Fire suppression system for lithium-ion battery containers
AssigneeFike Corporation
InventorsDerek Michael Wickersham, Bradford T. Stilwell, Kevin Montgomery
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A fire suppression system for use with lithium-ion battery storage containers is provided. The system utilizes water as a fire suppressant, which is stored in a tank and delivered to a battery module within the container that is experiencing a thermal event. After a predetermined time from the beginning of water flow, a controller within the system actuates one or more fans to ventilate the storage container to expel hazardous gases produced by the thermal event.
Claims21
A method of suppressing a fire within one or more battery containers comprising:
- providing a water storage tank and a propellant tank connected to the water storage tank, the propellant tank being configured to introduce a pressurized gas into the water storage tank;
- providing a conduit network that is connected with the water storage tank and that extends into the one or more battery containers, the one or more battery containers comprising a plurality of battery racks each of which is configured to hold a plurality of battery modules, the conduit network comprising a plurality of nozzles each operable to deliver water from the water storage tank to one or more battery modules;
- delivering a flow of the water from the water storage tank through at least one of the plurality of nozzles in response to detection of a thermal event occurring within at least one of the battery modules;
- detecting an operational condition associated with the water storage tank, wherein the operational condition associated with the water storage tank comprises initiation of a discharge of water from the water storage tank;
- activating a timer in response to the initiation of the discharge of water from the water storage tank;
- and
- activating one or more exhaust fans located within the one or more battery containers upon elapsing of a predetermined period of time by the timer.
A method of suppressing a fire within one or more battery containers comprising:
- providing a water storage tank and a propellant tank connected to the water storage tank, the propellant tank being configured to introduce a pressurized gas into the water storage tank;
- providing a conduit network that is connected with the water storage tank and that extends into the one or more battery containers, the one or more battery containers comprising a plurality of battery racks each of which is configured to hold a plurality of battery modules, the conduit network comprising a plurality of nozzles each operable to deliver water from the water storage tank to one or more battery modules;
- delivering a flow of the water from the water storage tank through at least one of the plurality of nozzles in response to detection of a thermal event occurring within at least one of the battery modules;
- detecting an operational condition associated with the water storage tank, wherein the operational condition associated with the water storage tank comprises a change in the level of water within the water storage tank resulting from a discharge of water from the at least one nozzle;
- and
- activating one or more exhaust fans located within the one or more battery containers in response to the detection of the operational condition associated with the water storage tank.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.