Battery pack and energy storage system including same

Abstract

Provided are a battery pack having an improved battery pack case to ensure electrical insulation and light weight, and an energy storage system including the battery pack. The battery pack of the present invention comprises: at least one cell assembly including a bus bar frame assembly and a plurality of battery cells; a base plate configured such that the cell assembly can be mounted on the base plate; and a reinforcing member configured to fix the bus bar frame assembly and the bottom plate to each other.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present disclosure relates to a battery pack and an energy storage system including the battery pack, and more particularly, to a battery pack including an improved battery pack case and an energy storage system including the battery pack.

[0002] This application claims priority to Korean Patent Application No. 10-2022-0182358 filed in Korea on December 22, 2022, the disclosure of which is incorporated herein by reference. Background Art

[0003] Secondary batteries that are easy to apply according to product groups and have electrical characteristics such as high energy density are generally used in electric vehicles (EV) or hybrid electric vehicles (HEV) driven by an electric drive source, and in portable devices. These secondary batteries are attracting attention as a new energy source for improving eco-friendliness and energy efficiency due to the main advantage of significantly reducing the use of fossil fuels and another advantage of not generating byproducts generated by energy use.

[0004] Currently widely used secondary batteries include lithium-ion batteries, lithium polymer batteries, nickel-cadmium batteries, nickel-metal hydride batteries, nickel-zinc batteries, etc. The operating voltage of the unit secondary battery cell, that is, the operating voltage of the unit battery cell is 2.5 V to 4.5 V. Therefore, when an output voltage higher than this value is required, a battery pack can be constructed by connecting multiple battery cells in series. In addition, a battery pack can be constructed by connecting multiple battery cells in parallel according to the charge / discharge capacity required for the battery pack. Therefore, the number of battery cells included in the battery pack can be set in various ways according to the required output voltage or charge / discharge capacity.

[0005] The energy storage system (ESS) that has recently received attention is a device that can store the generated electricity in a battery pack and supply it to consumers when electricity is needed, thereby maximizing the efficiency of power use. In ESS, multiple battery packs constitute a battery rack, and dozens to hundreds of battery racks are assembled to produce a system. In addition, it is used in combination with a UPS (uninterruptible power supply) that ensures a stable power supply in response to sudden power outages or abnormalities, and a solar power generation system that is a power generation device for converting sunlight into electrical energy. In addition, as electric vehicles are widely commercialized, such ESS can be applied to charging stations that can charge electric vehicles.

[0006] The battery pack used in the ESS may be constructed as a plurality of battery cells stored in a battery pack case. Here, the battery pack case of the ESS battery pack is generally made of a highly rigid metal material, such as steel, to support the high load of the plurality of battery cells.

[0007] However, in this case, there is an electrical insulation problem between the battery pack housing and the electrical components, especially between the battery pack housing and the battery cells, so in order to solve this problem, an additional insulating structure or a separate insulating component must be applied between the battery pack housing and the battery cells. This leads to problems of increasing the manufacturing process of the battery pack, the tact time of a single product, and the production cost. In addition, the use of a battery pack housing made of steel makes the battery pack too heavy, making it difficult to transport and manipulate the battery pack, and a rack housing capable of holding the heavy battery pack is also required.

[0008] Therefore, there is a need to develop a technology for a battery pack case structure that can ensure electrical insulation between the battery pack case and electrical components and achieve weight reduction of the battery pack.

[0009] Public Content

[0010] Technical issues

[0011] The present disclosure has been designed to solve the problems of the related art, and therefore, the present disclosure aims to provide a battery pack capable of ensuring electrical insulation and reducing the weight thereof by improving a battery pack case, and an energy storage system including the same.

[0012] Technical Solution

[0013] According to one aspect of the present disclosure, a battery pack is provided, comprising: at least one single cell assembly, the single cell assembly comprising a bus bar frame assembly and a plurality of battery cells; a base plate, the base plate being configured so that the single cell assembly is placed on the base plate; and a reinforcing member, the reinforcing member being configured to fix the bus bar frame assembly and the base plate to each other.

[0014] The base plate includes: a base plate on which the single body assembly is placed; and a support frame which is provided on both sides of an upper surface of the base plate and has an insertion portion, the insertion portion being configured such that an outer surface thereof is recessed inwardly, and the reinforcing member is inserted into the insertion portion.

[0015] The insertion portion may be disposed along a longitudinal direction of the base plate.

[0016] The reinforcement member may be a rod extending in the longitudinal direction.

[0017] The base plate and the support frame may be integrally injection molded.

[0018] The reinforcement member is preferably inserted into the insertion portion to connect the bus bar frame assembly and the base plate via the bus bar frame assembly.

[0019] The reinforcement member may be a pair of steel tubes.

[0020] The base plate may be made of a plastic material, and the reinforcing member may be made of a metal material.

[0021] The battery pack of the present disclosure may further include a sealing member configured to fix a position of the reinforcement member.

[0022] For example, the sealing member may be a rubber packing.

[0023] The at least one single-body assembly may be a plurality of single-body assemblies placed side by side, and the support frame of the base plate may be configured to support the busbar frame assembly of each single-body assembly on an edge extending along the arrangement direction of the single-body assemblies and to protrude upward at predetermined intervals along the arrangement direction of the single-body assemblies.

[0024] The base plate may also include a concave portion arranged between adjacent supporting frames, and the busbar frame assembly of each single-body assembly may include a busbar frame made of an electrically insulating material, and the busbar frame may include: a mounting plate, which is placed on the upper surface of the supporting frame; and a placement guide block, which protrudes downward from the mounting plate so as to be inserted into the corresponding concave portion.

[0025] The mounting plate and the placement guide block may be integrally injection molded with the busbar frame.

[0026] The placement guide block may pass vertically between the support frames and may be inserted into the concave portion.

[0027] The installation guide blocks and the support frame may be configured to form a continuous assembled wall in the arrangement direction of the monomer assembly while each installation guide block is inserted into each corresponding concave portion when the monomer assembly is installed on the base plate, and the assembled wall may define the insertion portion.

[0028] Positioning the guide blocks and the support frame can limit the movement of the reinforcing member in the longitudinal direction and the height direction of the reinforcing member.

[0029] The assembled wall may include an upper receiving wall, a lower receiving wall and a side receiving wall, and the reinforcing member is a rectangular steel tube, the upper portion of which contacts the upper receiving wall, the lower portion of which contacts the lower receiving wall, and one side of which contacts the side receiving wall.

[0030] Furthermore, the present disclosure provides an energy storage system including at least one battery pack according to the present disclosure.

[0031] Beneficial effects

[0032] According to one aspect of the present disclosure, since a bottom plate constituting a pack case is made of a plastic injection-molded product, it is possible to ensure insulation between the pack case and battery cells and reduce the weight of the battery pack compared to a pack case made of steel.

[0033] In particular, according to one aspect of the present disclosure, a battery pack can be provided, which is configured to completely achieve insulation by applying an injection molding type battery pack housing without a separate insulating component. This ensures electrical insulation between the battery pack housing and the battery cells without an additional insulating structure or a separate insulating component, thereby reducing the manufacturing process, unit product production time and manufacturing cost of the battery pack.

[0034] According to the present disclosure, even if the battery pack housing is made of a plastic injection molded product, the mechanical properties of the battery pack housing can be improved by inserting a reinforcing member into the battery pack housing, thereby ensuring structural stability. The battery pack housing including such a reinforcing member is improved in terms of structural rigidity and safety to firmly support a plurality of battery cells.

[0035] Furthermore, according to another aspect of the present invention, the base plate and the bus bar frame assembly are fixed to each other by the reinforcing member to provide a strong fastening structure, thereby improving resistance to bending or sagging.

[0036] In addition, the fixing structure using bolts and nuts can be minimized by reinforcing the fixing structure of the member. Therefore, in particular, according to the present disclosure, a structure is provided for structurally assembling and fixing internal components by minimizing the fixing structure using bolts and nuts in the battery pack. According to the present disclosure, the design and management factors of the battery pack are minimized to suppress the problems arising therefrom. That is, a battery pack can be provided that has fewer design variables that need to be considered to fix the internal battery pack elements than when bolts and nuts are used, is easier to manage the process than when bolts and nuts are used, and does not increase the production time of a single product.

[0037] According to the present disclosure, material costs are reduced by simplifying the structure and reducing the number of components. According to the present disclosure, productivity is improved by reducing the production time of a single product. According to the present invention, there is also an effect of reducing the weight of the battery pack by simplifying the process and structure. According to the present invention, since a plastic injection-molded base plate, rather than a steel base plate, is used as a battery pack housing, the housing is light in weight, the weight of the bolts and nuts is removed, and no resin is required to implement the injection structure for fixing the bolts and nuts, thereby further reducing its weight.

[0038] As described above, the present disclosure can provide a battery pack having the effects of reinforcing the rigidity of a bottom plate manufactured by injection molding through a reinforcing member, stably fixing a cell assembly to the bottom plate, and reducing the weight of the battery pack.

[0039] Furthermore, by including the battery pack, an energy storage system that is safe, easy to transport and install, and has a low production cost can be provided. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0040] The accompanying drawings illustrate preferred embodiments of the present disclosure and, together with the detailed description of the present invention, serve to provide further understanding of the technical concept of the present disclosure, and therefore, the present disclosure is not to be construed as being limited to the accompanying drawings.

[0041] Figure 1 is a perspective view of a battery pack according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0042] Figure 2 It is shown Figure 1 Figure 2 is a diagram of a battery pack with the top plate separated from the battery pack.

[0043] Figure 3 It is shown Figure 1 A partially exploded perspective view of the main components of a battery pack.

[0044] Figure 4 is a perspective view showing a cell assembly of a battery pack according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0045] Figure 5 is a perspective view showing a bottom plate and a reinforcement member of a battery pack according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0046] Figure 6 yes Figure 5 A partial enlarged view of .

[0047] Figure 7 yes Figure 4 Detail of the busbar frame in .

[0048] Figure 8 and Fig. 9 is a diagram illustrating an assembly process or an assembly structure of a base plate and a plurality of single components according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0049] Fig.10 yes Figure 1 A cross-sectional view of a battery pack.

[0050] Fig.11 is a schematic diagram of an energy storage system according to the present disclosure. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0051] Hereinafter, preferred embodiments of the present disclosure will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. Before the description, it should be understood that the terms used in the specification and the appended claims should not be interpreted as limited to the general and dictionary meanings, but are interpreted on the basis of the principle that the inventor is allowed to appropriately define the terms for the best interpretation, based on the meanings and concepts corresponding to the technical aspects of the present disclosure. Therefore, the embodiments of this specification and the configurations proposed in the accompanying drawings only indicate the most preferred embodiments of the present disclosure, and do not represent all technical concepts of the present disclosure, so it should be understood that various equivalent modifications and modifications may be made thereto when filing an application.

[0052] Figure 1 is a perspective view of a battery pack according to an embodiment of the present disclosure, Figure 2 It is shown Figure 1 In the diagram of the battery pack, the top plate is separated from the battery pack, and Figure 3 It is shown Figure 1 A partially exploded perspective view of the main components of the battery pack.

[0053] Reference Figures 1 to 3 The battery pack 10 according to the present disclosure may be a three-dimensional structure having predetermined length, width, and height in the X-axis, Y-axis, and Z-axis directions, respectively. The battery pack 10 includes a cell assembly (CMA) 100, a battery pack housing 400, and a reinforcing member 500. The battery pack housing 400 may include a top plate 410 and a bottom plate 420.

[0054] The battery pack 10 according to the present disclosure includes one or more cell assemblies 100. Here, the cell assembly 100 indicates a plurality of grouped battery cells 101.

[0055] The battery pack 10 may be constructed to include a plurality of unit assemblies 100. For example, Figure 2 As shown in the embodiment of FIG. 1 , the battery pack 10 may include four cell assemblies 100 placed side by side. In addition, the battery pack 10 is a battery pack case 400 for protecting the four cell assemblies 100 from external influences and including a bottom plate 420. The number of cell assemblies 100 may vary.

[0056] The bottom plate 420 is an element for storing the cell assembly 100. If the top plate 410 is coupled to the bottom plate 420, an empty space accommodating the cell assembly 100 may be formed therein, and thus the cell assembly 100 may be stored in the empty space.

[0057] The bottom plate 420 may support the cell assembly 100. In particular, the bottom plate 420 may substantially support the lower surface of the cell assembly 100. The bottom plate 420 may be mounted to a machine or device using the battery pack 10 as an energy source. For example, the bottom plate 420 may be mounted to an energy storage system, an electric vehicle, etc.

[0058] In this embodiment, the bottom plate 420 may include a base plate 421 that supports four monomer assemblies 100 at the bottom of the monomer assembly 100. The base plate 450 supports the monomer assembly 100 and constitutes a main portion of the bottom plate 420. Specifically, the base plate 421 may cover the lower surface of the monomer assembly 100.

[0059] The top plate 410 mainly covers the upper surface of the monomer assembly 100 and is coupled to the bottom plate 420. The top plate 410 may be configured in the form of a rectangular box having an open bottom, and the bottom plate 420 may be configured such that a plurality of monomer assemblies 100 are placed thereon. For example, the bottom plate 420 may be substantially configured as a plate having a sufficient area to place a plurality of monomer assemblies 100 thereon.

[0060] The bottom plate 420 may further include a front plate 427 on at least one side of the base plate 421. The front plate 427 may be in the form of a vertical plate disposed on one edge of the base plate 421, and may be an electrical device mounting portion. For example, a terminal block and a BMS assembly may be mounted on an outer surface of the front plate 427. The front plate 427 may be equipped with an exhaust fan. In this implementation configuration, the base plate 421 may constitute a rear plate compared to the front plate 427.

[0061] A mica sheet 130 may be provided on a plurality of cell assemblies 100. The mica sheet 130 has excellent heat resistance to withstand high temperature ventilation gas and sparks. The mica sheet 130 may easily change its shape, and when a flame occurs in one battery cell 101, the mica sheet 130 prevents the flame or heat from spreading to other battery cells 101 or the top plate 410.

[0062] Next, we will refer to Figure 4 The configuration of the single body assembly 100 is described in detail.

[0063] Figure 4 is a perspective view showing a cell assembly of a battery pack according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0064] refer to Figure 4 , the cell assembly 100 may include a plurality of battery cells 101. A predetermined number of battery cells 101 may constitute one cell assembly 100. The number of battery cells 101 may vary depending on the desired output voltage or charge / discharge capacity. The battery cell 101 may be configured as a pouch-type secondary battery, and a plurality of battery cells 101 may be electrically connected to each other. For electrical connection, the cell assembly 100 includes a busbar frame assembly 300.

[0065] Each battery cell 101 may include an electrode assembly, a battery case accommodating the electrode assembly, and an electrode lead 102 protruding from the battery case and electrically connected to the electrode assembly. The electrode lead 102 may include a positive electrode lead and a negative electrode lead, such that the positive electrode lead is connected to the positive electrode plate of the electrode assembly, and the negative electrode lead is connected to the negative electrode plate of the electrode assembly.

[0066] In the illustrated example, each battery cell 101 includes a pair of electrode leads 102 protruding from both sides of the battery cell 101 in its longitudinal direction (X-axis direction). That is, the electrode leads 102 may be respectively disposed at the front and rear of the battery cell 101, wherein the battery cell 101 is a pouch-type secondary battery.

[0067] In this embodiment, the battery cells 101 may be arranged side by side in the horizontal direction (Y-axis direction) while standing upright in the up / down direction (Z-axis direction). That is, the battery cells 101 may be arranged to be stacked in the horizontal direction while standing upright so that their wide surfaces are perpendicular to the ground. A predetermined number of battery cells 101 may be stacked to form a battery cell stack.

[0068] The bus bar frame assembly 300 may be disposed at each of the front and rear of the battery cell stack and each of the front and rear of the battery cell 101 so as to cover the battery cell stack and the battery cell 101. The bus bar frame assembly 300 includes a bus bar frame 310 and a plurality of bus bars 320. Each bus bar frame 310 may have a lead slit through which a predetermined number of electrode leads 102 pass in the front / rear direction (X-axis direction). The lead slits may be arranged at predetermined intervals in the stacking direction of the battery cell 101.

[0069] The plurality of bus bars 320 may be made of a conductive metal material such as copper, aluminum, nickel, etc. and may be configured in the form of a rod or a plate. The plurality of bus bars 320 may be mounted to the bus bar frame 310 at regular intervals in a stacking direction of the battery cells 101 .

[0070] The electrode lead 102 of the battery cell 101 can extend to the outside of the busbar frame 310 by passing through the corresponding lead slit. The electrode lead 102 extending to the outside of the busbar frame 310 can be bent and fixedly attached to the surface of the corresponding busbar 320. For example, the busbar 320 and the electrode lead 102 can be fixedly connected to each other by laser welding or ultrasonic welding. For example, the positive leads of two battery cells 101 are attached to a specific busbar 320 while overlapping each other, and the negative leads of two other battery cells 101 are attached to a specific busbar 320 while overlapping each other. Therefore, the four battery cells 101 can be connected to each other in series and / or in parallel.

[0071] The bus bar frame 310 can obtain electrical insulation. The bus bar frame 310 can be manufactured as a plastic structure by injection molding, so no separate insulation process or insulation parts are required. In addition, this helps to reduce the weight of the battery pack.

[0072] In addition, it is preferably configured as an injection molding structure to achieve a mating portion with the base plate 420. In the battery pack 10 according to the present embodiment, the busbar frame 310 of the busbar frame assembly 300 may further include a mounting plate 314 disposed on the upper surface of the support frame 422 of the base plate 420, and a placement guide block 315 protruding downward from the mounting plate 314. The mounting plate 314 and the placement guide block 315 are elements that improve the assembly and fixation between the plurality of monomer assemblies 100 and the base plate 420. The mounting plate 314 and the placement guide block 315 may be integrally formed with the busbar frame 310 by injection molding. The mounting plate 314 and the placement guide block 315 will be described in more detail below in conjunction with the base plate 420.

[0073] The unitary assembly 100 may also include end plates 103, straps 104, and compressible foam pads 105 for mechanical bonding.

[0074] A pair of end plates 103 are arranged to contact the leftmost battery cell 101 and the rightmost battery cell 101 of the battery cell stack. The end plates 103 can squeeze and protect the battery cells 101. The end plates 103 can be assembled to the busbar frame 310. The squeezing force on the battery cell stack can be maintained by connecting the end plates 103 to the busbar frame 310. The end plates 103 can be constructed as a flat rigid plate. An insulating sheet can also be attached thereto. The insulating sheet can be constructed in the form of a thin sheet made of a material having insulation, fire resistance and heat insulation. For example, silicon or mica can be used as the material of the insulating sheet.

[0075] The foam pad 105 may be placed between the end plate 103 and the battery cell 101 and / or between the battery cells 101. As described above, by using the foam pad 105, the surface pressure caused by the end plate 103 can be uniformly applied to the battery cell 101 without damaging the surface of the battery cell 101. In addition, when an external force is applied, the foam pad 105 can absorb or withstand the impact, thereby reducing the impact transmitted to other parts. In addition, it can be configured to suppress expansion that may occur in the cell assembly 100.

[0076] At the same time, a band 104 may be included as a means for strengthening the extrusion force on the battery cell stack. The band 104 may be provided to surround the upper and lower peripheries of the battery cell stack in the stacking direction of the battery cells 101. The band 104 may be made of a metal material having excellent mechanical rigidity. An insulating sheet may also be attached to the surface of the band 104 surrounding the battery cell stack for electrical insulation from the battery cells 101. The insulating sheet may be constructed in the form of a thin sheet made of a material having insulating, fire-resistant and heat-insulating properties. For example, silicon or mica may be used as the material of the insulating sheet.

[0077] Return to reference Figures 1 to 3 , the bottom plate 420 may be made of a plastic material. The entire bottom plate 420 may be made of a plastic material. In particular, the bottom plate 420 may be constructed as a plastic injection molded product. As described above, if the bottom plate 420 is made of a plastic injection molded product, insulation from the battery cell 101 may be ensured.

[0078] A plurality of cell assemblies 100 may be placed and supported on the bottom plate 420. In the example shown, four cell assemblies 100 having electrode leads protruding in two directions along the X-axis direction are arranged side by side in the Y-axis direction, and bus bar frame assemblies 300 for connecting the electrode leads in the cell assemblies 100 are placed on both sides of the bottom plate 420. In the case where the cell assemblies have electrode leads protruding in one direction along the X-axis, the bus bar frame assembly may be placed on one side of the bottom plate.

[0079] In particular, the bottom plate 420 is preferably configured as an injection molded structure capable of providing electrical insulation and realizing a mating portion with the cell assembly 100. The bottom plate 420 can be made of a plastic structure by injection molding, so no separate insulation treatment or insulation component is required. In addition, the battery pack housing can be lighter than when it is made of metal.

[0080] The battery case in a conventional battery pack is manufactured by extrusion or is made of a rigid material such as a steel plate. This requires additional components for insulation, thereby increasing its weight and cost. Since the battery pack 10 according to the present disclosure adopts an injection-molded battery case, there is no need to apply additional insulating components. Therefore, weight and cost can be reduced.

[0081] However, applying a plastic injection molded product may cause problems with the structural safety of the bottom plate 420. In addition, as the size of the bottom plate 420 increases, the bottom plate 420 as a plastic injection molded product may be more susceptible to bending or sagging, and may be weaker in strength or rigidity than a conventional battery pack case made of steel, thereby failing to provide stable support.

[0082] Therefore, in the present embodiment, the reinforcing member 500 is disposed on the bottom plate 420. That is, the structural rigidity of the injection-molded battery pack housing is supplemented with the reinforcing member 500, which may be a steel pipe for a machine structure. The reinforcing member 500, which has a smaller volume and weight than the steel battery pack housing of a conventional battery pack, can fully supplement the rigidity to the desired strength. Therefore, compared with a conventional battery pack, the battery pack 10 according to the present disclosure can reduce its weight and cost.

[0083] The bottom plate 420 may have an insertion portion 424a, which is arranged in the longitudinal direction and formed so that the outer surface is concave inward. In particular, the insertion portion 424a may be arranged on both sides of the upper surface of the substrate 421 of the bottom plate 420, and in order to construct the insertion portion 424a, the bottom plate 420 includes a support frame 422. The substrate 421 and the support frame 422 can be injection molded as a whole. Since the bottom plate 420 is made of the above-mentioned plastic injection molded product, it is possible to ensure convenience in the process, as well as to ensure insulation from the battery cell 101 and reduce the manufacturing process. As described above, the bottom plate 420 made of the plastic injection molded product can ensure electrical insulation without an additional insulating structure or a separate insulating component, so the single product production time and manufacturing cost of the battery pack 10 can be reduced.

[0084] The reinforcing member 500 may be inserted into the bottom plate 420. Specifically, the reinforcing member 500 may be inserted into the insertion portion 424a of the bottom plate 420. In particular, the reinforcing member 500 may be configured as a rod extending in one direction so as to be inserted into the insertion portion 424a provided in the longitudinal direction of the bottom plate 420. The insertion portion 424a may be provided on both sides of the upper surface of the base plate 421. Therefore, the reinforcing member 500 may be inserted from the side of the battery pack 10 and may extend in the longitudinal direction of the bottom plate 420. That is, the reinforcing member 500 may be configured to extend from the front to the rear of the battery pack 10, thereby ensuring additional rigidity and safely protecting the internal elements supported by the bottom plate 420. Since the insertion portion 424a is provided on the bottom plate 420 so that its outer surface is concave inwardly, the reinforcing member 500 may be easily inserted into the insertion portion 424a by simply pushing the reinforcing member 500 inwardly from the outer surface of the bottom plate 420 (i.e., in the lateral direction). The base plate 420 has a relatively simple structure and a space and shape suitable for accommodating the reinforcing member 500 therein, and can be easily manipulated since the assembly is performed simply by pushing the reinforcing member 500 into the insertion portion 424a, thereby facilitating assembly due to easy assembly by inserting the reinforcing member 500.

[0085] Meanwhile, the support frame 422 may be configured to stop the reinforcing member 500 at both ends thereof in the longitudinal direction to prevent the reinforcing member 500 inserted from the side from sliding leftward or rightward in the longitudinal direction. In the case where a plurality of support frames 422 are provided in the longitudinal direction, a stopper wall may be provided on the outermost support frame 422 to limit the left and right movement of the reinforcing member 500 at both ends in the longitudinal direction.

[0086] The reinforcing member 500 may be made of a material having a higher strength than the bottom plate 420. For example, the reinforcing member 500 may be made of metal. As described above, if the reinforcing member 500 is made of a material different from that of the bottom plate 420, the advantages of the respective members may be utilized.

[0087] For example, the reinforcing member 500 may be a pair of steel pipes. Figure 3 As shown, the reinforcing member 500 may be a rectangular steel tube with a square cross section. In addition, the reinforcing member 500 may also be constructed in the form of a hollow tube as shown in the figure. In this case, the weight can be further reduced. However, the present disclosure is not limited to the above form of reinforcing member 500, and any form suitable for fixing the busbar frame assembly 300 and the base plate 420 to each other may be utilized.

[0088] The reinforcing member 500 is preferably a steel pipe. Although the steel pipe can be made of steel, the material of the steel pipe is not limited to steel in the present disclosure, and any material having strength similar to that of steel can be applied. For example, the steel pipe can be a metal pipe different from steel, or can be a carbon pipe.

[0089] A pair of reinforcing members 500 may be inserted into the insertion portion 424a of the bottom plate 420. Therefore, both sides of the bottom plate 420 may be firmly supported. As described above, even if the bottom plate 420 is manufactured as a plastic injection-molded product, the mechanical properties of the bottom plate 420 may be improved by the reinforcing members 500, thereby ensuring structural stability. Compared to a case where the single unit assembly 100 is supported only by the bottom plate 420, the entire combined structure including the reinforcing members 500 may support the load of the single unit assembly 100, thereby ensuring structural safety.

[0090] Figure 5 is a perspective view showing a bottom plate and a reinforcing member of a battery pack according to an embodiment of the present disclosure, and Figure 6 yes Figure 5 A partial enlarged view of .

[0091] like Figure 5 and Figure 6As shown, the support frames 422 of the bottom plate 420 are arranged on the edge extending in the arrangement direction of the cell assembly 100, and protrude upward at predetermined intervals in the arrangement direction of the cell assembly 100. In addition, the bottom plate 420 may further include a concave portion 423 provided between adjacent support frames 422. Here, the arrangement direction of the cell assembly 100 is the same as the stacking direction of the battery cells 101, and the edge of the cell assembly 100 extending in the arrangement direction includes the edges on both sides of the bottom plate 420 along the X-axis direction.

[0092] In addition, the support frame 422 is configured such that the outer surface is inwardly concave, thereby forming an insertion portion 424a. The concave form is configured to be substantially in the shape of a "ㄷ" shape, which matches the shape of the reinforcing member 500. Meanwhile, any concave form is possible instead of the "ㄷ" shape, as long as it matches the shape of the reinforcing member 500. The concave portion 423 may be located between two adjacent support frames 422, such as Figure 6 The support frame 422 may further include a guide rib 425 formed thereon. The guide rib 425 is located between the cell assemblies 100 to provide a gap against the bus bar frame assembly 300 .

[0093] Figure 7 yes Figure 4 Detail of the busbar frame in . Figure 8 and Fig. 9 is a diagram illustrating an assembly process or an assembly structure of a base plate and a plurality of single components according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0094] The concave portion 423 may be configured to match the seating guide block 315 of the busbar frame 310 in shape, such as Figure 7 and Figure 8 Therefore, the single unit assembly 100 can be stably mounted and stored on the bottom plate 420 .

[0095] Next, we will refer to Figure 8 and Fig. 9 The assembly structure and fixing structure between the bottom plate 420 and the plurality of unit components 100 are described.

[0096] Each cell assembly 100 includes a busbar frame assembly 300 having a seating guide block 315, and a bottom plate 420 having concave portions 423 at predetermined intervals. The number of seating guide blocks 315 provided in the cell assembly 100 is the same as the number of concave portions 423 provided in the bottom plate 420.

[0097] The support frames 422 protrude around the concave portions 423. The placement guide blocks 315 may be inserted into the concave portions 423 from top to bottom (i.e., in the Z-axis direction) between adjacent support frames 422. The placement guide blocks 315 are easily inserted into the concave portions 423 by vertically passing between the support frames 422. In addition, the concave portions 423 may be configured on the edges of the base plate 420 so that when the placement guide blocks 315 of each cell assembly 100 are inserted into each corresponding concave portion 423, the cell assemblies 100 are spaced apart from each other on the base plate 420 by a predetermined distance. In addition, the busbar frame 310 of each cell assembly 100 is provided with a mounting plate 314, which may be disposed to contact with an upper surface of the support frame 422, as shown in FIG. Figure 3 and Figure 7 shown.

[0098] In the battery pack 10 including the above-described configuration according to the present disclosure, if each cell assembly 100 is assembled to the bottom plate 420 so that the seating guide block 315 and the concave portion 423 are coupled to match each other in shape, as shown in FIG. Figure 8 As shown, the plurality of cell assemblies 100 can be easily placed at the correct position relative to the bottom plate 420, respectively. In addition, in this case, the guide ribs 425 help guide the position during assembly, and the adjacent cell assemblies 100 can be clearly spaced apart from each other after assembly. According to this implementation configuration of the present disclosure, since the adjacent cell assemblies 100 are spaced apart from each other by a predetermined distance, the flame transfer from the battery cell 110 in which thermal runaway occurs to the battery cell 110 in another cell assembly 100 adjacent thereto can be delayed. Therefore, the structural stability of the battery pack 10 can be enhanced.

[0099] In addition, since each single unit assembly 100 is inserted so that the placement guide block 315 fits into the concave portion 423 between the two support frames 422, it can be relatively Figure 8 That is, since the installation guide block 315 of the bus bar frame 310 is inserted into the concave portion 423 of the bottom plate 420, and since the support frame 422 protrudes around the concave portion 423 to restrict the movement of the cell assembly 100 to the left and right (in the Y-axis direction), the cell assembly 100 may not move in the Y-axis direction after being installed on the bottom plate 420.

[0100] refer to Fig. 9, when the monomer assembly 100 is placed on the bottom plate 420, while each placement guide block 315 is inserted into each corresponding concave portion 423, the placement guide block 315 and the support frame 422 may be configured to form a continuously assembled wall 424 in the arrangement direction of the monomer assembly 100. That is, the placement guide block 315 and the support frame 422 may be placed so that their internal spaces communicate with each other, and may be placed so that their internal spaces communicate with the internal spaces of another adjacent placement guide block 315 and support frame 422, so that the reinforcing member 500 may be inserted and placed in such a space. That is, in a state where the monomer assembly 100 including the bus bar frame assembly 300 is mounted on the bottom plate 420, the reinforcing member 500 may be inserted to pass through the support frame 422 and the placement guide block 315. Therefore, the reinforcing member 500 may be inserted into the insertion portion 424a, thereby coupling the bus bar frame assembly 300 and the bottom plate 420 via the bus bar frame assembly 300. As described above, the reinforcement member 500 is inserted between the bus bar frame assembly 300 and the bottom plate 420 while passing between the bottom plate 420 and the bus bar frame 310 , thereby coupling the bus bar frame assembly 300 and the bottom plate 420 to each other.

[0101] The assembled wall 424 is configured such that the outer surface is recessed inwardly, thereby defining an insertion portion 424a of the bottom plate 420. Fig. 9 As shown, the reinforcing member 500 may be inserted into the insertion portion 424a from the side.

[0102] The reinforcing member 500 may be configured in a rod shape having a length corresponding to the length of the assembled wall 424. The reinforcing member 500 may be applied to both edges of the bottom plate 420 in substantially the same manner.

[0103] More specifically, the assembled wall 424 includes an upper receiving wall 424_1, a lower receiving wall 424_2, and a side receiving wall 424_3, and the reinforcing member 500 is a rectangular steel pipe. The upper portion of the reinforcing member 500 may contact the upper receiving wall 424_1, the lower portion of the reinforcing member 500 may contact the lower receiving wall 424_2, and one side portion of the reinforcing member 500 may contact the side receiving wall 424_3.

[0104] The upper receiving wall 424_1 formed by the support frame 422 of the bottom plate 420 and the upper receiving wall 424_1 formed by the placement guide block 315 of the busbar frame 310 are formed side by side without a step therebetween. The lower receiving wall 424_2 formed by the support frame 422 and the lower receiving wall 424_2 formed by the placement guide block 315 are also formed side by side without a step therebetween. The side receiving wall 424_3 formed by the support frame 422 and the side receiving wall 424_3 formed by the placement guide block 315 are also formed side by side without a step therebetween. Therefore, the internal space of the assembled wall 424 is connected to each other in the X-axis, Y-axis and Z-axis directions to integrally form the insertion portion 424a, so that the reinforcing member 500 can be stably inserted into the insertion portion 424a. In addition, the position of the reinforcing member 500 after being inserted into the insertion portion 424a is limited in the X-axis, Y-axis and Z-axis directions.

[0105] Meanwhile, the bottom plate 420 can be further enlarged according to the increase in the size of the battery pack 10, and if it is difficult to manufacture a large injection-molded product of 1 m or more (which increases the cost), the bottom plate 420 can be divided into two or more parts to be injection-molded and then assembled. In this case, the reinforcing member 500 can be inserted into the insertion portion 424a of the two or more parts of the bottom plate 420 to connect the two or more parts of the bottom plate 420. There is no limit to the expansion of the reinforcing member 500 by increasing the number of parts and their lengths. The reinforcing member 500 can be used to support the load of the bottom plate 420 while assembling two or more parts thereof.

[0106] on the other hand, Figure 3 The rubber filler 510 shown may be applied when inserting the reinforcing member 500 so that the reinforcing member 500 is not easily separated from the insertion portion 424a. For example, the rubber filler 510 may be attached to the reinforcing member 500 and then pressed into the insertion portion 424a to couple the support frame 422 of the bottom plate 420. The rubber filler 510 is intended to fix the reinforcing member 500 to the bottom plate 420, and its shape, number or position are not particularly limited.

[0107] The rubber filler 510 is an example of a sealing member. The battery pack 10 of the present disclosure may also include such a sealing member to fix the position of the reinforcing member 500. For assembly, the reinforcing member 500a can be assembled into the insertion portion 424a by applying a sealing member thereto. Then, the assembly is easy, and after assembly, the position can be reliably fixed by the sealing member. The connection between the reinforcing member 500 and the bottom plate 420 and between the reinforcing member 500 and the busbar frame 310 can be further strengthened by the above-mentioned assembly method.

[0108] exist Figure 3In the example shown, the rubber filler 510 covers the inner side surface and the upper and lower surfaces of the reinforcing member 500. For example, because it has a substantially "ㄷ"-shaped cross section, it can cover the reinforcing member 500 except for the side surface directed outward when the reinforcing member 500 is inserted into the insertion portion 424a. For example, the rubber filler 510 can have a size similar to the length of the support frame 422. The rubber filler 510 can be inserted between the reinforcing member 500 and the insertion portion 424a without affecting other members, thereby ensuring the assembly and positioning of the reinforcing member 500.

[0109] According to this implementation configuration, all the monomer assemblies 100 can be fixed to the base plate 420 in the X-axis, Y-axis, and Z-axis directions. That is, each monomer assembly 100 is inserted between the support frames 422 (on both edges) of the base plate 420 so as to restrict movement in the X-axis direction. Since the support frames 422 and the placement guide block 315 are fixed by the reinforcing member 500, the movement of the placement guide block 315 is restricted in the Y-axis direction and the Z-axis direction.

[0110] Afterwards, the top plate 410 may be further assembled to secondarily prevent the reinforcing member 500 from moving, thereby completing the battery pack 10. Figure 1 As shown, the top plate 410 has a structure capable of completely covering the reinforcing member 500 so that it is not separated when coupled to the bottom plate 420. In this battery pack 10, the reinforcing member 500 is not exposed to the outside and is prevented from being separated, and foreign substances such as external air and moisture are blocked from inflow through the assembly area, thereby preventing deterioration.

[0111] Fig.10 yes Figure 1 , showing a cross-sectional view of a battery pack taken along a direction perpendicular to the Y-axis.

[0112] like Fig.10 As shown, the reinforcing member 500 is inserted into the placement guide block 315 of each monomer assembly 100 to limit movement in the X-axis direction and the Z-axis direction. In addition, as described above, the placement guide block 315 of each monomer assembly 100 is inserted into the concave portion 423 to limit movement in the Y-axis direction. As described above, the placement guide block 315 and the support frame 422 also restrict the position of the reinforcing member 500 in the longitudinal direction and the height direction of the reinforcing member 500.

[0113] In addition, since the reinforcing member 500 is inserted to pass through the support frame 422 of the bottom plate 420 and the installation guide block 315 of the bus bar frame 310 of the cell assembly 100, the reinforcing member 500 can fix the bottom plate 420 and the cell assembly 100. That is, the bottom plate 420 and the bus bar frame assembly 300 can be fixed to each other by the reinforcing member 500. As described above, it can be seen that the movement in the X-axis and Z-axis directions can be constrained using the reinforcing member 500, the bottom plate 420 and the bus bar frame 310 without bolts and nuts.

[0114] As described above, the bottom plate 420 and the bus bar frame 310 can be manufactured as a plastic structure by injection molding, and the bottom plate 420 and the bus bar frame 310 are divided into two parts, assembled and fixed by inserting the reinforcement member 500 from one side. The bottom plate 420 and the bus bar frame 310 can be coupled without bolts and nuts, and structural safety can be enhanced.

[0115] The process using bolts and nuts requires continuous management or inspection of the torque for tightening, omission of tightening, and loosening due to the use of the product after tightening. The additional process for tightening and checking the tightening also leads to the problem of increasing the production time of a single product. According to the present disclosure, the use of bolts and nuts can be minimized, making it easy to manage the process and not increasing the production time of a single product.

[0116] The process using bolts and nuts requires continuous management or inspection of the torque for tightening, omission of tightening, and loosening due to the use of the product after tightening. The additional process for tightening and checking the tightening also leads to the problem of increasing the production time of a single product. The present invention proposes a structure that structurally assembles and fixes internal components by minimizing the fixing structure using bolts and nuts in the battery pack 10.

[0117] According to the present disclosure, the design and management factors of the battery pack 10 can be minimized, thereby suppressing the problems caused thereby. That is, a battery pack 10 can be provided that has fewer design variables to be considered to fix the internal battery pack components than when bolts and nuts are used, is easier to manage the process than when bolts and nuts are used, and does not increase the production time of a single product. According to the present disclosure, the material cost is reduced by simplifying the structure and reducing the number of parts. According to the present disclosure, the productivity is improved due to the reduced production time of a single product.

[0118] The bottom plate 420 proposed in the present disclosure has insulation and is lighter than the existing battery pack housing. In the present invention, a reinforcing member 500 is applied to strengthen the rigidity of the bottom plate 420, which may be a plastic injection molded product. As described above, according to the present disclosure, a reinforcing member 500, such as a mechanical structural steel pipe, may be applied to the bottom plate 420, which may be a plastic injection molded product, to strengthen the structure and reduce the weight of the battery pack.

[0119] In particular, the present disclosure suggests modifying the structures of the busbar frame 310 and the bottom plate 420 so that the reinforcement member 500 is inserted or fixed from the side and the busbar frame 310 and the bottom plate 420 can be coupled by the reinforcement member 500. To this end, in the battery pack 10 according to the present disclosure, the busbar frame 310 has a placement guide block 315 provided at the bottom as a protrusion, and the bottom plate 420 has a support frame 422 capable of realizing an insertion portion 424a on both sides thereof, so that when the battery pack 10 is constructed using a plurality of cell assemblies 100, when the reinforcement member 500 is inserted into both sides of the battery pack 10, the reinforcement member 50 extending in the longitudinal direction via the placement guide block 315 and the support frame 422 can fix the cell assembly 100 including the busbar frame assembly 300 and the bottom plate 420.

[0120] According to this configuration of the present disclosure, the cell assembly 100 can be stably fixed, and the weight of the battery pack 10 can be reduced. Insulation can be fully achieved by applying the injection molding material without a separate insulating component. In addition, compared with the case where the cell assembly 100 is supported only by the bottom plate 420, the entire combined structure can support the load of the cell assembly 100 by the reinforcing member 500 passing between the bottom plate 420 and the busbar frame 310, thereby ensuring structural safety.

[0121] Fig.11 is a schematic diagram of an energy storage system according to the present disclosure.

[0122] The energy storage system 20 may include one or more of the above-described battery packs 10 according to the present disclosure. In particular, in order to provide a large energy capacity, the energy storage system 20 may include a plurality of battery packs 10 according to the present disclosure electrically connected to each other. In addition, the energy storage system 20 according to the present disclosure may also include various other elements of energy storage systems known at the time of filing the present disclosure. In addition, the energy storage system 20 may be used in various places or devices, such as a smart grid system or a charging station.

[0123] For example, the energy storage system 20 may include a plurality of battery racks, and the battery rack includes a plurality of battery packs 10 according to the present disclosure. The battery packs 10 may be configured to be accommodated in a rack housing (not shown) while being arranged in the up / down direction. A plurality of battery packs 10 may be installed inside the rack housing so as to be spaced apart from each other in the up / down direction. The rack housing may have a storage space with an opening so that the spaces between the plurality of battery packs 10 are connected to each other in the up / down direction. The battery rack may be equipped with a rack BMS (battery management system) at the top of the plurality of battery packs 10. Here, the rack BMS may be a battery management system that centrally controls the charging and discharging of the plurality of battery packs 10 disposed in the battery rack. In addition, the plurality of battery racks may be electrically connected to each other through rack bus bars (not shown).

[0124] The energy storage system 20 according to the present disclosure may include the battery pack 10 according to the present disclosure, thereby utilizing the advantages of the battery pack 10. Since the electrical insulation and structural safety of the battery pack 10 are ensured, the energy storage system 20 including the battery pack 10 is also safe. Since the structural safety of the battery pack 10 is ensured and since its weight is reduced, it is easy to transport and install the battery pack 10. Since the material cost of the battery pack 10 is reduced and since its productivity is improved, the production cost of the energy storage system 20 including the battery pack 10 can also be reduced.

[0125] Although directional terms indicating directions such as up, down, left, right, front, and rear are used in the present specification, it is obvious to those skilled in the art that these terms are only for convenience of explanation and may vary depending on the position of a target object or the position of an observer.

[0126] As described above, although the present disclosure has been described with reference to limited embodiments and drawings, the present disclosure is not limited thereto, and various modifications and variations are possible within the technical concept of the present disclosure and those skilled in the art to which the present disclosure belongs, within the equivalent scope of the appended claims.

[0127] Reference numerals list

[0128] 10: Battery Pack

[0129] 20: Energy storage device

[0130] 100: Monomer component

[0131] 101: Battery Cell

[0132] 300: Busbar frame assembly

[0133] 310: Busbar frame

[0134] 314: Mounting plate

[0135] 315: Boot block

[0136] 320: Busbar

[0137] 400: Battery pack housing

[0138] 410: Top plate

[0139] 420: Base plate

[0140] 422: Support frame

[0141] 423: Concave part

[0142] 424: Assembled Wall

[0143] 424a: Insertion

[0144] 427: Front panel

[0145] 500: Reinforcement components

[0146] 510: Rubber filler

Claims

1. A battery pack comprising: at least one cell assembly, the cell assembly comprising a busbar frame assembly and a plurality of battery cells; a base plate configured such that the single unit assembly is placed on the base plate; as well as A reinforcement member is configured to fix the bus bar frame assembly and the base plate to each other.

2. The battery pack according to claim 1, in, The bottom plate comprises: a substrate on which the monomer assembly is mounted; and a supporting frame provided on both sides of the upper surface of the substrate and having an inserting portion configured such that an outer surface of the supporting frame is recessed inwardly, and wherein the reinforcing member is inserted into the inserting portion.

3. The battery pack according to claim 2, in, The base plate and the supporting frame are integrally injection molded.

4. The battery pack according to claim 2, in, The reinforcement member is inserted into the insertion portion to connect the bus bar frame assembly and the base plate via the bus bar frame assembly.

5. The battery pack according to claim 1, in, The reinforcing member is a pair of steel pipes.

6. The battery pack according to claim 1, in, The bottom plate is made of plastic material, and Wherein, the reinforcing member is made of metal material.

7. The battery pack according to claim 1, Also included is a rubber packing configured to fix a position of the reinforcing member.

8. The battery pack according to claim 2, in, The at least one monomer component is a plurality of monomer components placed side by side, and Wherein, the support frame of the base plate is constructed as follows: The busbar frame assembly is provided on an edge extending along the arrangement direction of the cell assemblies and protrudes upward at predetermined intervals along the arrangement direction of the cell assemblies to support the busbar frame assembly of each cell assembly.

9. The battery pack according to claim 8, in, The bottom plate further includes a concave portion, wherein the concave portion is disposed between adjacent support frames. wherein the busbar frame assembly of each single assembly comprises a busbar frame made of an electrically insulating material, and Wherein, the busbar frame comprises: A mounting plate placed on an upper surface of the support frame; and A seating guide block protrudes downward from the mounting plate so as to be inserted into the corresponding concave portion.

10. The battery pack according to claim 9, in, The mounting plate and the seating guide block are integrally injection-molded with the busbar frame.

11. The battery pack according to claim 9, in, The seating guide block vertically passes between the support frames and is inserted into the concave portion.

12. The battery pack according to claim 9, in, The installation guide blocks and the support frame are configured to form a continuously assembled wall in the arrangement direction of the single body assembly while each installation guide block is inserted into each corresponding concave portion when the single body assembly is installed on the bottom plate, and wherein the assembled walls define the insert portion.

13. The battery pack according to claim 12, in, The seating guide block and the supporting frame restrict movement of the reinforcing member in a longitudinal direction and a height direction of the reinforcing member.

14. The battery pack according to claim 12, in, The assembled wall includes an upper receiving wall, a lower receiving wall and a side receiving wall, Wherein, the reinforcing member is a rectangular steel tube, and The upper portion of the steel pipe contacts the upper receiving wall, the lower portion of the steel pipe contacts the lower receiving wall, and one side portion of the steel pipe contacts the side receiving wall.

15. An energy storage system comprising at least one battery pack according to any one of claims 1 to 14.

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