Battery pack and automobile including the battery module

Abstract

One embodiment of the present invention relates to a battery pack including a plurality of battery modules each including a plurality of battery cells, a pack case configured to house the plurality of battery modules, a vent device provided in the pack case, the vent device configured to discharge gas generated in the battery modules to the outside of the pack case, and a cartridge configured to discharge carbon dioxide stored inside toward the vent device.

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a battery pack and a vehicle including the battery module, and more particularly to a battery pack and a vehicle that can recognize the internal pressure of a pack case and suppress a fire that occurs inside the pack case.

[0002] This application claims priority based on Korean Patent Application No. 10-2023-0074502, filed on June 9, 2023, the entire contents of which are incorporated herein by reference in their entirety in the specification and drawings thereof. [Background technology]

[0003] Secondary batteries, which have high applicability to each product group and electrical properties such as high energy density, are commonly used not only in portable devices but also in electric vehicles (EVs), hybrid electric vehicles (HEVs), etc. These secondary batteries are attracting attention as a new energy source for improving energy efficiency, not only because they have the primary advantage of dramatically reducing the use of fossil fuels, but also because they are environmentally friendly as they do not produce any by-products from energy use.

[0004] Currently, secondary batteries such as lithium-ion batteries, lithium polymer batteries, nickel-cadmium batteries, nickel-metal hydride batteries, and nickel-zinc batteries are widely used. When a high output voltage is required, a battery module or a battery pack is formed by connecting multiple battery cells in series. To increase the charge / discharge capacity, a battery module or a battery pack may also be formed by connecting multiple battery cells in parallel. Therefore, the number of battery cells included in a battery module or a battery pack can be variously set according to the required output voltage or charge / discharge capacity.

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

[0006] In conventional battery packs, abnormalities and misuse of battery cells can cause the internal temperature to rise, which can lead to an increase in the internal pressure of the battery cells. This internal pressure causes the battery cells to vent, releasing high-temperature gas. This is extremely dangerous as the released high-temperature gas can spread to adjacent battery modules, causing thermal runaway.

[0007] In addition, when gas is emitted from a battery cell, particles of the electrode plate or active material in the battery cell may be heated to a high temperature and discharged to the outside, and these high-temperature particles appear in the form of sparks. If the sparks react with oxygen during the discharge process, the oxygen may ignite, causing a flame or spreading to a fire. In particular, the higher the internal pressure of the pack case, the greater the risk of the fire developing into an explosion rather than a sequential ignition, causing more serious problems.

[0008] Because battery cells or battery modules are densely packed inside a battery pack, if a thermal event occurs in one battery cell or battery module, thermal runaway may occur, causing a flame and, in severe cases, an explosion, unless the propagation is delayed or suppressed. At least one of the elements that cause a flame, namely fuel, oxygen, and heat, must be removed to prevent high-temperature gas or sparks from reacting with oxygen to cause a flame, thereby delaying or suppressing the propagation. Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0009] Therefore, an object of the present invention is to provide a battery pack that can ensure safety and reliability by suppressing the occurrence of a flame inside the pack case when an abnormality occurs in a battery cell or a battery module, and a vehicle including the battery pack.

[0010] However, the problems to be solved by the present invention are not limited to those mentioned above, and other problems not mentioned will be clearly understood by those skilled in the art from the following explanation. [Means for solving the problem]

[0011] In order to solve the above-mentioned problems, one aspect of the present invention provides a battery pack including: a plurality of battery modules each including a plurality of battery cells; a pack case configured to house the plurality of battery modules; a vent device provided in the pack case, the vent device configured to discharge gas generated in the battery modules to the outside of the pack case; and a cartridge configured to discharge carbon dioxide stored inside toward the vent device.

[0012] The cartridge may be provided inside the pack case, and the cartridge and the vent device may be arranged in a straight line along a horizontal direction.

[0013] The pack case is arranged to surround the plurality of battery modules and includes a side frame to which the vent device is coupled, and a partition wall that separates the plurality of battery modules inside the side frame, and at least a portion of the cartridge can be coupled to the partition wall that faces one surface of the side frame on which the vent device is provided.

[0014] The battery pack may further include an internal pressure recognition sensor provided inside the pack case to measure the internal pressure of the pack case, and may be configured to discharge carbon dioxide stored inside the cartridge toward the vent device when the pressure measured by the internal pressure recognition sensor is equal to or greater than a first value.

[0015] The vent device may be configured to operate when the internal pressure of the pack case reaches or exceeds a second value, and the first value may be defined to be greater than the second value.

[0016] For example, the first value may be defined as 0.2 bar.

[0017] A plurality of the cartridges and vent devices may be provided, and a plurality of units each consisting of one cartridge and one vent device may be provided, and each of the plurality of units may be provided symmetrically with respect to the center of the side frame.

[0018] The pack case may further include a cross beam connecting at least a portion of the side frames and separating the plurality of battery modules, and the plurality of units may be provided symmetrically on both sides of the cross beam.

[0019] The internal pressure recognition sensor may be installed in a space between the battery module and the side frame.

[0020] The internal pressure recognition sensors may be provided symmetrically on both sides of the cross beam.

[0021] The cartridge may include a cylinder portion including a storage portion having a space therein for storing carbon dioxide, and a discharge portion extending from the storage portion and discharging the carbon dioxide.

[0022] The diameter of the outlet may be smaller than the diameter of the reservoir.

[0023] The cartridge may further include an actuating unit connected to the cylinder portion and configured to discharge carbon dioxide from the cylinder portion when the pressure measured by the internal pressure recognition sensor is equal to or greater than the first value.

[0024] Another aspect of the present invention provides a vehicle including a battery pack according to an aspect of the present invention. [Effects of the Invention]

[0025] According to one aspect of the present invention, safety and reliability can be ensured by eliminating factors that could cause a flame to occur in the event of an abnormal condition in a battery cell or battery module, thereby suppressing the occurrence of a flame inside the pack case.

[0026] Furthermore, according to one aspect of the present invention, the occurrence of a flame can be suppressed by preventing sparks emitted from a battery cell from igniting oxygen when an abnormal condition occurs in the battery cell or battery module.

[0027] In addition, according to one aspect of the present invention, when an abnormality occurs in a battery cell or battery module, vent gas is quickly discharged to the outside of the pack case to suppress the occurrence of a flame, and other battery modules are prevented from being thermally damaged to the greatest extent possible, thereby effectively ensuring the ability to prevent thermal propagation within the pack.

[0028] The present invention can also provide various other effects, which will be described in the respective embodiments, but the description of effects that can be easily inferred by those skilled in the art will be omitted.

[0029] The following drawings attached to this specification illustrate preferred embodiments of the present invention and, together with the detailed description of the invention, are intended to facilitate a further understanding of the technical concept of the present invention. Therefore, the present invention should not be analyzed limitedly by the matters described in the drawings. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0030] [Figure 1] 1 is an assembled perspective view of a battery pack according to an embodiment of the present invention; [Figure 2] 1 is an exploded perspective view of a battery pack according to an embodiment of the present invention; [Figure 3] 1 is a perspective view of a battery module according to an embodiment of the present invention; [Figure 4] 10A and 10B are diagrams illustrating the position of a cartridge in a battery pack according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 5] 10A and 10B are diagrams illustrating the direction in which a cartridge operates in a battery pack according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 6] FIG. 6 is a cross-sectional view taken along the line AA' in FIG. 5. [Figure 7] 3A and 3B are diagrams illustrating a detailed structure of a cartridge according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 8] 10A and 10B are diagrams illustrating the position of an actuation portion of the cartridge according to the embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 9] 10A and 10B are diagrams illustrating the position of an actuation portion of a cartridge according to another embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 10] 1 is a perspective view of a vehicle including a battery pack according to an embodiment of the present invention. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0031] 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 are not interpreted as being limited to their general or dictionary meanings, but are 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 describe the invention.

[0032] Therefore, it should be understood that the embodiments described in this specification and the illustrated configurations are merely the most 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 replace them at the time of this application.

[0033] In the drawings, the size of each component or specific parts constituting the component may be exaggerated, omitted, or schematically illustrated for convenience and clarity of explanation. Therefore, the size of each component does not solely reflect the actual size. Furthermore, if it is determined that a detailed description of related known functions or configurations may obscure the gist of the present invention, such description will be omitted. Furthermore, in this specification, terms indicating directions are terms based on the components shown in the drawings and are relative terms that may change depending on the actual posture or position of the components.

[0034] Meanwhile, terms indicating directions such as up, down, left, right, front, and back in this specification are used merely for the convenience of explanation, and it will be obvious to those skilled in the art that they may change depending on the position of the object in question or the position of the observer, etc.

[0035] For example, in an embodiment of the present invention, the illustrated X-axis direction may refer to the front-to-back direction, the Y-axis direction may refer to the left-to-right direction perpendicular to the X-axis direction on a horizontal plane (XY plane), and the Z-axis direction may refer to the up-down direction (vertical direction) perpendicular to both the X-axis direction and the Y-axis direction.

[0036] FIG. 1 is an assembled perspective view of a battery pack according to an embodiment of the present invention, FIG. 2 is an exploded perspective view of a battery pack according to an embodiment of the present invention, and FIG. 3 is a perspective view of a battery module according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0037] 1 to 3, a battery pack 10 according to one embodiment of the present invention includes a battery module 100, a pack case 200, a vent device 300, and a cartridge 400.

[0038] The battery module 100 may include a plurality of battery cells 110. The battery cells 110 may be secondary batteries of any type, such as prismatic, cylindrical, or pouch-type battery cells. In the present embodiment, as shown in FIG. 3, the battery cells 110 are pouch-type battery cells.

[0039] The present invention is not limited by the specific type or shape of the battery cells 110, and various battery cells 110 known at the time of filing of the present invention may be used to configure the battery module 100 of the present invention. In the present embodiment, as shown in the drawing, a pouch-type secondary battery that has high energy density and is easy to stack is targeted, but it goes without saying that a cylindrical secondary battery or a prismatic secondary battery may also be used as the battery cell 110.

[0040] The plurality of battery cells 110 may be arranged in columns and rows within the battery module 100. For example, as shown in FIG. 3, the plurality of battery cells 110 may be arranged side by side in the left-right direction (Y-axis direction) while standing upright in the vertical direction (Z-axis direction).

[0041] A plurality of battery modules 100 including a plurality of such battery cells 110 may be provided in the battery pack 10. For example, as shown in FIG. 2, the plurality of battery modules 100 may be arranged in a row in the horizontal direction (X-axis direction and Y-axis direction).

[0042] The battery pack 10 according to an embodiment of the present invention may include a pack case 200. The pack case 200 may be configured to accommodate a plurality of battery modules 100. The structure of the pack case 200 will be described in detail below.

[0043] Furthermore, the battery pack 10 according to an embodiment of the present invention may include a vent device 300. The vent device 300 may be configured to discharge gas generated in the battery module 100 to the outside of the pack case 200 when an abnormal condition occurs in the battery module 100. The vent gas generated in the battery module 100 may be discharged to the outside of the pack case 200 through the vent device 300.

[0044] The battery pack 10 according to an embodiment of the present invention may further include a cartridge 400. The cartridge 400 may be configured to store carbon dioxide therein. The carbon dioxide may be stored in a liquid state under high pressure inside the cartridge 400. For example, the cartridge 400 may be a commercially available cartridge used to inflate tires of bicycles or the like with carbon dioxide. The cartridge 400 may be used together with an inflator or an adapter.

[0045] The cartridge 400 may be configured to discharge carbon dioxide stored therein toward the vent device 300. The cartridge 400 is installed in a position facing the vent device 300 in parallel, and when a thermal event occurs in a specific battery cell 110 or battery module 100, the cartridge 400 can discharge high-temperature gases, etc., more quickly through the vent device 300. This can assist in the discharge of high-temperature gases, providing a cooling effect, and reducing the internal pressure of the pack case 200, thereby reducing the risk of explosion, etc.

[0046] Furthermore, according to this embodiment, high-temperature gas, which is one of the factors that cause a fire, is removed, thereby suppressing the occurrence of a fire inside the pack case 200 and ensuring safety and reliability. Furthermore, according to this embodiment, other battery modules 100 are prevented from being thermally damaged to the greatest extent possible, and the performance of preventing heat propagation within the battery pack 10 unit can be effectively ensured.

[0047] Meanwhile, when gas is emitted from the battery cell 110, particles of the electrode plate or active material in the battery cell 110 may be heated to a high temperature and discharged to the outside, and these high-temperature particles appear in the form of sparks. In this case, if the sparks ignite oxygen in the process of being discharged to the outside of the battery module 100, a flame may occur or the fire may spread.

[0048] The carbon dioxide stored inside the cartridge 400 is heavier than oxygen, and when released onto a combustible material, it forms a non-combustible layer on the surface of the combustible material. Therefore, when the carbon dioxide is discharged from the cartridge 400, it can block the supply of oxygen, which is one of the elements that cause a flame. Therefore, according to the present embodiment, the carbon dioxide discharged from the cartridge 400 can purge oxygen inside the pack case 200. This removes oxygen, which is one of the elements that cause a flame, and can prevent a spark from reacting with oxygen inside the pack case 200 to cause a flame.

[0049] Meanwhile, a detailed structure of a battery module 100 according to an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to Fig. 3. The battery module 100 according to this embodiment may include a case body 120 and end plates 130 disposed on the front and rear surfaces of the case body 120.

[0050] The case body 120 may be configured as a rectangular tube having a hollow structure with open ends O at both ends in the longitudinal direction. For example, the case body 120 may be configured as a tube having an upper surface, a lower surface, a left side surface, and a right side surface, with openings formed at the front and rear ends.

[0051] Alternatively, the case body 120 may be configured in various other forms. For example, the case body 120 may be configured with a left side panel, a right side panel, and a bottom panel integrated into one piece. In this case, the integrated case portion may also be referred to as a U-frame. The U-frame may be tubular with a top plate welded to its upper surface. Alternatively, the case body 120 may include a box-shaped lower case with a left side panel, a right side panel, a front panel, and a rear panel integrated into one piece, and an upper cover that closes the upper open end of the lower case.

[0052] In addition, the case body 120 may be configured to allow the plurality of battery cells 110 to be inserted into it in one direction. For example, the plurality of battery cells 110 may be inserted into it in the front-rear direction (X-axis direction). That is, the case body 120 may be configured to allow the battery cells 110 to be inserted into it by sliding or interference fitting. Due to the interference fitting, there may be almost no gap between the top and bottom surfaces of the case body 120 and the top and bottom ends of the battery cells 110, and there may also be almost no gap between both side surfaces of the case body 120 and both sides of the battery cells 110.

[0053] Such a case body 120 may be made of a metal material that is rigid and heat-resistant in order to physically and chemically protect the housed battery cells 110 .

[0054] Meanwhile, vent holes H are formed in the case body 120 to enable directional venting in one direction. For example, as shown in Fig. 3, a plurality of vent holes H are formed on the upper surface of the case body 120, and directional venting of the battery module 100 upward is enabled through the vent holes H. Specifically, high-temperature gas discharged from the battery cells 110 through the vent holes H is discharged to the outside of the pack case 200 through the vent device 300.

[0055] The end plate 130 may be provided to be coupled to the open end O of the case body 120. For example, the inner side (the side facing the open end O) of the end plate 130 may include an insulating material, and the outer side (the side forming the exterior of the battery module 100) may include a metal material. In addition, the end plate 130 may have holes or slits in parts to expose components exposed to the outside, such as the positive terminal, negative terminal, or connector of the battery module 100.

[0056] FIG. 4 is a diagram for explaining the position of a cartridge in a battery pack according to one embodiment of the present invention, FIG. 5 is a diagram for explaining the direction in which the cartridge operates in a battery pack according to one embodiment of the present invention, and FIG. 6 is a cross-sectional view along A-A' in FIG. 5.

[0057] The cartridge 400 may be installed inside the pack case 200. According to one embodiment of the present invention, the cartridge 400 and the vent device 300 may be installed in a straight line along the horizontal direction. For example, as shown in FIGS. 4 to 6, the cartridge 400 and the vent device 300 may be arranged in a straight line along the Y-axis direction. According to this embodiment, carbon dioxide stored inside the cartridge 400 may be discharged directly toward the vent device 300, thereby purging high-temperature gases and oxygen discharged to the vent device 300. This eliminates factors that may cause a fire when an abnormality occurs in the battery cell 110 or the battery module 100, and suppresses the occurrence of a fire inside the pack case 200, thereby ensuring safety and reliability.

[0058] 2 to 6, the pack case 200 may include a base frame 210. The base frame 210 may be provided to form a lower surface of the pack case 200. Thus, a plurality of battery modules 100 may be mounted on the base frame 210. In this embodiment, the base frame 210 may be a rectangular plate.

[0059] The pack case 200 may also include side frames 220. The side frames 220 may be provided to extend upward from each side of the base frame 210. The side frames 220 may be provided to surround the plurality of battery modules 100. For example, in this embodiment, the side frames 220 may include walls extending in the X-axis direction and the Y-axis direction.

[0060] The vent device 300 may be coupled to the side frame 220. Although the vent device 300 is provided on the right (-Y direction) wall in FIGS. 2 and 4, it may be provided on any surface of the side frame 220. The vent device 300 may be provided on each row of the side frame 220, in which a plurality of battery modules 100 are arranged. According to the present embodiment, when an abnormality occurs in a battery cell 110, high-temperature gas or sparks can be discharged in various directions of the pack case 200, making it easy to discharge the gas to the outside of the pack case 200.

[0061] The pack case 200 may further include a partition wall 250. The partition wall 250 may be provided inside the side frame 220 to separate the plurality of battery modules 100. The partition wall 250 may be provided spaced apart from the side frame 220. A plurality of the partition walls 250 may be provided, and may be spaced apart at regular intervals. For example, the partition wall 250 may include a plurality of walls extending in the X-axis direction or the Y-axis direction inside the side frame 220. According to the present embodiment, since the plurality of battery modules 100 are separated by the partition wall 250, heat transfer to the other battery modules 100 can be prevented even if an abnormality occurs in one battery module 100.

[0062] According to one embodiment of the present invention, at least a portion of the cartridge 400 may be coupled to the partition wall 250. For example, as shown in FIGS. 4 to 6, at least a portion of the cartridge 400 may be coupled to the partition wall 250 facing one surface of the side frame 220 on which the vent device 300 is provided. The remaining portion of the cartridge 400 may be located between the partition wall 250 and the side frame 220. According to this embodiment, even when high-pressure carbon dioxide is rapidly and instantaneously discharged from the cartridge 400, the position of the cartridge 400 may be constrained and firmly fixed.

[0063] 1 and 2, the pack case 200 may include a pack lid 230 configured to cover the top of the battery module 100.

[0064] 4 and 5, the battery pack 10 according to an embodiment of the present invention may further include an internal pressure recognition sensor 500. The internal pressure recognition sensor 500 may be configured to measure the internal pressure of the pack case 200. The internal pressure recognition sensor 500 may be installed inside the pack case 200. The location of the internal pressure recognition sensor 500 will be described in detail below.

[0065] When high-temperature vent gas is discharged from the battery cells 110 or the battery modules 100, the higher the internal pressure of the pack case 200, the greater the risk of the gas spreading to other adjacent battery modules 100, such as by explosion, rather than catching fire one after another, causing a more serious problem. Therefore, the battery pack 10 of the present invention may be configured to discharge carbon dioxide stored inside the cartridge 400 toward the vent device 300 when the pressure measured by the internal pressure recognition sensor 500 is equal to or greater than a first value. That is, whether to operate the cartridge 400 may be determined depending on the magnitude of the internal pressure of the pack case 200 measured by the internal pressure recognition sensor 500. According to this embodiment, the cartridge 400 is selectively operated only when there is a serious risk of explosion, based on the magnitude of the internal pressure of the pack case 200 measured by the internal pressure recognition sensor 500, thereby efficiently discharging the vent gas to the outside of the vent device 300.

[0066] Meanwhile, when high-temperature gas is discharged from the battery cells 110 through the vent holes H, the internal pressure of the pack case 200 increases, which may activate the vent device 300. Specifically, the vent device 300 may be configured to activate when the internal pressure of the pack case 200 reaches or exceeds a second value. The second value, which is the pressure at which the vent device 300 activates, may vary depending on the type of the vent device 300. For example, the second value may be variously set to a range of 0.02 bar to 0.2 bar, and the vent device 300 may activate when a pressure within this range is detected.

[0067] According to an embodiment of the present invention, when the internal pressure of the pack case 200 measured by the internal pressure recognition sensor 500 is higher than the pressure that allows the vent device 300 to operate, the cartridge 400 may be activated to discharge carbon dioxide stored inside the cartridge 400. That is, the first value may be defined to be greater than the second value.

[0068] For example, when thermal runaway occurs in a specific battery module 100 and heat is transferred to other adjacent battery modules 100, the internal pressure of the pack case 200 may be 0.2 bar or more and 0.6 bar or less. Therefore, when the pressure measured by the internal pressure recognition sensor 500, i.e., the first value, is 0.2 bar, carbon dioxide may be discharged from the cartridge 400.

[0069] According to this embodiment, when the internal pressure of the pack case 200 becomes higher than the pressure at which the vent device 300 is activated due to thermal runaway or the like, posing a risk of explosion, the cartridge 400 can be activated independently of or in succession with the vent device 300. This allows high-temperature gases and the like to be discharged to the outside of the pack case 200 by carbon dioxide discharged from the cartridge 400, thereby reducing the internal pressure of the pack case 200. Furthermore, according to this embodiment, the generation of a flame can be suppressed by removing heat and / or gas, which are elements that cause a flame, thereby ensuring safety.

[0070] 4 and 5, a plurality of cartridges 400 and vent devices 300 may be provided. Also, a plurality of units U each consisting of one cartridge 400 and one vent device 300 may be provided.

[0071] The plurality of units U may be respectively installed on the side frames 220 of the pack case 200. In this case, the plurality of units U may be respectively installed symmetrically with respect to the center of the side frame 220. According to the present embodiment, regardless of the position of the battery module 100 from which the vent gas is discharged, carbon dioxide is discharged from the cartridge 400 included in the unit U installed on the battery module 100 side, thereby easily suppressing the occurrence of a fire.

[0072] Meanwhile, as shown in FIGS. 2 and 4, the pack case 200 according to an embodiment of the present invention may further include a cross beam 240. The cross beam 240 may be provided to connect at least a portion of the side frames 220 to each other. For example, as shown in FIG. 2, the cross beam 240 may extend in the Y-axis direction. In this case, the cross beam 240 may partition the battery modules 100. The battery modules 100 may be arranged side by side on both sides of the cross beam 240 within the pack case 200. In this case, the units U may be symmetrically provided on both sides of the side frames 220 with respect to the cross beam 240. According to this embodiment, regardless of the position of the battery module 100 from which vent gas is discharged, carbon dioxide is quickly discharged from the cartridge 400 included in the unit U provided on the battery module 100 side, thereby suppressing the occurrence of a fire.

[0073] Meanwhile, the location of the internal pressure recognition sensor 500 will be described mainly with reference to Fig. 5. The internal pressure recognition sensor 500 may be provided outside the battery module 100. The internal pressure recognition sensor 500 may be provided in a space between the battery module 100 and the side frame 220. For example, the internal pressure recognition sensor 500 may be provided between one surface of the side frame 220 on which the vent device 300 is provided and the partition wall 250 facing the side frame 220.

[0074] A plurality of the internal pressure recognition sensors 500 may be provided. The plurality of internal pressure recognition sensors 500 may be provided inside the pack case 200. As shown in FIG. 5, the plurality of internal pressure recognition sensors 500 may be provided symmetrically on both sides of the cross beam 240. Each of the plurality of internal pressure recognition sensors 500 may be wirelessly, for example, electrically connected to the cartridges 400 of the unit U provided on both sides of the cross beam 240. In this case, the plurality of internal pressure recognition sensors 500 and the unit U may operate independently depending on the position of the battery module 100 where vent gas, etc. is discharged.

[0075] 5, when an abnormal situation occurs in the battery module 100 on the left side of the cross beam 240, the pressure measured by the internal pressure recognition sensor 500 provided on the left side of the cross beam 240 may reach the first value first. Therefore, carbon dioxide is discharged from the cartridge 400 provided on the left side of the cross beam 240 toward the vent device 300.

[0076] According to this embodiment, when high-temperature gas is discharged from a certain battery cell 110 or battery module 100, the cartridge 400 installed on the battery module 100 side operates independently, thereby gradually reducing the internal pressure of the pack case 200.

[0077] FIG. 7 is a diagram for explaining the detailed structure of the cartridge according to one embodiment of the present invention.

[0078] The cartridge 400 may include a cylinder portion 410. The cylinder portion 410 may include a storage portion 411 having a space therein for storing carbon dioxide, and an outlet portion 412 extending from the storage portion 411 to discharge the carbon dioxide. As shown in Figures 5 and 6, the storage portion 411 may be coupled to the pack case 200, for example, to the partition wall 250, and in this case, the outlet portion 412 may protrude from the storage portion 411 toward the vent device 300.

[0079] A diameter d of the discharge portion 412 may be smaller than a diameter D of the storage portion 411. The discharge portion 412 may be made of a material having a lower melting point than the storage portion 411. The discharge portion 412 may be configured to have a melting point similar to the temperature of the flame, so that it melts and discharges carbon dioxide when a flame occurs. According to this embodiment, the carbon dioxide quickly discharged through the discharge portion 412 of the cartridge 400 instantaneously purges and removes vent gas and oxygen, which are elements that generate a flame, thereby suppressing the generation of a flame.

[0080] FIG. 8 is a diagram for explaining the position of the actuation portion of the cartridge according to one embodiment of the present invention.

[0081] Meanwhile, the cartridge 400 may further include an actuator 420. The actuator 420 may be connected to the cylinder part 410 and configured to discharge carbon dioxide from the cylinder part 410 when the pressure measured by the internal pressure recognition sensor 500 is equal to or greater than the first value. The actuator 420 may have any configuration that discharges carbon dioxide from the cylinder part 410.

[0082] For example, the battery pack 10 may include a BMS (Battery Management System) or BMU (Battery Management Unit) and may process various types of information. The BMS or BMU may transmit and receive information to and from various control devices via a communication bus such as a Serial Peripheral Interface (SPI) or a Controller Area Network (CAN) interface. The BMS or BMU may also transmit and receive information to and from each battery module 100 or a cell supervision circuit (CSC) of each battery module 100.

[0083] According to an embodiment of the present invention, pressure information measured by the internal pressure recognition sensor 500 may constitute sensing data of the CSC. According to this embodiment, the pressure information measured by the internal pressure recognition sensor 500 may be transmitted to the BMS or BMU. The BMS or BMU may be connected to the actuator 420 through a communication bus such as an SPI or CAN interface. When the pressure information measured by the internal pressure recognition sensor 500 is transmitted to the BMS or BMU and the BMS or BMU determines that the pressure information is equal to or greater than a first value, the BMS or BMU may transmit a drive signal for the actuator 420 to the actuator 420. The actuator 420, upon receiving the drive signal, may be configured to discharge carbon dioxide from the cylinder portion 410.

[0084] 8, the actuator 420 may be provided in a space between the side frame 220 and the plurality of battery modules 100. For example, a plurality of the cylinder portions 410 may be provided, and a plurality of the actuator portions 420 may be provided so as to be connected to the plurality of cylinder portions 410, respectively.

[0085] According to this embodiment, since the plurality of operating parts 420 are individually connected to the plurality of cylinder parts 410, carbon dioxide can be discharged from a specific cylinder part 410 depending on the position of the battery module 100 where vent gas, etc. is generated, thereby efficiently suppressing the occurrence of a flame.

[0086] FIG. 9 is a diagram for explaining the position of an actuating portion of a cartridge according to another embodiment of the present invention.

[0087] A space for the actuator 420 may be provided inside the pack case 200. A space for the actuator 420 may be provided inside the side frame 220 or the cross beam 240. For example, as shown in FIG. 9, a space for installing the actuator 420 may be provided inside the cross beam 240.

[0088] The actuating unit 420 may be connected to the cylinder units 410 provided on both sides of the cross beam 240, respectively, and configured to discharge carbon dioxide from several cylinder units 410 provided on both sides of the cross beam 240 when the pressure measured by the internal pressure recognition sensor 500 is equal to or greater than the first value.

[0089] According to this embodiment, the actuating unit 420 is connected to at least one of the cylinder units 410, so that when a thermal event occurs in a specific battery cell 110 or battery module 100, carbon dioxide can be simultaneously discharged from several cylinder units 410, thereby more quickly suppressing the occurrence of a fire.

[0090] FIG. 10 is a perspective view of a vehicle including a battery pack according to one embodiment of the present invention.

[0091] 10, an automobile 1 according to an embodiment of the present invention may include one or more battery packs 10 according to an embodiment of the present invention. The automobile 1 according to an embodiment of the present invention may be, for example, an electric vehicle, a hybrid vehicle, or a plug-in hybrid vehicle. The automobile 1 includes four-wheeled vehicles and two-wheeled vehicles. The automobile 1 operates by receiving power from the battery pack 10 according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0092] Because the battery pack 10 has the various effects described above, the automobile 1 including the battery pack also has the same effects. Specifically, the battery pack 10 can suppress the occurrence of a flame inside the pack case 200 by eliminating factors that could cause a flame when an abnormality occurs in the battery cell 110 or the battery module 100. Furthermore, when an abnormality occurs in the battery cell 110 or the battery module 100, the battery pack 10 quickly discharges vent gas to the outside of the pack case 200 to suppress the occurrence of a flame, and can effectively ensure the performance of preventing heat propagation within the pack unit by minimizing thermal damage to other battery modules 100. Therefore, the automobile 1 including such a battery pack 10 also has advantages in terms of safety and reliability.

[0093] As described above, the present invention has been described using limited embodiments and drawings, but the present invention is not limited thereto, and it goes without saying that various changes and modifications can be made by a person having ordinary skill in the art to which the present invention pertains within the technical spirit of the present invention and the equivalent scope of the claims. [Explanation of symbols]

[0094] 1. Automobiles 10 Battery Pack 100 Battery Module 110 battery cells 120 Case body 130 End Plate 200 pack case 210 base frame 220 Side Frame 230 pack lids 240 Cross Beam 250 Bulkhead 300 Vent Device 400 cartridges 410 Cylinder section 411 Storage Unit 412 Discharge section 420 Operating unit 500 Internal pressure recognition sensor

Claims

1. a plurality of battery modules including a plurality of battery cells; a pack case configured to accommodate a plurality of the battery modules; a vent device provided in the pack case, the vent device configured to exhaust gas generated in the battery module to the outside of the pack case; a cartridge configured to exhaust carbon dioxide stored therein toward the vent device.

2. the cartridge is provided inside the pack case, The battery pack according to claim 1 , wherein the cartridge and the vent device are aligned in a horizontal direction.

3. The pack case is a side frame provided to surround the plurality of battery modules and to which the vent device is coupled; a partition wall that separates the plurality of battery modules from each other inside the side frame, The battery pack according to claim 2 , wherein at least a portion of the cartridge is coupled to the partition wall facing the side surface of the side frame on which the vent device is provided.

4. The pack case further includes an internal pressure recognition sensor provided inside the pack case to measure the internal pressure of the pack case, 4. The battery pack according to claim 3, wherein when the pressure measured by the internal pressure recognition sensor is equal to or greater than a first value, carbon dioxide stored inside the cartridge is discharged toward the vent device.

5. the vent device is configured to operate when the internal pressure of the pack case becomes equal to or greater than a second value; The battery pack according to claim 4 , wherein the first value is defined to be greater than the second value.

6. 6. The battery pack of claim 5, wherein the first value is defined as 0.2 bar.

7. a plurality of the cartridges and vent devices are provided; a plurality of units each consisting of one cartridge and one vent device are provided; The battery pack according to claim 4 , wherein the plurality of units are provided symmetrically with respect to the center of the side frame.

8. The pack case is a cross beam connecting at least a portion of the side frames and defining a partition between the plurality of battery modules; The battery pack according to claim 7 , wherein the plurality of units are provided symmetrically on both sides of the cross beam.

9. The battery pack according to claim 8 , wherein the internal pressure recognition sensor is provided in a space between the battery module and the side frame.

10. The battery pack according to claim 9 , wherein the internal pressure recognition sensors are provided symmetrically on both sides of the cross beam.

11. The cartridge comprises: The battery pack according to claim 4 , comprising a cylindrical portion including a storage portion having a space therein for storing carbon dioxide, and a discharge portion extending from the storage portion and for discharging the carbon dioxide.

12. The battery pack of claim 11 , wherein the diameter of the outlet is smaller than the diameter of the reservoir.

13. The cartridge comprises:

12. The battery pack of claim 11, further comprising an actuator connected to the cylinder portion, the actuator configured to discharge carbon dioxide from the cylinder portion when the pressure measured by the internal pressure recognition sensor is equal to or greater than the first value.

14. A motor vehicle comprising a battery pack according to any one of claims 1 to 13.

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