KR-20260065550-A - SMART ROBOTIC SOLUTIONS FOR PREVENTING THERMAL RUNAWAY IN ENERGY STORAGE SYSTEMS

KR20260065550AKR 20260065550 AKR20260065550 AKR 20260065550AKR-20260065550-A

Abstract

The present invention relates to a smart robot solution for preventing thermal runaway in an energy storage system, which can rapidly detect abnormal conditions of the ESS based on AI and complete initial response before thermal runaway of the battery pack. A smart robot solution for preventing thermal runaway in an energy storage system according to the present invention may include a first step of collecting ESS data for diagnosing a battery pack, a second step of notifying and propagating externally when an abnormal sign is detected through comparative analysis of the ESS data collected by the first step and the currently collected data, and a third step of deploying a firebot capable of autonomous driving to the line location of the battery pack to eliminate the abnormal condition when the abnormal sign is received by the second step.

Inventors

김대영
김민수
권자연
권주현
김종연
이정건

Assignees

(주)로보아이
주식회사 타오스
한국중부발전(주)

Dates

Publication Date: 20260508
Application Date: 20251029
Priority Date: 20241029

Claims (13)

Step 1: Collecting ESS data for diagnosing the battery pack; An ESS-CARE step for analyzing abnormal signs of the battery pack, comprising: a second step of notifying and propagating externally when an abnormal sign is detected through comparative analysis of the ESS data collected by the first step and the currently collected data; and An ESS-FireBot step that performs robot-based precision firefighting and heat control functions when the above abnormal sign occurs, comprising a third step of deploying an autonomous FireBot to the line location of the corresponding battery pack to eliminate the abnormal state when the above abnormal sign is received by the second step. A smart robot solution for preventing thermal runaway in an energy storage system, wherein in the first step, the ESS data is collected to use temperature, voltage, and current data at the battery cell level of the battery pack as big data, and in the second step, the abnormal state is determined through AI-based analysis of the currently collected data and the big data.
In Article 1, A smart robot solution for preventing thermal runaway in an energy storage system, characterized in that the first step above stores temperature, voltage, and current data of the battery cell unit of the battery pack for a period of time longer than a predetermined period in AI-ESS Sentinel built in a central database.
In Article 1, A smart robot solution for preventing thermal runaway in an energy storage system, wherein the abnormal signs in the second step described above can be detected in real time in conjunction with at least one of a power management system (PMS) and a battery management system (BMS) while the firebot autonomously navigating the surrounding path of the battery pack periodically patrols.
In Article 1, The above second step is characterized by detecting off-gas and a rapid temperature rise, which are precursor phenomena to thermal runaway in the battery pack, through the analysis of the above big data, in a smart robot solution for preventing thermal runaway in an energy storage system.
In Article 1, A smart robot solution for preventing thermal runaway in an energy storage system, wherein the external entities targeted for notification and propagation of the abnormal signs in the second step include the management operator of the ESS and fire department personnel.
In Article 5, A smart robot solution for preventing thermal runaway in an energy storage system, characterized in that, in the third step above, the firebot is deployed to the line location of the corresponding battery pack provided under the judgment of the management operator who received notification of the abnormal signs.
In Article 6, A smart robot solution for preventing thermal runaway in an energy storage system, characterized in that signal transmission and reception between the above-mentioned management operator and the above-mentioned firebot includes at least one of wired and wireless communication.
In Article 6, The above Firebot is A smart robot solution for preventing thermal runaway in an energy storage system, configured to autonomously navigate a path around the battery pack, move to the line location of the battery pack, and then dock at the fire extinguishing nozzle line of the battery pack to inject a standard fire extinguishing agent upon receiving an input signal from the management operator after being in a charging/standby state around the battery pack.
In Article 6, The above Firebot is A smart robot solution for preventing thermal runaway in an energy storage system, characterized by patrolling the path around the battery pack in patrol mode for the current collected data in the second step above.
In Article 1, The above battery pack is equipped with fire extinguishing nozzle lines connected at the battery cell level, and The above Firebot is An autonomous driving body configured to autonomously drive along a path around the battery pack; A fire extinguishing agent provided in the above-mentioned autonomous driving body and injected through the above-mentioned fire extinguishing nozzle line; An abnormal sign suppression unit provided on the upper side of the above-mentioned autonomous driving body and connecting a fire extinguishing agent supplied from the above-mentioned fire extinguishing agent to the fire extinguishing nozzle line; and A smart robot solution for preventing thermal runaway in an energy storage system, comprising an elevation unit for raising and lowering the above-mentioned abnormal sign suppression unit.
In Article 10, The above abnormal sign suppression unit is It is equipped with a docking section capable of docking with the corresponding inlet of the above-mentioned fire extinguishing nozzle line, and A smart robot solution for preventing thermal runaway in an energy storage system, wherein the position of the above docking unit is equipped with a manipulator capable of moving on a multi-axis basis.
In Article 10, A smart robot solution for preventing thermal runaway in an energy storage system, wherein the elevation unit raises and lowers the abnormal sign suppression unit to adjust the vertical position of the docking unit relative to the autonomous driving body.
In Article 10, A smart robot solution for preventing thermal runaway in an energy storage system, wherein the above-mentioned firebot further comprises a thermal imaging camera equipped at the end of the above-mentioned abnormal sign suppression unit and detecting the heat of the corresponding battery pack.

Description

Smart Robotic Solutions for Preventing Thermal Runaway in Energy Storage Systems The present invention relates to a smart robot solution for preventing thermal runaway in an energy storage system, and more specifically, to a smart robot solution for preventing thermal runaway in an energy storage system that can rapidly detect abnormal conditions of the ESS based on AI and complete initial response before thermal runaway of the battery pack. Figure 1 is a schematic diagram showing the components and power flow of a typical ESS. The energy market has been changing rapidly recently, and along with the expansion of renewable energy, there is a growing trend of technological demands for stable power supply. Among these, Energy Storage Systems (ESS) are regarded as a key technology for resolving power supply and demand imbalances and mitigating the variability of renewable energy by storing power and releasing it when demand arises. As shown in FIG. 1, the energy storage system (ESS) can resolve power supply and demand imbalances by storing power in individual battery packs through a charging and discharging process with a power conversion system, and then supplying the necessary power to power sources, transmission/distribution units, and individual users under the control and monitoring of an energy management system (EMS). However, while ESS based on conventional technology excels in energy efficiency by adopting lithium-ion battery packs with high energy density and lightweight characteristics, they inherently possess vulnerability in terms of safety. This is because chemical reactions can intensify under various stress conditions, such as external shock, overcharging, over-discharging, and internal short circuits, potentially leading to fire and explosion risks. In particular, given that ESS adopts a structure where multiple unit cells are modularized and installed in battery racks, it carries a structural risk where an abnormality in a single cell can spread to the entire system. In the event of thermal runaway in the battery, multiple cells may explode simultaneously, causing a rapid spread of fire that becomes extremely difficult to suppress. Therefore, due to its structural design, ESS is considered a high-risk infrastructure where simple abnormalities can lead to large-scale fires, making the securing of advanced safety management technologies essential. In fact, a total of 54 fire accidents related to ESS occurred in Korea from 2017 to 2023, and recently, fire accidents linked to communication or data systems have also been reported in government ministries and private companies, drawing attention as a social issue. Figure 1 is a schematic diagram showing the components and power flow of a typical ESS. FIG. 2 is a flowchart illustrating a smart robot solution for preventing thermal runaway in an energy storage system according to one embodiment of the present invention. Figure 3 is a schematic diagram of the entire system that embodies the system of Figure 2. FIG. 4 is a detailed schematic diagram of a system in which the Firebot is involved in the first to third steps of FIG. 2. Figure 5 is a block diagram showing the execution process of each step of the Firebot of Figure 4 in sequence. FIGS. 6A and FIGS. 6B are a front perspective view and a rear perspective view showing the Firebot in the configuration of FIG. 2. FIG. 7 is a perspective view specifically showing the execution of the third stage using the Firebot in the configuration of FIG. 2. Figure 8 is a series of photographs showing the real-time application of the Firebot of Figure 7 in sequence. The present invention is capable of various modifications and may have various embodiments, and specific embodiments are illustrated and described in detail in the detailed description. However, this is not intended to limit the present invention to specific embodiments, and it should be understood that it includes all modifications, equivalents, and substitutions that fall within the spirit and scope of the invention. The terms used in this invention are used merely to describe specific embodiments and are not intended to limit the invention. Singular expressions include plural expressions unless the context clearly indicates otherwise. In this invention, terms such as "comprising" or "having" are intended to indicate the existence of the features, numbers, steps, actions, components, parts, or combinations thereof described in the specification, and should be understood as not precluding the existence or addition of one or more other features, numbers, steps, actions, components, parts, or combinations thereof. Hereinafter, preferred embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. Note that in the accompanying drawings, identical components are indicated by the same reference numerals whenever possible. Furthermore, detailed descriptions of known functions and configurations that may obs