Battery pack shell and battery pack and vehicle comprising same

Abstract

A battery pack case and a battery pack and a vehicle including the same are disclosed, the battery pack case including: a substrate forming one side of the battery pack case and having a through hole formed to communicate an internal space of the battery pack case with the outside; an outer plate disposed to be spaced apart from an outer surface of the base plate, blocking the through hole from being exposed to the outside, and forming a separation space between the outer plate and the base plate; and a discharge path formed inside the separation space and bent a plurality of times, one end of the discharge path communicating with the through hole and the other end of the discharge path communicating with the outside of the separation space.

Description

TECHNICAL FIELD

[0001] The present disclosure relates to a battery pack case capable of effectively discharging gas generated in the case of a fire occurring inside a battery pack case in which a cooling device is installed and cooling material leaked to the outside from the cooling device to improve safety, a battery pack including the same, and a vehicle. BACKGROUND

[0002] Recently, technologies for reducing carbon are being actively developed to address environmental problems such as abnormal temperatures. In order to reduce carbon, it is necessary to produce energy in an eco-friendly manner, rather than producing energy using fossil fuels, store the produced energy in the form of electric energy, and use the stored electric energy in vehicles, various industrial sites, and homes.

[0003] In order to reduce carbon using electric energy, it is necessary to use a battery capable of storing and extracting electric energy. Therefore, in order to sufficiently store electric energy and use electric energy without inconvenience, it is necessary to secure the performance of the battery.

[0004] A battery mainly uses a redox reaction of metal ions, high-density metal ions are used to improve the capacity, charge / discharge performance, and efficiency of the battery, and many studies are being conducted on materials constituting electrolytes and solid electrolytes. However, as the performance of the battery improves, there is generally a problem of reduced stability.

[0005] A battery used in vehicles, industries, and homes is manufactured as a physical unit called a battery pack. The battery pack performs a function of preventing a fire from spreading to the outside in the case of an accident such as battery thermal runaway by embedding a plurality of battery cells inside a battery case and sealing the same, and protects the internal battery cells from deterioration due to the influence of the external environment or damage due to physical factors.

[0006] A plurality of battery cells is embedded in a battery pack in the form of a module or assembly (cell module assembly (CMA)). In the case of a battery module or assembly, a plurality of battery cells is assembled into a single module or assembly, and a plurality of modules is fastened inside a battery case, whereby a battery pack is completed. When a battery is serviced, maintenance is made easy by allowing maintenance to be performed in the unit of such a module or assembly.

[0007] Each of a plurality of unit battery cells constituting a module or assembly is composed of a positive electrode, a negative electrode, and an electrolyte. Since a battery cell generates heat during charging and discharging, efficient heat dissipation of the battery cell is required. In addition, from the perspective of a battery module, assembly, and battery pack, a design for efficient heat dissipation is necessary for preventing safety accidents.

[0008] Furthermore, batteries can deteriorate due to manufacturing errors, overcharging and discharging, and aging. If battery deterioration continues, it can eventually lead to a fire. Therefore, it is necessary to prepare in advance to prevent fires from occurring in batteries. To this end, it is important to continuously monitor the battery's condition, identify and respond to problems when they occur, and minimize damage in the event of unexpected problems.

[0009] Specifically, if battery degradation continues, the battery cells heat up rapidly, generating gas or flames, leading to thermal runaway. If thermal runaway occurs in one battery cell, the gas or flame can propagate in a chain reaction to adjacent battery cells or the entire battery module. Therefore, when thermal runaway occurs in a specific battery cell or module, it is crucial to effectively vent the gases generated by the runaway to the outside while preventing the flames from spreading to other components to ensure battery efficiency and safety.

[0010] Furthermore, in the case of a battery pack housing that includes a cooling device for battery degradation, if a fire occurs inside the battery pack, the cooling hoses and the like may be damaged by the high heat, resulting in leakage of cooling materials or foreign objects inside the battery pack housing.

[0011] Because leaked cooling material or foreign matter may be conductive fluid, short circuits can occur in battery cells, terminals, etc. Therefore, if the cooling device is installed inside the battery pack casing, technology for effectively handling cooling material or foreign matter is needed to prevent short circuits in such accidents.

[0012] The above description of the background technology is intended only to enhance the understanding of the background technology of this disclosure and should not be construed as an admission that they correspond to prior art known to those skilled in the art. Summary of the Invention

[0013] Technical issues

[0014] The purpose of this disclosure, made to address these problems, is to provide a battery pack housing and battery pack, and a vehicle including the battery pack, capable of smoothly discharging gases generated in a specific battery cell or battery module within a battery pack housing with an internally installed cooling device in the event of a fire, and simultaneously effectively discharging cooling material leaking from a cooling device damaged by the fire, thereby preventing short circuits inside the battery pack housing and improving battery safety.

[0015] The technical objectives to be achieved in this disclosure are not limited to those described above, and other technical objectives not mentioned will be clearly understood by those skilled in the art from the following description.

[0016] Technical solution

[0017] According to the present disclosure, a battery pack housing for achieving the above-mentioned objectives includes: a substrate forming one side of the battery pack housing and having a through hole formed to communicate an internal space of the battery pack housing with the outside; an outer plate spaced apart from the outer surface of the substrate, blocking the through hole from being exposed to the outside, and forming a separation space between the outer plate and the substrate; and a discharge path formed within the separation space and bent multiple times, one end of the discharge path being connected to the through hole and the other end of the discharge path being connected to the outside of the separation space.

[0018] In the battery pack housing according to the present disclosure, the outer panel may be formed to slope downward toward the outside from the position corresponding to the through hole, such that the height of the separation space increases toward the outside from the position corresponding to the through hole.

[0019] In the battery pack housing according to the present disclosure, the outer panel may have sidewalls formed along the periphery and may be connected to the substrate through the sidewalls to form a separation space.

[0020] In the battery pack housing according to this disclosure, the discharge path can extend in a zigzag shape from one end connected to the through hole to the other end connected to the outside.

[0021] In the battery pack housing according to the present disclosure, the discharge path may include a plurality of longitudinal flow paths arranged in parallel in the longitudinal direction of the outer panel, and a pair of adjacent longitudinal flow paths may be alternately connected to each other at one end and the other end by a width-direction connecting portion, thereby forming a single discharge path.

[0022] In the battery pack housing according to the present disclosure, each longitudinal flow path can be connected at one end to an adjacent longitudinal flow path on one side via a width direction connection portion, and at the other end to an adjacent longitudinal flow path on the other side via a width direction connection portion.

[0023] In the battery pack housing according to the present disclosure, multiple discharge paths can be formed on both sides of the separation space around the through-hole of the substrate.

[0024] In the battery pack housing according to the present disclosure, multiple discharge paths can be formed, and one end of each discharge path can be connected to a through hole, and the other end of the discharge path can be connected to the outside of the separation space at different locations, so that gas or cooling material can be discharged.

[0025] In the battery pack housing according to the present disclosure, the discharge path can be configured such that the cross-sectional area of ​​the discharge path increases as the distance from the position corresponding to the through hole to the outside decreases.

[0026] In the battery pack housing according to this disclosure, a plurality of partition walls may be formed in the separation space, and an emission path may be formed in the space between the partition walls.

[0027] In the battery pack housing according to the present disclosure, partition walls may be spaced apart from each other, longitudinal flow paths may be formed between the partition walls, and one end of the partition wall may be open to form a width-direction connection connecting adjacent longitudinal flow paths.

[0028] In the battery pack housing according to the present disclosure, the discharge path can be formed between a pair of adjacent partition walls, and the gap between the pair of adjacent partition walls can increase as the distance from the position corresponding to the through hole to the outside decreases.

[0029] In the battery pack housing according to the present disclosure, with the upper end of the partition wall connected to the substrate, the lower end of the partition wall in the separation space can be connected to the outer plate.

[0030] In the battery pack housing according to the present disclosure, a substrate can form the bottom surface of the battery pack housing, battery components can be embedded in the battery pack housing, and through holes in the substrate can be formed at positions between the battery components embedded in the battery pack housing.

[0031] In the battery pack housing according to the present disclosure, a cooling channel can be disposed between the battery assembly and the substrate built into the battery pack housing, and a through hole in the substrate can be formed at a position corresponding to the cooling port of the cooling channel or the cooling hose connected to the cooling port, so that cooling material leaking from the cooling port or the cooling hose flows into the through hole due to the weight of the cooling material.

[0032] In the battery pack housing according to the present disclosure, a filter cover may be formed in a through hole in the substrate to prevent foreign matter from flowing into the separation space.

[0033] In the battery pack housing according to the present disclosure, a flange may be formed on the inner surface of a through hole to project toward the interior of the through hole, and a filter cover may be attached to the flange.

[0034] In the battery pack housing according to the present disclosure, a plurality of supports may be formed on a flange to protrude toward a filter cover, and the filter cover may be mounted on the supports such that the filter cover and the flange are spaced apart from each other.

[0035] In the battery pack housing according to this disclosure, the filter cover can be engaged with the substrate by being fixed to the support.

[0036] In the battery pack housing according to the present disclosure, the filter cover can be formed in the shape of a plate and disposed in a through hole, the outer surface of the filter cover can be spaced apart from the inner surface of the through hole, and the internal space of the battery pack housing can communicate with the separation space through the gap between the filter cover and the through hole.

[0037] The battery pack according to this disclosure includes the aforementioned battery pack housing.

[0038] The vehicle according to this disclosure includes the aforementioned battery pack.

[0039] Beneficial effects

[0040] According to the battery pack housing disclosed herein, and the battery pack and vehicle including therein, when a fire occurs in the battery pack with an internal cooling device, the gas caused by the fire can be smoothly discharged, while the cooling material leaking from the fire-damaged cooling device can be effectively discharged to the outside, thereby preventing damage such as short circuits from occurring inside the battery pack.

[0041] The effects obtained from this disclosure are not limited to those described above, and other effects not mentioned will be clearly understood by those skilled in the art from the following description. Attached Figure Description

[0042] Figure 1 This is a cross-sectional view of a battery pack housing according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0043] Figure 2 It is shown Figure 1 A diagram showing the discharge path of the battery pack casing.

[0044] Figure 3 It shows including Figure 2 A cross-sectional view of the location of the discharge path in the battery pack casing.

[0045] Figure 4 This is a cross-sectional view showing the location of the discharge path including the battery pack housing according to another embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0046] Figure 5 yes Figure 1 The image shows a top view of the battery pack casing.

[0047] Figure 6 It is shown Figure 1 The diagram shows the through-holes in the battery pack casing.

[0048] Figure 7 This shows the filter cover installed. Figure 6 The diagram shows the state of the through-hole in the battery pack casing.

[0049] Figure 8 It is shown Figure 1 The diagram shows a cross-section at the location of the through hole in the battery pack casing.

[0050] Figure 9 It shows that it has been applied. Figure 1 The diagram shows the battery pack casing and the vehicle. Detailed Implementation

[0051] In the following description, detailed descriptions of known functions and configurations incorporated herein will be omitted where such ambiguity may obscure the subject matter of this disclosure. The same reference numerals will be used in the accompanying drawings to refer to the same or similar parts. Furthermore, the drawings are intended only to facilitate an easy understanding of the embodiments disclosed herein, and the technical concepts disclosed herein are not limited to the drawings and should be understood to include all modifications, equivalents, or substitutions included within the spirit and scope of this disclosure.

[0052] Unless the context clearly indicates otherwise, elements described in the singular are intended to include multiple elements. In this specification, the terms “comprising” or “including” are intended to specify the presence of the described features, quantities, steps, operations, components, parts, or combinations thereof, but should be understood not to preclude the possibility of the presence or addition of one or more other features, quantities, steps, operations, components, parts, or combinations thereof.

[0053] The suffixes "module" and "unit" used for elements in the following description are for ease of description and are therefore used interchangeably without any distinguishing meaning or function. When a component is "connected" or "attached" to another component, it should be understood that a third component may exist between the two components, although that component may be directly connected or attached to the other component. When a component is "directly connected" or "directly attached" to another component, it should be understood that there is no element between the two components.

[0054] In the following, embodiments disclosed in this specification will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. Regardless of the reference numerals, identical or similar components will be given the same reference numerals and redundant descriptions will be omitted. A battery consists of several battery cells forming a single battery module, and multiple battery modules are assembled into a battery pack BP installed in a vehicle. The phenomenon of a battery cell (the basic unit of a battery) running away and spontaneously combusting is called thermal runaway, and the phenomenon of gas or flame spreading to adjacent battery cells or modules when a particular battery cell or module experiences thermal runaway is called thermal propagation.

[0055] Batteries can experience thermal runaway due to various causes such as mechanical abuse, electrical abuse, and thermal abuse. Because of their susceptibility to degradation, heat propagation can occur in a chain reaction when thermal runaway occurs. Therefore, efforts are needed to minimize heat propagation by smoothly venting gases generated when a particular battery cell or module experiences thermal runaway to the outside, while preventing flames from spreading to adjacent battery cells or modules.

[0056] Furthermore, short circuits can occur within battery cells for various reasons. In the event of a short circuit, a high current temporarily flows through the battery cell, which acts as a conductor, causing a temperature rise. This can lead to thermal runaway within the battery cell, increasing the risk of the entire battery catching fire. Therefore, technologies to prevent short circuits within battery cells need to be considered to minimize heat propagation.

[0057] In the event of thermal runaway due to battery cell deterioration or short circuit, not only the battery cells but also the cooling devices 700, 720, and 740 installed inside the battery pack BP will be damaged in a high-temperature or high-pressure environment. Furthermore, cooling materials or foreign matter inside the cooling devices 700, 720, and 740 will leak to the outside due to the damage. Because of the risk that cooling materials or foreign matter discharged from the cooling devices 700, 720, and 740 may cause another accident such as a short circuit inside the battery pack casing, a technology is needed to effectively handle such cooling materials or foreign matter inside or outside the battery pack casing.

[0058] Therefore, it is necessary to smoothly discharge gases generated during thermal runaway in specific battery cells or modules and coolant leaking from the cooling device to the outside, and to filter out flames and foreign objects generated during thermal runaway in order to improve battery stability.

[0059] Typically, vent valves are installed in the front-rear direction of the battery pack BP to release gases generated during thermal runaway or leaked cooling material due to damage to cooling devices 700, 720, and 740 caused by thermal runaway. However, because gases or cooling material within the battery pack housing tend to flow and accumulate in the vertical direction of the battery pack BP, it is difficult to smoothly release gases or cooling material using vent valves installed in the front-rear direction of the battery pack BP.

[0060] This disclosure discloses a battery pack housing in which an outer panel 300 is mounted on one side of a battery pack housing, such as the bottom of a battery pack housing, as... Figure 1 or Figure 2 As shown, the gas or cooling material generated due to thermal runaway is guided to the outer plate 300, and the discharge path 500 is provided in the separation space 110 between the substrate 100 and the outer plate 300, so that the gas or cooling material can be safely discharged to the outside.

[0061] Specifically, the battery pack housing of this disclosure includes a substrate 100, an outer plate 300, and a discharge path 500. The substrate 100 forms one side of the battery pack housing, such as... Figure 1 As shown, a through hole 120 is formed on one side of the substrate 100 to allow the internal space of the battery pack housing to communicate with the outside.

[0062] like Figure 1 As shown, the outer plate 300 is spaced apart from the outer surface of the substrate 100, thereby preventing the through-hole 120 from being exposed to the outside, and forming a separation space 110 between the outer plate 300 and the substrate 100, allowing for the collection of gases or cooling materials generated due to thermal runaway. The gases or cooling materials collected in the separation space 110 are guided through an exhaust path 500, which is formed by multiple bends within the separation space 110, such as... Figure 2 As shown, one end of the discharge path 500 is connected to the through hole 120 and the other end of the discharge path 500 is connected to the outside of the separation space 110, so that gas or cooling material is discharged to the outside of the battery pack housing.

[0063] The outer panel 300 receives and stores gases or cooling materials from the battery pack housing and discharges these gases or cooling materials by attaching to the outside of the battery pack housing, such as... Figure 1 or Figure 3 As shown, the outer plate 300 is formed in a shape that slopes downward toward the outside from the position corresponding to the through hole 120 of the substrate 100. Since the outer plate 300 is formed to slope downward from the position corresponding to the through hole 120 of the substrate 100, the height of the separation space 110 increases as the distance from the position corresponding to the through hole 120 to the outside decreases, so that the gas or cooling material emitted from the battery pack casing can be naturally discharged to the outside along the inclined surface 320 due to its own weight.

[0064] Since the outer panel 300 is bonded to one side of the battery pack housing, the outer panel 300 can be formed of the same type of metal material as the battery pack housing to increase the bonding strength relative to the battery pack housing. Furthermore, considering the bonding strength relative to the substrate 100, the outer panel 300 can be formed to be thinner than the substrate 100 to achieve both bonding strength and weight reduction.

[0065] Sidewalls are formed along the periphery of the outer panel 300, and the outer panel 300 is joined to the substrate 100 via the sidewalls to form a separation space 110. Since it is desirable that the outer panel 300 be formed of the same material as the substrate 100 of the battery pack housing, it is desirable that the outer panel 300 and the substrate 100 be combined by methods such as welding 340 or fusion bonding, but in some cases, they may be formed of different materials and combined by mechanical bonding methods or adhesive bonding methods.

[0066] Furthermore, since gases or cooling materials inside the battery pack casing tend to accumulate downwards due to gravity, it is preferable that the outer panel 300... Figure 1The outer panel 300 is attached to the lower end of the substrate 100 as shown. However, the outer panel 300 is not necessarily attached to the lower end of the substrate 100 in the battery pack housing, but can be attached in various directions such as the upper end or the side end to store and release gas or cool materials.

[0067] In this disclosure, since the gas or cooling material emitted from the battery pack casing is stored in the separation space 110 provided between the substrate 100 and the outer plate 300, therefore... Figure 2 An exhaust path 500 for discharging stored gas or cooling material to the outside is formed in the separation space 110. The exhaust path 500 extends in a Z-shape from one end connected to the through-hole 120 to the other end connected to the outside, so that the gas or cooling material discharged into the separation space 110 is guided to the outside at a reduced flow rate through the Z-shaped exhaust path 500.

[0068] like Figure 9 As shown, the battery is installed inside the vehicle in the form of a battery pack. Since many other vehicle components are also installed inside the vehicle besides the battery pack (BP), it is important to reduce the flow rate of gases or cooling materials emitted from the battery pack (BP). In the case of gases, if high-pressure gases are released instantaneously, other vehicle components around the battery pack (BP) may be easily damaged, potentially leading to secondary damage. Furthermore, since gases generated by fires in battery cells or battery modules contain flammable particles, if a large amount of flammable particles are released to the outside, secondary fires or other damage may occur inside the vehicle.

[0069] Therefore, by forming such in the separation space 110 Figure 2 As shown in the Z-shaped exhaust path 500, the gas flow rate is reduced because the gas experiences resistance due to the physical shape of the exhaust path 500, and the kinetic energy of the combustible particles contained in the gas is also reduced due to the Z-shape of the exhaust path 500. Therefore, the combustible particles are trapped within the exhaust path 500 due to their own weight. As a result, by forming the exhaust path 500 in a Z-shape, the instantaneous discharge of high-pressure gas to the outside can be prevented, thus preventing damage to internal vehicle components. Furthermore, the discharge of combustible particles contained in the gas to the outside of the vehicle can be minimized, thereby preventing secondary damage such as fires.

[0070] In the case of cooling materials, if a large amount of cooling material stored inside the outer panel 300 is instantly discharged to the outside, damage may occur to the battery pack BP and vehicle components located on the outside of the entire vehicle. Therefore, by forming the discharge path 500 in a Z-shape in the separation space 110, the flow rate of the cooling material can be reduced, and only an appropriate amount of cooling material can be discharged to the outside, thereby improving battery stability.

[0071] likeFigure 2 As shown, the discharge path 500 formed in the separation space 110 includes a plurality of longitudinal flow paths 510 arranged parallel to each other in the longitudinal direction of the outer plate 300, and a pair of adjacent longitudinal flow paths 510 can be alternately connected to each other at one end and the other end of the longitudinal flow path 510 by a width direction connecting portion 540, thereby forming a discharge path 500. Specifically, the longitudinal flow path 510 is connected to an adjacent longitudinal flow path 520 on one side at one end by a width direction connecting portion 540, and is connected to an adjacent longitudinal flow path 530 on the other side at the other end by a width direction connecting portion 540, thus forming a Z-shaped single discharge path 500.

[0072] The longitudinal flow paths 510 arranged parallel to each other in the longitudinal direction of the outer plate 300 and the width direction connecting portions 540 arranged in the width direction of the outer plate 300 can be formed of the same material to improve the engagement characteristics of the individual discharge paths 500. Furthermore, the longitudinal flow paths 510 and the width direction connecting portions 540 can be formed during the molding process with consideration for a mechanical connection structure, or they can be connected in various ways such as welding to effectively guide fluids such as gases or cooling materials without leakage.

[0073] like Figure 2 As shown, multiple discharge paths 500 can be formed on both sides of the separation space 110 based on the through-holes 120 of the substrate 100. Since the outer plate 300 is formed to slope downwards outwards from the position corresponding to the through-holes 120 of the substrate 100, the discharge paths 500 are also formed to slope downwards outwards from the position corresponding to the through-holes 120. Therefore, gas or cooling material introduced into the discharge paths 500 through the through-holes 120 can be smoothly discharged to the outside through the discharge paths 500 formed along the inclined surfaces 320. Therefore, discharge paths 500 can be formed on each inclined surface 320 of the outer plate 300, and in this case, since multiple inclined surfaces 320 are formed outwards from the through-holes 120 of the substrate 100, multiple discharge paths 500 can also be formed around the through-holes 120 of the substrate 100 within the separation space 110.

[0074] When Figure 2When multiple discharge paths 500 are formed in the separation space 110 between the substrate 100 and the outer plate 300, each discharge path 500 needs to be designed such that one end is connected to the through-hole 120 and the other end is connected to the outside of the separation space 110, so that gas or cooling material can be smoothly discharged. In this case, with one end connected to the through-hole 120 of the substrate 100, it is appropriate to receive the gas or cooling material generated during thermal runaway through the through-hole 120 via an inlet 560, while the other end of the discharge path 500 is connected to the outside of the separation space 110 at different locations. By forming outlets 580 of multiple discharge paths 500 at different locations, the gas or cooling material can be effectively distributed and discharged, and therefore, the gas or cooling material can be discharged to the outside at a reduced flow rate.

[0075] As a method for reducing the flow rate of gas or cooling material flowing into the outer plate 300 through the through-hole 120 of the substrate 100, there is a method for shaping the cross-sectional area of ​​the discharge path 500 such that the cross-sectional area increases as the distance from the position corresponding to the through-hole 120 of the substrate 100 to the outside decreases. In the case of fluids, from a fluid dynamics perspective, the flow rate and cross-sectional area of ​​the flow path are positively correlated, and the cross-sectional area and flow rate of the flow path are negatively correlated. Therefore, by increasing the cross-sectional area of ​​the discharge path 500 as the distance from the through-hole 120 to the outside decreases along the inclined surface 320, the flow rate of the fluid as gas or cooling material can be reduced. Therefore, by designing the cross-sectional area of ​​the discharge path 500 to increase from the through-hole 120 to the outside, gas or cooling material can be discharged to the outside at a reduced flow rate, thereby improving battery safety.

[0076] In this disclosure, a separation space 110 is formed between the substrate 100 and the outer plate 300, and an exhaust path 500, connected at one end to the through hole 120 and to the outside, is formed in the separation space 110. A representative method for forming the exhaust path 500 is to install partition walls 600 within the separation space 110. By this method, a plurality of partition walls 600 are formed in the separation space 110 and an exhaust path 500 is formed between the partition walls 600, such that gas or cooling material introduced into the separation space 110 through the through hole 120 of the substrate 100 is guided through the exhaust path 500 formed along the partition walls 600 and discharged to the outside.

[0077] Reference Figure 2 or Figure 3When the discharge path 500 is formed through the partition walls 600, the partition walls 600 are spaced apart from each other, and longitudinal flow paths 510 are formed between the spaced-apart partition walls 600. Furthermore, one end of each partition wall 600 is open, forming a width-direction connection 540 connecting a pair of adjacent longitudinal flow paths 510, and through this process, a discharge path 500 is formed. Since the discharge path 500 is naturally formed along with the partition walls 600, gas or cooling material is introduced into the separation space 110 and then guided to the outside through the partition walls 600. Additionally, because the gas or cooling material is resisted by the partition walls 600, the flow rate of the gas or cooling material is reduced, and the kinetic energy of the cooling material is also reduced, and therefore, due to the weight of the cooling material itself, it can be stored at the location between the partition walls 600.

[0078] When the discharge path 500 is formed by the partition walls 600, the flow velocity can be reduced by adjusting the gap between the partition walls 600. For example... Figure 3 As shown, by designing the partition wall 600 such that the gap between a pair of adjacent partition walls 600 increases as the distance from the position corresponding to the through hole 120 to the outside decreases, the cross-sectional area of ​​the discharge path 500 increases, and as the cross-sectional area of ​​the discharge path 500 increases, the flow rate of the gas or cooling material decreases, and thus a large amount of gas or cooling material can be prevented from being discharged to the outside instantaneously.

[0079] The partition wall 600 is formed by bonding it to the substrate 100 and the outer plate 300, because the partition wall is used to guide fluid without leakage within the separation space 110. Therefore, in order to increase the bonding strength with respect to the substrate 100 and the outer plate 300 and enhance durability, the partition wall 600 may also be formed of a metal of the same material as the substrate 100 and the outer plate 300.

[0080] The substrate 100 may be thicker than the outer panel 300. For example, the substrate 100 may be formed of aluminum and the outer panel 300 may be formed of steel. Preferably, the substrate 100 is formed of aluminum to facilitate forming and improve solderability relative to other surrounding components, and the substrate 100 is thicker than the outer panel 300.

[0081] On the other hand, the outer panel 300 can be made of a high-rigidity steel material to ensure formability that allows gas or cooling material to flow smoothly through the through-hole 120. Conversely, the outer panel 300 can be formed to be thinner than the substrate 100. In this way, by using different materials to form panels 100 and 300 of different thicknesses, the durability of the entire battery pack casing can be increased and the weight can be optimized.

[0082] like Figure 2 or Figure 3As shown, the partition wall 600 formed in the separation space 110 can be joined to the substrate 100 and the outer plate 300 in such a way that the lower end of the partition wall 600 is joined to the outer plate 300, while the upper end of the partition wall 600 is joined to the substrate 100, in order to increase the bonding strength between the substrate 100 and the outer plate 300. Since the substrate 100 constitutes the lower part of the battery pack housing, it is used to support the battery cells or battery modules stacked within the battery pack BP. Therefore, preferably, the substrate 100 is formed to be thicker than the outer plate 300.

[0083] Since the substrate 100 is formed to be thicker than the outer plate 300, it is advantageous in terms of stability that the partition wall 600 is first bonded to the thicker substrate 100 and then bonded to the outer plate 300. Furthermore, since the partition wall 600 can also be formed of a metallic material similar to the substrate 100 or the outer plate 300, it is preferable that, for example... Figure 2 or Figure 3 As shown, the partition wall 600 and the substrate 100 or the outer panel 300 are joined by welding 340. First, the partition wall 600 is connected to the substrate 100 by welding 340 or the like, and then the partition wall 600 is connected to the outer panel 300 by welding 340 or the like. This may be advantageous in terms of durability. However, in some cases, the outer panel 300 and the partition wall 600 may be connected first by welding 340 or the like, and then connected to the substrate 100 by welding 340 or the like.

[0084] However, if the partition wall 600 is formed of a non-metallic material different from that of the substrate 100 or the outer panel 300, the partition wall 600 can be mechanically connected, for example, by forming a groove in the substrate 100 or the outer panel 300 and fitting the partition wall 600 into the formed groove. Alternatively, the partition wall 600 and the substrate 100 or the outer panel 300 can be joined using an adhesive, and in this case, preferably, the adhesive is formed of a material capable of withstanding high-pressure gas. In this way, the partition wall 600 and the substrate 100 or the outer panel 300 can be joined in various ways, except for welding 340.

[0085] When the partition wall 600 is connected to the substrate 100 or the outer panel 300, it is necessary to... Figure 2 or Figure 3The seal shown is to prevent fluids such as gases or cooling materials from leaking into the gap between the partition wall 600 and the substrate 100 or outer plate 300. Fluids have the characteristic of flowing in the direction of less resistance. If the partition wall 600 is not sealed relative to the substrate 100 or outer plate 300, and thus a gap is created between them, the fluid flows through the unresisted gap between the partition wall 600 and the substrate 100 or outer plate 300, instead of flowing to the partition wall 600 where resistance exists. This could result in the risk of a large amount of gas or cooling material being released to the outside at once. Therefore, it is appropriate to seal the partition wall 600 relative to the substrate 100 or outer plate 300 by means of welding 340, etc., so that gas or cooling material can be smoothly guided to the outside through the partition wall 600.

[0086] As described above, it is preferred that the discharge path 500 is formed through the partition wall 600. However, the discharge path 500 can also be formed by bending a tube of various shapes within the separation space 110. In the case where the discharge path 500 is formed by bending a tube, the gas or cooling material introduced through the through-hole 120 of the substrate 100 can flow more stably along the discharge path 500 compared to the case where the discharge path 500 is formed through the partition wall 600, which is advantageous in terms of reducing the flow rate of the gas or cooling material. In addition, if the discharge path 500 has a shape that can reduce the flow rate of the gas or cooling material introduced from the battery pack housing, various factors such as the design and design cost of the battery pack BP can be taken into account to design the discharge path 500 in various ways.

[0087] Reference Figure 1 The substrate 100 is connected to the bottom of the battery pack housing, and the battery assemblies are built into the interior of the battery pack housing. The battery assemblies include all component forms such as battery modules or strips in the form of a housing or casing, and refer to a unit assembly of multiple battery cells. Through-holes 120 are formed in the substrate 100 of this disclosure to discharge gases generated during thermal runaway or cooling material leaking from the cooling devices 700, 720, and 740 due to thermal runaway, and the through-holes 120 of the substrate 100 can be formed at locations between the multiple battery assemblies built into the battery pack housing. Therefore, by smoothly discharging gases or cooling material generated during thermal runaway into the separation space 110 through the through-holes 120 located between the battery assemblies, additional damage can be prevented or minimized.

[0088] Cooling devices 700, 720, and 740, built into the battery pack housing, are configured to cool the battery pack housing when the internal temperature of the battery pack housing rises, and as... Figure 5The device shown can consist of a cooling channel 700, a cooling port 720, and a cooling hose 740. The cooling channel 700 is located between the battery assembly and the substrate 100, which are built into the battery pack housing, and provides extensive cooling for the battery pack housing. Therefore, by forming a through-hole 120 in the substrate 100 at a location corresponding to the cooling port 720 of the cooling channel 700 or the cooling hose 740 connected to the cooling port 720, cooling material leaking from the cooling port 720 or the cooling hose 740 during thermal runaway can be drawn into the through-hole 120 by its own weight.

[0089] In the through-hole 120 of the substrate 100, such as Figure 6 or Figure 7 A filter cover 800 is provided to prevent foreign objects or flames from flowing into the separation space 110. When thermal runaway occurs inside the battery pack housing, the cooling system, including the cooling channel 700, cooling port 720, and cooling hose 740, is damaged by high temperature or pressure, and cooling material and foreign objects leak from the cooling devices 700, 720, and 740. If foreign objects flow into the separation space 110 through the through-hole 120, the flow of fluids such as gas or cooling material is blocked, and therefore the gas or cooling material cannot be smoothly discharged to the outside. Therefore, it is necessary to prevent foreign objects from flowing into the separation space 110 by forming a filter cover 800 in the through-hole 120.

[0090] Furthermore, when thermal runaway occurs inside the battery pack casing, flames are generated in addition to gases. Even if the flames spread into the separation space 110 through the through-holes 120 of the substrate 100, they can be extinguished by the cooling material within the separation space 110. However, if a large amount of flame spreads into the separation space 110, there is a risk of damaging the emission path 500 or causing secondary combustion by encountering combustible particles trapped in the emission path 500. Therefore, it is necessary to prevent the flames from spreading into the separation space 110 through the through-holes 120. Therefore, by forming a filter cover 800 in the through-holes 120 of the substrate 100, not only can foreign matter leaking from the cooling devices 700, 720, and 740 be prevented, but also flames generated during thermal runaway can be prevented from flowing into the separation space 110 through the through-holes 120.

[0091] like Figure 6 to Figure 8 As shown, in order to effectively prevent foreign matter from entering the separation space 110, this disclosure provides a flange 140 formed on the inner surface of the through hole 120 and projecting toward the interior of the through hole 120, and a filter cover 800 is attached to the flange 140. Additionally, a plurality of supports 160 may be formed on the flange 140 to project toward the filter cover 800, and the filter cover 800 may be mounted on the supports 160 such that the filter cover 800 is separated from the flange 140.

[0092] Filter cover 800 has suchFigure 7 or Figure 8 The filter cover 800 is in the shape shown and is disposed within the through hole 120. The outer surface of the filter cover 800 is spaced apart from the inner surface of the through hole 120, and the internal space of the battery pack housing communicates with the separation space 110 through the gap between the filter cover 800 and the through hole 120. Therefore, foreign matter leaking from the cooling devices 700, 720, and 740 can be covered by the filter cover 800, and at the same time, gases generated during thermal runaway or cooling materials from the cooling devices can flow into the separation space 110 through the gap between the filter cover 800 and the through hole 120.

[0093] Because the battery pack housing is built into the vehicle V and is susceptible to impact, the filter cover 800, which is spaced apart from the inner surface of the through-hole 120, is also susceptible to impact. Therefore, the filter cover 800, as... Figure 8 As shown, the filter cover 800 is fixed to the support 160, so that it is connected to the substrate 100 and can therefore be stably mounted within the through hole 120. Since the filter cover 800 needs to stably cover the through hole 120 to effectively cover foreign matter leaking from the cooling devices 700, 720, and 740, the filter cover 800 is fixed to the support 160 and connected to the substrate 100. In this case, as... Figure 8 As shown, the filter cover 800 can be connected to the substrate 100 by means such as bolt connection 820. Of course, as long as the filter cover 800 can be accurately installed on the inner surface of the through hole 120, the filter cover 800 can be fixed by various methods such as fastening with adhesive and mechanical fastening in addition to bolt connection 820.

[0094] Figure 9 The diagram illustrates a battery pack BP using the battery pack housing of this disclosure, and a state in which such a battery pack BP is installed in a vehicle V. The battery pack BP of this disclosure can be applied to various industries besides vehicles, and an example could be an energy storage system (ESS). According to the battery pack housing of this disclosure, the battery pack BP including the battery pack housing, and the vehicle V including the battery pack housing, when cooling devices 700, 720, and 740 are installed within the battery pack housing, gases caused by thermal runaway or cooling material leaking from the cooling devices 700, 720, and 740 can be effectively discharged to the outside through the discharge path 500, thereby preventing short circuits in the battery cells.

[0095] Although the present disclosure has been described above with reference to preferred embodiments, those skilled in the art will understand that various modifications and changes can be made to the present disclosure without departing from the concept and scope of the present disclosure as set forth in the appended claims.

Claims

1. A battery pack housing, the battery pack housing comprising: A substrate, the substrate forming one side of the battery pack housing and having a through hole formed to communicate the internal space of the battery pack housing with the outside; An outer plate, which is spaced apart from the outer surface of the substrate to prevent the through-hole from being exposed to the outside, and to form a separation space between the outer plate and the substrate; as well as An emission path is formed within the separation space and bends multiple times, one end of the emission path is connected to the through hole and the other end of the emission path is connected to the outside of the separation space.

2. The battery pack housing according to claim 1, wherein, The outer plate is formed to slope downwards outwards from the position corresponding to the through hole, such that the height of the separation space increases outwards from the position corresponding to the through hole.

3. The battery pack housing according to claim 1, wherein, The outer panel has sidewalls formed along its periphery and is connected to the substrate through the sidewalls to form the separation space.

4. The battery pack housing according to claim 1, wherein, The discharge path extends in a zigzag shape from one end connected to the through-hole to the other end connected to the external connection, and includes multiple longitudinal flow paths arranged parallel to each other in the longitudinal direction of the outer plate. In this process, a pair of adjacent longitudinal flow paths are alternately connected to each other at one end and the other end by a width-direction connector, thereby forming an emission path.

5. The battery pack housing according to claim 4, wherein, Each longitudinal flow path is connected at one end to an adjacent longitudinal flow path on one side via the width direction connector, and at the other end to an adjacent longitudinal flow path on the other side via the width direction connector.

6. The battery pack housing according to claim 1, wherein, Multiple emission paths are formed on both sides of the separation space around the through-hole of the substrate. In this configuration, one end of each emission path is connected to the through-hole, and the other end of the emission path is connected to the outside of the separation space at different locations, so that gas or cooling material is emitted.

7. The battery pack housing according to claim 1, wherein, The discharge path is configured such that the cross-sectional area of ​​the discharge path increases as the distance from the position corresponding to the through hole to the outside decreases.

8. The battery pack housing according to claim 1, wherein, Multiple partition walls are formed in the separation space, and the discharge path is formed in the space between the partition walls. The partition walls are spaced apart from each other, longitudinal flow paths are formed between the spaced-apart partition walls, and one end of each partition wall is open to form a width-direction connection portion connecting adjacent longitudinal flow paths. The gap between a pair of adjacent partition walls increases as the distance from the position corresponding to the through hole to the outside decreases.

9. The battery pack housing according to claim 8, wherein, With the upper end of the partition wall connected to the substrate, the lower end of the partition wall in the separation space is connected to the outer plate. The substrate forms the bottom surface of the battery pack housing, the battery assembly is built into the battery pack housing, and the through hole of the substrate is formed at the position between the battery assembly built into the battery pack housing.

10. The battery pack housing according to claim 1, wherein, A cooling channel is provided between the battery assembly housed within the battery pack housing and the substrate, and the through-hole of the substrate is formed at a position corresponding to the cooling port of the cooling channel or the cooling hose connected to the cooling port, such that cooling material leaking from the cooling port or the cooling hose flows into the through-hole due to the weight of the cooling material.

11. The battery pack housing according to claim 1, wherein, A filter cover is disposed in the through hole of the substrate to prevent foreign matter from flowing into the separation space. A flange is formed on the inner surface of the through hole to protrude toward the interior of the through hole, and the filter cover is coupled to the flange.

12. The battery pack housing according to claim 11, wherein, Multiple supports are formed on the flange to project toward the filter cover, and the filter cover is mounted on the supports such that the filter cover and the flange are spaced apart from each other.

13. The battery pack housing according to claim 12, wherein, The filter cover is attached to the substrate by being fixed to the support portion, or The filter cover is formed in the shape of a plate and disposed in the through hole. The outer surface of the filter cover is spaced apart from the inner surface of the through hole, and the internal space of the battery pack housing communicates with the separation space through the gap between the filter cover and the through hole.

14. A battery pack comprising a battery pack housing according to claim 1.

15. A vehicle comprising the battery pack according to claim 14.

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