Designed for Thermal Management & Ventilation (Hydrogen Purging)
The EPIC Series Console 2.0 is a flexible and expandable modular cabinet capable of housing a complete dc power system for indoor or outdoor use. Models consist of 1−5 bays, with combinations of electrical and battery bays according to customer needs. The console design meets IEEE 1635-2018,“Ventilation and Thermal Management of Batteries for Stationary Applications.” By means of the following design features, it purges hydrogen to a level of less than 1% and ensures that hydrogen from the battery bay never reaches the electrical bay:
- Separate bays for batteries and electronic components (e.g., charger, dc distribution, etc.) as described in the next two sections.
- Exhaust fans in the eave of each roof — battery and electrical bays.
- Make-up air vent in each door — battery and electrical bays.
- Hindle Health System™ monitoring and control of the internal environment and system components. Alerts via HHS status LEDs when attention is required.
- Alarms when components that are part of the ventilation system have failed (see Section 7.4).
- Alarms for 1% and 2% hydrogen should hydrogen detectors be installed (see Section 7.4)
Electrical Bay
The EPIC Series Console features an electrical bay on the left-hand side and a battery bay on the right. This standard left-right configuration may be reversed on custom orders. The electrical bay houses most of the electrical system components. This may include the battery charger, DC distribution, AC distribution, environmental controls and the Hindle Health System. This also houses any third party electrical equipment the user may want to install after installation.
Battery Bay
The battery bay of the EPIC Series Console is typically customized for a specified battery. Adjustable battery shelves are supplied made of 12 GA Unistrut and protected with a plastic cover. A single shelf or two-tier system of shelves may be supplied. Individual battery shelves may be 1-step or 2-step, based upon battery system requirements.
The total mountable area of the battery shelf system varies based upon ordered configuration and intended batteries. An optional corrosion-resistant spill containment system may be provided underneath battery racks. The battery bay will also house heaters, air conditioner, temperature probes, hydrogen detector and smoke detector if these options are being utilized.
Separation Baffle
The EPIC Series Console features a non-conductive, non-corrosive, phenolic, vertical separation baffle between the electronic and battery bays. This design helps control the battery bay environment and separates any hydrogen that may de-gas from the battery from the electrical equipment. It is also important to note that the Hindle Health System described in Section 8 automatically purges the battery bay so that concentrations of hydrogen cannot reach explosive levels.