A battery module, a battery rack including the battery module, and a power storage device including the battery rack.

Abstract

According to an embodiment of the present invention, a battery module includes: a battery cell; and a module housing, wherein the battery cell is housed in the module housing, and wherein a fire extinguishing agent supply channel is disposed on at least one side of the module housing, the fire extinguishing agent supply channel being connected to a fire extinguishing box unit containing a fire extinguishing agent, so as to directly spray the fire extinguishing agent into the module housing when thermal runaway or fire occurs in the battery cell.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This disclosure relates to a battery module, a battery rack including the battery module, and an energy storage system including the battery rack.

[0002] This application claims priority to Korean Patent Application No. 10-2020-0027370, filed in Korea on March 4, 2020, the disclosure of which is incorporated herein by reference. Background Technology

[0003] Secondary batteries, highly adaptable to a wide range of products and exhibiting excellent electrical performance such as high energy density, are commonly used not only in portable devices but also in electric vehicles (EVs) or hybrid electric vehicles (HEVs) powered by electric sources. Because they can significantly reduce the use of fossil fuels and generate no byproducts during energy consumption, secondary batteries are gaining attention as a new energy source that improves environmental friendliness and energy efficiency.

[0004] Currently widely used rechargeable batteries include lithium-ion batteries, lithium polymer batteries, nickel-cadmium batteries, nickel-metal hydride batteries, and nickel-zinc batteries. The operating voltage of a single rechargeable battery cell, or individual battery cell, is approximately 2.5V to 4.5V. Therefore, if a higher output voltage is required, multiple battery cells can be connected in series to construct a battery pack. Furthermore, depending on the required charge / discharge capacity of the battery pack, multiple battery cells can be connected in parallel to construct a battery pack. Therefore, the number of battery cells included in a battery pack can be set differently depending on the required output voltage or the required charge / discharge capacity.

[0005] Meanwhile, when multiple battery cells are connected in series or parallel to construct a battery pack, a battery module comprising at least one battery cell is typically constructed first, and then a battery pack or battery rack is constructed by using at least one battery module and adding other components. Such battery packs are typically provided as energy sources for electric vehicles, and recently, energy storage systems comprising multiple battery racks have been gaining attention as energy sources for domestic or industrial applications.

[0006] However, conventional battery packs or racks consist of multiple battery modules. If thermal runaway occurs in a single cell within each module, leading to a fire or explosion, the heat or flame can be transferred to adjacent cells, potentially causing secondary explosions. Therefore, efforts are underway to prevent secondary fires or explosions more quickly.

[0007] Therefore, there is a need to find a method to provide a battery module that can more quickly extinguish thermal runaway or fire in the early stages when thermal runaway or fire occurs in the battery module, a battery rack including the battery module, and an energy storage system including the battery rack. Summary of the Invention

[0008] Technical issues

[0009] This disclosure is designed to solve problems in related technologies, and therefore aims to provide a battery module that can more quickly extinguish thermal runaway or fire in the early stages when thermal runaway or fire occurs in the battery module, a battery rack including the battery module, and an energy storage system including the battery rack.

[0010] Technical solution

[0011] In one aspect of this disclosure, a battery module is provided, comprising: at least one battery cell; and a module housing configured to house the at least one battery cell, wherein a fire extinguishing agent supply channel is disposed inside at least one side of the module housing and is connected to a fire extinguishing box unit containing fire extinguishing agent to directly inject fire extinguishing agent into the module housing in the event of thermal runaway or fire at the at least one battery cell.

[0012] The module housing may include: a housing body configured to support the at least one battery cell; a front cover connected to the housing body; a rear cover connected to the housing body on the side opposite to the front cover; and a pair of side plates disposed between the front cover and the rear cover, wherein the fire extinguishing agent supply channel may be disposed to at least one of the pair of side plates.

[0013] The side plate having the fire extinguishing agent supply channel may include a fire extinguishing agent spraying unit configured to spray fire extinguishing agent from the fire extinguishing agent supply channel toward the at least one battery cell in the event of thermal runaway or fire.

[0014] The extinguishing agent injection unit may include a glass bulb configured to seal the extinguishing agent supply channel. When the interior of the module housing is exposed to internal gas exceeding a predetermined temperature, the glass bulb at least partially ruptures to open the extinguishing agent supply channel, allowing the extinguishing agent to be directed to the outside of the extinguishing agent injection unit.

[0015] Inside the module housing, the extinguishing agent injection unit can be disposed on the inner wall of the side plate having the extinguishing agent supply channel facing the at least one battery cell.

[0016] Based on the longitudinal direction of the module housing, the extinguishing agent injection unit can be located at the center of the inner wall of the side plate where the extinguishing agent supply channel is provided.

[0017] The extinguishing agent spraying unit can be configured in multiple ways, and the multiple extinguishing agent spraying units can be arranged to be spaced apart from each other by a predetermined distance in the longitudinal direction of the module housing.

[0018] The extinguishing agent may be extinguishing water prepared from water.

[0019] In addition, this disclosure also provides a battery rack comprising: at least one battery module according to the above embodiments; and a battery rack housing configured to accommodate the at least one battery module.

[0020] Furthermore, this disclosure also provides an energy storage system including at least one battery rack according to the above embodiments.

[0021] Beneficial effects

[0022] According to the various embodiments described above, it is possible to provide a battery module that can more quickly extinguish thermal runaway or fire in the early stages when thermal runaway or fire occurs in the battery module, a battery rack including the battery module, and an energy storage system including the battery rack. Attached Figure Description

[0023] The accompanying drawings illustrate preferred embodiments of the present disclosure and, together with the foregoing disclosure, serve to provide a further understanding of the technical features of the present disclosure; therefore, the present disclosure is not to be construed as limited to the drawings.

[0024] Figure 1 This is a front perspective view showing a battery module according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0025] Figure 2 It is shown Figure 1 Rear 3D view of the battery module.

[0026] Figure 3 It is shown Figure 1 A partial exploded view of the battery module.

[0027] Figure 4 It is shown Figure 2 A partial exploded view of the battery module.

[0028] Figure 5 It shows that it has been set to Figure 4 A 3D view of the side panel of the battery module.

[0029] Figure 6 It is shown Figure 1 A cross-sectional view of the main parts of the battery module.

[0030] Figure 7 It is shown Figure 6 A magnified view of the main parts.

[0031] Figures 8 to 10 It is used to show when in Figure 1 A view of the fire extinguishing agent injection mechanism inside the module housing in the event of a fire or thermal runaway in the battery module.

[0032] Figure 11 It is used to show according to Figure 4 A view of the extinguishing agent spraying unit of another embodiment of the battery module.

[0033] Figure 12 This is a view used to illustrate a battery holder according to another embodiment of the present invention.

[0034] Figure 13 This is a view used to illustrate an energy storage system according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. Detailed Implementation

[0035] This disclosure will become more apparent from the detailed description of embodiments thereof with reference to the accompanying drawings. It should be understood that the embodiments disclosed herein are illustrative and are intended only to provide a better understanding of the disclosure, and that the disclosure can be modified in various ways. Furthermore, for ease of understanding, the drawings are not drawn to scale, and the dimensions of some components may be exaggerated.

[0036] Figure 1 This is a front perspective view showing a battery module according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. Figure 2 It is shown Figure 1 A rear 3D view of the battery module. Figure 3 It is shown Figure 1 A partial exploded view of the battery module. Figure 4 It is shown Figure 2 A partial exploded view of the battery module. Figure 5 It shows that it has been set to Figure 4 A 3D view of the side panel of the battery module. Figure 6 It is shown Figure 1 A cross-sectional view of the main components of the battery module. Figure 7 It is shown Figure 6 A magnified view of the main parts.

[0037] refer to Figure 1 and Figure 7 The battery module 10 may include a battery cell 100 and a module housing 200.

[0038] The battery cell 100 is a secondary battery and can be configured as a pouch-type secondary battery, a prismatic secondary battery, or a cylindrical secondary battery. In this embodiment, the case where the battery cell 100 is a pouch-type secondary battery will be described below.

[0039] At least one battery cell 100 or multiple battery cells 100 may be provided. In the following, in this embodiment, the case in which multiple battery cells 100 are provided will be described.

[0040] The module housing 200 can accommodate the plurality of battery cells 100. Therefore, a receiving space for accommodating the plurality of battery cells 100 can be provided in the module housing 200.

[0041] The extinguishing agent supply channel 300 can be disposed inside at least one side of the module housing 200, and the extinguishing agent supply channel 300 is connected to the extinguishing box unit T containing the extinguishing agent (see...). Figure 13 The fire extinguishing agent supply channel 300 is designed to directly inject fire extinguishing agent into the module housing 200 in the event of thermal runaway or fire at at least one battery cell 100. The fire extinguishing agent supply channel 300 will be described in more detail after the description of the side panel 270 of the module housing 200.

[0042] The module housing 200 may include a housing body 210, a front cover 230, a rear cover 250, and a side panel 270.

[0043] In this embodiment, the housing body 210 can support at least one battery cell 100 or multiple battery cells 100. The housing body 210 can also cover multiple battery cells 100.

[0044] The front cover 230 can be attached to the housing body 210 and cover the front side of the housing body 210. The front cover 230 may include a cooling air supply unit 235.

[0045] The cooling air supply unit 235 is located at the front of the module housing 200 and can supply cooling air to the module housing 200 of the battery module 10 to cool the battery cells 100.

[0046] The rear cover 250 is attached to the housing body 210 on the side opposite to the front cover 230 and can cover the rear side of the housing body 210. The rear cover 250 may include a cooling air exhaust unit 255.

[0047] The cooling air exhaust unit 255 can be located at the rear of the module housing 200 and can be arranged diagonally opposite the cooling air supply unit 235. The cooling air exhaust unit 255 can exhaust the air that has cooled the battery cells 100 inside the module housing 200 to the outside of the module housing 200.

[0048] The side panel 270 is disposed between the front cover 230 and the rear cover 250, and can be disposed in pairs. A pair of side panels 270 can be connected to the housing body 210, the front cover 230 and the rear cover 250 to encapsulate a plurality of battery cells 100.

[0049] At least one of the pair of side plates 270 may have a fire extinguishing agent supply channel 300. A connection hole 275 may be provided on the rear side of the side plate 270 with the fire extinguishing agent supply channel 300 for connecting the fire extinguishing agent supply channel 300 and the fire extinguishing agent supply pipe 70.

[0050] The extinguishing agent supply channel 300 can extend along the longitudinal direction of the side plate 270 and can have a predetermined space inside the side plate 270, in which the extinguishing agent W can be filled. The extinguishing agent supply channel 300 can communicate with the extinguishing agent supply pipe 70 through the connecting hole 275.

[0051] The side plate 270, which is provided with the fire extinguishing agent supply channel 300, may include a fire extinguishing agent injection unit 400.

[0052] The extinguishing agent injection unit 400 is used to more effectively spray the extinguishing agent W in the extinguishing agent supply channel 300 toward at least one battery cell 100 in the event of thermal runaway or fire, and may be disposed on the inner wall of the side plate 270.

[0053] Specifically, inside the module housing 200, the extinguishing agent injection unit 400 can be disposed on the inner wall of a side plate 270 having an extinguishing agent supply channel 300 facing at least one battery cell 100.

[0054] More specifically, based on the longitudinal direction of the module housing 200, the fire extinguishing agent injection unit 400 can be disposed at the center of the inner wall of the side plate 270 where the fire extinguishing agent supply channel 300 is provided.

[0055] The fire extinguishing agent spraying unit 400 may include a spraying unit body 410, a glass bulb support 430, and a glass bulb 450.

[0056] The main body 410 of the spraying unit can be disposed at the center of the inner wall of the side plate 270 to communicate with the fire extinguishing agent supply channel 300. The main body 410 of the spraying unit can have a spray hole 415 for spraying fire extinguishing agent.

[0057] The spray hole 415 is used to spray extinguishing agent and can communicate with the extinguishing agent supply channel 300. When the spray hole 415 is opened, the extinguishing agent can be sprayed to the outside.

[0058] The glass bulb support 430 can be disposed at the center of the inner wall of the side plate 270, spaced a predetermined distance from the main body 410 of the injection unit. The glass bulb support 430, together with the main body 410 of the injection unit, can more stably support the glass bulb 450.

[0059] The glass bulb 450 can be configured to seal the extinguishing agent supply channel 300. Furthermore, the glass bulb 450 can be configured such that when the interior of the module housing 200 is exposed to internal gas exceeding a predetermined temperature, the glass bulb at least partially ruptures to open the extinguishing agent supply channel 300, allowing the extinguishing agent to be directed to the outside of the extinguishing agent spraying unit 400.

[0060] The glass bulb 450 is filled with a predetermined substance, such as a predetermined liquid or gas. Such a predetermined material may have the property of increasing volume with increasing temperature. Specifically, the glass bulb 450 may rupture, melt, or separate from the injection unit body 410 due to the volume expansion of the predetermined material at a predetermined temperature (e.g., 70°C to 100°C or higher) to open the injection orifice 415.

[0061] The fire extinguishing agent spraying mechanism will be described in detail below when an abnormal situation occurs, such as when the battery module 10 according to this embodiment catches fire.

[0062] Figures 8 to 10 It is used to show when Figure 1 A view of the fire extinguishing agent injection mechanism located inside the module housing in the event of a fire or thermal runaway in the battery module.

[0063] refer to Figure 8 Within the module housing 200 of the battery module 10, an abnormality in at least one battery cell 100 may lead to a fire or thermal runaway due to overheating. In the event of such a fire or thermal runaway, high-temperature gas G may be generated inside the module housing 200 due to the overheated battery cell 100.

[0064] Reference Figure 9 and Figure 10 The glass bulb 450 of the fire extinguishing agent spraying unit 400 may rupture, melt, or separate due to the high-temperature gas G, thereby opening the spraying orifice 415 for spraying the fire extinguishing agent.

[0065] With the spray hole 415 opened, the extinguishing agent W (i.e., water W) in the extinguishing agent supply channel 300 can be sprayed immediately and directly toward the battery cell 100 through the spray hole 415.

[0066] Therefore, in this embodiment, when a fire or thermal runaway occurs at the battery module 10, the fire extinguishing agent is immediately and directly sprayed toward the battery cell 100 inside the module housing 200 through the fire extinguishing agent supply channel 300 and the fire extinguishing agent spraying unit 400 disposed on the side plate 270 of the module housing 200, thus enabling the fire or thermal runaway to be extinguished more quickly and rapidly in the early stages.

[0067] Therefore, in this embodiment, by quickly extinguishing the fire or thermal runaway in the early stages, it is possible to more effectively prevent dangerous situations such as secondary explosions caused by the transfer of heat or flame to adjacent battery cells 100.

[0068] Figure 11 It is used to show according to Figure 4 A view of the extinguishing agent spraying unit of another embodiment of the battery module.

[0069] Reference Figure 11 The fire extinguishing agent spraying unit 405 can be configured in multiple ways. The multiple fire extinguishing agent spraying units 405 can be configured to be spaced apart from each other by a predetermined distance along the longitudinal direction of the module housing 200, specifically the longitudinal direction of the side plate 270.

[0070] In this embodiment, since multiple extinguishing agent spraying units 405 are provided, such fires can be extinguished more quickly when thermal runaway or fire occurs.

[0071] Figure 12 This is a view used to illustrate the battery holder according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0072] refer to Figure 12 The battery rack 1 may include a plurality of battery modules 10 as described in the foregoing embodiments, a battery rack housing 50 for accommodating the plurality of battery modules 10, and a fire extinguishing agent supply pipe 70 connected to the plurality of battery modules 10.

[0073] The extinguishing agent supply conduit 70 can be connected to the extinguishing agent supply channel 300 and the extinguishing box unit T, which will be explained later (see [link]). Figure 13 Therefore, when an abnormal situation such as a fire occurs in at least one of the multiple battery modules 10, the fire extinguishing agent supply pipe 70 can guide the fire extinguishing agent of the fire extinguishing box unit T to supply the fire extinguishing agent toward the battery module 10 where the abnormal situation occurred.

[0074] Since the battery rack 1 of this embodiment includes the battery module 10 of the aforementioned embodiment, the battery rack 1 can have all the advantages of the battery module 10 of the aforementioned embodiment.

[0075] Figure 13 This is a view used to illustrate an energy storage system according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0076] refer to Figure 13 The energy storage system E can be used as an energy source for home or industrial applications. The energy storage system E may include at least one battery rack 1 from the foregoing embodiments or multiple battery racks 1 from this embodiment, and a battery rack container C for accommodating multiple battery racks 1.

[0077] The battery rack container C may include a fire extinguishing tank unit T for supplying fire extinguishing agent to the plurality of battery racks 1. The fire extinguishing tank unit T is filled with fire extinguishing agent, i.e., fire extinguishing water prepared into water. The fire extinguishing tank unit T may be connected to the plurality of battery racks 1 via the fire extinguishing agent supply pipe 70 to supply fire extinguishing water to the plurality of battery racks 1.

[0078] Since the energy storage system E of this embodiment includes the battery rack 1 of the aforementioned embodiment, the energy storage system E can have all the advantages of the battery rack 1 of the aforementioned embodiment.

[0079] According to the various embodiments described above, it is possible to provide a battery module 10 that can more quickly extinguish thermal runaway or fire in the early stages when thermal runaway or fire occurs in the battery module 10, a battery rack 1 including the battery module 10, and an energy storage system E including the battery rack 1.

[0080] While embodiments of the present disclosure have been shown and described, it should be understood that the present disclosure is not limited to the specific embodiments described, and various changes and modifications can be made by those skilled in the art within the scope of the present disclosure, and such modifications should not be understood separately from the technical ideas and concepts of the present disclosure.

Claims

1. A battery module, comprising: At least one battery cell; as well as A module housing configured to house the at least one battery cell. The fire extinguishing agent supply channel is located inside at least one side of the module housing, and the fire extinguishing agent is filled in the fire extinguishing agent supply channel. The fire extinguishing agent supply channel is connected to a fire extinguishing tank unit containing the fire extinguishing agent, so as to directly spray the fire extinguishing agent into the module housing in the event of thermal runaway or fire at at least one battery cell. The module housing includes: A housing body configured to support the at least one battery cell; A front cover, which is attached to the housing body; A rear cover, which is attached to the housing body on the side opposite to the front cover; and A pair of side panels, the pair of side panels being disposed between the front cover and the rear cover. The fire extinguishing agent supply channel has a predetermined space within the side panel, and the fire extinguishing agent is filled in the predetermined space. The side panel with the fire extinguishing agent supply channel includes a fire extinguishing agent injection unit. The fire extinguishing agent injection unit includes a glass bulb configured to seal the fire extinguishing agent supply channel. When the interior of the module housing is exposed to internal gas exceeding a predetermined temperature, the glass bulb at least partially ruptures to open the fire extinguishing agent supply channel, allowing the fire extinguishing agent to be guided to the outside of the fire extinguishing agent injection unit.

2. The battery module according to claim 1, wherein, The extinguishing agent injection unit is configured to spray the extinguishing agent in the extinguishing agent supply channel toward the at least one battery cell when the thermal runaway or fire occurs.

3. The battery module according to claim 2, wherein, Inside the module housing, the extinguishing agent injection unit is disposed on the inner wall of the side plate having an extinguishing agent supply channel facing the at least one battery cell.

4. The battery module according to claim 2, wherein, Based on the longitudinal direction of the module housing, the extinguishing agent injection unit is disposed at the center of the inner wall of the side plate on which the extinguishing agent supply channel is provided.

5. The battery module according to claim 2, wherein, The extinguishing agent spraying units are configured in multiple ways, and The plurality of extinguishing agent injection units are arranged to be spaced apart from each other at a predetermined distance in the longitudinal direction of the module housing.

6. The battery module according to claim 1, wherein, The extinguishing agent is water.

7. A battery holder, comprising: At least one battery module according to any one of claims 1-6; as well as A battery housing configured to accommodate the at least one battery module.

8. An energy storage system, comprising: At least one battery holder according to claim 7.

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