Battery pack module

Abstract

A battery pack module for a vehicle is provided. A battery pack module includes a battery assembly having a plurality of battery cells stacked on top of each other in one direction. The cooling channel integrated plate is positioned to face the battery assembly in a direction perpendicular to a direction in which the battery cells are stacked. The cooling channel integrated board includes a cooling channel formed therein, and cooling water flows through the cooling channel. The thermally conductive adhesive layer adheres the battery assembly and the cooling channel integrated board to each other.

Description

[0001] This application is a divisional application of the invention patent application with the invention name “Battery Pack Module” and application number “201811483742.9” filed on December 5, 2018. Field of the Invention

[0002] The present invention generally relates to a battery module, and more particularly, to a battery module which does not require a separate cooling channel on the outside of the battery module by embedding a cooling channel through which cooling water flows into an outer plate of the battery module. Background Art

[0003] The problems of global warming and environmental pollution caused by the use of fossil fuels have led to active research and development of environmentally friendly vehicles to minimize the emission of pollution in the automobile industry, and the market for such vehicles is gradually expanding. Examples of environmentally friendly vehicles include electric vehicles, hybrid vehicles, and plug-in hybrid vehicles using electric motors, which generate driving force by using electric energy instead of an internal combustion engine that generates driving force by burning fossil fuels. Among these environmentally friendly vehicles using electric energy, in electric vehicles and plug-in hybrid vehicles, power is provided from an external charging facility connected to a power grid to charge a battery pack in the vehicle, and the power charged and stored in the battery pack is used to generate kinetic energy to move the vehicle.

[0004] The battery packs used in these environmentally friendly vehicles need to have high output, thereby generating a large amount of heat. Therefore, in order to improve the performance and life of the battery pack, it is important to ensure that the heat generated in the battery pack is effectively discharged to the outside, thereby preventing the battery pack from overheating. The battery to be applied to the vehicle is usually manufactured by stacking a plurality of battery cells to form a single module. In order to discharge the heat of a battery pack of such a module structure (hereinafter, also referred to as a "battery module"), the related art has adopted a battery module cooling structure, in which a separate cooling channel through which cooling water flows is provided on the outside of the battery module, and at the same time, heat dissipation fins are provided between the individual battery cells inside the battery module to arrange the heat dissipation fins to contact the cooling channel outside the battery module.

[0005] Such a battery pack module cooling structure in the related art requires a separate cooling channel, which increases the number of components and the number of assembly steps, resulting in increased costs or an increase in the overall size of the battery pack system. In addition, heat transfer in the battery pack module cooling structure in the related art is performed only through the heat dissipation fins, resulting in reduced cooling efficiency. Moreover, the battery pack module cooling structure in the related art has limited application to battery pack structures, in which a large amount of heat is generated due to an increase in battery capacity due to the development of high-performance vehicles.

[0006] The foregoing content is only intended to help understand the background of the present invention, and is not intended to indicate that the present invention falls within the scope of the relevant technologies already known to those skilled in the art. Summary of the invention

[0007] Therefore, the present invention provides a battery module capable of improving its cooling performance while reducing the number and size of components of the battery system.

[0008] According to one aspect of the present invention, a battery module may include: a battery assembly having a plurality of battery cells stacked on top of each other in one direction; a cooling channel integrated plate positioned to face the battery assembly in a direction perpendicular to the direction in which the battery cells are stacked, the cooling channel integrated plate having a cooling channel formed therein through which cooling water can flow; and a thermally conductive adhesive layer that adheres the battery assembly and the cooling channel integrated plate to each other.

[0009] In an exemplary embodiment of the present invention, the cooling channel integrated plate may be made of a metal material and may have a single structure in which there is no empty space or gap except for the area where the cooling channel is formed. In addition, the cooling channel integrated plate may be manufactured by casting, in which a metal tube filled with a filler is set at a predetermined position in a mold and cast using a metal of the same material as the metal tube in a state in which the metal tube is placed in the mold.

[0010] The battery module may further include a plurality of heat dissipation fins arranged between the plurality of battery cells, and each heat dissipation fin has a first portion in contact with a surface of an adjacent battery cell and a second portion disposed at each end of the first portion, the second portion in contact with a surface of the cooling channel integrated plate. The cooling channel integrated plate may include: a protrusion extending from a surface of the cooling channel integrated plate to be arranged between the second portions of the plurality of heat dissipation fins, the surface in contact with the second portions of the plurality of heat dissipation fins.

[0011] In addition, the battery module may further include end plates, which are respectively positioned on the outer surfaces of the outermost battery cells of the battery assembly and apply surface pressure to the interior of the battery assembly, the end plates being engaged with the cooling channel integrated plate. The thermally conductive adhesive layer may be in direct contact with the ends of the plurality of battery cells and with the cooling channel integrated plate.

[0012] According to the battery pack module, a cooling channel through which cooling water flows may be provided in an upper plate and / or a lower plate of the battery pack module. Therefore, a separate cooling channel outside the module may be omitted. Therefore, the number and size of components required to implement the battery pack system may be significantly reduced. In addition, according to the battery pack module, the ends of the battery cells in the battery pack module and the upper plate and / or the lower plate provided with the cooling channel are in a mutual heat exchange relationship by means of a thermally conductive adhesive layer. Therefore, relative to conventional systems that perform indirect cooling only by heat dissipation fins, the present invention may provide the following advantages: a short heat transfer channel and a wide heat exchangeable area, resulting in a significantly improved cooling efficiency.

[0013] Specifically, the present application provides the following implementation modes.

[0014] 1. A battery module, comprising:

[0015] a battery assembly having a plurality of battery cells stacked on top of each other in one direction;

[0016] a cooling channel integrated plate positioned to face the battery assembly in a direction perpendicular to the direction in which the battery cells are stacked, wherein the cooling channel integrated plate includes cooling channels formed therein through which cooling water flows; and

[0017] A thermally conductive adhesive layer adheres the battery assembly and the cooling channel integrated plate to each other.

[0018] 2. The battery pack module according to embodiment 1, wherein the cooling channel integrated plate is made of a metal material and has a single structure in which no empty space exists except for a region where the cooling channel is formed.

[0019] 3. A battery pack module according to embodiment 2, wherein the cooling channel integrated plate is manufactured by casting, wherein a metal tube filled with a filler is arranged at a predetermined position in a mold, and while the metal tube is arranged in the mold, a metal of the same material as the metal tube is used for casting.

[0020] 4. The battery pack module according to embodiment 1, further comprising:

[0021] a plurality of heat dissipation fins arranged between the plurality of battery cells,

[0022] wherein each heat dissipating fin comprises a first portion contacting a surface of an adjacent battery cell and a second portion disposed at each end of the first portion, and

[0023] The second portion is in contact with the surface of the cooling channel integrated plate.

[0024] 5. The battery pack module according to embodiment 4, wherein the cooling channel integrated plate comprises:

[0025] a protrusion extending from a surface of the cooling channel integrated plate to be arranged between the second portions of the plurality of heat dissipation fins,

[0026] The surface of the cooling channel integrated plate is in contact with the second portions of the plurality of heat dissipating fins.

[0027] 6. The battery pack module according to embodiment 1, further comprising:

[0028] end plates, which are respectively positioned on outer surfaces of the outermost battery cells of the battery assembly and apply surface pressure to the interior of the battery assembly,

[0029] The end plate is coupled to the cooling channel integrated plate.

[0030] 7. The battery module of embodiment 1, wherein the thermally conductive adhesive layer is in direct contact with ends of the plurality of battery cells and with the cooling channel integrated plate.

[0031] 8. A vehicle comprising the battery module according to embodiment 1. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0032] The above and other objects, features and other advantages of the present invention will be more clearly understood from the following detailed description when taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, in which:

[0033] Figure 1 is a perspective view showing a battery pack module according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention;

[0034] Figure 2 is a detailed perspective view showing a battery pack module according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention;

[0035] Figure 3 is a cross-sectional view showing a battery pack module according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention;

[0036] Figure 4 is a diagram showing an exemplary embodiment of the present invention. Figure 3 an enlarged view of a portion of the cross-sectional view shown;

[0037] Figure 5is a cross-sectional view showing a battery pack module according to another exemplary embodiment of the present invention;

[0038] Figure 6 is a diagram showing an exemplary embodiment of the present invention. Figure 5 an enlarged view of a portion of the cross-sectional view shown; and

[0039] Figure 7 and Figure 8 The drawings in FIG. 1 show examples of cooling channels formed in a cooling channel integrated plate of a battery pack module according to various exemplary embodiments of the present invention. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0040] It should be understood that the term "vehicle" or "vehicle-borne" or other similar terms as used herein generally include motor vehicles such as passenger cars (including sport utility vehicles (SUVs), buses), trucks, various commercial vehicles, watercraft (including various ships and vessels), aircraft, etc., and include hybrid vehicles, electric vehicles, plug-in hybrid electric vehicles, hydrogen-powered vehicles and other alternative fuel (e.g., fuels derived from resources other than petroleum) vehicles. As mentioned herein, a hybrid vehicle is a vehicle having two or more power sources, for example, gasoline-powered and electric-powered vehicles.

[0041] The terms used herein are only used for the purpose of describing specific embodiments and are not intended to limit the present invention. As used herein, the singular forms "one", "an" and "the" are also intended to include plural forms unless the context clearly indicates otherwise. It should also be understood that when used in this specification, the terms "include" and / or "comprise" specify the presence of the described features, integers, steps, operations, elements and / or components, but do not exclude the presence or addition of one or more other features, integers, steps, operations, elements, components and / or combinations thereof. As used herein, the term "and / or" includes any and all combinations of one or more of the associated listed items.

[0042] Although the exemplary embodiments are described as using multiple units to perform the exemplary processes, it should be understood that the exemplary processes can also be performed by one or more modules. In addition, it should be understood that the term controller / control unit refers to a hardware device including a memory and a processor. The memory is configured to store the modules, and the processor is specifically configured to execute the modules to perform one or more processes further described below.

[0043] Hereinafter, an exemplary embodiment of a battery pack module according to the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. In all drawings, the same reference numerals will refer to the same or similar components.

[0044] Figure 1is a perspective view showing a battery pack module according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention, Figure 2 is a detailed perspective view showing a battery pack module according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention.

[0045] Reference Figure 1 and Figure 2 , a battery pack module 10 according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention may include: a battery assembly 20 having a plurality of battery pack cells 21 stacked on top of each other; a cooling channel integrated plate 13 positioned on either an upper portion or a lower portion of the battery assembly 20 and having a cooling channel 131 formed therein and through which cooling water flows; and a thermally conductive adhesive layer 17 inserted between the battery assembly 20 and the cooling channel integrated plate 13, and the battery assembly and the cooling channel integrated plate can thereby adhere to each other.

[0046] The battery assembly 20 may include a plurality of battery cells 21 stacked on top of each other in one direction and electrically connected to each other. Each of the battery cells 21 may form a unit for storing a predetermined amount of electrical energy. The plurality of battery cells 21 have an electrically connected relationship, which may be established by selectively applying a series or parallel connection structure as needed. The voltage and capacity of the battery module may be determined by the number of battery cells 12 and by the interconnection relationship between the individual cells. The voltage sensing circuit 19 configured to detect the voltage of each of the battery cells 21 may be positioned on one side of the battery assembly 20, i.e., positioned in parallel with the battery assembly 20. Figure 2 The direction in which the battery cells 21 are stacked is perpendicular to the side surface thereof. Voltage information of each of the battery cells 21 detected by the voltage sensing circuit 19 may be transmitted to a controller or the like configured to manage the battery pack.

[0047] The cooling channel integrated plate 13 may be formed as a single plate-like structure in which cooling channels 131 are formed so that cooling water flows through the cooling channels. The cooling channel integrated plate 13 may cover and protect the upper and lower portions of the battery assembly 20 in the battery pack module 10 having a hexahedral shape. The cooling channel integrated plate 13 may also function as a cooling channel that cools the battery cells 21 by using cooling water flowing through the cooling channels 131 formed therein. The cooling channel integrated plate 13 may be positioned to face the battery assembly 20 in a direction perpendicular to the direction in which the battery cells 21 are stacked. Figure 2 In the embodiment, the cooling channel integrated plate 13 may be positioned on the upper and lower portions of the battery assembly 20. However, the cooling channel integrated plate 13 may be positioned on at least one of the upper and lower portions of the battery assembly.

[0048] Moreover, the cooling channel integrated plate 13 can be formed of a metal material (e.g., aluminum, etc.) that promotes heat transfer to improve cooling performance. The cooling channel 131 formed in the cooling channel integrated plate 13 can adopt a multi-flow channel structure to improve cooling efficiency. There is a need for a method for processing the cooling channels 131 of each structure in the metal cooling channel integrated plate 13, the above-mentioned metal cooling channel integrated plate has a single structure, that is, has a structure in which there is no empty space except for the area where the cooling channel 131 is formed.

[0049] In an exemplary embodiment of the present invention, the cooling channel integrated plate 13 can be manufactured by casting, wherein a metal tube filled with a filler is set at a predetermined position in a mold, and in a state where the metal tube is set in the mold, a metal of the same material as the metal tube is used for casting. Specifically, an exemplary embodiment of the present invention can adopt a combi-core technology. The combi-core technology is a technology of filling a filler in a metal tube, processing the filler to form a desired structure, and then removing the filler. In addition, a tube made of the same material (e.g., aluminum) as the material used for the cooling channel integrated plate 13 is provided, and the interior of the tube can be filled with a filler such as salt, and then the tube can be extended to increase the length while reducing the diameter through processes such as drawing and extrusion.

[0050] Thereafter, the extended tube can be formed to have a desired cooling channel structure, and the formed tube can be inserted into a mold, and then, a cooling channel integrated plate can be cast using a metal of the same material as the tube, thereby manufacturing the cooling channel integrated plate 13. Thereafter, the filler in the tube can be removed by a water jet method or the like, thereby producing a cooling channel integrated plate 13 having a desired cooling channel structure. Specifically, when the material of the tube provided to form the cooling channel 131 is determined to be the same as the material of the cooling channel integrated plate 13, the formation of an interface therebetween can be prevented, which results in excellent heat transfer efficiency.

[0051] The thermally conductive adhesive layer 17 allows the battery assembly 20 and the cooling channel integrated board 13 to adhere to each other, and allows the heat of the battery assembly 20 to be effectively transferred to the cooling channel integrated board 13. The thermally conductive adhesive layer 17 can be formed by curing an adhesive having thermal conductivity. In addition, the thermally conductive adhesive layer 17 can have electrical insulation properties to prevent accidents caused by electrical short circuits. Specifically, the thermally conductive adhesive layer 17 can have one surface (e.g., a first surface) thereof that is in direct contact with the battery cell 21 and another surface (e.g., a second surface) that is in direct contact with the cooling channel integrated board 13.

[0052] The battery module 10 according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention may further include end plates 11, which are respectively positioned on the outer surfaces of the outermost battery cells of the battery assembly 20 and apply surface pressure to the interior of the battery assembly 20. The end plates 11 can provide appropriate surface pressure to the stacked battery cells, thereby suppressing battery expansion that may occur when the battery module is charged. The end plates 11 can be arranged in front and behind the battery module 10, that is, the end plates 11 can be stacked on the battery cells 21 so that the end plates and the batteries are arranged side by side in a row. The end plates 11 can be firmly assembled to provide appropriate surface pressure so that they can be joined with the cooling channel integrated plates 13 provided on the upper and lower parts of the battery assembly by laser welding or the like.

[0053] Figure 3 FIG. 1 is a diagram showing a battery pack module according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention. Figure 2 The cross-sectional view taken along the L-L' line, Figure 4 Yes Display Figure 3 An enlarged view of a portion of the cross-sectional view shown. Figure 3 and Figure 4 An exemplary embodiment is shown in which a plurality of heat dissipation fins 23 may be provided between a plurality of stacked battery cells 21 so as to be arranged at predetermined intervals. Each of the heat dissipation fins 23 may include a first portion 231 in direct contact with an adjacent battery cell 21 of the battery cell 21 and a second portion 231 extending vertically from each end of the first portion 231, the second portion being in direct contact with the cooling channel integrated plate 13. Figure 3 and Figure 4 As shown, the heat dissipating fins 23 may have an "I" cross-sectional shape.

[0054] like Figure 4 As shown, in an exemplary embodiment including the heat dissipation fins 23, the first portion 231 and the second portion 233 of the heat dissipation fins 23 can transfer the heat of the central portion of the battery cell 21 to the cooling channel integrated plate 13 disposed above and below the battery. Figure 3 and 4 In the cooling structure shown, the cooling channel integrated plate 13 may have a protrusion 137 formed on its surface facing the battery cell 21 to be arranged between the portions in contact with the second portion 233 of the heat dissipation fin 23. The protrusion 137 may temporarily fix the heat dissipation fin 23 in place, thereby preventing the heat dissipation fin 23 from deviating from the desired position.

[0055] Moreover, in Figure 3 and Figure 4In the illustrated exemplary embodiment, the thermally conductive adhesive layer 17 may directly contact the upper and lower ends of the battery cells 21 so that heat emitted from the upper and lower ends of the battery cells 21 is transferred to the cooling channel integrated plate 13. Thus, an improved cooling effect may be achieved.

[0056] Figure 5 FIG. 2 is a diagram showing a battery pack module according to another exemplary embodiment of the present invention. Figure 2 The cross-sectional view taken along the L-L' line, Figure 6 Yes Display Figure 5 An enlarged view of a portion of the cross-sectional view shown. Figure 5 and 6 In the exemplary embodiment shown, the above-mentioned Figure 3 and Figure 4 The heat dissipation fins 23 in the exemplary embodiment shown. Figure 5 and Figure 6 As shown, although the battery pack module according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention is not provided with heat dissipation fins, the thermally conductive adhesive layer 17 can be in direct contact with the upper and lower ends of the battery pack cell 21, causing the heat emitted from the upper and lower ends of the battery pack cell 21 to be transferred to the cooling channel integrated plate 13 and discharged to the outside.

[0057] Figure 5 and Figure 6 The exemplary embodiments shown are Figure 3 and Figure 4 The illustrated exemplary embodiment differs in that heat transfer by the heat dissipation fins 23 is omitted, so that the relative cooling effect can be reduced. However, this configuration allows the number of components to be reduced, resulting in a reduction in the size of the battery pack module and a reduction in its manufacturing cost.

[0058] Figure 7 and 8 The figure shows an example of a cooling channel formed in a cooling channel integrated plate of a battery pack module according to various exemplary embodiments of the present invention. As described above, the cooling channel 131 formed in the cooling channel integrated plate 13 of the battery pack module according to various exemplary embodiments of the present invention can be varied in configuration as needed. Figure 7 In the illustrated embodiment, the cooling channel 131 is formed to have a serpentine configuration so that one battery cell and the cooling channel 131 intersect at various points along the direction in which the battery cells 21 are stacked. Figure 8 In the illustrated embodiment, a plurality of cooling channels 131 are formed parallel to each other in the longitudinal direction of the battery cells 21 (e.g., in a direction perpendicular to the stacking direction thereof). As described above, in various exemplary embodiments of the present invention, by applying the combined core technology, cooling channels 131 having various desired shapes can be formed.

[0059] Although exemplary embodiments of the present invention have been described for illustrative purposes, those skilled in the art will appreciate that various modifications, additions and substitutions are possible, without departing from the scope and spirit of the invention as disclosed in the accompanying claims.

Claims

1. A battery module, comprising: a battery assembly having a plurality of battery cells stacked on top of each other in one direction; a pair of cooling channel integrated plates disposed to cover upper and lower surfaces of the battery assembly in a direction perpendicular to the direction in which the battery cells are stacked, wherein the cooling channel integrated plates include cooling channels formed therein through which cooling water flows; a pair of end plates, which are respectively disposed on outer surfaces of outermost battery cells on both sides of the battery assembly to apply surface pressure to the interior of the battery assembly and are interconnected with the pair of cooling channel integrated plates; and A pair of side plates are respectively arranged to cover the front surface and the rear surface of the battery assembly. 2 . The battery pack module according to claim 1 , wherein the cooling channel integrated plate is made of a metal material and has a single structure in which no empty space exists except for a region where the cooling channel is formed.

3. The battery pack module according to claim 2, wherein the cooling channel integrated plate is manufactured by casting, wherein a metal tube filled with a filler is set at a predetermined position in a mold, and in a state where the metal tube is set in the mold, a metal of the same material as the metal tube is used for casting.

4. The battery module according to claim 1, further comprising: a plurality of heat dissipation fins disposed between the plurality of battery cells; wherein each heat dissipation fin comprises a first portion in contact with a surface of an adjacent battery cell and a second portion disposed at each end of the first portion, and The second portion is in contact with the surface of the cooling channel integrated plate.

5. The battery pack module according to claim 4, wherein the cooling channel integrated plate comprises: a protrusion extending from a surface of the cooling channel integrated plate to be arranged between the second portions of the plurality of heat dissipation fins, The surface of the cooling channel integrated plate is in contact with the second portions of the plurality of heat dissipation fins.

6. The battery module according to claim 1, further comprising: A thermally conductive adhesive layer is disposed between an upper surface of the battery assembly and the cooling channel integrated plate and between a lower surface of the battery assembly and the cooling channel integrated plate, and adheres the battery assembly and the cooling channel integrated plate to each other. 7 . The battery module according to claim 1 , wherein the thermally conductive adhesive layer is in direct contact with upper and lower surfaces of the plurality of battery cells and with the cooling channel integrated plate.

8. A vehicle comprising the battery module according to claim 1.

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