Battery pack and device including the same

Abstract

A battery pack according to one embodiment of the disclosure includes a plurality of first battery modules and a plurality of second battery modules arranged in two rows in a first direction; a battery case accommodating the plurality of first battery modules and the plurality of second battery modules and including a plurality of crossbeams partitioned between the plurality of first battery modules and between the plurality of second battery modules; a plurality of first slave BMSs located at a side of the plurality of first battery modules facing the plurality of second battery modules and arranged in the first direction; and a plurality of second slave BMSs located at a side of the plurality of second battery modules facing the plurality of first battery modules and arranged in the first direction.

Description

TECHNICAL FIELD

[0001] Cross Reference to Related Applications

[0002] This application claims the benefit of Korean Patent Application No. 10-2020-0131091, filed October 12, 2020, in the Korean Intellectual Property Office, the disclosure of which is incorporated herein in its entirety by reference.

[0003] The disclosure relates to a battery pack and a device including the same, and more particularly, to a battery pack capable of securing wireless transmission performance and a device including the same. BACKGROUND

[0004] Secondary batteries capable of charging and discharging are widely used as batteries as power sources of wireless mobile devices. These batteries are attracting attention as power sources of electric vehicles (EVs), hybrid electric vehicles (HEVs), etc., which are proposed as a solution to the problem of air pollution of conventional gasoline or diesel vehicles using fossil fuels. When these batteries are alternately charged and discharged, it is necessary to effectively control the charging and discharging of the batteries to maintain the batteries in an appropriate operating state and performance.

[0005] To this end, a battery management system (BMS) that manages the state and performance of the battery is provided in the battery pack. The BMS manages the battery by measuring the current, voltage, temperature, etc. of the battery and recording them in a memory.

[0006] On the other hand, as the demand for large-capacity secondary battery structures (including the use of secondary batteries as energy storage sources) has recently increased, the demand for battery packs having a multi-module structure (an assembly of a plurality of battery modules in which secondary batteries are connected in series / parallel) has also increased.

[0007] Such a battery pack having a multi-module structure can implement various types of battery pack structures according to the configuration of a circuit, a PCB, etc. A multi-BMS structure including a plurality of slave BMSs capable of easily controlling the state of a secondary battery and a master BMS that centrally controls the plurality of slave BMSs is mainly used.

[0008] In the related art, communication between the master BMS and the slave BMS uses a wired BMS method, but recently, a wireless BMS method (WBMS, wireless battery management system) is attracting attention in terms of, for example, cost reduction, securing design freedom, and weight reduction. Through the wireless BMS method that does not require a wire harness used in the related art, cost reduction and weight reduction can be brought about. Weight reduction can also bring about the effect of improving the fuel efficiency of an electric vehicle provided with the battery pack. In addition, the connector for wired connection in the related art can be removed, thereby reducing cost and the rate of defective products.

[0009] One of the most important parts of the wireless BMS method is the performance of the antenna, which varies depending on the working environment of the antenna. In particular, in the case of a battery pack installed on an electric vehicle, the size is large and the periphery is made of a metal material. Thus, a multi-path phenomenon due to reflection can occur, and communication can be deteriorated. Accordingly, in a wireless BMS system, it can be important to design a battery pack structure that minimizes deterioration of wireless communication performance. SUMMARY

[0010] TECHNICAL PROBLEM

[0011] An object of the disclosure is to provide a battery pack capable of securing wireless transmission performance and a device including the same.

[0012] The object of the disclosure is not limited to the above-described object, and other objects not described herein will be clearly understood by those skilled in the art through the following detailed description.

[0013] TECHNICAL SOLUTION

[0014] To achieve the above object, according to one embodiment of the disclosure, there is provided a battery pack including: a plurality of first battery modules and a plurality of second battery modules arranged in two rows in a first direction; a battery case accommodating the plurality of first battery modules and the plurality of second battery modules and including a plurality of crossbeams partitioning between the plurality of first battery modules and the plurality of second battery modules; a plurality of first slave BMSs located at a side of the plurality of first battery modules facing the plurality of second battery modules and arranged in the first direction; and a plurality of second slave BMSs located at a side of the plurality of second battery modules facing the plurality of first battery modules and arranged in the first direction.

[0015] The battery pack can further include: a first wave path guide formed to extend in the first direction at an upper side of the plurality of first battery modules; and a second wave path guide formed to extend in the first direction at an upper side of the plurality of second battery modules.

[0016] The plurality of first slave BMSs and the plurality of second battery modules can be arranged in the first direction between the first wave path guide and the second wave path guide, respectively.

[0017] The battery pack can further include a master BMS formed to be spaced apart from the plurality of first battery modules and the plurality of second battery modules between the first wave path guide and the second wave path guide.

[0018] The first and second wave path guides are configured to pass through multiple first and second battery modules and extend along a first direction to a location where a main BMS is arranged, and the main BMS can be arranged at a location spaced apart from the multiple first and second battery modules along the first direction.

[0019] The main BMS can be arranged symmetrically with multiple first battery modules and second battery modules.

[0020] The first slave BMS and the second slave BMS can form an antenna.

[0021] The first wave path guide can be formed between the battery pack cover and multiple first battery modules, and the second wave path guide can be formed between the battery pack cover and multiple second battery modules.

[0022] The battery pack may also include a battery pack cover covering the upper surface of the battery housing, wherein at least one hole may be formed in the battery pack cover.

[0023] The battery casing may also include an outer wall forming the outer casing portion, the upper end of which may be combined with the battery pack cover, and the battery pack cover may be configured to be spaced apart from a plurality of first battery modules and second battery modules.

[0024] The battery pack may include: a plurality of first busbars arranged to span between two adjacent battery modules in a plurality of first battery modules; and a plurality of second busbars arranged to span between two adjacent battery modules in a plurality of second battery modules.

[0025] The crossbeam can be formed on the underside of the plurality of first busbars and second busbars to be spaced apart from each of the plurality of first busbars and second busbars.

[0026] Multiple first slave BMS and multiple second slave BMS can be arranged to be spaced apart from each other.

[0027] According to one embodiment of this disclosure, an apparatus including the above-described battery pack is provided.

[0028] Beneficial effects

[0029] A battery pack and apparatus including the battery pack according to an embodiment of the present disclosure can provide a WBMS battery pack with a novel structure, thereby ensuring the wireless communication performance of the battery.

[0030] The effects of this disclosure are not limited to those described above, and those skilled in the art will clearly understand from the description of the appended claims that there are other effects not described above. Attached Figure Description

[0031] Figure 1This is a perspective view showing a battery pack according to an embodiment of the present disclosure;

[0032] Figure 2 Viewed from above Figure 1 A top view of the battery pack;

[0033] Figure 3 It shows Figure 1 Part A is a diagram showing a state in which holes are formed in the top cover of the battery pack according to an embodiment of the present disclosure;

[0034] Figure 4 It shows Figure 2 The BB portion is a cross-sectional view showing the middle portion of the battery pack according to an embodiment of the present disclosure;

[0035] Figure 5 It shows Figure 2 Part D is a diagram illustrating the spacing between BMS according to an embodiment of the present disclosure;

[0036] Figure 6 It shows Figure 4 Part C is a diagram showing the height of the outer wall of the battery casing according to an embodiment of the present disclosure;

[0037] Figure 7 It shows Figure 4 Part C is a diagram showing the height of the crossbeam of the battery casing according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. Detailed Implementation

[0038] It should be understood that the exemplary embodiments described below are illustrative to aid in understanding this disclosure, and various modifications may be made to this disclosure to perform it differently from the exemplary embodiments described herein. However, in the description of this disclosure, specific descriptions and illustrations of well-known functions or constituent elements will be omitted when it is determined that particular descriptions and illustrations may unnecessarily obscure the subject matter of this disclosure. Additionally, to aid in understanding this disclosure, the drawings are not shown to scale, but the dimensions of some constituent elements may be enlarged.

[0039] As used herein, terms such as first, second, etc., may be used to describe various components, and these components are not limited by these terms. These terms are only used to distinguish one component from another.

[0040] Furthermore, the terminology used herein is for describing specific exemplary embodiments only and is not intended to limit the scope of this disclosure. Singular expressions include plural expressions unless they have a clear opposite meaning in the context. It should be understood that the terms "comprising," "including," and "having" as used herein are intended to specify the presence of the stated features, quantities, steps, actions, constituent elements, parts, or combinations thereof, but should be understood that they do not exclude the possibility of the presence or addition of one or more other features, quantities, steps, actions, constituent elements, parts, or combinations thereof.

[0041] Below, we will refer to Figures 1 to 4 A battery pack equipped with a BMS is described according to one embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0042] Figure 1 This is a perspective view showing a battery pack according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. Figure 2 Viewed from above Figure 1 A top view of the battery pack. Figure 3 It shows Figure 1 Part A is a diagram showing a state in which holes are formed in the top cover of a battery pack according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. Figure 4 It shows Figure 2 The BB portion is a cross-sectional view showing the middle portion of a battery pack according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0043] Reference Figures 1 to 4 According to one embodiment of the present disclosure, a battery pack includes: a plurality of first battery modules 200 and a plurality of second battery modules 300 arranged in two rows along a first direction; and a battery housing 100 that accommodates the plurality of first battery modules 200 and the plurality of second battery modules 300, and includes a plurality of crossbeams 110 separating the plurality of first battery modules 200 and the plurality of second battery modules 300. The plurality of first battery modules 200 and the plurality of second battery modules 300 may be arranged to face each other.

[0044] In addition, the battery pack includes: a first wave path guide 400 formed on the upper side of a plurality of first battery modules 200 extending along a first direction; and a second wave path guide 500 formed on the upper side of a plurality of second battery modules 300 extending along a first direction.

[0045] In addition, the battery pack includes: a plurality of first slave BMS 600 located on the side of the plurality of first battery modules 200 facing the plurality of second battery modules 300 and arranged along a first direction between the first wave path guide 400 and the second wave path guide 500; and a plurality of second slave BMS 700 located on the side of the plurality of second battery modules 300 facing the plurality of first battery modules 200 and arranged along a first direction between the first wave path guide 400 and the second wave path guide 500.

[0046] Reference Figure 1 The battery housing 100 accommodates a plurality of first battery modules 200 and second battery modules 300. The plurality of module regions of the battery housing 100 can be formed to have dimensions corresponding to the dimensions of the first battery modules 200 and second battery modules 300, respectively. The plurality of first battery modules 200 and second battery modules 300 can be respectively disposed in the plurality of module regions.

[0047] According to this embodiment, a plurality of first battery modules 200 are arranged along a first direction, and a plurality of second battery modules 300 are arranged along the first direction on the sides of the plurality of first battery modules 200, thereby forming a two-row battery module arrangement structure. Here, each battery module constituting the plurality of first battery modules 200 can be arranged to be spaced apart from each other and facing each battery module constituting the plurality of second battery modules 300.

[0048] Reference Figure 2 and Figure 4 A crossbeam 110 can be formed between the module regions to separate the battery modules arranged in each module region. The crossbeam 110, together with the outer wall 120 forming the outer periphery of the battery housing 100, can protect the plurality of first battery modules 200 and second battery modules 300 from external physical impacts.

[0049] A thermally conductive resin layer may be formed on the bottom surface of the battery housing 100. The thermally conductive resin layer can transfer heat generated by the plurality of first battery modules 200 and second battery modules 300 arranged in each of the plurality of module regions to the outside of the battery pack.

[0050] According to this embodiment, the first slave BMS 600 can be arranged in each of the plurality of first battery modules 200. More specifically, the first slave BMS 600 can be arranged in the portion facing the plurality of second battery modules 300. The first slave BMS 600 can be arranged in the middle portion of the battery housing 100. That is, the first slave BMS 600 is arranged along a first direction in one side of the plurality of first battery modules 200 and second battery modules 300, and therefore can be arranged across the middle portion of the battery housing 100.

[0051] The second slave BMS 700 can be arranged in each of the plurality of second battery modules 300. More specifically, the second slave BMS 700 can be arranged in the portion facing the plurality of first battery modules 200. The second slave BMS 700 can be arranged in the middle portion of the battery housing 100. That is, the second slave BMS 700 is arranged along a first direction in one side of the plurality of second battery modules 300 between the plurality of first battery modules 200 and second battery modules 300, and therefore can be arranged across the middle portion of the battery housing 100.

[0052] From the perspective of the impact of the arrangement of the main BMS and the slave BMS on the wireless transmission characteristics, compared with the case where the slave BMS is located in the outer casing of the battery housing, in this embodiment the slave BMS is located in the middle part of the battery housing (i.e., located in the middle part of the battery housing). Figure 1 The configuration (in the space between the battery modules shown) has advantages in wireless transmission performance.

[0053] The battery pack according to this embodiment includes a first wave path guide 400 formed on the upper side of a plurality of first battery modules 200 and extending along a first direction, and a second wave path guide 500 formed on the upper side of a plurality of second battery modules 300 and extending along the first direction. Here, a first slave BMS 600 and a second slave BMS 700 according to this embodiment can be disposed in the space formed between the first wave path guide 400 and the second wave path guide 500. Furthermore, the first wave path guide 400 is formed between the battery pack cover 130 and the plurality of first battery modules 200, and the second wave path guide 500 can be formed between the battery pack cover 130 and the plurality of second battery modules 300.

[0054] According to this embodiment, the battery pack is mainly installed inside the electric vehicle, and the periphery of the battery pack to be installed is made of metal. Therefore, communication performance may be degraded due to the multipath phenomenon of radio waves reflected by the metal material. Therefore, according to this embodiment, the first wave path guide 400 and the second wave path guide 500 can be formed to cover the space between the multiple first battery modules 200 and the second battery modules 300, where multiple first slave BMS 600 and second slave BMS 700 are disposed. Therefore, the wireless transmission signal can be concentrated in the space between the multiple first battery modules 200 and the second battery modules 300 formed between the first wave path guide 400 and the second wave path guide 500, thereby improving wireless transmission performance. In addition, the degradation that may occur in the communication between the master BMS 800 and the first slave BMS 600 and the second slave BMS 700 can be minimized.

[0055] According to experimental examples, it can be confirmed that in a battery pack with an intermediate arrangement of the first slave BMS 600 and the second slave BMS 700 according to the present disclosure, and an arrangement of the first wave path guide 400 and the second wave path guide 500, the wireless transmission coefficient S21 between S parameters is improved from -53.78dB to -35.21dB, approximately 18dB. Compared with a conventional battery pack structure where the slave BMS is arranged externally and no wave path guide is installed, a stable communication connection structure is constructed.

[0056] According to this embodiment, the battery pack may further include a main BMS 800, which is formed between the first wave path guide 400 and the second wave path guide 500, spaced apart from a plurality of first battery modules and second battery modules. The main BMS 800 can communicate with a host system. The main BMS 800 can manage communication with a plurality of first slave BMS 600 and second slave BMS 700.

[0057] The first wave path guide 400 and the second wave path guide 500 are configured to pass through multiple first battery modules 200 and second battery modules 300 and extend along a first direction to a position where the main BMS 800 is arranged, and the main BMS 800 is arranged at a position spaced apart from the multiple first battery modules 200 and second battery modules 300 along the first direction. Here, the main BMS 800 can be arranged symmetrically with the multiple first battery modules 200 and second battery modules 300.

[0058] Therefore, the master BMS 800 is positioned symmetrically separated from the multiple first slave BMS 600s and second slave BMS 700s, allowing for balanced communication with the slave BMSs. Furthermore, the master BMS 800, together with the first slave BMS 600s and second slave BMS 700s, is arranged in the space between the first wave path guide 400 and the second wave path guide 500, thereby minimizing communication degradation between the master BMS 800 and the first slave BMS 600s and second slave BMS 700s, and ensuring wireless communication performance.

[0059] According to this embodiment, the antenna can be formed in the first slave BMS 600 and the second slave BMS 700. The antenna may include a chip antenna. According to experimental examples, when a chip antenna is used in the first slave BMS 600 and the second slave BMS 700 according to this embodiment, superior wireless performance of more than 10 dB higher than that of using a patterned antenna can be ensured.

[0060] Reference Figure 1The battery pack according to this embodiment also includes a battery pack cover 130 covering the battery housing 100. Here, the battery pack cover 130 may have at least one hole 130a.

[0061] The battery pack's heat dissipation function can be achieved through holes 130a formed in the battery pack cover 130. However, the holes 130a connecting the external and internal parts of the battery pack can cause noise during communication between BMSs. Noise may also increase as the size of the holes 130a increases. Therefore, the number and size of the holes 130a can be appropriately chosen to simultaneously satisfy both heat dissipation and noise control performance. Based on experimental examples, as a result of studying wireless transmission characteristics and noise control performance, in the worst-case scenario, such as when the holes are located directly above the antenna of the main or slave BMS, or when a mobile hotspot is located near the holes, wireless transmission performance can be ensured when the hole diameter is designed to be less than 45mm. Noise control performance can be ensured when the diameter is designed to be less than 20mm. However, the same noise control performance can be obtained even with multiple holes. Therefore, considering both heat dissipation and noise performance, a structure with multiple holes of small diameter can be advantageous. Although Figure 1 Only one hole 130a is shown in the figure, but according to the experimental example, the battery pack cover 130 may have multiple holes.

[0062] Figure 5 It shows Figure 2 Part D is a diagram illustrating the spacing between BMS according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0063] According to this embodiment, as Figure 5 As shown, a plurality of first slave BMS 600s and a plurality of second slave BMS 700s can be spaced apart from each other to have a gap G1. More specifically, a plurality of first slave BMS 600s arranged in a plurality of first battery modules 200 and a plurality of second slave BMS 700s arranged in a plurality of second battery modules 300 can be spaced apart from each other.

[0064] According to this embodiment, the separation distance between the first slave BMS 600 and the second slave BMS 700 can be set to 50mm. In the prior art, the distance between two battery modules arranged in two rows is as narrow as 30mm, but in this embodiment, the distance between the two battery modules is increased to 50mm, thereby increasing the wireless transmission space and thus improving the wireless transmission performance.

[0065] Figure 6 It shows Figure 4 Part C is a diagram showing the height of the outer wall of the battery casing according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0066] Reference Figure 6According to one embodiment of the present disclosure, the battery pack can be configured such that the upper end of the outer wall 120 of the battery housing 100 is joined to the battery pack cover 130, and the battery pack cover 130 can be formed to be spaced apart from a plurality of first battery modules 200 and second battery modules 300.

[0067] According to this embodiment, the height H2 of the outer wall 120 can be formed to be 138 mm. In the prior art, the height of the outer wall is formed to be 128 mm, but according to this embodiment, by making the height H2 of the outer wall 120 higher than the conventional height of the outer wall, the wireless transmission performance can be improved. In other words, due to the increase in the height H2 of the outer wall 120, the wireless transmission performance can be further improved.

[0068] Figure 6 Only the portion showing multiple first slave BMS 600s and first wave path guides 400 is shown; however, the portion showing multiple second slave BMS 700s and second wave path guides 500s on the opposite side can be configured to interact with, for example... Figure 6 The configuration shown is configured in a similar way.

[0069] Figure 7 It shows Figure 4 Part C is a diagram showing the height of the crossbeam of the battery casing according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0070] Reference Figure 3 and Figure 7 A battery pack according to one embodiment of the present disclosure may include: a plurality of first busbars 910 arranged to span between two adjacent battery modules in a plurality of first battery modules 200; and a plurality of second busbars 920 arranged to span between two adjacent battery modules in a plurality of second battery modules 300. Here, a crossbeam 110 may be formed below the plurality of first busbars 910 and the second busbars 920, respectively, and spaced apart from the plurality of first busbars 910 and the second busbars 920.

[0071] According to this embodiment, the height of the crossbeam 110 can be 70mm. The conventional crossbeam 110 has a height of approximately 90mm, but according to this embodiment, the height H3 of the crossbeam 110 can be lower than the conventional height of the crossbeam 110, thereby improving wireless transmission performance. In other words, because the height H3 of the crossbeam 110 is reduced, the wireless transmission performance can be further improved.

[0072] Figure 7 Only the portion showing multiple first slave BMS 600s and first wave path guides 400 is shown; however, the portion showing multiple second slave BMS 700s and second wave path guides 500s on the opposite side can be used in conjunction with... Figure 6 The configuration shown is arranged in a similar manner.

[0073] The aforementioned battery pack can be applied to various devices. Such devices can be applied to vehicle systems such as electric bicycles, electric vehicles, or hybrid vehicles, but this disclosure is not limited thereto, and is applicable to various devices that can use battery modules falling within the scope of this disclosure.

[0074] Although the invention has been shown and described above with reference to preferred embodiments, the scope of this disclosure is not limited thereto. Those skilled in the art can devise many other modifications and embodiments that fall within the spirit and scope of the principles of the invention described in the appended claims. Furthermore, these modifications and embodiments should not be understood independently of the technical spirit or ideas of this disclosure.

[0075] [Explanation of Labels in the Attached Image]

[0076] 100: Battery casing

[0077] 110: Crossbeam

[0078] 120: Outer wall

[0079] 130: Battery pack top cover

[0080] 130a: Hole

[0081] 200: First battery module

[0082] 300: Second battery module

[0083] 400: First wave of path guide

[0084] 500: Second wave path guide

[0085] 600: First from BMS

[0086] 700: Second from BMS

[0087] 800: Main BMS

[0088] 910: First busbar

[0089] 920: Second busbar

Claims

1. A battery pack, comprising: Multiple first battery modules and multiple second battery modules are arranged in two rows along a first direction; A battery housing that accommodates the plurality of first battery modules and the plurality of second battery modules and includes a plurality of crossbeams that separate the plurality of first battery modules and the plurality of second battery modules; Multiple first slave BMS are located on the side of the multiple first battery modules facing the multiple second battery modules and arranged along the first direction; Multiple second slave BMSs are located on the side of the multiple second battery modules facing the multiple first battery modules and arranged along the first direction. The first wave path guide is formed on the upper side of the plurality of first battery modules and extends along the first direction; The second wave path guide is formed on the upper side of the plurality of second battery modules and extends along the first direction; The main BMS is configured to be spaced apart from the plurality of first battery modules and the plurality of second battery modules between the first wave path guide and the second wave path guide. The plurality of first slave BMS and the plurality of second slave BMS are respectively arranged along the first direction between the first wave path guide and the second wave path guide, and The first slave BMS and the second slave BMS are equipped with antennas.

2. The battery pack according to claim 1, wherein, The first wave path guide and the second wave path guide are configured to pass through the plurality of first battery modules and the plurality of second battery modules and extend along the first direction to the location where the main BMS is arranged. The main BMS is arranged at a position spaced apart from the plurality of first battery modules and the plurality of second battery modules along the first direction.

3. The battery pack according to claim 1, wherein, The main BMS is arranged symmetrically with the plurality of first battery modules and the plurality of second battery modules.

4. The battery pack according to claim 1, wherein, The first wave path guide is formed between the battery pack cover and the plurality of first battery modules, and The second wave path guide is formed between the battery pack cover and the plurality of second battery modules.

5. The battery pack according to claim 1, further comprising a battery pack cover, the battery pack cover covering the upper surface of the battery casing. in, The battery pack cover has at least one hole.

6. The battery pack according to claim 5, wherein, The battery casing also includes an outer wall forming the outer casing portion. The upper end of the outer wall is joined to the battery pack cover, and The battery pack cover is formed to be spaced apart from the plurality of first battery modules and the plurality of second battery modules.

7. The battery pack according to claim 1, further comprising: Multiple first busbars are arranged to span between two adjacent battery modules among the multiple first battery modules; as well as Multiple second busbars are arranged to span between two adjacent battery modules in the plurality of second battery modules.

8. The battery pack according to claim 7, wherein, The crossbeam is formed on the underside of the plurality of first busbars and the plurality of second busbars to be spaced apart from each of the plurality of first busbars and the plurality of second busbars.

9. The battery pack according to claim 1, wherein, The plurality of first slave BMS and the plurality of second slave BMS are spaced apart from each other.

10. An apparatus comprising a battery pack according to claim 1.

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