KR20210128135A - Method and system for managing a fire of battery energy storage system - Google Patents

Abstract

The present invention can provide a BESS fire management method, comprising the following steps of: receiving data for detecting a harbinger generated through monitoring in a battery storage by a control device; determining whether a thermal runaway precursor is detected in the battery storage based on precursor detection data; and cooling a battery module in the battery storage by operating a cooling device in the battery storage when the thermal runaway precursor is detected. The present invention provides a BESS fire management system, capable of preventing a fire, and the method thereof.

Description

BESS fire management system and method

The present invention relates to a system and method for managing a fire in a BESS.

Battery Energy Storage System (hereinafter referred to as 'BESS') refers to an energy storage device, and is a system that stores the produced electrical energy and supplies it when power is needed.

BESS supplements the deficiencies that renewable energy produced by wind power or solar power generation systems is intermittent, can significantly reduce the upgrade and investment costs required for transmission and distribution network upgrades, and stabilize the frequency of the grid system. have. In addition, BESS can reduce the energy cost of general housing and commercial facilities, and can minimize the constraints involved when generating electricity from renewable energy sources.

Although the amount of BESS installation has increased rapidly due to these advantages, considerable property damage is occurring due to fires occurring in the BESS.

Lithium-ion batteries are usually used in BESS, but the fires of lithium-ion batteries are different from general fires.

The cause of the BESS fire is the heat reaction inside the battery caused by internal or external factors of the battery. That is, in an environment in which combustible gas is discharged due to an exothermic reaction, as the internal temperature of the battery rises, the rate of the exothermic reaction accelerates and reaches a limit, a thermal runaway phenomenon occurs in which energy release is instantaneously and rapidly increased. and, in some cases, it is accompanied by a fire or explosion.

Since there are a large number of batteries in a BESS, if thermal runaway occurs in one battery, thermal runaway occurs in a series of adjacent batteries, and it may develop into an explosive fire due to the exhausted combustible gas. Therefore, it is difficult to extinguish a BESS fire with general fire extinguishing facilities and methods.

Due to this, there is a problem in that the fire of the BESS cannot be extinguished until the battery storage is burned out. Also, even if the fire in the BESS is extinguished, thermal runaway may occur again in another battery heated due to the fire, and the fire may recur.

Therefore, there is an urgent need for a method that can prevent thermal runaway as well as effectively suppress the fire before thermal runaway occurs in the BESS.

KR 10-1984817 B1

The present invention provides a BESS fire management system and method capable of preventing a fire by detecting a precursor of thermal runaway before thermal runaway occurs due to an internal or external factor of a battery in the BESS.

In order to achieve the above-described problem, the fire management method of BESS according to an embodiment of the present invention includes the steps of receiving data for detecting a harbinger generated through monitoring in a battery storage in a control device, and detecting the omens determining whether a thermal runaway precursor is detected in the battery storage based on the data for use, and operating a cooling device in the battery storage to cool the battery module in the battery storage when the thermal runaway precursor is detected. may include

According to an embodiment of the present invention, the step of receiving the data for detecting a precursor may include data for detecting a precursor generated by monitoring at least one of an off-gas detection module, a voltage detection module, and a temperature detection module installed in the battery storage. can be provided.

According to an embodiment of the present invention, in the cooling step, the degree to which the valve of the cooling device is opened is determined based on the data for detecting the precursor phenomenon so that the coolant filled in the cooling device is discharged through the spray nozzle. , a non-conductive material may be used as a coolant in the cooling device.

In order to achieve the above-described problem to be solved, the fire management system of BESS according to an embodiment of the present invention detects a precursor phenomenon that generates data for detection of a precursor phenomenon for detecting a thermal runaway precursor phenomenon through monitoring of a battery storage A data generation unit, a cooling device installed in the battery storage to cool the battery module in the battery storage, and a thermal runaway precursor detected based on the precursor detection data generated by the precursor detection data generator In this case, it may include a control device for cooling the battery module through the operation of the cooling device.

According to an embodiment of the present invention, the data generating unit for detecting a precursor phenomenon includes an off-gas detection module for detecting off-gas generated in the battery storage, a voltage detection module for detecting the voltage of the battery module, and the battery module at least one of a temperature sensing module for sensing a temperature of

According to an embodiment of the present invention, the voltage sensing module and the temperature sensing module may be linked with a BMS that monitors the voltage and temperature of the battery module.

According to an embodiment of the present invention, the cooling device includes a container filled with a non-conductive material with a coolant therein, a valve coupled to the outlet of the container and operated under the control of the control device, and It may include a spray nozzle for discharging the coolant to the outside when the valve is opened.

According to the above-described embodiments of the present invention, a BESS fire management system and method for cooling the battery module by detecting a precursor of thermal runaway before thermal runaway occurs due to internal or external factors of the battery in the BESS are provided. By doing so, it is possible to prevent a fire in the BESS.

In addition, according to the above-described embodiments of the present invention, by providing a fire management system and method of a BESS using a non-conductive material for the coolant, damage to the battery module due to the release of the coolant can be minimized.

1 is a diagram illustrating the overall configuration of a fire management system of a BESS according to an embodiment of the present invention.
2 is a flowchart illustrating a process of operating the BESS fire management system according to an embodiment of the present invention.

Hereinafter, specific embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. The following detailed description is provided to provide a comprehensive understanding of the methods, apparatus, and/or systems described herein. However, this is merely an example and the present invention is not limited thereto.

In describing the embodiments of the present invention, if it is determined that a detailed description of a known technology related to the present invention may unnecessarily obscure the gist of the present invention, the detailed description thereof will be omitted. In addition, the terms described below are terms defined in consideration of functions in the present invention, which may vary according to intentions or customs of users and operators. Therefore, the definition should be made based on the content throughout this specification. The terminology used in the detailed description is for the purpose of describing embodiments of the present invention only, and should in no way be limiting.

Hereinafter, preferred embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings.

Prior to the description of the present invention, a system according to embodiments of the present invention includes a BESS. Here, BESS is a system that increases the efficiency of power use by storing power and supplying it when needed. Generally, battery storage, battery management system (BMS: Battery Management System, hereinafter referred to as 'BMS'), energy management system (EMS: Energy Management System), a Power Conversion System (PCS), a Power Management System (PMS), and the like.

1 is a diagram illustrating the overall configuration of a fire management system of a BESS according to an embodiment of the present invention.

As shown in FIG. 1 , the fire management system of the BESS detects a thermal runaway precursor and cools the battery module 112 to prevent the occurrence of a fire in advance.

To this end, the fire management system of the BESS according to an embodiment of the present invention may include a battery storage 100 , a data generator 140 for detecting a precursor phenomenon, a control device 160 , and a BMS 170 , etc. .

The battery storage 100 may be composed of a rack 110 and a cooling device 120 composed of a plurality of battery modules (112).

The cooling device 120 may include a container filled with a coolant therein, an electromagnetic valve coupled to the outlet of the container, and a spray nozzle that discharges the coolant to the outside, that is, to the battery module 112 when the electromagnetic valve is opened.

In addition, the cooling device 120 may spray the coolant through a predetermined pipe. To this end, the pipe of the cooling device 120 according to the embodiment of the present invention may have one end connected to the valve and the other end connected to the spray nozzle.

In an embodiment of the present invention, the cooling device 120 may be a fire extinguisher, but is not limited thereto.

In an embodiment of the present invention, each agent may be at least one of a non-conductive material (eg, Novec1230), water, a refrigerant, a wetting agent, and a reinforcing solution, but is not limited thereto.

Meanwhile, according to the embodiment of the present invention, although the cooling device 120 is shown in the drawings as being installed inside the battery storage 100 , only a part of the cooling device 120 , for example, an injection nozzle, a valve, etc., is installed in the battery storage 100 . ) and in the case of a container filled with a coolant, it may be installed outside of the battery storage 100 .

The data generating unit 140 for detecting a harbinger generates data (hereinafter, referred to as 'data for sensing a harbinger') for detecting a thermal runaway omens occurring in the battery storage 100 and sends it to the control device 160 . can provide

To this end, the data generation unit 140 for detecting a precursor phenomenon may include an off-gas detection module 142 , a voltage detection module 144 , a temperature detection module 146 , and the like.

The off-gas detection module 142 is installed inside the battery storage 100 to detect one or more of hydrogen, oxygen, carbon dioxide, carbon monoxide, methane, and ethylene to generate data for detecting a precursor phenomenon, and then to the control device 160 can provide

The voltage detection module 144 and the temperature detection module 146 may be installed in each of the battery modules 112 inside the battery storage 100 to detect the voltage and temperature of the battery module 112 . That is, the voltage detection module 144 and the temperature detection module 146 are sensors installed in each of the battery modules 112 , and after generating data for detecting a precursor phenomenon based on the sensed data, the voltage detection module 144 and the temperature detection module 146 are provided to the control device 160 . can do.

On the other hand, the voltage detection module 144 and the temperature detection module 146 are interlocked with the BMS 170 to detect the voltage and temperature of the battery module 112 in the battery storage 100 to generate data for detecting a precursor phenomenon. This may be provided to the control device 160 .

The BMS 170 may be connected to the battery storage 100 by wire or wireless to monitor the state of the battery module 112 in the battery storage 100 , for example, voltage, temperature, and charging state. Specifically, the BMS 170 provides the voltage and temperature state of the monitored battery module 110 to the voltage detection module 144 and the temperature detection module 146 in conjunction with the data generation unit 140 for detecting a precursor phenomenon. can

The control device 160 determines whether a thermal runaway precursor is detected based on the data for detecting the precursor, and when the thermal runaway precursor is detected as a result of the determination, operates the cooling device 120 to operate the battery module in the battery storage 100 By cooling (112), it is possible to prevent a fire in advance. Specifically, the control device 160 receives the data for detecting the precursor phenomenon from the off-gas detection module 142 , the voltage detection module 144 , and the temperature detection module 146 of the data generation unit 140 for detecting a precursor phenomenon. Accordingly, it may be determined whether the thermal runaway precursor has been detected in the battery storage 100 by comparing the data for detecting the precursor and the reference data.

In addition, when the thermal runaway precursor is detected in the battery module 112 in the battery storage 100 , the control device 160 opens the valve of the cooling device 120 to supply the coolant through the spray nozzle to the battery module 112 . , that is, it may be injected toward the battery module 112 in which the precursor phenomenon is detected.

In addition, when each of the battery modules 112 of the battery storage 100 is cooled below a preset temperature after operating the cooling device 120 , the control device 160 closes the valve of the cooling device 120 to close the cooling device The operation of 120 may be stopped.

In an embodiment of the present invention, the preset temperature may be 50° C. to 60° C., but is not limited thereto.

On the other hand, the cooling device 120 according to an embodiment of the present invention has a battery type, a battery module 112 structure, a rack 110 structure, a total capacity of the BESS, an installation structure of the BESS, a structure of the battery storage 100, etc. can be designed with this in mind. Here, the battery type may mean a cathode active material (NCM, LFP, NCA), an external structure (prismatic, pouch-type, cylindrical, etc.).

The fire management system of the BESS according to an embodiment of the present invention considers the battery type, the battery module 112 structure, the rack 110 structure, the total capacity of the BESS, the installation structure of the BESS, the structure of the battery storage 100, etc. A coolant amount of the cooling device 120 , a container structure, the number of installations in the battery storage 100 , a pressurization system, a nozzle structure, the number of nozzles, a piping structure and length, etc. may be determined.

A process of operating the BESS fire management system according to an embodiment of the present invention as described above will be described with reference to FIG. 2 .

2 is a flowchart illustrating a process of operating the BESS fire management system according to an embodiment of the present invention.

As shown in FIG. 2 , the control device 160 receives data for detecting a precursor from the data generating unit 140 for detecting a precursor ( S200 ). At this time, the control device 160 monitors one or more of the off-gas detection module 142 , the voltage detection module 144 , and the temperature detection module 146 of the voltage, temperature, and off-gas concentration values that are data for detecting a precursor phenomenon. At least one may be provided.

Then, the control device 160 determines whether a thermal runaway precursor is detected in the battery module 112 of the battery storage 100 based on the precursor detection data provided from the precursor detection data generator 140 . It is determined (S202). Specifically, the control device 160 checks whether the temperature or voltage of the battery module 112 rises above a preset value or the concentration of off-gas in the battery storage 100 rises above a preset value to generate a precursor phenomenon can be judged

The determination step will be described in detail as follows.

First, the control device 160 first checks whether the voltage decreases or the temperature rises without detecting off-gas, and the battery module ( 112), it is possible to determine whether the battery module 112 in which the precursor phenomenon has occurred exists.

On the other hand, the control device 160 checks whether a harbinger occurs through off-gas detection in the battery storage 100, and as the off-gas is detected, a sudden voltage drop or a temperature higher than a preset value based on the data for harbinger detection It is possible to determine whether or not the battery module 112 in which the precursor phenomenon is generated exists by checking whether the battery module 112 in which the is increased.

As a result of the determination in S202 , when the occurrence of the thermal runaway precursor is detected, the control device 160 operates the cooling device 120 to cool the battery module 112 in which the thermal runaway precursor is detected in the battery storage 100 . (S204). Specifically, the control device 160 determines the opening degree and the injection direction of the valve of the cooling device 120 according to the temperature, voltage, or off-gas degree to determine the coolant (eg, non-conductive material) filled in the cooling device 120 . ) may be sprayed toward the battery module 112 through the injection nozzle to cool the battery module 112 . Here, the injection direction may correspond to the installation position of the battery module 112 in which the thermal runaway precursor phenomenon is detected.

Thereafter, the control device 160 determines whether the battery module 112 is cooled based on the data for detecting a precursor phenomenon ( S206 ). Specifically, the control device 160 determines whether the cooling of the battery module 110 has been completed by checking whether the temperature of the battery module 112 has dropped below a preset temperature in the data for detecting a precursor phenomenon.

As a result of the determination in S206, if the cooling is completed, the control device 160 stops the operation of the cooling device 120 (S208), otherwise proceeds to S204 to perform the subsequent steps.

Although omitted in the embodiment of the present invention as described above, an installation step for installing the cooling device 120 may be further included. In the installation step, parameters for manufacturing the cooling device such as the amount of coolant, the container structure, the number, the pressurization method (determining the amount of pressurized gas in the container and the pressurization method), the nozzle structure, the number of nozzles, the pipe structure and length of the cooling device 120 are determined. After the determination, it may mean manufacturing the cooling device 120 based on this and disposing the manufactured cooling device 120 in the battery storage 100 . Here, the parameters for manufacturing the cooling device are a battery type such as a cathode active material (NCM, LFP, NCA), a battery external structure (prismatic, pouch-shaped, cylindrical, etc.), a battery module 112 structure, a rack 110 structure, and a BESS It may be determined in consideration of the total capacity of the BESS, the installation structure of the BESS, the structure of the battery storage 100, and the like.

The above description of the present application is for illustration, and those of ordinary skill in the art to which the present application pertains will understand that it can be easily modified into other specific forms without changing the technical spirit or essential features of the present application. Therefore, it should be understood that the embodiments described above are illustrative in all respects and not restrictive. For example, each component described as a single type may be implemented in a dispersed form, and likewise components described as distributed may be implemented in a combined form.

The scope of the present invention is indicated by the following claims rather than the above detailed description, and all changes or modifications derived from the meaning and scope of the claims and their equivalent concepts should be construed as being included in the scope of the present application. .

100 : battery storage
110: rack
112: battery module
120: cooling device
140: data generation unit for detecting a precursor phenomenon
142: off-gas detection module
144: voltage sensing module
146: temperature sensing module
160: control device
170: BMS

Claims (7)

receiving data for detecting a harbinger generated through monitoring in the battery storage from the control device;
determining whether a thermal runaway precursor is detected in the battery storage based on the data for detecting the precursor;
and operating a cooling device to cool the battery module in the battery storage when the thermal runaway precursor is detected.
According to claim 1,
The step of receiving the data for detecting a precursor phenomenon includes:
A fire management method of a BESS that receives data for detecting a harbinger generated by monitoring at least one of an off-gas detection module, a voltage detection module, and a temperature detection module installed in the battery storage.
According to claim 1,
The cooling step is
By determining the degree and direction in which the valve of the cooling device is opened based on the data for detecting the precursor phenomenon, the coolant filled in the cooling device is sprayed through the spray nozzle, and a non-conductive material is used as the coolant in the cooling device. A BESS fire management method that can minimize damage to the battery module due to the release of coolant.
a data generating unit for detecting a precursor that generates data for detecting a precursor for detecting a thermal runaway precursor through monitoring of the battery storage;
a cooling device for cooling the battery module in the battery storage;
Fire management of BESS including a control device that cools the battery module through the operation of the cooling device when a thermal runaway precursor is detected based on the precursor detection data generated by the precursor detection data generator system.
5. The method of claim 4,
The data generating unit for detecting the precursor phenomenon,
an off-gas detection module for detecting off-gas generated in the battery storage;
a voltage detection module for detecting the voltage of the battery module;
Comprising at least one or more of the temperature sensing module for sensing the temperature of the battery module,
A BESS fire management system for generating data for detecting a precursor phenomenon using at least one of the off-gas, voltage, and temperature.
6. The method of claim 5,
The voltage detection module and the temperature detection module,
A BESS fire management system that is interlocked with the BMS that monitors the voltage and temperature of the battery module.
5. The method of claim 4,
The cooling device is
A container filled with a non-conductive material with a coolant therein;
a valve coupled to the outlet of the container and operated under the control of the control device;
and a nozzle for injecting the coolant to the battery module in which the thermal runaway precursor is detected when the valve is opened by the control device.

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