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EP-4738528-A2 - IMMERSION LIQUID-COOLED ENERGY STORAGE SYSTEM AND CLUSTER-LEVEL CONTROL CIRCUIT

EP4738528A2EP 4738528 A2EP4738528 A2EP 4738528A2EP-4738528-A2

Abstract

An immersion liquid-cooled energy storage system includes: at least two cooling units (101), each having an accommodation cavity for housing a battery cluster (102); at least two subinlet pipes (113) and sub-outlet pipes (114); a cluster-level control unit (105) including a gas relay (115) and an electric valve (125), installed on each sub-outlet pipe (114) and corresponding oneto-one with the sub-outlet pipe (114). The gas relay (115) is configured to send a thermal runaway signal to a system-level controller (106) in the case that the thermal runaway occurs in the battery cluster (102). The electric valve (125) is configured to open or close the cooling liquid flow path of the sub-outlet pipe (114) corresponding to the electric valve (125). The system-level controller (106) is configured to, upon identifying the battery cluster (102) sending the thermal runaway signal as the target battery cluster, at least receive and, based on the thermal runaway signal, control to shut off the electric valve (125) corresponding to the target battery cluster.

Inventors

  • WANG, JINSHENG

Assignees

  • Zhejiang Jinko Energy Storage Co., Ltd.

Dates

Publication Date
20260506
Application Date
20251021

Claims (15)

  1. An immersion liquid-cooled energy storage system, comprising: at least two cooling units (101), each corresponding to a battery cluster (102) and having an accommodation cavity (111) for housing the battery cluster (102); at least two sub-inlet pipes (113) and at least two sub-outlet pipes (114) corresponding to the at least two sub-inlet pipes (113) in a one-to-one configuration, with a respective sub-outlet pipe of the at least two sub-outlet pipes (114) and a sub-inlet pipe (113) corresponding to the respective sub-outlet pipe connected to a same cooling unit; cluster-level control units (105) installed on the at least two sub-outlet pipes (114) and corresponding to the at least two sub-outlet pipes (114) in a one-to-one configuration, each of the cluster-level control units (105) including a gas relay (115) and an electric valve (125); and a system-level controller (106), electrically connected to the cluster-level control units (105); wherein the gas relay (115) is configured to, upon thermal runaway of a battery cluster (102) corresponding to the gas relay (115), send a thermal runaway signal to the system-level controller (106); wherein the electric valve (125) is configured to open or close a cooling liquid flow path of a sub-outlet pipe (114) corresponding to the electric valve (125); and wherein the system-level controller (106) is configured to identify the battery cluster (102) sending the thermal runaway signal as a target battery cluster, and receive the thermal runaway signal, and control the electric valve (125) corresponding to the target battery cluster to shut off.
  2. The immersion liquid-cooled energy storage system according to claim 1, wherein the gas relay (115) includes a pre-warning relay (115a) and an emergency stop relay (115b); the pre-warning relay (115a) is configured to: in case that a gas accumulation in the gas relay (115) reaches a first threshold, turn on a pre-warning switch and send a warning signal to the system-level controller (106); the emergency stop relay (115b) is configured to: in case that the gas accumulation reaches a second threshold, turn on an emergency stop switch and send the thermal runaway signal to the system-level controller (106); and the first threshold is less than the second threshold; optionally, the first threshold ranges from 100 ml to 300 ml and the second threshold ranges from 400 ml to 600 ml.
  3. The immersion liquid-cooled energy storage system according to claim 2, wherein the system-level controller (106) is further configured to receive the warning signal, and, based on the warning signal, produce an alert configured to remind maintenance personnel of potential hazards in the immersion liquid-cooled energy storage system.
  4. The immersion liquid-cooled energy storage system according to claim 2, wherein the gas relay (115) is further configured to operate in a warning mode triggered by the pre-warning relay (115a) or in an emergency stop mode triggered by the emergency stop relay (115b).
  5. The immersion liquid-cooled energy storage system according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein the gas relay (115) includes an inner cavity (135) for accommodating the coolant, a float (145) and a baffle (155) provided in the inner cavity (135), the float (145) floats with changes in a liquid level of the coolant in the inner cavity (135); and the gas relay (115) further includes a magnet, signal triggering contacts, and circuit-breaking contacts; the gas relay (115) is further configured such that: in the case that the float (145) descends to a first preset position, the magnet controls the signal triggering contacts to turn on, to send a warning signal to the system-level controller (106); and in the case the baffle (155) is impacted to a second preset position, the magnet controls the circuit-breaking contacts to turn on, to send the thermal runaway signal to the system-level controller (106); taking the bottom surface of the inner cavity (135) as a reference plane, the second preset position is lower than the first preset position; optionally, wherein the gas relay (115) is a single-float gas relay or a dual-float gas relay.
  6. The immersion liquid-cooled energy storage system according to any one of claims 1 to 5, further comprising at least two circuit breakers (107) electrically connected to the battery clusters (102) and corresponding to the battery clusters (102) in a one-to-one configuration; wherein the system-level controller (106) is further configured to: receive, the thermal runaway signal, and control the circuit breaker (107) corresponding to the target battery cluster to shut off, to cut off the power to the target battery cluster.
  7. The immersion liquid-cooled energy storage system according to any one of claims 1 to 6, wherein the cooling unit (101) has an upper side (101a) and a lower side (101b) opposite to each other along a height direction of the immersion liquid-cooled energy storage system; and among the sub-outlet pipe (114) and the sub-inlet pipe (113) connected to the same cooling unit, the sub-outlet pipe (114) is connected to the upper side (101a) while the sub-inlet pipe (113) is connected to the lower side (101b).
  8. The immersion liquid-cooled energy storage system according to claim 7, wherein the sub-outlet pipe (114) has a first end (114a) close to the cooling unit (101) and a second end (114b) far away from the cooling unit (101), with the cluster-level control unit (105) installed on the second end (114b); taking a plane of the lower side as a reference plane, a second distance between the second end (114b) and the reference plane is greater than a first distance between the first end (114a) and the reference plane; optionally, wherein an included angle between a connecting line of the first end (114a) and the second end (114b) and the reference plane is in a range of 1.5° to 6°.
  9. The immersion liquid-cooled energy storage system according to any one of claims 1 to 8, further comprising: a float ball (108), located on a liquid surface of the coolant in the cooling unit (101), wherein the float ball (108) floats with a change of the liquid level of the coolant in the cooling unit (101); a float switch is arranged in the cooling unit (101); the float switch is configured such that in the case that the float descends to a third preset position, the float switch is turned on; the system-level controller (106) is further configured to, in the case that the float switch is turned on, receive the thermal runaway signal, and control the electric valve (125) corresponding to the target battery cluster to close.
  10. The immersion liquid-cooled energy storage system according to any one of claims 1 to 9, further comprising: a main inlet pipe (103), connected to the at least two sub-inlet pipes (113); and a main outlet pipe (104), connected to the at least two sub-outlet pipes (114); optionally, the immersion liquid-cooled energy storage system further comprises: a liquid cooling machine (109) and a plate heat exchanger (119), configured to work together to cool the coolant from the main outlet pipe (104) before supplying the coolant back to the main inlet pipe (103); optionally, the immersion liquid-cooled energy storage system further comprises: a circulation pump (129), installed on the main inlet pipe (103).
  11. The immersion liquid-cooled energy storage system according to any one of claims 1 to 10, further comprising a plurality of check valves; wherein at least one of the plurality of check valves (139) is installed on an end close to the cooling unit (101) of a respective sub-inlet pipe of the at least two sub-inlet pipes (113), and is configured to control a coolant flow rate in the respective sub-inlet pipe (113); and at least one of the plurality of check valves (139) is installed on an end close to the cooling unit (101) of the respective sub-outlet pipes (114), and is configured to control a coolant flow rate in the respective sub-outlet pipe (114).
  12. A cluster-level control circuit, applied to the immersion liquid-cooled energy storage system according to any one of claims 1 to 11, comprising: a power supply; and an emergency stop switch (KA4) and a first control switch (SCU:DI2) connected in parallel with the power supply and in series with each other; wherein the emergency stop switch (KA4) is configured such that in the case that a thermal runaway occurs in the battery cluster (102), the gas relay (115) controls the emergency stop switch (KA4) to turn on; the first control switch (SCU:DI2) is configured such that in the case that the thermal runaway occurs in the battery cluster (102), the system-level controller (106) controls the first control switch (SCU:DI2) to turn on; the electric valve (125) connected in parallel with the first control switch (SCU:DI2) is configured such that in the case that the electric valve (125) is electrically connected to the power supply, the electric valve (125) is shut off.
  13. The cluster-level control circuit according to claim 12, further comprising: a pre-warning switch (KA3) and a second control switch (SCU;DI1) connected in parallel with the power supply and in series with each other; wherein the pre-warning switch (KA3) is configured such that in the case that a minor fault or a minor coolant leakage occurs in the battery cluster (102), the gas relay (115) controls the pre-warning switch (KA3) to turn on; the second control switch (SCU;DI1) is configured such that in the case that a minor fault or a minor coolant leakage occurs in the battery cluster (102), the system-level controller (106) controls the second control switch (SCU;DI1) to turn on; and/or, a circuit breaker (107) connected in parallel with the first control switch (SCU:DI2), is configured such that in the case that the circuit breaker (107) is electrically connected to the power supply, the circuit breaker (107) is shut off.
  14. The cluster-level control circuit according to claim 12 or claim 13, further comprising a float switch (KA1) and a float ball switch (KA2); wherein the float switch (KA1) and the float ball switch (KA2) are configured to be turned off during a normal operation of the immersion liquid-cooled energy storage system; the float switch (KA1) is further configured to be turned on upon a float (145) in the cooling unit (101) dropping to a first preset position and a magnet controlling triggering contacts to turn on, and trigger a pre-warning relay (115a) in the gas relay (115) to send a warning signal to the system-level controller (106); the float ball switch (KA2) is further configured to be turned on upon a float ball (108) in the cooling unit (101) dropping to a third preset position and trigger an emergency stop relay (115b) in the gas relay (115) to send the thermal runaway signal to the system-level controller (106).
  15. The cluster-level control circuit according to any one of claims 12 to 14, further comprising a circuit breaker (107) connected in parallel with the first control switch (SCU:DI2) and configured to be shut off in a cash that the circuit breaker (107) is electrically connected to the power supply.

Description

TECHNICAL FIELD Various embodiments described in this document relate to the field of energy storage, and in particular to an immersion liquid-cooled energy storage system and a cluster-level control circuit. BACKGROUND Energy storage power stations, energy storage containers, and large-scale chemical battery energy storage systems for commercial and industrial applications are required to dispose multiple components, including energy storage batteries, battery racks, fire protection systems, electrical control cabinets, liquid cooling units, and temperature/humidity regulation equipment, within limited space. SUMMARY Embodiments of the present disclosure provide an immersion liquid-cooled energy storage system and a cluster-level control circuit. The present invention is set out in the appended set of claims. According to some embodiments of the present disclosure, one aspect of the present disclosure provides an immersion liquid-cooled energy storage system including: at least two cooling units, each corresponding to a battery cluster in a one-to-one arrangement and having an accommodation cavity for housing the battery cluster. The immersion liquid-cooled energy storage system includes at least two sub-inlet pipes and at least two sub-outlet pipes corresponding to the at least two sub-inlet pipes in a one-to-one configuration, with a respective sub-outlet pipe of the at least two sub-outlet pipes and the corresponding sub-inlet pipe connected to the same cooling unit. The immersion liquid-cooled energy storage system includes cluster-level control units installed on the at least two sub-outlet pipes and corresponding to the at least two sub-outlet pipes in a one-to-one configuration. The immersion liquid-cooled energy storage system includes a system-level controller electrically connected to the cluster-level control units. Each of the cluster-level control units includes a gas relay and an electric valve. The gas relay is configured to, upon thermal runaway of the battery cluster, send a thermal runaway signal to the system-level controller. The electric valve is configured to open or close a coolant flow path in a sub-outlet pipe corresponding to the electric valve. The system-level controller is configured to identify the battery cluster sending the thermal runaway signal as a target battery cluster, at least receive the thermal runaway signal, and control the electric valve corresponding to the target battery cluster to shut off based on the thermal runaway signal. In some embodiments, the gas relay includes a pre-warning relay and an emergency stop relay. The pre-warning relay is configured to: in the case that a gas accumulation in the gas relay reaches a first threshold, turn on a pre-warning switch in the pre-warning relay to send a warning signal to the system-level controller. The emergency stop relay is configured to: in the case that a gas accumulation in the gas relay reaches a second threshold, turn on an emergency stop switch in the emergency stop relay to send the thermal runaway signal to the system-level controller. The first threshold is less than the second threshold. In some embodiments, the gas relay includes an inner cavity for accommodating the coolant, a float and a baffle provided in the inner cavity. The float floats with changes of the coolant level in the inner cavity. The gas relay further includes a magnet, signal triggering contacts, and circuit-breaking contacts. The gas relay is configured such that: in the case that the float descends to a first preset position, the magnet controls the signal triggering contacts to turn on, to send a warning signal to the system-level controller; in the case that the baffle is impacted to a second preset position, the magnet controls the circuit-breaking contacts to turn on, to send a thermal runaway signal to the system-level controller. Taking a bottom surface of the inner cavity as a reference plane, the second preset position is lower than the first preset position. In some embodiments, the immersion liquid-cooled energy storage system further includes at least two circuit breakers electrically connected to the battery clusters and corresponding to the battery clusters in a one-to-one configuration; the system-level controller is further configured to: receive the thermal runaway signal, and control, based on the thermal runaway signal, the circuit breaker corresponding to the target battery cluster to shut off, to cut off the power to the target battery cluster. In some embodiments, each cooling unit has an upper side and a lower side opposite to each other along a height direction of the immersion liquid-cooled energy storage system; and among the sub-outlet pipe and the sub-inlet pipe connected to the same cooling unit, the sub-outlet pipe connects to the upper side while the sub-inlet pipe connects to the lower side. In some embodiments, the sub-outlet pipe has a first end close to the cooling unit and a second end far away fro