Battery pack with improved fire safety

Abstract

The battery pack according to the present invention may include one or more battery modules, a pack case including a pack tray that is open at the top and has an internal space for accommodating the battery modules, and a pack cover coupled to the top of the pack tray, the pack cover having a valve mounting hole formed by penetrating a predetermined area, a lower cover disposed on the top of the pack tray, a flow path region that forms a path for cooling water, an upper cover disposed on an upper surface of the lower cover, and a valve unit attached to the valve mounting hole and rotating clockwise or counterclockwise to supply or block the cooling water in the flow path region to the internal space of the pack tray.

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a battery pack, and more particularly, to a battery pack having a water injection structure that can effectively inject cooling water into the battery pack to extinguish a fire and prevent it from spreading when a thermal event occurs in a battery module.

[0002] This application claims priority to Korean Patent Application No. 10-2022-0071951, filed on June 14, 2022, the entire contents of which are incorporated herein by reference in their entirety in the specification and drawings. [Background technology]

[0003] Secondary batteries not only have the primary advantage of dramatically reducing the use of fossil fuels, but they are also environmentally friendly as they do not produce any by-products from energy use, and are attracting attention as a new energy source for improving energy efficiency.

[0004] Accordingly, secondary batteries are increasingly being applied to various devices. For example, they are widely used as energy sources for wireless mobile devices and wearable devices, which are multi-functional small products, and are also used as energy sources and energy storage systems (ESS) for electric vehicles and hybrid electric vehicles, which are presented as alternatives to existing gasoline and diesel vehicles.

[0005] Generally, the operating voltage of each secondary battery is about 2.5 V to 4.5 V. Therefore, in the case of electric vehicles and power storage devices that require large capacity and high output, a battery module in which a plurality of lithium secondary batteries are connected in series and / or parallel, and a battery pack in which the battery modules are connected in series and / or parallel are formed and used as an energy source.

[0006] As secondary batteries are used as large-capacity, high-output energy sources, ensuring the safety of the battery modules / packs has become an important issue.

[0007] Recent battery modules are designed to pack as many secondary batteries as possible in a compact manner in order to improve energy density, so if an abnormality occurs in one of the secondary batteries and it ignites, it is likely to cause a thermal runaway phenomenon in which other secondary batteries in the vicinity ignite in a chain reaction. For this reason, research on battery packs that include fire extinguishing systems to suppress a fire in one secondary battery before it spreads to other secondary batteries or battery modules has been actively conducted recently.

[0008] However, in the conventional fire extinguishing system of the battery pack, when a flame occurs in the battery module, water injection is delayed, and the initial golden time for suppressing the spread of the fire is often missed, so an improvement plan is required. In addition, the battery pack includes a cooling system to appropriately manage the operating temperature of the battery module, but adding a fire extinguishing system to the battery pack in addition to the cooling system is disadvantageous in terms of production process / design / cost. Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0009] The present invention has been made in consideration of the above problems, and has an object to provide a battery pack having a water injection structure that can effectively inject cooling water into the battery pack to suppress a fire and prevent it from spreading when a thermal event occurs in a battery module.

[0010] Another object of the present invention is to provide a battery pack that integrates a cooling system and a fire extinguishing system so that cooling water for managing the temperature of the battery module can be used for fire suppression without further applying fire extinguishing water or fire extinguishing agent to the battery pack.

[0011] 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 following description of the invention. [Means for solving the problem]

[0012] According to the present invention, a battery pack may be provided that includes one or more battery modules, a pack case including a pack tray that is open at the top and has an internal space for accommodating the battery modules, and a pack cover coupled to the top of the pack tray, the pack cover having a valve mounting port formed by penetrating a predetermined area, a lower cover disposed on the top of the pack tray, a flow path area that forms a path for cooling water, an upper cover disposed on an upper surface of the lower cover, and a valve unit that is attached to the valve mounting port and rotates clockwise or counterclockwise to supply or block the cooling water in the flow path area to the internal space of the pack tray.

[0013] The battery pack may further include a gas detector disposed inside the pack tray or inside the battery module, and the valve unit may be configured to rotate based on a gas detection signal from the gas detector.

[0014] The valve unit and the gas sensor may be connected by a signal transmission cable.

[0015] The valve unit may include a rotating plate that is inserted into the valve mounting port and rotatably provided, and a drain hole formed in one area of ​​the rotating plate.

[0016] The valve unit may be arranged so that the rotating plate can be rotated at a predetermined angle so as to be in a closed state in which the drainage hole is misaligned with and not in communication with the flow path region, or in an open state in which at least a portion of the drainage hole is matched with a lower portion of the flow path region and in communication with the flow path region.

[0017] The drainage holes may be provided in a rectangular shape.

[0018] The flow path region may include straight sections spaced apart at regular intervals and curved sections connecting the straight sections, and the drainage hole may be provided with a short side length shorter than the separation distance between the straight sections and a long side length longer than the separation distance between the straight sections.

[0019] The one or more battery modules may be a plurality of battery modules, and the pack tray may include a plurality of module accommodating sections in which the internal space is divided by partitions, and the battery modules may be disposed one by one in each of the module accommodating sections.

[0020] Each of the module housings may be configured to be covered by a bottom cover and have a sealed top.

[0021] A plurality of the valve units may be coupled to the lower cover so as to be positioned vertically above each of the battery modules.

[0022] The battery module may include battery cells and a module housing that accommodates the battery cells. The module housing may be recessed to a predetermined depth in an upper plate portion and may include a drainage channel extending from one edge to the other edge.

[0023] The drainage channel may be provided at a vertical lower portion of the valve unit.

[0024] A bus bar frame that electrically connects the battery cells may be configured to be disposed below an end portion of the drainage channel.

[0025] A gas detector is attached to one side wall surface of the pack tray, the valve unit and the gas detector are connected by a signal transmission cable, and the valve unit is configured to rotate based on a gas detection signal of the gas detector, and the signal transmission cable can be interposed in a cable installation groove formed in an upper plate portion of the module housing.

[0026] According to another aspect of the present invention, there may be provided a vehicle including a battery pack as described above. Effect of the Invention

[0027] According to the present invention, it is possible to provide a battery pack having a water injection structure that can effectively inject cooling water into the battery pack when a thermal event occurs in a battery module, thereby suppressing a fire and preventing it from spreading.

[0028] In addition, according to the present invention, the venting gas leaking from a battery module where a thermal event has occurred before a flame occurs can be actively detected, and a valve unit can be opened to inject a large amount of cooling water into the battery module, thereby enabling rapid response.

[0029] In addition, according to the present invention, since the cooling water for controlling the temperature of the battery module is used to suppress a fire in the battery module, there is no need to further apply fire-extinguishing water or fire-extinguishing agent to the battery pack.

[0030] According to the present invention, since the inside of the pack case is divided into a plurality of zones by partition walls, when vent gas is generated in a specific zone among the plurality of zones, cooling water is injected only into the specific zone, thereby preventing the battery modules arranged in the other zones from being damaged by water ingress.

[0031] The effects of the present invention are not limited to the effects described above, and other effects of the present invention not mentioned will be clearly understood by those skilled in the art from the description of the claims. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0032] [Figure 1] 1 is a schematic perspective view of a battery pack according to an embodiment of the present invention; [Diagram 2] FIG. 2 is an exploded perspective view of the battery pack of FIG. 1. [Diagram 3] 1 is a diagram showing a battery module and a pack tray according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 4] FIG. 3 is a diagram showing a battery module and a gas detector mounted in the internal space of a pack tray partitioned by a partition wall. [Diagram 5] FIG. 5 is a diagram showing a lower cover and a valve unit arranged on the upper part of the pack tray of FIG. 4. [Figure 6] 6 is a diagram showing a lower cover to which the valve unit of FIG. 5 is attached and an upper cover that is placed on the upper part of the lower cover. [Figure 7] 1A to 1C are diagrams showing an example of a configuration for bolting a pack tray and a pack cover together according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 8] 4 is a diagram illustrating a closed state of a valve unit of a battery pack according to an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. [Figure 9] 4 is a diagram illustrating an open state of a valve unit of a battery pack according to an embodiment of the present invention; FIG. [Figure 10] FIG. 10 is a diagram showing the pack cover omitted from FIG. 9, and is a diagram for explaining the movement path of the cooling water in the internal passage of the pack tray when the valve unit is in an open state. [Figure 11] FIG. 11 is a diagram showing an example in which only the first module housing portion in FIG. 10 is filled with cooling water. [Figure 12] 1 is a schematic diagram of a vehicle including a battery pack according to an embodiment of the present invention. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0033] 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 should not be interpreted as being limited to their ordinary or dictionary meanings, but should be interpreted as being in accordance with the meaning and concept of the technical idea of ​​the present invention, in accordance with the principle that the inventor himself can appropriately define the concept of the term in order 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 only one 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 for them at the time of this application.

[0034] FIG. 1 is a schematic perspective view of a battery pack according to an embodiment of the present invention, and FIG. 2 is an exploded perspective view of the battery pack of FIG.

[0035] 1 and 2, a battery pack 10 according to the present invention includes one or more battery modules 100, a pack case 200, and a valve unit 300.

[0036] A battery pack 10 according to an embodiment of the present invention includes three battery modules 100A, 100B, and 100C, and a pack case 200 having an internal space divided by a partition wall 211 to include three module accommodating portions 213A, 213B, and 213C, each of which can accommodate one of the battery modules 100. However, the battery pack 10 may be configured to include one, two, four or more battery modules 100 depending on the electrical capacity or output required for the battery pack 10, and the size of the pack case 200 and the presence or absence or number of the partition walls 211 may be determined accordingly.

[0037] 2, the pack case 200 includes a pack tray 210 and a pack cover 220 that accommodate the battery module 100 and are coupled to each other vertically. In particular, the pack cover 220 is configured to allow cooling water to flow therein, so that the battery module 100 can be in indirect contact with the cooling water and cooled. The valve unit 300 is attached to the pack cover 220 so as to be rotatable clockwise or counterclockwise, and is attached to a valve mounting hole 222 provided in the pack cover 220 so that the cooling water does not flow out of the pack cover 220 under normal conditions. When a fire hazard such as gas generation in the battery module 100 is detected, the valve unit 300 may be configured to rotate at a predetermined angle so that the cooling water in the pack cover 220 flows down the pack cover 220 and flows into the pack tray 210.

[0038] According to such a configuration of the battery pack 10, the temperature of the battery module 100 can be maintained at an appropriate level under normal circumstances, and when a thermal event occurs, cooling water can be quickly injected into the internal space of the pack tray 210, thereby effectively preventing the spread of a fire in the battery module 100.

[0039] The main configuration of the battery pack 10 will be described in more detail below.

[0040] Referring to FIG. 3, a battery module 100 according to this embodiment includes a plurality of battery cells and a module housing 110 that accommodates the plurality of battery cells.

[0041] The battery cell may be any type of battery cell known at the time of filing the present application. For example, the configuration of the battery pack 10 of the present invention may be applied to any type of battery cell, such as a substantially cylindrical or rectangular battery cell in which an electrode assembly and an electrolyte are hermetically housed in a metal can-type exterior material, or a substantially plate-shaped pouch-type battery cell in which an electrode assembly and an electrolyte are hermetically housed in a pouch-type exterior material.

[0042] The battery module 100 of this embodiment includes pouch-type battery cells (not shown). For example, the pouch-type battery cells may be stacked in the left-right direction (X direction) with their wide surfaces facing each other and stored in the module housing 110 in the form of a cell stack. Therefore, the battery module 100 using the pouch-type battery cells may have a high energy density. The pouch-type battery cells may have electrode leads at one or both ends in the longitudinal direction (Y direction), and the electrode leads may be welded to a metal rod-shaped bus bar connected to the bus bar frame 120 to be electrically connected to each other.

[0043] The module housing 110 is a structure for preventing the battery cells from moving and protecting them from external impacts, and may be made of a material with high mechanical rigidity. In this embodiment, the module housing 110 includes an upper plate part 111, a lower plate part, a left side part and a right side part, which cover the upper side, lower side, left side and right side of the cell stack, respectively, and may be provided in a form in which the front and rear are open. The pouch-type battery cell may be located at the front and rear of the open module housing 110, and the electrode leads may be welded to a bus bar frame 120 in a predetermined pattern. The parts to which the electrode leads are welded may be covered with end plates (not shown) so as not to be exposed to the outside. Although not shown for convenience of drawing, the end plates may be configured to be coupled to the front and rear of the module housing 110.

[0044] The pack case 200 is a structure that houses one or more battery modules 100 to protect the battery modules 100 from external impacts and to prevent flames or sparks from easily escaping from the battery pack 10 in the event of a fire in the battery module 100.

[0045] The pack case 200 includes a pack tray 210 and a pack cover 220 .

[0046] The pack tray 210 may be provided with an open upper portion and an internal space for accommodating the battery modules 100. Referring to Fig. 3 and Fig. 4, the pack tray 210 includes a bottom plate having a large area on which a plurality of battery modules 100 can be arranged, and a wall body provided on an edge of the bottom plate and installed higher than at least the battery modules 100. The internal space may be specified as a space surrounded by the bottom plate and the wall body. And, a bolt fastening hole may be provided on an upper end surface of the wall body.

[0047] In addition, the pack tray 210 according to this embodiment includes partition walls 211 that divide the internal space into a plurality of regions. Hereinafter, each of the regions divided by the partition walls 211 is defined as a module receiving portion 213.

[0048] The partitions 211 may be formed to have the same height as the wall body. Thus, when the pack cover 220 is coupled to the pack tray 210, the top and side of each module receiving portion 213 may be blocked by the pack cover 220 and the partitions 211 and sealed.

[0049] The battery modules 100 are disposed in the module receiving portions 213 one by one, and the pack tray 210 and the pack cover 220 are fastened with bolts B. Then, the battery modules 100 are positioned in closed spaces in the pack case 200. For reference, the battery modules 100 may be electrically connected to each other in series and / or parallel. Although not shown in the drawings such as FIG. 3 so as not to obscure the essence of the present invention, the battery modules 100 may be electrically connected to each other by a cable or a flexible bus bar, and the cable or the flexible bus bar may be provided to pass through the partition wall 211 or the bottom plate of the pack tray 210. Of course, the portion where the cable or the flexible bus bar passes through the partition wall 211 or the pack tray 210 may be sealed.

[0050] According to the above configuration, for example, if any battery module 100 located in a specific area catches fire, the fire will not spread to other battery modules 100 located in other areas. In addition, as will be described later, if cooling water is injected into the specific area from the pack cover 220 to suppress a fire in any of the battery modules 100, the movement of cooling water to other areas can be blocked. Therefore, even if cooling water is injected into the pack tray 210, the other battery modules 100 except for the battery module 100 in which a thermal event has occurred can be normally reused.

[0051] The pack cover 220 covers the battery module 100 and may be provided to be connectable to an upper portion of the pack tray 210. In particular, the pack cover 220 according to the present invention is composed of two plates to cover the pack tray 210 and to have a flow path through which cooling water flows, and one of the two plates may be used to cover the pack tray 210 and the other may be used to form the flow path.

[0052] The pack cover 220 is fastened to the pack tray 210 by bolts B, and is coupled to the upper part of the pack tray 210, and includes an inlet for introducing cooling water into the flow path as indicated by "In" in Fig. 1, and an outlet for discharging the cooling water from the flow path to the outside as indicated by "Out". In one example, the battery pack 10 of the present invention can be mounted on an automobile, and in this case, piping can be connected to the inlet and the outlet so that cooling water used to cool heat-generating components in the automobile enters the flow path from the inlet of the pack cover 220 and is discharged to the outside from the outlet.

[0053] Looking at the main components of the pack cover 220, as shown in FIG. 2, the pack cover 220 includes a lower cover 221 that is placed on the top of the pack tray 210 and has a valve mounting hole 222 formed by penetrating a predetermined area, and an upper cover 223 that has a contact area 225 facing the upper surface of the lower cover 221 and a flow path area 224 that bulges out from the upper surface of the lower cover 221 to allow the flow of cooling water.

[0054] The lower cover 221 may have an area sufficient to cover the upper portion of the pack tray 210, and may be provided in the form of a plate-like body in which only the valve mounting opening 222 is open. The valve mounting opening 222 is a hole formed in the lower cover 221 so that the cooling water can escape from the upper portion to the lower portion of the lower cover 221, and three valve mounting openings are provided in this embodiment. The three valve mounting openings 222A, 222B, and 222C are provided at the upper portion of each battery module 100 in the vertical direction. A valve unit 300 may be attached to each of the valve mounting openings 222A, 222B, and 222C, so that the valve unit 300 may be located at the upper portion of each battery module 100 in the vertical direction.

[0055] In this embodiment, the valve unit 300 includes a first valve unit 300A, a second valve unit 300B, and a third valve unit 300C. The three valve units 300A, 300B, and 300C are attached to the three valve mounting holes 222A, 222B, and 222C and are each rotatable clockwise or counterclockwise, so that the cooling water of the pack cover 220 can be supplied to or blocked from the internal space of the pack tray 210.

[0056] The valve unit 300 includes a rotating plate 310 that is inserted into and rotatably disposed in the valve mounting opening 222, and a drainage hole 320 formed in one area of ​​the rotating plate 310. The valve mounting opening 222 may be provided in a form in which the diameter size is expanded larger at the top than at the bottom in the thickness direction (Z direction) of the lower cover 221. The rotating plate 310 may be attached to the valve mounting opening 222 so that it does not slip out downwardly from the valve mounting opening 222 by disposing a peripheral portion of the rotating plate 310 at the boundary surface between the small diameter and the large diameter in the valve mounting opening 222.

[0057] 5, the rotating plate 310 includes an outer circular portion 310a and an inner circular portion 310b. The outer circular portion 310a may be fixedly attached to a boundary surface within the valve mounting port 222, and the inner circular portion 310b may be rotatably provided within the outer circular portion 310a. A driving device for rotating the inner circular portion 310b may be built into the outer circular portion 310a and / or the inner circular portion 310b. The driving device may include a motor, a gear, a rotating shaft, etc., but any driving device having an operating mechanism capable of rotating the rotating plate 310 within the valve mounting port 222 may be used.

[0058] The drain hole 320 refers to an area formed through the rotating plate 310 so that the cooling water can be discharged from the upper part to the lower part of the rotating plate 310. When the valve unit 300 is rotated, if the drain hole 320 is aligned vertically with a flow path area 224 of an upper cover 223 described later, the cooling water can be discharged from the drain hole 320 to the lower part of the rotating plate 310. A more detailed description will be given later.

[0059] 6 and 7, the upper cover 223 includes a flow path region 224 that is provided to bulge with respect to the upper surface of the lower cover 221 and forms a path for the movement of the cooling water, and a contact region 225 that is arranged to face and contact the upper surface of the lower cover 221. The upper cover 223 is arranged to face the lower cover 221 that is arranged on the pack tray 210, and can be coupled to be fixed to the upper end of the pack tray 210 integrally with the lower cover 221 by bolts B.

[0060] In addition, the flow passage region 224 of the upper cover 223 may include straight sections 224a spaced apart from each other at regular intervals, and curved sections 224b connecting the straight sections 224a. The straight sections 224a may be formed from an inlet located on one side of the pack case 200 in the +Y direction to an end of the pack case 200 on the other side, and a curved section 224b may be connected to an end of the straight section 224a in the +X direction, and another straight section 224a may be formed from an end of the curved section 224b in the -Y direction. The straight sections 224a and the curved sections 224b are repeated in this pattern, so that the coolant flows over a wide area on the pack cover 220 before being discharged to the outlet, thereby absorbing heat inside the pack case 200.

[0061] In addition, a valve unit 300 is applied to the pack cover 220 so that the cooling water flowing along the flow path can be used to suppress a fire in the battery module 100 where a thermal event occurs.

[0062] In other words, the valve unit 300 is applied to the pack cover 220 so that it can be rotated to a predetermined angle to either a closed state in which the drainage hole 320 is misaligned with and not in communication with the flow path area 224, or an open state in which at least a portion of the drainage hole 320 is matched with the lower part of the flow path area 224 and in communication with the flow path area 224.

[0063] As shown in FIG. 8, the drainage hole 320 may be approximately rectangular in shape, with the length D2 of the short side being shorter than the separation distance D1 between adjacent straight sections 224a in the flow path region 224, and the length of the long side being longer than the separation distance D1 between the straight sections 224a.

[0064] Therefore, if the portion of the rotating plate 310 without the drainage hole 320 is positioned below the straight section 224a of the flow path area 224 and the drainage hole 320 is positioned between the straight sections 224a, the cooling water will not leak from the flow path of the pack cover 220.

[0065] Conversely, as shown in FIG. 9, when the rotating plate 310 is rotated to position at least a portion of the drainage hole 320 at the bottom of the flow path area 224, the cooling water can fall from the drainage hole 320 through the flow path, downward of the lower cover 221, and be injected into the inside of the pack tray 210.

[0066] Meanwhile, the battery pack 10 according to the present invention may further include a gas detector 400 so that cooling water is preemptively introduced before a flame is generated in the battery module 100 by rotating the valve unit 300 when vent gas is generated in the battery module 100.

[0067] 2 to 4, 10 and 11, the gas detector 400 according to this embodiment is attached to one side wall of the pack tray 210, and may be provided for each of the three module receiving portions 213. Although not shown, the gas detector 400 may be disposed inside the battery module 100. The gas detector 400 disposed inside the battery module 100 may be embodied as a miniature gas sensor (not shown).

[0068] By applying the gas detector 400 inside the pack case 200 as described above, the vent gas generated in the battery module 100 can be detected, and the valve unit 300 can be configured to rotate to an open state based on a gas detection signal from the gas detector 400.

[0069] For example, the gas sensor 400 and the valve unit 300 may be connected by a signal transmission cable 500, and when an operating signal or driving power is transmitted to the valve unit 300 via the signal transmission cable 500, the rotating plate 310 of the valve unit 300 may be rotated, thereby allowing cooling water to be injected from the pack cover 220 into the inside of the pack tray 210.

[0070] In the case of the battery pack 10 of this embodiment, as described above, the internal space of the pack tray 210 is divided by the partition wall 211, and three module accommodating sections 213 are provided, and one battery module 100 is disposed in each module accommodating section 213. The gas detector 400 is provided in each module accommodating section 213 to detect gas in each module accommodating section 213, and the valve unit 300 is also disposed in the vertical upper portion of each module accommodating section 213. Therefore, each valve unit 300 operates based on a gas detection signal of the gas detector 400 connected thereto, and cooling water is not supplied to the module accommodating section 213 where vent gas is not detected.

[0071] In addition, the module housing 110 of the battery module 100 according to this embodiment has a drainage channel 113 formed on the upper plate 111 by being recessed to a predetermined depth and connected from one side edge to the other side edge. The drainage channel 113 is located at the vertical lower part of the valve unit 300. According to this configuration, when the valve unit 300 rotates and the cooling water drops from the drainage hole 320, the cooling water moves along the drainage channel 113 of the module housing 110 in the front-rear direction (±Y direction) of the battery module 100.

[0072] As described above, when the coolant moves in the front-rear direction of the battery module 100, a larger amount of coolant can flow to the electrode lead portion of the battery cell because the bus bar frame 120 is located below the end of the drainage channel 113. Since vent gas and flames are usually frequently generated in the electrode lead portion, the fire suppression effect can be enhanced by allowing the coolant to flow preferentially to the electrode lead portion as described above.

[0073] In addition, the upper plate 111 of the housing of the battery module 100 includes a cable installation groove 115. A signal transmission cable 500 connecting the gas detector 400 and the valve unit 300 may be interposed and fixed in the cable installation groove 115.

[0074] According to the configuration of the battery pack 10 according to the present invention as described above, when a thermal event occurs in the first battery module 100A and the vent gas is detected by the gas detector 400 as shown in FIG. 10, the first valve unit 300A rotates to an open state, so that the cooling water in the pack cover 220 falls from the drain hole 320 of the first valve unit 300A to the top of the first battery module 100A. At this time, as described above, since the first module accommodating portion 213A, the second module accommodating portion 213B, and the third module accommodating portion 213C are physically separated, the gas detector 400 of the second module accommodating portion 213B and the third module accommodating portion 213C does not detect the vent gas in the first module accommodating portion 213A, and the second valve unit 300B and the third valve unit 300C do not operate. Therefore, as shown in FIG. 11, only the first module accommodating portion 213A is filled with the cooling water. Therefore, the first battery module 100A is immersed in cooling water before a flame occurs, thereby preventing ignition, and the second battery module 100B and the third battery module 100C are not submerged in water, and therefore can be reused.

[0075] Next, the automobile according to the present invention will be briefly described with reference to FIG.

[0076] FIG. 12 is a schematic diagram of a vehicle including a battery pack 10 according to one embodiment of the present invention.

[0077] 12, an automobile 1 according to the present invention may include a battery pack 10 according to an embodiment of the present invention, an ECU (Electronic Control Unit) 20, an inverter 30, and a motor 40. Preferably, the automobile 1 may be an electric vehicle.

[0078] The battery pack 10 may be used as an electric energy source that provides driving force to the motor 40 to drive the vehicle 1. The battery pack 10 may be charged or discharged by the inverter 30 by driving the motor 40 and / or an internal combustion engine (not shown). The battery pack 10 may be charged by a regenerative charging device coupled with a brake. The battery pack 10 may be electrically connected to the motor 40 of the vehicle by the inverter 30.

[0079] The ECU 20 is an electronic control device that controls the state of the automobile 1. For example, the ECU 20 determines torque information based on information such as an accelerator, a brake, and a speed, and controls the output of the motor 40 according to the torque information. The ECU 20 also transmits a control signal to the inverter 30 so that the battery pack 10 is charged or discharged based on state information such as SOC and SOH of the battery pack 10 transmitted by the BMS. The inverter 30 charges or discharges the battery pack 10 based on the control signal of the ECU 610. The motor 40 drives the automobile 1 using the electric energy of the battery pack 10 based on control information (e.g., torque information) transmitted from the ECU 20.

[0080] As described above, the battery pack 10 normally maintains the temperature of the battery module 100 at an appropriate level, and when a thermal event occurs in the battery module 100, it is possible to prevent a fire by quickly flooding the battery module 100 where the thermal event has occurred with the cooling water used to manage the temperature of the battery module 100. Therefore, safety is maintained even if a problem occurs in the battery pack 10 while the automobile 1 is running.

[0081] Although the present invention has been described above with reference to limited embodiments and drawings, it goes without saying that the present invention is not limited thereto, and various modifications and variations are possible within the scope of the technical spirit of the present invention and the scope of the claims by a person having ordinary skill in the art to which the present invention pertains.

[0082] Although terms indicating directions such as up, down, left, and right are used in this specification, it will be obvious to those skilled in the art that such terms are used merely for convenience of explanation and may vary depending on the position of the object of interest, the position of the observer, etc.

Claims

1. one or more battery modules; a pack case including a pack tray having an open top and an internal space for accommodating the battery module, and a pack cover coupled to an upper portion of the pack tray; Including, The pack cover includes: a lower cover disposed on top of the pack tray and having a valve mounting hole formed therethrough in a predetermined area; A flow path region that forms a flow path for cooling water; an upper cover disposed on an upper surface of the lower cover; a valve unit attached to the valve mounting port, and configured to rotate clockwise or counterclockwise to supply or block the cooling water in the flow path region to an internal space of the pack tray; A battery pack comprising:

2. The battery module further includes a gas detector disposed inside the pack tray or inside the battery module, The battery pack according to claim 1 , wherein the valve unit is configured to rotate based on a gas sensing signal of the gas detector.

3. 3. The battery pack according to claim 2, wherein the valve unit and the gas detector are connected by a signal transmission cable.

4. The valve unit includes: A rotary plate that is inserted into the valve mounting port and rotatably provided; A drainage hole formed in one area of ​​the rotating plate; 2. The battery pack of claim 1, comprising:

5. The valve unit includes:

5. The battery pack of claim 4, wherein the rotating plate is rotatably arranged at a predetermined angle so as to be in a closed state in which the drainage hole is misaligned with and not in communication with the flow path region, or in an open state in which at least a portion of the drainage hole is matched with a lower portion of the flow path region and in communication with the flow path region.

6. The battery pack according to claim 5 , wherein the drainage hole is rectangular.

7. The flow path region includes straight sections spaced apart at regular intervals and curved sections connecting the straight sections, The battery pack according to claim 6 , wherein the drain hole has a short side length shorter than a distance between the straight sections and a long side length longer than a distance between the straight sections.

8. the one or more battery modules are a plurality of battery modules; the pack tray includes a plurality of module accommodating sections, the internal space of which is partitioned by partition walls; The battery pack according to claim 1 , wherein each of the module receiving sections includes one battery module disposed therein.

9. The battery pack according to claim 8 , wherein each of the module receiving portions is covered by a lower cover and configured to have an upper portion sealed.

10. The battery pack according to claim 8 , wherein the valve unit is a plurality of valve units coupled to the lower cover so as to be positioned vertically above each of the battery modules.

11. The battery module includes a battery cell and a module housing that accommodates the battery cell. The battery pack according to claim 1 , wherein the module housing is recessed to a predetermined depth from an upper plate portion and includes a drainage channel extending from one edge to the other edge.

12. The battery pack according to claim 11, wherein the drainage channel is provided at a vertical lower portion of the valve unit.

13. The battery pack according to claim 11, wherein a bus bar frame that electrically connects the battery cells is disposed below an end portion of the drainage channel.

14. a gas sensor is attached to one side wall of the pack tray, and the valve unit and the gas sensor are connected by a signal transmission cable; The valve unit is configured to rotate based on a gas detection signal of the gas detector; The battery pack according to claim 11, wherein the signal transmission cable is disposed in a cable installation groove formed in an upper plate of the module housing.

15. A motor vehicle comprising a battery pack according to any one of claims 1 to 14.

Images