Sprinkler manifold for energy storage systems
A battery rack for an energy storage system uses a manifold pipe and fluid discharge terminals to deliver water into the battery rack. The manifold pipe directs water flowing from a water source to fluid discharge terminals, which are heat-activated. Fluid discharge terminals may be coupled to branch pipes, which are in turn coupled to the manifold pipe. A heat-activated fluid discharge terminal discharges the water flowing from the manifold pipe to or within a battery module when activated at a threshold temperature range.
1 . An energy storage apparatus, comprising:
a housing configured to mount a plurality of battery modules within an interior of the housing;
a first battery module included in the plurality of battery modules mounted in the housing, the first battery module comprising a battery casing enclosing a plurality of cells, the battery casing consisting of a casing and a single opening, wherein the single opening is on a side of the casing that faces a vertical side of the housing; and
a sprinkler manifold including:
a manifold pipe extending vertically along the vertical side of the housing from an inflow end outside an exterior of the housing into the interior of the housing and terminating within the housing opposite the inflow end, wherein the inflow end is capable of being coupled to:
a fluid source, or
a connection tube that couples the sprinkler manifold to the fluid source;
a fluid discharge terminal that is directly coupled to the manifold pipe at an opening location of the manifold pipe and extends perpendicular to the manifold pipe towards the single opening of the battery casing of the first battery module, wherein the fluid discharge terminal is configured to discharge a fluid flowing from the manifold pipe into the single opening of the battery casing of the first battery module, wherein there is a gap between the fluid discharge terminal and the single opening of the battery casing of the first battery module.
2 . The energy storage apparatus of claim 1 , further comprising a second battery module mounted in the housing, wherein the sprinkler manifold further comprises:
a second fluid discharge terminal that is directly coupled to the manifold pipe at a second opening location and extends towards the second battery module, wherein the second fluid discharge terminal is configured to discharge the fluid to or within the second battery module.
3 . The energy storage apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the fluid discharge terminal is configured to activate at a threshold temperature range to discharge the fluid.
4 . The energy storage apparatus of claim 3 , wherein the threshold temperature range of the fluid discharge terminal is configured based on at least one of a battery chemistry or thermal properties associated with the first battery module.
5 . The energy storage apparatus of claim 1 , wherein:
the sprinkler manifold further comprises a sensor communicatively coupled to a computing system, the sensor detecting a fluid flow of the fluid in the sprinkler manifold and signaling the fluid flow to the computing system configured to detect a thermal runaway event; and
the first battery module is de-energized in response to the computing system detecting the thermal runaway event.
6 . The energy storage apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the sprinkler manifold further comprises a sensor communicatively coupled to a computing system, the sensor detecting a fluid flow of the fluid in the sprinkler manifold and signaling the fluid flow to the computing system to trigger additional functionality.
7 . The energy storage apparatus of claim 6 , wherein the additional functionality includes detecting a thermal runaway event when the fluid flow exceeds a threshold.
8 . The energy storage apparatus of claim 7 , wherein the additional functionality further includes de-energizing the first battery module in response to detecting the thermal runaway event.