Battery unit structure and automobile including same

Abstract

The present invention discloses a battery unit structure that is configured so that even if an existing vent hole becomes clogged, the vent area expands due to rupture caused by an increase in internal pressure, allowing gas to be discharged and preventing the emission of materials and flames. The battery unit structure according to one aspect of the present invention includes: a battery cell; a battery housing including an accommodation space that accommodates the battery cell therein and a vent portion configured on at least one side to discharge gas generated from the battery cell; and a battery cover configured to cover the battery cell; wherein the vent portion may include an exhaust portion including a vent hole configured to discharge the gas and a rupture portion configured to rupture when the internal pressure of the accommodation space reaches a certain pressure or higher; and a mesh portion positioned to face the accommodation space across the exhaust portion.

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a battery unit structure and a vehicle including the same, and more particularly to a battery unit structure and a vehicle including the same that are configured so that even if the mesh part is clogged with substances (e.g., spark substances including metals and active materials that constitute the electrodes) generated by events such as thermal runaway, the vent area expands due to rupture caused by an increase in internal pressure, allowing gas to be discharged while preventing the release of substances and flames.

[0002] This application claims priority based on Korean Patent Application No. 10-2023-0020357, filed on February 15, 2023, the entire contents of which are incorporated herein by reference in their entirety in the specification and drawings thereof. [Background technology]

[0003] As demand for portable electronic products such as laptops, video cameras, and mobile phones rapidly increases and robots, electric vehicles, and other products are becoming more commercially viable, active research efforts are being made on high-performance secondary batteries that can be repeatedly charged and discharged.

[0004] Currently, commercially available secondary batteries include nickel-cadmium batteries, nickel-metal hydride batteries, nickel-zinc batteries, and lithium secondary batteries. Among these, lithium secondary batteries are attracting attention due to their advantages of being able to be freely charged and discharged since they have almost no memory effect compared to nickel-based secondary batteries, as well as their extremely low self-discharge rate and high energy density.

[0005] Such lithium secondary batteries primarily use lithium-based oxides and carbon materials as the positive and negative electrode active materials, respectively, and include an electrode assembly in which a separator is sandwiched between positive and negative electrode plates coated with the positive and negative electrode active materials, and an exterior material, such as a battery case, that encloses the electrode assembly together with an electrolyte.

[0006] Generally, lithium secondary batteries are classified into can-type secondary batteries in which an electrode assembly is housed in a metal can and pouch-type secondary batteries in which an electrode assembly is housed in a pouch made of an aluminum laminate sheet, depending on the shape of the exterior material.

[0007] In recent years, secondary batteries have been widely used for driving and storing energy not only in small devices such as portable electronic devices but also in medium- to large-sized devices such as electric vehicles and energy storage systems (ESS). A plurality of such secondary batteries may be electrically connected and housed together inside a module case to form a single battery module, or such battery modules and / or battery cells may be electrically reconnected in a small space to form a battery pack in order to increase energy density.

[0008] In recent years, secondary batteries have been widely used for driving and storing energy not only in small devices such as portable electronic devices but also in medium- to large-sized devices such as electric vehicles and energy storage systems (ESS). A plurality of such secondary batteries may be electrically connected and housed together inside a module case to form a single battery module, or such battery modules and / or battery cells may be electrically reconnected in a small space to form a battery pack in order to increase energy density.

[0009] However, when multiple battery modules and / or battery cells are densely packed in a small space, they may be vulnerable to accidents such as fires and explosions. Therefore, conventional battery unit structures such as battery modules or battery packs have been equipped with vent holes for discharging gases in the event of an internal thermal runaway or other event, and mesh members for preventing the discharge of materials such as spark materials containing metals and active materials that constitute the electrodes.

[0010] However, if an event such as thermal runaway occurs, the generated material can clog the vent holes and mesh members, causing excessive internal pressure and potentially causing a fire or explosion in the battery unit. Therefore, there is currently a need to develop a new battery unit structure to solve these problems. Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0011] The present invention has been invented to solve the above-mentioned problems, and aims to provide a battery unit structure that is configured so that even if an existing vent hole becomes clogged with gas and substances generated by an event such as thermal runaway, the vent area expands due to rupture caused by an increase in internal pressure, allowing gas to be discharged while preventing the escape of substances and flames.

[0012] However, the technical problems that the present invention aims to solve are not limited to the above-mentioned problems, and other problems not mentioned will be clearly understood by those skilled in the art from the description of the invention given below. [Means for solving the problem]

[0013] To achieve the above object, according to one aspect of the present invention, a battery unit structure includes: a battery cell; a battery housing having an accommodation space that accommodates the battery cell therein and a vent portion configured on at least one side to discharge gas generated in the battery cell; and a battery cover configured to cover the battery cell; wherein the vent portion may include an exhaust portion having a vent hole configured to discharge the gas and a rupture portion configured to rupture when the internal pressure of the accommodation space reaches or exceeds a certain pressure; and a mesh portion positioned to face the accommodation space across the exhaust portion.

[0014] The vent hole may be configured to overlap a portion of the mesh portion.

[0015] The break portion may be configured to overlap a portion of the mesh portion.

[0016] The mesh portion is The battery cell may be configured to discharge gas among materials generated when the battery cell is vented, but not discharge spark materials including metals and active materials constituting the electrodes.

[0017] The break may be located adjacent to the vent hole.

[0018] The breakable portion may comprise a plurality of weakened portions configured to be weaker than the surrounding area.

[0019] The plurality of weakened portions may be formed along at least one straight line having a certain length.

[0020] The plurality of weakened portions may be formed at regular intervals from one another.

[0021] The vent portion may include a guide portion configured to guide the gas from the vent hole to the mesh portion.

[0022] The guide portion may protrude along the periphery of the vent hole toward the mesh portion.

[0023] In order to achieve the above object, a vehicle according to an embodiment of the present invention includes a battery unit structure according to the present invention. [Effects of the Invention]

[0024] According to one aspect of the present invention, the battery unit structure is not designed with a large vent area from the beginning, but is designed so that the vent area expands when the mesh part breaks if it becomes clogged, thereby minimizing oxygen inflow and ensuring ease of gas discharge.

[0025] According to another aspect of the present invention, even if the mesh member is clogged with spark material that may be generated along with the gas during venting, the vent area expands due to rupture, allowing the gas to be continuously and smoothly discharged, thereby preventing the escape of spark material and / or flames.

[0026] However, the technical problems that the present invention aims to solve are not limited to the above-mentioned problems, and other problems not mentioned will be clearly understood by those skilled in the art from the description of the invention given below.

[0027] However, the effects of the present invention are not limited to the effects described above, and other effects not mentioned will be clearly understood by those skilled in the art from the description of the invention described below.

[0028] The drawings attached to this specification illustrate preferred embodiments of the present invention and serve to further understand the technical concepts 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 explanation of the drawings]

[0029] [Figure 1] 1 is a perspective view showing the appearance of a battery unit structure according to the present invention; [Figure 2] 1 is an exploded perspective view showing a battery unit structure according to the present invention; [Figure 3] 1 is a view showing a battery housing included in a battery unit structure according to the present invention; [Figure 4] FIG. 2 is a front view of a battery housing included in the battery unit structure according to the present invention. [Figure 5] FIG. 2 is a front view of a battery housing included in the battery unit structure according to the present invention. [Figure 6] FIG. 2 is a front view of a battery housing included in the battery unit structure according to the present invention. [Figure 7]FIG. 2 is a front view of a battery housing included in the battery unit structure according to the present invention. [Figure 8] 1 is a view showing a battery housing included in a battery unit structure according to the present invention; [Figure 9] 9 is a diagram schematically illustrating an exemplary form of a cross section taken along line AA' in FIG. 8. FIG. [Figure 10] 1 shows a motor vehicle according to the invention; DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0030] Hereinafter, preferred embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. The drawings attached to this specification illustrate preferred embodiments of the present invention and, together with the detailed description of the invention, serve to further understand the technical concepts of the present invention. Therefore, the present invention should not be interpreted as being limited to only the matters shown in the drawings. The same reference numerals refer to the same components. Furthermore, in the drawings, the thickness, ratio, and dimensions of components may be exaggerated to effectively explain the technical content.

[0031] 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 having meanings and concepts corresponding to the technical ideas of the present invention, in accordance with the principle that the inventor can appropriately define the concepts of terms himself / herself in order to best explain the invention.

[0032] In this specification, directional terms such as up, down, left, right, front, and rear 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 differ depending on the position of the object in question, the position of the observer, etc.

[0033] Therefore, it should be understood that the embodiments described in this specification and the configurations shown in the drawings are merely preferred embodiments of the present invention and do not represent the entire technical idea of the present invention, and that there may be various equivalents and modifications that can be substituted therefor at the time of this application.

[0034] Fig. 1 is a perspective view showing the appearance of a battery unit structure according to the present invention, Fig. 2 is an exploded perspective view showing a battery unit structure according to the present invention, and Fig. 3 is a view showing a battery housing included in the battery unit structure according to the present invention.

[0035] 1 to 3, a battery unit structure 2 according to the present invention may include a battery cell 10, a battery housing 20, and a battery cover 30.

[0036] There may be a plurality of battery cells 10. The battery cell 10 may refer to a secondary battery. The battery cell 10 may include an electrode assembly, an electrolyte, a battery case that houses the electrode assembly and the electrolyte, and a pair of electrode leads that are connected to the electrode assembly and extend to the outside of the battery case. The battery cell 10 may be, for example, a pouch-type secondary battery. However, other forms of secondary batteries, such as cylindrical batteries and prismatic batteries, may also be employed as the battery cell 10 of the present invention.

[0037] The battery housing 20 may include an accommodating space 21 and a vent portion 22. The accommodating space 21 may be configured to accommodate the battery cells 10 therein. The vent portion 22 may be provided on at least one side of the battery housing 20. The vent portion 22 may be configured to exhaust gas generated from the battery cells 10 to the outside of the battery housing 20. The vent portion 22 may be provided at a position where exhaust of gas generated inside the battery unit structure 2 is desired. There may be multiple vent portions 22.

[0038] The battery cover 30 may be configured to cover the battery cells 10. The battery cover 30 may have a plate shape. The battery cover 30 may be configured to be coupled to the battery housing 20 to cover the battery cells 10. The battery cover 30 may be configured to be coupled to the battery housing 20 to cover the accommodation space 21. The coupling may be by bolt coupling or welding.

[0039] 4 and 5 are front views of a battery housing included in a battery unit structure according to the present invention.

[0040] 4 and 5, the vent portion 22 may include a vent portion 220 and a mesh portion 230.

[0041] The vent 220 may include a vent hole 221 and a break 222 .

[0042] The vent hole 221 may be configured to discharge gas. The vent hole 221 may have a simple hole shape penetrating the battery housing 20. However, the vent hole 221 is not limited to a completely open hole shape. The vent hole 221 may be configured to be closed under normal conditions but openable in response to changes in pressure, temperature, etc. For example, the vent hole 221 may be configured to open and close in response to gas pressure generated inside the battery housing 20 by using a one-way valve.

[0043] The rupture portion 222 may be configured to rupture when the internal pressure of the storage space 21 reaches or exceeds a certain pressure. The rupture portion 222 may be configured to have lower strength than the surrounding area. The rupture portion 222 may refer to a specific area configured to have lower strength than the surrounding area.

[0044] The mesh portion 230 may face the accommodating space 21 across the discharge portion 220. The mesh portion 230 may be provided on the outermost side of the battery housing 20. The mesh portion 230 may be mesh members provided in the areas corresponding to the vent holes 221 and the breakage portions 222. The mesh portion 230 may be configured to cover the entire areas corresponding to the vent holes 221 and the breakage portions 222. The mesh portion 230 may have a plate shape disposed to face the discharge portion 220. The mesh portion 230 may be a member provided separately from the discharge portion 220. The mesh portion 230 may include mesh members located in the areas corresponding to the vent holes 221 and the breakage portions 222. A certain space may be formed between the mesh portion 230 and the vent hole 221.

[0045] The mesh portion 230 may be configured to discharge gas among materials generated when the battery cell 10 is vented, but to prevent discharge of spark materials including metals and active materials constituting the electrodes. The mesh portion 230 may be a mesh net configured in a dense lattice pattern.

[0046] Vent hole 221 may be configured to overlap a portion of mesh portion 230. Vent hole 221 may be entirely covered by mesh portion 230. Of the entire area of mesh portion 230, at least a portion of the remaining area other than the area overlapping with vent hole 221 may be configured to overlap with break portion 222.

[0047] Breaking portion 222 may be configured to overlap a portion of mesh portion 230. Breaking portion 222 may be entirely covered by mesh portion 230. Of the entire area of mesh portion 230, at least a portion of the remaining area other than the area overlapping with breaking portion 222 may be configured to overlap vent hole 221.

[0048] The above-described battery unit structure 2 according to the present invention may be a battery module. The battery module may include, for example, a cell assembly including a plurality of battery cells 10 electrically connected to each other, and a module housing that houses the cell assembly. However, the battery unit structure 2 according to the present invention is not limited thereto. The battery unit structure 2 may be a battery pack. Such a battery pack may include a plurality of battery modules, or may be a battery pack manufactured by a cell-to-pack process without undergoing a battery module manufacturing process. That is, the vent portion 22 according to the present invention may be provided in the battery module housing and / or the pack housing.

[0049] If the vent hole 221 provided in the battery module housing and / or the battery pack housing is designed to be wide from the beginning, including the area corresponding to the rupture portion 222, it will be easier to discharge gas, but on the other hand, it will be easier for oxygen to enter from the outside, increasing the risk of fire.

[0050] However, with this configuration of the present invention, it is possible not to design the vent area to be too wide in the first place. The above problem can be solved by designing the vent area so that it expands when the rupture portion 222 breaks if the mesh portion 230 becomes clogged. Furthermore, if a thermal runaway or other event occurs and gas and spark material, including metals and active materials constituting the electrodes, are generated inside the battery unit structure 2, even if the mesh portion 230 is clogged with spark material that may be generated along with the gas, the rupture of the rupture portion 222 expands the vent area, allowing the gas to be smoothly and continuously discharged and preventing the release of spark material and / or flames.

[0051] 5, the rupture portion 222 may be disposed adjacent to the vent hole 221. With such a configuration, if the mesh portion 230 becomes clogged, the rupture of the rupture portion 222 may be more easily promoted by gas flowing toward the vent hole 221.

[0052] 6 and 7 are front views of a battery housing included in a battery unit structure according to the present invention.

[0053] 6 and 7, the breakaway portion 222 may comprise a plurality of weakened portions 222a).

[0054] The multiple weakened portions 222a may be configured to have lower strength than the surrounding areas. The multiple weakened portions 222a may be regions formed by grooves having a predetermined length, and therefore may be regions having a thinner thickness than the surrounding areas. The multiple weakened portions 222a may be formed along at least one straight line having a constant length. Referring to FIG. 6, the multiple weakened portions 222a may be formed along a straight line having a constant length in the X-axis direction. The multiple weakened portions 222a may be formed at regular intervals from one another. Alternatively, the multiple weakened portions 222a may be formed continuously without being spaced apart from one another.

[0055] In other embodiments, the multiple fragile portions 222a may be formed to form a substantially closed loop shape rather than a substantially linear shape as described above. In this case, when the fragile portions 222a are broken along the multiple fragile portions 222a, a vent hole may be provided for each area corresponding to the multiple fragile portions 222a, potentially expanding the vent area. However, as shown in FIG. 7 , when the broken portion 222 is configured to connect to the vent hole 221, the multiple fragile portions 222a may not form a complete closed loop. In this case, when the fragile portions 222a are broken along the multiple fragile portions 222a, the area corresponding to the multiple fragile portions 222a may connect to the vent hole 221, potentially expanding the size of the vent hole.

[0056] According to this configuration of the present invention, breakage is likely to occur along the multiple fragile portions 222a. Furthermore, the battery unit structure 2 can be designed so that the vent area expands in a desired shape according to the arrangement positions and shapes of the multiple fragile portions 222a.

[0057] Fig. 8 is a view showing a battery housing 20 included in a battery unit structure 2 according to the present invention. Fig. 9 is a view schematically showing an exemplary form of a cross section taken along line A-A' in Fig. 8.

[0058] 8 and 9, the vent portion 22 may include a guide portion 223.

[0059] Guide portion 223 may be configured to guide gas from vent hole 221 to mesh portion 230. Guide portion 223 may protrude along the periphery of vent hole 221 toward mesh portion 230. Guide portion 223 may extend from the outer end of vent hole 221 toward mesh portion 230 (toward the positive direction of the Y-axis) up to mesh portion 230.

[0060] According to this configuration of the present invention, guide portion 223 guides the flow of gas from vent hole 221 to mesh portion 230, making it possible to easily discharge the gas.

[0061] FIG. 10 shows a vehicle 1 according to the invention.

[0062] Referring to Fig. 10, an automobile 1 may include a battery unit structure 2. The automobile 1 may be a hybrid automobile 1 or an electric automobile 1. In addition to the battery unit structure 2, the automobile 1 according to the present invention may further include various other components included in the automobile 1. For example, in addition to the battery unit structure 2 according to the present invention, the automobile 1 according to the present invention may further include a vehicle body, a motor, a control device such as an electronic control unit (ECU), and the like.

[0063] While the present invention has been described above with reference to the accompanying drawings focusing on preferred embodiments, it will be apparent to those skilled in the art that many different and obvious modifications can be made from such description without departing from the scope of the present invention. Therefore, the scope of the present invention should be construed by the claims which are written to include such many modified embodiments. [Explanation of symbols]

[0064] 1. Automobiles 2 Battery unit structure 10 battery cells 20 Battery Housing 21 Containment Space 22 Vent section 30 Battery Cover 220 Discharge section 221 Vent hole 222 Breaking part 222a Multiple weak points 223 Guide section 230 mesh section

Claims

1. Battery cells, a battery housing including an accommodating space for accommodating the battery cell therein and a vent portion configured to exhaust gas generated in the battery cell on at least one side thereof; a battery cover configured to cover the battery cell; Including, The vent portion is a discharge section including a vent hole configured to discharge the gas and a rupture section configured to rupture when the internal pressure of the storage space reaches a certain pressure or higher; a mesh portion positioned to face the storage space across the discharge portion; a battery unit structure including:

2. The vent hole is The battery unit structure according to claim 1 , configured to overlap a part of the mesh portion.

3. The breaking portion is The battery unit structure according to claim 1 , configured to overlap a part of the mesh portion.

4. The mesh portion is The battery unit structure according to claim 1 , wherein, among the materials generated when the battery cell is vented, gas is discharged, but spark materials including metals and active materials constituting the electrodes cannot be discharged.

5. The breaking portion is The battery unit structure according to claim 1 , wherein the battery unit structure is located adjacent to the vent hole.

6. The breaking portion is The battery unit structure according to claim 1 , comprising a plurality of weak parts configured to have a strength lower than that of the surrounding area.

7. The plurality of fragile portions are The battery unit structure according to claim 6, which is formed along at least one straight line having a certain length.

8. The plurality of fragile portions are The battery unit structure according to claim 6, wherein the battery units are formed at regular intervals from one another.

9. The vent portion is The battery unit structure according to claim 1 , further comprising a guide portion configured to guide the gas from the vent hole to the mesh portion.

10. The guide portion is The battery unit structure according to claim 9 , wherein the vent hole protrudes in a direction toward the mesh portion along the periphery of the vent hole.

11. A motor vehicle comprising a battery unit structure according to any one of claims 1 to 10.

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