Son Seung-hyun, head of ESS Department at Hanwha Aerospace, explains the technology behind its fireproof ESS system developed jointly with SK Enmove (Courtesy of Hanwha Aerospace)
South Korean companies have joined forces to develop the world’s first fireproof energy storage system (ESS) powered by liquid immersion cooling technology.
Hanwha Aerospace Co., South Korea’s major aerospace and defense company, said on Tuesday that it has teamed up with SK Enmove Co., a major Korean lube oil maker under SK Innovation Co., to commercialize the technology that can prevent a fire in ESS by using cooling fluid.
Their heat management system completely prevents fire by filling a lithium-ion battery module with cooling fluid, which is dielectric, or non-conductive. This fluid effectively absorbs and dissipates heat generated by the components inside a module, providing a highly effective cooling solution.
This technology, known as liquid immersion cooling, is considered a cutting-edge heat management technology. It is said to be more efficient in heat management than air cooling.
Liquid immersion cooling system by GRC, SK Enmove’s US partner
The technology is also excellent in blocking the intrusion of dust or salinity, other causes of fires in battery modules, said Hanwha Aerospace.
GAME CHANGER IN THE VESSEL ESS MARKET
Their joint development with improved safety is certified by Norway-based internationally accredited registrar and classification society Det Norske Veritas, formerly DNV GL, and the Korean Register (KR), a Korean not-for-profit classification society offering verification and certification services for ships and marine structures.
It is already installed in an electric motor-powered vessel of the Korea Research Institute of Ships & Ocean Engineering (KRISO) for testing.
Demand for the fireproof ESS is expected to rise in line with growing demand for eco-friendly vessels.
(Courtesy of SK Enmove)
According to Markets and Markets, the global vessel ESS market is forecast to grow to $7.6 billion in 2030 from $2.1 billion in 2021 at a compound annual growth rate of 15.5%.
“Safety is a must for a marine ESS,” said Son Seung-hyun, head of ESS Department at Hanwha Aerospace. “We have installed our first development in a vessel and are developing three more.”
Hanwha Aerospace expects the latest invention will create great synergy with its sibling Hanwha Ocean Co.’s offshore business and plans to expedite the creation of its eco-friendly vessel value chain.
Its venture into the vessel ESS market will also gain speed with collaboration with SK Enmove. Hanwha Aerospace has designed a liquid immersion fluid ESS, while SK Enmove develops cooling fluids made of a mix of different oils.
SK Enmove has also enhanced its collaboration with foreign tech companies to develop the related system and to supply its liquid immersion cooling systems for data centers.
By Hyeon-woo Oh
ohw@hankyung.com
Sookyung Seo edited this article.
