Jig for simulating the surface pressure of a battery cell

Abstract

A jig for simulating the surface pressure of a battery cell according to one embodiment of the present invention is characterized by comprising: a lower plate; an upper plate positioned above the lower plate at a distance from it; and a pressure sensor positioned between the lower plate and the upper plate for measuring the pressure of the battery cell. The jig according to one embodiment of the present invention can simulate the surface pressure of a battery cell within a battery module.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a jig for simulating the surface pressure of a battery cell, and more particularly, to a jig for simulating the surface pressure of a battery cell within a battery module.

Background Art

[0002] A secondary battery refers to a battery that can be charged and discharged, unlike a primary battery that cannot be charged. It is applied not only to portable devices but also to electric vehicles (EVs), hybrid electric vehicles (HEVs), etc. that are driven by an electric drive source.

[0003] Currently widely used types of secondary batteries include lithium-ion batteries, lithium polymer batteries, nickel-cadmium batteries, nickel-metal hydride batteries, nickel-zinc batteries, etc. The operating voltage of such a unit secondary battery cell, that is, a unit battery cell, is about 2.5V to 4.6V. Therefore, when a higher output voltage is required, a large number of battery cells are connected in series to form a battery pack. Also, depending on the charge / discharge capacity required for the battery pack, a large number of battery cells are connected in parallel to form a battery pack. Thus, the number of battery cells included in the battery pack can be variously set according to the required output voltage or charge / discharge capacity.

[0004] When a large number of battery cells are connected in series / parallel to form a battery pack, generally, at least one battery cell, preferably a battery module composed of a large number of battery cells, is first formed, and at least one such battery module is used, and other components are added to form a battery pack. Here, a battery module means a component in which a large number of battery cells are connected in series or parallel, and a battery pack means a component in which a large number of battery modules are connected in series or parallel to increase the capacity and output, etc.

[0005] The battery cells that make up a battery module can be classified into pouch type, cylindrical type, prismatic type, etc., depending on the shape of the battery case.

[0006] Within a battery module, the surface pressure of the battery cells can change depending on their position. Therefore, there is a need for a device that can simulate the behavior of battery cell surface pressure within an actual battery module. [Overview of the project] [Problems that the invention aims to solve]

[0007] The present invention aims to provide a jig that can simulate the behavior of battery cell surface pressure within a battery module. [Means for solving the problem]

[0008] A jig for simulating the surface pressure of a battery cell according to one embodiment of the present invention is characterized by comprising: a lower plate; an upper plate positioned above the lower plate at a distance from it; and a pressure sensor positioned between the lower plate and the upper plate for measuring the pressure of the battery cell.

[0009] Furthermore, a jig for simulating the surface pressure of a battery cell according to one embodiment of the present invention further includes fastening members for fastening the lower plate and the upper plate.

[0010] Furthermore, the fastening member includes a first fastening member positioned on one side of the battery cell, and a second fastening member positioned on the other side opposite to the one side of the battery cell.

[0011] Furthermore, the first fastening member and the second fastening member each include a bolt.

[0012] Furthermore, the first fastening member and the second fastening member further include nuts that are connected to the bolt.

[0013] Furthermore, the number of the first fastening members differs from the number of the second fastening members.

[0014] Furthermore, the upper plate and the lower plate each include a first fastening hole into which the first fastening member is inserted, and a second fastening hole into which the second fastening member is inserted.

[0015] Furthermore, the number of the first fastening holes differs from the number of the second fastening holes.

[0016] Furthermore, a jig for simulating the surface pressure of a battery cell according to one embodiment of the present invention further includes a compression pad positioned on one surface of the battery cell between the upper plate and the lower plate.

[0017] Furthermore, the compression pad is positioned on the lower plate.

[0018] Furthermore, the pressure sensor is positioned on the side of the battery cell opposite to the side on which the compression pad is located.

[0019] Furthermore, a jig for simulating the surface pressure of a battery cell according to one embodiment of the present invention further includes two side plates positioned on both sides of the battery cell.

[0020] Furthermore, a resin layer is provided on at least one of the two side plates.

[0021] Furthermore, the lower plate includes two insertion grooves into which the lower parts of the two side plates are inserted.

[0022] Furthermore, the upper plate includes two insertion grooves into which the upper parts of the two side plates are inserted. [Effects of the Invention]

[0023] The jig according to the present invention has an effect that it can simulate the behavior of the surface pressure of battery cells within a battery module.

Brief Description of the Drawings

[0024] [Figure 1] It is a perspective view of a battery module. [Figure 2] It is an exploded perspective view of a battery module. [Figure 3] It is a perspective view of a battery cell. [Figure 4] It is a front view of a jig for simulating the surface pressure of a battery cell according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 5] It is a left side view of a jig for simulating the surface pressure of a battery cell according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 6] It is a plan view of the lower plate in FIG. 5. [Figure 7] It is a plan view of the upper plate in FIG. 5. [Figure 8] It is a view showing the surface pressure of a battery cell with a jig for simulating the surface pressure of a battery cell according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 9] It is a plan view of the lower plate with a jig for simulating the surface pressure of a battery cell according to another embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 10] It is a plan view of the upper plate with a jig for simulating the surface pressure of a battery cell according to another embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 11] It is a view showing the surface pressure of a battery cell with a jig for simulating the surface pressure of a battery cell according to another embodiment of the present invention.

Modes for Carrying Out the Invention

[0025] The advantages and features of the present invention, and the methods for achieving them, should become clear with reference to the embodiments described below in detail with the accompanying drawings. However, the present invention is not limited to the embodiments disclosed below and can be embodied in a variety of different forms. These embodiments are provided only to complete the disclosure of the present invention and to fully inform those who are ordinary skill in the art to which the invention pertains of the invention, and the present invention is defined solely by the claims. For this reason, known process steps, known element structures and known techniques are not specifically described in some embodiments to avoid ambiguity of the present invention. Throughout the specification, the same reference numerals refer to the same components.

[0026] Thickness may be enlarged in the drawings to clearly represent multiple layers and regions. The same drawing reference numerals are used for similar parts throughout the specification. When a layer, film, region, plate, etc. is said to be "above" another part, this includes not only when it is "directly above" another part, but also when there is another part in between. Conversely, when a part is said to be "directly above" another part, it means that there is no other part in between. Similarly, when a layer, film, region, plate, etc. is said to be "below" another part, this includes not only when it is "directly below" another part, but also when there is another part in between. Conversely, when a part is "directly below" another part, it means that there is no other part in between.

[0027] Before describing the jig 2000 for simulating the surface pressure of a battery cell according to one embodiment of the present invention, the battery module 1000 will be described.

[0028] Figure 1 is a perspective view of the battery module, Figure 2 is an exploded perspective view of the battery module, and Figure 3 is a perspective view of the battery cell.

[0029] The battery module 1000 may include a battery cell stack 100 in which multiple battery cells 110 are stacked, a module case 200 that houses the battery cell stack 100, a busbar frame 300 located on one and / or the other side of the battery cell stack 100, an insulating cover 500 positioned outside the busbar frame 300, and an end plate 400 positioned outside the insulating cover 500.

[0030] The battery cell stack 100 can be constructed by stacking a plurality of battery cells 110 along one direction, and the plurality of battery cells 110 can be electrically connected. The direction in which the plurality of battery cells 110 are stacked can be the X-axis direction (or -X-axis direction) in Figure 2.

[0031] The direction from the front to the rear of the battery cell stack 100, or the opposite direction, may be defined in the longitudinal direction of the battery cell stack 100 and may be the Y-axis direction on the drawing. Also, the direction from the top to the bottom of the battery cell stack 100, or the opposite direction, may be defined in the width direction of the battery cell stack 100 and may be the Z-axis direction on the drawing.

[0032] The longitudinal direction of the battery cell stack 100 may be substantially the same as the longitudinal direction of the battery cells 110. The electrode leads 111 and 112 of the battery cells 110 can be located on the front and rear surfaces of the battery cell stack 100, and the busbars 310 and 320 of the battery module 1000 can be positioned close to the front and rear surfaces of the battery cell stack 100 to easily form electrical connections with the electrode leads 111 and 112.

[0033] The battery cell 110 may be supplied as a pouch-type battery cell, which allows for the maximum number of cells stacked per unit area. However, the battery cell 110 does not necessarily have to be supplied in pouch form, and may be supplied in prismatic, cylindrical, or other various forms.

[0034] The battery cell 110, supplied in a pouch, may include an electrode assembly and a cell case 115 that houses the electrode assembly (see Figure 3).

[0035] The cell case 115 of the battery cell 110 is for housing the electrode assembly and may be a pouch-type cell case 115. The cell case 115 includes a lower case and an upper case that covers the lower case, and the upper case and lower case may be integrally constructed. Alternatively, as shown in Figure 3, the connecting portion of the upper case and lower case may be bent and folded. Furthermore, as illustrated, the upper case may completely cover the lower case, and a sealing portion 114 may be formed around the periphery.

[0036] Both the upper and lower cases may be composed of a laminate structure including an internal coating layer, a metal layer, and an external coating layer. The internal coating layer is located inside the cell case 115 relative to the metal layer and is in direct contact with the electrode assembly, so it must have insulating and electrolytic resistance properties. Furthermore, for sealing with the outside, it is required to have sealing properties, i.e., the sealing portion where the internal layers are heat-bonded together must have excellent thermal bonding strength. The metal layer is located between the internal coating layer and the external coating layer and acts as a barrier layer to prevent moisture and various gases from penetrating into the inside of the battery from the outside. A preferred material for the metal layer in contact with the internal coating layer is a lightweight and moldable aluminum (Al) thin film. The external coating layer is located outside the cell case 115 relative to the metal layer. Such an external coating layer can be made of a heat-resistant polymer with excellent tensile strength, moisture permeability, and air permeability so as to ensure heat resistance and chemical resistance while protecting the electrode assembly. For example, nylon or polyethylene terephthalate can be used.

[0037] An accommodating groove 116 can be formed in the upper case and the lower case, and the electrode assembly can be housed in the accommodating groove 116 of the upper case and the lower case.

[0038] The electrode assembly housed in the cell case 115 may be one selected from the group consisting of a jelly-roll type electrode assembly having a structure in which a separation membrane is interposed between a long sheet-like positive electrode and a negative electrode before winding, a stack-type electrode assembly consisting of unit cells having a structure in which rectangular positive and negative electrodes are stacked with a separation membrane interposed between them, a stack-folding type electrode assembly in which the unit cells are wound by a long separation film, and a lamination-stack type electrode assembly in which unit cells are stacked with a separation membrane interposed between them and adhere to each other.

[0039] The electrode assembly may also include two electrode tabs and two electrode leads 111 and 112 connected to these electrode tabs by welds.

[0040] Of the two electrode leads 111 and 112, one electrode lead 111 or 112 may be a positive lead connected to a positive electrode tab, and the other electrode lead 111 or 112 may be a negative lead connected to a negative electrode tab.

[0041] A lead film 113 can be attached to each of the electrode leads 111 and 112. The lead film 113 attached to the electrode leads 111 and 112 is located between the electrode leads 111 and 112 and the cell case 115, preventing short circuits from occurring between the electrode leads 111 and 112 and the cell case 115, improving sealing and preventing electrolyte leakage.

[0042] Although the two electrode leads 111 and 112 are shown positioned on both sides of the electrode assembly, they may be positioned on only one side of the electrode assembly depending on the arrangement of the electrode tabs.

[0043] The module case 200 may be for protecting the battery cell stack 100 and the electrical components connected thereto from external physical shocks, and the module case 200 can house the battery cell stack 100 and the electrical components connected thereto in the internal space of the module case 200.

[0044] The structure of the module case 200 can be diverse. For example, the module case 200 may have a monoframe structure. Here, the monoframe may be in the form of a metal sheet with an integrated top, bottom, and both sides. The monoframe can be manufactured by press forming. As another example, the module case 200 may have a structure in which a U-shaped frame and an upper plate (top surface) 201 are joined. In the case of a structure in which a U-shaped frame and an upper plate are joined, the module case 200 can be formed by joining the upper plate to the upper side of a U-shaped frame, which is a metal sheet with an integrated bottom and both sides, and each frame or plate can be manufactured by press forming. Furthermore, the structure of the module case 200 may be provided with an L-shaped frame structure in addition to a monoframe or U-shaped frame, and may be provided with a variety of structures not described in the examples above.

[0045] The structure of the module case 200 may be provided in an open form along the longitudinal direction of the battery cell stack 100. The front and rear surfaces of the battery cell stack 100 may not be obscured by the module case 200. The electrode leads 111 and 112 of the battery cells 110 may not be obscured by the module case 200. The front and rear surfaces of the battery cell stack 100 may not be obscured by the busbar frame 300, end plate 400, or busbars 310, 320, etc., as described later, thereby protecting the front and rear surfaces of the battery cell stack 100 from external physical shocks, etc.

[0046] A compression pad 150 can be positioned between the battery cell stack 100 and one side of the inner surface of the module case 200.

[0047] The compression pad 150 can be positioned in the battery cell stack 100 so as to face the outermost battery cell 110 of the battery cell stack 100 in the X-axis direction in the drawing.

[0048] Although not shown in the diagram, a thermoconductive resin can be injected between the battery cell stack 100 and the inner surface of the module case 200, and a thermoconductive resin layer (not shown) can be formed between the battery cell stack 100 and one inner surface of the module case 200 by the injected thermoconductive resin. In this case, the thermoconductive resin layer can be located on the Z-axis of the battery cell stack 100, and the thermoconductive resin layer can be formed between the battery cell stack 100 and the bottom surface of the module case 200 located on the -Z-axis.

[0049] The busbar frame 300 is positioned on one surface of the battery cell stack 100, covering one surface of the battery cell stack 100 and guiding the connection between the battery cell stack 100 and external equipment. Specifically, as shown in the figure, the busbar frame 300 can be positioned on the front or rear surface of the battery cell stack 100, or it may be positioned on the top, bottom, or side surface. At least one of the busbars 310, 320 and module connectors can be mounted on the busbar frame 300. As shown in Figure 2, one surface of the busbar frame 300 can be connected to one or the other surface of the battery cell stack 100, and the other surface of the busbar frame 300 can be connected to the busbars 310, 320.

[0050] The busbar frame 300 may include an electrically insulating material. The busbar frame 300 can restrict the busbars 310 and 320 from contacting other parts of the battery cell 110 other than the parts joined to the electrode leads 111 and 112, thereby preventing electrical short circuits from occurring.

[0051] The busbar frame 300 may be located on one side and the other side of the battery cell stack 100, respectively.

[0052] Busbars 310 and 320 are mounted on one surface of the busbar frame 300 and may be used to electrically connect the battery cell stack 100 or the battery cells 110 to external equipment circuits. Multiple busbars 310 and 320 may be arranged and positioned between the battery cell stack 100 or the busbar frame 300 and the end plate 400, thereby protecting them from external impacts and minimizing durability degradation due to external moisture.

[0053] The busbars 310 and 320 can be electrically connected to the battery cell stack 100 via the electrode leads 111 and 112 of the battery cell 110.

[0054] Specifically, the electrode leads 111 and 112 of the battery cell 110 can pass through lead slits formed in the busbar frame 300, then bend and connect to the busbars 310 and 320. The electrode leads 111 and 112 of the battery cell 110 can be connected to both sides of the busbars 310 and 320, with electrode lead 111 connected to one side of the busbars 310 and 320 being the positive electrode lead, and electrode lead 112 connected to the other side of the busbars 310 and 320 being the negative electrode lead.

[0055] The busbars 310 and 320 allow the battery cells 110 constituting the battery cell stack 100 to be connected in series or in parallel.

[0056] The busbars 310 and 320 may include a terminal busbar 320 for electrically connecting one battery module 1000 to another battery module 1000. To connect to another battery module 1000, at least a portion of the terminal busbar 320 may be exposed to the outside of the end plate 400, and the end plate 400 may be provided with a terminal opening 410 for this purpose.

[0057] The end plate 400 may be intended to protect the battery cell stack 100 and the electrical components connected thereto from external physical shocks by sealing the open surface of the module case 200. For this purpose, the end plate 400 may be made of a material having a certain strength, and for example, the end plate 400 may include a metal such as aluminum or a plastic material.

[0058] Terminal openings 410 can be formed in the end plate 400. Terminal openings 410 can be located on both sides of the end plate 400, and a portion of the insulating cover 500 and one end (second portion 322) of the terminal bus bar 320 can be exposed through the terminal openings 410.

[0059] Furthermore, a connector opening can be located between the terminal openings 410 on both sides of the end plate 400, and the module connector can be exposed to the outside through the connector opening.

[0060] The end plate 400 can be coupled to the module case 200 while covering the busbar frame 300 or busbars 310, 320 located on one surface of the battery cell stack 100. Each corner of the end plate 400 can be coupled to the corresponding corner of the module case 200 by methods such as welding, bolting, or hooking.

[0061] The end plates 400 can be positioned on one side and the other side of the module case 200 so as to cover both sides of the battery cell stack 100. In this embodiment, an example is shown in which the end plates 400 are positioned on the front and rear sides of the module case 200.

[0062] Furthermore, an insulating cover 500 for electrical insulation can be positioned between the end plate 400 and the busbar frame 300. That is, the busbar frame 300, insulating cover 500, and end plate 400 can be positioned sequentially outward from the battery cell stack 100. Similar to the end plate 400, the busbar frame 300 and insulating cover 500 can each be composed of multiple units.

[0063] The insulating cover 500 may include an electrically insulating material and can prevent the busbars 310 and 320 from coming into contact with the end plate 400.

[0064] Furthermore, the insulating cover 500 can be positioned on the inner surface of the end plate 400 and can be in close contact with the inner surface of the end plate 400, but this is not always the case.

[0065] Next, a jig 2000 for simulating the surface pressure of a battery cell 110 according to one embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.

[0066] Figure 4 is a front view of a jig for simulating the surface pressure of a battery cell according to one embodiment of the present invention, Figure 5 is a side view of the jig for simulating the surface pressure of a battery cell according to one embodiment of the present invention, Figure 6 is a plan view of the lower plate in Figure 5, Figure 7 is a plan view of the upper plate in Figure 5, and Figure 8 is a diagram showing the surface pressure of a battery cell obtained using the jig for simulating the surface pressure of a battery cell according to one embodiment of the present invention.

[0067] A jig 2000 for simulating the surface pressure of a battery cell according to one embodiment of the present invention may include a lower plate 2100, an upper plate 2200 positioned above the lower plate 2100 at a distance from it, a fastening member 2300 for fastening the lower plate 2100 and the upper plate 2200 together, and a pressure sensor 2500 for measuring the pressure of a battery cell 110 positioned between the lower plate 2100 and the upper plate 2200.

[0068] The lower plate 2100 can be positioned below the jig 2000 for simulating the surface pressure of the battery cell according to this embodiment, and can be formed in the shape of a flat plate having a predetermined thickness.

[0069] Figure 6 is a plan view of the lower plate 2100, which may be formed in the shape of a rectangular plate and may include fastening holes 2111 and 2121 for fastening the fastening member 2300. Specifically, the fastening holes 2111 and 2121 may include a plurality of first fastening holes 2111 arranged along the first end 2110 of the lower plate 2100, and a plurality of second fastening holes 2121 arranged along the second end 2120 of the lower plate 2100.

[0070] The first end 2110 of the lower plate 2100 can be extended along the length of the upper part of the lower plate 2100 in Figure 6, and a plurality of first fastening holes 2111 can be arranged in a row spaced apart along the first end 2110.

[0071] In the lower plate 2100, the second end 2120 can be located on the opposite side of the first end 2110 and can extend along the lengthwise side of the lower plate 2100 in Figure 6. Multiple second fastening holes 2121 can be arranged to be spaced apart along the second end 2120, and in this embodiment, as shown, two second fastening holes 2121 can be located at both ends of the second end 2120.

[0072] In this embodiment, as shown in Figure 6, the number of first fastening holes 2111 may be greater than the number of second fastening holes 2121. Therefore, the number of first fastening members 2310 fastened to the first fastening holes 2111 at the first end 2110 may be greater than the number of second fastening members 2320 fastened to the second fastening holes 2121 at the second end 2120.

[0073] Figure 6 shows an example where there are 12 first fastening holes 2111 and 2 second fastening holes 2121, but the number of first fastening holes 2111 and second fastening holes 2121 can be changed.

[0074] Furthermore, the lower plate 2100 may include an insertion groove 2130 into which the side plate 2400 is inserted.

[0075] As shown in the diagram, two insertion grooves 2130 parallel to each other can be arranged on the upper surface of the lower plate 2100, and the two insertion grooves 2130 can be formed in a straight line along the first end 2110 and the second end 2120, respectively, and can be arranged parallel to the first end 2110 and the second end 2120.

[0076] The insertion groove 2130 can be positioned inside the first fastening hole 2111 or the second fastening hole 2121 in the lower plate 2100.

[0077] The lower plate 2100 may be made of a metal material, for example, aluminum Al, but is not limited to this, and may be made of other materials.

[0078] A compression pad 2600 can be placed on the lower plate 2100.

[0079] The compression pad 2600 can be positioned on the lower plate 2100 between the two insertion grooves 2130. Therefore, the width of the compression pad 2600 may be less than the distance between the two insertion grooves 2130.

[0080] The length of the compression pad 2600 along its longitudinal direction (the left-right length of the compression pad 2600 in Figure 5) may be similar to or greater than that of the battery cell 110.

[0081] The compression pad 2600 can be attached to the lower plate 2100.

[0082] A battery cell 110 can be placed on the compression pad 2600.

[0083] The arrangement of the battery cells 110 on the compression pad 2600 allows the electrode leads 111 and 112 of the battery cells 110 to be positioned on both sides of the lower plate 2100 where the insertion grooves 2130 (or side plate 2400) are not located.

[0084] The battery cell 110 can be a pouch-type battery cell 110 as shown in Figure 3. Specifically, the upper or lower case that constitutes the case 115 of the battery cell 110 in Figure 3 can be placed on the compression pad 2600, and one side of the battery cell 110 can be attached to the compression pad 2600 by adhesive tape 2550. The other side of the battery cell 110 can be attached to the pressure sensor 2500 by adhesive tape 2550.

[0085] The pressure sensor 2500 is for measuring the pressure of the battery cell 110. In this embodiment, the pressure sensor 2500 is positioned between the battery cell 110 and the upper plate 2200, allowing it to measure the surface pressure of the battery cell 110. The pressure sensor 2500 can cover the entire area of ​​the battery cell 110, excluding the electrode leads 111 and 112, on a flat surface, and can measure the surface pressure of the entire area of ​​the battery cell 110 while attached to the lower surface of the upper plate 2200.

[0086] The upper plate 2100 can be placed on top of the jig 2000 for simulating the surface pressure of the battery cell according to this embodiment, and may be formed in the shape of a flat plate having a predetermined thickness.

[0087] Figure 7 is a plan view of the upper plate 2200, which may be formed in the shape of a rectangular plate and may include fastening holes 2211, 2221 for fastening the fastening member 2300. Specifically, the fastening holes 2211, 2221 may include a plurality of first fastening holes 2211 arranged along the first end 2210 of the upper plate 2200, and a plurality of second fastening holes 2221 arranged along the second end 2220 of the upper plate 2200.

[0088] On the upper plate 2200, the first end 2210 can be extended along the length of the upper part of the upper plate 2200 in Figure 7, and a plurality of first fastening holes 2211 can be arranged in a line spaced apart along the first end 2210. On the upper plate 2200, the first fastening holes 2211 can be positioned in a location corresponding to the first fastening holes 2111 of the lower plate 2100.

[0089] On the upper plate 2200, the second end 2220 can be located on the opposite side of the first end 2210 and can extend along the lengthwise direction at the bottom of the upper plate 2200, as shown in Figure 7. Multiple second fastening holes 2221 can be arranged to be spaced apart along the second end 2220, and in this embodiment, as shown, two second fastening holes 2221 can be located at both ends of the second end 2220. On the upper plate 2200, the second fastening holes 2221 can be located in positions corresponding to the second fastening holes 2121 of the lower plate 2100.

[0090] The number of first fastening holes 2211 and second fastening holes 2221 in the upper plate 2200 may be the same as the number of first fastening holes 2111 and second fastening holes 2121 in the lower plate 2100. In this embodiment, as shown in Figure 7, the number of first fastening holes 2211 may be greater than the number of second fastening holes 2221, and therefore the number of first fastening members 2310 fastened to the first fastening holes 2211 at the first end 2210 may be greater than the number of second fastening members 2320 fastened to the second fastening holes 2221 at the second end 2220.

[0091] Figure 7 shows an example where the upper plate 2200 has 12 first fastening holes 2211 and 2 second fastening holes 2221, but the number of first fastening holes 2211 and second fastening holes 2221 can be changed.

[0092] Furthermore, the upper plate 2200 may include an insertion groove 2230 into which the side plate 2400 is inserted.

[0093] As shown in the diagram, two parallel insertion grooves 2230 can be arranged on the lower surface of the upper plate 2200 facing the lower plate 2100, and the two insertion grooves 2230 can be formed in a straight line along the first end 2210 and the second end 2220, respectively.

[0094] The insertion groove 2230 can be positioned inside the first fastening hole 2211 or the second fastening hole 2221 in the upper plate 2200.

[0095] The upper plate 2200 may be made of a metal material, for example, aluminum Al, but is not limited to this, and may be made of other materials.

[0096] The fastening member 2300 is for fastening the lower plate 2100 and the upper plate 2200, and may include a first fastening member 2310 and a second fastening member 2320.

[0097] The first fastening member 2310 can be inserted into the first fastening hole 2211 of the upper plate 2200 and the first fastening hole 2111 of the lower plate 2100.

[0098] The second fastening member 2320 can be inserted into the second fastening hole 2221 of the upper plate 2200 and the second fastening hole 2121 of the lower plate 2100.

[0099] The upper plate 2200 and the lower plate 2100 may have more first fastening holes 2211, 2111 than second fastening holes 2221, 2121. Therefore, the number of first fastening members 2310 may be greater than the number of second fastening members 2320.

[0100] In this embodiment, an example is shown in which there are 12 first fastening members 2310 and 2 second fastening members 2320, but the number of first fastening members 2310 and second fastening members 2320 can be changed.

[0101] The first fastening member 2310 and the second fastening member 2320 may be composed of bolts, and nuts 2311 and 2321 can be attached to the first fastening member 2310 and the second fastening member 2320, thereby fixing the upper plate 2200 and the lower plate 2100. Thus, the first fastening member 2310 and the second fastening member 2320 can be detachably fastened to the upper plate 2200 and the lower plate 2100, and the upper plate 2200 and the lower plate 2100 can be separated by separating the first fastening member 2310 and the second fastening member 2320.

[0102] In this embodiment, as described above, the number of first fastening members 2310 may be greater than the number of second fastening members 2320, and by tightening the nuts 2311 and 2321, one side of the battery cell 110 adjacent to the first fastening member 2310 (the left side of the battery cell 110 in Figure 4) can be subjected to relatively greater pressure than the other side of the battery cell 110 adjacent to the second fastening member 2320 (the right side of the battery cell 110 in Figure 4).

[0103] A side plate 2400 can be placed between the upper plate 2200 and the lower plate 2100.

[0104] The side plate 2400 is flat and, like the insertion groove 2130, can be formed in a straight line along the first end 2110 and the second end 2120, and can be positioned parallel to the first end 2110 and the second end 2120.

[0105] As shown in Figure 4, the side plates 2400 can be positioned on both sides of the battery cell 110 between the upper plate 2200 and the lower plate 2100.

[0106] One side plate 2400 can be positioned inside the first fastening member 2310. Specifically, the lower part of the side plate 2400 can be inserted into the insertion groove 2130 (upper insertion groove 2130 in Figure 6) located inside the first fastening member 2310 in the lower plate 2100, and thus the lower part of the side plate 2400 can be positioned inside the first fastening hole 2111 in the lower plate 2100.

[0107] The upper part of the side plate 2400 can be inserted into the insertion groove 2230 (upper insertion groove 2230 in Figure 7) located inside the first fastening member 2310 of the upper plate 2200. Thus, the upper part of the side plate 2400 can be located inside the first fastening hole 2211 of the upper plate 2200. The side plate 2400 located inside the first fastening member 2310 can correspond to the upper part of the battery module 1000.

[0108] Furthermore, the other side plates 2400 can be positioned inside the second fastening member 2320. Specifically, the lower part of the other side plates 2400 can be inserted into the insertion groove 2130 (lower insertion groove 2130 in Figure 6) located inside the second fastening member 2320 in the lower plate 2100, and thus the lower part of the other side plates 2400 can be positioned inside the second fastening hole 2121 in the lower plate 2100.

[0109] The upper part of the other side plate 2400 can be inserted into the insertion groove 2230 (lower insertion groove 2230 in Figure 7) located inside the second fastening member 2320 of the upper plate 2200, and thus the upper part of the other side plate 2400 can be located inside the second fastening hole 2221 of the upper plate 2200. The other side plate 2400 located inside the second fastening member 2320 can correspond to the lower part of the battery module 1000.

[0110] Furthermore, a resin layer 2450 can be placed on the inner surface of the other side plates 2400 facing the battery cells 110. The resin layer 2450 can be formed by coating one surface of the side plate 2400 with a thermally conductive resin. In order to improve the cooling performance of the battery module 1000, a thermally conductive resin layer may be placed on the underside of the module case 200, and the resin layer 2450 in the jig 2000 can accommodate such a thermally conductive resin layer.

[0111] In this way, the side plate 2400 can be detachably fixed by inserting its upper and lower parts into the insertion grooves 2230 of the upper plate 2200 and 2130 of the lower plate 2100, respectively. The side plate 2400, once the resin layer 2450 has hardened, can then be replaced for the next test.

[0112] The side plate 2400 may be formed from, for example, a metal material.

[0113] In a jig 2000 for simulating the surface pressure of a battery cell according to one embodiment of the present invention, an initial pressure can be applied to the battery cell 110 through a compression pad 2600. The initial pressure can be adjusted by adjusting the degree of compression of the compression pad 2600 by adjusting the distance between the upper plate 2200 and the lower plate 2100 by adjusting the height of the side plate 2400. Furthermore, since the side plate 2400 supports the upper plate 2200 and the lower plate 2100, the nuts 2311 and 2321 can be tightened with strong torque, which also helps to prevent the nuts 2311 and 2321 from coming undone.

[0114] In fact, in the battery module 1000, the surface pressure of the battery cells 110 can appear differently depending on the position of the battery cells 110. In the case of the outermost battery cell 110, the surface pressure can appear higher at the top of the battery cell 110 due to the influence of the rigidity of the module case 200 (module frame).

[0115] In the jig 2000 for simulating the surface pressure of a battery cell according to one embodiment of the present invention, the surface pressure of the outermost battery cell 110 can be realized by arranging more first fastening members 2310 on the side plate 2400 (left side plate 2400 in Figure 4) corresponding to the upper part of the battery module 1000 than the second fastening members 2320.

[0116] Figure 8 shows the surface pressure of a battery cell 110 measured through a pressure sensor 2500 using a jig 2000 for simulating the surface pressure of a battery cell according to one embodiment of the present invention. The dark color (or red) series indicates regions with relatively high surface pressure, and the light color (or blue) series indicates regions with relatively low surface pressure. As shown in the outermost battery cell 110, it can be seen that the surface pressure at the top of the battery cell 110 is higher than the surface pressure at the bottom.

[0117] Next, a jig 2000 for simulating the surface pressure of a battery cell according to a second embodiment of the present invention will be described.

[0118] Figure 9 is a plan view of the lower plate of a jig for simulating the surface pressure of a battery cell according to another embodiment of the present invention, Figure 10 is a plan view of the upper plate of a jig for simulating the surface pressure of a battery cell according to another embodiment of the present invention, and Figure 11 is a diagram showing the surface pressure of a battery cell obtained using the jig for simulating the surface pressure of a battery cell according to another embodiment of the present invention.

[0119] The difference between the second embodiment and the first embodiment described above is that the number of first fastening members 2310 and second fastening members 2320 are inversely related.

[0120] Specifically, in the second embodiment, as shown in Figure 9, the number of second fastening holes 2121 in the lower plate 2100 may be greater than the number of first fastening holes 2111. Therefore, the number of second fastening members 2320 fastened to the second fastening holes 2121 at the second end 2120 may be greater than the number of first fastening members 2310 fastened to the first fastening holes 2111 at the first end 2110.

[0121] Figure 9 shows an example where there are 12 second fastening holes 2121 and 2 first fastening holes 2111, but the number of first fastening holes 2111 and second fastening holes 2121 can be changed.

[0122] The upper plate 2200 may also have more second fastening holes 2221 than first fastening holes 2211. Figure 10 shows an example where the upper plate 2200 has 12 second fastening holes 2221 and 2 first fastening holes 2211, but the number of first fastening holes 2211 and second fastening holes 2221 can be changed.

[0123] Therefore, in the second embodiment, the number of second fastening members 2320 may be 12 and the number of first fastening members 2310 may be 2, but the number of first fastening members 2310 and second fastening members 2320 can be changed.

[0124] In the second embodiment, as described above, the number of second fastening members 2320 may be greater than the number of first fastening members 2310, and by tightening the nuts 2311 and 2321, one side of the battery cell 110 adjacent to the second fastening member 2320 (the right side of the battery cell 110 in Figure 4) can be subjected to relatively greater pressure than the other side of the battery cell 110 adjacent to the first fastening member 2310 (the left side of the battery cell 110 in Figure 4).

[0125] In the actual battery module 1000, the central part can exhibit higher surface pressure at the bottom of the battery cell 110 due to the influence of the resin.

[0126] In the second embodiment, the surface pressure on the central battery cell 110 can be realized by arranging more second fastening members 2320 on the side plate 2400 (right side plate 2400 in Figure 4) corresponding to the lower part of the battery module 1000 than the first fastening members 2310.

[0127] Figure 11 shows the surface pressure of the battery cell 110 as measured by the pressure sensor 2500 in the second embodiment. It can be seen that the surface pressure at the bottom of the battery cell 110 is higher than the surface pressure at the top, as can be seen in the central battery cell 110.

[0128] As mentioned above, in an actual battery module 1000, the surface pressure of the battery cells 110 can appear to differ depending on the position of the battery cells 110. However, the jig 2000 according to the embodiment of the present invention can generate an asymmetrical surface pressure distribution, and can realize the surface pressure distribution of the outermost battery cells and the surface pressure distribution of the central battery cells.

[0129] Furthermore, the second embodiment can be implemented by rotating or flipping the jig 2000 or the upper plate 2100 and lower plate 2200 by 180 degrees in the first embodiment, and the jig 2000 for simulating the surface pressure of the battery cell according to the preferred embodiment of the present invention has the advantage that it is possible to simulate the surface pressure of the outermost battery cell 110 and the central battery cell 110 in a simple manner.

[0130] Although the present invention has been described above with reference to preferred embodiments, it is not limited to the embodiments described above, and various modifications and alterations are possible by persons with ordinary skill in the art to which the invention pertains, without departing from the spirit of the invention. [Industrial applicability]

[0131] The present invention can provide a jig that can simulate the behavior of battery cell surface pressure within a battery module.

Claims

1. Lower plate; An upper plate positioned so as to be separated from the upper side of the lower plate; and A pressure sensor for measuring the pressure of a battery cell, positioned between the lower plate and the upper plate; A jig for simulating the surface pressure of a battery cell, including the jig itself.

2. A jig for simulating the surface pressure of a battery cell according to claim 1, further comprising fastening members for fastening the lower plate and the upper plate.

3. The fastening member is A first fastening member disposed on one side of the battery cell; and A second fastening member positioned on the other side of the battery cell, opposite to one side; A jig for simulating the surface pressure of a battery cell according to claim 2, including the following:

4. A jig for simulating the surface pressure of a battery cell according to claim 3, wherein the first fastening member and the second fastening member each include a bolt.

5. A jig for simulating the surface pressure of a battery cell according to claim 4, wherein the first fastening member and the second fastening member further include nuts that are coupled to the bolt.

6. A jig for simulating the surface pressure of a battery cell according to claim 3, wherein the number of first fastening members is different from the number of second fastening members.

7. The upper plate and the lower plate are, respectively, The first fastening hole into which the first fastening member is inserted; and The second fastening hole into which the second fastening member is inserted; A jig for simulating the surface pressure of a battery cell according to claim 3, including the following:

8. A jig for simulating the surface pressure of a battery cell according to claim 7, wherein the number of first fastening holes is different from the number of second fastening holes.

9. A jig for simulating the surface pressure of a battery cell according to any one of claims 1 to 8, further comprising a compression pad disposed on one surface of the battery cell between the upper plate and the lower plate.

10. The compression pad is positioned on the lower plate, and the jig is for simulating the surface pressure of the battery cell according to claim 9.

11. The jig for simulating the surface pressure of a battery cell according to claim 9, wherein the pressure sensor is located on the other side of the battery cell opposite to the side on which the compression pad is located.

12. A jig for simulating the surface pressure of a battery cell according to claim 1, further comprising two side plates positioned on both sides of the battery cell.

13. A jig for simulating the surface pressure of a battery cell according to claim 12, wherein a resin layer is disposed on at least one of the two side plates.

14. A jig for simulating the surface pressure of a battery cell according to claim 12, wherein the lower plate includes two insertion grooves into which the lower parts of two side plates are inserted.

15. A jig for simulating the surface pressure of a battery cell according to claim 14, wherein the upper plate includes two insertion grooves into which the upper parts of two side plates are inserted.

Images