Battery module

Abstract

A battery module according to one aspect of the present invention includes a battery cell, a housing space in which the battery cell is housed, a case portion having a first wall portion and a second wall portion that respectively surround the housing space, an inflow storage portion that stores cooling water flowing into the inside of the first wall portion, and a cooling water inflow portion provided such that the cooling water in the inflow storage portion flows into the housing space through a plurality of branch points.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a battery module, and more particularly, to a battery module in which cooling water can be uniformly diffused inside the battery module, and a branch cooling flow path for cooling water is provided in the battery module itself.

[0002] This application claims the benefit of priority based on Korean Patent Application No. 10-2023-0053926 filed on April 25, 2023, and all contents disclosed in the corresponding Korean patent application are included as part of this specification.

Background Art

[0003] As environment-friendly vehicles, electric vehicles, hybrid vehicles, and plug-in hybrid vehicles that generate driving force by using electric energy instead of engines that burn existing fossil fuels to generate driving force are being sold worldwide.

[0004] Among such environment-friendly vehicles that use electric energy, electric vehicles and plug-in hybrid vehicles are charged with electric power provided from external charging facilities connected to a grid to charge a battery provided in the vehicle, and use the charged electric power of the battery to produce kinetic energy required for driving the vehicle.

[0005] Since batteries used in such environment-friendly vehicles are required to have high output, they generate a large amount of heat. In order to improve battery performance and lifespan, it is very important to efficiently discharge the heat generated in the battery to prevent the battery from overheating.

[0006] Conventionally, as a cooling method for discharging heat from a battery, an air-cooling method or a water-cooling method is known. Here, the direct water-cooling method is a method in which a battery cell is directly impregnated with cooling water to directly discharge the heat of the battery cell to the cooling water.

[0007] FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram for explaining the cooling structure of a conventional battery module.

[0008] Referring to FIG. 1, the battery module 10 includes a module frame 20, a plurality of battery cells 30, a cooling water inflow line 30, and a cooling water discharge line 40.

[0009] The plurality of battery cells 30 are arranged at intervals within a range where the interval between adjacent battery cells 30 is approximately 2 mm or less. Since the interval between the battery cells 30 is narrow, a solution is needed to optimize the flow of the cooling water W1 and improve the cooling efficiency.

[0010] The module frame 20 is provided such that cooling water W1 can flow therein. A plurality of battery cells 30 are arranged at intervals within the internal space 25 of the module frame 20. In order to improve the cooling efficiency, the conventional battery module 10 needs to secure as many cooling ports as possible. Hereinafter, the cooling ports are classified and referred to as an inflow port 33 and a discharge port 43 according to the installation position.

[0011] The cooling water inflow line 30 is provided such that the cooling water W1 flows into the module frame 20. The cooling water inflow line 30 includes a first pipe 31, a plurality of inflow ports 33, and a plurality of first support ribs 35. The first pipe 31 branches into a plurality and is connected to each inflow port 33.

[0012] Each inflow port 33 is fluidly connected to the outside of the module frame 20 so as to be movable relative to the internal space 25 of the module frame 20. Each inflow port 33 is supported by the module frame 20 by each first support rib 35.

[0013] The conventional battery module 10 includes a cooling water inflow line 30, but requires a variety of numerous components such as a plurality of inflow ports 33, a plurality of first support ribs 35, a sealing component for sealing each inflow port 33 to the module frame 20, and a coupling component used to individually couple each inflow port 33 to the first pipe 31.

[0014] Further, the cooling water discharge line 40 is provided such that the heat-exchanged cooling water W2 is discharged from the module frame 20. The cooling water discharge line 40 includes a second pipe 41, a plurality of discharge ports 43, and a plurality of second support ribs 45. The second pipe 41 branches into a plurality and is coupled to each discharge port 43.

[0015] Each discharge port 43 is coupled to the outside of the module frame 20 so as to be fluidly movable with the internal space of the module frame 20. Each discharge port 43 is supported by the module frame 20 by each second support rib 45.

[0016] The conventional battery module 10 includes a cooling water discharge line 40, but requires a variety of numerous components such as a plurality of discharge ports 43, a plurality of second support ribs 45, a sealing component for sealing each discharge port 43 to the module frame 20, and a coupling component used to individually couple each discharge port 43 to the second pipe 41.

[0017] At this time, as the types and numbers of components increase, the process of assembling the cooling water inflow line 30 and the cooling water discharge line 40 to the module frame 20 becomes complicated. At the same time, the production unit price of the battery module 10 also increases.

[0018] In addition, as the volume and weight of the entire components constituting the battery module 10 increase, there is a problem that the energy density value decreases. Summary of the Invention Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0019] An object of the present invention is to provide a battery module in which cooling water can be uniformly diffused inside the battery module, and a branch cooling flow path for the cooling water is provided in the battery module itself.

[0020] Another object of the present invention is to provide a battery module that can simplify the structure of the cooling line inside the battery module, reduce the volume and weight of the battery module, and improve the energy density of the battery module.

Means for Solving the Problems

[0021] To solve the above problems, a battery module according to an aspect of the present invention includes a battery cell, a housing space in which the battery cell is housed, a case portion having a first wall portion and a second wall portion surrounding the housing space, an inflow storage portion for storing the cooling water flowing into the inside of the first wall portion, and a cooling water inflow portion provided so that the cooling water in the inflow storage portion flows into the housing space through a plurality of branch points.

[0022] Also, a plurality of the battery cells may be provided, and the battery module may include a plurality of battery cells, a housing space in which the plurality of battery cells are housed, a case portion having a first wall portion and a second wall portion surrounding the housing space, an inflow storage portion for storing the cooling water flowing into the inside of the first wall portion, and a cooling water inflow portion provided so that the cooling water in the inflow storage portion flows into the housing space through a plurality of branch points.

[0023] Also, the first wall portion may include a first inner wall surrounding the housing space and a first outer wall provided so as to surround the first inner wall.

[0024] Also, the inflow storage portion may be provided between the first outer wall and the first inner wall.

[0025] Further, the cooling water inlet portion is provided on the first inner wall and can include a plurality of cooling water inlet openings that guide the flow of the cooling water stored in the inflow storage portion into the accommodation space from a plurality of branch points.

[0026] Further, the cooling water inlet portion can be provided on the first outer wall and can include a first inlet port through which the cooling water flows into the inflow storage portion, and a first inlet pipe that is provided so as to be connectable to the first inlet port and supplies the cooling water to the first inlet port.

[0027] Further, the plurality of cooling water inlet openings can be provided at predetermined intervals along the inflow storage portion, and the size of the openings can be set to be larger as they are farther from the first inlet port.

[0028] Further, the plurality of cooling water inlet openings can be located at the upper end of the inflow storage portion so that the cooling water flows into the accommodation space after being stored in the inflow storage portion up to a predetermined water level.

[0029] Further, the inflow storage portion can include an inflow storage groove provided in the first wall portion, the first inlet port can be connected to the lower part of the inflow storage groove, and the plurality of cooling water inlet openings can be located at the upper part of the inflow storage groove.

[0030] Further, the case portion can include a lower case including a first wall portion having the accommodation space and the inflow storage portion, and an upper case mounted on the lower case so as to cover the accommodation space and the inflow storage portion. Also, the plurality of cooling water inlet openings can be located between the upper case and the first inner wall.

[0031] Further, the cooling water inlet portion can be separated from the first inlet port and can include a second inlet port provided on the first outer wall so as to be fluidly movable with the inflow storage portion, and a second inlet pipe that is provided so as to be connectable to the second inlet port and supplies the cooling water to the second inlet port.

[0032] Further, the case portion may include a cooling water discharge portion provided in the second wall portion of the case portion so that the cooling water in the accommodation space is discharged from the accommodation space through a plurality of branch points.

[0033] Further, the second wall portion may be arranged to face the first inner wall of the case portion, and may include a second inner wall surrounding the accommodation space and a second outer wall provided so as to surround the second inner wall.

[0034] Further, the cooling water discharge portion may include a discharge storage portion provided between the second outer wall and the second inner wall, and a plurality of cooling water discharge openings provided in the second inner wall for guiding the flow of the cooling water in the accommodation space to flow into the discharge storage portion from a plurality of branch points.

[0035] Further, the cooling water discharge portion may include a first discharge port provided in the second outer wall so as to be fluidly movable with the discharge storage portion, and a first discharge pipe provided so as to be connectable to the first discharge port and through which the cooling water discharged from the first discharge port flows.

[0036] Further, the plurality of cooling water discharge openings may be provided at predetermined intervals along the discharge storage portion, and the size of the openings may be set larger as the distance from the first discharge port increases.

[0037] Further, the plurality of cooling water discharge openings may be located at the upper end portion of the discharge storage portion so that the cooling water in the accommodation space is discharged from the discharge storage portion after being stored up to a predetermined water level.

[0038] Further, the discharge storage portion may include a discharge storage groove provided in the second wall portion, the first discharge port may be connected to the lower portion of the discharge storage groove, and the plurality of cooling water discharge openings may be located at the upper portion of the discharge storage groove.

[0039] Further, the cooling water discharge part may include a second discharge port provided on the second outer wall so as to be separated from the first discharge port and be fluidly movable with respect to the discharge storage part, and a second discharge pipe provided so as to be connectable to the second discharge port and through which the cooling water discharged from the second discharge port flows.

[0040] Furthermore, a battery module related to still another aspect of the present invention includes a battery cell, a storage space in which the battery cell is accommodated, a case part having a first wall part and a second wall part surrounding the storage space, a cooling water inflow storage part in which the cooling water flowing into the inside of the first wall part is stored, and a cooling water inflow part having a plurality of cooling water inflow openings for guiding the flow of the cooling water stored in the cooling water inflow storage part to flow into the storage space from a plurality of branch points.

Advantages of the Invention

[0041] As described in detail above, the battery module related to at least one aspect of the present invention has the following effects.

[0042] A cooling water inflow part is formed inside the first wall part of the case part. Further, the cooling water can be branched into a plurality of parts and supplied to the storage space through a plurality of cooling water inflow openings provided inside the first wall part, and the cooling water can be uniformly supplied to the entire region of the storage space. Accordingly, the cooling efficiency can be enhanced.

[0043] In addition, a cooling water discharge part is formed inside the second wall part facing the first wall part. At this time, the cooling water in the storage space can be branched into a plurality of parts and discharged through a plurality of cooling water discharge openings provided inside the second wall part, and accordingly, the cooling efficiency can be enhanced.

[0044] In addition, the number of inflow ports and discharge ports connected outside the case part can be reduced to simplify the structure of the cooling line.

[0045] In addition, the volume and weight of the entire components constituting the battery module can be reduced.

Brief Description of the Drawings

[0046]

Figure 1

Figure 2

Figure 3

Figure 4

Figure 5

Figure 6

Modes for Carrying Out the Invention

[0047] Hereinafter, with reference to the accompanying drawings, a battery module according to an embodiment of the present invention will be described.

[0048] Also, regardless of the reference signs, the same or corresponding components are given the same or similar reference numbers, and duplicate descriptions thereof are omitted. For the convenience of explanation, the sizes and shapes of the respective components illustrated may be exaggerated or reduced.

[0049] FIG. 2 is a schematic diagram showing a battery module 100 related to the first embodiment of the present invention, and FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view schematically showing the cooling water inflow part of the battery module 100 related to the first embodiment of the present invention.

[0050] As shown in FIG. 2, the battery module 100 according to the first embodiment of the present invention includes a plurality of battery cells 120, a case part 110 in which the plurality of battery cells 120 are housed, and a cooling water inflow part 130.

[0051] Each battery cell 120 can be a cylindrical battery cell or a rectangular battery cell, and can be a secondary battery capable of charging and discharging.

[0052] The case portion 110 has a housing space 115 in which a plurality of battery cells 120 are housed, and a first wall portion 112 and a second wall portion 116 that respectively surround the housing space 115. As an example, the case portion 110 can have a hexahedron shape and have a housing space 115 inside. The case portion 110 can have a structure in which a plurality of cases are assembled, have a bottom portion to which each battery cell 120 is attached, and can have a plurality of wall portions 112, 116 fixed to the bottom portion. For example, when the case portion 110 has a hexahedron shape, it can have a bottom portion and four wall portions, and the first wall portion 112 and the second wall portion 116 can be arranged to face each other. Further, the case portion 110 can be provided such that each battery cell 120 is inserted along the height direction of the first wall portion 112 and the second wall portion 116.

[0053] In addition, the cooling water inlet portion 130 has an inflow storage portion 131 in which the cooling water W1 flowing into the inside of the first wall portion 112 is stored, and is provided such that the cooling water W1 in the inflow storage portion 131 flows into the housing space 115 through a plurality of branch points. In this way, the cooling water inlet portion 130 is provided inside the first wall portion 112 of the case portion 110, and can uniformly supply the cooling water W1 to the inside of the housing space 115 through a plurality of branch points, and can supply the cooling water W1 to the entire region of the housing space 115.

[0054] FIG. 4 is a schematic diagram showing the cooling water inlet opening of part A in FIG. 3, and FIG. 5 is a drawing for explaining the flow of the cooling water of the battery module 100 according to the first embodiment of the present invention.

[0055] The first wall portion 112 may include a first inner wall 114 surrounding the accommodation space 115 and a first outer wall 113 provided so as to surround the first inner wall 114. The first inner wall 114 and the first outer wall 113 may be spaced apart at a predetermined interval, and an inflow storage portion 131 may be provided in the space between the first inner wall 114 and the first outer wall 113. Further, the first inner wall 114 forms the boundary of the accommodation space 115, and the first outer wall 113 may be disposed at a distance from the accommodation space 115 by the first inner wall 114.

[0056] The inflow storage portion 131 may be provided between the first outer wall 113 and the first inner wall 114.

[0057] Further, the cooling water inflow portion 130 may be provided on the first inner wall 114 and may include a plurality of cooling water inflow openings 133 that guide the flow of the cooling water so that the cooling water W1 stored in the inflow storage portion 131 flows into the accommodation space 115 from a plurality of branch points.

[0058] Further, the cooling water inflow portion 130 may be provided on the first outer wall 113 and may include a first inflow port 135 into which the cooling water W1 flows in the inflow storage portion 131 and a first inflow pipe 141 that is connectably provided to the first inflow port 135 and provides the cooling water W1 at the first inflow port 135. The first inflow pipe 141 may be detachably attached to the first inflow port 135.

[0059] The plurality of cooling water inflow openings 133 may be located at the upper end of the inflow storage portion 131 so that the cooling water W1 flows into the accommodation space 115 after being stored to a predetermined water level in the inflow storage portion 131.

[0060] The inflow storage portion 131 may include an inflow storage groove provided in the first wall portion 112. At this time, the first inflow port 135 may be connected to the lower part of the inflow storage groove, and the plurality of cooling water inflow openings 133 may be located in the upper part of the inflow storage groove.

[0061] Further, the case portion 110 may include a lower case 111 having the accommodation space 115, a first wall portion 112 having the inflow storage portion 131, and a second wall portion 116, and an upper case 119 attached to the lower case 111 so as to cover the accommodation space 115 and the inflow storage portion 131. The upper case 119 may be provided so as to cover a discharge storage portion 151 described later.

[0062] At this time, the plurality of cooling water inflow openings 133 can be located between the upper case 119 and the first inner wall 114.

[0063] Further, the lower case 111 may include an accommodation space 115 in which the battery cell 120 is accommodated, a first wall portion 112, and a second wall portion 116, and the first wall portion 112 and the second wall portion 116 surround the accommodation space 115 respectively.

[0064] Further, the second wall portion 116 may be provided on the opposite side of the first wall portion 112 of the case portion 110. The second wall portion 116 may include a second inner wall 118 that forms a boundary of the accommodation space 115, and a second outer wall 117 that surrounds the second inner wall 118 and is disposed at a distance from the accommodation space 115. The second inner wall 118 and the second outer wall 117 are disposed at a predetermined interval, and a discharge storage portion 151 may be provided in the space between the second inner wall 118 and the second outer wall 117.

[0065] Further, the upper case 119 may be coupled to the lower case 111 so as to cover the accommodation space, the first wall portion 112, and the second wall portion 116 of the lower case 111.

[0066] Specifically, the upper case 119 can be brought into contact with the first outer wall 113 and the second outer wall 117 respectively. Also, a plurality of cooling water inflow openings 133 may be provided between the upper case 119 and the first inner wall 114. Also, a plurality of cooling water discharge openings 153 may be provided between the upper case 119 and the second inner wall 118.

[0067] Further, the upper case 119 may cover the accommodation space 115 and may be provided to expose one end portion (including the terminal portion) of the battery cell 120 to the outside when assembled to the lower case 111. The battery cell 120 may have its terminal portion electrically connected to a bus bar (not shown) outside the upper case 119. Also, an end case (not shown) may be coupled to the upper case 119 so as to surround the bus bar. The end case (not shown) may be coupled to the upper case 119 so as to protect one end portion of the battery cell 120 and the bus bar (not shown) that are exposed to the outside of the upper case 119.

[0068] Referring to FIG. 3, the inflow storage portion 131 may be located at the upper end portion of the first wall portion 112 of the lower case 111 and may be in a groove form provided between the first outer wall 113 and the first inner wall 114. The inflow storage portion 131 may be provided on the first wall portion 112 such that fluid movement is possible with the accommodation space 115.

[0069] The inflow storage portion 131 may be provided such that the first inner wall 114 has a height h lower than the height of the first outer wall 113, and the cooling water W1 flowing through the inflow storage portion 131 may be provided to overflow the first inner wall 114 and flow into the accommodation space 115.

[0070] As an example, the first inflow port 135 may be connected to the lower part of an inflow storage groove (the inflow storage portion 131 which may be in a groove form), and a plurality of cooling water inflow openings 133 may be located at the upper part of the inflow storage groove (the inflow storage portion 131 which may be in a groove form). In this way, after the cooling water W1 in the inflow storage portion 131 is stored to a predetermined water level, it may be supplied to the accommodation space 115 through the plurality of cooling water inflow openings 133. By storing the cooling water W1 to a predetermined water level along the length direction L of the inflow storage groove (the inflow storage portion 131 which may be in a groove form), the cooling water may be uniformly supplied to the entire area of the accommodation space 115 through the plurality of inflow openings 133. Also, the plurality of inflow openings 133 may have the same size.

[0071] Also, each of the inflow openings 133 may have a circular, semi-circular, polygonal shape, etc.

[0072] The first inflow port 135 may be provided on the first outer wall 113 so as to be fluidly movable with the inflow storage portion 131. The first inflow port 135 may be sealed to the first outer wall 113 of the lower case 111 by a sealing member (not shown). It is for preventing leakage of the cooling water W1 through the gap between the first inflow port 135 and the first outer wall 113, and an O-ring may be used as the sealing member.

[0073] Referring to FIG. 3, a first inflow pipe 141 may be detachably attached to the first inflow port 135. The first inflow pipe 141 is disposed outside the case portion 110, that is, outside the battery module 100. The first inflow pipe 141 is a pipe for supplying the cooling water W1 to the first inflow port 135.

[0074] Referring to FIG. 4, each cooling water inflow opening 133 may be formed by a groove structure provided at the upper end of the first inner wall 114 of the lower case 111 and the upper case 119.

[0075] A plurality of cooling water inflow openings (133: 133a to 133h) perform a function of branching the cooling water W1 flowing through the inflow storage portion 131 into a plurality.

[0076] As shown in FIGS. 2, 4, and 5, a plurality of cooling water inflow openings 133 may be provided at predetermined intervals along the inflow storage portion 131.

[0077] As an example, the size of the opening may be provided to be larger as it is farther from the first inflow port 135.

[0078] That is, a plurality of cooling water inflow openings 133 are provided such that the size of the opening becomes larger as it is farther from the first inflow port 135 along the length direction L of the inflow storage portion 131.

[0079] When the inflow storage part 131 has a structure extending along the length direction, the flow velocity of the cooling water W1 flowing through the inflow storage part 131 may become slower as it moves away from the first inflow port 135. At this time, at the branch point where the flow velocity of the cooling water W1 is fast, the size of the cooling water inflow opening 133 can be made smaller, and at the branch point where the flow velocity of the cooling water W1 is slow, the size of the cooling water inflow opening 133 can be made larger. Accordingly, the cooling water W1 flowing through the inflow storage part 131 can flow uniformly over the entire area of the accommodation space 115 through the plurality of cooling water inflow openings 133.

[0080] For the sake of convenience of explanation, according to the order of arrangement of the plurality of cooling water inflow openings 133, they are classified and denoted as drawing numbers 133a, 133b, 133c, 133d, 133e, 133f, 133g, 133h in the order from the closest to the first inflow port 135. Accordingly, the plurality of cooling water inflow openings 133 can include a first a inflow opening 133a, a first b inflow opening 133b, a first c inflow opening 133c, a first d inflow opening 133d, a first e inflow opening 133e, a first f inflow opening 133f, a first g inflow opening 133g, and a first h inflow opening 133h.

[0081] The number of the plurality of cooling water inflow openings 133 is not limited to those illustrated in this specification.

[0082] The first a inflow opening 133a to the first h inflow opening 133h can be arranged in a row and spaced apart along the length direction L of the inflow storage part 131. The first a inflow opening 133a to the first h inflow opening 133h are each fluidly movably connected to the inflow storage part 131.

[0083] In this document, the first a inflow opening 133a is the inflow opening closest to the first inflow port 135 side, and the first h inflow opening 133h is the inflow opening located farthest from the first inflow port 135 side.

[0084] The sizes of the plurality of cooling water inflow openings 133 increase from the first a inflow opening 133a to the first h inflow opening 133h. This is to ensure that the cooling water W1 flowing along the inflow storage portion 131 flows uniformly into the entire region of the accommodation space 115 in consideration of the flow velocity of the cooling water W1.

[0085] The case portion 110 may include a cooling water discharge portion 150 provided on the second wall portion of the case portion so that the cooling water W2 in the accommodation space 115 is discharged from the accommodation space through a plurality of branch points.

[0086] The second wall portion 116 may be arranged to face the first inner wall 114 of the case portion 110 and may include a second inner wall 118 surrounding the accommodation space and a second outer wall 117 provided so as to surround the second inner wall 118.

[0087] The cooling water discharge portion 150 may be provided on the second wall portion 116 of the lower case 111 so that the cooling water W2 heat-exchanged with the battery cell 120 in the accommodation space 115 is discharged from the accommodation space 115 through a plurality of branch points.

[0088] The cooling water discharge portion 150 may be provided on the second wall portion 116 with the same structure as the cooling water inflow portion 130. Further, the second wall portion 116 may be provided on the lower case 111 so as to face the first wall portion 112 in parallel.

[0089] Further, the cooling water discharge portion 150 may include a discharge storage portion 151, a first discharge port 155, and a plurality of cooling water discharge openings 153.

[0090] Specifically, the cooling water discharge portion 150 may include a discharge storage portion 151 provided between the second outer wall 117 and the second inner wall 118, and the cooling water discharge portion 150 may be provided on the second inner wall 118 and may include a plurality of cooling water discharge openings 153 for guiding the flow of the cooling water W2 so that the cooling water in the accommodation space 115 flows into the discharge storage portion 151 from a plurality of branch points.

[0091] Further, the discharge storage part 151 can be provided such that the height of the second inner wall 118 is lower than the height of the second outer wall 117. The discharge storage part 151 is provided such that the heat-exchanged cooling water W2 flowing through the accommodation space 115 flows in through a plurality of cooling water discharge openings 153.

[0092] The cooling water discharge part 150 can include a first discharge port 155 provided on the second outer wall 117 so as to be fluidly movable with the discharge storage part 151, and a first discharge pipe 161 provided so as to be connectable to the first discharge port 155 and through which the cooling water discharged from the first discharge port 155 flows. The first discharge pipe 161 can be detachably attached to the first discharge port 155.

[0093] The first discharge port 155 can be provided on the second outer wall 117 so as to be fluidly movable with the discharge storage part 151. The first discharge port 155 can be sealed to the second outer wall 117 of the lower case 111 by a sealing member. It is for preventing leakage of the cooling water W1 through the gap between the first discharge port 155 and the second outer wall 117, and an O-ring can be used as the sealing member.

[0094] The first discharge pipe 161 can be detachably attached to the first discharge port 155. The first discharge pipe 161 is a pipe through which the heat-exchanged cooling water W2 discharged from the first discharge port 155 flows outside the battery module 100.

[0095] The plurality of cooling water discharge openings 153 can be provided on the second inner wall 118 of the second wall part 116 so as to fluidly connect the discharge storage part 151 and the accommodation space 115. The plurality of cooling water discharge openings 153 are provided such that the cooling water W1 in the accommodation space 115 is discharged from the discharge storage part 151 through a plurality of branch points.

[0096] The plurality of cooling water discharge openings 153 are provided such that the size of the opening becomes larger as it moves away from the first discharge port 155 along the length direction L of the discharge storage part 151.

[0097] That is, a plurality of cooling water discharge openings 153 are provided at predetermined intervals along the discharge storage portion 151, and the size of the opening can be set larger as the distance from the discharge storage portion 151 increases.

[0098] In this document, the arrangement positions (orders) of the plurality of cooling water discharge openings 153 are classified and denoted by drawing numbers 153a, 153b, 153c, 153d, 153e, 153f, 153g, and 153h. For example, the plurality of cooling water discharge openings 153 can include a second a discharge opening 153a, a second b discharge opening 153b, a second c discharge opening 153c, a second d discharge opening 153d, a second e discharge opening 153e, a second f discharge opening 153f, a second g discharge opening 153g, and a second h discharge opening 153h.

[0099] The number of the plurality of cooling water discharge openings 153 is not limited to that shown in this specification.

[0100] The second a discharge opening 153a to the second h discharge opening 153h are arranged in a row at intervals along the length direction L of the discharge storage portion 151. The second a discharge opening 153a to the second h discharge opening 153h are each fluidly movably connected to the discharge storage portion 151.

[0101] The second a discharge opening 153a is the discharge opening closest to the first discharge port 155 side, and the second h discharge opening 153h is the discharge opening located farthest from the first discharge port 155 side.

[0102] The size of the plurality of cooling water discharge openings 153 increases from the second a discharge opening 153a to the second h discharge opening 153h. That is, the plurality of cooling water discharge openings 153 are provided such that the size of the discharge opening becomes smaller as it approaches the first discharge port 155. This is in consideration of the flow rate of the heat-exchanged cooling water W2, in order to ensure that the heat-exchanged cooling water W2 is discharged from the discharge storage portion 151 uniformly.

[0103] Further, a plurality of cooling water discharge openings 153 may be located at the upper end of the discharge storage portion 151 so that the cooling water in the accommodation space 115 is discharged from the discharge storage portion 151 after being stored up to a predetermined water level.

[0104] Further, the discharge storage portion 151 may include a discharge storage groove provided in the second wall portion 116.

[0105] The first discharge port 155 is connected to the lower part of the discharge storage groove, and a plurality of cooling water discharge openings 153 may be located at the upper part of the discharge storage groove.

[0106] The inflow storage portion 131 is provided in the first wall portion 112 of the case portion 110, and the discharge storage portion 151 is provided in the second wall portion 116. As a result, the cooling water branches into a plurality of parts inside the first wall portion 112 and flows into the accommodation space 115, and can branch into a plurality of parts and be discharged from the accommodation space 115.

[0107] Referring to FIG. 5, the cooling water W1 flows into the accommodation space 115 along the cooling water inflow portion 130. Specifically, the cooling water W1 flows into the inflow storage portion 131 through the first inflow port 135. The cooling water W1 flows along the inflow storage portion 131 and branches into a plurality of parts through the respective cooling water inflow openings 133 and flows into the accommodation space 115.

[0108] The cooling water W1 exchanges heat with a plurality of battery cells 120 while flowing through the accommodation space 115.

[0109] The cooling water W2 that has undergone heat exchange in the accommodation space 115 is discharged from the accommodation space 115 along the cooling water discharge portion 150. Specifically, the heat-exchanged cooling water W2 flows into the discharge storage portion 151 through the respective cooling water discharge openings 153. The heat-exchanged cooling water W2 flows along the discharge storage portion 151 and is discharged to the outside of the case portion 110 through the first discharge port 155.

[0110] In this way, the cooling water W1 can flow into and out of the entire area of the accommodation space 115 uniformly inside the battery module 100.

[0111] FIG. 6 is a drawing for explaining the flow of the cooling water of the battery module related to the second embodiment of the present invention.

[0112] Referring to FIG. 6, the battery module 100a according to the second embodiment includes a case portion 110, a cooling water inlet portion 130a, and a cooling water discharge portion 150a.

[0113] The case portion 110 according to the present embodiment has the same structure as the case portion 110 of the first embodiment described above. Specifically, the inflow storage portion 131 provided in the first wall portion 112, the plurality of cooling water inlet openings 133, the discharge storage portion 151 provided in the second wall portion 116, and the plurality of cooling water discharge openings 153 are the same as those of the first embodiment described above.

[0114] In the second embodiment, the cooling water inlet portion 130a can include a second inlet port 137 provided on the first outer wall 113 so as to be separated from the first inlet port 135 and fluidly movable with the inflow storage portion 131, and a second inlet pipe 142 provided so as to be connectable to the second inlet port 137 and supplying the cooling water at the second inlet port 137.

[0115] Also, in the second embodiment, the cooling water discharge portion 130b can include a second discharge port 157 provided on the second outer wall 117 so as to be separated from the first discharge port 155 and fluidly movable with the discharge storage portion 151, and a second discharge pipe 162 provided so as to be connectable to the second discharge port 157 and through which the cooling water discharged at the second discharge port 157 flows.

[0116] However, compared with the cooling water inlet 130 of the first embodiment described above, the cooling water inlet 130a according to this embodiment is different in that it further includes a second inlet port 137. The second inlet port 137 is spaced apart from the first inlet port 135 in the longitudinal direction of the inlet storage portion 131. A second inlet pipe 142 can be detachably coupled to the second inlet port 137.

[0117] Also, when the second inlet port 137 is additionally provided, when the battery module becomes larger, the inlet storage portion 131 can be divided into a plurality of regions (for example, two regions) to facilitate the inflow of the cooling water W1 into the corresponding regions. At this time, the sizes of the plurality of cooling water inlet openings 133 may be provided to be the same.

[0118] Compared with the cooling water discharge portion 150 of the first embodiment described above, the cooling water discharge portion 150a according to this embodiment additionally includes a second discharge port 157.

[0119] The second discharge port 157 is spaced apart from the first discharge port 155 in the longitudinal direction of the discharge storage portion 151. A second discharge pipe 162 can be detachably coupled to the second discharge port 157.

[0120] When the second discharge port 157 is additionally provided, when the battery module becomes larger, the discharge storage portion 151 can be divided into at least two regions to facilitate the discharge of the heat-exchanged cooling water W2.

[0121] In the second embodiment, the flows of the cooling water W1 and the heat-exchanged cooling water W2 are as follows.

[0122] The cooling water W1 flows into the inlet storage portion 131 through the first inlet port 135 and the second inlet port 137, respectively. While flowing along the inlet storage portion 131, the cooling water W1 branches into a plurality of streams through the respective cooling water inlet openings 133 and flows into the accommodation space 115.

[0123] Also, the cooling water W1 is heat-exchanged with the battery cell 120 while flowing through the accommodation space 115.

[0124] The heat-exchanged cooling water W2 flows into the discharge storage unit 151 through the respective cooling water discharge openings 153. The heat-exchanged cooling water W2 is discharged from the case unit 110 through the first discharge port 155 and the second discharge port 157 while flowing along the discharge storage unit 151.

[0125] The preferred embodiments of the present invention described above are disclosed for illustrative purposes, and those of ordinary skill in the art who have knowledge of the present invention can make various modifications, changes, and additions within the spirit and scope of the present invention, and such modifications, changes, and additions should be regarded as belonging to the following claims.

Industrial Applicability

[0126] According to the battery module related to an embodiment of the present invention, the cooling water can be uniformly diffused, and a branched cooling flow path for the cooling water can be provided in the battery module itself.

Explanation of Reference Numerals

[0127] 100 Battery module 110 Case unit 120 Battery cell 130 Cooling water inlet

Claims

1. A battery cell, a housing space in which the battery cell is housed, and a case portion having a first wall portion and a second wall portion surrounding the housing space respectively, a cooling water inflow portion having an inflow storage portion for storing the cooling water flowing into the inside of the first wall portion, and provided such that the cooling water in the inflow storage portion flows into the housing space through a plurality of branch points, A battery module comprising:

2. The first wall portion includes a first inner wall surrounding the housing space, and a first outer wall provided so as to surround the first inner wall, Including, The inflow storage portion is provided between the first outer wall and the first inner wall, The cooling water inflow portion is provided on the first inner wall, and includes a plurality of cooling water inflow openings for guiding the flow of the cooling water so that the cooling water stored in the inflow storage portion flows into the housing space from the plurality of branch points. The battery module according to claim 1.

3. The cooling water inflow portion, A first inflow port provided on the first outer wall and through which the cooling water flows into the inflow storage portion, A first inflow pipe provided so as to be connectable to the first inflow port and providing the cooling water to the first inflow port, The battery module according to claim 2, further comprising:

4. The plurality of cooling water inflow openings are provided at predetermined intervals along the inflow storage portion, and the size of the openings is provided to be larger as it is farther from the first inflow port. The battery module according to claim 3.

5. The plurality of cooling water inflow openings are located at the upper end portion of the inflow storage portion so that the cooling water flows into the housing space after being stored in the inflow storage portion up to a predetermined water level. The battery module according to claim 2.

6. The inflow storage portion includes an inflow storage groove provided in the first wall portion, The first inflow port is connected to the lower portion of the inflow storage groove, and the plurality of cooling water inflow openings are located at the upper portion of the inflow storage groove. The battery module according to claim 3.

7. The case portion, A lower case including the first wall portion having the housing space and the inflow storage portion, An upper case attached to the lower case so as to cover the housing space and the inflow storage portion, Including, The plurality of cooling water inflow openings are located between the upper case and the first inner wall. The battery module according to claim 2.

8. The cooling water inflow portion, A second inflow port that is separated from the first inflow port and is provided on the first outer wall so as to be fluidly movable with the inflow storage section, A second inflow pipe that is provided so as to be connectable to the second inflow port and supplies the cooling water to the second inflow port, The battery module according to claim 3, further comprising:

9. The case portion further includes a cooling water discharge portion provided on a second wall portion of the case portion so that the cooling water in the accommodation space is discharged from the accommodation space through a plurality of the branch points, The second wall portion is A second inner wall that is disposed so as to face the first inner wall of the case portion and surrounds the accommodation space, and a second outer wall that is provided so as to surround the second inner wall, The battery module according to claim 2, comprising:

10. The cooling water discharge portion is A discharge storage portion provided between the second outer wall and the second inner wall, A plurality of cooling water discharge openings provided on the second inner wall to guide the flow of the cooling water so that the cooling water in the accommodation space flows into the discharge storage portion from a plurality of the branch points, The battery module according to claim 9, comprising:

11. The cooling water discharge portion is A first discharge port provided on the second outer wall so as to be fluidly movable with the discharge storage portion, A first discharge pipe that is provided so as to be connectable to the first discharge port and through which the cooling water discharged from the first discharge port flows, The battery module according to claim 10, further comprising:

12. The plurality of cooling water discharge openings are provided at predetermined intervals along the discharge storage portion, and the size of the openings is provided to be larger as it is farther from the first discharge port. The battery module according to claim 11.

13. The plurality of cooling water discharge openings are located at an upper end portion of the discharge storage portion so that the cooling water in the accommodation space is discharged from the discharge storage portion after being stored to a predetermined water level. The battery module according to claim 10.

14. The discharge storage portion includes a discharge storage groove provided in the second wall portion, The first discharge port is connected to a lower portion of the discharge storage groove, The plurality of cooling water discharge openings are located at an upper portion of the discharge storage groove. The battery module according to claim 11.

15. The cooling water discharge portion is A second discharge port that is separated from the first discharge port and is provided on the second outer wall so as to be fluidly movable with the discharge storage portion, A second discharge pipe provided so as to be connectable to the second discharge port and through which the cooling water discharged from the second discharge port flows; The battery module according to claim 11, further comprising.

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