery chamber 2 is circulated and discharged. It can also be a system.

FIG. 2 is a sectional view of a sodium-sulfur battery module according to a second embodiment of the present invention.
Sulfur batteries 1 are connected in series and parallel to each other and housed in a battery chamber 2, and in the battery chamber 2, an oxygen adsorbing means 4 as a sulfur oxidation preventing means.
Is provided.

The oxygen adsorbing means 4 is preferably a metal such as zirconium, manganese, iron, titanium, or aluminum, or an alloy containing these metals, or an inorganic substance such as zeolite. The installation method is to coat the inner wall of the battery chamber 2. And a cartridge containing the metal or an alloy or an inorganic material containing these metals in the battery chamber 2
It is conceivable that the latter method is used, and the latter method does not lower the operating temperature of the battery when the adsorption performance of the oxygen adsorbing means 4 is lowered by making the cartridge 4A a pull-out type as shown in FIG. It can also be exchangeable.

Even in the case of the sodium-sulfur battery module of the second embodiment described above, it goes without saying that a system of circulating the gas in the battery chamber 2 can be used.

Further, the sodium-sulfur battery module of each of the above-mentioned embodiments is provided with the oxygen removing means 3 and the oxygen adsorbing means 4 as the sulfur oxidation preventing means so as to connect the terminal portion of the battery and the bus bar for connecting the batteries. It is also possible to prevent the metal member from being oxidized.

[0017]

As described above, the present invention can prevent the generation of toxic sulfur dioxide when the sodium-sulfur battery is damaged, and further, the oxygen removing means and the oxygen adsorbing means as the sulfur oxidation preventing means enable the sodium and sulfur to be removed. It is possible to prevent the occurrence of fire due to a direct reaction with, and improve its safety.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a sectional view of a sodium-sulfur battery module according to a first embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a sectional view of a sodium-sulfur battery module according to a second embodiment of the present invention.

[Explanation of symbols]

 1 Sodium-Sulfur Battery 2 Battery Chamber 3 Oxygen Removing Means 4 Oxygen Adsorbing Means 4A Cartridge

 ─────────────────────────────────────────────────── ─── Continuation of the front page (72) Inventor Eiichi Nomura 6-6 Josaimachi, Takatsuki City, Osaka Prefecture Yuasa Corporation

Claims (6)

[Claims] 1. A sodium-sulfur battery having a sodium ion conductive solid electrolyte as an electrolyte, sodium as a cathode active material, and sulfur as an anode active material is connected in series in parallel and housed in a battery chamber. In the sodium-sulfur battery module, the battery chamber has a semi-hermetic structure, and a sulfur oxidation preventing means for preventing the sulfur of the positive electrode active material from reacting with oxygen in the battery chamber when the battery is damaged is provided in the battery chamber. A sodium-sulfur battery module characterized by the above. 2. The sodium-sulfur battery module according to claim 1, wherein the sulfur oxidation preventing means is an oxygen removing means for removing oxygen in the battery chamber. 3. The sodium-sulfur battery module according to claim 2, wherein the oxygen removing means is a zirconia electrolytic oxygen pump. 4. The sodium-sulfur battery module according to claim 1, wherein the sulfur oxidation preventing means is an oxygen adsorbing means for adsorbing oxygen in the battery chamber. 5. The sodium-sulfur battery module according to claim 4, wherein the oxygen adsorbing means comprises a metal such as zirconium, manganese, iron, titanium, aluminum or an alloy containing these metals or an inorganic substance such as zeolite as an inner wall of the battery chamber. A sodium-sulfur battery module, characterized in that it is applied to. 6. The sodium-sulfur battery module according to claim 4, wherein the oxygen adsorbing means is a cartridge containing a metal such as zirconium, manganese, iron, titanium, aluminum or an alloy containing these metals or an inorganic substance such as zeolite. A sodium-sulfur battery module, which is mounted in a battery chamber.