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EP-4736263-A1 - A THERMAL MANAGEMENT SYSTEM FOR AN ENERGY STORAGE SYSTEM AND A METHOD THEREOF

EP4736263A1EP 4736263 A1EP4736263 A1EP 4736263A1EP-4736263-A1

Abstract

The present subject matter relates to a thermal management system (100) for an energy storage system (200) and a method (500) thereof The energy storage system (200) comprises one or more energy storage units (201). The thermal management system (100) comprises at least one storage member (101) to store a heat suppressing substance; one or more passages (102) to connect the at least one storage member (101) to the one or more energy storage units (201). A control member is configured to enable supply of the heat suppressing substance from the at least one storage member means (101) to the one or more energy storage units (201) via the one or more passages (102) to suppress heat generated in the one or more energy storage units (201) upon a detection of one or more predefined conditions.

Inventors

  • HARIRAM, Gopinath Sokka
  • GUNASEKARAN, KARTHIKEYAN
  • Rao, Pramila Nileshwar
  • SAGARE, DATTA RAJARAM

Assignees

  • TVS Motor Company Limited

Dates

Publication Date
20260506
Application Date
20240514

Claims (17)

  1. 1. A thermal management system (100) for an energy storage system (200), the energy storage system (200) comprising one or more energy storage units (201), the thermal management system (100) comprising: at least one storage member (101), the at least one storage member (101) being configured to store a heat suppressing substance; one or more passages (102), the one or more passages (102) being configured to connect the at least one storage member (101) to the one or more energy storage units (201), and supply the heat suppressing substance from the at least one storage member (101) to the one or more energy storage units (201); and a control member, the control member being configured to enable supply of the heat suppressing substance from the at least one storage member (101) to the one or more energy storage units (201) to suppress heat generated in the one or more energy storage units (201) upon a detection of one or more predefined conditions.
  2. 2. The thermal management system (100) as claimed in claim 1, wherein the one or more predefined conditions being a predefined level of at least one of a temperature and a pressure in the one or more energy storage units (201).
  3. 3. The thermal management system (100) as claimed in claim 1, wherein the one or more storage units (201) being configured to have a first portion (20 If) and a second portion (201s), and wherein at least one of the first portion (201f) and the second portion (201s) comprising a plurality of openings, wherein the plurality of openings being configured to vent out undesirable gas at high temperature and smoke generated inside the one or more energy storage units (201).
  4. 4. The thermal management system (100) as claimed in claim 1, wherein the one or more passages (102) comprises one or more inlet passages (102i) and one or more outlet passages (102o).
  5. 5. The thermal management system (100) as claimed in claim 4, wherein the at least one storage member (101) being disposed at a higher elevation from ground than the one or more energy storage units (201), the one or more inlet passages (102i) of the one or more passages (102) being connected to the first portion (20 If) of the one or more energy storage units (201), thereby the first portion (20 If) being configured to serve as an entry point for the heat suppressing substance into the one or more energy storage units (201), the one or more outlet passages (102o) of the one or more passages (102) being connected to the second portion (201s) of the one or more energy storage units (201) to allow a discharge of the heat suppressing substance towards one or more collection units (202) after suppressing the heat inside the one or more energy storage units (201), and the one or more collection units (202) being disposed below the second portion (201s) to receive the heat suppressing substance, and the one or more outlet passages (102o) being configured to supply the heat suppressing substance from the one or more collection units (202) back to the at least one storage member (101).
  6. 6. The thermal management system (100) as claimed in claim 1, wherein the at least one storage member (101) being configured to comprise a solenoid valve, the solenoid valve being configured to be actuated by the control member upon the detection of the one or more predefined conditions of the one or more energy storage units (201), thereby allowing the thermal management system (100) to supply the heat suppressing substance to the one or more energy storage units (201).
  7. 7. The thermal management system (100) as claimed in 5, wherein the thermal management system (100) comprises more than the one energy storage units (201), the one or more inlet passages ( 102i) being configured to supply the heat suppressing substance from the at least one storage member (101) to the one or more energy storage units (201) via a first distribution member (103f); and the one or more outlet passages (102o) connecting the one or more collection units (202) to the at least one storage member (101) via at least one pumping member (104) and a second distribution member (103s), wherein the at least one pumping member (104) being configured to pump the heat suppressing substance from the second distribution member (103s) to the at least one storage member (101).
  8. 8. The thermal management system (100) as claimed in claim 7, wherein the at least one pumping member (104) being powered by an auxiliary energy storage unit (201 A) and the control member being configured to control an operation of the pumping member (104) to pump the heat suppressing substance from the one or more collection units (202) back to the at least one storage member (101) upon detection of the one or more predefined conditions of the one or more energy storage units (201).
  9. 9. An energy storage system (200) comprising: one or more energy storage units (201), the one or more energy storage units (201) being configured to supply an energy to one or more loads; a thermal management system (100), the thermal management system (100) comprising: at least one storage member (101), the at least one storage member (101) being configured to store a heat suppressing substance; one or more passages (102), the one or more passages (102) being configured to connect the at least one storage member (101) to the one or more energy storage units (201), and the one or more passages (102) being configured to supply the heat suppressing substance from the at least one storage member (101) to the one or more energy storage units (201) to suppress a heat generated in the one or more energy storage units (201); and a control member, the control member being configured to enable supply of the heat suppressing substance from the at least one storage member (101) to the one or more energy storage units (201) upon a detection of one or more predefined conditions of the one or more energy storage units (201).
  10. 10. The energy storage system (200) as claimed in claim 9, wherein a plurality of sensors being disposed in the one or more energy storage units (201), the plurality of sensors being configured to monitor the one or more predefined conditions of the one or more energy storage units (201), the one or more predefined conditions being at least one of predefined levels of a temperature and a pressure inside the one or more energy storage units (201).
  11. 11. The energy storage system (200) as claimed in claim 9, wherein the thermal management system (100) being detachably attached to a frame assembly (300), wherein the frame assembly (300) being configured to mount the one or more energy storage units (201) and at least one storage member (101).
  12. 12. The energy storage system (200) as claimed in claim 9, wherein the one or more energy storage units (201) comprises a first portion (201f) and a second portion (201s), wherein the first portion (20 If) and the second portion (201s) comprise a plurality of openings, and wherein the plurality of openings being configured to vent undesirable gases and smoke being generated from the one or more energy storage units (201).
  13. 13. The energy storage system (200) as claimed in claim 12, wherein the at least one storage member (101) being connected to the first portion (20 If) of the one or more energy storage unit (201) via the one or more passages (102) such that the heat suppressing substance being supplied to the first portion (20 If) through the plurality of openings at a predefined location, wherein the predefined location being a location on the one or more energy storage units (201) from where the undesirable gas and smoke being expelled from within the one or more energy storage unit (201), and the plurality of openings in the second portion (201s) being configured to allow the discharge of the heat suppressing substance.
  14. 14. A vehicle comprising: a frame assembly (300), the frame assembly (300) being configured to provide a skeletal support to the vehicle; the energy storage system (200), the energy storage system (200) being configured to be mounted on the frame assembly (300), and the energy storage system (200) being configured to supply power to a plurality of components of the vehicle, the energy storage system (200) comprising: one or more energy storage units (201); and a thermal management system (100), the thermal management system (100) comprising: at least one storage member (101), the at least one storage member (101) being configured to store a heat suppressing substance; one or more passages (102), the one or more passages (102) being configured to connect the at least one storage member (101) to the one or more energy storage units (201) and the one or more passages (102) being configured to supply the heat suppressing substance from the at least one storage member (101) to the one or more energy storage units (201) to suppress a heat generated in the one or more energy storage units (201); and a control member, the control member being configured to enable the at least one storage member (101) to supply the heat suppressing substance to the one or more energy storage units (201) upon a detection of one or more predefined conditions of the one or more energy storage units (201).
  15. 15. A method (500) of thermal management in an energy storage system (200) the energy storage system (200) comprising one or more energy storage units (201), the method (500) comprising steps of monitoring (501) one or more predefined conditions of the one or more energy storage units (201); detecting (502) by a control member the one or more predefined conditions of the one or more energy storage units (201) being more than a predefined level; and supplying (503) a heat suppressing substance from at least one storage member (101) to the one or more energy storage units (201) through one or more passages (102).
  16. 16. The method (500) as claimed in claim 15, wherein the method (500) of the thermal management comprising: discharging (504) the heat suppressing substance through a plurality of openings in a second portion (201s) towards one or more collection units (202) after the supply (503) of the heat suppressing substance to the one or more energy storage units (201); collecting (505) the heat suppressing substance discharged from the one or more energy storage units (201) by the one or more collection units (202); and transmitting (506) the collected heat suppressing substance from the one or more collection units (202) back to the at least one storage member (101) through the one or more passages (102) using at least one pumping member (104).
  17. 7. The method (500) as claimed in claim 15, wherein the one or more predefined conditions being a predefined level of at least one of a temperature and a pressure in the one or more energy storage units (201).

Description

TITLE OF THE INVENTION A THERMAL MANAGEMENT SYSTEM FOR AN ENERGY STORAGE SYSTEM AND A METHOD THEREOF TECHNICAL FIELD [0001] The present subject matter relates generally to a thermal management system for an energy storage system. More particularly, but not exclusively, the present subj ect matter relates to a thermal management system for an energy storage system of a vehicle. BACKGROUND [0002] Energy storage units have a plurality of cells in electrical connection with each other. During operation, each cell generates heat which is to be dissipated from the plurality of cells to ensure proper operation of the energy storage units without failing. Particularly, energy storage units, such as but not limited to Lithium-ion (Li-ion) energy storage units, have an issue of thermal runaway. For instance, when a cell, an area within the cell, or a plurality of cells of a Li-ion energy storage unit achieves an elevated temperature due to a thermal failure, a mechanical failure, internal or external short circuiting, or an electro-chemical abuse, a large amount of heat is generated. When the heat generated is larger than the heat dissipation, various side reactions between components inside the energy storage units are induced. This may cause further heat generation and consequently the pressure and the temperature of the energy storage units may increase sharply. This may lead to inflammation and/or explosion of the energy storage units. This process is referred to as thermal runaway. [0003] Generally, in energy systems deploying multiple energy storage units like batteries, there is an imperative safety concern relating to reactions leading to the thermal runaway and fire propagation. The thermal management in electronic and electrical devices is the process of controlling the temperature and the pressure created therefrom of the device to ensure that it operates within a safe and optimal range. These devices generate heat and/or pressure due to the flow of electricity through their circuits and components. If the heat is not dissipated effectively, it can damage the device or reduce its performance or worse cause fire leading to serious damage and/or injury. [0004] Known thermal management in electronic devices involves several strategies, including heat sinks made of high thermal conductivity materials which are attached to the device using thermal interface materials like thermal paste or pads thereby helping in dissipating the heat by transferring it to a larger surface area. Other examples include integrated or externally forced air cooling systems employing fans that are used to blow air over a heated surface of the device. These solutions are also costly considering costs associated with integration of heating pads, fins on the surface of energy storage units like batteries. Further, thermal interface materials are also known to be used for improving the thermal contact between surfaces by filling air gaps or surface imperfections. However, such thermal interface materials may require additional coverings or casings which may add to the weight of the assembly and further involve associated manufacturing costs. Various other active cooling methods are also known to be used like those involving external energy power sources that include liquid cooling, and thermoelectric cooling. The passive cooling methods include natural convection, radiation, and phase-change materials. All these are dependent on the heated surface being exposed to external air making them dependent on such ambient conditions which is not desirable in case of low relative wind speed, for example. However, in spite of the heavy costs and complexities including weight associated thereto, the thermal management systems known in the art are limited in applicability to general cooling of the energy storage units during its operation, and fail to encompass aspects of thermal management in the event of thermal runaway occurring in the energy storage units. [0005] Further, thermal management is a critical aspect of battery design and operation, as batteries can generate heat during charging and discharging. Especially for large batteries, for example those used in electric as well as hybrid vehicles or involving high-power application machinery, excessive heat can lead to reduced battery life, safety risks, and even failure or fire. Often thermal issues are managed by thermal management systems that use active or passive cooling methods to regulate battery temperature; redefining cell design with features like larger surface areas, thin or flexible substrates, and materials with high thermal conductivity that help manage temperature; electrolyte selection that can withstand higher temperatures; reducing battery charge/discharge rates; and thermal modeling which involves techniques to help battery designers predict and optimize temperature performance with the help of software to simulate heat flow and temperature gradients in different parts o