Battery module and battery pack and vehicle including same

Abstract

The invention discloses a battery module, and a battery pack and a vehicle including the same. A battery module according to an embodiment of the present disclosure includes: a battery cell stack in which a plurality of battery cells are stacked; a case accommodating the cell stack and formed with a first outlet for discharging gas; and an exhaust path member coupled to the housing to provide an exhaust path for the gas, the exhaust path member being provided to allow the gas to be discharged but prevent the flame from flowing out, and having a second outlet formed therein, in which the exhaust path member is configured to cause the gas to move in a linear direction.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This application claims priority to Korean Patent Application No. 10-2023-0024614 filed in Korea on February 23, 2023, the disclosure of which is incorporated herein by reference.

[0002] The present disclosure relates to a battery module, a battery pack and a vehicle including the same, and more particularly, to a battery module that discharges gas but not flame in the event of a battery cell fire, and a battery pack and a vehicle including the same. Background Art

[0003] With the development of technology and the increase in demand for mobile devices, the demand for secondary batteries as energy sources has rapidly increased, and nickel-cadmium batteries or hydrogen-ion batteries have been used as conventional secondary batteries, but recently, lithium secondary batteries, which have almost no memory effect compared to nickel-based secondary batteries and thus have advantages such as free charging and discharging, extremely low self-discharge rate and high energy density, have been widely used.

[0004] These lithium secondary batteries mainly use lithium-based oxides and carbon materials as positive electrode active materials and negative electrode active materials, respectively. The lithium secondary battery includes an electrode assembly, in which a positive electrode plate and a negative electrode plate coated with positive electrode active materials and negative electrode active materials, respectively, are provided with a separator therebetween, and an external material seals and contains the electrode assembly with an electrolyte, i.e., a battery case.

[0005] Lithium secondary batteries are composed of a positive electrode, a negative electrode, a separator between the positive electrode and the negative electrode, and an electrolyte, and are divided into lithium ion batteries (LIB), polymer lithium ion batteries (PLIB), etc. according to what positive electrode active materials and negative electrode active materials are used. Generally, the electrodes of these lithium secondary batteries are formed by coating the positive electrode active material or the negative electrode active material on a current collector such as an aluminum or copper sheet, mesh, film, foil, etc., and then drying it.

[0006] Lithium secondary batteries are currently attracting much attention due to their advantages such as high operating voltage and extremely high energy density, but because they use organic electrolytes, overcharging of lithium secondary batteries can cause overcurrent and overheating, which in severe cases may lead to fire problems caused by explosion or ignition.

[0007] Various types of secondary batteries include a battery module having a case capable of protecting a battery cell and a plurality of battery cells stacked and inserted into the case, and a battery pack including the plurality of battery modules.

[0008] Here, when a flame occurs in at least one battery cell inside the housing of the battery module, if the flame flows out of the housing of the battery module, the flame may not only spread to other battery modules but also cause a dangerous situation to the user.

[0009] For example, if a flame is generated in a battery cell when a battery module or a battery pack is installed in an electric vehicle and the flame leaks to the outside, a driver driving the electric vehicle may be burned or be in a dangerous situation.

[0010] Alternatively, if a flame generated from any battery module spreads to an adjacent battery module, the battery module or the battery pack may be damaged, burned, or exploded due to a chain reaction of the flame, and thus there is a problem in that the stability of the battery module cannot be ensured.

[0011] In order to solve this problem, in the case of a conventional battery module, a zigzag exhaust path member is installed so that the flame is blocked by the exhaust path member and the gas moves along the exhaust path member.

[0012] Figure 1 and Figure 2 is an exemplary view of an exhaust path member of a conventional battery module.

[0013] However, if Figure 1 and Figure 2 As shown, when the baffles 2 provided on the exhaust path member 1 are provided in a zigzag shape in a conventional battery module, there is a dead space through which the gas cannot move (see Figure 1 X in ), or eddy currents (see Figure 2 Y in the figure prevents the gas from flowing smoothly. Summary of the invention

[0014] Technical issues

[0015] The present disclosure aims to solve the problems of the related art, and therefore the present disclosure aims to provide a battery module and a battery pack and a vehicle including the battery module, which can allow gas to be discharged to the outside of the shell in a preset direction, but no flame is discharged in the event of a flame occurring in the battery cell, and can also allow gas to flow smoothly when moving.

[0016] Technical Solution

[0017] According to one aspect of the present disclosure, a battery module may be provided, comprising: a battery cell stack in which a plurality of battery cells are stacked; a shell that accommodates the battery cell stack and is formed with a first outlet for exhausting gas; and an exhaust path member coupled to the shell to provide an exhaust path for the gas, the exhaust path member being configured to allow the gas to be discharged but prevent flames from flowing out and having a second outlet formed therein, wherein the exhaust path member is configured to cause the gas to move in a straight line direction.

[0018] In an embodiment, the exhaust path member may include: a body coupled to the housing and having the second outlet formed therein; and a plurality of partition members formed inside the body and configured to merge the moving gases with each other to move in a linear direction.

[0019] In an embodiment, the partition member may include a plurality of cell partitions having an inclined portion formed to be inclined from a straight line, and a moving space through which a gas may move is formed between the plurality of cell partitions.

[0020] In an embodiment, the plurality of partition members may be arranged in a zigzag shape.

[0021] In an embodiment, the cell separator may include a central portion having a straight line shape, a first inclined portion formed to be inclined from one end of the central portion toward the straight line, and a second inclined portion formed to be inclined from the other end of the central portion toward the straight line.

[0022] In an embodiment, the plurality of cell separators may all be formed in the same size and shape.

[0023] In an embodiment, a first cell separator and an adjacent second cell separator among the plurality of cell separators may be disposed in a direction facing each other.

[0024] In an embodiment, the second inclined portion of the first cell separator among the plurality of cell separators may be disposed close to the first inclined portion of the adjacent second cell separator.

[0025] In an embodiment, the second inclined portion of the first cell separator and the first inclined portion of the adjacent second cell separator among the plurality of cell separators may be disposed to be spaced apart from each other at a preset interval and to be parallel to each other.

[0026] In an embodiment, a first gas moving through a moving space between the second inclined portion of the first unit separator among the plurality of unit separators and the first inclined portion of the adjacent second unit separator, and a second gas moving through a moving space between the second inclined portion of the second unit separator among the plurality of unit separators and the first inclined portion of the adjacent third unit separator may be arranged to merge with each other to move in a straight line.

[0027] Meanwhile, according to another aspect of the present disclosure, a battery pack including the above-mentioned battery module may be provided, and in addition, a vehicle including the battery module may be provided.

[0028] Beneficial Effects

[0029] According to the embodiments of the present disclosure, there is an effect that, in the event of a flame occurring in a battery cell, gas can be discharged to the outside of the housing in a preset direction, but the flame is not discharged, and the gas can also flow smoothly while moving. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0030] Figure 1 and Figure 2 is an exemplary view of an exhaust path member of a conventional battery module.

[0031] Figure 3 is an assembled perspective view of a battery module according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0032] Figure 4 is an exploded perspective view of a battery module according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0033] Figure 5 is a view showing the flow of gas in a partition member of a battery module according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0034] Figure 6 yes Figure 5 An enlarged view of the partition member.

[0035] Figure 7 It is shown in Figure 6 View of the flow of gases. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0036] Hereinafter, preferred embodiments of the present disclosure will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. It should be understood that the terms used in the specification and the appended claims should not be interpreted as limited to the general meaning and dictionary meaning, but should be interpreted based on the meaning and concept corresponding to the technical aspects of the present disclosure in accordance with the principle that the inventor is allowed to appropriately define the terms to obtain the best interpretation. Therefore, the descriptions presented here are only preferred examples for the purpose of illustration and are not intended to limit the scope of the present disclosure, so it should be understood that other equivalents and modifications may be made thereto without departing from the scope of the present disclosure.

[0037] In the accompanying drawings, for the convenience and clarity of description, the size of each component or a specific part of a component is exaggerated, omitted or schematically shown. Therefore, the size of each component does not fully reflect the actual size. If it is determined that a detailed description of a related known function or configuration may unnecessarily obscure the main points of the present disclosure, such description will be omitted.

[0038] As used herein, the term “coupled” or “connected” refers not only to a case where one member is directly coupled or directly connected to another member, but also to a case where one member is indirectly coupled or indirectly connected to another member through a connecting member.

[0039] Figure 3 is a combined perspective view of a battery module according to an embodiment of the present disclosure, Figure 4 is an exploded perspective view of a battery module according to an embodiment of the present disclosure, Figure 5 is a view showing the flow of gas in a partition member of a battery module according to an embodiment of the present disclosure, Figure 6 yes Figure 5 An enlarged view of the partition member, Figure 7 It is shown in Figure 6 View of the flow of gases.

[0040] 1 , a battery module 10 according to an embodiment of the present disclosure includes a battery cell stack 100 , a case 200 , and an exhaust path member 300 .

[0041] Reference Figure 3 and Figure 4 , the battery cell stack 100 may be configured to be stacked with a plurality of battery cells 110. The battery cell 110 may have various structures, and the plurality of battery cells 110 may be stacked in various ways.

[0042] The battery cell 110 may have a structure in which a plurality of unit cells arranged in the order of positive plate-separator-negative plate or a plurality of bi-cells arranged in the order of positive plate-separator-negative plate-separator-positive plate-separator-negative plate are stacked according to the battery capacity.

[0043] An electrode lead may be provided in the battery cell 110. The electrode lead is a type of terminal that is exposed to the outside and connected to an external device, and may be made of a conductive material. The electrode lead may include a positive electrode lead and a negative electrode lead.

[0044] The positive electrode lead and the negative electrode lead may be disposed in opposite directions with respect to the longitudinal direction of the battery cell 110 , or the positive electrode lead and the negative electrode lead may be located in the same direction with respect to the longitudinal direction of the battery cell 110 .

[0045] The battery cell stack 100 may be provided with a plurality of boxes (not shown) accommodating the battery cells 110. Each box (not shown) may be manufactured by injection molding of plastic, and a plurality of boxes (not shown) in which an accommodation portion capable of accommodating the battery cells 110 is formed may be stacked. The box assembly in which the plurality of boxes (not shown) are stacked may be provided with a connector element or a terminal element.

[0046] The connector element may include various types of electrical connection components or connection members for connecting to, for example, a battery management system BMS (Battery Management System, not shown), which may provide data regarding the voltage or temperature of the battery cell 110 .

[0047] And, the terminal element is a main terminal connected to the battery cell 110, and includes a positive terminal and a negative terminal. The terminal element may be electrically connected to the outside by having a terminal bolt. Meanwhile, the battery cell 110 may have various shapes.

[0048] The battery cell stack 100 is accommodated in the case 200. Also, the case 200 surrounds the battery cells 110, thereby protecting the battery cells 110 from external vibration or impact.

[0049] A first outlet 210 for exhausting gas is formed in the housing 200. For example, referring to Figure 4 , the first outlet 210 may be formed at a lower side of the housing 200 , but is not limited thereto.

[0050] The gas moving to the exhaust path member 300 through the first outlet 210 of the housing 200 moves along the exhaust path member 300 and is discharged through the second outlet 311 , but the flame is blocked by the exhaust path member 300 and cannot move.

[0051] The housing 200 may include a mica board made of mica having both heat insulation and heat resistance to prevent flames from flowing out. Here, the mica board may include not only a planar mica board, but also a mixed mica board of a planar surface and a curved surface.

[0052] The case 200 may be formed in a shape corresponding to the shape of the battery cell stack 100. For example, when the battery cells 110 and the battery cell stack 100 are provided in a hexahedral shape having a rectangular cross section, the case 200 may also be provided in a hexahedral shape to correspond thereto.

[0053] For example, the housing 200 can be manufactured by bending a plate made of a metal material, and thus, the housing 200 can be manufactured in one piece. When the housing 200 is manufactured in one piece, the coupling process becomes simple and has a simplified effect. Alternatively, the housing 200 can be provided in a split form, and can also be coupled by welding or the like. However, the material of the housing 200 is not limited to a metal material.

[0054] The exhaust path member 300 is coupled to the housing 200 to provide an exhaust path for the gas, and the exhaust path member 300 is configured to exhaust the gas but prevent the flame from flowing out. Here, a second outlet 311 is formed in the exhaust path member 300 so that the gas moving to the exhaust path member 300 through the first outlet 210 of the housing 200 is discharged to the outside.

[0055] For example, refer to Figure 4 , the second outlet 311 may be formed at a position opposite to the first outlet 210 , but is not limited thereto.

[0056] The exhaust path member 300 is configured to allow the gas to move in a straight direction. Hereinafter, this will be described in detail.

[0057] The exhaust path member 300 may be configured to include a body 310 and a partition member 320. The body 310 is coupled to the housing 200. And, a second outlet 311 is formed in the body 310. The body 310 may be formed in a shape corresponding to the shape of the housing 200, but is not limited thereto.

[0058] The partition member 320 is provided in plurality and formed inside the body 310. The plurality of partition members 320 are arranged in various shapes so that the moving gases merge with each other to move in a straight direction.

[0059] For example, Figure 6 As shown, the partition member 320 may be formed of a plurality of unit partitions 321. A detailed description thereof will be provided later. Figure 5 As shown, the plurality of partition members 320 may be arranged in a zigzag shape.

[0060] Reference Figure 7 , the partition member 320 may include a plurality of cell partitions 321a, 321b, 321c. Here, the number of the plurality of cell partitions 321a, 321b, 321c may vary.

[0061] And, refer to Figure 6 The cell separator 321 is formed to have inclined portions 323 and 324 formed to be inclined from a straight line. For example, any one of the cell separators 321 may be configured to include a central portion 322 , a first inclined portion 323 , and a second inclined portion 324 .

[0062] The central portion 322 may be formed in a straight line shape, and the first inclined portion 323 may be formed to be inclined in a straight line from one end of the central portion 322 , and the second inclined portion 324 may be formed to be inclined in a straight line from the other end of the central portion 322 .

[0063] like Figures 5 to 7 As shown, the plurality of cell dividers 321a, 321b, 321c may all be formed in the same size and shape, but the present disclosure is not limited thereto.

[0064] Reference Figure 7 The first cell separator 321a and the adjacent second cell separator 321b among the plurality of cell separators 321a, 321b, 321c may be arranged in a direction facing each other. In addition, the second cell separator 321b and the adjacent third cell separator 321c may also be arranged in a direction facing each other.

[0065] Also, the second inclined portion 324a of the first cell separator 321a among the plurality of cell separators 321a, 321b, and 321c may be arranged to be close to the first inclined portion 323b of the adjacent second cell separator 321b.

[0066] Also, for example, the second inclined portion 324a of a first cell separator 321a and the first inclined portion 323b of an adjacent second cell separator 321b among the plurality of cell separators 321a, 321b, 321c may be disposed to be spaced apart from each other at a preset interval and parallel to each other.

[0067] Therefore, a moving space 400 (see FIG. 4 ) through which gas can move may be formed between the plurality of cell partitions 321a, 321b, and 321c. Figure 6 ).

[0068] For example, refer to Figure 7 The first gas 510 moves through the moving space 400 between the second inclined portion 324a of the first cell separator 321a and the first inclined portion 323b of the adjacent second cell separator 321b among the plurality of cell separators 321a, 321b, and 321c.

[0069] And, the second gas 520 moves through the moving space 400 between the second inclined portion 324b of the second cell separator 321b and the first inclined portion 323c of the adjacent third cell separator 321c among the plurality of cell separators 321a, 321b, 321c. Then, the first gas 510 and the second gas 520 merge with each other to move in a straight line (see Figure 7 Arrow f).

[0070] In addition, if Figure 5 As shown, the third gas 530 may move along a curved line along the spaces between the plurality of partition members 320 .

[0071] That is, the gas moving to the exhaust path member 300 through the first outlet 210 may move in a straight line direction as the first gas 510 and the second gas 520 merge, or may move in a curved line direction like the third gas 530. Figure 1 Dead space and Figure 2 eddies, which has the effect of allowing the gas to flow smoothly as it moves.

[0072] Hereinafter, the configuration and operational effects of the battery module 10 according to an embodiment of the present disclosure will be described.

[0073] Reference Figure 4 , the exhaust path member 300 is coupled to the lower portion of the housing 200. Then, the gas moving to the exhaust path member 300 through the first outlet 210 of the housing 200 continues to move along the exhaust path member 300 and is discharged through the second outlet 311, but the flame is blocked by the exhaust path member 300 and is prevented from moving.

[0074] At this time, the exhaust path member 300 is provided with a plurality of cell partitions 321 having inclined portions 323, 324 formed to be inclined from a straight line, and as shown in FIG. Figure 6 As shown, the plurality of cell separators 321 are arranged to face each other alternately. Figure 5 As shown, a plurality of partition members 320 including cell partitions 321 are provided, and the plurality of partition members 320 are arranged in a zigzag manner.

[0075] And, if Figure 7 As shown, the first gas 510 and the second gas 520 may merge with each other while moving along the cell partition 321 and move in a straight line direction, and as shown in FIG. Figure 5 As shown, the third gas 530 can move in a curved direction. Therefore, the gas can be allowed to flow smoothly.

[0076] Meanwhile, a battery pack (not shown) according to an embodiment of the present disclosure may include one or more battery modules 10 according to an embodiment of the present disclosure as described above. In addition, in addition to the battery module 10, the battery pack (not shown) may further include a housing for accommodating the battery module 10 and various devices for controlling the charging and discharging of the battery module 10, such as a BMS, a current sensor, a fuse, etc.

[0077] Meanwhile, a vehicle (not shown) according to an embodiment of the present disclosure may include the above-described battery module 10 or a battery pack (not shown), and a battery pack (not shown) may include the battery module 10. Also, the battery module 10 according to an embodiment of the present disclosure may be applied to a vehicle (not shown), for example, a predetermined vehicle (not shown) designed to use electric power, such as an electric vehicle or a hybrid vehicle.

[0078] The present disclosure has been described above with respect to a limited number of embodiments and drawings, but the present disclosure is not limited thereto, and it is apparent to those skilled in the art that various modifications and changes may be made thereto within the technical aspects of the present disclosure and the equivalent scope of the appended claims.

[0079] Industrial Applicability

[0080] The present disclosure relates to a battery module, a battery pack and a vehicle including the battery module, and is particularly applicable to industries related to secondary batteries.

Claims

1. A battery module, comprising: a battery cell stack in which a plurality of battery cells are stacked; a housing accommodating the battery cell stack and having a first outlet for exhaust gas formed therein; as well as an exhaust path member coupled to the housing to provide an exhaust path for the gas, the exhaust path member being configured to allow the gas to escape but prevent flames from flowing out and having a second outlet formed therein, The exhaust path member is configured so that the gas moves in a straight line direction.

2. The battery module according to claim 1, in, The exhaust path component comprises: a main body coupled to the housing and having the second outlet formed therein; and A plurality of partition members are formed inside the body and are provided to merge the moving gases with each other to move in a linear direction.

3. The battery module according to claim 2, in, The partition member includes a plurality of cell partitions having inclined portions formed to be inclined from a straight line, and A moving space through which a gas can move is formed between the plurality of cell partitions.

4. The battery module according to claim 3, The plurality of partition members are arranged in a zigzag shape.

5. The battery module according to claim 3, The cell separator comprises: A central portion having a straight shape; A first inclined portion formed to be inclined from one end of the central portion toward a straight line; as well as The second inclined portion is formed to be inclined from the other end of the central portion toward the straight line.

6. The battery module according to claim 5, in, The plurality of cell separators are all formed in the same size and shape.

7. The battery module according to claim 6, in, A first cell separator and an adjacent second cell separator among the plurality of cell separators are disposed in a direction facing each other.

8. The battery module according to claim 7, in, The second inclined portion of the first cell separator among the plurality of cell separators is disposed close to the first inclined portion of the adjacent second cell separator.

9. The battery module according to claim 8, in, The second inclined portion of the first cell partition among the plurality of cell partitions and the first inclined portion of the adjacent second cell partition are disposed to be spaced apart from each other at a preset interval and to be parallel to each other.

10. The battery module according to claim 9, in, The first gas moving through the moving space between the second inclined portion of the first unit separator among the multiple unit separators and the first inclined portion of the adjacent second unit separator, and the second gas moving through the moving space between the second inclined portion of the second unit separator among the multiple unit separators and the first inclined portion of the adjacent third unit separator are set to merge with each other to move in a straight line.

11. A battery pack comprising the battery module according to any one of claims 1 to 10.

12. A vehicle comprising the battery module according to any one of claims 1 to 10.

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