Battery Module
By incorporating a unit board and cooling device into the battery module, heat transfer components are used to quickly transfer heat, solving the problem of low heat dissipation efficiency in the battery module and improving cooling efficiency and safety.
Patent Information
- Application Number
- CN202010408846.4
- Authority / Receiving Office
- CN · China
- Patent Type
- Patents(China)
- Current Assignee / Owner
- Priority Date
- 2019-05-14
- Filing Date
- 2020-05-14
- Publication Date
- 2025-12-02
- Estimated Expiration
- 2040-05-14
AI Technical Summary
In existing technologies, battery modules cannot effectively dissipate the heat generated by individual cells, resulting in low cooling efficiency, which may lead to shortened battery life, reduced efficiency, or even combustion or explosion.
A battery module structure is designed, including a unit board and a housing. The unit board has multiple cell units on two sides and a cooling device on at least one side. Heat is quickly transferred to the cooling device using heat transfer components and thermally conductive materials. A battery assembly is formed by stacking multiple cell units to facilitate manufacturing.
By rapidly transferring heat to the cooling device through the unit board, the heat generated by the unit battery is effectively dissipated, improving the cooling efficiency of the battery module, extending battery life, and reducing safety risks.
Smart Images

Figure CN111952491B_ABST
Abstract
Description
Technical Field
[0001] This invention relates to a battery module. Background Technology
[0002] Unlike primary batteries, secondary batteries can be charged and discharged, thus finding applications in various fields such as digital cameras, mobile phones, laptops, and hybrid vehicles. Secondary batteries can include nickel-cadmium batteries, nickel-metal hydride batteries, nickel-metal hydride batteries, and lithium-ion batteries.
[0003] Among the secondary batteries mentioned above, a great deal of research is being conducted on lithium secondary batteries with high energy density and discharge voltage. In recent years, lithium secondary batteries have been made from flexible pouch-type cell units and used in modular form by connecting multiple units.
[0004] On the other hand, when the battery module is used for a long time, the battery will generate heat. In particular, the internal temperature will rise sharply during charging. As mentioned above, the rise in battery temperature will not only shorten the battery life and reduce the battery efficiency, but in the worst case, it may also cause combustion or explosion.
[0005] Therefore, battery modules require a cooling system to cool the cell units housed within them. However, existing technologies suffer from the inability to effectively dissipate the heat generated by the cell units, resulting in very low cooling efficiency. Summary of the Invention
[0006] (a) Technical problems to be solved
[0007] The purpose of this invention is to provide a battery module that can effectively dissipate the heat generated by the cell.
[0008] (II) Technical Solution
[0009] According to an embodiment of the present invention, a battery module includes: a battery cell including a plurality of cell batteries disposed on both sides of a cell plate; and a housing for accommodating the battery cell and having a cooling device disposed on at least one side, the cell plate including: a plate portion having a flat surface; and a plurality of receiving spaces formed by side portions protruding from both sides of the plate portion toward the upper and lower portions of the plate portion, wherein the plurality of cell batteries are respectively disposed in the receiving spaces.
[0010] According to this embodiment, the housing may include: a first plate disposed on the upper part of the battery cell; a second plate disposed on the lower part of the battery cell; and a third plate disposed on the side of the battery cell, and includes the cooling device.
[0011] According to this embodiment, the side portion can be configured such that its outer surface faces the third plate.
[0012] According to this embodiment, it may further include: a heat transfer component disposed between the side portion and the third plate.
[0013] According to this embodiment, the heat transfer component can be formed as any one of thermally conductive paste, thermally conductive adhesive, or thermally conductive pad.
[0014] According to this embodiment, the third plate may include: an inner plate, configured to face the battery cell; an outer plate, disposed outside the inner plate to engage with the inner plate; and a cooling flow path, disposed between the inner plate and the outer plate.
[0015] According to this embodiment, the third plate may further include a reinforcing plate that covers the outer surface of the outer plate, is bonded to the outer plate, and is made of a material with greater rigidity than the outer plate.
[0016] According to this embodiment, the third plate can be formed of aluminum, and the reinforcing plate can be formed of ultra-high strength steel plate.
[0017] According to this embodiment, the unit plate can be formed such that the portion of the plate that connects to the side portion is thicker.
[0018] (III) Beneficial Effects
[0019] According to an embodiment of the present invention, a battery module has a unit plate disposed between the cell cells, so that heat can be quickly transferred to the cooling device side through the unit plate. This effectively dissipates the heat generated by the cell cells.
[0020] In addition, the battery assembly is completed by stacking multiple battery cells, making it easy to manufacture. Attached Figure Description
[0021] Figure 1 This is a schematic perspective view of a battery module according to an embodiment of the present invention.
[0022] Figure 2 yes Figure 1 The image shows an exploded perspective view of the battery module.
[0023] Figure 3 yes Figure 2 An exploded perspective view of the battery cell shown.
[0024] Figure 4 It is shown in magnification Figure 3 Partial plan view of the connecting components.
[0025] Figure 5 yes Figure 4 A sectional view of I-I'.
[0026] Figure 6 yes Figure 3 The exploded perspective view of the unit board and circuit board shown.
[0027] Figure 7 yes Figure 2 An exploded perspective view of the battery cell and the bonding unit shown.
[0028] Figure 8 yes Figure 1 Sectional view of II-II'.
[0029] Explanation of reference numerals in the attached figures
[0030] 100: Battery Module
[0031] 10: Cell battery
[0032] 20: Battery Unit
[0033] 21: Unit board
[0034] 26: Connecting components
[0035] 30: Combined Unit
[0036] 40: Shell
[0037] 40a: First board
[0038] 40b: Second board
[0039] 50: Third Board
[0040] 70: Cover plate
[0041] 80: Insulating cover Detailed Implementation
[0042] Before providing a detailed description of the present invention, it should be understood that the terms or words used in this specification and claims should not be limited to their general or dictionary meanings, but rather should be interpreted in accordance with the principle that the inventors can appropriately define the concepts of terms in order to best describe the invention, and thus be interpreted as meanings and concepts consistent with the technical concept of the invention. Therefore, the embodiments described in this specification and the structures shown in the accompanying drawings are merely the most preferred embodiments of the invention and do not represent the entirety of the technical concept of the invention. Therefore, it should be understood that this application may include various equivalents and modifications in place of the described embodiments.
[0043] The preferred embodiments of the present invention will now be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. It should be noted that the same reference numerals are used to denote the same components as much as possible in the drawings. Furthermore, well-known functions and structures that could obscure the spirit of the invention will be omitted in detailed description. For the same reason, some components are shown enlarged, omitted, or schematically in the drawings, and the size of each component does not necessarily represent its actual size.
[0044] Figure 1 This is a schematic perspective view of a battery module according to an embodiment of the present invention. Figure 2 yes Figure 1 The image shows an exploded perspective view of the battery module.
[0045] in addition, Figure 3 yes Figure 2 The exploded perspective view of the battery cell shown. Figure 4 It is shown in magnification Figure 3 Partial plan view of the connecting components. Figure 5 yes Figure 4 A sectional view of I-I'.
[0046] in addition, Figure 6 yes Figure 3 The exploded perspective view of the unit board and circuit board shown is as follows. Figure 7 yes Figure 2 The exploded perspective view of the battery cell and the bonding unit shown. Figure 8 yes Figure 1 Sectional view of II-II'.
[0047] First, refer to Figures 1 to 3 The battery module 100 of this embodiment has a generally hexahedral shape and may include: a battery assembly 60 composed of a plurality of unit batteries 10; and a housing 40 for external protection of the battery assembly 60.
[0048] The battery assembly 60 is composed of multiple battery cells 20 combined together.
[0049] Reference Figure 3 The battery unit 20 includes: a unit board 21; a plurality of unit batteries 10 stacked on the unit board 21; and a circuit board 28.
[0050] Multiple cell units 10 are stacked side-by-side, and each cell unit 10 may have an electrode lead 15 protruding outward from the main body. For example, the cell unit 10 may be a pouched type secondary battery.
[0051] The cell 10 can be configured such that the electrode assembly (not shown) is housed within the pouch 11.
[0052] The electrode assembly has multiple electrode plates and electrode connectors and is housed within a bag 11. The electrode plates consist of an anode plate and a cathode plate, and the electrode assembly can be configured to be stacked with a partition between the anode plate and the cathode plate and their wide surfaces facing each other.
[0053] The anode plate and cathode plate are formed as a structure in which an active slurry is coated on the current collector. Generally, the slurry is formed by stirring with granular active substances, auxiliary conductors, binders and plasticizers added to a solvent.
[0054] In addition, in the electrode assembly, multiple anode plates and multiple cathode plates are stacked vertically. Each anode plate and multiple cathode plate has an electrode connector, and electrode plates of the same polarity can contact each other and be connected to the same electrode lead 15.
[0055] In this embodiment, the two electrode leads 15 are configured to face opposite directions.
[0056] The bag 11 is formed in the shape of a container, thereby providing internal space to accommodate the electrode assembly and electrolyte (not shown). At this time, some of the electrode leads 15 of the electrode assembly are exposed outside the bag 11.
[0057] The bag 11 can be divided into a sealing part 202 and a receiving part 204.
[0058] The receiving portion 204 is formed in the shape of a container, thereby providing a quadrilateral-shaped internal space. The internal space of the receiving portion 204 accommodates the electrode assembly and the electrolyte.
[0059] The sealing portion 202 is formed as a flange that expands outward from the receiving portion 204, which forms a container shape. Therefore, the sealing portion 202 is set as an edge shape along the periphery of the receiving portion 204.
[0060] The connection between the sealing parts 202 can be achieved by heat fusion connection, but is not limited to this method.
[0061] In addition, in this embodiment, the sealing part 202 can be divided into a first sealing part 2021 provided with electrode leads 15 and a second sealing part 2022 without electrode leads 15.
[0062] In this embodiment, the electrode leads 15 are configured to face opposite directions to each other. Therefore, two electrode leads 15 are provided on sealing portions 202 formed on different sides of each other. Thus, the sealing portions 202 provided on the four sides of the receiving portion 204 include: two first sealing portions 2021 provided with electrode leads 15; and two second sealing portions 2022 without electrode leads 15.
[0063] In addition, in the cell battery 10 of this embodiment, in order to improve the bonding reliability of the sealing part 202 and minimize the area of the sealing part 202, the sealing part 202 can be set to a shape that is folded at least once.
[0064] The cell 10 generates current using a rechargeable and dischargeable nickel-metal hydride (Ni-MH) battery or a lithium-ion (Li-ion) battery. Additionally, multiple cells are arranged in a row on both sides of the cell plate 21, which will be described later.
[0065] The unit plate 21 includes: a plate portion 22 that contacts the receiving portion 204 of the unit battery 10; and a side portion 23 disposed on two sides of the plate portion 22 to protect the second sealing portion 2022 of the unit battery 10.
[0066] The plate portion 22 is formed as a flat surface, and the side portion 23 protrudes from the two edge portions of the plate portion 22 toward the upper and lower parts of the plate portion 22. Therefore, the unit plate 21 can be formed into the shape of an H-beam with a cross section that cuts off the plate portion 22 and the side portion 23.
[0067] like Figure 8 As shown, to ensure rigidity, the connecting portion 23a in the plate portion 22 that connects to the side portion 23 can be made thicker than other portions. With the structure described above, heat from the plate portion 22 can be transferred to the side portion 23 more efficiently. Furthermore, the side portion 23 is positioned so that its entire outer surface faces the third plate 50, on which the cooling device is provided, and is very close to the third plate 50. Therefore, heat transferred to the side portion 23 can be quickly dissipated to the outside through the third plate 50.
[0068] On the other hand, the shape of the connecting part 23a is not limited to the shape shown in the figure, and can be changed in various ways as needed, such as forming a cavity inside the connecting part 23a.
[0069] In this embodiment, three cell batteries 10 are arranged in a row on one side of the unit board 21, and three cell batteries 10 are arranged in a row on the other side. Therefore, a total of six cell batteries 10 are combined in one unit board 21. However, it is not limited to this; one or two cell batteries 10 may be provided on each of the two sides, and four or more cell batteries may be provided as needed.
[0070] Since three unit batteries 10 are respectively provided on both sides of the unit board 21, the unit board 21 has three unit battery accommodating spaces R1, R2, and R3 on one side.
[0071] Each of the accommodating spaces R1, R2, and R3 is formed by a plate portion 22 and a side portion 23, and a connecting component 26 for the electrode lead 15 of the connecting unit battery 10 is provided between the accommodating spaces R1, R2, and R3.
[0072] Reference Figure 4 and Figure 5 The connecting component 26 may include a busbar 26a made of conductive material and a bracket 26b made of insulating material.
[0073] The bracket 26b is disposed along the periphery of the busbar 26a and contacts the unit plate 21 when the connecting member 26 is attached to the unit plate 21. Therefore, when the connecting member 26 is attached to the unit plate 21, the busbar 26a is isolated from the unit plate 21, so that it does not directly contact or electrically connect with the unit plate 21.
[0074] Busbar 26a is made of a flat metal plate, with both sides exposed outside the bracket 26b. Therefore, the cell battery 10 can be attached to both sides of busbar 26a and electrically connected to each other.
[0075] In this embodiment, two unit batteries 10 are connected to one surface of the busbar 26a, so a total of four unit batteries 10 are connected to one busbar 26a.
[0076] The electrode leads 15 of the cell 10 are bent to form a shape that allows them to be joined to the busbar 26a by means of welding or the like. However, this is not a limitation.
[0077] Busbar 26a and bracket 26b can be manufactured by insert injection molding. However, they are not limited to this method and can also be manufactured separately and then combined.
[0078] The unit plate 21 is provided with a mating hole 22a for engaging the connecting member 26 between the receiving spaces R1, R2, and R3. When the connecting member 26 is engaged in the mating hole 22a, as follows: Figure 5 As shown, the busbar 26a of the connecting component 26 can be disposed on the same plane as the plate portion 22.
[0079] In this embodiment, the connecting member 26 is attached to the unit plate 21 by inserting the bracket 26b into the connecting hole 22a formed in the unit plate 21. To stably attach the connecting member 26 to the unit plate 21, an adhesive can be introduced between the connecting member 26 and the unit plate 21. Alternatively, separate fixing components such as bolts or screws can be used as needed.
[0080] In the unit plate 21, two unit batteries 10, positioned on opposite sides of the plate portion 22 and facing each other, are connected in parallel via a connecting member 26. Furthermore, three unit batteries 10 arranged in a row on any side of the unit plate 21 are connected in series via the connecting member 26. Therefore, in a battery unit 20, two unit batteries 10 are connected in pairs in parallel, and the three pairs of parallel unit batteries 10 are connected in series.
[0081] In addition, such as Figure 3 As shown, in this embodiment, the unit plate 21 has a fastening groove 22b between the accommodating spaces R1, R2, R3, that is, in the part where the connecting member 26 is provided.
[0082] More specifically, the fastening groove 22b is a groove formed on the outside of the connecting member 26 after the plate portion 22 and the side portion 23 have been removed. Therefore, the fastening groove 22b is formed to reduce the width of the plate portion 22 or the battery cell 20, and the side portion 23 is discontinuously provided due to the fastening groove 22b.
[0083] As described above, the fastening groove 22b is the area where the fastening portion 55 of the housing 40, which will be described later, is located. Therefore, the fastening groove 22b is formed to a size that facilitates the installation of the fastening portion 55.
[0084] The unit plate 21 is provided with outer connecting parts 27 at both ends. Similar to the connecting part 26, the outer connecting part 27 may include a bracket and a busbar.
[0085] The busbar 27a of the outer connecting member 27 connects only two battery cells 10 that are positioned facing each other on the clamping plate portion 22. The remaining portion of the busbar 27a is used as a terminal 271 (hereinafter referred to as a connection terminal) to electrically connect multiple battery cells 20 to each other.
[0086] The portion of the busbar 27a of the outer connecting member 27 that serves as the connecting terminal 271 is configured to protrude outward from the unit plate 21 and bend toward the top or bottom of the plate portion 22.
[0087] The coupling terminal 271 is coupled to the coupling terminals 271 of other battery cells 20. Therefore, multiple battery cells 20 can be connected in series or in parallel through the coupling terminals 271. The connection of multiple coupling terminals 271 can be achieved by welding or fastening components such as bolts or screws, but is not limited thereto.
[0088] As described above, the unit plate 21 supports the unit battery 10 and also functions as a cooling plate. The heat generated by the unit battery 10 is transferred through the plate portion 22 and side portion 23 of the unit plate 21 to the third plate 50, which will be described later. In this embodiment, the third plate 50 functions as a cooling component. Therefore, the heat from the unit battery 10 disposed on both sides of the plate portion 22 can be quickly dissipated.
[0089] The circuit board 28 is connected to the busbar 26a of each connecting component 26 and measures the voltage of the cell 10. In addition, in order to measure the temperature of the cell, the circuit board 28 is provided with at least one temperature sensor 28a, and may further include a fuse if necessary.
[0090] Temperature sensor 28a can be configured to contact the housing 204 or the sealing portion 202 of the cell 10. However, it is not limited to this. In addition, the temperature sensor 28a used in this embodiment is an NTC thermistor (Negative Temperature Coefficient-thermic resistor), but it is not limited to this.
[0091] In order to monitor the voltage or temperature of the cell outside the battery module 100, the circuit board 28 needs to be electrically connected to the outside of the battery module. Therefore, the circuit board 28 needs to connect the temperature sensor 28a and the busbar 26a to the outside of the battery module.
[0092] Therefore, the circuit board 28 in this embodiment is composed of a flexible printed circuit board (FPCB). Additionally, as... Figure 8 As shown, the circuit board 28 disposed in the accommodating spaces R1, R2, and R3 is located between the unit battery 10 and the side portion 23. More specifically, the circuit board 28 is attached to the inner side of the side portion 23 and extends along the side portion 23 to the outside of the unit plate 21. The circuit board 28 attached to the inner side of the side portion 23 can be firmly bonded to the side portion 23 by means of adhesive or adhesive tape.
[0093] Furthermore, in the circuit board 28, the width of the intervals provided within the accommodating spaces R1, R2, and R3 is smaller than the width of the side portion 23. Therefore, even if the circuit board 28 is provided on the inner side of the side portion 23, the circuit board 28 will not be exposed outside the side portion 23.
[0094] Therefore, the circuit board 28 can be led out to the outside of the unit board 21 without interfering with the unit battery 10.
[0095] The portion of circuit board 28 that extends to the outside of unit board 21 can be connected to the outside via a connector (not shown) provided on cover plate 70, which will be described later.
[0096] The battery assembly 60 in this embodiment is composed of multiple battery cells 20 stacked together.
[0097] For this purpose, the battery assembly 60 includes a coupling unit 30 disposed among a plurality of battery cells 20.
[0098] like Figure 7 As shown, the coupling unit 30 is disposed between two battery units 20 stacked on top of each other, so as to be fixedly coupled to the battery unit 20.
[0099] The connecting unit 30 may include: a frame 31 disposed between the side portions 23 of the unit plate 21; and support portions 32 and 33 disposed at the ends of the frame 31.
[0100] The support portions 32 and 33 may include a first support portion 32 and a second support portion 33.
[0101] The first support portion 32 supports both ends of the battery unit 20. Furthermore, when the first support portion 32 is positioned between the connection terminals 271 of the battery unit 20 to electrically connect the multiple connection terminals 271 to each other, it can also function to fix each connection terminal 271. For this purpose, the first support portion 32 can be provided with a fastening groove 36 for fastening bolts or screws or other fixing components used to connect the multiple connection terminals 271. In this case, the fixing component passes through two connection terminals 271 and the fastening groove 36, and fixes the connection terminals 271 to the first support portion 32.
[0102] The first support portion 32 is provided with a first protrusion 34 that protrudes upward. The first protrusion 34 is provided to facilitate the connection of the outer connecting member 27 of the battery cell 20 stacked on top. The first protrusion 34 can be inserted into a hole provided in the cell plate 21 or the outer connecting member 27.
[0103] The second support portion 33 is disposed between the plurality of connecting members 26 of the battery cell 20 and supports the connecting members 26. Therefore, when both ends of the frame 31 are disposed between the connecting members 26, the second support portion 33 can be disposed at both ends of the frame 31.
[0104] The second support portion 33 can be configured to engage or disengage with the second support portions 33 of other frames 31. For example, the second support portion 33 can be configured to insert into the second support portions 33 of other frames 31. However, it is not limited to this, and they can also be engaged with each other using independent fixing components.
[0105] Additionally, the second support portion 33 may be provided with a second protrusion 35 to facilitate engagement with the connecting member 26. Similarly, the second protrusion 35 may also be configured to insert into a hole provided in the unit plate 21 or the connecting member 26.
[0106] As described above, the first protrusion 34 and the second protrusion 35 define the engagement position of the battery cell 20. Therefore, during the assembly of the battery assembly 60, the battery cell 20 and the engagement unit 30 can be easily arranged and engaged.
[0107] The frame 31 is formed in the shape of a four-sided ring along the outline of the cell 10 and is disposed between the side portions 23 of the multiple battery cells 20 stacked on top of each other.
[0108] The interior of frame 31 is formed as a cavity. Therefore, as... Figure 8 As shown, when multiple battery cells 20 are combined in the combining unit 30, the internal space of the frame 31 accommodates a portion of the cell battery 10 that is combined into the battery cell 20. That is, when the cell battery 10 is combined in the unit plate 21, a portion of the receiving portion 204 of the cell battery 10 protrudes outward from the receiving spaces R1, R2, R3 of the unit plate 21, and the protruding portion is located in the internal space of the frame 31 of the combining unit 30.
[0109] In this embodiment, the bonding unit 30 is provided with a plurality of frames 31. More specifically, the number of frames 31 corresponds to the number of cell batteries 10 arranged in a row in the battery cell 20 bonded to the bonding unit 30. In this embodiment, the bonding unit 30 is provided with three frames. However, it is not limited to this. Insulating pads 18 may be provided between the cell batteries 10 facing each other in the internal space of the frames 31.
[0110] The insulating pad 18 is formed of compression pad or foam material, which prevents direct contact between multiple cell units and improves insulation. Additionally, assembly tolerances can be absorbed during manufacturing, thereby improving assembly convenience.
[0111] However, it is not limited to this and various modifications can be made, such as forming the insulating pad 18 by using adhesive tape or adhesive resin on both sides.
[0112] On the other hand, in the event of expansion of a specific cell, the insulating pad 18a disposed between the battery assembly 60 and the first plate 40a and the second plate 40b can perform the function of suppressing the overall volume expansion of the cell. Therefore, the insulating pad 18a disposed between the battery assembly 60 and the first plate 40a and the second plate 40b can be made of polyurethane foam. However, it is not limited to this.
[0113] like Figure 2 As shown, the housing 40 may include: a first plate 40a attached to the lower part of the battery assembly 60; a second plate 40b attached to the upper part of the battery assembly 60; a third plate 50 attached to the side of the battery assembly 60; and a cover plate 70.
[0114] At least one of the first plate 40a, the second plate 40b, and the third plate 50 can function as a cooling component of the battery module 100. In this embodiment, the third plate 50 functions as a cooling component. However, the structure of the present invention is not limited thereto; depending on the size of the cell 10, the first plate 40a or the second plate 40b can also be configured to function as the same cooling component as the third plate 50.
[0115] Therefore, the first plate 40a, the second plate 40b, and the third plate 50 can be made of materials with high thermal conductivity, such as metals. For example, the first plate 40a, the second plate 40b, and the third plate 50 can be made of aluminum. However, they are not limited to this; even if they are not metals, various materials can be used, as long as they have similar strength and thermal conductivity.
[0116] A first plate 40a is disposed at the lower part of the battery assembly 60 and supports the lower surface of the unit battery 10. A second plate 40b is disposed at the upper part of the battery assembly 60 and covers the upper surface of the unit battery 10. A third plate 50 is disposed on both sides of the battery assembly 60 and is combined with the first plate 40a and the second plate 40b. Therefore, the first plate 40a, the second plate 40b, and the third plate 50 form a tubular housing.
[0117] The third plate 50 protects the sides of the battery assembly 60 while cooling the cell 10. For this purpose, as follows... Figure 8 As shown, the third plate 50 includes an inner plate 50a and an outer plate 50b.
[0118] The inner side plate 50a is a plate disposed on the side of the battery assembly 60, and the outer side plate 50b is a plate disposed on the outer side of the inner side plate 50a and attached to the outer surface of the inner side plate 50a.
[0119] The inner side plate 50a is joined to the first plate 40a and the second plate 40b described above. The outer side plate 50b is joined to the outer surface of the inner side plate 50a. However, the outer side plate 50b is not joined as a whole, but only a portion is joined, and at least a portion of the unjoined portion can be separated from the inner side plate 50a. The space between the inner side plate 50a and the outer side plate 50b thus formed serves as a cooling flow path S. Figure 8 It was used as such.
[0120] The outer side panel 50b can be joined to the inner side panel 50a by welding or brazing. Alternatively, it can be bonded using adhesive as needed.
[0121] The cooling flow path S is entirely located inside the outer side plate 50b. The shape of the cooling flow path S can be changed to various shapes as needed.
[0122] The outer side plate 50b, as described above, can be manufactured by stamping a sheet metal. In this embodiment, the inner side plate 50a and the outer side plate 50b are made of the same material (e.g., aluminum). However, this is not a limitation, and they can also be made of different materials.
[0123] In this embodiment, an inlet 52 and an outlet 54 for the cooling flow path S are provided on one side of the inner side plate 50a. Therefore, cooling water flows into the cooling flow path S through the inlet 52 and, after passing through the cooling flow path S, is discharged to the outside of the cooling flow path S through the outlet 54. However, the structure of the present invention is not limited to this, and various modifications can be made as needed, such as placing the outlet 54 and the inlet 52 on the outer side plate 50b or distributing them separately on the outer side plate 50b and the inner side plate 50a, etc.
[0124] On the other hand, the third plate 50 in this embodiment is used as a water-cooled cooling device with a cooling flow path S internally provided. However, the structure of the present invention is not limited to this, and an air-cooled cooling device may also be used.
[0125] Additionally, refer to Figure 2 In this embodiment, the third plate 50 has a fastening portion 55 formed on its inner surface facing the battery assembly 60. The fastening portion 55 protrudes from the inside of the third plate 50 towards the battery assembly 60 and has a fastening hole 55a formed inside it.
[0126] The fastening part 55 is formed in the shape of a pipe and is engaged with the inner surface of the third plate 50. At this time, the fastening part 55 is configured to be inserted into the fastening groove 22b of the aforementioned unit plate 21. Figure 3 Therefore, the fastening part 55 is set to a size that allows insertion into the fastening groove 22b. In addition, the first plate 40a and the second plate 40b are provided with through holes for inserting the fastening member 65 at positions corresponding to the fastening groove 22b.
[0127] By stacking the battery assembly 60 in the vertical direction, a fastening groove 22b is formed that passes through the battery assembly 60 in the vertical direction. Therefore, the fastening part 55 is also provided in the fastening groove 22b so as to pass through the battery assembly 60 in the vertical direction.
[0128] The fastening hole 55a is a hole into which fastening components 65 such as connecting bolts or screws are inserted, and it is used to fix the battery module 100 to a structure or the like.
[0129] The fastening component 65 passes through the fastening holes 55a of the first plate 40a, the third plate 50, and the second plate 40b in sequence, and fastens the third plate 50 to the first plate 40a and the second plate 40b.
[0130] The portion of the fastening component 65 that protrudes towards the lower part of the second plate 40b is fastened to the structure (e.g., a vehicle) where the battery module 100 is mounted.
[0131] Without the fastener 55, it is difficult to ensure the rigidity of the third plate 50 in the vertical direction. In this case, if an external force is applied to the battery module 100 in the vertical direction, the second plate 40b is prone to breakage. For example, the force applied to fasten the fastener 65 to the structure may also cause the third plate 50 to deform.
[0132] However, as described in this embodiment, when a fastening part 55 is provided and a first plate 40a and a second plate 40b are respectively provided at the lower and upper parts of the fastening part 55, the fastening member 65 passes through the first plate 40a, the fastening part 55, and the second plate 40b in sequence and is fastened to the structure.
[0133] Therefore, even when an external force is applied in the vertical direction, the third plate 50 is not easily deformed due to the fastening part 55 provided between the first plate 40a and the second plate 40b.
[0134] Additionally, the fastening part 55 is inserted into the fastening groove 22b. Without the fastening groove 22b, the spacing between the multiple third plates 50 should be increased, or the fastening part 55 should be located on the outer surface of the third plate 50 instead of the inner surface. In this case, there is a problem of increased battery module size.
[0135] However, according to the battery module 100 of this embodiment, the unit plate 21 is provided with a fastening groove 22b, so the fastening part 55 can be provided in the space formed inside the battery assembly 60. Therefore, the above-mentioned problem can be solved.
[0136] Reference Figure 8 A heat transfer component 59 may be provided between the battery assembly 60 and the housing 40.
[0137] In this embodiment, the heat transfer component 59 is disposed between the battery assembly 60 and the third plate 50. Specifically, the heat transfer component 59 is disposed between the outer surface of the side portion 23 and the inner surface of the inner side plate 50a of the third plate 50. However, it is not limited to this, and the heat transfer component 59 may also be disposed on the side of the first plate 40a or the second plate 40b as needed.
[0138] The heat transfer component 59 can be made of a material with high thermal conductivity. Alternatively, the heat transfer component 59 can be formed as any of the thermally conductive adhesives and pads made of thermally conductive paste, epoxy resin, urethane, silicone, acrylic resin, etc.
[0139] The heat transfer component 59 can be formed by coating a liquid or gel-state substance onto the inner surface of the third plate 50. Therefore, the heat transfer component 59 is configured to fill the space between the battery assembly 60 and the third plate. However, it is not limited to this; a heat transfer component 59 in the form of a pad can also be inserted.
[0140] The heat transfer component 59 absorbs the assembly tolerances between the battery assembly 60 and the third plate 50. Therefore, the battery assembly 60 can be securely fixed to the housing 40 within the internal space of the housing 40 via the heat transfer component 59, and heat dissipated from the battery assembly 60 can be rapidly transferred to the third plate 50 via the heat transfer component 59. Furthermore, by placing the heat transfer component 59 between the battery assembly 60 and the housing 40, the overall rigidity of the battery module 100 is enhanced.
[0141] On the other hand, the third plate 50 according to this embodiment may include a reinforcing plate 50c attached to the outer surface of the outer plate 50b.
[0142] The reinforcing plate 50c is used to enhance the rigidity of the second plate 40b. Therefore, the reinforcing plate 50c is attached to the outer plate 50b in such a way that it covers the entire outer surface of the outer plate 50b, and is made of a material with greater rigidity than the inner plate 50a or the outer plate 50b.
[0143] For example, the reinforcing plate 50c can be formed from ultra-high strength steel plate with a tensile strength of more than 1 gigapascal (GPa), but is not limited to this.
[0144] The cover plate 70 is attached to both ends of the battery assembly 60.
[0145] The cover plate 70 is combined with the first plate 40a, the second plate 40b and the third plate 50 to complete the shape of the battery module 100.
[0146] The cover plate 70 can be formed of an insulating material such as resin, and can be provided with slots or holes for exposing the connection terminals to the outside. The connection terminals are terminals for connecting the battery module to external electrical connections, and can be any one of the connection terminals 271 provided in the battery cell 20. Additionally, the cover plate 70 can be provided with a connector (not shown) for connection to the circuit board 28.
[0147] The cover plate 70 can be attached to the first plate 40a, the second plate 40b, and the third plate 50 by means of fasteners such as bolts or screws. However, it is not limited to this.
[0148] An insulating cover 80 and a flow path connection 90 may be provided between the cover plate 70 and the battery assembly 60.
[0149] The insulating cover 80 is formed of an insulating material and is attached to both ends of the battery assembly 60 where each connection terminal 271 is provided, so as to protect each connection terminal 271 of the battery assembly 60 and keep it insulated.
[0150] At least one of the insulating covers 80 may be provided with a hole 82 through which a connecting terminal is disposed. The connecting terminal is exposed to the outside through the hole 82 formed in the insulating cover 80. Therefore, the through hole 82 of the insulating cover 80 is formed to correspond to the size and shape of the connecting terminal.
[0151] Although not shown, a heat transfer component may be filled between the insulating cover 80 and the battery assembly 60 as needed.
[0152] A flow path connection 90 is provided between the insulating cover 80 and the cover plate 70, and a flow path for cooling water is provided. The flow path of the flow path connection 90 is respectively connected to the inlet 52 and the outlet 54 provided on the third plate 50.
[0153] The flow path connection 90 serves as a channel for supplying cooling water to the battery module 100 in the apparatus or equipment where the battery module 100 is installed. Therefore, the flow path of the flow path connection 90 includes an inlet / outlet 92 that connects to the outside.
[0154] Therefore, the cooling water supplied to the flow path connection 90 through the inlet 92 is provided to the cooling flow path S of the third plate 50 through the inlet 52 of the third plate 50. Furthermore, the cooling water passing through the cooling flow path S moves back to the flow path connection 90 through the outlet 54 of the third plate 50, and is then discharged to the outside of the battery module 100 through the inlet 92.
[0155] As described above, in the battery module 100 according to this embodiment, cooling devices are provided on both sides of the battery assembly. Furthermore, since the unit plate 21 is disposed between the plurality of unit cells 10, heat can be rapidly transferred to the cooling device side via the unit plate 21. Therefore, the heat generated by the unit cells 10 can be effectively dissipated.
[0156] In addition, the battery assembly 60 is completed by stacking multiple battery cells 20, which makes it easy to manufacture and allows for the manufacture of battery modules of various sizes and capacities depending on the number of battery cells 20.
[0157] In addition, the third plate 50 is provided with a cooling flow path S, thereby maximally and closely aligning the battery assembly 60 and the cooling flow path S, thus improving the cooling efficiency of the battery assembly 60.
[0158] The embodiments of the present invention have been described in detail above, but the scope of the present invention is not limited thereto. For those skilled in the art, it is obvious that various modifications and variations can be made without exceeding the scope of the technical concept of the present invention as described in the claims.
Claims
1. A battery module, comprising: A battery cell includes multiple cell cells disposed on both sides of a cell plate; as well as The housing contains the battery cell and has a cooling device on at least one side. The unit board includes: A plate portion having a flat surface, the plate portion contacting the receiving surface of each of the plurality of cell units; and Multiple receiving spaces are formed by side portions that protrude from both sides of the plate portion toward the upper and lower parts of the plate portion. The plate portion and the side portion are cooling plates. The unit plate includes a fastening groove disposed between the plurality of receiving spaces and formed in a shape that reduces the width of the plate portion. Multiple of the aforementioned cell units are respectively disposed in the receiving space. The housing includes: The first plate is disposed on the upper part of the battery cell; The second plate is disposed at the lower part of the battery cell; A third plate, disposed on the side of the battery cell, and including the cooling device; and Fastening components are used to connect the first plate, the second plate, and the third plate. The third plate includes a fastening portion that protrudes from the inner surface of the third plate facing the battery assembly and is disposed between the plurality of receiving spaces. The fastening component passes sequentially through the fastening portion of the first plate, the third plate, and the second plate, and engages with it. The fastening part is inserted into the fastening groove. The entire outer surface of the side portion faces and is positioned close to the third plate.
2. The battery module according to claim 1, further comprising: A heat transfer component is disposed between the side portion and the third plate.
3. The battery module according to claim 2, wherein, The heat transfer component is formed as any one of thermally conductive paste, thermally conductive adhesive, or thermally conductive pad.
4. The battery module according to claim 1, wherein, The third plate includes: The inner side plate is configured to face the battery cell; An outer side plate, disposed outside the inner side plate, for engaging with the inner side plate; and A cooling flow path is provided between the inner side plate and the outer side plate.
5. The battery module according to claim 4, wherein, The third plate further includes a reinforcing plate that covers the outer surface of the outer plate, is attached to the outer plate, and is made of a material with greater rigidity than the outer plate.
6. The battery module according to claim 5, wherein, The third plate is made of aluminum, and the reinforcing plate is made of ultra-high strength steel plate.
7. The battery module according to claim 1, wherein, The unit plate is formed such that the portion of the plate that connects to the side portion is thicker.
8. The battery module according to claim 1, wherein, The battery cell comprises three pairs of cell units, with the cell units in each pair connected in parallel and the cell units on each surface of the cell plate connected in series.
9. The battery module according to claim 1, wherein, Multiple cell units are symmetrically and paired on two surfaces of the cell plate, wherein the cell units in each pair are connected in parallel.
10. The battery module according to claim 1, wherein, The accommodating space includes a first accommodating space and a second accommodating space on each side of the unit plate. The connecting component is disposed between two fastening slots between the first receiving space and the second receiving space. The connecting component connects the unit batteries in the first accommodating space in series with the corresponding unit batteries in the second accommodating space, and connects the unit batteries in the first accommodating space in parallel with each other.
11. A battery cell, comprising: A unit board includes a plurality of housing space structures mechanically connected in series, each housing space structure having a plate portion and a pair of housing spaces formed on opposite surfaces of the plate portion, each housing space housing a unit battery; as well as Multiple connecting components are arranged between the continuous accommodating space structures. Each of the connecting components connects the cell batteries in each pair of housing spaces that are connected in parallel with each other. The individual cells are housed in a continuous housing space structure and are connected in series with each other on the same surface of corresponding plates. The plurality of accommodating space structures are formed by a plate portion having a flat surface and side portions protruding from both sides of the plate portion toward the upper and lower portions of the plate portion. The plate portion is in contact with the receiving surface of each of the plurality of cell units. The plate portion and the side portion are cooling plates. Each of the aforementioned connecting components includes a busbar made of conductive material and a bracket made of insulating material. The bracket is disposed along the periphery of the busbar, and when the connecting member is connected to the plate, the bracket contacts the unit plate. The unit plate is provided with mating holes for engaging the brackets of the corresponding connecting components. The unit cell is attached to both sides of the busbar.
12. The battery cell of claim 11, further comprising a circuit board connected to the busbar of each of the connecting components, the circuit board including at least one temperature sensor.
13. The battery cell according to claim 11, wherein, When the corresponding connecting component is engaged with the connecting hole, the busbar of the connecting component and the plate portion are disposed on the same plane.
14. The battery cell according to claim 11 further includes outer connecting components disposed at both ends of the cell plate, the outer connecting components including brackets and busbars.
15. The battery cell according to claim 14, wherein, In the busbar of the outer connecting component, a portion serves as a connecting terminal to another connecting terminal of another battery cell, thereby allowing multiple battery cells to be connected in series or in parallel through the connecting terminals.
16. The battery cell according to claim 11, wherein, The unit plate is used to dissipate the heat generated in the unit cell to the cooling plate.
Citation Information
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