Battery module having discharge separation and discharge unit and battery pack including the same

Abstract

The battery module according to the present invention includes a plurality of battery cells, a module case that houses the plurality of battery cells and has at least one through hole on at least one side, and a discharge separation and discharge unit that is disposed outside the module case and has one end connected to the through hole, and separates solid discharges and vent gases including gas discharges in the discharges discharged from the battery cells from each other, while collecting the solid discharges and discharging the vent gas to the outside.

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a battery module, and more specifically, to a battery module for delaying chain ignition of battery cells as much as possible by separating and collecting solid discharged matter from combustion discharged matter generated in a ignited battery cell in the event of an internal ignition of the battery module, and exhausting gaseous discharged matter to the outside.

[0002] This application claims priority to Korean Patent Application No. 10-2022-0156385 filed on November 21, 2022, the entire contents of which are incorporated herein by reference in their entirety in the specification and drawings. [Background technology]

[0003] A semi-permanent battery that converts electrical energy into a form of chemical energy and can be repeatedly charged and discharged is called a secondary battery, in order to distinguish it from a primary battery, which cannot be reused after a single use.

[0004] Examples of secondary batteries include lithium secondary batteries, nickel-cadmium (Ni-Cd) batteries, lead-acid batteries, nickel-metal hydride (Ni-MH) batteries, air-zinc batteries, alkaline manganese batteries, etc. Among them, lead-acid batteries and lithium secondary batteries are the most widely commercialized secondary batteries.

[0005] In particular, lithium secondary batteries have been widely used in recent years as batteries for electric vehicles, since they have advantages such as high energy storage density, light weight and small size, excellent safety, low discharge rate, long life, etc. For reference, lithium secondary batteries are generally classified into cylindrical, square, and pouch types depending on the manufacturing shape, and are used not only as batteries for electric vehicles, but also as batteries for energy storage systems (ESS) and other electric devices.

[0006] Currently, the operating voltage of one lithium secondary battery cell is approximately 2.5 V to 4.5 V. Therefore, in order to use a secondary battery as an energy source for an electric vehicle, a battery module is formed by connecting a plurality of lithium ion battery cells in series and / or in parallel, and a battery pack is formed by connecting the battery modules in series and / or in parallel again.

[0007] On the other hand, secondary batteries, which undergo chemical reactions during charging and discharging, are concerned about performance degradation when used in environments with temperatures higher than the appropriate temperature, and there is a possibility of unexpected fires and explosions if the temperature cannot be controlled appropriately. In addition, since the battery module is structured to collectively house these secondary batteries inside the module housing, if any one secondary battery becomes a trigger cell due to heat propagation, not only gaseous discharges such as vent gas but also solid discharges may ignite, starting from this and causing thermal runaway and chain fires in the surrounding secondary batteries.

[0008] For this reason, it is necessary to quickly separate and isolate the discharged material generated in the trigger cell from the battery module, or to discharge it in order to delay thermal runaway; specifically, there is an urgent need to improve the structure of the battery module in such a way that the solid discharged material is separated from the battery module so as to ensure a physical distance and collected separately, thereby blocking thermal runaway at the source, while the gaseous discharged material is discharged to the outside so as to block contact with the external atmosphere, thereby suppressing oxygen reactivity and delaying thermal runaway of the battery cell or battery module as much as possible. Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0009] The present invention has been created in consideration of the above circumstances, and aims to provide a battery module that can block thermal runaway at the source by separately collecting solid discharge material generated in a trigger cell while keeping a physical distance from the battery module, while discharging gas discharge material to the outside while blocking contact with the outside atmosphere, thereby suppressing oxygen reactivity and delaying thermal runaway of the battery cell or battery module as much as possible.

[0010] The technical problems that the present invention aims to solve are not limited to the problems described above, and other problems not mentioned will be clearly understood by those skilled in the art from the description of the invention described below. [Means for solving the problem]

[0011] The battery module according to the present invention may include a plurality of battery cells, a module case that houses the plurality of battery cells and has at least one through hole on at least one side, and a discharge separation and discharge unit that is disposed outside the module case and has one end connected to the through hole, and separates solid discharge in the discharge discharged from the battery cells from vent gas including gaseous discharge, while collecting the solid discharge and discharging the vent gas to the outside.

[0012] The discharge separation and discharge unit may include a discharge pipe coupled to the outside of the module case so as to communicate with the through hole, a collection casing connected to the discharge pipe for collecting the solid discharge, and a gas discharge pipe branching off from the discharge pipe for discharging the vent gas.

[0013] The gas exhaust pipe may include a check valve to prevent backflow of fluid.

[0014] The discharge separation and discharge unit may further include a vent channel communicating with the gas discharge pipe.

[0015] The vent channel may be provided with a gas vent passage for directing a gas flow in a direction intersecting the gas exhaust pipe.

[0016] The gas exhaust pipe may be provided with an inclined pipe having one end connected to the discharge pipe and the other end tapered so that the other end is positioned higher than the one end.

[0017] The through holes may be provided in a plurality of locations corresponding to the battery cells, each of the battery cells having a predetermined number of through holes. The discharge pipe and the gas exhaust pipe connected thereto may be provided in a plurality of locations corresponding to each of the through holes.

[0018] An opening / closing door may be provided, which is disposed at the inlet of the collection casing and configured to open the inlet when the pressure inside the discharge pipe is equal to or higher than a certain level.

[0019] The door may be configured to be changeable from a closed state to an open state by moving in only one direction.

[0020] The inlet may include a protruding step shaped to surround the peripheral edge of the opening and closing door.

[0021] The opening and closing door may be provided with a flow hole through which the vent gas collected in the collection casing flows, and a flame blocking net disposed in the flow hole for blocking flames and discharge of solid discharge material.

[0022] According to another aspect of the present invention, a battery pack may be provided that includes one or more battery modules as described above.

[0023] According to yet another aspect of the present invention, a vehicle including the battery pack can be provided. Effect of the Invention

[0024] According to one embodiment of the present invention, the solid discharge generated in the trigger cell is collected separately at a sufficient physical distance from the battery module to block thermal runaway at the source, while the gas discharge is discharged to the outside to block contact with the outside atmosphere, suppressing oxygen reactivity and delaying thermal runaway of the battery cell or battery module as much as possible.

[0025] Furthermore, according to one embodiment of the present invention, the solid discharged material is completely separated from the vent gas and collected, thereby preventing blockage of the gas exhaust line, including the vent channel.

[0026] That is, in the battery module according to the present invention, the internal storage space (space between the cell stack and the case cover) of the battery module through which heat, flames, etc. generated when a specific battery cell ignites can move is blocked and isolated by the partition plate part. The partition plate part prevents the heat, high-temperature particles, flames, etc. generated in the ignited trigger cell from moving to the adjacent battery cell, thereby delaying chain ignition or explosion of the battery cells as much as possible.

[0027] The drawings attached to this specification are intended to illustrate preferred embodiments of the present invention and serve to facilitate a further understanding of the technical ideas of the present invention as well as the content of the invention, and therefore the present invention should not be interpreted as being limited to only the matters depicted in the drawings. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0028] [Figure 1] 1 is a schematic perspective view of a battery module according to an embodiment of the present invention; [Diagram 2] FIG. 2 is an exploded perspective view of the main components of the battery module of FIG. 1. [Diagram 3] 2 is an exploded perspective view of a bottom surface of a battery module according to an embodiment of the present invention; FIG. [Figure 4]4 is a cutaway view of a discharge separation and discharge unit in a battery module according to an embodiment of the present invention; FIG. [Diagram 5] 4 is a vertical cross-sectional side view of a discharge separation and discharge unit in a battery module according to an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. [Figure 6] FIG. 6 is an enlarged view of the opening and closing door of FIG. 5. [Figure 7] 4 is a front vertical cross-sectional view of a waste separation and discharge unit in a battery module according to an embodiment of the present invention; FIG. [Figure 8] FIG. 8 is a partial enlarged view of the opening and closing door of FIG. [Figure 9] 13 is a side view illustrating a discharge path of discharge material when a thermal runaway event occurs in a discharge material separation and discharge unit in a battery module according to an embodiment of the present invention; FIG. [Figure 10] 13 is a front view illustrating a discharge path of discharge material when a thermal runaway event occurs in a discharge material separation and discharge unit in a battery module according to an embodiment of the present invention; FIG. [Figure 11] 11A and 11B are views showing an opening and closing door of a battery module according to another embodiment of the present invention. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0029] Hereinafter, a preferred embodiment of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the attached drawings. Prior to this, the terms and words used in this specification and claims are not to be construed as being limited to their ordinary or dictionary meanings, but are to be construed as being in the meaning and concept corresponding to the technical idea of ​​the present invention in accordance with the principle that the inventor can appropriately define the concept of the term himself to best describe the invention. Therefore, it should be understood that the embodiment described in this specification and the configuration shown in the drawings are merely the most preferred embodiment of the present invention and do not represent the entire technical idea of ​​the present invention, and therefore there may be various equivalents and modifications that can be substituted therefor at the time of this application.

[0030] FIG. 1 is a schematic perspective view of a battery module according to one embodiment of the present invention, FIG. 2 is an exploded perspective view of main components of the battery module of FIG. 1, and FIG. 3 is an exploded perspective view of the bottom surface of the battery module according to one embodiment of the present invention.

[0031] Referring to the figure, a battery module 10 according to one embodiment of the present invention includes a plurality of battery cells 110, a module case 200 that houses the plurality of battery cells 110 therein, and a discharge separation and discharge unit 300 arranged outside the module case 200.

[0032] If a specific battery cell 110 in the battery module 10 becomes a trigger cell that ignites and thermally runs away due to some reason, the occurrence of such an event causes discharge from the battery cell 110, and such discharge includes solid discharge and vent gas including gas discharge. If such discharge cannot be quickly discharged to the outside, it may move to the adjacent battery cell 110 due to high pressure, and may eventually cause an explosion and chain fire of the battery module 10. In this way, if the thermal runaway of the battery module 10 cannot be controlled, there is a concern that it may receive severe thermal damage from the other surrounding battery modules 10 and battery packs, causing a chain explosion, or a fire may spread quickly and widely.

[0033] For this reason, the battery module 10 according to the present invention includes a discharge separation and discharge unit 300 having a structure that provides a vent path corresponding to the trigger cell to quickly discharge the discharge before it is transmitted to the adjacent battery cell 110, and separates and discharges the solid discharged material and the vent gas in the discharged material.

[0034] The pouch-type battery cell 110 includes an electrode assembly, a pouch case that houses the electrode assembly, and a pair of electrode leads 112 that are connected to the electrode assembly and drawn out to the outside of the pouch case to function as electrode terminals. The pair of electrode leads 112 are drawn out from both ends of the battery cell 110, i.e., in the longitudinal direction (±Y direction). If necessary, the pouch-type battery cell 110 may have a shape in which the electrode leads 112 are located only at one end in the X-axis direction, for example, the end in the +X-axis direction.

[0035] The cell stack 100 is an assembly of battery cells 110 formed by stacking a plurality of battery cells 110. That is, the cell stack 100 may be a group of a plurality of pouch-type battery cells 110 stacked in one direction (Y direction) with their wide surfaces standing up as shown in FIG. 2. A plurality of cell stacks 100 may be assembled to form a cell assembly. Meanwhile, the present invention is not limited in any way by the specific type or shape of such battery cells 110, and a wide variety of battery cells 110 known at the time of filing of the present invention may be adopted to form the cell stack 100 of the present invention.

[0036] The module case 200 is a component for protecting the cell stack 100 from external impacts and the like, and is preferably made of a material having excellent mechanical rigidity. The module case 200 according to the present embodiment includes a case body 210 and a case cover 220, as shown in FIGS. 1 and 2.

[0037] The case body 210 can be composed of a storage tray structure for storing the cell stack 100, which is composed of a bottom plate, a top plate, and both side plates, and case covers 220 provided on both ends of the storage tray.

[0038] The cell stack 100 may be stacked perpendicular to the longitudinal direction (X direction) of the case body 210 and housed in the case body 210. The case body 210 may be configured so that the cell stack 100 can be fitted therein by sliding or interference fitting.

[0039] A battery module 10 using such a case body 210 can be configured so that there is almost no gap between the top plate 230 of the case body 210 and the upper end of the cell stack 100, there is almost no gap between the bottom plate of the case body 210 and the lower end of the cell stack 100, and there is also almost no gap between the side plates on both sides of the case body 210 and the side portions on both sides of the cell stack 100.

[0040] Meanwhile, while FIG. 2 shows that the top plate 230 of the module case 200 is configured to be removable, the module case 200 may alternatively be configured to have open ends O at both longitudinal ends and a rectangular tubular shape with an open interior (i.e., the bottom plate, top plate, and both side plates are integrated), with the cell stack 100 fitted inside along the longitudinal direction (X direction) and finished off with a case cover 220.

[0041] At least one through hole 211 through which the discharged matter is discharged may be provided on the bottom surface of the case body 210. In Fig. 3, the through holes 211 are provided on both end regions of the bottom surface of the case body 210, and a predetermined number of the through holes 211 are provided along the stacking direction of the battery cells 110 so as to correspond to the battery cells 110. Each through hole 211 is connected to a respective discharge pipe 310, which will be described in detail in the section on the configuration of the discharged matter separating and discharging unit 300.

[0042] On the other hand, although not shown for ease of illustration, the case cover 220 may have holes or slits in some parts to expose components that need to be exposed to the outside, such as the positive and negative terminals or connectors of the battery module 10.

[0043] FIG. 4 is a cutaway view of a discharge material separation and discharge unit in a battery module according to one embodiment of the present invention, FIG. 5 is a side vertical cross-sectional view of a discharge material separation and discharge unit in a battery module according to one embodiment of the present invention, FIG. 6 is an enlarged view of the opening and closing door of FIG. 5, FIG. 7 is a front vertical cross-sectional view of the discharge material separation and discharge unit in a battery module according to one embodiment of the present invention, and FIG. 8 is a partial enlarged view of the opening and closing door of FIG. 7.

[0044] As mentioned above, if any one of the battery cells 110 in the battery module becomes a trigger cell for some reason, not only gaseous matter such as vent gas but also solid matter will be discharged, and this may cause a fire, leading to thermal runaway and chain reaction of fires in the surrounding secondary batteries. Therefore, it is necessary to quickly remove the discharged matter from the trigger cell by discharging it a certain distance away from the battery module to eliminate the cause of the chain reaction of fires.

[0045] For this reason, in one embodiment of the present invention, a discharge separation and discharge unit 300 is provided on the outside (lower part) of the module case 200. The discharge separation and discharge unit 300 separates solid discharged matter and vent gas including gaseous discharged matter discharged from the battery cell 110, and collects the solid discharged matter and discharges the vent gas to the outside.

[0046] The discharge separation and discharge unit 300 is a kind of piping and equipment disposed in the lower part of the module case 200 and connected to the through hole 211, and is a component for quickly (rapidly) discharging the discharge.

[0047] For this reason, the discharge separation and discharge unit 300 may include, as shown in Figures 1 to 8, a collection casing 320 connected to a discharge pipe 310 coupled to the outside of the module case 200 so as to communicate with the through hole 211, for collecting the solid discharge, and a gas discharge pipe 330 branching off from the discharge pipe 310 for discharging the vent gas.

[0048] Referring mainly to FIG. 4, the discharge pipe 310 is disposed in the vertical direction (Z direction) on the bottom surface of the module case 200, one end of which is connected to the through hole 211, and the other end of which is connected to the collection casing 320. A plurality of discharge pipes 310 are also provided to correspond to the plurality of through holes 211. In this manner, by providing the discharge pipes 310 corresponding to the through holes 211, when the battery cell 110 ignites, the discharged matter is quickly discharged to the outside of the module case 200 through the through hole 211 corresponding to the battery cell 110, and the influence on the other adjacent battery cells 110 is suppressed as much as possible. Meanwhile, in the present embodiment, eight discharge pipes 310 corresponding to eight through holes 211 are provided. However, if the number of battery cells 110 accommodated in the battery module is changed, the number of the through holes 211 and the discharge pipes 310 may be changed.

[0049] The collection casing 320 may be connected to the other end of the discharge pipe 310, and the inside of the collection casing 320 may be closed. The collection casing 320 may collect solid matter in the discharged matter discharged through the discharge pipe 310. Although not shown, a separate discharge pipe 310 for solid matter may be connected to the collection casing 320 so that the collected solid matter can be smoothly discharged.

[0050] The opening and closing door 350 is provided at the inlet of the collecting casing 320, which is a boundary between the collecting casing 320 and the discharge pipe 310. The opening and closing door 350 is configured to open the inlet when the pressure inside the discharge pipe 310 is equal to or higher than a certain level. The opening and closing door 350 may be configured to be able to move from a closed state to an open state only in one direction, as shown in Figs. 4, 6 and 8. For this purpose, the inlet may be provided with a protruding step 353 that is shaped to surround the periphery of the opening and closing door 350. When the opening and closing door 350 is rotated in one direction and abuts against the protruding step 353, it is in a closed state. When the protruding step 353 is made of a rubber material or an elastic material, it may perform a sealing function to improve the sealing force of the opening and closing door 350.

[0051] The opening and closing door 350 is provided so as to be openable and closable using a hinge portion, and may be provided with a spring in the form of a leaf spring 351 (or a coil spring) or the like near the hinge portion. In this case, the opening and closing door 350 may be configured so as to be elastically deformed when changing from a closed state to an open state. Therefore, the opening and closing door 350 can be in an open state when the force due to the internal pressure of the discharge pipe 310 becomes larger than the force due to the leaf spring 351, and can be in a closed state when the force due to the internal pressure of the discharge pipe 310 becomes smaller than the force due to the leaf spring 351. In addition to the leaf spring 351, it may be replaced with a coil spring, a torsion spring, or the like.

[0052] The opening and closing door 350 may be configured to, when closed, prevent solid discharge material collected in the collection casing 320 from flowing back into the discharge piping 310 or flowing into the module case 200 via the discharge piping 310.

[0053] In this way, by completely separating the solid discharged material from the vent gas and collecting it, clogging of the gas exhaust line, including the vent channel, can be prevented.

[0054] The gas exhaust pipes 330 may be provided in a plurality of positions corresponding to the through holes 211. The gas exhaust pipes 330 may be connected to each of the discharge pipes 310. The gas exhaust pipes 330 are in the form of a horizontally installed pipe line, and a tapered inclined pipe line 331 may be provided in the area connected to the discharge pipes 310 so that one end of the gas exhaust pipe line 331 is relatively higher than the other end (gas exhaust hole 333). The inclined pipe line 331 serves to block the flow of solid discharged matter among the discharged matter discharged on the discharge pipes 310 into the gas exhaust pipe 330. Even if a part of the solid discharged matter flows into the gas exhaust hole 333, the inclination angle θ of the inclined pipe line 331 is formed, so that the solid discharged matter is discharged again into the discharge pipes 310. On the other hand, the gas discharged matter such as vent gas can be smoothly discharged on the gas exhaust pipes 330.

[0055] The gas exhaust pipe 330 may include a backflow prevention member 332 (check valve) that prevents a backflow of a fluid. The backflow prevention member may be a type of check valve that allows a fluid to flow only in one direction. The backflow prevention member 332 serves to guide the gas flow in one direction, preventing the backflow of gas, while also blocking the external atmosphere (oxygen) from flowing into the gas exhaust pipe 330 at the source, thereby preventing the battery module 10 from igniting due to vent gas.

[0056] The discharge separation and discharge unit 300 may further include a vent channel 340 communicating with the gas exhaust pipe 330. The vent channel 340 may be provided with a gas vent passage 341 for directing a gas flow in a direction intersecting with the gas exhaust pipe 330. Thus, the vent gas discharged through the gas exhaust pipe 330 can be discharged to the outside by joining the gas vent passage 341. Although only the vent channel 340 having a size corresponding to the components of one battery module 10 is shown in the drawings, the components of the gas vent passage 341 and the vent channel 340 may be provided so as to extend in a longer length and be continuously arranged corresponding to a plurality of battery modules 10.

[0057] According to this embodiment, the solid discharge generated in the trigger cell is collected separately at a sufficient physical distance from the battery module 10 to block thermal runaway at the source, while the gas discharge is discharged to the outside to block contact with the outside atmosphere, suppressing oxygen reactivity and delaying thermal runaway of the battery cell 110 or the battery module 10 as much as possible.

[0058] Furthermore, according to this embodiment, the solid discharged material is completely separated from the vent gas and collected, thereby preventing blockage of the gas exhaust line, including the vent channel.

[0059] Furthermore, the solid discharged material generated in the trigger cell is collected separately at a certain physical distance from the battery module 10, so that the ignition point can be moved away from the battery module by a predetermined distance, thereby slowing down the rate of thermal runaway and heat propagation.

[0060] Furthermore, since the battery cells 110 adjacent to the trigger cell are less susceptible to thermal damage, the time it takes for all of the battery cells 110 and the battery module 10 to ignite or explode can be delayed. As a result, in the event of a fire inside the battery module 10, the user can notice the fire before it spreads, and sufficient time can be secured to evacuate under safer conditions.

[0061] Figure 9 is a side view of the discharge path of the discharge material when a thermal runaway event occurs in the discharge material separation and discharge unit in a battery module according to one embodiment of the present invention, and Figure 10 is a front view of the discharge path of the discharge material when a thermal runaway event occurs in the discharge material separation and discharge unit in a battery module according to one embodiment of the present invention.

[0062] Hereinafter, a process by which the vent gas is easily discharged to the outside according to this embodiment will be described in detail with reference to FIGS.

[0063] First, if any one of the battery cells 110 in the battery module 10 becomes a trigger cell for some reason, not only gaseous matter such as vent gas but also solid matter is discharged.

[0064] Next, the discharge material is quickly discharged to the discharge material separation and discharge unit 300 through the through hole 211. The solid discharge material is discharged downward on the discharge pipe 310, and when the pressure inside the discharge pipe 310 reaches a certain level or higher, the opening and closing door 350 is opened and the solid discharge material is collected in the collection casing 320. Even if a part of the solid discharge material is discharged to the gas discharge hole 333, it is filtered by the inclined pipe 331 (inclination angle θ) and discharged again to the discharge pipe 310, and eventually it can be collected in the collection casing 320.

[0065] This allows the solid discharged material to be completely separated from the vent gas and collected, thereby preventing blockage of the gas exhaust line, including the vent channel.

[0066] At the same time, vent gas including the gaseous discharge flows out to the gas exhaust hole 333 and is discharged to the gas vent passage 341 of the vent channel 340 via the gas exhaust pipe 330. At this time, the backflow prevention member 332 (check valve) forms a gas flow in only one direction, and contact with oxygen in the outside atmosphere is fundamentally blocked, preventing ignition.

[0067] Through the operation of these steps, the solid discharge generated in the trigger cell is separated from the battery module 10 to ensure a physical distance and collected separately, thereby blocking thermal runaway at the source, while the gas discharge is discharged to the outside to block contact with the outside atmosphere, suppressing oxygen reactivity and delaying thermal runaway of the battery cell 110 or the battery module 10 as much as possible.

[0068] Next, another embodiment of the battery module 10 of the present invention will be briefly described with reference to FIG.

[0069] FIG. 11 is a view showing an opening and closing door of a battery module according to another embodiment of the present invention.

[0070] The same component numbers as in the previous drawings indicate the same components, and duplicate descriptions of the same components will be omitted, with the focus being on the differences from the previously described embodiment.

[0071] The battery module 10 according to another embodiment of the present invention has the same configuration as the above-mentioned embodiment, and as shown in (b) of FIG. 11, a flow hole 354 and a fire protection mesh 355 may be provided on the opening and closing door 350A.

[0072] As shown in (a) of Figure 11, in the previously described embodiment, the opening / closing door 350 does not have any holes or flow means, whereas the opening / closing door 350A of this embodiment, as shown in (b) of Figure 11, can be provided with a plurality of flow holes 354 on the plate surface through which the vent gas captured in the collection casing 320 can be discharged.

[0073] That is, referring mainly to FIG. 11, the opening and closing door 350 may have a plurality of flow holes 354 formed in the collection casing 320 .

[0074] A flame blocking net 355 is disposed in the flow hole 354 and blocks the discharge of flame and solid discharge material, and is provided to block the flow hole 354. The flame blocking net 355 may be provided in a mesh structure and may be made of a metal material that is not easily melted by heat. This prevents the solid discharge material, flame, high-temperature particles, etc. contained in the collection casing 320 from flowing back to the discharge piping 310, and allows only a portion of the vent gas collected in the collection casing 320 to be selectively discharged to the discharge piping 310.

[0075] As a result, the solid discharge generated in the trigger cell is separated from the battery module 10 to ensure a physical distance and collected separately, blocking thermal runaway at the source, while the gas discharge is discharged to the outside to block contact with the outside atmosphere, suppressing oxygen reactivity and delaying thermal runaway of the battery cell 110 or the battery module 10 as much as possible.

[0076] Meanwhile, a battery pack (not shown) according to the present invention may include one or more of the above-mentioned battery modules 10. The battery pack according to the present invention may further include a master battery management system (BMS) for collectively controlling charging and discharging of the one or more battery modules 10, a current sensor, a fuse, etc., and a pack case for accommodating the above-mentioned components.

[0077] The battery pack according to the present invention can be applied in an energy storage device or in a vehicle, such as an electric scooter, an electric vehicle or a hybrid vehicle.

[0078] As described above, the present invention has been described using limited embodiments and drawings, but the present invention is not limited to these, and it goes without saying that various modifications and variations can be made by a person having ordinary knowledge in the technical field to which the present invention belongs within the technical spirit of the present invention and the equivalent scope of the claims.

[0079] Meanwhile, in this specification, directional terms such as up, down, left, right, front, and back are used, but these terms are used merely for ease of explanation, and it will be obvious to those skilled in the art of the present invention that they may vary depending on the position of the object in question, the position of the observer, etc. [Explanation of symbols]

[0080] 10 Battery Module 100 Cell stack 110 Pouch type battery cell 112 Electrode Lead 200 module case 210 Case body 211 Through hole 220 Case Cover 230 Tabletop 300 Discharge separation and discharge unit 310 Discharge piping 320 Collection casing 330 Gas exhaust pipe 331 Inclined pipeline 332 Backflow prevention member 333 Gas exhaust hole 340 Vent Channel 341 Gas Vent Road 350, 350A Openable door 351 Leaf Spring 353 Protruding Step 354 Flow hole 355 Fire protection net

Claims

1. A plurality of battery cells; a module case that accommodates the plurality of battery cells therein and has at least one through hole on at least one surface; a discharge separation and discharge unit, one end of which is connected to the through hole, disposed outside the module case, and configured to separate solid discharge from the discharge discharged from the battery cell and vent gas containing gas discharge, while collecting the solid discharge and discharging the vent gas to the outside; a battery module.

2. The discharge separation and discharge unit includes: a discharge pipe coupled to the outside of the module case so as to communicate with the through hole; a collection casing connected to the discharge pipe for collecting the solid discharge material; a gas exhaust pipe branching off from the discharge pipe for exhausting the vent gas; The battery module of claim 1 .

3. The battery module according to claim 2 , wherein the gas exhaust pipe is provided with a backflow prevention member (check valve) that prevents backflow of fluid.

4. The battery module according to claim 2 , wherein the discharge separation and discharge unit further comprises a vent channel communicating with the gas discharge pipe.

5. The battery module according to claim 4 , wherein the vent channel is provided with a gas vent passage for directing a gas flow in a direction intersecting the gas exhaust pipe.

6. 3. The battery module according to claim 2, wherein the gas exhaust pipe has one end connected to the discharge pipe and the other end is provided with an inclined pipe that is tapered so that the other end is positioned higher than the one end.

7. The through holes are provided in a plurality of locations so as to correspond to a predetermined number of the battery cells, The battery module according to claim 2 , wherein the discharge pipe and the gas exhaust pipe connected to the discharge pipe are provided in a plurality of portions so as to correspond to the respective through holes.

8. 3. The battery module according to claim 2, further comprising an opening / closing door disposed at an inlet of the collection casing and configured to open the inlet when the pressure inside the discharge pipe is equal to or higher than a certain level.

9. The battery module according to claim 8 , wherein the opening and closing door is configured to be changeable from a closed state to an open state by moving in only one direction.

10. The battery module according to claim 9 , wherein the inlet includes a protruding step shaped to surround a peripheral portion of the opening and closing door.

11. The opening and closing door has: a flow hole through which the vent gas collected in the collection casing flows; a flame blocking net disposed in the flow hole for blocking a flame and a discharge of a solid discharge; The battery module according to claim 8 , further comprising:

12. A battery pack comprising the battery module according to any one of claims 1 to 11.

13. A motor vehicle comprising the battery pack of claim 12.

Images