Battery pack and energy storage system including same

Abstract

A battery pack according to one aspect of the present invention may include a plurality of battery cells, an outer casing that houses the plurality of battery cells and includes a plurality of unit parts arranged to extend in the width direction of the plurality of battery cells, and a reinforcing member that connects the plurality of unit parts to each other and is configured to be inserted into the unit parts so that the surface does not contact the battery cells.

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a battery pack and an energy storage system including the same, and more particularly to a battery pack having improved electrical insulation and structural stability and an energy storage system including the same.

[0002] This application claims priority based on Korean Patent Application No. 10-2022-0178749 filed on December 19, 2022 and Korean Patent Application No. 10-2023-0174669 filed on December 5, 2023, and the contents disclosed in the specifications and drawings of those applications are incorporated herein in their entirety. [Background technology]

[0003] In recent years, demand for portable electronic products such as smartphones, smart pads, and wearable devices has increased dramatically, and as the commercialization of robots, electric vehicles, and other devices has progressed in earnest, research into high-performance secondary batteries that can be repeatedly charged and discharged has become increasingly active.

[0004] Currently commercially available secondary batteries include nickel-cadmium batteries, nickel-metal hydride batteries, nickel-zinc batteries, lithium secondary batteries, etc. In particular, lithium secondary batteries are attracting attention due to their advantages of being free to charge and discharge because they have almost no memory effect compared to nickel-based secondary batteries, a very low self-discharge rate, and a high energy density.

[0005] Although a secondary battery may be used alone, it is generally configured by connecting multiple secondary batteries electrically in series and / or parallel to each other. In particular, multiple secondary batteries may be electrically connected to each other and housed in a single module case to form a single battery module. Furthermore, a battery module may be used alone, or two or more battery modules may be electrically connected to each other in series and / or parallel to form a higher-level device such as a battery pack. Here, battery modules and battery packs may be used together.

[0006] In recent years, as issues such as power shortages and environmentally friendly energy have become more apparent, energy storage systems (ESS) for storing generated electricity have been attracting much attention. Typically, the use of such energy storage systems makes it easy to establish power management systems such as smart grid systems, thereby making it possible to easily adjust the supply and demand of electricity in specific regions or cities. Furthermore, as electric vehicles are becoming more commercially available, such energy storage systems can also be applied to charging stations (electric charging stations) where electric vehicles can be charged. Furthermore, as the commercialization of electric vehicles becomes more widespread and interest in electric vehicles increases, technological development is also being carried out extensively for the battery packs installed in such electric vehicles.

[0007] A battery pack used in such an energy storage system, an electric vehicle, etc. may be configured in such a way that a plurality of battery cells are housed in an outer casing, which may be referred to as a pack case. Here, the outer casing of the battery pack may be made of a highly rigid metal material, for example, a steel material, in order to support a high load of the plurality of battery cells.

[0008] However, in this case, electrical insulation between the outer casing and electrical components, especially between the outer casing and the battery cells, becomes an issue, and to solve this, an additional insulating structure or separate insulating parts must be applied between the outer casing and the battery cells, which increases the number of manufacturing steps for the battery pack, the tact time, and manufacturing costs.

[0009] Therefore, there is a need for technological development of an outer casing structure that ensures electrical insulation between the outer casing and the electrical components while improving structural rigidity and stability to firmly support a plurality of battery cells. Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0010] The present invention has been made in view of the above problems, and an object of the present invention is to provide a battery pack and an energy storage system including the same, in which electrical insulation and structural stability are ensured.

[0011] 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]

[0012] A battery pack according to the present invention for solving the above problems may include a plurality of battery cells; an outer casing that houses the plurality of battery cells and includes a plurality of unit parts that are arranged to extend in a width direction of the plurality of battery cells; and a reinforcing member that connects the plurality of unit parts to one another and is configured to be inserted into the unit parts so that a surface does not contact the battery cells.

[0013] Preferably, each of the unit parts includes a bottom plate on which the battery cell is placed and a pair of protruding blocks provided on both sides of the bottom plate and protruding from a plate surface, and the reinforcing member may be arranged to penetrate the pair of protruding blocks.

[0014] Preferably, the bottom plate and the pair of protruding blocks are integrally formed by injection molding.

[0015] Preferably, the reinforcing member may be a pair of unit steel pipes.

[0016] Preferably, the battery pack may further include a fastening portion for fastening one of the unit parts to another adjacent unit part.

[0017] Preferably, the fastening portion is provided so as to be exposed at a bottom surface of the bottom plate.

[0018] Preferably, the fastening portion may include at least one fastening protrusion provided on one widthwise surface of either one of the unit parts, and at least one fastening accommodating groove provided adjacent to the fastening protrusion.

[0019] Preferably, the fastening receiving groove of one of the unit parts may be disposed at a position corresponding to the fastening protrusion provided on the other adjacent unit part.

[0020] Preferably, the fastening portion may further include a fastening member that fastens the fastening protrusion and the fastening receiving groove to each other.

[0021] Preferably, a plurality of fastening protrusions and a plurality of fastening receiving grooves are provided, and the fastening protrusions and the fastening receiving grooves may be alternately arranged in each of the unit parts.

[0022] Preferably, the outer surface of the reinforcing member is covered with an insulating coating.

[0023] Preferably, the unit parts are made of a plastic material, and the reinforcing members are made of a metal material.

[0024] According to another aspect of the present invention, a vehicle including the above-described battery pack can be provided.

[0025] According to another aspect of the present invention, there can be provided an energy storage system including the above-described battery pack. [Effects of the Invention]

[0026] According to one aspect of the present invention, the outer casing is manufactured using plastic injection molding, thereby ensuring insulation from the battery cells, and the outer casing is divided into individual parts which are connected to each other using unit steel pipes, thereby improving the mechanical properties of the outer casing and ensuring structural stability.

[0027] In particular, according to one aspect of the present invention, electrical isolation can be achieved without the need for an additional insulating structure or separate insulating components, thereby reducing the number of steps required to manufacture a battery pack, shortening tact time, and reducing manufacturing costs.

[0028] Furthermore, according to one aspect of the present invention, a strong fastening configuration is provided through fastening portions between unit parts and adjacent unit parts, thereby improving resistance to deflection (warping) or sagging (sagging).

[0029] The effects of the present invention are not limited to the effects described above, and other effects not mentioned herein will be clearly understood by those skilled in the art to which the present invention pertains from this specification and the accompanying drawings.

[0030] 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]

[0031] [Figure 1] 1 is a perspective view of a battery pack according to an embodiment of the present invention; [Figure 2] FIG. 2 is a longitudinal sectional view of FIG. [Figure 3] 3A and 3B are diagrams illustrating an assembly configuration of each unit part of a battery pack according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 4] 2 is a perspective view of a unit part that is one configuration of an outer casing of a battery pack according to an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. [Figure 5] FIG. 2 is a bottom perspective view of a unit part that is one configuration of the outer casing of the battery pack according to the embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 6] 3 is a diagram illustrating a state in which each unit part is coupled in a battery pack according to an embodiment of the present invention; [Figure 7] 4 is a longitudinal cross-sectional view of a fastening portion between unit parts in a battery pack according to an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. [Figure 8] 3 is a bottom view illustrating a combined state of unit parts of a battery pack according to an embodiment of the present invention; FIG. [Figure 9] 1 is a diagram illustrating a vehicle according to an embodiment of the present invention; DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0032] Hereinafter, the terms and words used in this specification and claims shall not be interpreted in a limited manner to their ordinary or dictionary meanings, but shall be interpreted in a manner that corresponds to the technical idea of ​​the present invention, in accordance with the principle that the inventor can appropriately define the concept of the term himself / herself in order to best explain the invention.

[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 of a battery pack according to an embodiment of the present invention, and FIG. 2 is a vertical cross-sectional view of FIG.

[0035] 1 and 2, a battery pack 10 may include a plurality of battery cells 110, an outer casing 200 that houses the plurality of battery cells 110, and a reinforcing member 300.

[0036] The plurality of battery cells 110 are secondary batteries and may be deployed as pouch-type secondary batteries, prismatic secondary batteries, or cylindrical secondary batteries. For example, the plurality of pouch-type batteries may be arranged in a vertical direction (Z-axis direction) and aligned horizontally (X-axis direction, hereinafter collectively referred to as width direction). Hereinafter, in this embodiment, the description will be limited to the case where the plurality of battery cells 110 are deployed as pouch-type secondary batteries.

[0037] A predetermined number of such battery cells 110 may be grouped together to form one cell assembly 100. Furthermore, a plurality of the cell assemblies 100 may be grouped together to form the battery pack 10. Here, the cell assembly refers to a group of a plurality of battery cells 110. Alternatively, the plurality of battery cells 110 may be directly provided as a group of battery cells 110 inside the outer casing 200 without separately grouping the cell assemblies 100.

[0038] The outer casing 200 may be a portion that accommodates a plurality of battery cells 110. Although not shown in the drawings, the outer casing 200 may be a component that supports the battery cells 110 at the bottom of a pack case, and may further include components such as a pack cover, a tray, or a rack that cover the battery cells 110 from above, although not shown in the drawings. When the pack cover is coupled to the outer casing 200, an empty space may be formed inside in which the battery cells 110 are accommodated, and the cell assembly 100 may be accommodated in the empty space. For convenience of explanation, the configuration of the outer casing 200 will be mainly described below, excluding other components of the pack case.

[0039] The outer casing 200 may support the at least one cell assembly 100 or a plurality of battery cells 110. The outer casing 200 may be attached to a machine or mechanism that uses the battery pack 10 as an energy source. For example, the outer casing 200 may be attached to an energy storage system, an electric vehicle, or the like.

[0040] The outer casing 200 may be made of a plastic material. The outer casing 200 may be entirely made of a plastic material. In particular, the outer casing 200 may be made in the form of a plastic injection molding. When the outer casing 200 is manufactured using a plastic injection molding, insulation between the outer casing 200 and the battery cells 110 can be ensured.

[0041] However, when plastic injection molding is used, the structural stability of the outer casing 200 may be impaired. Furthermore, as the size of the outer casing 200 increases, the structure of the plastic injection molding outer casing 200 may be more prone to bending (warping) or sagging (sagging) compared to the steel outer casing 200, and may be weaker in terms of strength and rigidity, limiting its strong supporting force.

[0042] Therefore, in this embodiment, a reinforcing member 300 may be provided on the outer casing 200. The reinforcing member 300 may be inserted into the outer casing 200. A pair of the reinforcing members 300 may be inserted into protruding structures on both sides of the outer casing 200. In particular, the reinforcing member 300 may be formed in a rod shape that is elongated in one direction so as to be inserted into the outer casing 200. For example, a steel pipe may be formed in a circular rod shape as shown in the drawing. The reinforcing member 300 may improve the mechanical properties of the outer casing.

[0043] FIG. 3 is a diagram illustrating an assembly configuration of each unit part of a battery pack according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0044] Referring mainly to FIG. 3 , the outer casing 200 may not be a single structure, but may be configured by combining a plurality of unit parts 210, which are individual units. The outer casing 200 may include a plurality of unit parts 210 arranged to extend in the width direction (X-axis direction) of the plurality of battery cells 110. In this embodiment, the outer casing 200 may include two unit parts 210 separated in the front-rear direction. Each of the unit parts 210 may have a constant width in the width direction of the battery cell 110, and in this embodiment, may have a width that can accommodate two of the cell assemblies 100.

[0045] Furthermore, the reinforcing member 300 may be configured to connect the plurality of unit parts 210 to each other. The pair of reinforcing members 300 may be inserted into protruding structures on both sides of the unit part 210, and may be arranged to be continuously inserted into other unit parts 210 adjacent to the unit part 210 arranged in the width direction of the unit part 210, thereby connecting the plurality of unit parts 210 to each other. The reinforcing member may be a pair of unit steel pipes. The reinforcing member 300 may be provided with an insulating coating 310 on its outer surface.

[0046] In the battery pack 10 configured as described above, the outer casing 200 is made of a plastic material, thereby ensuring electrical insulation of the battery pack 10. Furthermore, the insulating coating 310 on the outer surface of the reinforcing member 300 can enhance the insulation. Furthermore, by using a steel pipe for mechanical construction for the outer casing 200 made of such a plastic material, the structural stability of the outer casing 200 can also be ensured. In particular, the outer casing 200 of the battery pack 10 may be formed to be large, and according to the above-described embodiment, the structural stability of even such a large outer casing 200 can be reinforced, as will be described later.

[0047] Each of the unit parts 210 will be described in detail below.

[0048] 4 and 5 are a perspective view and a bottom perspective view of a unit part that is one configuration of the outer casing of a battery pack according to one embodiment of the present invention.

[0049] 4 and 5, and again referring to FIGS. 2 and 3, the unit part 210 may include a bottom plate 220 and a pair of protruding blocks 230 provided on both sides of the bottom plate 220.

[0050] The unit part 210 may include the bottom plate 220. The bottom plate 220 may be formed in a plate shape and may be located below the battery cell 110. Thus, the battery cell 110 may be placed on an upper surface of the bottom plate 220. The bottom plate 220 may be provided as a plate type, may be installed vertically, and may face and support one side surface of the battery cells 110 stacked in the width direction. Since the bottom plate 220 faces and supports the battery cells 110, the insulation structure of the outer casing 200, especially the bottom plate 220, may be important.

[0051] The protruding blocks 230 may be provided on both sides of the bottom plate 220 and may be provided to protrude upward from a plate surface of the bottom plate 220. This allows the battery cells 110 to be stably mounted and housed. The protruding blocks 230 may have insertion holes 231 formed therein into which the reinforcing members 300 are inserted. The insertion holes 231 between the unit parts 210 and adjacent unit parts 210 may be arranged to communicate with each other, and the reinforcing members 300 may be inserted and disposed on the insertion holes 231.

[0052] The unit parts 210 configured as described above may provide a space for accommodating the cell assembly 100 and the plurality of battery cells 110. That is, the plurality of battery cells 110 may be mounted and supported on the unit parts 210 and accommodated in the internal space of each unit part 210 of the outer casing 200.

[0053] As described above, the outer casing 200 is manufactured from a plastic material. Specifically, the unit parts 210, which are composed of the bottom plate 220 and the protruding blocks 230, may be manufactured from a plastic material. In particular, the bottom plate 220 and the pair of protruding blocks 230 may be integrally injection molded. Manufacturing each unit part 210 from a plastic injection molding in this manner not only ensures insulation from the battery cells 110, but also ensures processing convenience and reduces manufacturing man-hours. Manufacturing the outer casing 200 from a plastic injection molding in this manner enables electrical insulation without requiring an additional insulating structure or separate insulating components, thereby reducing the tact time and manufacturing costs of the battery pack 10.

[0054] In addition, since the outer casing 200 can be formed by combining a plurality of the unit parts 210, the outer casing can be separated into the unit parts 210 to support the load of a predetermined number of battery cells 110, thereby ensuring structural stability. Furthermore, by connecting the unit parts 210 to each other with unit steel pipes, the mechanical properties of the outer casing 200 can be improved and structural stability can be ensured.

[0055] The unit parts 210 may include a fastening portion 400. The fastening portion 400 may fasten one of the unit parts 210 to another adjacent unit part 210. The unit parts 210 may be fastened and firmly fixed by the adjacent unit parts 210, which will be described later.

[0056] Hereinafter, the reinforcing member 300 and the fastening portion 400 for improving the structural stability of the outer casing 200 will be described in detail.

[0057] FIG. 6 is a diagram showing the connection state of each unit part in a battery pack according to one embodiment of the present invention, FIG. 7 is a vertical cross-sectional view of a fastening portion between each unit part in a battery pack according to one embodiment of the present invention, and FIG. 8 is a bottom view showing the connection state of each unit part in a battery pack according to one embodiment of the present invention.

[0058] The battery pack 10 according to this embodiment may be provided with an interconnection structure between the unit parts 210. In this embodiment, a reinforcing member 300 and a fastening portion 400 may be provided.

[0059] 6 to 8 , the battery pack 10 may include a reinforcing member 300 that connects the plurality of unit parts 210 to one another. The reinforcing member 300 connects the plurality of unit parts 210 to one another and may be configured to be inserted into the unit parts 210 so that the surface does not contact the battery cells 110.

[0060] Specifically, the reinforcing member 300 may be disposed to penetrate the pair of protruding blocks 230. The reinforcing member 300 may be a pair of unit steel pipes. The reinforcing member 300 may be a steel pipe for mechanical structures. This allows for strong support of both sides of each unit part 210. Although the outer casing 200 is manufactured by plastic injection molding, the interconnection of the unit steel pipes improves the mechanical properties of the outer casing 200 and ensures structural stability. Furthermore, the outer surface of the reinforcing member 300 may be covered with an insulating coating 310, thereby further improving insulation.

[0061] Even when the unit parts 210 are connected by such a reinforcing member 300, the mechanical properties of each unit part 210 can be ensured, but arbitrary movement of the reinforcing member 300 in the longitudinal direction (the width direction of the battery cell, the X-axis direction) is not restricted. Minute movement is possible. Therefore, in this embodiment, a fastening portion 400 may be provided.

[0062] The fastening portion 400 may fasten one of the unit parts 210 to the adjacent other unit part 210. The fastening portion 400 may be provided to be exposed from the bottom surface of the bottom plate 220.

[0063] The fastening portion 400 may include at least one fastening protrusion 410 provided on one side of the width direction of any one of the unit parts 210, at least one fastening receiving groove 420 provided adjacent to the fastening protrusion 410, and a fastening member 430 that fastens the fastening protrusion 410 and the fastening receiving groove 420 to each other.

[0064] The fastening receiving groove 420 of any one of the unit parts 210 may be disposed at a position corresponding to the fastening protrusion 410 provided on the other adjacent unit part 210 .

[0065] The fastening protrusion 410 may be provided to protrude in a triangular shape when viewed from above, and the fastening receiving groove 420 may be formed to be recessed inward corresponding to the shape of the fastening protrusion 410.

[0066] There may be a plurality of fastening protrusions 410 and fastening grooves 420, and the fastening protrusions 410 and the fastening grooves 420 may be alternately arranged in each unit part 210. In this embodiment, two fastening protrusions 410 and two fastening grooves 420 are arranged in each unit part 210, but the number and positions thereof are not limited to the scope of the present patent right.

[0067] In this manner, the fastening portion 400 can firmly fix the fastening receiving groove 420 of one of the unit parts 210 to the adjacent other unit part 210, thereby restricting any movement of the battery cell 110 in the width direction. Also, as shown in Fig. 7, the fastening portion 400 can be provided in a double-layer structure of the fastening protrusion 410 and the fastening receiving groove 420 at the connection portion between the bottom plates 220 to be arranged, thereby improving structural rigidity and resistance to deflection (warping) or sagging (sagging) in the thickness direction (Z-axis direction).

[0068] According to this embodiment, the outer casing 200 is divided into individual unit parts 210, which are connected to each other by unit steel pipes, thereby improving the mechanical properties of the outer casing 200 and ensuring structural stability.

[0069] An energy storage system according to an embodiment of the present invention may include one or more battery packs 10 according to an embodiment of the present invention. In particular, the energy storage system may include a plurality of battery packs 10 according to an embodiment of the present invention electrically connected to each other to provide a large energy capacity. In addition, the energy storage system according to an embodiment of the present invention may further include various other components of an energy storage system that are known as of the filing date of this application. Furthermore, such an energy storage system may be used in various locations and devices, such as smart grid systems and electric charging stations.

[0070] FIG. 9 is a diagram illustrating a vehicle according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0071] 9, a vehicle according to an embodiment of the present invention may include one or more battery packs 10 according to an embodiment of the present invention. As an example, a vehicle V according to an embodiment of the present invention may include at least one or more of the battery packs 10 described above.

[0072] The automobile V according to one embodiment of the present invention may further include various other components included in an automobile in addition to the battery pack 10. For example, the automobile V according to one 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 one embodiment of the present invention.

[0073] According to the various embodiments described above, it is possible to provide a battery pack 10 and an automobile V including the same, in which the outer casing can be manufactured using plastic injection molding to ensure insulation from the battery cells, and the outer casing can be divided into unit parts that are connected to each other using unit steel pipes to improve the mechanical properties of the outer casing and ensure structural stability.

[0074] 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.

[0075] Although the present invention has been described above using limited embodiments and drawings, it goes without saying that the present invention is not limited to these, and that various modifications and variations can be made by a person having ordinary knowledge in the technical field to which the present invention pertains within the technical spirit of the present invention and the equivalent scope of the appended claims.

[0076] The accompanying drawings illustrating the description of the present invention and its embodiments may be shown in a somewhat exaggerated form to emphasize or highlight the technical content of the present invention, but it should be understood that, taking into consideration the above-described content and the matters shown in the drawings, it is obvious that various modified and applied examples are possible at the level of a person skilled in the art of this technical field. [Explanation of symbols]

[0077] 10 Battery Pack 100 Cell Assembly 110 battery cells 200 Outer case 210 unit parts 220 bottom plate 230 Protruding Block 231 Insertion hole 300 Reinforcement member 310 Insulation coating 400 Fastening part 410 Fastening protrusion 420 Fastening accommodation groove 430 Fastening members

Claims

1. a plurality of battery cells; an outer casing that houses a plurality of battery cells and includes a plurality of unit parts that are arranged to extend in a width direction of the plurality of battery cells; a reinforcing member configured to connect the plurality of unit parts to each other and to be inserted into the unit parts so that a surface of the reinforcing member does not come into contact with the battery cell; Including the battery pack.

2. Each of the unit parts is a bottom plate on which the battery cell is placed; a pair of protruding blocks provided on both sides of the bottom plate and protruding from the plate surface; Including, The battery pack according to claim 1 , wherein the reinforcing member is disposed so as to penetrate the pair of protruding blocks.

3. The battery pack according to claim 2 , wherein the bottom plate and the pair of protruding blocks are integrally formed.

4. The battery pack according to claim 2 , wherein the reinforcing member is a pair of unit steel pipes.

5. The battery pack according to claim 2 , further comprising a fastening portion that fastens one of the unit parts to another adjacent unit part.

6. The battery pack according to claim 5 , wherein the fastening portion is exposed on a bottom surface of the bottom plate.

7. The fastening portion is At least one fastening protrusion provided on one surface in the width direction of any one of the unit parts; At least one fastening receiving groove provided adjacent to the fastening protrusion; 6. The battery pack of claim 5, comprising:

8. The battery pack according to claim 7 , wherein the fastening receiving groove of any one of the unit parts is disposed at a position corresponding to the fastening protrusion provided on the other adjacent unit part.

9. The battery pack of claim 7 , wherein the fastening portion further comprises a fastening member that fastens the fastening protrusion and the fastening receiving groove to each other.

10. The fastening protrusion and the fastening accommodation groove are provided in plurality, The battery pack according to claim 7 , wherein the fastening protrusions and the fastening receiving grooves are alternately arranged in each of the unit parts.

11. The battery pack according to claim 1 , wherein an outer surface of the reinforcing member is covered with an insulating coating.

12. The unit parts are made of plastic material, The battery pack according to claim 1 , wherein the reinforcing member is made of a metal material.

13. A motor vehicle comprising at least one battery pack according to any one of claims 1 to 4.

14. An energy storage system comprising at least one battery pack according to any one of claims 1 to 4.

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