Battery pack

By adopting a combined structure of insulating components and cooling plates in the battery pack, the temperature difference problem between the top and bottom parts of the electrode assembly is solved, achieving more efficient cooling performance and safety, extending battery life and improving safety.

CN120600969APending Publication Date: 2025-09-05SAMSUNG SDI CO LTD
View PDF 1 Cites 0 Cited by

Patent Information

Application Number
CN202411700157.5
Authority / Receiving Office
CN · China
Patent Type
Applications(China)
Current Assignee / Owner
Priority Date
2024-03-04
Filing Date
2024-11-26
Publication Date
2025-09-05

AI Technical Summary

Technical Problem

Existing battery packs have deficiencies in cooling performance and safety, especially the large temperature difference between the top and bottom portions of the electrode assembly, which affects the overall performance and safety of the battery pack.

Method used

A combined structure of an insulating component and a cooling plate is adopted. The insulating component includes an insulating part and a heat transfer part with high thermal conductivity, which is used to reduce heat transfer between battery cells and efficiently dissipate heat through the cooling plate, combined with a thermal interface material to optimize heat transfer.

Benefits of technology

Effectively reduce the temperature deviation of the electrode components inside the battery cell, improve cooling performance, extend battery life and enhance safety, and prevent potential problems caused by temperature differences.

✦ Generated by Eureka AI based on patent content.

Smart Images

  • Figure CN120600969A_ABST
    Figure CN120600969A_ABST
Patent Text Reader

Abstract

A battery pack may include: a battery cell; a cooling plate on one side of the battery cells; and an insulating member having an insulating portion, a pair of first heat transfer portions on both sides of the insulating portion, and a first layer on at least a portion of the first heat transfer portions and having a thermal conductivity higher than that of the insulating portion. The temperature deviation between the top portion and the bottom portion of the electrode assembly inside the battery cell may be reduced, thereby improving the cooling performance of the battery cell. In addition, the life of the battery cells can be prolonged by improving cooling performance, and the safety of the battery pack can be improved by preventing events such as deterioration and heat generation.
Need to check novelty before this filing date? Find Prior Art

Description

[0001] CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

[0002] This application claims priority to and the benefit of Korean Patent Application No. 10-2024-0030417 filed in the Korean Intellectual Property Office on March 4, 2024, the disclosure of which is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety. Technical Field

[0003] Embodiments of the present disclosure relate to a battery pack. Background Art

[0004] In general, unlike non-rechargeable primary batteries, secondary batteries can be discharged and charged. Secondary batteries are used as energy sources such as mobile devices, electric vehicles, hybrid vehicles, electric bicycles or uninterruptible power supplies (UPS). Depending on the type of external device used with the battery, the secondary battery can be used in the form of a single battery or a battery pack in which a plurality of batteries are connected. Secondary batteries in the form of battery packs are mainly used in devices that run for a long time and require high power, such as hybrid vehicles or electric vehicles.

[0005] Safety is an important factor in battery packs used in automobiles, and therefore there is a need to improve cooling performance, one of the factors that has the greatest impact on safety.

[0006] The above information disclosed in this Background section is only for enhancement of understanding of the background of the invention and therefore it may contain information that does not constitute prior art. Summary of the Invention

[0007] Embodiments of the present disclosure provide a battery pack that can improve cooling performance and safety by reducing a temperature deviation between top and bottom portions of an electrode assembly inside a battery cell.

[0008] A battery pack according to an embodiment of the present disclosure may include: a battery cell; a cooling plate on one side of the battery cell; and an insulating member between adjacent battery cells and having: an insulating portion, a pair of first heat transfer portions on both sides of the insulating portion, and a first layer on at least a portion of the first heat transfer portion, the first layer having a thermal conductivity higher than that of the insulating portion.

[0009] The insulating part may include an insulating material.

[0010] The insulating part may have a shape corresponding to a long side of the battery cell.

[0011] The top end of the insulating part may have substantially the same height as the top end of the battery cell, or may protrude from the top end of the battery cell.

[0012] The pair of first heat transfer portions may be between the long side of one of the battery cells and the long side of the insulating portion.

[0013] The first heat transfer portion may have substantially the same height as a top end of the insulating portion, or may have a lower height than a top end of the insulating portion.

[0014] The first heat transfer portion may be a metal plate having a higher thermal conductivity than that of the insulating portion.

[0015] The cooling plate may be at the bottom end of the battery cell.

[0016] The first heat transfer portion may include a support portion of which a lower end facing the cooling plate is bent at a preset angle; and a heat conductive layer on a plate surface of the first heat transfer portion facing the insulating portion and having a higher thermal conductivity than that of the insulating portion.

[0017] The support portion may be bent upward at an angle smaller than 90 degrees relative to the cooling plate.

[0018] The upwardly bent lower end of the support portion can support the lower end of the insulating portion.

[0019] The insulating member may further include a second heat transfer portion including the first layer and a second layer in a region other than the first layer.

[0020] The first layer and the second layer may be on a plate surface of the first heat transfer portion facing one of the battery cells.

[0021] Each of the battery cells may include a hexahedral case, an electrode assembly accommodated in the case, a cap plate coupled to a top of the case, and a pair of electrode terminals electrically connected to the electrode assembly and on the cap plate.

[0022] The first layer may be in a region adjacent to the electrode terminal.

[0023] The second layer may include a material having a lower thermal conductivity than the first layer.

[0024] Each of the first layer and the second layer may be a coating layer on the first heat transfer portion.

[0025] A thermal interface material (TIM) may be included between the support, the battery cells, and the cooling plate. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0026] Figure 1 FIG. 1 is a perspective view illustrating a battery pack according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0027] Figure 2 Based on Figure 1 Exploded perspective view of the battery pack.

[0028] Figure 3To schematically illustrate the Figure 1 FIG. 5 is a diagram of cross sections of some battery cells and insulating members.

[0029] Figure 4 To show the basis Figure 3 An enlarged schematic diagram of the structure of the insulating component.

[0030] Figure 5 To show the basis Figure 3 A front view of a partial structure of an insulating component. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0031] The examples of the present disclosure are provided to explain the present disclosure more completely to those skilled in the art, and the following examples can be modified in various other forms. However, the present disclosure can be embodied in many different forms and should not be interpreted as being limited to the example (exemplary) embodiments stated herein. On the contrary, these example embodiments are provided so that the present disclosure will be thorough and complete, and the aspects and features of the present disclosure will be conveyed to those skilled in the art.

[0032] In addition, in the accompanying drawings, the size or thickness of various components are exaggerated for simplicity and clarity. The same number refers to the same element throughout. As used herein, the term "and / or" includes any and all combinations of one or more of the relevant enumerated items. In addition, it will be understood that when element A is referred to as being "connected to" element B, element A can be directly connected to element B, or an intervening element C can be present between element A and element B so that element A and element B are indirectly connected to each other.

[0033] The terms used herein are for the purpose of describing specific embodiments only and are not intended to limit the present disclosure. As used herein, the singular is intended to include the plural, unless the context clearly indicates otherwise. It will be further understood that the terms "comprises and / or comprises", when used in this specification, indicate the presence of the recited features, integers, steps, operations, elements, components and / or groups thereof, but do not preclude the presence or addition of one or more other features, integers, steps, operations, elements, components and / or groups thereof.

[0034] It will be understood that although the terms "first," "second," etc. may be used herein to describe various components, elements, regions, layers, and / or sections, these components, elements, regions, layers, and / or sections should not be limited by these terms. These terms are only used to distinguish one component, element, region, layer, or section from another component, element, region, layer, or section. Thus, for example, a first component, first element, first region, first layer, and / or first section discussed below could be referred to as a second component, second element, second region, second layer, and / or section without departing from the teachings of the present disclosure.

[0035] For ease of description, spatially relative terms such as "below," "beneath," "below," "above," and "on" may be used herein to describe the relationship of one element or feature to another element or feature as illustrated in the figures. It will be understood that the spatially relative terms are intended to encompass different orientations of the device in use or operation in addition to the orientation depicted in the figures. For example, if the elements or features in the figures are turned over, elements or features described as being "below" or "beneath" other elements or features would be oriented "on" or "above" the other elements or features. Thus, the exemplary term "below" can encompass both above and below orientations.

[0036] Hereinafter, a battery pack according to an embodiment of the present disclosure will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings.

[0037] Figure 1 FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing a battery pack 10 according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. Figure 2 Based on Figure 1 1 is an exploded perspective view of the battery pack 10.

[0038] See also Figure 1 and Figure 2 The battery pack 10 may include a plurality of battery cells 100, bus bars 200 electrically connecting the battery cells 100, end plates 300 and side plates 400 for supporting and fixing the battery cells 100, and insulating plates 500 for insulating the battery cells 100 from the end plates 300. In addition, the battery pack 10 may further include a plurality of insulating members 600 between the battery cells 100 and a cooling plate 700 below the battery cells 100 (or on one side of the battery cells 100).

[0039] In one or more embodiments, each of the battery cells 100 may be a lithium-ion secondary battery having a rectangular parallelepiped shape. In one or more embodiments, each of the battery cells 100 may have a rectangular parallelepiped shape, and the plurality of battery cells 100 may be arranged along a certain direction (e.g., in a certain direction). Figure 1 The plurality of battery cells 100 may be arranged in a row (in the x-axis direction). The plurality of battery cells 100 may be arranged so that relatively large plate surfaces of the battery cells 100 face each other. An insulating member 600, which will be described later, may be between adjacent battery cells 100 to prevent (or at least reduce) heat propagation.

[0040] Each of the battery cells 100 may include a hexahedral case, for example, a case 110 in the shape of a rectangular parallelepiped with one side open; an electrode assembly housed inside the case 110; and a cap plate 120 coupled to one open side of the case 110 to seal the case 110. Electrode terminals 122 electrically connected to the electrode assembly may be on the cap plate 120.

[0041] In one or more embodiments, the housing 110 has an open upper surface so that the cover 120 can be coupled to the upper surface. The housing 110 includes a pair of long sides 112 having relatively large areas, a pair of short sides 114 connecting the long sides 112 and having relatively small areas, and a bottom surface 116 (see FIG. 1 ) that serves as a short side surface and forms the bottom of the housing 110. Figure 3 and Figure 4 ). The plurality of battery cells 100 are arranged so that the long sides 112 of the housing 110 face each other. The housing 110 may be made of a metal such as aluminum or stainless steel.

[0042] The electrode assembly is housed together with an electrolyte (e.g., a liquid electrolyte, a gel electrolyte, or a solid electrolyte) in the housing 110. The electrolyte may be composed of a lithium salt such as LiPF6 or LiBF4 and an organic solvent such as ethylene carbonate (EC), propylene carbonate (PC), diethyl carbonate (DEC), ethyl methyl carbonate (EMC), or dimethyl carbonate (DMC).

[0043] In one or more embodiments, the electrode assembly can be configured so that the positive electrode plate and the negative electrode plate are wound or stacked and the separator is between the positive electrode plate and the negative electrode plate. The positive electrode plate and the negative electrode plate may include: an active material area having a positive electrode active material and a negative electrode active material, each coated on a thin metal foil substrate; and a non-coating area (uncoated area) on which no active material is coated. In one or more embodiments, the positive electrode plate can be provided by coating an active material (such as a transition metal oxide) on a substrate provided with a metal foil (such as an aluminum foil). In addition, the negative electrode plate can be provided by coating an active material (such as carbon, graphite, etc.) on a substrate provided with a metal foil (such as a copper foil or a nickel foil). The positive electrode non-coating area and the negative electrode non-coating area can be arranged in opposite directions. The positive electrode tab can be connected to the positive electrode non-coating area, and the negative electrode tab can be connected to the negative electrode non-coating area. The positive electrode tab and the negative electrode tab can be electrically connected to the electrode terminal 122 of the positive electrode plate and the electrode terminal 122 of the negative electrode plate, respectively. The bus bar 200 can be connected to the electrode terminal 122.

[0044] The plurality of bus bars 200 may electrically connect adjacent electrode terminals 122 of the plurality of battery cells 100 in series or in parallel. The bus bars 200 may be mounted on upper portions of the electrode terminals 122 through bus bar holders. The bus bars 200 may be used to electrically connect the electrode terminals 122 to the outside.

[0045] The end plates 300 include a pair of end plates, each of which may have an approximately rectangular parallelepiped shape. The end plates 300 are arranged to face the outermost battery cells among the battery cells 100. In one or more embodiments, the pair of end plates 300 are arranged symmetrically with each other. The end plates 300 may support multiple battery cells 100 in the x-axis direction. The side plates 400 may be coupled to both sides of the end plates 300. The insulating plate 500 may be between the end plates 300 and the outermost battery cells 100.

[0046] The side plates 400 may be sized to cover at least a portion of the side surfaces of the plurality of battery cells 100. The side plates 400 may have a rod shape or a plate shape. The side plates 400 may be arranged in the direction in which the pair of end plates 300 are connected (e.g., the side plates 400 may extend in the x-axis direction). In one or more embodiments, a pair of side plates 400, each having a rod shape, are on each side of the end plate 300 in the y-axis direction (e.g., a first pair of side plates 400 on one side of the end plate 300 and a second pair of side plates 400 on the other side of the end plate 300). The first end of a pair of side plates 400 may be coupled to the end plate 300 at one end of the end plate 300, and the second end of a pair of side plates 400 may be coupled to the end plate 300 at the other end of the end plate 300. In one or more embodiments, the two pairs of side plates 400 are arranged symmetrically (or substantially symmetrically) with each other, and the end plate 300 and the battery cell 100 are between the two pairs of side plates 400. Thus, the side plates 400 support the battery cells 100 from the sides. Multiple battery cells 100 can be physically fastened together by the end plates 300 and the side plates 400. In addition, the side plates 400 can be made of an insulating material. In one or more embodiments where the side plates 400 are made of a metal material, insulating tape or the like can be attached to the side plates 400 to prevent the side plates 400 from contacting or conducting electricity with the battery cells 100.

[0047] The insulating plate 500 may be between the end plate 300 and the outermost battery cell 100 adjacent to the end plate 300. The insulating plate 500 can insulate the battery cell 100 from the end plate 300. The insulating plate 500 may be made of a material configured to provide electrical insulation, prevent (or at least reduce) heat transfer, and absorb impact. In one or more embodiments, the insulating plate 500 may not be provided, and the end plate 300 may replace the insulating plate 500 without separately providing the insulating plate 500.

[0048] As described above, the insulation member 600 and the cooling plate 700 may be provided to cool the plurality of battery cells 100 .

[0049] Each of the insulating members 600 is between adjacent battery cells among the plurality of battery cells 100, and the cooling plate 700 is below the battery cell 100 (or at the bottom end of the battery cell 100). The insulating member will be described later.

[0050] The cooling plate 700 and the bottom surface of the battery cell 100 (see Figure 3 116). Therefore, the cooling plate 700 can be sized and shaped to at least completely cover the battery cell 100. In one or more embodiments, the cooling plate 700 can be an aluminum alloy plate with high thermal conductivity. Therefore, the heat generated in the battery cell 100 can be released to the outside through the cooling plate 700.

[0051] In addition, a thermal interface material (TIM) 800 may be between the cooling plate 700 and the bottom surface 116 of each of the battery cells 100. For convenience, Figure 2 The TIM 800 is shown as being provided similarly to a solid plate, but the TIM 800 may be applied to the top surface of the cooling plate 700. In other words, the TIM 800 may have the same form as the coating applied to the top surface of the cooling plate 700. The TIM 800 is configured to improve heat transfer performance so that heat generated from the battery cells 100 can be more easily dissipated through the cooling plate 700. Some of the heat generated from the battery cells 100 is transferred to the cooling plate 700 through the TIM 800. In addition, some of the heat generated from the battery cells 100 may be transferred to the cooling plate 700 through the insulating member 600. However, only the cooling plate 700 may be provided without the TIM 800.

[0052] In the following, we will refer to Figures 3 to 5 The insulating member 600 is described in detail.

[0053] Figure 3 To schematically illustrate the Figure 1 FIG. 1 is a diagram of cross sections of some battery cells 100 and insulation members 600 . Figure 4 To show the basis Figure 3 FIG. 6 is an enlarged schematic diagram of the structure of the insulating member 600 . Figure 5 To show the basis Figure 3 A front view of a partial structure of the insulating member 600. Figure 4 Various components are shown spaced apart from each other to illustrate the structure of the insulating member 600. Figure 3 , the insulating member 600 may include an insulating portion 610, a first heat transfer portion 620, and a second heat transfer portion 630 that are in close contact with each other. Furthermore, to illustrate the movement of heat, the battery cell 100 and the insulating member 600 are shown as being spaced apart from each other, but the insulating member 600 may be arranged in close contact with the battery cell 100. In one or more embodiments, the insulating member 600 and the battery cell 100 may be spaced apart from each other, and the gap between the insulating member 600 and the battery cell 100 may correspond to a gap sufficient to allow heat to move between the insulating member 600 and the battery cell 100.

[0054] like Figure 2 , the insulating member 600 may be a substantially square plate when viewed from the outside. The insulating member 600 may include an innermost insulating portion 610, a pair of first heat transfer portions 620 on the outside of the insulating portion 610 (e.g., on both sides of the insulating portion 610), and a second heat transfer portion 630 on the outside of each of the pair of first heat transfer portions 620.

[0055] The insulating portion 610 is a rectangular plate having a predetermined thickness and may include an insulating material. In one or more embodiments, the insulating portion 610 may have a shape corresponding to the long side 112 of the plurality of battery cells 100. The insulating portion 610 is configured to block heat transfer between adjacent battery cells 100. The top end of the insulating portion 610 may have the same height (or substantially the same height) as the top end of the battery cell 100 or a height higher than the top end of the battery cell 100. The top end of the first heat transfer portion 620 and the top end of the second heat transfer portion 630 to be described later may also have the same height (or substantially the same height) as the top end of the insulating portion 610. In addition, the top end of the first heat transfer portion 620 and the top end of the second heat transfer portion 630 may also have a height (lower height) smaller than the top end of the insulating portion 610. Therefore, at least the top end of the insulating portion 610 may be at the same height (or substantially the same height) as the top end of the battery cell 100, or may protrude further upward from the top end of the battery cell 100 (see Figure 3 and Figure 4 In addition, the insulating portion 610 is configured not to directly contact the cooling plate 700. In one or more embodiments, the first heat transfer portion 620 has a structure in which the insulating portion 610 and the cooling plate 700 do not directly contact each other.

[0056] In one or more embodiments, the first heat transfer portion 620 is a pair of first heat transfer portions 620 between the long side 112 of the battery cell 100 and the long side of the insulating portion 610. That is, the pair of first heat transfer portions 620 is not provided as one body, but as two separate bodies on both long sides of the insulating portion 610 (see FIG. Figure 4 ① and ② in). Therefore, the insulating portion 610 has a structure in which each of the pair of long sides does not directly contact the battery cell 100 due to the pair of first heat transfer portions 620. Figure 2 When viewed from the long side 112 of the battery cell 100 (in the x-axis direction), the first heat transfer portion 620 may be square (or substantially square). The first heat transfer portion 620 may be a metal plate made of aluminum or other metal with high thermal conductivity. In one or more embodiments, the thermal conductivity of the first heat transfer portion 620 may be higher than that of the insulating portion 610. Figure 2When viewed from the short side 114 of the battery cell 100 (in the y-axis direction), the lower end of the first heat transfer portion 620 is bent at a predetermined angle to support the insulating portion 610 (or the lower end of the insulating portion 610). The bent lower end is referred to as a support portion 622 (or support portion). A heat conductive layer 624 having a higher thermal conductivity than the insulating portion 610 may be provided on the plate surface of each of the first heat transfer portions 620 facing the insulating portion 610.

[0057] The support portion 622 may be bent at an angle less than 90 degrees (e.g., the inner angle between the support portion 622 of the first heat transfer portion 620 and the cooling plate 700 may be less than 90 degrees). In one or more embodiments, the first heat transfer portion 620 is perpendicular to (or substantially perpendicular to) the cooling plate 700. Therefore, if the support portion 622 is bent at 90 degrees, the insulating portion 610 may come into contact with the cooling plate 700. Because the insulating portion 610 is configured to hinder heat transfer, it is desirable to minimize contact between the cooling plate 700 and the TIM 800. The TIM 800 is applied to the top surface of the cooling plate 700 and contacts portions of the bottom and side surfaces of the battery cells 100. Therefore, by bending the support portion 622 upward at an angle less than 90 degrees to support the insulating portion 610, contact between the insulating portion 610 and the TIM 800 contacting the cooling plate 700 can be prevented (or at least reduced). Accordingly, the support portion 622 can be bent so that the insulating portion 610 can be out of contact with the TIM 800. This configuration is configured to prevent interference with the first heat transfer portion 620 as much as possible when the insulating portion 610 contracts or expands due to the expansion of the battery cell 100. In addition, the structure of the support portion 622 can maximize (or at least increase) the contact area between the first heat transfer portion 620 and the TIM 800. That is, in an embodiment where the first heat transfer portion 620 includes the support portion 622, the support portion 622 can increase the contact area between the first heat transfer portion 620 and the TIM 800 compared to when the first heat transfer portion 620 is arranged perpendicular to the cooling plate 700. Therefore, heat transferred through the first heat transfer portion 620 can be quickly transferred to the cooling plate 700 through the TIM 800. To maximize (or at least increase) the heat transfer performance, a heat conductive layer 624 is provided on the plate surface of the first heat transfer portion 620 facing the insulating portion 610. Furthermore, the second heat transfer portion 630 may be provided on a plate surface of the first heat transfer portion 620 facing the battery cell 100 and away from the insulating portion 610. In one or more embodiments, the TIM 800 may be between the support portion 622, the battery cell 100, and the cooling plate 700.

[0058] The heat conductive layer 624 may be provided by applying a material having high thermal conductivity to the first heat transfer portion 620 or by applying or coating a thermal interface material to the first heat transfer portion 620 .

[0059] The second heat transfer portion 630 may be a coating on the plate surface of the first heat transfer portion 620 facing the battery cell 100. In one or more embodiments, the second heat transfer portion 630 may be an adhesive sheet on the plate surface of the first heat transfer portion 620 facing the battery cell 100. In one or more embodiments, the second heat transfer portion 630 may include a first layer 632 and a second layer 634.

[0060] The first layer 632 of the second heat transfer portion 630 may be on at least a portion of each of the pair of first heat transfer portions 620. Figure 3 The first layer 632 has a relatively high thermal conductivity and may include a material capable of efficiently transferring heat. In one or more embodiments, the thermal conductivity of the first layer 632 may be higher than that of the insulating portion 610 and the second layer 634. The lower end of the battery cell 100 contacts the TIM 800 and the cooling plate 700. Therefore, in response to heat generated from the battery cell 100, the temperature of the upper region of the battery cell 100 becomes higher than that of the lower region of the battery cell 100 due to thermal conduction. Here, the upper and lower regions of the battery cell 100 should be understood as relative positions based on temperature, rather than absolute positions. The area of ​​the region with a higher temperature than the lower region can be confirmed through experimentation. The size of the first layer 632 and the second layer 634 can be determined accordingly. In one or more embodiments, the first layer 632 may be located in a region corresponding to approximately 1 / 4 to approximately 1 / 3 of the total height of the battery cell 100. In one or more embodiments, the second layer 634 may be provided in the remaining area not provided with the first layer 632. The first layer 632 is configured to receive heat from the heat-generating portion of the battery cell 100 at a relatively high temperature. The transferred heat is transferred to the first heat transfer portion 620 through the first layer 632 and is transferred to the support portion 622 along the heat conductive layer 624. Because the support portion 622 is in contact with the TIM 800 and the cooling plate 700, the heat generated from the heat-generating portion of the battery cell 100 can be quickly transferred to the cooling plate 700.

[0061] The second layer 634 can be used with Figure 3The second layer 634 may include a material configured to block heat. Because the lower end of the battery cell 100 is in contact with the TIM 800 and the cooling plate 700, some of the heat generated from the battery cell 100 is directly transferred to the cooling plate 700. In addition, because the second layer 634 blocks heat, some of the heat generated from the battery cell 100 is not conducted toward the second layer 634 and is transferred to the upper area of ​​the battery cell 100. Therefore, as described above, the heat conducted to the upper area of ​​the battery cell 100 can be transferred to the cooling plate 700 through the first layer 632.

[0062] As described above, the heat generated from the battery cell 100 can be cooled once by the TIM 800 and the cooling plate 700 that are in direct contact with the lower end of the battery cell 100. In addition, in one or more embodiments, the movement of heat to the lower side of the battery cell 100 where cooling is performed is blocked (or at least reduced) by the second layer 634. In addition, the heat that moves to the upper side of the battery cell 100 by heat conduction is transferred to the first layer 632 and is transferred to the TIM 800 and the cooling plate 700 through the first heat transfer portion 620 (see FIG. 1 ). Figure 4 The cooling plate 700 is used to cool the battery cells 100, and the insulation member 600 blocks the heat transfer between the adjacent battery cells 100. This allows for both direct cooling of the battery cells 100 by the cooling plate 700 and indirect cooling of the battery cells 100 by the insulation member 600. Consequently, the high-temperature, heat-generating portions within the battery cells 100 can be quickly cooled, thereby reducing temperature deviations within the battery cells 100 and improving cooling of the battery cells 100.

[0063] According to an embodiment of the present disclosure, a temperature deviation between a top portion and a bottom portion of an electrode assembly inside a battery cell may be reduced, thereby improving cooling performance of the battery cell.

[0064] Furthermore, the life of the battery cells can be extended by improving the cooling performance, and the safety of the battery pack can be improved by preventing events such as degradation and heat generation.

[0065] Although the foregoing embodiment is only one embodiment for implementing the present disclosure, the present disclosure is not limited to this embodiment, and those skilled in the art will understand that various changes in form and details may be made therein without departing from the spirit and scope of the present disclosure defined by the claims.

Claims

1. A battery pack comprising: Multiple battery cells; a cooling plate on one side of the plurality of battery cells; as well as an insulating member between adjacent battery cells among the plurality of battery cells, the insulating member including an insulating portion, a pair of first heat transfer portions on both sides of the insulating portion, and a first layer on at least a portion of each of the pair of first heat transfer portions, the first layer having a thermal conductivity higher than that of the insulating portion. The battery pack according to claim 1 , wherein the insulating portion comprises an insulating material. 3 . The battery pack according to claim 2 , wherein the insulating part has a shape corresponding to long sides of the plurality of battery cells. 4 . The battery pack according to claim 3 , wherein a top end of the insulating part has the same height as top ends of the plurality of battery cells, or wherein the top end of the insulating part protrudes from the top ends of the plurality of battery cells. 5 . The battery pack according to claim 4 , wherein each of the pair of first heat transfer portions is between a long side of one of the adjacent battery cells and a long side of the insulating portion. 6 . The battery pack according to claim 5 , wherein each of the pair of first heat transfer portions has the same height as the top end of the insulating portion, or wherein each of the pair of first heat transfer portions has a height lower than the top end of the insulating portion. 7 . The battery pack according to claim 6 , wherein each of the pair of first heat transfer portions is a metal plate having a higher thermal conductivity than that of the insulating portion. 8 . The battery pack according to claim 7 , wherein the cooling plate is at bottom ends of the plurality of battery cells.

9. The battery pack according to claim 8, wherein each of the pair of first heat transfer parts comprises: a supporting portion having a lower end bent at a preset angle and facing the cooling plate; and a heat conductive layer on a plate surface of each of the pair of first heat transfer portions facing the insulating portion and having a thermal conductivity higher than that of the insulating portion. 10 . The battery pack according to claim 9 , wherein the support portion is bent upward at an angle less than 90 degrees relative to the cooling plate. 11 . The battery pack according to claim 10 , wherein the upwardly bent lower end of the support portion supports a lower end of the insulating portion. 12 . The battery pack according to claim 10 , wherein the insulating member further comprises a second heat transfer portion including the first layer and a second layer in a region other than the first layer. 13 . The battery pack according to claim 12 , wherein the first layer and the second layer are on a plate surface of each of the pair of first heat transfer portions facing one of the adjacent battery cells.

14. The battery pack according to claim 13, wherein each of the plurality of battery cells includes a hexahedral case, an electrode assembly accommodated in the hexahedral case, a cover plate coupled to a top of the hexahedral case, and a pair of electrode terminals electrically connected to the electrode assembly and on the cover plate. 15 . The battery pack according to claim 14 , wherein the first layer is in a region adjacent to the pair of electrode terminals. 16 . The battery pack of claim 15 , wherein the second layer comprises a material having a lower thermal conductivity than the first layer. 17 . The battery pack according to claim 16 , wherein each of the first layer and the second layer is a coating layer on each of the pair of first heat transfer portions. 18 . The battery pack according to claim 11 , further comprising a thermal interface material between the support portion, the plurality of battery cells, and the cooling plate.

Citation Information

Patent Citations

  • Diecasting mold for cooling device of power semiconductor module

    KR1020240030417A