Battery packs and power storage devices

Abstract

A battery pack according to an embodiment of the present application includes a pack case forming an appearance, a plurality of battery modules including at least one battery cell, at least one thermal insulation member disposed between the plurality of battery modules, and an energy consumption unit spaced apart from the thermal insulation member and connected to any one of the battery modules, the energy consumption unit causing an external short circuit of any one of the battery modules when thermal runaway occurs in at least one of the battery modules.

Description

Technical Field

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

[0002] This application claims priority to Korean Patent Application No. 10-2020-0037746, filed in Korea on March 27, 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 properties such as high energy density, are commonly used not only in portable devices but also in electric vehicles (EVs) or hybrid electric vehicles (HEVs). The reason secondary batteries are attracting attention as a new energy source for improving environmental friendliness and energy efficiency is that they can significantly reduce the use of fossil fuels and produce no byproducts during energy consumption.

[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. Additionally, depending on the required charge / discharge capacity of the battery pack, multiple battery cells can be connected in parallel to construct a battery pack. Thus, 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 the battery pack is constructed by using at least one battery module and adding other components. Here, depending on various voltage and capacity requirements, the energy storage system can be constructed to include at least one battery pack or battery rack, wherein the at least one battery pack or battery rack includes at least one battery module.

[0006] In the case of traditional battery packs, if a fire starts inside a battery module, it is difficult to extinguish quickly. If the fire is not extinguished quickly or its spread is not delayed, it may spread to adjacent battery modules more rapidly.

[0007] Accordingly, in the event of a fire, there is a need for faster and earlier fire suppression, and in particular, a measure to prevent accidents by detecting hazards before a fire occurs. Therefore, within the battery modules inside the battery pack, fire suppression and prevention of fire spread are required.

[0008] Therefore, there is a need to find a way to provide battery packs and energy storage systems that include such battery packs, which can more quickly suppress the spread of heat or thermal runaway when an abnormality occurs at a single battery cell. Summary of the Invention

[0009] Technical issues

[0010] This disclosure is designed to address problems in the related art, and therefore aims to provide a battery pack and an energy storage system including the battery pack that can more quickly suppress heat propagation or thermal runaway when an abnormality occurs at a single battery cell.

[0011] Technical solution

[0012] In one aspect of this disclosure, a battery pack is provided, the battery pack comprising: a battery pack housing configured to form the appearance of the battery pack; a plurality of battery modules disposed inside the battery pack housing and configured to include at least one battery cell; at least one thermal insulation member disposed between the plurality of battery modules; and an energy dissipation unit spaced apart from the at least one thermal insulation member and connected to any one of the plurality of battery modules, the energy dissipation unit being configured to cause a short circuit in any one of the plurality of battery modules externally in the event of thermal runaway in the at least one of the plurality of battery modules.

[0013] The energy consumption unit may include: a relay unit connected to a battery cell of any of the battery modules and configured to perform an on / off operation; and a resistor unit connected to the relay unit and disposed outside the battery pack housing.

[0014] The energy consumption unit may include a consumption housing disposed outside the battery pack housing, and the consumption housing is configured to house the relay unit and the resistor unit.

[0015] When thermal runaway occurs in at least one of the plurality of battery modules, the relay unit can be switched on, and the stored energy of at least one cell in any of the battery modules can be converted into heat energy through the resistor unit.

[0016] The resistor unit can be connected to a cooling device located outside the energy-consuming unit and filled with coolant supplied from the cooling device.

[0017] The resistor unit may include: a supply pipe configured to receive coolant from the cooling device; and a discharge pipe spaced apart from the supply pipe and configured to discharge the coolant into the cooling device.

[0018] The resistor unit may be filled with insulating oil.

[0019] The plurality of battery modules may include at least three battery modules, such that each battery module includes a plurality of battery cells, and the at least three battery modules may be stacked on top of each other along the stacking direction of the plurality of battery cells.

[0020] The energy consumption unit can be connected to the centrally located battery module among the at least three battery modules.

[0021] In another aspect of this disclosure, an energy storage system is also provided, which includes at least one battery pack according to the above embodiments.

[0022] Beneficial effects

[0023] According to the various embodiments described above, a battery pack and an energy storage system including the battery pack can be provided such that, when an abnormality occurs at a battery cell, the battery pack can more quickly suppress the spread of heat or thermal runaway. Attached Figure Description

[0024] 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.

[0025] Figure 1 This is a view used to illustrate the battery pack according to an embodiment of this disclosure.

[0026] Figure 2 It is used to show Figure 1 A view of the insulation component shown.

[0027] Figure 3 It is used to show Figure 2 A view of another embodiment of the insulation component shown.

[0028] Figure 4 It is used to show Figure 1 A view of the energy consumption unit shown.

[0029] Figure 5 and Figure 6 It is used to show when in Figure 1 This is a view of the operation of the energy consumption unit when an abnormal situation occurs at a battery cell in the battery module of the battery pack shown.

[0030] Figure 7 This is a view used to illustrate a battery pack according to another embodiment of this disclosure.

[0031] Figure 8 It is used to show Figure 7 A view of the energy consumption unit shown. Detailed Implementation

[0032] 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 merely illustrative to better understand this disclosure, and that this 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.

[0033] Figure 1 This is a view used to illustrate a battery pack according to an embodiment of this disclosure.

[0034] refer to Figure 1 The battery pack 1, used as an energy source, can be supplied to an energy storage system, a vehicle, or other device or instrument. At least one or more battery packs 1 can be disposed in the energy storage system or vehicle. In the following, in this embodiment, the scenario where at least one or more battery packs 1 are included in the energy storage system will be described.

[0035] The battery pack 1 may include: a battery pack housing 10; battery modules 30, 40, and 50; a heat insulation component 70; and an energy consumption unit 100.

[0036] The battery pack housing 10 can form the appearance of the battery pack 1. The battery pack housing 10 can accommodate the battery modules 30, 40, 50 and the heat insulation member 70, which will be explained later. For this purpose, the battery pack housing 10 can have a receiving space capable of accommodating the battery modules 30, 40, 50 and the heat insulation member 70.

[0037] The battery modules 30, 40, and 50 are disposed within the battery pack housing 10 and may include at least one battery cell 35, 45, or 55, wherein the at least one battery cell 35, 45, or 55 is provided using a rechargeable battery. Multiple battery modules 30, 40, and 50 may be provided.

[0038] The plurality of battery modules 30, 40, and 50 may include at least three battery modules, and each battery module may include a plurality of battery cells 35, 45, and 55. The plurality of battery modules 30, 40, and 50 may be stacked on top of each other along the stacking direction of the plurality of battery cells 35, 45, and 55.

[0039] The plurality of battery modules 30, 40, and 50 may include a first battery module 30, a second battery module 40, and a third battery module 50.

[0040] The first battery module 30 can be disposed on one side inside the battery pack housing 10. In this embodiment, the first battery module 30 can be disposed on the left side inside the battery pack housing 10.

[0041] The first battery module 30 may include multiple battery cells 35.

[0042] The plurality of battery cells 35 are secondary batteries and can be configured as at least one of pouch-type secondary batteries, rectangular secondary batteries, and cylindrical secondary batteries. In this embodiment, the case where the plurality of battery cells 35 are pouch-type secondary batteries will be described below.

[0043] The second battery module 40 is disposed inside the battery pack housing 10 and can be positioned between the first battery module 30 and the third battery module 50, which will be explained later. The second battery module 40 can be connected to the energy consumption unit 100, which will be explained later.

[0044] The second battery module 40 may include multiple battery cells 45.

[0045] The plurality of battery cells 45 are secondary batteries and can be configured as at least one of pouch-type secondary batteries, rectangular secondary batteries, and cylindrical secondary batteries. In this embodiment, the case where the plurality of battery cells 45 are pouch-type secondary batteries will be described below.

[0046] The plurality of battery cells 45 can be connected to the energy consumption unit 100, which will be explained later. The energy consumption unit 100 connected to the plurality of battery cells 45 will be described in more detail later.

[0047] The third battery module 50 can be disposed on one side inside the battery pack housing 10. In this embodiment, the third battery module 50 can be disposed on the right side inside the battery pack housing 10. When the second battery module 40 is placed between the third battery module 50 and the first battery module 30, the third battery module 50 can be positioned opposite to the first battery module 30.

[0048] The third battery module 50 may include multiple battery cells 55.

[0049] The plurality of battery cells 55 are secondary batteries and can be configured as at least one of pouch-type secondary batteries, rectangular secondary batteries, and cylindrical secondary batteries. In this embodiment, the case where the plurality of battery cells 55 are pouch-type secondary batteries will be described below.

[0050] The heat insulation component 70 can be disposed among multiple battery modules 30, 40, and 50.

[0051] The thermal insulation component 70 according to this embodiment will be explained in more detail below.

[0052] Figure 2 It is used to show Figure 1 The view of the insulation component shown. Figure 3 It is used to show Figure 2 A view of another embodiment of the insulation component shown.

[0053] refer to Figure 2 The heat insulation component 70 can be configured in multiple ways, and thus can be respectively disposed among multiple battery modules 30, 40, and 50.

[0054] When a high temperature occurs in at least one of the multiple battery modules 30, 40, 50 due to an abnormal condition, the multiple thermal insulation components 70 can delay the heat from spreading to adjacent battery modules.

[0055] Therefore, the plurality of insulating members 70 can be made of a material with low thermal conductivity. (Reference) Figure 3 Each insulation component 80 can be configured as a component of multiple insulation layers.

[0056] Multiple thermal insulation components 70 and 80 can be configured as a single component or multiple sandwich structures, which can delay the heat transfer to adjacent battery modules 30, 40 and 50 as much as possible.

[0057] The energy consumption unit 100 may be spaced apart from at least one thermal insulation component 70. The energy consumption unit 100 may be connected to any one of the plurality of battery modules 30, 40, 50, and when thermal runaway occurs in at least one of the battery modules 30, 40, 50, the energy consumption unit 100 may externally cause any one of the battery modules 30, 40, 50, to short-circuit.

[0058] The energy consumption unit 100 can be connected to the centrally located battery module 40 among at least three battery modules 30, 40, and 50. That is, the energy consumption unit 100 can be connected to the second battery module 40 among the first to third battery modules 30, 40, and 50.

[0059] The energy consumption unit 100 according to this embodiment will be described in more detail below.

[0060] Figure 4 It is used to show Figure 1 A view of the energy consumption unit shown.

[0061] refer to Figure 4 In the event of an abnormal situation, the energy consumption unit 100 can cause a short circuit in a specific battery module 40 externally, thereby more quickly preventing the risk of thermal runaway and the resulting heat propagation or explosion caused by heat propagation when high temperatures occur at the battery cells 35, 45, and 55 of the multiple battery modules 30, 40, and 50 due to an abnormal situation.

[0062] Specifically, when thermal runaway occurs due to an abnormality in any of the multiple battery modules 30, 40, 50, the energy consumption unit 100 can externally short-circuit the specific battery module 40, thereby effectively preventing heat from spreading to the battery modules 30, 40, 50 adjacent to the battery module 30, 40, 50 that has experienced thermal runaway.

[0063] The energy consumption unit 100 according to this embodiment will be described in more detail below.

[0064] The energy consumption unit 100 may include a consumption housing 110, a relay unit 130, and a resistor unit 150.

[0065] The consumable housing 110 is disposed outside the battery pack housing 10 and can accommodate the relay unit 130 and the resistor unit 150. Therefore, the consumable housing 110 may have accommodating space for accommodating the relay unit 130 and the resistor unit 150. Simultaneously, the consumable housing 110 may be configured to be detachably attached to the battery pack housing 10.

[0066] The relay unit 130 can be disposed inside the consumable housing 110 and can be connected to the battery cell 45 of any of the battery modules, namely the second battery module 40, to enable on / off operations. The on / off operation of the relay unit 130 can be provided using electronic or mechanical structures, and the relay unit 130 can operate in association with a control unit or the like, or at a predetermined or higher temperature.

[0067] The resistor unit 150 is connected to the relay unit 130 and can be disposed outside the battery pack housing 10. Specifically, similar to the relay unit 130, the resistor unit 150 can be disposed inside the battery housing 110.

[0068] The resistor unit 150 may include a resistor material connected to the relay unit 130 and the battery cells 45 of the second battery module 40. Accordingly, when thermal runaway occurs in at least one of the plurality of battery modules 30, 40, 50, the relay unit 130 is activated, and the stored energy of at least one battery cell 45 of any one of the battery modules 40 can be converted into heat energy through the resistor material of the resistor unit 150.

[0069] The resistor unit 150 can be connected to a cooling device 200 for cooling the resistor material. Specifically, the resistor unit 150 is connected to the cooling device 200 outside the energy-consuming unit 100, and the interior of the resistor unit 150 can be filled with a coolant C supplied from the cooling device 200. Here, the coolant C can be made of an insulating material.

[0070] The resistor unit 150 may include a unit body 152, a supply pipe 154, and a discharge pipe 156.

[0071] The unit body 152 includes the resistor material, and the coolant C can be filled in the unit body 152. The unit body 152 is disposed inside the consumable housing 110 and can be positioned at a predetermined distance from the relay unit 130.

[0072] The supply conduit 154 is used to receive coolant C from the cooling device 200, and may be disposed on one side of the unit body 152 and connected to the cooling device 200 to communicate with the cooling device 200. The supply conduit 154 may receive coolant C from the cooling device 200 and guide the coolant C into the unit body 152.

[0073] The discharge pipe 156 is used to discharge the coolant C into the cooling device 200, and can be positioned on one side of the unit body 152, thereby being spaced apart from the supply pipe 154 at a predetermined distance, and connected to the cooling device 200 to communicate with the cooling device 200. The discharge pipe 156 can guide the coolant C inside the unit body 152 to be discharged into the cooling device 200.

[0074] The thermal runaway prevention mechanism of the energy consumption unit 100 will be described in more detail below when an abnormal situation such as thermal runaway occurs in the battery cells 35, 45, 55 of the battery pack 1 according to this embodiment due to overheating or the like.

[0075] Figure 5 and Figure 6 It is used to show when in Figure 1 This is a view of the operation of the energy consumption unit when an abnormal situation occurs at a battery cell in the battery module of the battery pack shown.

[0076] refer to Figure 5 In the battery pack 1, overheating or thermal runaway may occur due to abnormal conditions at battery modules 30 and 50 that are not connected to the energy consumption unit 100 among the multiple battery modules 30, 40, and 50. For example, overheating or thermal runaway may occur due to abnormal conditions in the battery cells 35 of the first battery module 30 among the first battery module to the third battery modules 30, 40, and 50.

[0077] In this scenario, the heat insulation component 70 can preferentially block heat transfer to the adjacent battery module 40. Additionally, in the event of an abnormal situation, the energy consumption unit 100 can shut off the relay unit 130 at a predetermined or higher temperature, or via a control unit.

[0078] Accordingly, the battery cell 45 of the battery module 40, i.e., the second battery module 40, connected to the energy consumption unit 100 can be short-circuited externally through the energy consumption unit 100. Specifically, the stored energy of the battery cell 45 of the second battery module 40 can be converted into heat energy through the resistor unit 150 of the energy consumption unit 100.

[0079] Here, the energy of the battery cell 40 of the second battery module 40 can be reduced to approximately less than 30% SOC (State of Charge). Moreover, as the SOC of the second battery module 40 connected to the energy consumption unit 100 decreases, heat transfer between the battery modules 30, 40, and 50 can be prevented more effectively.

[0080] refer to Figure 6 In the battery pack 1, if overheating or thermal runaway occurs due to an abnormality in the battery module 40 connected to the energy consumption unit 100, the energy consumption unit 100 may shut off the relay unit 130 at a predetermined or higher temperature or by means of a control unit when the abnormality occurs.

[0081] Similarly, the energy consumption unit 100 can be used to externally short-circuit the battery cells 45 of the second battery module 40. Specifically, the stored energy of the battery cells 45 of the second battery module 40 can be converted into heat energy through the resistor unit 150 of the energy consumption unit 100.

[0082] Accordingly, by rapidly reducing the level of heat energy that might transfer from the second battery module 40 to the first battery module 30 or the third battery module 50, heat transfer to adjacent battery modules 30, 50 can be effectively prevented. Furthermore, heat transfer can be delayed even further through the insulating member 70.

[0083] Simultaneously, when the energy consumption unit 100 is operating, the supply pipe 154 and discharge pipe 156 of the resistor unit 150 can guide the coolant C from the cooling device 200 to the unit body 152 and discharge it from the unit body 152, thereby allowing the coolant C to circulate smoothly within the unit body 152. Accordingly, the resistor unit 150 can effectively convert the stored energy of the battery cell 45 into heat energy while maintaining better safety.

[0084] Figure 7 This is a view used to illustrate a battery pack according to another embodiment of this disclosure. Figure 8 It is used to show Figure 7 A view of the energy consumption unit shown.

[0085] Since the battery pack 2 described in this embodiment is similar to the battery pack 1 described in the previous embodiment, features that are substantially the same or similar to those in the previous embodiment will no longer be described, but features that are different from those in the previous embodiment will be described in detail.

[0086] refer to Figure 7 and Figure 8 The battery pack 2 may include: a battery pack housing 10; battery modules 30, 40, and 50; a heat insulation component 70; and an energy consumption unit 300.

[0087] The battery pack housing 10, battery modules 30, 40, 50 and heat insulation component 70 are substantially the same as or similar to those in the previous embodiment, and therefore will not be described in detail.

[0088] The energy consumption unit 300 may include a consumption housing 310, a relay unit 330, and a resistor unit 350.

[0089] The consumable housing 310 and relay unit 330 are substantially the same as or similar to the consumable housing 110 and relay unit 130 of the previous embodiment, and therefore will not be described in detail.

[0090] The resistor unit 350 includes resistor material and may be filled with insulating oil 355. The insulating oil 355 can cool the resistor material inside the resistor unit 350.

[0091] In the battery pack 2 according to this embodiment, because the insulating oil 355 is filled in the resistor unit 350 of the energy consumption unit 300, the resistor unit 350 can be cooled more conveniently without the need for a separate cooling device 200.

[0092] According to the various embodiments described above, a battery pack 1, 2 and an energy storage system including the battery pack 1, 2 can be provided, which can more quickly suppress heat propagation or thermal runaway when an abnormality occurs at the battery cells 35, 45, 55 of the plurality of battery modules 30, 40, 50.

[0093] Although 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 that 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 pack, comprising: A battery pack housing, the battery pack housing being configured to form the appearance of the battery pack; At least three battery modules are disposed inside the battery pack housing, each battery module comprising multiple battery cells, and the at least three battery modules are stacked on top of each other along the stacking direction of the multiple battery cells; At least one thermal insulation component is disposed between the at least three battery modules; and An energy-consuming unit, spaced apart from the at least one thermal insulation member and connected to a centrally located battery module among the at least three battery modules, is configured such that, in the event of thermal runaway in any of the at least three battery modules, the energy-consuming unit externally short-circuits the centrally located battery module. When at least one of the at least three battery modules experiences a high temperature due to an abnormal condition, the at least one thermal insulation component delays the spread of heat to the adjacent battery module.

2. The battery pack according to claim 1, wherein, The energy consumption unit includes: A relay unit, connected to a battery cell of any of the battery modules, and configured to perform an on / off operation; and A resistor unit is connected to the relay unit and is disposed outside the battery pack housing.

3. The battery pack according to claim 2, wherein, The energy consumption unit includes a consumption housing disposed outside the battery pack housing, and the consumption housing is configured to house the relay unit and the resistor unit.

4. The battery pack according to claim 2, wherein, When thermal runaway occurs in at least one of the at least three battery modules, the relay unit is activated, and the stored energy of at least one cell in any of the battery modules is converted into heat energy through the resistor unit.

5. The battery pack according to claim 2, wherein, The resistor unit is connected to a cooling device located outside the energy-consuming unit and is filled with coolant supplied from the cooling device.

6. The battery pack according to claim 5, wherein, The resistor unit includes: Supply conduit, the supply conduit being configured to receive the coolant from the cooling device; and A discharge pipe, spaced apart from the supply pipe, is configured to discharge the coolant into the cooling device.

7. The battery pack according to claim 2, wherein, The resistor unit is filled with insulating oil.

8. The battery pack according to claim 1, wherein, The energy-consuming unit is connected to the centrally located battery module among the at least three battery modules.

9. An energy storage system, comprising: At least one battery pack according to any one of claims 1-8.

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