Battery pack case having fire extinguishing function and battery pack equipped with same

Abstract

A battery pack case (100) according to the present invention comprises: a case body (120) in which a plurality of battery modules (10) can be accommodated and which has an opening on one side; and a housing cover (110) for opening and closing the opening side of the housing main body. The housing cover (110) is provided with: a profile assembly (111) comprising one or more chambers that are sealed so as to have an internal space having a certain capacity and have a plate-like shape having a certain width; the inner space of the cavity is filled with a certain amount of fire extinguishing liquid at a certain injection pressure; a plurality of nozzles (116) formed on the outer assembly so as to communicate with each of the internal spaces of the chambers in a direction toward the plurality of battery modules; and a plurality of seal caps (117) which are made of a low melting point alloy, which are filled into the plurality of nozzles, respectively, and which seal the plurality of nozzles, and which melt at a certain temperature when a fire occurs in the battery, thereby spraying the fire extinguishing liquid to the battery through the nozzles.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a battery pack casing that has a fire extinguishing function when a fire occurs due to thermal runaway of a battery unit, and in particular to a battery pack casing that has a casing cover located on the upper part of the battery pack and has both the function of sealing the interior and the fire extinguishing function of extinguishing a fire caused by thermal runaway.

[0002] In addition, the present invention relates to a battery pack equipped with a battery pack housing as described above, and more particularly to a battery pack that, when a fire occurs in the battery, sprays a fire extinguishing liquid stored in a fire extinguishing liquid storage component through a housing cover located at the upper part of the battery pack to flood a part or all of the battery, thereby allowing the fire extinguishing liquid to quickly cool the battery cells or be absorbed into the interior of the battery cells, thereby suppressing the internal thermal runaway reaction and preventing the fire from spreading to adjacent battery cells. Background Art

[0003] In recent years, the number of electric vehicles using batteries has increased rapidly. In addition, battery fires occur from time to time, and fires caused by sparks or short circuits are almost unpredictable. Therefore, an effective fire countermeasure is needed.

[0004] Batteries for electric vehicles are in the form of multiple battery modules consisting of a large number of connected battery cells. If a fire occurs in one battery cell, the fire will quickly spread to other connected battery cells or battery modules.

[0005] In addition, an energy storage system (ESS) refers to a storage device that stores excess electricity produced at a power plant and transmits it when there is a temporary shortage of electricity supply. Recently, large energy storage system (ESS) devices have been miniaturized and used more and more for general consumers such as buildings, factories and homes for power outage emergencies or peak power reduction purposes.

[0006] In recent years, due to the imbalance between electricity supply and demand, people's attention to new renewable energy has increased dramatically. Therefore, people are also continuously developing technologies that can store electricity produced by new renewable energy through energy storage systems (ESS) and use it during the required time period.

[0007] In particular, the energy storage system (ESS) market is showing a continuous growth trend as newly built public buildings are required to install energy storage systems (ESS) recently and are increasingly being installed in residential buildings for the purpose of saving energy.

[0008] When installing an energy storage system (ESS) in a building, etc., the user's batteries for storing energy, the battery management system (BMS) for managing the batteries, and the power storage inverter (PCS) for converting electricity are first housed in the battery rack (battery module) of the energy storage system (ESS), and then used after the battery rack as described above is housed in a specific space such as a basement.

[0009] Generally speaking, secondary batteries can be reused after being charged, and lithium-ion batteries with high charge and discharge efficiency have been widely used in recent years. Lithium-ion batteries are increasingly used in power stations and charging stations including electric vehicles and energy storage systems (ESS) and even portable devices due to their relatively small size and relatively high charge and discharge efficiency.

[0010] However, because lithium-ion batteries have a thin separation membrane installed between the cathode material and the anode material, the separation membrane may be damaged by impact, or a short circuit may occur between the cathode material and the anode material due to aging or the growth of dendrites, resulting in a fire. This may cause serious property losses for large equipment.

[0011] In addition, the battery pack including the battery module uses air cooling or water cooling technology to maintain the appropriate battery cell temperature, but it will be difficult to achieve proper temperature control when the battery cell thermal runaway occurs. Therefore, the thermal runaway will spread to the adjacent battery cells and cause the entire battery to catch fire, and eventually cause a serious fire.

[0012] In order to extinguish the fire caused by the thermal runaway of the battery cell as described above, there are a large number of prior documents that equip the battery module or battery pack with a separate fire extinguishing device, but it is difficult to contain enough fire extinguishing liquid required to extinguish the battery cell fire due to space and structural constraints. In addition, the existing prior documents adopt a structure that sprays a small amount of fire extinguishing liquid to a specific location, and the amount of fire extinguishing liquid is far from enough to extinguish the fire on the actual battery. Moreover, because the battery cells are close to each other, it is difficult for the fire extinguishing liquid to contact the battery cell where the fire occurs, so it will easily spread to other battery cells. Summary of the invention

[0013] Technical issues

[0014] Therefore, the present invention aims to solve the problems existing in the prior art as described above, and its purpose is to provide a battery pack casing with fire extinguishing and cooling functions, and a battery pack equipped with the casing, which can effectively extinguish the fire and prevent the fire from spreading to adjacent battery cells by integrally forming the outer casing cover and the fire extinguishing plate of the battery pack so that a large amount of fire extinguishing liquid can be concentratedly sprayed to the corresponding battery when thermal runaway occurs in a specific battery cell or battery module.

[0015] In addition, another object of the present invention is to provide a battery pack in which, when a battery fire occurs, a fire extinguishing liquid stored in a fire extinguishing liquid storage component is sprayed out through an outer shell cover located at the upper part of a battery pack to flood a part or all of the battery, so that the fire extinguishing liquid quickly cools the battery cell or is absorbed into the interior of the battery cell, thereby suppressing the internal thermal runaway reaction and preventing the fire from spreading to adjacent battery cells.

[0016] Means for solving problems

[0017] In order to achieve the above-mentioned purpose, the battery pack casing of the present invention is characterized in that it includes: a casing body, which can accommodate multiple battery modules inside and has an opening on one side; and a casing cover, which opens and closes the open side of the casing body; the casing cover includes: an outer shape component, which is composed of one or more chambers sealed in a manner of having an internal space of a certain capacity and is in a plate-like form with a certain width; a fire extinguishing liquid, which is filled in a certain amount in the internal space of the chamber at a certain injection pressure; a plurality of nozzles, which are formed on the outer shape component in a manner of being connected to the internal space of the chamber in a direction toward the multiple battery modules; and a plurality of sealing covers, which are made of a low-melting-point alloy (fusible alloy), which are respectively filled into the interior of the plurality of nozzles and sealed, and melt at a certain temperature when a fire occurs in the battery, so that the fire extinguishing liquid is sprayed to the battery through the nozzle; the outer shape component includes: an upper plate and a lower plate, which are respectively made of metal materials and are respectively formed along the edges, and a certain internal space is formed by welding and bonding to each other along the edges; the upper plate and the lower plate are respectively equipped with a plurality of molded parts welded to each other between the upper and lower parts by molding in a manner that the ends are in surface contact with each other and protrude inwardly when they are closely attached to each other, the nozzle is formed integrally on the lower plate by forming a hole in a state in which a part of the lower plate is further protruded outward, and the bonding force between the sealing cover of the low melting point alloy and the inner side surface of the nozzle is further strengthened by processing a tap on the inner side surface of the nozzle.

[0018] The lower plate may also be provided with a separate insulating coating or insulating plate for insulation from the terminals inside the battery pack.

[0019] The certain injection pressure of the fire extinguishing liquid can be formed by filling the inner space of the chamber with compressed air or nitrogen.

[0020] In addition, in order to achieve the purpose as described above, the battery pack of the present invention is characterized in that it includes: a plurality of battery modules; and a shell for accommodating the plurality of battery modules; the shell includes: a shell body for accommodating the plurality of battery modules internally and having an opening on one side; and a shell cover for opening and closing the open side of the shell body; the shell cover is constructed in the manner described above.

[0021] The battery pack may further include: a fire extinguishing liquid storage assembly that stores fire extinguishing liquid at a certain injection pressure to a degree that can submerge all or part of the plurality of battery modules inside the housing, and supplies the fire extinguishing liquid to the inside of the housing when a battery fire occurs.

[0022] The casing body is preferably provided with a partition wall structure divided into a plurality of regions in order to accommodate the plurality of battery modules in respective separate spaces, and the partition wall of the casing body is preferably configured to be lower in height than the edge of the casing body.

[0023] The battery module may include: a plurality of stacked battery cells; and a plurality of porous absorption plates disposed between the plurality of battery cells.

[0024] The fire extinguishing liquid storage assembly is connected to one side of the outer shape assembly through a connecting pipe, so that the fire extinguishing liquid stored in the fire extinguishing liquid storage assembly is preferably sprayed toward the battery on fire through the open discharge port of the outer shape assembly through the nozzle.

[0025] A certain injection pressure of the fire extinguishing liquid in the fire extinguishing liquid storage assembly and the outer shell cover can be formed by filling compressed air or nitrogen into their respective internal spaces.

[0026] Effects of the Invention

[0027] The present invention has the effect of effectively extinguishing the fire and preventing the fire from spreading to adjacent battery cells by integrally forming the outer shell cover and the fire extinguishing plate of the battery pack so that a large amount of fire extinguishing liquid can be concentratedly sprayed to the corresponding battery when thermal runaway occurs in a specific battery cell or battery module.

[0028] In addition, the present invention has the effect of spraying the fire extinguishing liquid stored in the fire extinguishing liquid storage component through the outer shell cover located at the upper part of the battery pack to flood a part or all of the battery when a battery fire occurs, so that the fire extinguishing liquid can quickly cool the battery cell or be absorbed into the interior of the battery cell, thereby suppressing the internal thermal runaway reaction and preventing the fire from spreading to adjacent battery cells.

[0029] That is, the present invention can quickly extinguish a fire by first spraying the fire extinguishing liquid stored in the outer shell cover located at the upper part of the battery pack to the fire occurrence site, and then can spray the fire extinguishing liquid stored in the fire extinguishing liquid storage assembly to the inside of the outer shell for a second time so that the fire extinguishing liquid submerges a part or all of the battery, thereby suppressing the internal thermal runaway reaction and preventing the fire from spreading to adjacent battery cells by allowing the fire extinguishing liquid to be absorbed into the battery cell.

[0030] Specifically, the present invention can, when the temperature of the battery rises due to a fire, increase the temperature of the nozzle on the outer shell cover closest to the battery on fire, so that the low melting point alloy sealing the discharge port of the corresponding nozzle melts at the set temperature and the discharge port of the corresponding nozzle is opened, and the fire extinguishing liquid stored in the internal space of the outer shell cover chamber will be sprayed to the battery on fire through the open discharge port at a certain spray pressure for the first time, so that the battery on fire can be extinguished at an early stage. Next, the fire extinguishing liquid stored in the fire extinguishing liquid storage assembly will be sprayed to the battery on fire through the open discharge port of the nozzle via the outer shell cover for the second time, so that the fire extinguishing liquid submerges part or all of the battery module on fire, and thereby the fire extinguishing liquid is absorbed into the interior of the battery cell and prevents the internal thermal runaway reaction and prevents the fire from spreading to the adjacent battery cells. At the same time, when the fire extinguishing liquid overflows to the partition wall of the battery module on fire, it will be filled into the separation space of the adjacent battery module, so that it can also prevent the flame and heat from spreading to the adjacent battery cells. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0031] Figure 1 as well as Figure 2 The schematic perspective view and cross-sectional view illustrate the structural relationship of a battery pack equipped with a battery pack case having a fire extinguishing function according to a first embodiment of the present invention.

[0032] Figure 3 yes Figure 1 A transverse cross-sectional view of a battery pack housing with a fire extinguishing function is shown in FIG.

[0033] Figure 4 yes Figure 3 An enlarged cross-sectional view of portion A shown in FIG.

[0034] Figure 5 This is a schematic diagram showing the structural relationship of a battery pack equipped with a battery pack case having a fire extinguishing function according to a second embodiment of the present invention.

[0035] Figure 6 Yes Figure 5A schematic diagram illustrating the structural relationship of the battery modules shown in the figure and the circulation process of the fire extinguishing fluid.

[0036] Figure 7 Yes Figure 5 A perspective view illustrating the structural relationship of the housing body shown in FIG.

[0037] Figure 8 The battery module is configured to Figure 7 2 is a plan view of the state inside the partition wall of the housing body shown in FIG.

[0038] Fig. 9 Yes Figure 5 A cross-sectional view illustrating the structural relationship of the outer casing cover shown in FIG.

[0039] Fig.10 yes Fig. 9 An enlarged cross-sectional view of portion B shown in FIG. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0040] The battery pack housing with fire extinguishing function according to the present invention can be configured in a form of contact or adjacent to a battery of an electric vehicle, an energy storage system (ESS), etc., so as to be used for extinguishing a fire when a fire occurs in the battery. In addition, the battery pack of the present invention can be applied to an electric vehicle, an energy storage system (ESS), etc., so as to extinguish a fire when a fire occurs in the corresponding battery.

[0041] Next, the preferred embodiments of the battery pack housing with fire extinguishing function and the battery pack equipped with the battery pack housing according to the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. The present invention is not limited to the embodiments disclosed in the following content, but can be implemented in a variety of different forms. These embodiments are only for more complete disclosure of the present invention and more complete introduction of the scope of the present invention to people with general knowledge.

[0042] [First embodiment]

[0043] Figure 1 as well as Figure 2 The schematic perspective view and cross-sectional view illustrate the structural relationship of a battery pack equipped with a battery pack casing having a fire extinguishing function according to the first embodiment of the present invention. Figure 3 yes Figure 1 A cross-sectional view of a battery pack housing with a fire extinguishing function is shown in FIG. Figure 4 yes Figure 3 An enlarged cross-sectional view of portion A shown in FIG.

[0044] like Figures 1 to 4As shown, the battery pack according to this embodiment includes a plurality of battery modules 10 and a housing 100 for housing the plurality of battery modules 10 .

[0045] The battery module 10 is a component that generates electrochemical energy by means of the movement of ions or electrons, and a plurality of them can be arranged inside the housing 100. Among them, the battery module 10 can be arranged in multiple columns and rows inside the housing 100. In addition, a battery module 10 may include a plurality of stacked battery cells, and each battery cell may include an anode plate, a cathode plate, and a separator between the anode plate and the cathode plate. In addition, the battery module 10 may include a protection circuit module equipped with each battery cell or a protection circuit module integrally connected to multiple battery cells, and the protection circuit module can control the voltage or current when the battery cell is charged and discharged. In addition, electrode tabs can be drawn from each battery cell, and the electrode assembly can include all known forms such as stacked or wound types.

[0046] The housing 100 is a component for accommodating a plurality of battery modules 10 inside, and may include a housing body 120 and a housing cover 110. The housing body 120 may accommodate a plurality of battery modules 10 inside, and may be in the form of a box with one side open, while the housing cover 110 may open and close the open side of the housing body 120. Thus, when the housing body 120 is sealed by the housing cover 110, the interior of the housing may be protected from the influence of the external environment.

[0047] The housing cover 110 simultaneously performs the functions of sealing the interior of the housing body 120 and extinguishing the fire when thermal runaway occurs. That is, by forming the housing cover 110 and the fire extinguishing plate in an integrated form, a large amount of fire extinguishing liquid is concentratedly sprayed to the corresponding battery when thermal runaway occurs in a specific battery cell or battery module, thereby effectively extinguishing the fire and preventing the fire from spreading to adjacent battery cells.

[0048] The outer shell cover 110 as described above is used to spray the fire extinguishing liquid stored inside to the fire site when a fire occurs in the battery (specific battery cell or battery module) to extinguish the fire, and includes: an outer shell component 111, which is formed in a plate-like shape with a certain width and is sealed in a manner to have an internal space of a certain capacity; a fire extinguishing liquid (not shown), which is filled with a certain amount of fire extinguishing liquid in the internal space of the chamber at a certain injection pressure; a plurality of nozzles 116, which are formed on the outer shell component 111 in a manner connected to the internal space of the chamber in a direction toward the plurality of battery modules 10; and a plurality of sealing covers 117, which are composed of a low melting point alloy (fusible alloy), are respectively filled into the interior of the plurality of nozzles 116 and sealed, and melt when the battery is heated to a certain temperature or above due to a fire, thereby spraying the fire extinguishing liquid to the battery through the nozzles 116.

[0049] The outer shape component 111 serves as a frame for forming the appearance of the outer shell cover 110, etc., and includes: an upper plate 112 and a lower plate 114, which are respectively stamped along the edges and welded to each other along the edges to form a certain internal space. The upper plate 112 and the lower plate 114 of this embodiment are made of metal materials such as stainless steel or aluminum, and considering its rigidity and weight reduction, its thickness is preferably between 0.2 and 1.0 mm. In addition, considering the capacity of the fire extinguishing liquid, the vehicle structure and weight, the overall thickness of the outer shell cover 110 is preferably between 3 and 10 mm.

[0050] In addition, if Figure 3 As shown, the upper plate 112 and the lower plate 114 are respectively provided with a plurality of molded parts 113 and 115 that are stamped and formed in an embossed shape that protrudes inward. The upper plate 112 and the lower plate 114 are configured in a manner of being provided with the same molded parts 113 and 115, so that when they are closely attached to each other, the ends of the molded parts 113 and 115 are in surface contact with each other. In addition, by welding the edges of the upper plate 112 and the lower plate 114 that are stamped and formed in an embossed shape and the molded parts 113 and 115 to each other, it is possible to prevent the fire extinguishing liquid from leaking by ensuring rigidity while preventing the fire extinguishing liquid from expanding and deforming due to the high-pressure fire extinguishing liquid inside by sealing.

[0051] like Figure 4As shown, the lower plate 114 faces the interior of the battery pack, i.e., the plurality of battery modules 10, and is equipped with a plurality of heat-sensitive nozzles 116. When a fire occurs in the battery, the fire-extinguishing liquid is automatically sprayed through the nozzles 116 by virtue of the temperature rise inside the battery module or the battery pack. The heat-sensitive type means that the nozzles 116 are provided with a sealing cover 117 sealed with a low-melting-point alloy (fusible alloy) that melts at a relatively low temperature (60 to 150° C.) on the lower plate 114, so that when the internal temperature of the battery pack reaches a set temperature, the low-melting-point alloy melts and the nozzles 116 are opened, so that the high-pressure fire-extinguishing liquid is sprayed through the discharge port of the nozzles 116. In this embodiment, the low-melting-point alloy can be formed by mixing components such as bismuth, lead, tin, indium, cadmium, and gallium.

[0052] In addition, the nozzle 116 is embossed relative to the lower plate 114, and is formed integrally on the lower plate 114 by forming a hole in a state where a part of the lower plate 114 further protrudes outward during stamping. That is, the nozzle 116 of this embodiment does not need to be installed with a separate plug in order to make the nozzle, but is integrally formed on the lower plate 114, thereby achieving the effect of reducing the manufacturing cost and reducing the thickness. At this time, considering the sealing rigidity and the injection speed, the inner diameter of the nozzle 116 is preferably 2 to 5 mm, and the height is preferably 2 to 5 mm.

[0053] The housing cover 110 of this embodiment is in a form in which a certain amount of liquid is filled in the inner space of the chamber at a certain injection pressure. Therefore, when the low melting point alloy constituting the sealing cover 117 is not melted due to external heat such as fire, the sealing cover 117 sealing the discharge port of the nozzle 116 shall not be separated from the discharge port due to the injection pressure of the fire extinguishing liquid. Figure 4 As shown in FIG. 1 , since the nozzle 116 of this embodiment has a curved tapered upper portion during the edge punching process, there is no need to worry about the sealing cap 117 sealing the discharge port of the nozzle 116 being separated from the discharge port due to the injection pressure of the fire extinguishing liquid. However, Figure 4 As shown in (b) in the figure, it is preferable to adopt a method in which a tap is machined on the inner side of the nozzle 116 to further strengthen the joining force between the sealing cover 117 of the low melting point alloy and the inner side of the nozzle 116 and thereby ensure that it can withstand a higher injection pressure of the fire extinguishing liquid.

[0054] In addition, the lower plate 114 may be further provided with a separate insulating coating or insulating plate for insulating from terminals such as bus bars inside the battery pack.

[0055] In addition, the internal space of the chamber of the present embodiment is filled with a certain amount of fire extinguishing liquid at a certain injection pressure. At this time, in order to make the stored fire extinguishing liquid have a certain injection pressure, the internal space of the chamber can be filled with compressed air or nitrogen. That is, a connecting port (not shown) connected to the internal space of the chamber can be formed, for example, a connecting port is formed at a position on one side of the upper plate 112, and a certain amount of fire extinguishing liquid is filled into the internal space of the chamber by means of the vacuum pressure in the state of forming a vacuum in the internal space of the chamber through the connecting port, and then compressed air or nitrogen is filled, so as to achieve a state in which the fire extinguishing liquid is filled into the internal space of the chamber at a certain injection pressure. Thereby, when the discharge port of the nozzle 116 is open, the fire extinguishing liquid will be sprayed toward the battery by means of its own injection pressure. In addition, the fire extinguishing liquid is a kind of agent that extinguishes the fire by reacting with the flame and evaporating through the cooling effect based on the latent heat of evaporation, with a pressure of 5 to 10 kgf / cm 2 It is advisable that the injection pressure (internal pressure) is filled to the internal space of the chamber.

[0056] In order to achieve the cooling effect, it is advisable to use a fire extinguishing liquid that can easily evaporate at a relatively low temperature, and it is advisable to use a fluorinated ketone (FK-5-1-12, dodecafluoro-2-methylpentan-3-one) that also has insulating properties. In addition, water with excellent latent heat of evaporation can be sprayed in a mist form, and a reinforced liquid fire extinguishing agent can be used, or a mixture of them can be used.

[0057] In this embodiment, the outer component 111 is formed by one chamber, but it can also be formed by a plurality of chambers having respective internal spaces sealed and separated from each other. In this case, the number of chambers can be arbitrarily changed according to the applicable environment.

[0058] The housing cover 110 of this embodiment constructed as described above can extinguish a fire in the early stage of a battery fire. When the temperature of the battery rises due to a fire, the temperature of the nozzle 116 at the part closest to the battery on fire will rise, so that the low melting point alloy sealing the discharge port of the corresponding nozzle 116 will melt at a set temperature and the discharge port of the corresponding nozzle 116 will be opened, and the fire extinguishing liquid stored in the internal space of the chamber will be sprayed toward the battery on fire through the opened discharge port at a certain spray pressure, so that the battery on fire can be extinguished at an early stage.

[0059] In addition, the housing cover 110 of this embodiment can also be equipped with a pressure gauge (not shown) for measuring the pressure inside the chamber. In addition, the housing cover 110 of this embodiment can be connected to a tank body storing a separate fire extinguishing liquid, and the fire extinguishing liquid stored in the chamber and the tank body can be sprayed to the fire location, thereby more effectively extinguishing the fire.

[0060] The outer casing cover 110 of the present embodiment constructed as described above is arranged in contact with or adjacent to a battery of an electric vehicle or an energy storage system (ESS), and is used to extinguish a fire when a fire occurs in the battery.

[0061] [Second embodiment]

[0062] Figure 5 This is a schematic diagram illustrating the structural relationship of a battery pack equipped with a battery pack case having a fire extinguishing function according to a second embodiment of the present invention. Figure 6 Yes Figure 5 A schematic diagram illustrating the structural relationship of the battery modules and the circulation process of the fire extinguishing fluid, Figure 7 Yes Figure 5 An oblique view illustrating the structural relationship of the housing body shown in FIG. Figure 8 The battery module is configured to Figure 7 A plan view of the state of the interior of the partition wall of the housing body shown in FIG. Fig. 9 Yes Figure 5 A cross-sectional view showing the structural relationship of the housing cover shown in FIG. Fig.10 yes Fig. 9 An enlarged cross-sectional view of portion B shown in FIG.

[0063] like Figures 5 to 10 As shown, a battery pack equipped with a battery pack housing with a fire extinguishing function according to a second embodiment of the present invention includes: a plurality of battery modules 10; a housing 200, which respectively accommodates the plurality of battery modules 10 in respective separate spaces; and a fire extinguishing liquid storage assembly 300, which stores fire extinguishing liquid to a certain extent that can submerge all or part of the plurality of battery modules 10 inside the housing 200 at a certain injection pressure, and supplies the fire extinguishing liquid to the inside of the housing 200.

[0064] The battery module 10 is a component that generates electrochemical energy by means of the movement of ions or electrons, and a plurality of battery modules 10 may be arranged inside the housing 200. The battery modules 10 may be arranged in a plurality of columns and rows inside the housing 200 (see Figure 8 ). In addition, a battery module 10 is Figure 6As shown, the battery module 10 may include a plurality of stacked battery cells 11, and each battery cell 11 may include an anode plate, a cathode plate, and a separator between the anode plate and the cathode plate. In addition, the battery module 10 may include a protection circuit module equipped with each battery cell 11 or a protection circuit module integrally connected to a plurality of battery cells, and the protection circuit module may control the voltage or current when the battery cell 11 is charged and discharged. In addition, an electrode tab may be drawn from each battery cell 11, and the electrode assembly may include all known forms such as a stacked type or a wound type.

[0065] In addition, the battery module 10 is Figure 6 As shown, it may include a plurality of porous absorption plates 12 arranged between a plurality of battery cells 11. The porous absorption plates 12 are preferably formed of a flame-retardant material with capillary force between the battery cells 11 so as to absorb the fire extinguishing liquid even when both sides thereof are in close contact with the battery cells 11. The flame-retardant material as described above may be an inorganic fiber material such as glass wool and ceramic wool, or a granular inorganic material such as silica and activated carbon, or an inorganic material may be mixed with a heat-resistant silicone resin or the like. By arranging the porous absorption plates 12 between the battery cells 11, not only can the battery be more effectively extinguished and fire extinguished in the event of a fire, but also the flame and heat can be prevented from spreading to adjacent battery cells.

[0066] The housing 200 is a component for accommodating a plurality of battery modules 10 in separate spaces, and may include a housing body 220 and a housing cover 210. The housing body 220 accommodates a plurality of battery modules 10 in the interior and is in the form of a box with one side open, and has a partition wall structure that is divided into a plurality of regions in order to accommodate the plurality of battery modules 10 in the separate spaces (see Figure 7 as well as Figure 8 ). Thus, the fire extinguishing liquid can be filled only into the separation space of the battery module 10 where the fire first occurred, so as to reach a height that submerges all or part of the battery module 10 there (see Figure 5 ). In addition, the partition wall 221 of the housing body 220 can be formed at a height lower than the edge of the housing body 220. In the above case, the fire extinguishing liquid will first be filled into the separation space of the battery module 10 that has caught fire to extinguish the fire, and when overflowing over the partition wall 221, it will be filled into the separation space of the adjacent battery module 10, thereby preventing the flame and heat from spreading to the adjacent battery cells.

[0067] The housing cover 210 can open and close one side of the opening of the housing body 220. Thus, when the housing body 220 is sealed by the housing cover 210, the interior of the housing 200 can be protected from the external environment.

[0068] In addition, the housing cover 210 simultaneously performs the functions of sealing the interior of the housing body 220 and extinguishing the fire when thermal runaway occurs. That is, by forming the housing cover 210 and the fire extinguishing plate in an integrated form, a large amount of fire extinguishing liquid is concentratedly sprayed to the corresponding battery when thermal runaway occurs in a specific battery cell or battery module, thereby effectively extinguishing the fire and preventing the fire from spreading to adjacent battery cells.

[0069] The outer shell cover 210 as described above is used to spray the fire extinguishing liquid stored inside to the fire site when a fire occurs in the battery (specific battery cell or battery module) to extinguish the fire, and includes: an outer shell component 211, which is composed of a chamber sealed in a manner of having an internal space of a certain capacity and is in a plate-like form of a certain width; a fire extinguishing liquid, which is filled with a certain amount in the internal space of the chamber at a certain injection pressure; a plurality of nozzles 216, which are formed on the outer shell component 211 in a manner connected to the internal space of the chamber in a direction toward the plurality of battery modules 10; and a plurality of sealing covers 217, which are composed of a low melting point alloy (fusible alloy), are respectively filled into the interior of the plurality of nozzles 216 and sealed, and melt when the battery is heated to a certain temperature or above due to a fire, thereby spraying the fire extinguishing liquid to the battery through the nozzles 216.

[0070] The outer shape component 211 serves as a frame for forming the appearance of the outer shell cover 210, etc., and includes: an upper plate 212 and a lower plate 214, which are respectively stamped along the edges and welded to each other along the edges to form a certain internal space. The upper plate 212 and the lower plate 214 of this embodiment are made of metal materials such as stainless steel or aluminum, and considering its rigidity and weight reduction, its thickness is preferably between 0.2 and 1.0 mm. In addition, considering the capacity of the fire extinguishing liquid, the vehicle structure and weight, the overall thickness of the outer shell cover 210 is preferably between 3 and 10 mm.

[0071] In addition, if Fig. 9 As shown, the upper plate 212 and the lower plate 214 are respectively provided with a plurality of molded parts 213 and 215 that are stamped and formed in an embossed shape that protrudes inward. The upper plate 212 and the lower plate 214 are configured in a manner of being provided with the same molded parts 213 and 215, so that when they are closely attached to each other, the ends of the molded parts 213 and 215 are in surface contact with each other. In addition, by welding the edges of the upper plate 212 and the lower plate 214 that are stamped and formed in an embossed shape and the molded parts 213 and 215 to each other, it is possible to prevent the fire extinguishing liquid from leaking by ensuring rigidity while preventing the fire extinguishing liquid from expanding and deforming due to the high-pressure fire extinguishing liquid inside by sealing.

[0072] like Fig.10As shown, the lower plate 214 faces the interior of the battery pack, i.e., the plurality of battery modules 10, and is equipped with a plurality of heat-sensitive nozzles 216. When a fire occurs in the battery, the fire-extinguishing liquid is automatically sprayed through the nozzles 216 by virtue of the temperature rise inside the battery module or the battery pack. The heat-sensitive type means that the nozzles 216 are provided with a sealing cover 217 sealed with a low-melting-point alloy (fusible alloy) that melts at a relatively low temperature (60 to 150° C.) on the lower plate 214, so that when the internal temperature of the battery pack reaches a set temperature, the low-melting-point alloy melts and the nozzles 216 are opened, so that the high-pressure fire-extinguishing liquid is sprayed through the discharge port of the nozzles 216. In this embodiment, the low-melting-point alloy can be formed by mixing components such as bismuth, lead, tin, indium, cadmium, and gallium.

[0073] In addition, the nozzle 216 is embossed relative to the lower plate 214, and is formed integrally on the lower plate 214 by forming a hole in a state where a part of the lower plate 214 further protrudes outward during stamping. That is, the nozzle 216 of this embodiment does not need to be installed with a separate plug in order to make the nozzle, but is integrally formed on the lower plate 214, thereby achieving the effect of reducing the manufacturing cost and reducing the thickness. At this time, considering the sealing rigidity and the injection speed, the inner diameter of the nozzle 216 is preferably 2 to 5 mm, and the height is preferably 2 to 5 mm.

[0074] The housing cover 210 of this embodiment is in a form in which a certain amount of liquid is filled in the inner space of the chamber at a certain injection pressure. Therefore, when the low melting point alloy constituting the sealing cover 217 is not melted due to external heat such as fire, the sealing cover 217 sealing the discharge port of the nozzle 216 shall not be separated from the discharge port due to the injection pressure of the fire extinguishing liquid. Fig.10 As shown in FIG. 1 , since the nozzle 216 of this embodiment has a curved tapered upper portion during the edge punching process, there is no need to worry about the sealing cap 217 sealing the discharge port of the nozzle 216 being detached from the discharge port due to the injection pressure of the fire extinguishing liquid. Fig.10 As shown in (b) in the figure, it is preferable to adopt a method of further strengthening the bonding force between the sealing cover 217 of the low melting point alloy and the inner side surface of the nozzle 216 by machining a tap on the inner side surface of the nozzle 216, thereby ensuring that it can withstand a higher injection pressure of the fire extinguishing liquid.

[0075] In addition, the lower plate 214 may be further provided with a separate insulating coating or insulating plate for insulating from terminals such as bus bars inside the battery pack.

[0076] In addition, the internal space of the chamber of the present embodiment is filled with a certain amount of fire extinguishing liquid at a certain injection pressure. At this time, in order to make the stored fire extinguishing liquid have a certain injection pressure, the internal space of the chamber can be filled with compressed air or nitrogen. That is, a connecting port (not shown) connected to the internal space of the chamber can be formed, for example, a connecting port is formed at a position on one side of the upper plate 212, and a certain amount of fire extinguishing liquid is filled into the internal space of the chamber by means of the vacuum pressure in the state of forming a vacuum in the internal space of the chamber through the connecting port, and then compressed air or nitrogen is filled, thereby achieving a state in which the fire extinguishing liquid is filled into the internal space of the chamber at a certain injection pressure. Thereby, when the discharge port of the nozzle 216 is open, the fire extinguishing liquid will be sprayed toward the battery by means of its own injection pressure. In addition, the fire extinguishing liquid is a kind of agent that extinguishes the fire by reacting with the flame and evaporating through the cooling effect based on the latent heat of evaporation, with a pressure of 5 to 10 kgf / cm 2 It is advisable that the injection pressure (internal pressure) is filled to the internal space of the chamber.

[0077] In order to achieve the cooling effect of the latent heat of evaporation, it is advisable to use an agent that can easily evaporate at a relatively low temperature as the fire extinguishing liquid. In addition, in order to prevent a short circuit between the battery terminals and the busbar when spraying the fire extinguishing liquid, it is advisable to use a fluorinated ketone (C6F12O) or a fluorinated ketone (FK-5-1-12, dodecafluoro-2-methylpentan-3-one) that also has insulating properties.

[0078] In this embodiment, the outer shape component 211 is formed by one chamber, but it can also be formed by multiple chambers having respective internal spaces that are sealed and separated from each other. In this case, the number of chambers can be arbitrarily changed according to the applicable environment. In addition, the outer shell cover 210 of this embodiment can also be equipped with a pressure gauge (not shown) for measuring the pressure inside the chamber.

[0079] like Figure 5 As shown, the fire extinguishing liquid storage assembly 300 stores a certain volume of fire extinguishing liquid at a certain injection pressure, and supplies it to the inside of the housing 200 when a fire occurs in the battery, and is connected to the outer shape assembly 211 of the housing cover 210 through a connecting pipe.

[0080] In addition, the fire extinguishing liquid storage assembly 300 adopts a structure in which a certain amount of fire extinguishing liquid is filled inside the tank body at a certain injection pressure that is the same as that inside the outer shell cover 210. At this time, in order to make the stored fire extinguishing liquid have a certain injection pressure, compressed air or nitrogen can be filled into the internal space of the tank body. As the fire extinguishing liquid inside the fire extinguishing liquid storage assembly 300, a fluorinated ketone (C6F12O) or a fluorinated ketone (FK-5-1-12, dodecafluoro-2-methylpentan-3-one) that is the same as the fire extinguishing liquid in the outer shell cover 210 and has insulating properties can be used. The fire extinguishing liquid storage assembly 300 as described above can play a role in effectively extinguishing the fire by spraying the stored fire extinguishing liquid to the fire site through the outer shell cover 210 when a fire occurs in the battery (specific battery cell or battery module).

[0081] The battery pack of this embodiment can quickly extinguish a fire by first spraying the fire extinguishing liquid stored in the outer shell cover 210 to the fire occurrence site, and then spray the fire extinguishing liquid stored in the fire extinguishing liquid storage assembly 300 to the inner shell through the outer shell cover 210 for a second time so that the fire extinguishing liquid floods a part or all of the battery, thereby suppressing the internal thermal runaway reaction and preventing the fire from spreading to adjacent battery cells by allowing the fire extinguishing liquid to be absorbed into the battery cell interior 11. In addition, the battery pack of this embodiment is the same as a general battery pack, and is configured in a manner that an exhaust valve (not shown) is provided on the outer shell body 220, so that when a fire occurs in the battery, the fire extinguishing liquid can be smoothly sprayed out by opening the exhaust valve without being affected by the internal pressure inside the outer shell 200.

[0082] The battery pack of this embodiment constructed as described above can not only extinguish the fire in the early stage of the battery fire, but also prevent the thermal runaway reaction and prevent the spread to the adjacent battery cells. When the temperature of the battery rises due to the fire, the temperature of the nozzle 216 of the outer shell cover 210 closest to the battery on fire will rise, so that the low melting point alloy sealing the discharge port of the corresponding nozzle 216 will melt at the set temperature and the discharge port of the corresponding nozzle 216 will be opened, and the fire extinguishing liquid stored in the internal space of the chamber of the outer shell cover 210 will be sprayed to the battery on fire for the first time through the opened discharge port at a certain spray pressure, so that the battery on fire can be extinguished at an early stage. Next, the fire extinguishing liquid stored in the fire extinguishing liquid storage assembly 300 will be sprayed a second time toward the battery where the fire occurred through the open discharge port of the nozzle 216 via the outer shell cover 210, so that the fire extinguishing liquid will submerge part or all of the battery module 10 where the fire occurred, and thereby the fire extinguishing liquid will be absorbed into the battery cell 11 and prevent the internal thermal runaway reaction and the fire from spreading to the adjacent battery cells. At the same time, when the fire extinguishing liquid overflows to the partition wall 221 of the battery module 10 where the fire occurred, it will be filled into the separation space of the adjacent battery module 10, thereby also preventing the flame and heat from spreading to the adjacent battery cells.

[0083] In the above content, the technical idea of ​​the battery pack housing with fire extinguishing function and the battery pack equipped with the battery pack housing of the present invention is described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings, but this is only an exemplary description of the best embodiment of the present invention. Therefore, the present invention is not limited to the embodiments described in the above content, and a person with general knowledge in the technical field can make various modifications and variations without departing from the idea and scope of the present invention, and these variations or modifications are all included in the scope of the claims of the present invention.

[0084] Industry availability

[0085] The present invention is applied to electric vehicles and energy storage systems (ESS) and can be used to extinguish fire when a battery fire occurs.

Claims

1. A battery pack housing, characterized in that: A battery pack case including a case body that can accommodate a plurality of battery modules and has an open side, and a case cover that opens and closes the open side of the case body. The housing cover comprises: The outer shape component is formed in a plate-like form of a certain width by sealing one or more chambers in a manner of having an internal space of a certain capacity; A fire extinguishing liquid is filled in a certain amount at a certain injection pressure in the inner space of the chamber; a plurality of nozzles formed on the outer shape component in a manner of being communicated with the inner space of the chamber in a direction toward the plurality of battery modules; and A plurality of sealing caps, made of a fusible alloy, are respectively filled into the plurality of nozzles and sealed, and melt at a certain temperature when a fire occurs in the battery, so that the fire extinguishing liquid is sprayed to the battery through the nozzles; The outer shape assembly includes: an upper plate and a lower plate, each of which is made of a metal material and is formed along the edge, and is welded and combined with each other along the edge to form a certain internal space; The upper plate and the lower plate are respectively provided with a plurality of molded parts welded to each other from top to bottom by molding in a manner such that the ends thereof are in surface contact with each other and protrude inwardly when they are in close contact with each other. The nozzle is formed integrally on the lower plate by forming a hole in a state where a part of the lower plate is further protruded outward. The bonding force between the sealing cover of the low melting point alloy and the inner side surface of the nozzle is further strengthened by machining a tap on the inner side surface of the nozzle.

2. The battery pack housing according to claim 1, characterized in that: The lower plate is also provided with a separate insulating coating or insulating plate for insulation from the terminals inside the battery pack.

3. The battery pack housing according to claim 1, characterized in that: The certain injection pressure of the fire extinguishing liquid is formed by filling the inner space of the chamber with compressed air or nitrogen.

4. A battery pack, characterized in that: A battery pack including a plurality of battery modules and a casing for housing the plurality of battery modules. The housing includes: a housing body that can accommodate the plurality of battery modules and has an opening on one side; and a housing cover that opens and closes the opening side of the housing body; The housing cover comprises: The outer shape component is formed in a plate-like form of a certain width by sealing one or more chambers in a manner of having an internal space of a certain capacity; A fire extinguishing liquid is filled in a certain amount at a certain injection pressure in the inner space of the chamber; a plurality of nozzles formed on the outer shape component in a manner of being communicated with the inner space of the chamber in a direction toward the plurality of battery modules; and A plurality of sealing caps, made of a fusible alloy, are respectively filled into the plurality of nozzles and sealed, and melt at a certain temperature when a fire occurs in the battery, so that the fire extinguishing liquid is sprayed to the battery through the nozzles; The outer shape assembly includes: an upper plate and a lower plate, each of which is made of a metal material and is formed along the edge, and is welded and combined with each other along the edge to form a certain internal space; The upper plate and the lower plate are respectively provided with a plurality of molded parts welded to each other from top to bottom by molding in a manner such that the ends thereof are in surface contact with each other and protrude inwardly when they are in close contact with each other. The nozzle is formed integrally on the lower plate by forming a hole in a state where a part of the lower plate is further protruded outward. The bonding force between the sealing cover of the low melting point alloy and the inner side surface of the nozzle is further strengthened by machining a tap on the inner side surface of the nozzle.

5. The battery pack according to claim 4, characterized in that: Also includes: The fire extinguishing liquid storage assembly stores fire extinguishing liquid at a certain injection pressure to a degree that can submerge all or part of the plurality of battery modules inside the housing, and supplies the fire extinguishing liquid to the inside of the housing when a battery fire occurs.

6. The battery pack according to claim 5, characterized in that: The casing body is provided with a partition wall structure divided into a plurality of regions in order to house the plurality of battery modules in respective separate spaces.

7. The battery pack according to claim 6, characterized in that: The partition wall of the housing body is formed at a height lower than the edge of the housing body.

8. The battery pack according to claim 5, characterized in that: The battery module includes: a plurality of stacked battery cells; and a plurality of porous absorption plates disposed between the plurality of battery cells.

9. The battery pack according to claim 5, characterized in that: The fire extinguishing liquid storage assembly is connected to one side of the outer shape assembly through a connecting pipe, so that the fire extinguishing liquid stored in the fire extinguishing liquid storage assembly is sprayed toward the battery on fire through the open discharge port of the outer shape assembly through the nozzle.

10. The battery pack according to claim 5, characterized in that: A certain injection pressure of the fire extinguishing liquid in the fire extinguishing liquid storage assembly and the outer shell cover is formed by filling compressed air or nitrogen into their respective internal spaces.

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