Recently, Eaton’s xEnergyCubo industrial and commercial liquid-cooled energy storage system successfully passed the new national standard testing and certification for energy storage systems at Shanghai Electrical Equipment Testing Institute Co., LTD. (hereinafter referred to as: STIEE). This is since the implementation of the new national standard GB/T 44026-2024 “Technical Specification for Prefabricated Cabin Lithium-ion Battery Energy Storage Systems” by STIEE.
As the first national technical specification in the field of energy storage systems, the new national standard GB/T 44026-2024 has put forward strict requirements for the safety and reliability of prefabricated cabin energy storage systems. For the first time, it has upgraded the thermal runaway protection of battery cells to a national mandatory standard, strictly limiting the protection level of the cabin, the fire resistance limit and combustion performance of insulation materials. It also emphasized the significance of type tests for integrated equipment to establish a new safety benchmark for the entire industry, aiming to enhance the quality and efficiency of engineering construction in the new energy sector.
Eaton’s liquid-cooled energy storage system integrates key equipment such as PCS, lithium batteries, fire protection, thermal management, local controllers, and cloud management platforms. It features multiple functions including peak shaving and valley filling, backup power supply, and demand management, helping users optimize energy dispatching and allocation. This time, Eaton’s liquid-cooled energy storage system successfully passed more than 20 strict type tests such as thermal runaway diffusion, power control, system efficiency, mechanical and electrical performance, and protection level, and obtained the report of the new national standard GB/T 44026-2024 for STIEE energy storage systems, which is a strong proof of the product’s safety and reliability. It is also an authoritative recognition of Eaton’s technological strength in the field of energy storage by the industry.
Multi-dimensional safety protection achieves zero spread of thermal runaway
Thermal runaway of lithium-ion batteries is highly likely to cause system-level fires. Eaton’s liquid-cooled energy storage system adopts liquid cooling heat dissipation technology, which ensures better temperature uniformity of the battery cells. The cabin is equipped with a fire warning and extinguishing system, and in combination with the “cell – module – cabinet” hierarchical battery management system, a multi-level thermal runaway defense system is constructed.
In the thermal runaway diffusion test, the selected individual battery clusters were placed under the extreme trigger condition of 300℃ for 24 hours. From individual battery cells, lithium battery modules to lithium battery cabinets, no fire, explosion or triggering of thermal runaway in other battery modules occurred. Its safety performance was successfully verified.
The structural design is meticulously studied, and the mechanical performance remains stable and unchanged
From industrial parks, commercial buildings to charging stations, Eaton’s liquid-cooled energy storage systems have demonstrated outstanding mechanical performance in various industry scenarios. The cabin adopts an integrated design and reinforced steel structure, which has good wind resistance and earthquake resistance performance. During the full-load static placement and hoisting process, the load-bearing structures such as the bottom frame of the cabin and the internal battery bracket do not deform, and the anti-corrosion coating of the cabin does not fall off, ensuring the structural stability.
Facing the ever-changing outdoor environment, the cabin of Eaton’s liquid-cooled energy storage system is made of high-protection materials such as waterproof, fireproof and anti-corrosion materials. Its combustion performance meets the A-level regulations, and the protection grade reaches IP54. Meanwhile, the enhanced insulation design and weather-resistant design ensure that the product is not afraid of weather tests such as wind, rain and sun exposure.
In addition, Eaton’s liquid-cooled energy storage system supports the coupling of the power grid, diesel power generation, photovoltaic and charging systems, which can help users flexibly allocate and optimize the management among various energy sources and loads, forming an integrated solution of source-grid-load-storage. Based on Eaton’s Brightlayer™ digital platform, early location and early warning of faulty battery cells, as well as monitoring of the operational life of key components, can be achieved. With proactive safety protection and cloud-based operation and maintenance, risk sources can be precisely controlled, making operation and maintenance management more efficient.
The energy transition is a profound transformation. As a global intelligent power management company, Eaton has always been committed to deeply empowering the construction of new power systems. Eaton’s xEnergyCubo industrial and commercial liquid-cooled energy storage system products strictly comply with the relevant standards of the new national standards, laying a solid safety foundation for the integration of new energy. It will contribute to the high-quality development of the energy storage industry and light up more new green development pictures for a zero-carbon future.
