Cooling device, battery module, power storage system including the same, and automobile

Abstract

To provide a cooling device that minimizes the influence on adjacent battery cells when gas and flames are emitted from one or more battery cells of a plurality of battery cells.SOLUTION: A cooling device according to the present invention is a cooling device for cooling a plurality of battery cells, and includes a battery cell mounting portion configured to mount the plurality of battery cells on at least one side, and configured such that a portion facing the battery cells is perforated when one or more of gas and flame are ejected from the battery cells.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a cooling device, a battery module, a power storage system including the same, and a vehicle, and more particularly, to a cooling device that minimizes the influence on other adjacent battery cells when gas and flame are ejected from any one or more of a plurality of battery cells.

[0002] This application claims priority based on Korean Patent Application No. 10-2021-0069517 filed on May 28, 2021, and all of the content disclosed in the specification and drawings of the application is incorporated herein.

Background Art

[0003] Currently, commercialized secondary batteries include nickel-cadmium batteries, nickel-metal hydride batteries, nickel-zinc batteries, lithium secondary batteries, etc. Among these, lithium secondary batteries have attracted attention because they have almost no memory effect, can be freely charged and discharged, have a very low self-discharge rate, and have a high energy density compared to nickel-based secondary batteries.

[0004] Such lithium secondary batteries mainly use lithium-based oxides and carbon materials as the positive electrode active material and the negative electrode active material, respectively. A lithium secondary battery includes an electrode assembly in which a positive electrode plate and a negative electrode plate, each coated with such a positive electrode active material and a negative electrode active material, are arranged with a separator interposed therebetween, and an exterior material that seals and houses the electrode assembly together with an electrolytic solution, for example, a battery pouch exterior material.

[0005] Recently, secondary batteries are widely used not only in small devices such as portable electronic devices but also in medium- and large-sized devices such as vehicles and power storage devices. When used in such medium- and large-sized devices, a plurality of secondary batteries are electrically connected to increase the capacity and output.

[0006] [[ID={27]] On the other hand, recently, as the need for a large-capacity structure including utilization as an energy storage source has increased, when configuring a battery module, a plurality of battery cells are densely arranged with respect to each other.

[0007] Such a plurality of battery cells are densely packed together, and it is necessary to cool the plurality of battery cells in order to effectively discharge the generated heat. Accordingly, a conventional battery module is provided with a cooling device for cooling such a plurality of battery cells. Further, the cooling device provided in the battery module may be provided in a state of being in direct contact with at least a part of the plurality of battery cells in order to enhance the heat conduction efficiency. And each of the plurality of battery cells provided in the conventional battery module is provided with a vent portion configured such that when thermal runaway or fire occurs in the battery cell, high-temperature gas and flame inside the battery cell are discharged.

[0008] However, when the vent portion of such a battery cell is supported or sealed by the cooling device, even if thermal runaway or fire occurs in the battery cell, there may be a case where the high-temperature gas and flame inside the battery cell are not discharged from the vent portion. For example, a conventional cooling device composed of aluminum (Al) plate material - aluminum (Al) plate material having a thickness of several millimeters joined by a soldering method may block the vent portion of the battery cell. In this way, the gas and flame stagnated inside the battery cell increase the internal pressure of the battery cell, and the gas and flame are discharged while other parts (sides) of the battery cell are cut open instead of the vent portion. The gas and flame discharged in this way are not discharged in the direction intended by the vent portion, but are directly jetted onto other adjacent battery cells, which may induce thermal runaway or fire in other battery cells. As a result, there has been a problem that the safety of the battery module is significantly reduced. SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION PROBLEMS TO BE SOLVED BY THE INVENTION

[0009] The present invention has been made in view of the above problems, and when gas and flame are ejected from any one or more of a plurality of battery cells, a cooling device, a battery module, a power storage system, and an automobile that minimize the influence on other adjacent battery cells are provided.

[0010] Other objects and advantages of the present invention can be understood from the following description, and will be more clearly understood from the embodiments of the present invention. Also, the objects and advantages of the present invention can be realized by the means and combinations thereof shown in the claims.

Means for Solving the Problems

[0011] A cooling device according to the present invention for achieving the above object is a cooling device for cooling a plurality of battery cells, wherein the plurality of battery cells are configured to be mounted on at least one surface, and when any one or more of gas and flame are ejected from the battery cells, a battery cell mounting portion configured such that a part facing the battery cells is perforated is provided.

[0012] Further, the battery cell mounting portion may include at least one or more layers configured such that a part of one surface is perforated by any one or more of the gas and the flame.

[0013] The battery cell mounting portion includes an upper plate configured such that the plurality of battery cells are mounted on one surface, and a lower plate configured to be joined to the other surface of the upper plate, and each of the upper plate and the lower plate may include a multilayer film having a thickness of 10 μm to 900 μm.

[0014] ] The multilayer film may include an external protective layer, a reinforcing metal layer, and an internal adhesive layer.

[0015] The external protective layer is a polymer resin having insulating properties, the reinforcing metal layer includes one or more selected from the group consisting of copper (Cu), aluminum (Al), nickel (Ni), iron (Fe), carbon (C), chromium (Cr), manganese (Mn), stainless steel (SUS), and alloys containing two or more of these, and the internal adhesive layer may contain a pressure-sensitive adhesive component or a heat-sealable polymer resin.

[0016] The reinforcing metal layer may have a thickness in the range of 1 μm to 100 μm.

[0017] Furthermore, the cooling device includes a refrigerant flow path configured such that a cooling medium flows inside the battery cell mounting portion, a refrigerant injection port communicating with the refrigerant flow path through which the cooling medium is injected, and a refrigerant discharge port communicating with the refrigerant flow path through which the cooling medium is discharged. An adhesive layer configured to be joined to the inner surface of the battery cell mounting portion may be formed outside each of the refrigerant injection port and the refrigerant discharge port.

[0018] At this time, the battery cell mounting portion includes an upper plate configured such that the plurality of battery cells are mounted on one surface, and a lower plate configured to be joined to the other surface of the upper plate. The upper plate and the lower plate each include an external protective layer, a reinforcing metal layer, and an internal adhesive layer, and the internal adhesive layer of the upper plate and the internal adhesive layer of the lower plate may be joined to each other.

[0019] And, the battery cell mounting portion may have a cut formed in a portion facing the battery cell and configured to be cut by one or more of the gas and the flame.

[0020] The battery cell is a cylindrical battery cell, the cut is concentric with the battery cell, and may be in a ring shape smaller than the diameter of the battery cell.

[0021] The battery cell mounting portion includes an upper plate configured such that the plurality of battery cells are mounted on one surface, and a lower plate configured to be joined to the other surface of the upper plate. Each of the upper plate and the lower plate includes an external protective layer, a reinforcing metal layer, and an internal adhesive layer. The notch may be formed by thinning a part of the thickness of the reinforcing metal layer.

[0022] Furthermore, the battery cell mounting portion may be provided with an opening portion configured to be melted by any one or more of the gas and the flame, at a portion facing the battery cell.

[0023] The battery cell is a cylindrical battery cell, and the opening portion may be concentric with the battery cell and have a circular shape smaller than the diameter of the battery cell.

[0024] The battery cell mounting portion includes an upper plate configured such that the plurality of battery cells are mounted on one surface, and a lower plate configured to be joined to the other surface of the upper plate. Each of the upper plate and the lower plate includes an external protective layer, a reinforcing metal layer, and an internal adhesive layer. The opening portion may be formed by perforating the reinforcing metal layer.

[0025] In addition, a battery module according to an invention for achieving the above problems includes the cooling device according to the present invention, and a plurality of battery cells mounted on at least one surface of the battery cell mounting portion of the cooling device.

[0026] Also, the battery cell may be provided with a vent portion configured such that when an abnormal behavior of the battery cell occurs, gas or flame inside the main body is discharged toward the cooling device, at a portion facing the cooling device.

[0027] And the cooling device is located above the plurality of battery cells, the plurality of battery cells are each mounted so as to face the lower surface of the cooling device, and the vent portion may be located so as to face the cooling device.

[0028] Furthermore, the cooling device may be configured such that the internal cooling medium is discharged to the outside from a perforated part of the battery cell mounting portion.

[0029] In a desirable example, the battery cell is a cylindrical battery cell provided with a vent portion at the lower part thereof configured such that when an abnormal behavior of the battery cell occurs, gas or flame inside the main body is discharged toward the cooling device, and the cooling device is thermally welded to the lower part of the battery cell.

[0030] The cooling device is configured such that the internal cooling medium is water, and the cooling medium is injected from the perforated part of the battery cell mounting portion into the vented battery cell side.

[0031] Note that the power storage system of the present invention for achieving the above object includes the battery module.

[0032] And the automobile of the present invention for achieving the above object includes the battery module.

Advantages of the Invention

[0033] According to one aspect of the present invention, a battery cell mounting portion is provided, which is configured such that a plurality of battery cells are mounted on at least one surface, and when one or more of gas and flame are ejected from the battery cell, a part facing the battery cell is perforated. By this, when a vent portion for discharging gas or flame of the battery cell is not sealed by the cooling device, gas or flame can be discharged from the perforated opening of the cooling member.

[0034] Thus, different from the prior art, the present invention can prevent the side portion of the battery cell from being broken and high-temperature gas and flame from being discharged from the side portion of the battery cell due to non-discharge of gas or flame. Thereby, the present invention can prevent gas and flame discharged from the battery cell from being transferred to other adjacent batteries and prevent thermal runaway or ignition of other battery cells. Thereby, the present invention can significantly improve the safety of the battery module.

[0035] In particular, when a vent portion is formed in the battery cell, when ignition occurs inside the battery cell, the cooling device can be easily ruptured and opened by the vent portion, so that gas and flame are likely to be ejected from the vent portion to the outside of the battery cell. Since the battery cells around the vented battery cell are protected by the cooling device, the flame ejected by the venting of the ignition cell does not directly contact the surrounding battery cells, so safety can be ensured.

[0036] According to another aspect of the present invention, by providing an upper plate on which a plurality of battery cells are mounted and a lower plate joined to such an upper plate, a plurality of battery cells can be in direct contact with the cooling device without providing a heat conduction member interposed therebetween, so that the cooling efficiency can be enhanced. Each of the upper plate and the lower plate includes a multilayer film having a thickness of 10 μm to 900 μm, and thus is more easily perforated by gas or flame discharged from the battery cell than a conventional cooling device composed of Al plate materials - Al plate materials having a thickness of several mm.

[0037] According to still another aspect of the present invention, since the lower plate of the cooling device is configured to be thermally welded to the other surface of the upper plate, the assembly process of the cooling device can be enabled without separately providing fastening members. As a result, compared with the prior art, the present invention can reduce the number of manufacturing parts, shorten the manufacturing time, and reduce the manufacturing cost.

[0038] And according to still another aspect of the present invention, by thermally welding the outer peripheral portions of each of the upper plate and the lower plate to each other, the bonding force between the upper plate and the lower plate can be further enhanced. As a result, the present invention can further prevent cracks from occurring in the cooling device and the cooling medium from leaking from the gap between the upper plate and the lower plate when an external impact occurs during the use of the battery module.

[0039] The following drawings attached to this specification illustrate desirable embodiments of the present invention and serve to further understand the technical idea of the present invention together with the detailed description of the invention. Therefore, the present invention should not be construed as being limited only to the matters described in the drawings.

Brief Description of the Drawings

[0040]

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[0041] Hereinafter, preferred embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. Prior to this, the terms and words used in this specification and the claims should not be construed as being limited to ordinary or dictionary meanings, and the inventors should interpret them in accordance with the meaning and concept corresponding to the technical idea of the present invention in accordance with the principle that they can appropriately define the concept of the terms in order to explain the invention in the best way.

[0042] Therefore, it should be understood that the embodiments described in this specification and the configurations shown in the drawings are only the most preferred embodiments of the present invention and do not represent all of the technical ideas of the present invention, so there can be various equivalents and modifications that can replace them at the time of this application.

[0043] FIG. 1 is a perspective view schematically showing a battery module according to an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 2 is a perspective view schematically showing a cooling device according to an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 3 is a bottom perspective view schematically showing a cooling device according to an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 4 is a partial cross-sectional view schematically showing a part of the battery cells of the battery module according to an embodiment of the present invention. And FIG. 5 is a partial cross-sectional view schematically showing a battery module according to an embodiment of the present invention. For reference, the X-axis direction shown in FIG. 1 means the left direction, the Y-axis direction means the rear direction, and the Z-axis direction means the upward direction.

[0044] Referring to FIGS. 1 to 5, a battery module 100 according to an embodiment of the present invention includes a plurality of battery cells 110 and a cooling device 120. The cooling device 120 according to an embodiment of the present invention may be a device for cooling the plurality of battery cells 110. The cooling device 120 may have the plurality of battery cells 110 mounted on one side. The cooling device 120 may be configured to conduct heat generated from the plurality of battery cells 110 mounted on one side and cool the plurality of battery cells 110. For example, the cooling device 120 may be provided with a cooling medium 123 therein. Alternatively, the cooling device 120 may be configured such that a refrigerant fluid cooled externally is injected into the main body and the heated refrigerant fluid is discharged to the outside.

[0045] Here, the battery cell 110 may be a can-type secondary battery. For example, it may be a cylindrical battery cell or a prismatic battery cell. In this embodiment, a cylindrical battery cell is taken as an example. The battery cell 110 may include a cylindrical battery can 114. The battery cell 110 may be provided with both a positive electrode terminal 111 and a negative electrode terminal 112 at the upper part of the cylindrical battery can 114. For example, although not shown, an electrically insulating member may be interposed between the positive electrode terminal 111 and the negative electrode terminal 112. That is, the electrically insulating member can prevent electrical connection between the positive electrode terminal 111 and the negative electrode terminal 112.

[0046] The plurality of battery cells 110 may be arranged at a predetermined interval, for example, a distance of 3 to 5 mm. Also, the plurality of battery cells 110 located in one row and the plurality of battery cells 110 located in another row may be arranged with different positions in the front-rear direction (the X-axis direction in FIG. 1). And the plurality of battery cells 110 located in one column and the plurality of battery cells 110 located in another column may be arranged with different positions in the left-right direction (the Y-axis direction in FIG. 1). That is, the plurality of battery cells 110 are generally arranged in a zigzag pattern in the front, rear, left, and right directions. By arranging them in this way, the integration density of the battery cells 110 can be increased.

[0047] Further, although not shown, the battery module 100 of the present invention can electrically connect the plurality of battery cells 110 by a bus bar, an electric wire, or the like. That is, in the battery module 100 of the present invention, the positive electrode terminals 111 and the negative electrode terminals 112 provided in the plurality of battery cells 110 can be brought into contact with the bus bar or the electric wire to electrically connect the plurality of battery cells 110.

[0048] The lower portions of the plurality of battery cells 110 can be fixed by heat welding to the cooling device 120. That is, the cooling device 120 can have a lower cooling structure.

[0049] Further, when one or more of gas and flame P are ejected from the battery cell 110, the cooling device 120 can include a battery cell mounting portion 121 configured such that a portion facing the battery cell 110 is perforated. Here, when an abnormal behavior such as an internal electrical short circuit or thermal runaway occurs in the battery cell 110, the battery cell 110 can be configured to discharge one or more of gas and flame to the outside. At this time, the battery cell mounting portion 121 can be configured such that a portion facing the battery cell 110 is perforated by one or more of gas and flame. The battery cell mounting portion 121 can be perforated in such a way that it is melted and lost, or a part of it is broken, or a part of it is detached by one or more of the discharged gas and flame. At this time, one or more of the gas and flame discharged from the battery cell 110 can move in a direction opposite to the position where the plurality of battery cells 110 are mounted from the perforated opening O of the battery cell mounting portion 121.

[0050] Therefore, according to such a configuration of the present invention, the present invention is configured such that the plurality of battery cells 110 are mounted on at least one surface, and when any one or more of gas and flame are ejected from the battery cell 110, a part facing the battery cell 110 is configured to be perforated, and the battery cell mounting portion 121 is provided. Thus, the vent portion 113 for discharging the gas or flame of the battery cell 110 can discharge the gas or flame from the perforated opening O of the cooling member without being sealed by the cooling device 120. Accordingly, different from the prior art, the present invention can prevent the side portion of the battery cell 110 from being broken and the high-temperature gas and flame from being discharged from the side portion of the battery cell 110 due to non-discharge of gas or flame. Thereby, the gas and flame discharged from the battery cell 110 are not transferred to other adjacent battery cells 110, and thermal runaway or ignition of other battery cells 110 can be prevented. Thereby, the safety of the battery module 100 can be significantly improved. That is, the cooling device 120 does not block the vent portion 113 of the battery cell 110 and is easily perforated when the flame is discharged through the vent portion 113 of the battery cell 110. It is possible to prevent the flame from being ejected while the side surface of the battery cell 110 is broken, and it is possible to prevent other surrounding battery cells from being directly exposed to the flame and causing chain ignition. When any one battery cell 110 catches fire, since the cooling device 120 plays a primary barrier role, the effect of preventing chain ignition of other battery cells 110 is excellent.

[0051] In particular, when the vent portion 113 is configured at the lower portion of the battery cell 110 as in the present embodiment, when an internal fire occurs in the battery cell 110, since the vent portion 113 easily perforates the cooling device 120, gas or flame is easily ejected from the vent portion 113 to the outside of the battery cell 110. Since other battery cells 110 around the vented battery cell 110 are protected by the cooling device 120, safety can be ensured by preventing the flame ejected by the venting of the firing cell from directly contacting the surrounding battery cells 110.

[0052] In the case of this embodiment, since the vent portion 113 is formed at the lower part of the battery cell 110 and the vent portion 113 operates properly even when the cooling device 120 is located at the lower part of the battery cell 110, when overheating or a fire occurs due to an abnormal situation of the battery cell 110, internal gas, flames, etc. can escape downward instead of upward or to the side of the battery module 100. For example, when the battery module 100 is provided in an automobile or the like, usually, a passenger such as a driver is located above the battery module 100. Therefore, by guiding gas or flames downward from the battery module 100, the safety of the passengers can be maximally ensured.

[0053] The battery cell 110 may be a cylindrical battery cell as described above. In particular, for example, it may be a cylindrical battery cell having a form factor ratio (a value obtained by dividing the diameter of the cylindrical battery cell by its height, that is, a ratio of the diameter Φ to the height H) greater than about 0.4. Here, the form factor means a value indicating the diameter and height of the cylindrical battery cell. The cylindrical battery cell according to an embodiment of the present invention may be, for example, a 46110 cell, a 48750 cell, a 48110 cell, a 48800 cell, or a 46800 cell. In the numerical value indicating the form factor, the first two digits indicate the diameter of the cell, the next two digits indicate the height of the cell, and the last digit 0 indicates that the cross-section of the cell is circular.

[0054] Conventionally, battery cells having a form factor of approximately 0.4 or less have been used. For example, 1865 cells, 2170 cells, etc. were used. Compared with this, the battery cell 110 included in the battery module 100 of the present invention can be said to be a large-sized battery cell. Therefore, the battery module 100 of the present invention is more suitable for high capacity and high output. Further, since the cooling device 120 has been improved, it is particularly suitable as a battery module for automobiles that require high capacity and high output.

[0055] FIG. 6 is a partial cross-sectional view schematically showing a part of the cooling device according to an embodiment of the present invention. And FIG. 7 is a partial cross-sectional view schematically showing an enlarged part of the A region of the cooling device of FIG. 6.

[0056] Referring to FIGS. 6 and 7, the battery cell mounting portion 121 may include at least one or more layers configured such that a part of one surface is perforated by one or more of the gas and the flame. For example, at least one or more layers of the battery cell mounting portion 121 may include a multilayer film having a thickness of 10 μm to 900 μm. Desirably, at least one or more layers of the battery cell mounting portion 121 may include an external protective layer 122a, a reinforcing metal layer 122b, and a first internal adhesive layer 122c1. The external protective layer 122a is formed on one surface of the reinforcing metal layer 122b and may include a polymer resin having insulating properties. The polymer resin having insulating properties of the external protective layer 122a may include one or more selected from the group consisting of polyethylene, polypropylene, polyester, polyethylene terephthalate (PET), nylon, vinyl chloride, polyimide, and polyphenylene sulfide. Such an external protective layer 122a may be a wear-resistant material.

[0057] The reinforcing metal layer 122b may include one or more selected from the group consisting of copper (Cu), aluminum (Al), nickel (Ni), iron (Fe), carbon (C), chromium (Cr), manganese (Mn), stainless steel (SUS), and alloys containing two or more of these. Further, the reinforcing metal layer 122b has a thickness in the range of 1 μm to 100 μm. Also, the first internal adhesive layer 122c1 may include a pressure-sensitive adhesive component or a heat-sealable polymer resin. Here, the pressure-sensitive adhesive component may include one or more selected from the group consisting of acrylic adhesive compounds, rubber-based adhesive compounds, silicone-based adhesive compounds, and vinyl ether-based adhesive compounds. The first internal adhesive layer 122c1 may be, for example, an unstretched CPP film (casting polypropylene film).

[0058] Thus, the layer of the battery cell mounting portion 121 can be a film having a thickness of 10 μm to 900 μm. The cooling device 120 formed from such a film can be defined as a "thin film" cooling device as compared with a conventional cooling device using an Al plate material or the like having a thickness of several millimeters. A conventional cooling device composed of an Al plate material with a thickness of several millimeters is not perforated by the gas or flame discharged from the battery cell. When the layer of the battery cell mounting portion 121 is formed from a multilayer thin film having the thickness as described above, it is easily perforated by the gas or flame discharged from the battery cell 110 as compared with the conventional cooling device. Further, since the battery cell mounting portion 121 is a film having a thickness of 10 μm to 900 μm, it is lighter than a conventional Al plate material having a thickness of several millimeters. Therefore, the thickness and weight of the battery module 100 including such a cooling device 120 can be further reduced, and the energy density per volume and the energy density per weight can be increased.

[0059] Also, as shown in FIG. 6, the appearance of the battery cell mounting portion 121 may include the at least one or more layers. For example, as shown in FIG. 7, the battery cell mounting portion 121 may include an upper plate 121a and a lower plate 121b. The upper plate 121a may be configured such that the plurality of battery cells 110 are mounted on one surface. For example, the upper plate 121a may be plate-shaped having a predetermined length such that the plurality of battery cells 110 are mounted on one surface (upper surface). One surface of the upper plate 121a may be configured to be flat. In other examples, it is also possible to be configured to include a structure such as a protrusion so as to define the mounting positions of the respective battery cells 110.

[0060] The lower plate 121b may be configured to be joined to the other surface of the upper plate 121a on which the plurality of battery cells 110 are not mounted. The lower plate 121b may have an upper portion corresponding to the size of the plane of the upper plate 121a. That is, the lower plate 121b may have an outer peripheral portion corresponding to the outer peripheral portion of the upper plate 121a.

[0061] The upper plate 121a may be composed of at least one or more layers. Also, the lower plate 121b may be composed of at least one or more layers. For example, as shown in FIG. 7, the upper plate 121a may be in a form where three layers are stacked in the vertical direction, with an external protection layer 122a on the upper part, a reinforcing metal layer 122b in the center, and a first internal adhesive layer 122c1 on the lower part. The lower plate 121b may be in a form where three layers are stacked in the vertical direction, with a second internal adhesive layer 122c2 on the upper part, a reinforcing metal layer 122b in the center, and an external protection layer 122a on the lower part. At this time, the first internal adhesive layer 122c1 of the upper plate 121a and the second internal adhesive layer 122c2 of the lower plate 121b may be in a form joined to each other. For example, each of the two adhesive layers 122c1 and 122c2 may include a heat-sealable polymer resin. The two adhesive layers may be heat-sealed to each other. Therefore, the outer peripheral portions of the lower plate 121b and the upper plate 121a may be heat-sealed to each other. For example, when a CPP film is used for the two adhesive layers 122c1 and 122c2, when heat is applied, they melt and bond to each other to be sealed.

[0062] Referring further to FIG. 6, the lower plate 121b may have an uneven structure having a portion protruding toward the upper plate 121a in a cross-sectional view. Here, the portion protruding toward the upper plate 121a may be the upper surface of each of the partition walls of the lower plate 121b and the outer peripheral portion of the lower plate 121b. Subsequently, the outer peripheral portions of each of the upper plate 121a and the lower plate 121b may also be heat-sealed.

[0063] Since the first internal adhesive layer 122c1 of the upper plate 121a and the second internal adhesive layer 122c2 of the lower plate 121b are joined to each other, the assembly process of the cooling device 120 can be performed without separately providing fastening members. Accordingly, compared with the prior art, the present invention can reduce the number of manufacturing parts and shorten the manufacturing time, and thus can reduce the manufacturing cost. Further, the outer peripheral portions of the upper plate 121a and the lower plate 121b can be heat-welded to each other to further improve the bonding force therebetween. Accordingly, even if an external impact occurs during the use of the battery module 100, the present invention can prevent the cooling device 120 from cracking and the cooling medium 123 from leaking from the gap between the upper plate 121a and the lower plate 121b.

[0064] FIG. 8 is a bottom perspective view schematically showing a refrigerant injection port of a cooling device according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0065] Referring to FIG. 8 together with FIGS. 1 and 2, a cooling device 120 according to an embodiment of the present invention may include a cooling medium 123, a refrigerant flow path 124, a refrigerant injection port 125, and a refrigerant discharge port 126. Here, the cooling medium 123 may be, for example, water.

[0066] The refrigerant flow path 124 may be a passage through which the cooling medium 123 flows in the internal space of the battery cell mounting portion 121. For example, the refrigerant flow path 124 may be formed by a spaced-apart space between the upper plate 121a and the lower plate 121b. The refrigerant flow path 124 may be provided in the lower plate 121b. The refrigerant flow path 124 is a free space that protrudes relatively downward and through which the refrigerant can flow. The lower plate 121b may include a partition wall that protrudes upward from the bottom surface of the refrigerant flow path 124 so as to partition such a free space. The refrigerant injection port 125 may communicate with the refrigerant flow path 124 so that the fluid of the cooling medium 123 cooled externally is injected into the main body. The refrigerant injection port 125 may be located, for example, at the front end of the battery cell mounting portion 121. The refrigerant discharge port 126 may communicate with the refrigerant flow path 124 so that the heated cooling medium 123 can be discharged to the outside. The refrigerant discharge port 126 may be located, for example, at the rear end of the battery cell mounting portion 121.

[0067] Also, a third adhesive layer 122c3 configured to be joined to the inner surface of the battery cell mounting portion 121 may be formed outside each of the refrigerant injection port 125 and the refrigerant discharge port 126. The third adhesive layer 122c3 may include a pressure-sensitive adhesive component or a heat-weldable polymer resin. For example, the same third adhesive layer 122c3 as the third adhesive layer 122c3 provided in the battery cell mounting portion 121 may be provided. The third adhesive layer 122c3 provided in each of the refrigerant injection port 125 and the refrigerant discharge port 126 and the third adhesive layer 122c3 provided in the battery cell mounting portion 121 may be joined to each other.

[0068] Therefore, according to such a configuration of the present invention, since the cooling device 120 includes the upper plate 121a on which a plurality of battery cells 110 are mounted and the lower plate 121b joined to the upper plate 121a, the plurality of battery cells 110 can be in direct contact with the upper surface of the cooling device 120 without including a heat conduction member interposed therebetween, and the cooling efficiency can be improved.

[0069] Further, outside each of the refrigerant injection port 125 and the refrigerant discharge port 126, a third adhesive layer 122c3 configured to be joined to the inner surface of the battery cell mounting portion 121 is formed. Thus, the third adhesive layer 122c3 provided in each of the refrigerant injection port 125 and the refrigerant discharge port 126 and the third adhesive layer 122c3 provided in the battery cell mounting portion 121 can be easily joined to each other. Thereby, the sealing performance of the connection portion between each of the refrigerant injection port 125 and the refrigerant discharge port 126 and the refrigerant flow path 124 provided in the battery cell mounting portion 121 can be effectively enhanced. Further, in the present invention, by setting the joining method between the port and the battery cell mounting portion 121 and the joining method of the battery cell mounting portion 121 to be the same, the manufacturing process of the cooling device 120 can be simplified, and the manufacturing efficiency can be significantly increased.

[0070] FIG. 9 is a plan view schematically showing a cooling device according to another embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 10 is a cross-sectional view taken along line X-X' of FIG. 9.

[0071] Referring to FIGS. 9 and 10 together with FIGS. 1 and 4, the cooling device 120 according to another embodiment of the present invention differs only in that a cut 127 is further formed when compared with the cooling device 120 of FIG. 2, and the remaining configuration may be the same. The battery cell mounting portion 121 may be formed with a cut 127 configured to be cut open by any one or more of the gas and the flame in a part facing the battery cell 110. The cut 127 may be a part where a part of the battery cell mounting portion 121 is formed to be thinner than the remaining part. The cut 127 may be configured to be more easily torn by the gas or flame discharged from the battery cell 110 than the remaining part of the battery cell mounting portion 121. For example, as shown in FIG. 9, cuts 127 may be formed in a part of the battery cell mounting portion 121 of the cooling device 120 facing each of the plurality of battery cells 110. In particular, when the battery cell 110 is a cylindrical battery cell, the cut 127 may be concentric with the battery cell 110 and have a ring shape smaller than the diameter of the battery cell 110.

[0072] Also, when the upper plate 121a includes an external protective layer 122a, a reinforcing metal layer 122b, and a first internal adhesive layer 122c1, the cut 127 can be formed by thinning a part of the thickness of the reinforcing metal layer 122b. The cut 127 can be formed in a multilayer thin film including the external protective layer 122a, the reinforcing metal layer 122b, and the first internal adhesive layer 122c1, and can be formed by pressing or excavating a part of the external protective layer 122a and the reinforcing metal layer 122b to make it thinner than the remaining part.

[0073] Therefore, according to such a configuration of the present invention, by providing the cut 127 configured to be cut by any one or more of the gas and the flame in a part facing the battery cell 110, a part of the battery cell mounting portion 121 can be perforated more reliably by the cut 127. As a result, in the present invention, a vent portion 113 (described below) for discharging gas and flame of the battery cell 110 is not sealed by the cooling device 120, and gas and flame can be discharged through the perforated opening of the cooling member. Thereby, the present invention can significantly improve the safety of the battery module 100.

[0074] FIG. 11 is a plan view schematically showing a cooling device according to still another embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 12 is a cross-sectional view taken along XII-XII' of FIG. 11. Referring to FIGS. 11 and 12 together with FIGS. 1 and 4, a cooling device 120 according to another embodiment of the present invention differs only in that an opening 128 is further formed as compared with the cooling device 120 of FIG. 2, and the remaining configuration is the same. The battery cell mounting portion 121 may be provided with an opening 128 configured to be melted by any one or more of the gas and the flame in a part facing the battery cell 110. In particular, when the battery cell 110 is a cylindrical battery cell, the opening 128 may be concentric with the battery cell 110 and may have a circular shape smaller than the diameter of the battery cell 110. The opening 128 may be, for example, a polymer resin having insulating properties and thermoplasticity. For example, the opening 128 may include any one or more of polyethylene, polyethylene terephthalate, polyvinyl chloride, polyvinylidene chloride, polystyrene, and polypropylene. The opening 128 may be formed by drilling a hole through the upper plate 121a and then filling the hole with a polymer resin having insulating properties and thermoplasticity.

[0075] FIG. 13 is another cross-sectional view taken along XII-XII' of FIG. 11. The opening 128 can be formed without forming a hole through the upper plate 121a. When the upper plate 121a includes an external protective layer 122a, a reinforcing metal layer 122b, and a first internal adhesive layer 122c1, the opening 128 can be formed by perforating the reinforcing metal layer 122b. Even if the external protective layer 122a covers the perforated reinforcing metal layer 122b, the external protective layer 122a can be easily melted, so that the perforation of the upper plate 121a becomes easier than when the reinforcing metal layer 122b is not perforated.

[0076] Therefore, according to such a configuration of the present invention, by further providing an opening portion 128 configured to be melted by any one or more of the gas and the flame on a part facing the battery cell 110, when any one or more of the gas and the flame are discharged from the battery cell 110, a part of the battery cell mounting portion 121 can be reliably perforated by the opening portion 128 melted by the gas or the flame. As a result, in the present invention, the vent portion 113 for discharging the gas or the flame of the battery cell 110 can discharge the gas or the flame from the perforated opening of the cooling member without being sealed by the cooling device 120. Thereby, the present invention can greatly improve the safety of the battery module 100.

[0077] Referring further to FIGS. 1 and 4, a battery module 100 according to an embodiment of the present invention includes a cooling device 120 and a plurality of battery cells 110. The battery cells 110 can be mounted on at least one surface of the battery cell mounting portion 121 of the cooling device 120. The cooling device 120 can be thermally welded to the lower part of the battery cell 110.

[0078] Furthermore, in a part of the battery cell 110 facing the cooling device 120, a vent part 113 may be provided which is configured such that when an abnormal behavior of the battery cell 110 occurs, gas or flame inside the main body is discharged toward the cooling device 120. For example, the vent part 113 may be a part where a part of the battery can 114 is formed with lower mechanical rigidity compared to other parts. For example, as shown in FIG. 4, a vent part 113 may be provided at the lower part of the battery cell 110. The vent part 113 may be a part where a part of the thickness of the lower part of the battery can 114 is formed thinly. Although not shown, the vent part 113 may be ring-shaped in a bottom view. When an internal gas pressure of the battery cell 110 exceeds a predetermined pressure, gas and flame can be more easily discharged to the outside of the battery cell 110 while being circularly cut along the vent part 113. The vent part 113 may also be provided in the shape of an opening or a cut of a predetermined size. Further, the vent part 113 may be formed in a structure in which a film or the like that breaks at a pressure above a certain level is further added to the opening of the predetermined size.

[0079] Therefore, according to such a configuration of the present invention, in a part facing the cooling device 120, since the vent part 113 is provided which is configured such that when an abnormal behavior occurs in the battery cell 110, gas or flame inside the main body is discharged to the outside, the gas and flame discharged from the battery cell 110 are not transferred to other adjacent battery cells 110, but are discharged to the outside through the perforated opening of the battery cell mounting part 121 of the cooling device 120. Thus, thermal runaway or ignition of other battery cells 110 can be prevented. As a result, the safety of the battery module 100 can be significantly improved.

[0080] FIG. 14 is a bottom perspective view schematically showing a battery module according to another embodiment of the present invention. And FIG. 15 is a partial cross-sectional view schematically showing a part of the battery module of FIG. 14.

[0081] Referring to FIGS. 14 and 15, a battery module 100 according to another embodiment of the present invention may have the same configuration as the battery module 100 of FIG. 1, except that the arrangement positions of the plurality of battery cells 110 and the cooling device 120 are different.

[0082] Specifically, in the battery module 100 of FIG. 14, the cooling device 120 may be located above the plurality of battery cells 110. Also, the plurality of battery cells 110 may be arranged in a form where the upper and lower parts are reversed. That is, each of the plurality of battery cells 110 may have a vent part 113 located at the upper part and a positive terminal 111 and a negative terminal 112 located at the lower part, different from the battery module 100 of FIG. 1. Further, the lower surface of the cooling device 120 of the battery module 100 of FIG. 14 may be located to face the vent part 113 of each of the plurality of battery cells 110.

[0083] Also, the cooling device 120 may be configured such that the internal cooling medium 123 is discharged to the outside from a perforated part of the battery cell mounting part 121. That is, when any one or more of the plurality of battery cells 110 have an abnormal behavior and discharge any one or more of the internal gas and flame to the outside through the vent part 113, a part of the battery cell mounting part 121 of the cooling device 120 is perforated, and the cooling medium 123 accommodated inside the cooling device 120 can be discharged to the outside through the thus-perforated opening O. The cooling medium 123 discharged to the outside can move to the plurality of battery cells 110 and directly cool the plurality of battery cells 110.

[0084] Therefore, according to the configuration of the present invention, in the present invention, the cooling device 120 is located above the plurality of battery cells 110, and the plurality of battery cells 110 are each mounted so as to face the lower surface of the cooling device 120. The vent portion 113 is positioned so as to face the cooling device 120. When any one or more of the plurality of battery cells 110 exhibit abnormal behavior and discharge any one or more of the internal gas and flame to the outside from the vent portion 113, a part of the battery cell mounting portion 121 of the cooling device 120 is perforated, and the cooling medium 123 stored inside the cooling device 120 can be discharged to the outside through the opening O thus perforated. The cooling medium 123 discharged to the outside in this way can move to the plurality of battery cells 110 and directly cool the plurality of battery cells 110. Therefore, it is possible to suppress a fire in the battery module 100 and prevent the propagation of thermal runaway to the plurality of battery cells 110. That is, when venting is performed with at least any one of the battery cells 110, gas or flame from the vented battery cell 110 is discharged toward the cooling device 120, whereby a part of the battery cell mounting portion 121 is perforated, and the cooling medium 123 inside the cooling device 120, for example, water, is immediately poured toward the vented battery cell 110 from the perforated portion of the battery cell mounting portion 121, and thermal events such as immediately extinguishing the ignited cell can be suppressed immediately.

[0085] FIG. 16 is a schematic diagram schematically showing an automobile according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0086] Referring to FIG. 16, the battery module 100 according to an embodiment of the present invention may be included in an automobile 200 such as an electric vehicle or a hybrid vehicle. That is, the automobile 200 according to an embodiment of the present invention may mount the battery module 100 in the vehicle body.

[0087] FIG. 17 is a perspective view schematically showing a power storage system according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0088] Referring to FIG. 17, the battery rack 300 of the present invention includes a plurality of battery modules 100 and a rack case 310. The plurality of battery modules 100 may be configured to be accommodated in the rack case 310 in a vertically arranged form.

[0089] In this specification, terms indicating directions such as up, down, left, right, front, and back are used. However, such terms indicate relative positions and are for the convenience of explanation only. It is obvious to those skilled in the art that they can change depending on the position of the object to be observed and the position of the observer.

[0090] As described above, the present invention has been described with reference to limited embodiments and drawings. However, the present invention is not limited thereto, and it goes without saying that various modifications and variations are possible within the equivalent scope of the technical idea and claims of the present invention by those having ordinary knowledge in the technical field to which the present invention pertains.

Explanation of Reference Numerals

[0091] 110 Battery cell 120 Cooling device 121 Battery cell mounting portion

Claims

1. A cooling device for cooling a plurality of battery cells, comprising a battery cell mounting portion configured such that the plurality of battery cells are mounted on at least one surface, and when one or more of gas and flame are ejected from the battery cells, a portion facing the battery cells is configured to be perforated.

2. The battery cell mounting portion comprises at least one or more layers configured such that a portion of one surface is perforated by one or more of the gas and the flame, and the cooling device according to Claim 1.

3. The battery cell mounting portion comprises an upper plate configured such that the plurality of battery cells are mounted on one surface, and a lower plate configured to be joined to the other surface of the upper plate, and the upper plate and the lower plate each include a multilayer film having a thickness of 10 μm to 900 μm, and the cooling device according to Claim 1.

4. The multilayer film includes an external protective layer, a reinforcing metal layer, and an internal adhesive layer, and the cooling device according to Claim 3.

5. The external protective layer is a polymer resin having insulating properties, the reinforcing metal layer includes one or more selected from the group consisting of copper (Cu), aluminum (Al), nickel (Ni), iron (Fe), carbon (C), chromium (Cr), manganese (Mn), stainless steel (SUS), and alloys containing two or more of these, and the internal adhesive layer includes a pressure-sensitive adhesive component or a heat-sealing polymer resin, and the cooling device according to Claim 4.

6. The reinforcing metal layer has a thickness in the range of 1 μm to 100 μm, and the cooling device according to Claim 5.

7. The cooling device comprises a refrigerant flow path configured such that a cooling medium flows inside the battery cell mounting portion, a refrigerant injection port communicating with the refrigerant flow path and into which the cooling medium is injected, and a refrigerant discharge port communicating with the refrigerant flow path and through which the cooling medium is discharged, and an adhesive layer configured to be joined to the inner surface of the battery cell mounting portion is formed outside each of the refrigerant injection port and the refrigerant discharge port, and the cooling device according to Claim 1.

8. The battery cell mounting portion comprises an upper plate configured such that the plurality of battery cells are mounted on one surface, and a lower plate configured to be joined to the other surface of the upper plate, and The upper plate and the lower plate each include an external protective layer, a reinforcing metal layer, and an internal adhesive layer, The cooling device according to claim 7, wherein the internal adhesive layer of the upper plate and the internal adhesive layer of the lower plate are joined to each other.

9. The cooling device according to claim 1, wherein the battery cell mounting portion is formed with a cut configured to be cut by any one or more of the gas and the flame at a portion facing the battery cell.

10. The cooling device according to claim 9, wherein the battery cell is a cylindrical battery cell, the cut is concentric with the battery cell, and is in a ring shape smaller than the diameter of the battery cell.

11. The battery cell mounting portion includes an upper plate configured such that the plurality of battery cells are mounted on one surface, and a lower plate configured to be joined to the other surface of the upper plate, and the upper plate and the lower plate each include an external protective layer, a reinforcing metal layer, and an internal adhesive layer, The cooling device according to claim 9, wherein the cut is formed by thinning a part of the thickness of the reinforcing metal layer.

12. The cooling device according to claim 1, wherein the battery cell mounting portion is provided with an opening portion configured to be melted by any one or more of the gas and the flame at a portion facing the battery cell.

13. The cooling device according to claim 12, wherein the battery cell is a cylindrical battery cell, the opening portion is concentric with the battery cell, and is in a circular shape smaller than the diameter of the battery cell.

14. The battery cell mounting portion includes an upper plate configured such that the plurality of battery cells are mounted on one surface, and a lower plate configured to be joined to the other surface of the upper plate, and the upper plate and the lower plate each include an external protective layer, a reinforcing metal layer, and an internal adhesive layer, The cooling device according to claim 12, wherein the opening portion is formed by perforating the reinforcing metal layer.

15. A battery module comprising the cooling device according to any one of claims 1 to 14, and a plurality of battery cells mounted on at least one surface of the battery cell mounting portion of the cooling device.

16. The battery cell is A vent portion is provided in a part facing the cooling device, and is configured such that when an abnormal behavior of the battery cell occurs, gas or flame inside the main body is discharged toward the cooling device. The battery module according to claim 15 is characterized by this.

17. The cooling device is located above the plurality of battery cells. Each of the plurality of battery cells is mounted so as to face the lower surface of the cooling device. The vent portion is located so as to face the cooling device. The battery module according to claim 16 is characterized by this.

18. The cooling device is configured such that the internal cooling medium is discharged to the outside from a perforated part of the battery cell mounting portion. The battery module according to claim 17 is characterized by this.

19. The battery cell is a cylindrical battery cell provided with a vent portion at the lower part, and is configured such that when an abnormal behavior of the battery cell occurs, gas or flame inside the main body is discharged toward the cooling device. The cooling device is thermally welded to the lower part of the battery cell. The battery module according to claim 15 is characterized by this.

20. The cooling device has water as the internal cooling medium. The battery module according to claim 19 is characterized in that the cooling medium is configured to be injected from the perforated part of the battery cell mounting portion to the vented battery cell side.

21. A power storage system characterized by including the battery module according to claim 15.

22. An automobile characterized by including the battery module according to claim 15.

Images