Battery cell structure

Abstract

The present application relates to a battery cell structure. The battery cell structure comprises: a cooling fin; and a cell box which is insert-molded to surround a portion of the cooling fin, a battery cell being provided on either one or both of a first surface and a second surface of the cell box; wherein an accommodation groove into which an end portion of a temperature sensor is inserted is provided at an end portion of the cell box.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to battery cell structure. Background Technology

[0002] A battery cell is the smallest unit for storing and releasing electrical energy. A battery module is an intermediate unit that electrically and mechanically connects multiple battery cells. A battery pack is the final integrated structure that completes one or more battery modules.

[0003] The foregoing is intended only to help understand the background of the present invention and is not intended to imply that the present invention falls within the scope of related technologies known to those skilled in the art. Summary of the Invention

[0004] Meanwhile, in hybrid vehicles that use both battery power and petroleum-based energy, the battery has a limited size. That is, when considering the package of a vehicle with numerous components, the battery size cannot be increased without restriction. Therefore, various attempts are needed to improve battery energy density, such as increasing battery capacity while maintaining battery size, or maintaining battery capacity while maintaining battery size.

[0005] Furthermore, in hybrid vehicles, as the required power output gradually increases, the cooling performance of the batteries installed in these vehicles also needs to be improved. When the required power output is relatively low, adequate cooling can be achieved through air cooling. However, with the recent trend of increasing battery power output requirements, a battery that can be cooled using water cooling methods is needed.

[0006] The purpose of this invention is not limited to the above-mentioned contents, and those skilled in the art will clearly understand other purposes not mentioned from the description provided below.

[0007] To achieve the above objectives, according to an aspect of the present invention, a battery cell structure is provided, comprising: a cooling plate; and a cell housing, which is inserted and formed to surround a portion of the cooling plate, wherein a battery cell is disposed on either or both of a first surface and a second surface of the cell housing; wherein a receiving groove for inserting the end of a temperature sensor is provided at an end of the cell housing.

[0008] In an exemplary embodiment of the present invention, the end of the cooling plate corresponding to the receiving groove of the battery cell can be cut off so that the end of the temperature sensor is disposed in the receiving groove.

[0009] In an exemplary embodiment of the present invention, the end of the temperature sensor may be in contact with the battery cell, while being spaced apart from the end of the cooling pad.

[0010] In an exemplary embodiment of the present invention, the receiving groove may be disposed on the side of the cell box, and the temperature sensor may detect the temperature of the edge portion of the cooling plate.

[0011] In an exemplary embodiment of the present invention, the lower end of the cooling fin may be bent and may contact a cooling plate over which the cooling medium flows.

[0012] In an exemplary embodiment of the present invention, the battery cell may include a sealing portion configured to seal the sides of the battery cell by heat fusion, and the sealing portion may include a folded portion.

[0013] In an exemplary embodiment of the present invention, the folded portion may be spaced from the end of the battery cell box that is provided with a receiving groove by more than or equal to 0.3 mm.

[0014] According to an exemplary embodiment of the battery cell structure of the present invention, the temperature sensor is configured to be inserted into the cell housing without contacting the surface of the cooling plate. Therefore, there is no physical contact between the temperature sensor and the battery cell, and thus they do not interfere with each other. Furthermore, since a gap is ensured between the battery cell and surrounding components, the impact on surrounding components is minimal even when the battery cell expands. Even when the temperature sensor is inserted into the cell housing, it maintains a similar sensitivity to that when in contact with the surface of the cooling plate.

[0015] The effects of the present invention are not limited to those mentioned above, and those skilled in the art will clearly understand other effects not mentioned through the description provided below. Attached Figure Description

[0016] The above and other objects, features and advantages of the present invention will be more clearly understood from the following detailed description taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, wherein:

[0017] Figure 1 This is an exemplary view showing a cooling plate that forms part of a battery cell structure according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention;

[0018] Figure 2 This is an exemplary view showing a battery cell structure according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention;

[0019] Figure 3 and Figure 4 This is an exemplary view showing a temperature sensor inserted into the receiving recess of the battery cell and the end of the cooling plate;

[0020] Figure 5 It is along Figure 4 The cross-sectional view obtained from line AA;

[0021] Figure 6 This is an exemplary view showing the engagement state of the cooling plate and the battery pack;

[0022] Figure 7 This is an exemplary view illustrating the cooling principle of a battery cell via a cooling plate and cooling fins; and

[0023] Figure 8 This is a graph showing the temperature detection response of a temperature sensor and a temperature sensor in contact with the surface of a cooling plate according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention. Detailed Implementation

[0024] In describing the embodiments disclosed herein, detailed descriptions of related technologies will be omitted where it is determined that such detailed descriptions would obscure the gist of the invention. Furthermore, the accompanying drawings are intended only to facilitate a readily understandable understanding of the exemplary embodiments disclosed herein; therefore, the technical ideas disclosed herein are not limited to the accompanying drawings and should be understood to include all modifications, equivalents, and substitutions within the scope of the invention's ideas and techniques. The following description is not intended to limit the invention to the precise forms disclosed or a particular field of use. Various alternative embodiments and modifications of the invention are expected, whether explicitly stated or implied herein. Those skilled in the art will recognize that changes in form and detail may be made without departing from the scope of the invention.

[0025] This invention is described with reference to specific embodiments. However, as those skilled in the art will understand, the various embodiments included herein can be modified or implemented in various other ways without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention. Therefore, the following description should be considered illustrative and intended to teach those skilled in the art how to make and use the various embodiments. It should be understood that the form of the disclosure shown and described herein should be considered representative of the embodiments. Equivalent elements, materials, processes, or steps may replace those elements, materials, processes, or steps representatively shown and described herein. Expressions such as “comprising,” “including,” “incorporating,” “consisting of,” “having,” and “are” used to describe and claim this invention are intended to be interpreted in a non-exclusive manner, i.e., also allowing for the presence of items, parts, or elements not explicitly described. Additionally, references to the singular should also be interpreted in relation to the plural form.

[0026] Furthermore, the various embodiments included herein should be considered illustrative and explanatory in nature and should never be construed as limiting the invention. All connecting references (e.g., attachment, fixation, engagement, connection, etc.) are used only to aid the reader in understanding the invention and should not impose limitations, particularly on the location, orientation, or use of the elements and / or methods included herein. Therefore, any connecting reference should be interpreted broadly. Moreover, such connecting references do not necessarily imply a direct connection between two elements. Additionally, all numerical terms such as, but not limited to, “first,” “second,” “third,” “primary,” “secondary,” “main,” or any other conventional and / or numerical terms should also be considered merely as identifiers used to aid the reader in understanding the various elements, embodiments, variations, and / or modifications of the invention and should not impose any limitations, particularly on the order or priority of any elements, embodiments, variations, and / or modifications. That is, these expressions may be used to describe various elements, but these elements are not limited by these expressions. These expressions are only used to distinguish one element from another.

[0027] The suffixes “module” and “section” used in the following description are provided or used interchangeably for ease of writing instructions only, and they have no distinguishing meaning or function from each other.

[0028] It will be understood that when an element is referred to as "joined" or "connected" to another element, the element can be directly joined or connected to the other element, or there may be intermediate elements in between. Conversely, it will be understood that when an element is referred to as "directly joined" or "directly connected" to another element, there are no intermediate elements.

[0029] Any number or type of components in any configuration described herein may be included within the disclosure described herein. These components may include any combination of the features described herein and may be arranged in any of the various configurations described herein. The concepts regarding the structure and arrangement of the components of the invention, as well as their use and operation, can be applied not only to the specific embodiments discussed herein, but also to any number of embodiments in any combination. Embodiments having various features in various arrangements are described below with reference to the accompanying drawings.

[0030] In the following, various embodiments included in the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings, wherein, regardless of the reference numerals in the drawings, the same or similar elements are given the same reference numerals and repeated descriptions thereof will be omitted.

[0031] Recently, the demand for improved performance in hybrid vehicles has led to a continuous increase in the required power output of batteries. This results in increased heat generation from the hybrid vehicle batteries. To address this issue, water-cooled battery cooling methods are being considered due to the limited heat dissipation efficiency of air cooling.

[0032] When implementing a water-cooled battery cooling system, a design is needed to minimize the height of the battery system by placing the battery at the bottom of the vehicle.

[0033] Meanwhile, overheating of the battery can cause thermal runaway and fire. Therefore, it is very important to detect the battery temperature and detect abnormal battery cells in the early stages to prevent battery malfunctions.

[0034] For current purposes, the battery includes a temperature sensor to measure the battery temperature. The temperature sensor measures the temperature of a single battery cell or multiple battery cells directly or indirectly, and transmits the measurement data to the battery management system (BMS) via wires or the like. Based on the measurement data, the BMS detects abnormal battery cells and is configured to perform various controls, such as controlling the abnormal battery cells to prevent them from operating.

[0035] Meanwhile, the present invention relates to an arrangement structure of a temperature sensor configured for measuring the temperature of a battery cell. First, referring to... Figure 1 and Figure 2 The battery cell 10 is disposed on a first or second surface of the cell housing 120, which includes a cooling plate 110. The cooling plate 110 is a configuration for cooling the battery cell 10 and is made of a metallic material. In particular, the cooling plate 110 is preferably made of a metal with excellent thermal conductivity (such as aluminum (Al) or copper (Cu), or an alloy material including other metals).

[0036] At the same time, refer to Figure 6 The cooling plate 20 is configured to cool multiple battery cells 10, allowing the multiple battery cells 10 to be cooled by a water cooling method. (Refer to...) Figure 1 The lower end of the cooling fin 110 is bent to form a bent end 111, and the bent end 111 contacts the cooling plate 20. The cooling medium flows inside the cooling plate 20. The battery cell 10 dissipates heat through the cooling fin 110, and then the cooling fin 110 dissipates the heat to the cooling medium of the cooling plate 20 to cool the multiple battery cells 10.

[0037] In an exemplary embodiment of the present invention, the cooling plate 20 includes a channel through which the cooling medium flows.

[0038] Reference Figure 7 As can be seen, the bent end 111 of the cooling plate 110 is in contact with the cooling plate 20, and the heat generated from the battery cell 10 is dissipated through the cooling plate 110 to the cooling medium in the cooling plate 20.

[0039] Meanwhile, since the cooling plate 110 itself does not include a structure for fixing the battery cell 10, a separate configuration for fixing the battery cell 10 is required. Accordingly, a cell box 120 is introduced as a configuration for fixing the battery cell 10. The cell box 120 fixes the battery cell 10. Furthermore, since stacking multiple battery cells 10 is common, the cell box 120 maintains the cell spacing between the battery cells 10 and is responsible for aligning the battery cells 10. Since the cell box 120 is in close contact with the battery cell 10, the cell box 120 is preferably made of an insulating material. The cell box 120 can be made of a plastic material with insulating properties.

[0040] According to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention, the cooling plate 110 can be placed in a mold, and the insulating plastic can be injection molded to integrate the cooling plate 110 with the cell box 120. The process is completed when a battery cell 10 is placed on each of the first and second surfaces of the cell box 120, in which the cooling plate 110 is integrated with the cell box 120. Figure 2 The single battery cell structure shown.

[0041] Meanwhile, to directly or indirectly measure the temperature of the battery cell 10, the temperature sensor 200 can be configured to contact the surface of the cooling fin 110. However, when the temperature sensor 200 is disposed on the surface of the cooling fin 110, an overlapping structure, such as a cooling fin-temperature sensor-battery cell structure, is formed. With the temperature sensor 200 disposed on the surface of the cooling fin 110, the gap between it and the battery cell 10 in the cooling fin-temperature sensor-battery cell structure is too narrow. Therefore, there are concerns that the battery cell 10 might come into contact with the temperature sensor 200 due to expansion, and that the temperature sensor 200 might vibrate with vehicle movement, thus causing physical damage to the battery cell 10.

[0042] As a solution to these drawbacks, one approach could be to increase the gap between the temperature sensor 200 and the battery cell 10, but this approach may reduce energy density.

[0043] To overcome the problems described above, the present invention proposes a structure for inserting a temperature sensor 200 into the interior of a battery cell housing 120. A receiving groove 121 for allowing the temperature sensor 200 to be inserted therein is provided at the end of the battery cell housing 120, and the end of the temperature sensor 200 is inserted into the receiving groove 121.

[0044] The current structure can accommodate the expansion of the battery cell 10. In other words, even if the battery cell 10 expands, it can prevent direct contact between the battery cell 10 and the temperature sensor 200, thereby preventing physical damage to both the temperature sensor 200 and the battery cell 10.

[0045] Additionally, the durability of the temperature sensor 200 to vehicle vibrations can be improved. In other words, since the temperature sensor 200 is fixed inside the cell box 120, the shaking caused by the temperature sensor 200 due to its own vibration can be minimized, and its physical impact on the battery cell 10 can also be eliminated.

[0046] In addition, the temperature sensor 200 can maintain its position stably while being inserted into the receiving groove 121 of the cell box 120.

[0047] In addition, a minimum or larger gap can be ensured between the battery cell 10 and the temperature sensor 200, thereby ensuring free space for the expansion of the battery cell 10.

[0048] Reference Figure 8 As a result of analyzing the detection speed of the temperature detection response (a) when the temperature sensor is in contact with the side surface of the cooling pad and (b) when the temperature sensor is inserted into the cell box, it can be shown that similar response speeds can be observed even in the initial unstable state. Therefore, this indicates that accurate temperature detection can be performed even when the temperature sensor 200 is inserted into the cell box 120.

[0049] Meanwhile, by cutting the end of the cooling plate 110 corresponding to the receiving groove 121 of the cell box 120, or by casting the cooling plate 110, the groove 112 can be set at the end of the cooling plate 110, so that the temperature sensor 200 is received by the cell box 120 and the groove 112.

[0050] Reference Figure 1 The upper end of the cooling plate 110 can be cut off so that the end of the temperature sensor 200, which is inserted into the receiving groove 121 of the cell box 120, is surrounded by the cooling plate 110. Even when the temperature sensor 200 is not in surface contact with the cooling plate 110, the present invention can achieve accurate temperature detection.

[0051] Figure 3 and Figure 4 This is an exemplary view showing the temperature sensor 200 inserted into the receiving recess 121 of the cell box 120 and the end of the cooling plate 110. Figure 5 It is along Figure 4 The cross-sectional view obtained from line AA. (Refer to...) Figures 3 to 5A temperature sensor 200 is inserted into both the end of the battery cell housing 120 and the end of the cooling fin 110. The temperature sensor 200 is in close surface contact with the periphery of the receiving groove 121 of the battery cell housing 120, but not in direct surface contact with the end of the cooling fin 110, which is spaced apart. The receiving groove 121 of the battery cell housing 120 is located on the side of the battery cell housing 120, and the temperature sensor 200 is inserted into the receiving groove 121 to detect the temperature of the edge portion of the cooling fin 110. Even when the temperature sensor 200 is not in surface contact with the cooling fin 110, the temperature sensor 200 can still reflect the temperature of the cooling fin 110 because the cooling fin 110 is made of a material with high thermal conductivity.

[0052] Meanwhile, the battery cell 10 includes a sealing portion 11, which is configured to seal the sides of the battery cell 10 by heat fusion. According to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention, the battery cell 10 can be manufactured as a pouch type. After the negative electrode, separator, and positive electrode are sequentially arranged within the pouch, the edge portion of the pouch can be heat-fused to seal the pouch. Additionally, the sealing portion 11 can be folded to form a folded portion 12, such that multiple battery cells 10 are aligned at a uniform height.

[0053] According to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention, the folded portion 12 may be spaced at least 0.3 mm from the end of the cell box 120 provided with the receiving groove 121. When the temperature sensor 200 is in contact with the surface of the cooling plate 110, the size of the battery module and battery pack inevitably increases, resulting in a separation distance between the temperature sensor 200 and the folded portion 12 of the battery cell 10 greater than or equal to 0.3 mm. However, according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention where the temperature sensor 200 is inserted into the cell box 120, it is easily ensured that the separation distance c between the battery cell 10 and the cell box 120 is greater than or equal to 0.3 mm, thereby enabling the handling of battery cell 10 expansion and minimizing the impact of interference between the battery cell 10 and other components. Furthermore, compared to when the temperature sensor 200 is in contact with the surface of the cooling plate 110, it is easier to improve the energy density of the battery.

[0054] Although specific embodiments of the invention have been described for illustrative purposes, those skilled in the art will understand that various modifications, additions, and substitutions may be made without departing from the scope and spirit of the invention as disclosed in the appended claims.

Claims

1. A battery cell structure, comprising: Cooling plate; as well as A cell box, which is inserted and shaped to surround a portion of the cooling plate, wherein a battery cell is disposed on one or both of the first and second surfaces of the cell box; The end of the battery cell box is provided with a receiving groove for inserting the end of a temperature sensor.

2. The battery cell structure according to claim 1, wherein, The end of the cooling plate corresponding to the receiving groove of the battery cell is shaped so that the end of the temperature sensor can be positioned in the receiving groove.

3. The battery cell structure according to claim 2, wherein, The end of the temperature sensor is in contact with the battery cell and spaced apart from the end of the cooling pad.

4. The battery cell structure according to claim 1, wherein, The receiving groove is provided on the side of the battery cell box. The temperature sensor detects the temperature of the edge portion of the cooling plate.

5. The battery cell structure according to claim 1, further comprising a cooling plate, in, The lower end of the cooling fin contacts the cooling plate over which the cooling medium flows.

6. The battery cell structure according to claim 5, in, The lower end of the cooling fin is bent into an "L" shape, and the bottom of the lower end of the cooling fin is in contact with the cooling plate.

7. The battery cell structure according to claim 5, wherein, The cooling plate includes channels through which the cooling medium flows.

8. The battery cell structure according to claim 1, in, The battery cell includes a sealing portion configured to seal the sides of the battery cell by heat fusion.

9. The battery cell structure according to claim 8, in, The battery cell further includes a folded portion formed by folding the sealed portion.

10. The battery cell structure according to claim 9, wherein, The folded portion is spaced a predetermined distance from the end of the battery cell box that has the receiving groove.

11. The battery cell structure according to claim 10, wherein, The predetermined distance is greater than or equal to 0.3 mm.

12. A vehicle comprising the battery cell structure of claim 1.

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