Power storage device and vehicle

Abstract

To protect and cool a power storage device at the same time.SOLUTION: A power storage device (battery pack 100) includes a case 10 (LWR case 101 and UPR case 102), and a power storage unit (battery stacks 111, 112) and an electrical device (battery device 113) housed in the case 10. The case 10 is provided with a protective plate 140 that protects the electrical device. The power storage device further includes a cooling pipe that cools the power storage device. The protective plate 140 is disposed between at least a portion of the cooling pipe (device cooling section 134) and the electrical device.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 4

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present disclosure relates to a power storage device and a vehicle equipped with the power storage device. [Background technology]

[0002] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open Publication No. 2022-128961 (Patent Document 1) discloses a technology in which a stay is provided on the frame of a battery case so that when a collision load is input to the stay due to a frontal or rear collision, the stay bends due to the input collision load. This technology employs a stay having a contoured portion that deforms outward in the vertical direction relative to at least one of the front wall and rear wall of the frame of the battery case so that the impact energy due to the collision is absorbed by the deformation of the stay. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Publication No. 2022-128961 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] The case (battery case) of the power storage device may house not only the power storage unit (battery) but also electrical equipment such as a junction box (J / B) or a control device. Patent Document 1 mentions the protection of the power storage unit, but does not mention the protection of the electrical equipment. Patent Document 1 also does not mention a device for cooling the power storage device. In a power storage device provided with a protective member such as the stay described above, it becomes difficult to provide additional cooling piping.

[0005] The present disclosure has been made to solve the above-mentioned problems, and has an object to achieve both protection and cooling of a power storage device. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] According to one embodiment of the present disclosure, there is provided a power storage device described below. The power storage device includes a case, a power storage unit and an electric device housed in the case. The case is provided with a protective plate that protects the electric device. The power storage device further includes a cooling pipe that cools the power storage device. The protective plate is disposed between at least a portion of the cooling pipe and the electric device.

[0007] By providing the protective plate as described above, it is possible to protect the electrical equipment inside the case. However, there is a concern that providing the protective plate may reduce the heat dissipation performance of the electrical equipment. In this regard, in the above-described power storage device, at least a portion of the cooling piping can exchange heat with the electrical equipment via the protective plate. This achieves both protection and cooling of the power storage device (particularly the electrical equipment inside the case). [Effects of the Invention]

[0008] According to the present disclosure, it is possible to achieve both protection and cooling of the power storage device. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0009] [Figure 1] 1 is a diagram illustrating a configuration of a vehicle equipped with a power storage device according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. [Figure 2] 1 is a diagram showing a configuration of a power storage device according to an embodiment of the present invention; [Figure 3] 5A and 5B are diagrams for explaining a manner in which a protection plate of the electricity storage device according to the present embodiment is attached. [Figure 4] FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view taken along line IV-IV in FIG. [Figure 5] 10A and 10B are diagrams for explaining the operation and effect of the power storage device according to the embodiment; [Figure 6] FIG. 3 is a diagram showing a modified example of the cooling pipe shown in FIG. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0010] Embodiments of the present disclosure will be described in detail with reference to the drawings. In the drawings, identical or corresponding parts are designated by the same reference numerals, and their description will not be repeated. In each drawing, the directions of three mutually orthogonal axes (X-axis, Y-axis, and Z-axis) are indicated by adding a "+" in the direction indicated by the arrow and a "-" in the opposite direction.

[0011] Fig. 1 is a diagram showing the configuration of a vehicle equipped with a power storage device according to this embodiment. Fig. 1 shows the up-down direction and the front-rear direction, which are perpendicular to each other. "Front" corresponds to the direction of travel of the vehicle, and "rear" corresponds to the opposite direction. "Down" corresponds to the vertical direction (the direction of gravity), and "up" corresponds to the opposite direction.

[0012] Referring to FIG. 1, the vehicle 1000 includes a front section 310, a vehicle interior space 320, and a rear section 330. The front section 310 is located in the front of the vehicle interior space 320. The rear section 330 is located in the rear of the vehicle interior space 320. A battery pack 100 is provided under the floor of the vehicle 1000. The battery pack 100 is fixed to, for example, the underside of a floor panel of the vehicle interior space 320. However, this is not a limitation, and the battery pack 100 may be mounted in any manner. For example, the case of the battery pack 100 may form part of the vehicle body (for example, the floor panel).

[0013] The drive unit 20 that drives the vehicle 1000 is provided in a front part 310 of the vehicle 1000. The front part 310 is located forward of the center of the vehicle 1000 in the longitudinal direction. The drive unit 20 includes a PCU (Power Control Unit) 21, an MG (Motor Generator) 22, and an engine 23. The vehicle 1000 is configured to be able to run using electric power output from a battery pack 100. The vehicle 1000 is, for example, a PHEV (plug-in hybrid vehicle). However, the vehicle 1000 may also be another type of electric vehicle (xEV). Examples of other electric vehicles include an HEV (hybrid vehicle) and a BEV (electric vehicle).

[0014] The MG 22 functions as a drive motor and rotates the drive wheels 24 of the vehicle 1000. The PCU 21 drives the MG 22 using power supplied from the battery pack 100. The PCU 21 includes, for example, an inverter. The MG 22 converts the power into torque, which is transmitted to the drive wheels 24. The MG 22 also performs regenerative power generation, for example, when the vehicle 1000 decelerates, to charge the battery pack 100.

[0015] The engine 23 functions as an internal combustion engine and rotates the drive wheels 24 of the vehicle 1000. The engine 23 generates power by combusting fuel supplied from a fuel tank (not shown). The power generated by the engine 23 is transmitted to the drive wheels 24. The exhaust pipe 23a is connected to the engine 23 and discharges exhaust gas from the engine 23 to the outside of the vehicle.

[0016] The vehicle 1000 is further equipped with a cooling device that cools the battery pack 100. The cooling device includes refrigerant circuits C1 and C2 and a chiller 240. The refrigerant circuit C1 includes a pump 210, a heater 220, and a reserve tank (R / T) 230. The pump 210 circulates refrigerant through the refrigerant circuit C1. The heater 220 heats the refrigerant flowing through the refrigerant circuit C1 in response to a request from a control device (e.g., an on-board computer such as an ECU (Electronic Control Unit)) (not shown). The refrigerant flowing through the refrigerant circuit C1 cools the battery pack 100 when its temperature rises. However, when the temperature of the battery pack 100 is low due to weather or location (e.g., a cold region), the refrigerant heated by the heater 220 may raise the temperature of the battery pack 100. The refrigerant circuit C2 includes a refrigeration cycle device 250. The refrigeration cycle device 250 includes various devices that adjust temperature through a refrigeration cycle (i.e., a cycle of evaporation, compression, condensation, and expansion strokes). The refrigeration cycle device 250 may be configured as a cooling circuit of an air conditioner (not shown) mounted on the vehicle 1000. The refrigerant flowing through the refrigerant circuit C2 is cooled by the refrigeration cycle device 250. The chiller 240 is connected to the refrigerant circuits C1 and C2, and performs heat exchange between the refrigerant circulating through the refrigerant circuit C1 and the refrigerant circulating through the refrigerant circuit C2.

[0017] Fig. 2 is a diagram showing the configuration of battery pack 100. Battery pack 100 shown in Fig. 2 is mounted on vehicle 1000 so that the -Z side is "bottom" (vertical direction) in Fig. 1 and the -X side is "front" in Fig. 1. Battery pack 100 corresponds to an example of the "power storage device" according to the present disclosure.

[0018] 2, the battery pack 100 includes battery stacks 111 and 112, a battery device 113, reinforcing members (reinforcements) 121 to 123, a cooling pipe 130, and a connector block 150. Note that in FIG. 2, the UPR (upper) case is omitted and the internal configuration of the case of the battery pack 100 is shown. The outline of the LWR (lower) case 101 shown in FIG. 2 corresponds to the outline of the inner bottom surface (surface F1 shown in FIG. 4) of the LWR case 101.

[0019] Each of the battery stacks 111, 112 includes a plurality of power storage cells (hereinafter simply referred to as "cells") that function as secondary batteries. Each battery stack is, for example, a power storage module in which a plurality of electrically connected cells are modularized. In each of the battery stacks 111, 112, a plurality of cells are stacked and constrained, for example, in the Y direction. Examples of cells include secondary batteries such as lithium ion batteries, nickel-metal hydride batteries, and sodium ion batteries. The type of secondary battery may be a liquid secondary battery or an all-solid-state secondary battery. The exterior of the cells may be a laminate exterior or a metal prismatic case. Each battery stack may include only cells of the same type, or may include cells of different types. Each of the battery stacks 111, 112 corresponds to an example of a "power storage unit" according to the present disclosure.

[0020] The battery device 113 is disposed on the -X side of the battery stacks 111 and 112. The battery device 113 includes, for example, a junction box (J / B) electrically connected to each of the battery stacks 111 and 112. The J / B includes a relay and / or a fuse, and is electrically connected to an external device (e.g., the PCU 21 shown in FIG. 1) outside the battery pack 100. When the J / B is in a connected state, the power output by the battery stacks 111 and 112 is output to the drive unit 20 (FIG. 1) via the battery device 113. When the J / B is in a disconnected state, the power supply from the battery stacks 111 and 112 to the drive unit 20 (FIG. 1) is cut off by the battery device 113. However, the battery device 113 may be any electrical device housed within the case of the battery pack 100. For example, the battery device 113 may include at least one of a BMS (Battery Management System) and a control device (e.g., a battery ECU) instead of or in addition to the J / B. The battery device 113 corresponds to an example of an "electrical device" according to the present disclosure.

[0021] Each of the reinforcing members 121 to 123 is formed long in the Y direction and is fixed (for example, welded or fastened) to the LWR case 101. Each of the reinforcing members 121 to 123 may be a processed plate-like member (for example, a metal plate-like member bent into a U-shape or a stepped shape). The reinforcing member 121 is located between the battery stack 111 and the battery device 113. The battery stack 111 is disposed between the reinforcing members 121 and 122. The battery stack 112 is disposed between the reinforcing members 122 and 123. The reinforcing members 121 to 123 provide collision protection and vibration suppression for the battery stacks 111 and 112.

[0022] The cooling pipe 130 is disposed on the -Z side of each of the battery stacks 111, 112 and the battery device 113 (see FIG. 4 described later). The refrigerant flowing through the cooling pipe 130 cools the battery stacks 111, 112 and the battery device 113. The cooling pipe 130 is roughly divided into an upstream section that cools the battery stacks 111, 112 and the battery device 113, and a downstream section that cools the battery device 113. The upstream section and the downstream section may each be formed of metal (e.g., aluminum). The downstream section includes a device cooling section 134 and an output port P2 that receives the refrigerant output from the device cooling section 134. The upstream section is located upstream of the downstream section in the cooling pipe 130 (refrigerant flow path), and includes an input port P1 into which the refrigerant is input. The refrigerant can be caused to flow through the cooling pipe 130 by connecting the refrigerant circuit C1 shown in FIG. 1 to the input port P1 and the output port P2. The refrigerant is circulated through the refrigerant circuit C1 by the pump 210, thereby continuously cooling the battery stacks 111, 112 and the battery device 113. The refrigerant may be either a liquid (e.g., water or antifreeze) or a gas (e.g., carbon dioxide).

[0023] The upstream section further includes a horizontal flow path 131 that is long in the X direction, vertical flow paths 132a and 132b that are long in the Y direction, and a horizontal flow path 133 that is long in the X direction. The horizontal flow path 133 is located on the +Y side of the horizontal flow path 131. The horizontal flow path 131 and the horizontal flow path 133 are connected via the vertical flow paths 132a and 132b. The vertical flow path 132b is located on the +X side of the vertical flow path 132a. The input port P1 is located at the inlet (the -X side end) of the horizontal flow path 131. The refrigerant input to the input port P1 flows through the horizontal flow path 131 to the +X side, through each of the vertical flow paths 132a and 132b to the +Y side, and through the horizontal flow path 133 to the -X side. The refrigerant flowing through the vertical flow path 132a flows directly below the battery stack 111 (-Z side) and exchanges heat with the battery stack 111. The refrigerant flowing through the vertical flow passage 132b flows directly below (on the -Z side of) the battery stack 112 and exchanges heat with the battery stack 112. In the vertical flow passages 132a and 132b, the refrigerant flows so as to cool the battery stacks 111 and 112, respectively. Each of the vertical flow passages 132a and 132b corresponds to an example of a "first portion" according to the present disclosure.

[0024] The -X side end (upstream end) of the horizontal flow path 133 is connected to the downstream portion near the branch end 134c of the equipment cooling section 134. In this embodiment, the upstream and downstream portions of the cooling pipe 130 are molded integrally and seamlessly connected. However, this is not limiting, and the upstream and downstream portions may be molded separately and then joined together (see FIG. 6 described later).

[0025] Although not shown in Fig. 2, the battery pack 100 further includes a protection plate that protects the battery device 113. Fig. 3 is a diagram for explaining how the protection plate is attached.

[0026] 2 and 3, the protective plate 140 is provided below (on the -Z side of) the battery equipment 113. Furthermore, the equipment cooling section 134 of the cooling pipe 130 is provided below (on the -Z side of) the protective plate 140. The protective plate 140 is disposed between the cooling pipe 130 (particularly the equipment cooling section 134) and the battery equipment 113. The protective plate 140 protects the battery equipment 113 from road surface input and the like. The protective plate 140 acts to suppress vibrations while the vehicle 1000 is traveling and / or impacts of a frontal collision. In this embodiment, a bellows cover made of metal (for example, aluminum) is used as the protective plate 140.

[0027] The device cooling section 134 includes four flow paths B1 to B4, a base end flow path 134a that is long in the Y direction, a merging flow path 134b that is long in the Y direction, a branch end 134c, and a merging end 134d. The flow paths from the upstream section (horizontal flow path 133) branch at branch end 134c into the base end flow path 134a and flow path B1. The merging flow path 134b is located on the -X side of the base end flow path 134a. The base end flow path 134a and the merging flow path 134b are connected via the flow paths B1 to B4. The flow path B1 is located at the end on the +Y side of the battery pack 100 and is formed along the outline of the battery pack 100. The flow path B1 connects the +Y side end (branch end 134c) of the base end flow path 134a to the +Y side end of the merging flow path 134b. Each of the flow paths B2 to B4 is formed long in the X direction. Flow path B4 connects the -Y side end of base end flow path 134a to the -Y side end (junction end 134d) of junction flow path 134b. Junction flow path 134b and flow path B4 merge at junction end 134d. Output port P2 is located near junction end 134d (on the -X side of junction end 134d).

[0028] In the device cooling section 134, the base end flow path 134a branches into flow paths B1 to B4, and the flow paths B1 to B4 merge at a junction flow path 134b. The refrigerant flowing through each of the flow paths B1 to B4 flows directly below (on the -Z side of) the battery device 113 and exchanges heat with the battery device 113. In each of the flow paths B1 to B4, the refrigerant flows so as to cool the battery device 113 (e.g., the copper plate of the J / B). The flow paths B1 to B4 correspond to an example of the "plurality of flow paths" according to the present disclosure. Each of the flow paths B1 to B4 corresponds to an example of the "second portion" according to the present disclosure. The junction flow path 134b corresponds to an example of the "junction portion" according to the present disclosure.

[0029] The protective plate 140 is formed in an accordion shape and has base ends 141a to 141d and protruding portions 142a to 142c. Forming a plurality of protruding portions on the protective plate 140 facilitates increasing the rigidity of the protective plate 140. The base ends 141a to 141d are formed to have the same height (position in the Z direction). Each of the protruding portions 142a to 142c protrudes toward the -Z side relative to the base ends 141a to 141d. The protruding portion 142a is, for example, a protruding stripe extending from one end to the other in the X direction of the protective plate 140 and having a shape corresponding to the gap between the flow paths B1 and B2 of the cooling pipe 130. The protruding portion 142b is, for example, a protruding stripe extending from one end to the other in the X direction of the protective plate 140 and having a shape corresponding to the gap between the flow paths B2 and B3 of the cooling pipe 130. The protrusion 142c is, for example, a protrusion extending from one end of the protective plate 140 in the X direction to the other end and having a shape corresponding to the gap between the flow paths B3 and B4 of the cooling pipe 130. The protective plate 140 is attached to the cooling pipe 130 so that the protrusion 142a fits between the flow paths B1 and B2, the protrusion 142b fits between the flow paths B2 and B3, and the protrusion 142c fits between the flow paths B3 and B4. The cooling pipe 130 is then attached to the LWR case 101 of the battery pack 100 via the protective plate 140.

[0030] FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view taken along line IV-IV in FIG. 2. Referring to FIG. 4, the battery pack 100 includes a case 10. The case 10 includes an LWR case 101 and a UPR case 102. Battery stacks 111, 112, and a battery device 113 are housed in the case 10. The LWR case 101 has faces F1 and F2. The face F1 corresponds to the inner surface (+Z side face) of the bottom of the LWR case 101. The face F2 corresponds to the outer surface (-Z side face) of the bottom of the LWR case 101. Each of the reinforcing members 121 to 123 is fixed to the face F1 to reinforce the bottom of the LWR case 101. The battery device 113, the battery stack 111, and the battery stack 112 are connected to the face F1 of the LWR case 101 via thermally conductive materials 171, 172, and 173, respectively. In this embodiment, each of the thermally conductive materials 171 to 173 functions as an adhesive. The battery stacks 111 and 112 and the battery device 113 are connected (bonded) to the surface F1 of the LWR case 101 by the adhesive properties of the thermally conductive materials 171 to 173.

[0031] A connector block 150 is provided in an opening formed on the -X side surface of the LWR case 101. The connector block 150 is an aluminum block formed by, for example, die-casting (casting method). A portion of the connector block 150 is located outside the case 10. The connector block 150 may be fastened to the LWR case 101 or may be fixed to the LWR case 101 by another method (welding, adhesive, etc.). Electric wires connecting the battery device 113 in the case 10 and an external device (e.g., PCU 21) pass through the connector block 150. This structure enables power to be exchanged between components in the case 10 (e.g., battery stacks 111, 112) and the external device.

[0032] 2, the vertical flow paths 132a and 132b are connected to the surface F2 of the LWR case 101 via heat conductive materials 162 and 163, respectively. In this embodiment, each of the heat conductive materials 162 and 163 functions as an adhesive. The vertical flow paths 132a and 132b are connected (adhered) to the surface F2 of the LWR case 101 by the adhesiveness of the heat conductive materials 162 and 163.

[0033] The protective plate 140 is connected to the -Z side of the LWR case 101. Specifically, each of the base ends 141a to 141d of the protective plate 140 is welded to the surface F2 of the LWR case 101. The base end flow path 134a of the equipment cooling section 134 is located below (on the -Z side of) the reinforcing member 121. The flange portion of the reinforcing member 121 is located above (on the +Z side of) the protective plate 140. The LWR case 101, the protective plate 140, and the reinforcing member 121 may be welded together where they overlap. Such three-piece welding increases the joint strength and rigidity. Each of the protrusions 142a to 142c of the protective plate 140 protrudes from the surface F2 of the LWR case 101 (the connection surface between the case 10 and the protective plate 140) toward the -Z side.

[0034] The device cooling section 134 of the cooling pipe 130 (particularly, the flow paths B1 to B4) is connected to the -Z side of the protection plate 140 via a heat conductive material 161. Specifically, the flow paths B1, B2, B3, and B4 are connected to the base ends 141a, 141b, 141c, and 141d (hat portions), respectively, via the heat conductive material 161. In this embodiment, the heat conductive material 161 functions as an adhesive. Due to the adhesiveness of the heat conductive material 161, the flow paths B1 to B4 are connected (adhered) to the -Z side surfaces of the base ends 141a to 141d. As shown in the YZ cross-sectional view (viewed from the -X side) of the device cooling section 134 in FIG. 4, the flow path B2 is disposed between the protrusion 142a and the protrusion 142b. The flow path B3 is disposed between the protrusion 142b and the protrusion 142c (see FIG. 3). Each of the convex portions 142a to 142c protrudes further toward the -Z side than the equipment cooling section 134 (including the flow paths B1 to B4). Specifically, the distance H1 from the surface F2 to the -Z side end face (tip face) of each of the convex portions 142a to 142c is greater than the distance H2 from the surface F2 to the -Z side end face (bottom face) of each of the flow paths B1 to B4.

[0035] As described above, by providing the protective plate 140 with multiple protrusions, when an impact is input to the protective plate 140 from the -Z side, the impact energy can be more easily absorbed by the deformation of the multiple protrusions. Furthermore, the presence of the multiple protrusions on the protective plate 140 forms a gap (air layer) between the protective plate 140 and the case 10 (LWR case 101). Therefore, even if the protective plate 140 is exposed to heat, the heat is less likely to be transmitted into the case 10. Furthermore, by providing the protrusions 142a to 142c that protrude further than the cooling pipe 130, the cooling pipe 130 is protected by the protrusions 142a to 142c.

[0036] In this embodiment, the protective plate 140 is made of metal and has high thermal conductivity. This increases the thermal conductivity between the cooling pipe 130 and the battery device 113. Furthermore, by arranging the cooling pipe 130 in the space (recess) between the protrusions of the protective plate 140, it becomes easier to arrange the protective plate 140 and the cooling pipe 130 near the battery device 113. This makes it easier to exchange heat between the cooling pipe 130 and the battery device 113. Furthermore, the presence of a thermally conductive material also promotes heat exchange.

[0037] Each of the thermally conductive materials 161-163, 171-173 has a higher thermal conductivity than air (air gap). In this embodiment, a silicone adhesive is used for each of the thermally conductive materials 161-163, 171-173. However, the type of each thermally conductive material is arbitrary and is not limited to adhesive. The thermally conductive materials may be connected by a method other than adhesion (for example, welding). Furthermore, the thermally conductive materials are not essential components and may be omitted.

[0038] In the vehicle 1000 (FIG. 1), the MG 22 (drive motor), the engine 23 (internal combustion engine), and the exhaust pipe 23a arranged in the front part 310 each serve as a heat source. In the cooling piping 130 installed in the vehicle 1000, the junction flow path 134b of the device cooling unit 134 is located between the flow paths B1 to B4 of the device cooling unit 134 and the front part 310 of the vehicle 1000 (including the above-mentioned heat sources). Specifically, the junction flow path 134b is located below (on the -Z side of) the connector block 150. In the vehicle 1000, the junction flow path 134b (junction portion) blocks hot air from the heat source. This makes it possible to suppress a rise in the temperature of the refrigerant (and consequently, a rise in the temperature of the battery device 113) due to the hot air.

[0039] Furthermore, in an electric vehicle, there is a tendency for more precise thermal management to be required for the power storage units (e.g., battery stacks 111, 112) than for the electrical equipment (e.g., battery equipment 113). In this regard, in the cooling pipe 130, as shown in FIG. 2, a first portion (e.g., vertical flow paths 132a, 132b) through which the refrigerant flows to cool the power storage units is located upstream of a second portion (e.g., flow paths B1 to B4) through which the refrigerant flows to cool the electrical equipment. With this configuration, the power storage units are cooled first, and the electrical equipment is cooled later. Therefore, even if the temperature of the refrigerant rises due to the cooling of the electrical equipment, it is thought that this will have little (or no) effect on the cooling of the power storage units. With the above configuration, it becomes easier to appropriately cool the power storage units and the electrical equipment.

[0040] FIG. 5 is a diagram for explaining the operation and effect of the power storage device (battery pack 100) according to this embodiment. The battery pack 100 described above includes a protective plate 140. However, a power storage device that does not include a protective plate for the battery equipment can also be used in a vehicle. FIG. 5 shows an example of a power storage device that does not include a protective plate as a reference example.

[0041] 5, the battery pack 100X according to the reference example does not include a protective plate. The battery pack 100X also includes a cooling pipe 130X instead of the cooling pipe 130 (FIG. 2). In the cooling pipe 130X, the device cooling section 134 (FIG. 2) is replaced with a flow path 135. The flow path 135 connects the horizontal flow path 133 with the output port P2. However, the flow path 135 is formed to avoid the battery device 113. In the battery pack 100X, excessive temperature rise of the battery device 113 is suppressed by heat dissipation from the battery device 113.

[0042] However, when the battery pack 100X is mounted on a vehicle, the battery device 113 (electrical device inside the case) is more susceptible to road surface input. Therefore, adding a protective plate for the battery device 113 to the battery pack 100X is considered. In the battery pack 100X, the flow path 135 is formed so as to avoid the battery device 113, making it easy to add a protective plate for the battery device 113. However, there is a concern that providing a protective plate may reduce the heat dissipation performance of the battery device 113. When the temperature of the battery device 113 rises and approaches an allowable temperature, the ECU or BMS may limit the input / output current of the battery stacks 111, 112 (power storage units). Such a limitation may reduce the vehicle's electricity consumption or fuel economy, or lengthen the charging time of the battery stacks 111, 112.

[0043] In this regard, in the battery pack 100 described above, as shown in Fig. 4, a protective plate 140 is disposed between the cooling pipe 130 (device cooling section 134) and the battery device 113. In such a battery pack 100, the battery device 113 can be protected by the protective plate 140. The device cooling section 134 can exchange heat with the battery device 113 via the protective plate 140. This achieves both protection and cooling of the battery pack 100 (particularly, the electrical devices inside the case 10).

[0044] The cooling pipe 130 may be manufactured by joining an upstream portion and a downstream portion that are formed separately. Fig. 6 is a diagram showing a modification of the cooling pipe shown in Fig. 2. Referring to Fig. 6, in the cooling pipe 130A according to the modification, the upstream portion (including the vertical flow paths 132a, 132b) and the downstream portion (including the equipment cooling portion 134) are connected (for example, welded) at a connection portion S. Such cooling pipe 130A makes it easy to change the upstream portion or the downstream portion.

[0045] A common upstream section may be used to manufacture multiple types of cooling pipes. For example, the manufacturing device may select either the downstream section (including the component cooling section 134) shown in Fig. 2 or the downstream section (including the flow path 135) shown in Fig. 5 depending on the vehicle model. Then, the manufacturing device may connect the selected downstream section to the upstream section.

[0046] As shown in the lower part of Fig. 6 (YZ cross section), the width of the flow path may be different between the upstream and downstream parts. In the modification shown in Fig. 6, the width of the downstream part (dimension D1) is smaller than the width of the upstream part (dimension D2). The difference between dimensions D1 and D2 may be the same as the thickness of the protection plate 140. This allows the thicknesses of the thermally conductive materials 161 to 163 to be uniform. The material of the upstream part and the downstream part may be the same or different.

[0047] In the above embodiment, the battery device 113, the device cooling section 134, and the protective plate 140 are arranged on the -X side (front side) of the center in the X direction of the battery pack 100 (see FIGS. 2 and 3). However, the present invention is not limited to this, and the battery device 113, the device cooling section 134, and the protective plate 140 may be arranged on the +X side (rear side) of the center in the X direction of the battery pack 100.

[0048] The vehicle is not limited to a passenger car, but may also be a bus, a truck, a work vehicle (tractor, forklift, etc.), or an automated guided vehicle (AGV).

[0049] The various features of the above-described power storage device (the features described in the embodiments and modifications) may be implemented in any combination. The power storage device may be applied to devices other than vehicles.

[0050] The embodiments disclosed herein should be considered to be illustrative in all respects and not restrictive. The scope of the present invention is defined by the claims, not by the description of the above embodiments, and is intended to include all modifications within the meaning and scope of the claims. [Explanation of symbols]

[0051] 10 Case, 21 PCU, 22 MG, 23 Engine, 23a Exhaust pipe, 100 Battery pack, 101 LWR case, 102 UPR case, 111, 112 Battery stack, 113 Battery equipment, 130, 130A Cooling piping, 134 Equipment cooling section, 134a Base end flow path, 134b Merging flow path, 140 Protective plate, 141a to 141d Base end, 142a to 142c Convex portion, 150 Connector block, 161 to 163, 171 to 173 Thermal conductive material, 1000 Vehicle, B1 to B4 Flow path.

Claims

1. A power storage device including a case, and a power storage unit and an electrical device housed in the case, The case is provided with a protective plate that protects the electrical device, the power storage device further includes a cooling pipe that cools the power storage device; The power storage device, wherein the protection plate is disposed between at least a portion of the cooling pipe and the electrical equipment.

2. the protective plate is connected to the case; the protective plate has a plurality of protrusions protruding from a connection surface between the case and the protective plate, The power storage device according to claim 1 , wherein the cooling pipe has a portion disposed between two of the plurality of protrusions.

3. the protective plate is a metal plate, the cooling pipe is connected to the protection plate via a thermally conductive material; The power storage device according to claim 2 , wherein each of the two protrusions protrudes beyond the cooling pipe.

4. the cooling pipe includes a first portion through which a refrigerant flows to cool the power storage body and a second portion through which a refrigerant flows to cool the electrical device, The power storage device according to claim 1 , wherein the first portion is located upstream of the second portion.

5. A vehicle comprising the power storage device according to any one of claims 1 to 4 and a heat source, the power storage device is disposed under a floor of the vehicle, the heat source includes at least one of a drive motor, an internal combustion engine, and an exhaust pipe; the cooling pipe includes a plurality of flow paths through which a refrigerant flows so as to cool the electrical device, and a confluence portion where the plurality of flow paths converge; The confluence portion is located between the plurality of flow paths and the heat source.

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