Battery module, battery pack including same, and automobile

Abstract

According to one aspect of the present invention, there is provided a battery module including a plurality of battery cells and a cooling tube provided between the plurality of battery cells and having a cell attachment surface to be attached to the plurality of battery cells, wherein a cooling channel through which a cooling medium flows for cooling the plurality of battery cells is formed inside the cooling tube, and the cell attachment surface is provided as a flat surface and is in close contact with outer surfaces of the plurality of battery cells.

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a battery module, a battery pack including the same, and a vehicle, and more particularly to a battery module with improved cooling efficiency, a battery pack including the same, and a vehicle.

[0002] This application claims priority based on Korean Patent Application No. 10-2022-0178314 filed on December 19, 2022, Korean Patent Application No. 10-2023-0117974 filed on September 5, 2023, and Korean Patent Application No. 10-2023-0174952 filed on December 5, 2023, and the contents disclosed in the specifications and drawings of those applications are incorporated into this application in their entirety. [Background technology]

[0003] Secondary batteries, which are easily applicable to various products and have electrical properties such as high energy density, are widely used not only in portable devices but also in electric vehicles (EVs) and hybrid electric vehicles (HEVs) that are driven by electrical sources. These secondary batteries are attracting attention as a new energy source that is environmentally friendly and improves energy efficiency because they do not produce any by-products associated with energy use, in addition to their primary advantage of dramatically reducing the use of fossil fuels.

[0004] Currently, widely used types of secondary batteries include lithium-ion batteries, lithium polymer batteries, nickel-cadmium batteries, nickel-metal hydride batteries, and nickel-zinc batteries. The operating voltage of such unit secondary battery cells, i.e., unit battery cells, is approximately 2.5V to 4.5V. Therefore, if a higher output voltage is required, a battery pack can be configured by connecting multiple battery cells in series. Alternatively, a battery pack can be configured by connecting multiple battery cells in parallel depending on the required charge / discharge capacity of the battery pack. Therefore, the number of battery cells included in the battery pack can be variously set depending on the required output voltage and / or charge / discharge capacity.

[0005] Meanwhile, when a battery pack is constructed by connecting a plurality of battery cells in series / parallel, a battery module including at least one battery cell is first constructed, and then other components are added to the at least one battery module to construct the battery pack.

[0006] In conventional battery modules, cooling tubes are provided between battery cells to cool them. For such cooling tubes, it is important to ensure heat transfer performance and minimize pressure loss to improve cooling efficiency.

[0007] Therefore, there is a need for a solution to provide a battery module having a cooling tube that can ensure heat transfer performance and minimize pressure loss. Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0008] An object of the present invention is to provide a battery module having cooling tubes that can ensure heat transfer performance and minimize pressure loss, and a battery pack and automobile including the same.

[0009] 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 following description of the invention. [Means for solving the problem]

[0010] In order to achieve the above object, the present invention provides a battery module including a plurality of battery cells and a cooling tube provided between the plurality of battery cells and having a cell attachment surface attached to the plurality of battery cells, wherein a cooling channel is formed inside the cooling tube through which a cooling medium flows to cool the plurality of battery cells, and the cell attachment surface is provided as a flat surface and is in close contact with outer surfaces of the plurality of battery cells.

[0011] Preferably, the cooling tube is formed such that convex portions and concave portions are alternately formed by applying pressure during manufacturing of the cooling tube, and the cooling channels may be provided in a predetermined number such that deformation of the flat surface does not occur when the pressure is applied.

[0012] Preferably, the cooling channel has a length of 5.6 mm to 6.1 mm in the height direction of the cooling tube.

[0013] Preferably, the cooling channel has a length of 6.08 mm in the height direction of the cooling tube.

[0014] Preferably, the cooling channel includes an inlet channel that guides the cooling medium supplied from an external cooling device, and an outlet channel that communicates with the inlet channel and guides the cooling medium flowing in the inlet channel to the external cooling device, and the outlet channel may be provided above the inlet channel in the height direction of the cooling tube.

[0015] Preferably, the cooling channels may be provided in a number of ten, and may be spaced apart from each other by a predetermined distance along the height direction of the cooling tube.

[0016] Preferably, five inlet channels and five outlet channels are provided, and each inlet channel and each outlet channel may be spaced apart at a predetermined interval in the height direction of the cooling tube.

[0017] Preferably, the predetermined interval may be 0.3 mm to 0.9 mm in the height direction of the cooling tube.

[0018] Preferably, the predetermined interval is 0.34 mm in the height direction of the cooling tube.

[0019] Preferably, the cooling channel has rounded ends in the height direction of the cooling tube.

[0020] Preferably, the cooling tube may be provided on the opposite side of the cell-attached surface and may have a cell-unattached surface that does not contact the outer surface of the battery cell.

[0021] Preferably, the cell-non-attached surface can be provided as a non-flat surface that deforms more than the flat surface of the cell-attached surface.

[0022] Preferably, the flat surfaces and the non-flat surfaces may be alternately formed along the longitudinal direction of the cooling tube on one side or the other side of the cooling tube.

[0023] Preferably, the flat and non-flat surfaces may be formed in a zigzag pattern along the longitudinal direction of the cooling tube with respect to both surfaces of the cooling tube.

[0024] The present invention also provides a battery pack, comprising: at least one battery module according to the above-described aspect; and a pack case accommodating the at least one battery module.

[0025] The present invention also provides a motor vehicle, characterized in that it includes at least one battery pack according to the above-described aspect. [Effects of the Invention]

[0026] According to the various embodiments described above, it is possible to provide a battery module having a cooling tube capable of ensuring heat transfer performance and minimizing pressure loss, a battery pack including the same, and a vehicle.

[0027] In addition, various additional effects may be achieved by various embodiments of the present invention. Such various effects of the present invention will be described in detail in each embodiment, and descriptions of effects that can be easily understood by those skilled in the art will be omitted.

[0028] The following 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 concept of the present invention, so the present invention should not be interpreted as being limited to the matters described in the drawings. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0029] [Figure 1] 1 is a schematic diagram illustrating a battery module according to an embodiment of the present invention; [Figure 2] 4A and 4B are diagrams illustrating a cooling tube according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 3] FIG. 2 is a front view of a cooling tube according to one embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 4] FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional side view of a cooling tube according to one embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 5]1A to 1C are diagrams illustrating a manufacturing process of a cooling tube by a pressing process according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 6] 10A to 10C are diagrams illustrating cross sections of cooling channels after a pressing process according to the number of cooling channels of a cooling tube according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 7] 10 is a diagram illustrating a differential pressure per unit length according to the number of cooling channels of a cooling tube according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 8] 10 is a diagram illustrating a differential pressure per unit length according to the number of cooling channels of a cooling tube according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 9] 10 is a diagram illustrating an expected differential pressure depending on the configuration of a battery module according to an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. [Figure 10] 10 is a diagram illustrating an expected differential pressure depending on the configuration of a battery module according to an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. [Figure 11] 3 is a schematic diagram illustrating a cooling channel of a cooling tube according to an embodiment of the present invention; FIG. [Figure 12] 12 is a diagram for explaining the number and shape information of the cooling channels of the cooling tube of FIG. 11. FIG. [Figure 13] 10A and 10B are diagrams illustrating simulation results according to the number and shape of cooling channels according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 14] FIG. 14 is a diagram for explaining an influence analysis based on the simulation results of FIG. 13. [Figure 15] 3 is a schematic plan view of a battery module illustrating the arrangement of cooling tubes of the battery module according to an embodiment of the present invention; FIG. [Figure 16] FIG. 16 is an enlarged view of part E in FIG. [Figure 17] 4 is a schematic cross-sectional side view of a battery module illustrating the arrangement of cooling tubes in the height direction of the battery module according to an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. [Figure 18] FIG. 18 is an enlarged view of part F in FIG. [Figure 19] 10A and 10B are diagrams illustrating contact between a cooling tube and a battery cell when deformation occurs in a cooling channel of the cooling tube according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 20] 10A and 10B are diagrams illustrating contact between a cooling tube and a battery cell when deformation occurs in a cooling channel of the cooling tube according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 21] 1 is a diagram illustrating a battery pack according to an embodiment of the present invention; [Figure 22] 1 is a diagram illustrating a vehicle according to an embodiment of the present 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. Prior to this, the terms and words used in the 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 inventors themselves can appropriately define the concepts of terms in order to best explain the invention.

[0031] Therefore, it should be understood that the embodiments described in this specification and the configurations shown in the drawings are merely the most preferred embodiment of the present invention and do not represent the entire technical idea of ​​the present invention, and that there may be various equivalents and modifications that can be substituted for them at the time of this application.

[0032] Although terms indicating directions such as up, down, left, right, front, and back are used in this specification, it will be obvious to those skilled in the art that these terms indicate relative positions and are used only for convenience of explanation, and may vary depending on the position of the object in question, the position of the observer, etc.

[0033] FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram illustrating a battery module according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0034] Referring to FIG. 1 , a battery module 10 may include battery cells 100 and cooling tubes 200 .

[0035] The battery cell 100 may be provided in a plurality of types. The plurality of battery cells 100 may be secondary batteries, and may be cylindrical secondary batteries, pouch-type secondary batteries, or prismatic secondary batteries. Hereinafter, in one embodiment of the present invention, the description will be limited to the case where the plurality of battery cells 100 are cylindrical battery cells.

[0036] The cooling tubes 200 may be provided between the battery cells 100 and attached to the battery cells 100 to enhance cooling performance. Thus, the cooling tubes 200 may have cell attachment surfaces on their outer surfaces to be attached to the battery cells 100.

[0037] The cooling tube 200 may be formed with a cooling channel 250 (see FIG. 4 ), which will be described later, for the flow of a cooling medium. In one embodiment of the present invention, the cooling medium is a liquid and may be water. However, the cooling medium is not limited thereto, and may include one or more fluids capable of exchanging heat with the surrounding environment in addition to water. The cell attachment surface of the cooling channel 250 (see FIG. 4 ) may be flat to maximize the contact area with the battery cell 100.

[0038] The cooling tube 200 may be configured to have a curvature in the longitudinal direction (Y-axis direction) to enhance the cooling performance of the battery cell 100 provided as the cylindrical secondary battery. This is to further ensure a contact area between the cooling tube 200 and the outer surface 105 of the cylindrical battery cell 100, thereby enhancing the cooling performance. However, in the cooling channel 250 provided in the cooling tube 200, deformation such as a bent shape may occur at the cell attachment surface of the cooling tube 200 due to a pressing process, etc., which will be described later. If deformation such as bending occurs at the cell attachment surface that contacts the outer surface of the battery cell 100, the flatness of the cell attachment surface decreases, the degree of adhesion between the outer surface of the cooling tube 200 and the battery cell 100 decreases, and the contact area decreases. This reduces the heat transfer area, which may degrade the heat transfer performance of the cooling tube 200.

[0039] Such a bent shape due to deformation of the cooling channel 250 may occur during a press process for forming the curvature of the cooling tube 200, which will be described later.

[0040] In one embodiment of the present invention, since the cell attachment surface can be maintained as a flat surface even after the pressing process of the cooling tube 200, the risk of deformation of the cell attachment surface of the cooling tube 200 can be reduced, and the risk of uneven heat transfer occurring in the vicinity of the cell attachment surface within the cooling channel 250 can be significantly reduced. Therefore, in one embodiment of the present invention, the degree of adhesion of the cooling tube 200 to the battery cells 100 can be increased and the heat transfer area can be maximized, thereby preventing a decrease in the heat transfer performance of the cooling tube 200.

[0041] Hereinafter, the cooling tube 200 according to the embodiment of the present invention will be described in more detail, with reference to the shape of the cooling channel 250.

[0042] Figure 2 is a diagram for explaining a cooling tube according to one embodiment of the present invention, Figure 3 is a front view of a cooling tube according to one embodiment of the present invention, Figure 4 is a side cross-sectional view of a cooling tube according to one embodiment of the present invention, and Figure 5 is a diagram for explaining a manufacturing process of a cooling tube according to one embodiment of the present invention by a pressing process.

[0043] 2 to 5, the cooling tube 200 may be made of a material with high thermal conductivity, for example, aluminum.

[0044] The cooling tube 200 may be formed to a predetermined length and may have a curved shape in the longitudinal direction (Y-axis direction). The curved shape may be formed by alternately arranging convex portions and concave portions in the longitudinal direction (Y-axis direction). The alternately arranging convex portions and concave portions may mean that one concave portion is arranged between two convex portions and one convex portion is arranged between two concave portions. The plurality of battery cells 100 may be arranged in two rows across the cooling tube 200 in the longitudinal direction and attached to the convex portions and concave portions.

[0045] The cooling tube 200 may have such a curvature shape due to the pressure of the press device P during manufacturing of the cooling tube 200. That is, the cooling tube 200 may be manufactured such that convex portions and concave portions are alternately formed due to the pressure of the press device P.

[0046] The cooling channels 250 may be provided in a predetermined number so as not to cause deformation of the cooling channels 250 when pressurized. The number of the cooling channels 250 is an important design factor related to deformation of the cooling channels 250 when pressurized. Increasing the number of the cooling channels 250 in the cooling tube 200 can reduce deformation of the cooling channels 250 when pressurized. However, there is a problem in that increasing the number of the cooling channels 250 increases pressure loss in the cooling tube 200. If the pressure loss in the cooling tube 200 is large, it is necessary to increase the output of a pump for circulating the coolant toward the cooling channels 250, which increases power consumption and reduces the overall efficiency of the battery module 10.

[0047] Therefore, it is important that the number of cooling channels 250 in the cooling tube 200 is a predetermined number that reduces the pressure loss and prevents deformation of the cooling channels 250 during the pressing process. In one embodiment of the present invention, the cooling channels 250 may be ten in number and may be arranged at predetermined distances from each other along the height direction of the cooling tube 200.

[0048] Such cooling channels 250 may include an inlet channel 252 and an outlet channel 256 .

[0049] The inlet channel 252 may guide the cooling medium supplied from an external cooling device toward the cooling tube 200. The inlet channel 252 may be disposed in a lower portion of the cooling tube 200 in a height direction (Z-axis direction) of the cooling tube 200 with respect to a central axis of the cooling tube 200. The inlet channel 252 is formed elongated along a longitudinal direction (Y-axis direction) of the cooling tube 200, and may cause the cooling medium to flow in the longitudinal direction (Y-axis direction) at the lower portion of the cooling tube 200.

[0050] The inlet channels 252 may be provided in a predetermined number. In this embodiment, a plurality of the inlet channels 252 may be provided, specifically, five inlet channels 252. The number of the inlet channels 252 may be determined by taking into consideration both reducing pressure loss and preventing deformation during the pressing process. The plurality of inlet channels 252 may be disposed at predetermined distances from each other along the height direction (Z-axis direction) of the cooling tube 200.

[0051] The outlet channel 256 may be connected to the inlet channel 252 and may guide the cooling medium flowing through the inlet channel 252 to the external cooling device. The outlet channel 256 may be disposed at an upper portion of the cooling tube 200 in the height direction (Z-axis direction) with respect to the central axis of the cooling tube 200. Specifically, the outlet channel 256 may be disposed above the inlet channel 252 in the height direction (Z-axis direction) of the cooling tube 200. The outlet channel 256 may be formed elongated along the longitudinal direction (Y-axis direction) of the cooling tube 200 and may allow the cooling medium to flow along the longitudinal direction (Y-axis direction) at the upper portion of the cooling tube 200.

[0052] The outlet channels 256 may be provided in a predetermined number. In this embodiment, a plurality of the outlet channels 256 may be provided, specifically, five. The number of the outlet channels 256 may be determined in consideration of both reducing pressure loss and preventing deformation during the pressing process. The outlet channels 256 may be disposed at predetermined intervals along the height direction (Z-axis direction) of the cooling tube 200. As a result, each inlet channel 252 and each outlet channel 256 may be disposed at predetermined intervals along the height direction (Z-axis direction) of the cooling tube 200.

[0053] Meanwhile, the cooling medium may enter the inlet channel 252 from a port connected to an external cooling device of the cooling tube 200, flow along the length of the inlet channel 252, move from the opposite side of the port to the outlet channel 256, flow along the length of the outlet channel 256, and then move further to the external cooling device through the port. The flow path of the cooling medium may be substantially U-shaped.

[0054] Hereinafter, test results regarding deformation of the cooling channels 250 during the pressing process according to the number of cooling channels 250 of the cooling tube 200 will be described.

[0055] FIG. 6 is a diagram illustrating the cross-sectional state of the cooling channel after the pressing process according to the number of cooling channels of the cooling tube according to one embodiment of the present invention.

[0056] 1 to 5 together with FIG. 6, it can be seen that the maximum deformation of the cooling channels 250 decreases as the number of cooling channels 250 in the cooling tube 200 increases from Case #1 to Case #4. Specifically, in cases where a total of eight cooling channels 250 are provided (specifically, when four inlet channels and four outlet channels are provided), as in Cases #1 and #2, the maximum deformation of the cooling channels 250 is greater than in Cases #3 and #4, which have a greater number of cooling channels than Cases #1 and #2. Meanwhile, comparing Cases #1 and #2, it can be seen that even when the number of cooling channels 250 is the same, the maximum deformation differs depending on the spacing between the cooling channels 250.

[0057] Comparing Case #3 and Case #4, it can be seen that the maximum deformation of the cooling channels 250 is the same in Case #3 (a 12-cooling channel configuration with six inlet channels and six outlet channels) and Case #4 (a 16-cooling channel configuration with eight inlet channels and eight outlet channels). In this case, it is preferable to configure the cooling channels as in Case #3 rather than Case #4 to reduce pressure loss. In this way, the number of cooling channels 250 can be set to a predetermined number that reduces pressure loss without causing deformation.

[0058] In consideration of this, in the case of the cooling channel 250 according to an embodiment of the present invention, as described above, five inlet channels 252 and five outlet channels 256 may be provided, for a total of ten channels.

[0059] On the other hand, the deformation of the cooling channel was not significantly affected by the pressing speed during the pressing process. That is, the pressing speed during the pressing process had little effect on the flatness of the cell attachment surface of the cooling channel.

[0060] 7 and 8 are diagrams illustrating the differential pressure per unit length depending on the number of cooling channels of the cooling tube according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0061] Figures 7 and 8 show the results of differential pressure per unit length depending on the number of cooling channels in the cooling tube. It can be seen that the differential pressure per unit length increases as the flow rate increases, and that the differential pressure also increases as the number of cooling channels increases. The test results show that when the cooling channels are configured with 8 channels, the pressure loss increases by about 45% compared to when they are configured with 5 channels.

[0062] Meanwhile, in the tests, the number of channels in 5-channel, 6-channel, and 8-channel configurations may refer to the number of inlet channels and outlet channels, rather than the total number of cooling channels. That is, in the case of 5-channel configurations, it may mean that the cooling tube has 5 inlet channels and 5 outlet channels, for a total of 10 cooling channels. Similarly, in the case of 8-channel configurations, it may mean that the cooling tube has 16 cooling channels. Ultimately, the test results show that reducing the number of cooling channels in a cooling tube can reduce pressure loss.

[0063] 9 and 10 are diagrams illustrating expected differential pressures depending on the configuration of a battery module according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0064] 9 and 10 show the results of the expected differential pressure depending on the battery module configuration. It can be seen that the differential pressure increases as the flow rate increases, and as the number of battery cells increases. Meanwhile, FIGS. 9 and 10 only reflect the flow path length of the cooling channel in the cooling tube, and do not reflect the port and end plate portions connected to the external cooling device. For example, in the case of a 24S10P module, the flow path length may be approximately 2520.4 mm (= 2 × 1260.2 mm), and in the case of a 35S14P module, the flow path length may be approximately 3663.3 mm (= 2 × 1831.7 mm).

[0065] Test results show that the differential pressure between the 8-channel configuration of the 24S10P module and the 5-channel configuration of the 35S14P module is almost the same. In other words, when the cooling channels of the cooling tube are configured with 5 channels (5 inlet channels and 5 outlet channels, for a total of 10 channels), more battery cells can be attached to the cooling tube. In other words, the cooling tube can be made longer, approximately 45% longer.

[0066] In this way, when the number of cooling channels of the cooling tube is configured as five inlet channels and five outlet channels, the battery module can be configured relatively freely and a cooling tube can be designed to accommodate a larger number of battery cells.

[0067] Figure 11 is a schematic diagram for explaining the cooling channels of a cooling tube according to one embodiment of the present invention, Figure 12 is a diagram for explaining information on the number and shape of the cooling channels of the cooling tube of Figure 11, Figure 13 is a diagram for explaining simulation results based on the number and shape of the cooling channels of one embodiment of the present invention, and Figure 14 is a diagram for explaining an analysis of the influence based on the simulation results of Figure 13.

[0068] 11 to 14, as described above, it is important that deformation of the cell attachment surface 207 of the cooling channel 250 of the cooling tube 200 does not occur during the pressing process of the cooling tube 200. It is important to prevent deformation of the cell attachment surface 207 of the cooling tube 200 because deformation reduces the contact area of ​​the cell attachment surface 207 with the battery cell 100, thereby reducing the heat transfer area and degrading the overall cooling performance. Therefore, it is important to design the cell attachment surface 207 of the cooling tube 200 to be flat and not deformed during the pressing process.

[0069] During the pressing process (see FIG. 5), the cell-attached surface 207 is pressed in a concave manner, resulting in relatively little deformation, while the non-cell-attached surface 209 is pressed in a bulged manner, resulting in relatively greater deformation than the cell-attached surface 207. Due to these concave and convex shapes, there is a high possibility that deformation will occur in the cooling channel 250, which is bore-shaped and provided in the cooling tube 200, between the cell-attached surface 207 and the non-cell-attached surface 209 during the pressing process. Because the bore-shaped cooling channel 250 for an internal flow path is provided in the cooling tube 200, there is a high possibility that deformation will occur in the bore-shaped cooling channel 250 during the pressing process.

[0070] When the cooling channel 250 is deformed, the outer surfaces 207 and 209 of the cooling tube 200, which are located outside the cooling channel 250, may also be deformed. For example, when the cooling channel 250 is deformed, such as being depressed to a predetermined depth, the outer surfaces 207 and 209 of the cooling tube 200, i.e., the cell-attached surface 207 and the non-cell-attached surface 209 of the cooling tube 200, may also be depressed to a predetermined depth by the amount of deformation of the cooling channel 250. Conversely, deformation of the cell-attached surface 207 and the non-cell-attached surface 209 during the pressing process may cause deformation of the inner surfaces 257 and 259 of the cooling tube 200.

[0071] In particular, the deformation of the cell attachment surface 207 reduces the contact area with the battery cell 100, which may reduce heat transfer performance and cause a decrease in cooling performance.

[0072] On the other hand, in the case of the surface 209 opposite to the cell attachment surface 207 of the cooling tube 200 in the cooling channel 250, since it is not related to the heat transfer performance, whether or not the surface 209 opposite to the cell attachment surface 207 of the cooling tube 200 is deformed is relatively unimportant.

[0073] Therefore, it is necessary to design the cooling channel 250 in such a way that the deformation of the cell attachment surface 207 in the cooling tube 200 can be minimized and the pressure loss can be reduced.

[0074] First, as described above, the cooling channel 250 may be provided with five inlet channels 252 and five outlet channels 256, for a total of ten. In one embodiment of the present invention, the thickness b of the cooling tube 200 may be 2.5 mm. The distance c between the inlet channel 252 and the outlet channel 256, which are closest to each other in the height direction of the cooling tube 200, may be 4 mm. In the simulation, the thickness b of the cooling tube 200 and the distance c between the inlet channel 252 and the outlet channel 256, which are closest to each other, may be fixed dimensions. Meanwhile, the compression distance in the pressing process may be 6.44 mm (initial 2.50 mm), and the preset allowable differential pressure range may be approximately 6.25 kPa.

[0075] The dimension t may refer to the predetermined interval between the cooling channels 250 in the height direction of the cooling tube 200. Specifically, the dimension t may refer to the predetermined interval at which the inlet channels 252 are spaced apart from each other and the predetermined interval at which the outlet channels 256 are spaced apart from each other in the height direction of the cooling tube 200. The dimension w may refer to the length of the cooling tube 200 in the height direction. Specifically, the dimension t may refer to the length w of each inlet channel 252 and each outlet channel 256 in the height direction of the cooling tube 200. The dimension h may refer to the width of the cooling channel 250 in the thickness b direction of the cooling tube 200. Specifically, the dimension h may refer to the width h of the cooling channel 250 in the stacking direction (X-axis direction) of the battery cell 100 (see FIG. 1 ).

[0076] 13, it can be seen that the smaller the dimension item h (the width of the cooling channel 250 in the thickness b direction of the cooling tube 200) is, the smaller the deformation amount is. For example, as shown in Nos. 1 to 3, as the dimension item h is smaller (1.8 mm, 1.78 mm, and 1.76 mm), the smaller the deformation amount is, in the order of 0.409, 0.391, and 0.374. Also, as shown in Nos. 4 to 6, as the dimension item h is smaller (1.8 mm, 1.78 mm, and 1.76 mm), the smaller the deformation amount is, in the order of 0.422, 0.405, and 0.388. Furthermore, it can be seen that the larger the dimension item t (the predetermined distance at which the inlet channels 252 and the outlet channels 256 are spaced apart from each other in the height direction of the cooling tube 200) is, the larger the deformation amount is. It can also be seen that the smaller the dimension item w (the length of each inlet channel 252 and each outlet channel 256 in the height direction of the cooling tube 200), the larger the amount of deformation. Taking all of this into consideration, it can be seen that the result with the smallest amount of deformation within the allowable differential pressure range (6.25 kPa) is Case #3, which is the simulation result of No. 3.

[0077] Referring to FIG. 14, the degree of influence of these dimension items can be analyzed as follows. First, from the table, the closer to 1, the greater the degree of influence between the two factors. It can be seen that dimension item t (the predetermined spacing between the cooling channels 250 in the height direction of the cooling tube 200) and dimension item w (the length of each inlet channel 252 and each outlet channel 256 in the height direction of the cooling tube 200) have the same absolute value of the difference between positive and negative values ​​under certain conditions. This can mean that the absolute values ​​of the influence are the same. As shown in the table, the factors that have the largest influence on the difference in deformation amount are dimension item t (the predetermined spacing between the cooling channels 250 in the height direction of the cooling tube 200) and dimension item h, and it can be seen that dimension item h has a relatively greater influence than dimension item t.

[0078] As such, it is preferable that the cooling channels 250 have a length w of 5.6 mm to 6.1 mm in the height direction of the cooling tube 200. Specifically, each cooling channel 250 may have a length of 6.08 mm in the height direction of the cooling tube 200. More specifically, the length w of each inlet channel 252 and each outlet channel 256 in the height direction of the cooling tube 200 may be 6.08 mm.

[0079] Furthermore, the predetermined interval t between the cooling channels 250 in the height direction of the cooling tube 200 may be 0.3 mm to 0.9 mm. Specifically, the predetermined interval t may be 0.34 mm in the height direction of the cooling tube 200. More specifically, the predetermined interval t between the inlet channels 252 and the predetermined interval t between the outlet channels 256 in the height direction of the cooling tube 200 may be 0.34 mm.

[0080] The width h of the cooling channel 250 in the thickness b direction of the cooling tube 200 may be 1.7 mm to 1.8 mm. Specifically, the width h of the cooling channel 250 in the stacking direction (X-axis direction) of the battery cells 100 (see FIG. 1) may be 1.7 mm to 1.8 mm. More specifically, the width h of the cooling channel 250 in the stacking direction of the battery cells 100 may be 1.76 mm.

[0081] Additionally, the cooling channel 250 may have rounded ends in the height direction of the cooling tube 200 .

[0082] As shown in FIG. 12, the cooling channel 250 according to one embodiment of the present invention may be formed to have rounded ends in the height direction of the cooling tube 200, with a spacing t of 0.34 mm between the cooling tubes 200 in the height direction, a length w of 6.08 mm in the height direction of the cooling tube 200, and a thickness h of 1.76 mm in the thickness direction b.

[0083] In one embodiment of the present invention, a cooling tube 200 can be provided that can minimize deformation of the cooling channels and cell attachment surface near the cell attachment surface and significantly reduce pressure loss by providing the cooling channels 250 with such a shape, value, and number.

[0084] Therefore, in one embodiment of the present invention, the cooling tube 200, which can minimize the pressure loss and ensure heat transfer performance, reduces the amount of energy consumed to cool the battery cell 100, thereby resulting in more efficient operation of the entire system.

[0085] With further reference to FIG. 1 , the battery module 10 may include a side structure unit 300.

[0086] The side structure unit 300 may support the battery cells 100 and ensure the rigidity of the battery cells 100. The side structure unit 300 may be formed to a predetermined length along the longitudinal direction of the battery module 10, and may be provided in one or more plural numbers and assembled together to accommodate and support the battery cells 100.

[0087] The battery module 10 according to an embodiment of the present invention may have a cell array structure including the battery cells 100, the cooling tubes 200, and the side structure unit 300. The side structure unit 300 constituting the cell array structure can guide the battery module 10 without a separate cover structure such as a conventional module frame, thereby realizing a so-called module frameless structure, thereby enabling slimming of the battery module 10 and increasing energy density.

[0088] FIG. 15 is a schematic plan view of a battery module for explaining the arrangement of cooling tubes of the battery module according to one embodiment of the present invention, and FIG. 16 is an enlarged view of part E in FIG.

[0089] 15 and 16 , in the battery module 10, the cooling tubes 200 may be disposed between the battery cells 100 arranged in two rows. Each cooling tube 200 may include a cell-attached surface 207 that is attached to and recessed on the outer surface 105 of the battery cell 100, and a cell-unattached surface 209 that is not attached to and protrudes from the outer surface of the battery cell 100.

[0090] The cell-attached surface 207 and the cell-unattached surface 209 may be alternately formed along the longitudinal direction (Y-axis direction) of the cooling tube 200 based on one side (+X-axis direction) or the other side (-X-axis direction) of the cooling tube 200, and may be formed in a zigzag position along the longitudinal direction (Y-axis direction) of the cooling tube 200 based on both sides (X-axis direction) of the cooling tube 200. That is, if one side (+X-axis direction) in the thickness direction (X-axis direction) of the cooling tube 200 is the cell-attached surface 207, the other side (-X-axis direction) opposite to the one side (+X-axis direction) may be the cell-unattached surface 209.

[0091] The contact angle θ between the battery cell 100 and the cooling tube 200 may be approximately 60° or thereabouts. The reason for setting the contact angle θ at approximately 60° is that if the contact angle θ is greater than 60°, the cooling performance may be improved, but the spacing between the battery cells 100 may be longer, resulting in a problem of an increase in the overall size of the battery pack 1. In addition, the larger the contact angle, the greater the degree of curvature of the cooling tube 200. If the contact angle θ is greater than 60°, hydraulic pressure may increase, resulting in a problem of the cooling flow being less smooth. Furthermore, if the contact angle θ is less than 60°, the cooling area of ​​the battery cell 100 in contact with the cooling tube 200 may be reduced, resulting in a problem of reduced cooling efficiency.

[0092] Therefore, it is preferable that the contact angle θ is set within a range of about ±1.5° with respect to 60°, For example, the contact angle θ may be set in a range of 58.5° to 61.5°.

[0093] FIG. 17 is a schematic cross-sectional side view of a battery module for explaining the arrangement of cooling tubes in the height direction of the battery module according to one embodiment of the present invention, and FIG. 18 is an enlarged view of part F in FIG.

[0094] 15 and 16 together with FIG. 17 and FIG. 18, in the battery module 10, the cooling tube 200 can ensure that the cell attachment surface 207 is a flat surface due to the design of the cooling channel 250 described above, thereby increasing the degree of adhesion between the cell attachment surface 207 and the outer surface 105 of the battery cell 100, and forming an internal flow path shape near the cell attachment surface 207 inside the cooling channel 250 without bending, thereby maximizing heat transfer performance.

[0095] Meanwhile, the outer surface 105 of the battery cell 100 and the cell attachment surface 207 of the cooling tube 200 may be closely fixed to each other by an adhesive. The adhesive may be, for example, a resin adhesive. Also, a heat transfer pad having high adhesive strength may be provided between the outer surface 105 of the battery cell 100 and the cell attachment surface 207 of the cooling tube 200. Also, a filler member provided as a resin material may be filled between the outer surface 105 of the battery cell 100 and the cell attachment surface 207 of the cooling tube 200 to form adhesive strength.

[0096] 19 and 20 are views illustrating contact between a cooling tube and a battery cell when deformation occurs in a cooling channel of the cooling tube according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0097] 19 , when the cooling tube 400 is deformed due to the deformation of the cooling channel 450 of the cooling tube 400, a predetermined space S is generated between the cell attachment surface 407 of the cooling tube 400 and the outer surface 105 of the battery cell 100. The predetermined space S may refer to a non-contact space between the cooling tube 400 and the battery cell 100.

[0098] When the predetermined space S occurs, the heat transfer performance of the cooling tube 400 is deteriorated by the reduced contact area. As described above, the predetermined space S may be caused by deformation of the cooling channels 450 during the pressing process of the cooling tube 400, particularly deformation of the cooling channels 450 disposed near the cell attachment surface 407 of the cooling tube 400. As described above, deformation of the cooling channels 450 disposed near the cell attachment surface 407 and the resulting deformation of the cell attachment surface 407 of the cooling tube 400 may cause a decrease in the cooling performance of the cooling tube 400.

[0099] 20 , the cooling tube 500 according to this embodiment may be formed such that only the cell attachment surface 507 and an inner surface 557 close to the cell attachment surface 507 are flat, and that the non-cell attachment surface 509 and an inner surface 559 relatively far from the cell attachment surface 507 have a predetermined curvature. In other words, in this embodiment, the cell attachment surface 507 and the inner surface 557 of the cooling channel 550 close thereto may have flat surfaces, and the non-cell attachment surface 509 and the inner surface 559 of the cooling channel 550 close thereto may have an uneven surface. That is, the non-cell attachment surface 509 provided on the opposite side of the cell attachment surface 507 of the cooling tube 500 and not in contact with the outer surface 105 of the battery cell 100 may be formed as an uneven surface that is more deformed than the flat surface of the cell attachment surface 507.

[0100] As described above, the cell attachment surface 507 is pressed in a concave manner during the pressing process (see FIG. 5), resulting in relatively little deformation, whereas the non-cell attachment surface 509 is pressed in a convex manner during the pressing process (see FIG. 5), resulting in relatively greater deformation due to being stretched more than the cell attachment surface 507. In the present embodiment, the cell attachment surface 507 that contacts the outer surface 105 of the battery cell 100 may be formed as a flat surface, and the non-cell attachment surface 509 that does not contact the outer surface 105 of the battery cell 100 may be formed as an uneven surface that has a greater degree of deformation than the cell attachment surface 507, which is the flat surface.

[0101] The cell attachment surface 507 having the flat surface and the cell non-attachment surface 509 having the uneven surface may be alternately formed along the longitudinal direction (Y-axis direction, see FIG. 15 ) of the cooling tube 500 based on one side (+X-axis direction) or the other side (−X-axis direction) of the cooling tube 500, and may be formed in a zigzag position along the longitudinal direction (Y-axis direction, see FIG. 15 ) of the cooling channel 550 based on both sides (X-axis direction) of the cooling tube 500. That is, in this embodiment, the flat surface and the uneven surface may be alternately formed along the longitudinal direction (Y-axis direction, see FIG. 15 ) of the cooling tube 500 based on one side (+X-axis direction) or the other side (−X-axis direction) of the cooling tube 500, and may be formed in a zigzag position along the longitudinal direction (Y-axis direction, see FIG. 15 ) of the cooling channel 550 based on both sides (X-axis direction) of the cooling tube 500.

[0102] In the case of the non-cell attachment surface 509 provided as the uneven surface, flatness is relatively unimportant unlike the cell attachment surface 507 because it does not contact the battery cell 100. Therefore, as in the present embodiment, the cooling channel 550 can be designed by considering only the prevention of deformation of the cell attachment surface 507 and the cooling channel 550 near the cell attachment surface 507 so as to ensure flatness near the cell attachment surface 507. As such, in the present embodiment, even if the non-cell attachment surface 509 that does not contact the battery cell 100 is formed as an uneven surface, the cell attachment surface 507 that contacts the outer surface 105 of the battery cell 100 is formed as a flat surface, so that contact performance between the battery cell 100 and the cooling tube 500 can be ensured. Therefore, in the present embodiment, the cooling tube 500 can be designed by considering only the flatness of the attachment surface with the battery cell 100 during the pressing process of the cooling tube 500, so that the design freedom of the cooling tube 500 can be further ensured.

[0103] FIG. 21 is a diagram illustrating a battery pack according to an embodiment of the present invention, and FIG. 22 is a diagram illustrating a vehicle according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0104] 21 and 22, a battery pack 1 according to an embodiment of the present invention may include at least one battery module 10 according to the above-described embodiment and a pack case 50 that houses the battery module 10.

[0105] The battery pack 1 may further include electrical components such as a battery management system (BMS) that controls the battery modules 10 and a cooling unit such as a heat sink for cooling the battery modules 10.

[0106] The battery pack 1 according to an embodiment of the present invention may further include other components of the battery pack 1 known at the time of filing of the present invention. For example, the battery pack 1 according to an embodiment of the present invention may further include components such as a current sensor, a fuse, and a service plug.

[0107] Furthermore, the automobile V according to an embodiment of the present invention may include one or more battery packs 1 according to the present invention. The automobile V according to an embodiment of the present invention may further include various other components included in an automobile, in addition to the battery pack 10 according to an embodiment of the present invention. For example, the automobile V according to an embodiment of the present invention may further include a vehicle body, a motor, a control device such as an electronic control unit (ECU), and the like, in addition to the battery pack 10 according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0108] Furthermore, the battery pack 1 according to an embodiment of the present invention may be installed in other devices, appliances, and equipment such as an energy storage system using a secondary battery in addition to the automobile V.

[0109] Through the various embodiments described above, it is possible to provide a battery module 10 having a cooling tube 200 that can ensure heat transfer performance and minimize pressure loss, a battery pack 1 including the same, and a vehicle V. [Explanation of symbols]

[0110] 10 Battery Module 100 battery cells 200, 400, 500 Cooling tubes 207, 407, 507 Cell attachment surface 250, 450, 550 cooling channels

Claims

1. A battery module, a plurality of battery cells; a cooling tube provided between the plurality of battery cells and having a cell attachment surface attached to the plurality of battery cells; Including, a cooling channel through which a cooling medium for cooling the plurality of battery cells flows is formed inside the cooling tube; The battery module, wherein the cell attachment surface is provided as a flat surface and is in close contact with outer surfaces of the plurality of battery cells.

2. the cooling tube is formed such that convex portions and concave portions are alternately formed by applying pressure during manufacturing of the cooling tube; The battery module according to claim 1, wherein the cooling channels are provided in a predetermined number so that deformation of the flat surface does not occur when the pressure is applied.

3. The battery module according to claim 1, wherein the cooling channel has a length of 5.6 mm to 6.1 mm in a height direction of the cooling tube.

4. The battery module according to claim 3 , wherein the cooling channel has a length of 6.08 mm in a height direction of the cooling tube.

5. The cooling channel an inlet channel for guiding the cooling medium supplied from an external cooling device; an outlet channel communicating with the inlet channel and guiding the cooling medium flowing through the inlet channel to the external cooling device; Including, The battery module according to claim 1 , wherein the outlet channel is disposed above the inlet channel in a height direction of the cooling tube.

6. The battery module according to claim 1, wherein the cooling channels are ten in number and are spaced apart from each other by a predetermined distance along a height direction of the cooling tube.

7. The inlet channels and the outlet channels are provided in five numbers, The battery module according to claim 5, wherein each of the inlet channels and each of the outlet channels are spaced apart at a predetermined interval in a height direction of the cooling tube.

8. 8. The battery module according to claim 7, wherein the predetermined interval is 0.3 mm to 0.9 mm in the height direction of the cooling tube.

9. The battery module according to claim 8, wherein the predetermined interval is 0.34 mm in a height direction of the cooling tube.

10. The battery module according to claim 1 , wherein the cooling channel has rounded ends in a height direction of the cooling tube.

11. The battery module according to claim 1 , wherein the cooling tube has a cell-unattached surface that is provided on the opposite side of the cell-attached surface and does not contact the outer surface of the battery cell.

12. The battery module according to claim 11, wherein the non-cell-attached surface is provided as a non-flat surface that deforms more than the flat surface of the cell-attached surface.

13. The battery module according to claim 12, wherein the flat surfaces and the non-flat surfaces are alternately formed along a longitudinal direction of the cooling tube with respect to one surface or the other surface of the cooling tube.

14. The battery module according to claim 12, wherein the flat surface and the non-flat surface are formed in a zigzag pattern along the longitudinal direction of the cooling tube with reference to both surfaces of the cooling tube.

15. A battery pack, At least one battery module according to any one of claims 1 to 14; a pack case that houses the at least one battery module; A battery pack comprising:

16. A motor vehicle, A motor vehicle comprising at least one battery pack according to claim 15.

Images