Battery pack and device including same

JP7636012B2Active Publication Date: 2025-02-26LG ENERGY SOLUTION LTD
View PDF 8 Cites 0 Cited by

Patent Information

Application Number
JP2022576517
Authority / Receiving Office
JP · JP
Patent Type
Patents
Current Assignee / Owner
Priority Date
2021-03-05
Filing Date
2022-02-16
Publication Date
2025-02-26
Estimated Expiration
2042-02-16

AI Technical Summary

Benefits of technology

【0026】 実施形態によれば、本発明は、それぞれの電池モジュールはモジュールフレームの底部に位置するヒートシンクを含み、電池モジュールの下面とパックフレームの底面の間に位置する断熱部材を含んで、隣接した電池モジュール間の熱伝播を最少化する電池パックおよびこれを含むデバイスに関するものである。

✦ Generated by Eureka AI based on patent content.

Smart Images

  • Figure 0007636012000001
    Figure 0007636012000001
  • Figure 0007636012000002
    Figure 0007636012000002
  • Figure 0007636012000003
    Figure 0007636012000003
Patent Text Reader

Abstract

A battery pack according to one embodiment of the present invention includes a pack frame in which a plurality of battery modules are mounted so as to be spaced apart from one another, and a heat insulating member located between a lower surface of the battery module and a bottom surface of the pack frame, wherein the battery module includes a battery cell stack in which a plurality of battery cells are stacked, a module frame that houses the battery cell stack, and a heat sink located at the bottom of the module frame, the bottom of the module frame forming an upper plate of the heat sink and the bottom of the module frame coming into contact with a coolant supplied into the heat sink.
Need to check novelty before this filing date? Find Prior Art

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] Cross-reference to related applications This application claims the benefit of priority based on Korean Patent Application No. 10-2021-0029158 dated March 5, 2021, and all contents disclosed in the documents of that Korean patent application are incorporated herein by reference.

[0002] The present invention relates to a battery pack and a device including the same, and more particularly to a battery pack and a device including the same that minimizes heat transfer between adjacent battery modules. [Background technology]

[0003] Secondary batteries, which have high applicability depending on the product group and electrical properties such as high energy density, are widely used not only in portable devices but also in electric vehicles or hybrid vehicles that are driven by electrical sources, power storage devices, etc. Such secondary batteries are attracting attention as a new energy source that is environmentally friendly and improves energy efficiency because they do not generate any by-products due to energy use, in addition to their primary advantage of dramatically reducing the use of fossil fuels.

[0004] Currently, commercial secondary batteries include nickel-cadmium batteries, nickel-metal hydride batteries, nickel-zinc batteries, and lithium secondary batteries. Of these, lithium secondary batteries are in the spotlight for their advantages over nickel-based secondary batteries, such as almost no memory effect, freedom in charging and discharging, a very low self-discharge rate, and high energy density.

[0005] Generally, lithium secondary batteries can be classified according to the shape of the exterior material into cylindrical or prismatic secondary batteries in which an electrode assembly is housed in a metal can, and pouch-type secondary batteries in which an electrode assembly is housed in a pouch made of an aluminum laminate sheet.

[0006] Recently, as the need for large-capacity secondary battery structures increases, including the use of secondary batteries as energy storage sources, there is an increasing demand for battery packs with medium to large module structures in which battery modules are assembled, each of which has a plurality of secondary batteries connected in series or parallel. Such battery modules have a plurality of battery cells connected in series or parallel to each other to form a battery cell stack, thereby improving capacity and output. In addition, a plurality of battery modules can be mounted with various control and protection systems, such as a BMS (Battery Management System) and a cooling system, to form a battery pack.

[0007] In particular, because a battery pack is composed of a number of battery modules, if some of the battery modules experience overvoltage, overcurrent or overheating, the safety and operating efficiency of the battery pack may become an issue. In particular, as the capacity of battery packs gradually increases to improve driving distance, the internal energy of the pack also increases, and it is necessary to design a structure that satisfies the strengthened safety standards and ensures the safety of the vehicle and the driver. For this reason, there is an increasing need for a structure that can prevent internal thermal runaway and minimize the damage if it does occur.

[0008] Fig. 1 is a cross-sectional view of a conventional battery pack, and Fig. 2 is a simplified diagram of the dotted line area in Fig. 1.

[0009] 1, in a conventional battery pack 10, a plurality of battery modules 11 are mounted in a pack housing 40, and the plurality of battery modules 11 are mounted on a cooling plate 20 located in the pack housing 40. More specifically, referring to FIG. 2, adjacent battery modules 11 are mounted in the pack housing 40 and may be disposed together on the cooling plate 20 attached to the bottom of the pack housing 40.

[0010] 1 and 2, an abnormality (CE) such as overvoltage, overcurrent, or overheating may occur in some of the battery modules 11 adjacent to each other. In this case, in the conventional battery pack 10, heat from the battery module 11 in which the abnormality (CE) has occurred is transferred to the cooling plate 20, which may cause heat propagation to other battery modules 11. In particular, the cooling plate 20 is generally made of aluminum (Al) with high thermal conductivity for cooling performance, so that heat propagation through the cooling plate 20 occurs more quickly. As a result, thermal runaway may occur in other battery modules 11 in which no abnormality (CE) has occurred, which may cause a chain reaction of thermal runaway in other battery modules 11 located on the same cooling plate 20.

[0011] For this reason, there is a need to develop a battery pack and a device including the same that, unlike conventional battery packs 10, can prevent heat transmission between adjacent battery modules 11 and prevent the occurrence of a chain reaction of thermal runaway. Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0012] The problem to be solved by the present invention relates to a battery pack and a device including the same that minimizes heat transfer between adjacent battery modules.

[0013] The problems to be solved by the present invention are not limited to the problems mentioned above, and problems not mentioned will be clearly understood by a person having ordinary skill in the art to which the present invention pertains from this specification and the attached drawings. [Means for solving the problem]

[0014] A battery pack according to one embodiment of the present invention includes a pack frame in which a plurality of battery modules are mounted so as to be spaced apart from one another, and a heat insulating member located between an underside of the battery module and a bottom surface of the pack frame, the battery module including a battery cell stack in which a plurality of battery cells are stacked, a module frame that houses the battery cell stack, and a heat sink located at a bottom of the module frame, the bottom of the module frame forming an upper plate of the heat sink, and the bottom of the module frame in contact with a refrigerant supplied into the heat sink.

[0015] The heat insulating members located under adjacent battery modules among the plurality of battery modules may be spaced apart from each other.

[0016] The heat insulating member located under one battery module among the plurality of battery modules and the heat insulating member located under another battery module may be spaced apart from each other.

[0017] The heat insulating member may extend along a lower surface of the battery module.

[0018] The heat insulating member may have a size different from that of the lower surface of the battery module and may be larger than the lower surface of the battery module.

[0019] The heat insulating member may have the same size as the bottom surface of the battery module.

[0020] The heat insulating member may have a size different from that of the heat sink and may be larger than that of the heat sink.

[0021] The heat insulating member may have the same size as the heat sink.

[0022] The heat insulating member may be made of EPP (Expanded Polypropylene) foam.

[0023] The heat sink includes a lower plate coupled to a bottom of the module frame and having a recess formed therein, through which a coolant flows between the recess and the bottom of the module frame.

[0024] The recess may have a protruding pattern formed therein.

[0025] A device according to another embodiment of the present invention includes the battery pack described above. Effect of the Invention

[0026] According to an embodiment, the present invention relates to a battery pack and a device including the same, in which each battery module includes a heat sink located at the bottom of a module frame and a heat insulating member located between the bottom surface of the battery module and the bottom surface of the pack frame, thereby minimizing heat transfer between adjacent battery modules.

[0027] The effects of the present invention are not limited to the effects described above, and effects not mentioned will be clearly understood by those having ordinary skill in the art to which the present invention pertains from this specification and the accompanying drawings. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0028] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is a cross-sectional view of a conventional battery pack. [Diagram 2] FIG. 2 is a simplified diagram showing the dotted line area in FIG. [Diagram 3] 1 is an exploded perspective view of a battery pack according to an embodiment of the present invention; [Figure 4] FIG. 4 is a top view of the battery pack of FIG. [Diagram 5] 4 is a perspective view of a battery module included in the battery pack of FIG. 3. [Figure 6] FIG. 6 is an exploded perspective view of the battery module of FIG. 5. [Figure 7] 6 is a perspective view showing the bottom surface of the battery module in FIG. 5. [Figure 8] FIG. 5 is a simplified cross-sectional view taken along the AA' axis in FIG. 4. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0029] DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS The present invention may, however, be embodied in various different forms and should not be construed as being limited to the embodiments set forth herein.

[0030] In order to clearly explain the present invention, parts that are not necessary for the explanation will be omitted, and the same reference numerals will be used throughout the specification to refer to the same or similar components.

[0031] In addition, the size and thickness of each component shown in the drawings are arbitrarily shown for convenience of explanation, and the present invention is not necessarily limited to those shown in the drawings. In the drawings, thicknesses are enlarged to clearly express various layers and regions. In the drawings, thicknesses of some layers and regions are exaggerated for convenience of explanation.

[0032] Additionally, throughout the specification, when a part is said to "comprise" a certain element, this means that it may further include other elements, but not excluding other elements, unless specifically stated to the contrary.

[0033] Also, throughout the specification, the term "in a plane" means when the subject part is viewed from above, and the term "in cross section" means when the subject part is cut vertically and viewed from the side.

[0034] Hereinafter, a battery pack according to an embodiment of the present invention will be described.

[0035] Fig. 3 is an exploded perspective view of a battery pack according to an embodiment of the present invention, and Fig. 4 is a top view of the battery pack of Fig. 3.

[0036] A battery pack according to an embodiment of the present invention includes a pack frame in which a plurality of battery modules are mounted spaced apart from one another, and a heat insulating member disposed between lower surfaces of the battery modules and a bottom surface of the pack frame.

[0037] The pack frame 410 may be a lower housing in which a plurality of battery modules 100 are mounted, and may further include an upper cover (not shown) coupled to the pack frame 410 to cover the upper portion of the battery modules 100. However, for the convenience of explanation, the upper cover (not shown) will be omitted below, but the battery pack 1000 of the present embodiment may be described assuming that a commonly used upper cover (not shown) is coupled to the battery pack 1000.

[0038] The pack frame 410 may include a bottom surface on which a plurality of battery modules 100 are arranged, and a side wall extending upward from an edge of the bottom surface. An upper cover (not shown) that covers the upper portion of the battery modules 100 may be coupled to the pack frame 410 to protect the internal electrical equipment. In this case, various control and protection systems such as a BMS (Battery Management System) and a cooling system may be installed inside the pack frame 410 together with the battery modules 100.

[0039] As an example, the pack frame 410 may be made of a steel or aluminum material. More preferably, the pack frame 410 may be made of a steel material having a relatively low thermal conductivity compared to an aluminum material, thereby reducing the level of thermal energy transfer between adjacent battery modules 100 through the pack frame 410. However, the pack frame 410 is not limited thereto, and any material having sufficient rigidity may be used for the pack frame 410.

[0040] The heat insulating member 250 may be disposed under the battery module 100. More specifically, in a plurality of battery modules 100, the heat insulating member 250 may be disposed under each of the battery modules 100. That is, in the battery pack 1000 according to the present embodiment, the heat insulating member 250 may be disposed under each of the battery modules 100 mounted on the pack frame 410. That is, each battery module 100 may be disposed on the heat insulating member 250 individually or independently.

[0041] In addition, the heat insulating members 250 located under adjacent battery modules 100 among the plurality of battery modules 100 may be spaced apart from each other. In other words, the heat insulating member 250 located under one battery module 100 may be spaced apart from the heat insulating member 250 located under another adjacent battery module 100.

[0042] As a result, unlike the conventional battery pack 10 (FIG. 1), each battery module 100 is positioned on an insulating member 250 that is spaced apart from each other, and even if heat caused by an abnormal phenomenon (CE) such as overvoltage, overcurrent, or overheating that occurs in some of the battery modules 100 is partially transferred to the insulating member 250, the heat transferred to the insulating member 250 is not directly transferred to other adjacent battery modules 100.

[0043] The heat insulating member 250 may be disposed between the lower surface of the battery module 100 and the bottom surface of the pack frame 410. In other words, in this embodiment, a structure may be provided in which the pack frame 410, the heat insulating member 250, and the battery module 100 are stacked in this order.

[0044] The heat insulating member 250 may extend along the lower surface of the battery module 100. More specifically, the heat insulating member 250 may extend along the lower surface of the heat sink 200 (FIG. 6).

[0045] As an example, the heat insulating member 250 may have a different size than the lower surface of the battery module 100 and may be larger than the lower surface of the battery module 100. As another example, the heat insulating member 250 may have the same size as the lower surface of the battery module 100.

[0046] As an example, the heat insulating member 250 may have a size different from and larger than the heat sink 200 (FIG. 6) located on the underside of the battery module 100. As another example, the heat insulating member 250 may have the same size as the heat sink 200 (FIG. 6).

[0047] This ensures a sufficient contact area of ​​the insulating member 250 with the underside of the battery module 100, i.e., the heat sink 200 (Figure 6), and effectively blocks heat transferred from the heat sink 200 (Figure 6) to the pack frame 410.

[0048] As an example, the heat insulating member 250 may be made of a foam material such as EPP (Expanded Polypropylene) foam, but the heat insulating member 250 is not limited thereto and may be made of any material having excellent heat insulating properties.

[0049] As a result, with the above-mentioned configuration, the heat insulating member 250 can prevent the lower surface of the battery module 100, i.e., the heat sink 200 (FIG. 6), and the pack frame 410 from directly contacting each other. That is, it can prevent heat transferred from the battery module 100 from being directly transferred to the pack frame 410, and it can prevent heat generated outside the pack frame 410 from being transferred to the battery module 100.

[0050] Fig. 5 is a perspective view of a battery module included in the battery pack of Fig. 3. Fig. 6 is an exploded perspective view of the battery module of Fig. 5. Fig. 7 is a perspective view showing the bottom surface of the battery module of Fig. 5.

[0051] 5 and 6, the battery pack 1000 according to this embodiment includes a battery cell stack 112 in which a plurality of battery cells 111 are stacked, a module frame 114 that houses the battery cell stack 112, and a heat sink 200 located at the bottom of the module frame 114.

[0052] The battery cell 111 is preferably a pouch-type battery cell. For example, the battery cell 111 may be manufactured by housing an electrode assembly in a pouch case made of a laminate sheet including a resin layer and a metal layer, and then heat-sealing a sealing portion of the pouch case. Such a battery cell 111 may be formed in a rectangular sheet-type structure. Such a battery cell 111 may be configured in a plurality of pieces, and the plurality of battery cells 111 may be stacked so as to be electrically connected to each other to form a battery cell stack 112.

[0053] The module frame 114 may include an upper cover 115 and a U-shaped frame 116. Here, the U-shaped frame 116 may include a bottom and two side portions extending upward from both ends of the bottom. In this case, the bottom may cover the lower surface of the battery cell stack 112, and the side portions may cover the side surfaces of the battery cell stack 112. The upper cover 115 and the U-shaped frame 116 may be joined by welding or the like with corresponding corners in contact with each other to form a structure that covers the top, bottom, left and right of the battery cell stack 112. For this purpose, the upper cover 115 and the U-shaped frame 116 may be made of a metal material having a predetermined strength. However, the module frame 114 is not limited thereto, and may be a monoframe in the form of a metal plate material in which the top, bottom and both side surfaces are integrated.

[0054] The end plates 120 may be positioned on the open first side (x-axis direction) and second side (opposite the x-axis direction) of the module frame 114 and formed to cover the front and rear surfaces of the battery cell stack 112. In this way, the end plates 120 can physically protect the battery cell stack 112 and other electrical components from external impacts.

[0055] Meanwhile, although not specifically shown, a bus bar frame on which a bus bar is mounted and an insulating cover for electrical insulation may be disposed between the battery cell stack 112 and the end plate 120 .

[0056] 5 to 7, the module frame 114 according to the present embodiment may include a module frame protrusion 116a formed such that the bottom of the module frame 114, i.e., the bottom of the U-shaped frame 116, extends past the end plate 120. At this time, the coolant flowing in and out of the cooling port 150 connected to the upper surface of the module frame protrusion 116a is supplied to and discharged from the heat sink 200 through the module frame protrusion 116a.

[0057] Specifically, the cooling port 150 according to the present embodiment includes a refrigerant inlet port for supplying refrigerant to the heat sink 200 and a refrigerant outlet port for discharging the refrigerant from the heat sink 200. The module frame protrusion 116a may include a first module frame protrusion and a second module frame protrusion spaced apart from each other on one side of the module frame 114, and the refrigerant inlet port is disposed on the first module frame protrusion and the refrigerant outlet port is disposed on the second module frame protrusion.

[0058] The heat sink according to this embodiment will be specifically described below with reference to FIGS.

[0059] The bottom of the module frame 114 may form the top plate of the heat sink 200 , such that the bottom of the module frame 114 comes into contact with the coolant supplied within the heat sink 200 .

[0060] The heat sink 200 may be disposed at the bottom of the module frame 114. More specifically, the heat sink 200 may include a lower plate 210 that forms a framework of the heat sink 200 and is directly coupled to the bottom of the module frame 114 by welding or the like, and a recess 240 that is a path through which the coolant flows.

[0061] The heat sink 200 may include a heat sink protrusion 200P that protrudes from one side of the heat sink 200 at a portion where the module frame protrusion 116a is located. Here, the heat sink protrusion 200P and the module frame protrusion 116a may be directly coupled to each other by a method such as welding.

[0062] The recess 240 of the heat sink 200 corresponds to a portion where the lower plate 210 is recessed downward. The recess 240 may be a U-shaped tube in cross section cut vertically on the xz plane based on the direction in which the refrigerant flow path extends, and the bottom of the module frame 114 may be disposed on the open upper side of the U-shaped tube. As the heat sink 200 contacts the bottom of the module frame 114, the space between the recess 240 and the bottom of the module frame 114 becomes an area where the refrigerant flows, i.e., a refrigerant flow path. As a result, the bottom of the module frame 114 comes into direct contact with the refrigerant.

[0063] There is no particular limitation on the method for manufacturing the recess 240 of the heat sink 200, but by providing a recessed structure to the plate-shaped heat sink 200, a U-shaped recess 240 with an open upper side can be formed.

[0064] The recess 240 may be connected from one of the heat sink protrusions 200P to the other. The coolant supplied through the coolant inlet port of the cooling port 150 passes between the module frame protrusion 116a and the heat sink protrusion 200P and first flows into the space between the recess 240 and the bottom of the module frame 114. The coolant then moves along the recess 240, passes between the other module frame protrusion 116a and the heat sink protrusion 200P, and is discharged through the coolant outlet port of the cooling port 150.

[0065] In addition, the bottom of the module frame 114 can be joined by welding to a portion of the lower plate 210 where the recess 240 in the heat sink 200 is not formed. In this embodiment, the cooling integrated structure of the bottom of the module frame 114 and the heat sink 200 not only improves the cooling performance as described above, but also supports the load of the battery cell stack 112 housed in the module frame 114 and reinforces the rigidity of the battery module 100. In addition, the bottom of the lower plate 210 and the bottom of the module frame 114 are sealed by welding or the like, so that the refrigerant can flow through the recess 240 formed inside the lower plate 210 without leakage.

[0066] For effective cooling, as shown in Figs. 6 and 7, it is preferable that the recess 240 is formed over the entire area corresponding to the bottom of the module frame 114. For this purpose, the recess 240 may be bent at least once to connect from one side to the other. In particular, it is preferable that the recess 240 is bent several times to form the recess 240 over the entire area corresponding to the bottom of the module frame 114. The coolant moves from the start point to the end point of the coolant flow path formed over the entire area corresponding to the bottom of the module frame 114, thereby efficiently cooling the entire area of ​​the battery cell stack 112. Meanwhile, the coolant is a medium for cooling and is not particularly limited, and may be cooling water.

[0067] Meanwhile, referring back to FIGS. 5 and 6, the recess 240 of the heat sink 200 according to this embodiment may have a protrusion pattern 240D.

[0068] In the case of a large-area battery module in which the number of stacked battery cells is increased as in the battery cell stack 112 according to the present embodiment, the width of the coolant flow path may be wider, resulting in more severe temperature deviation. In particular, in a large-area battery module, compared to a conventional case in which approximately 12 to 24 battery cells are stacked in one battery module, approximately 32 to 48 battery cells may be stacked in one battery module. In such a case, the protruding pattern 240D according to the present embodiment has the effect of substantially reducing the width of the cooling flow path, thereby minimizing pressure drop and simultaneously reducing temperature deviation across the width of the coolant flow path. Therefore, a uniform cooling effect can be achieved.

[0069] 1 and 2, adjacent battery modules 11 are mounted in a pack housing 40 and placed on a cooling plate 20 attached to the bottom of the pack housing 40, and heat generated in some of the battery modules 11 is transferred to the cooling plate 20. This creates a risk of heat transfer, in which heat generated in some of the battery modules 11 due to thermal runaway is transferred to other battery modules 11 through the cooling plate 20.

[0070] On the other hand, in the battery pack 1000 according to the present embodiment, each battery module 100 realizes an integrated cooling structure of the module frame 114 and the heat sink 200, and it is possible to prevent heat transferred to the heat sink 200 of some battery modules 100 from being transferred to the heat sink 200 of other battery modules 100. As a result, even if heat caused by an abnormality (CE) such as overvoltage, overcurrent, or overheating generated in some battery modules 100 is partially transferred to the heat sink 200, it is possible to prevent the risk of heat propagation to adjacent battery modules 100.

[0071] In addition, the battery modules 100 having the above-mentioned cooling integrated structure are individually cooled, so that the cooling efficiency for each battery module 100 can be further improved. In addition, the space utilization rate on the battery modules 100 and the battery pack 1000 to which the battery modules 100 are attached can be further improved through the structure in which the heat sink 200 is integrated with the bottom of the module frame 114. In addition, the height of the battery module 100 is reduced by removing unnecessary cooling structures, so that costs can be reduced and space utilization can be improved. In addition, the battery modules 100 are compactly arranged, so that the capacity and output of the battery pack 1000 including a plurality of battery modules 100 can be increased.

[0072] 3 and 4, according to another embodiment of the present invention, a venting gate 121 is provided on either one of the end plates 120 located on the front and rear surfaces of the battery cell stack 112, the venting gate 121 being capable of communicating with the inside of the battery module 100 to release flames or heat generated inside. In the battery pack 1000, the venting gate 121 may be disposed facing the outside of the battery pack 1000, and preferably facing the outside toward both ends of the battery pack 1000 in the first direction (x-axis direction) as shown in FIG.

[0073] In addition, the battery pack may further include a venting guide frame 300 disposed along an edge of the plurality of battery modules 100. More specifically, the plurality of battery modules 100 and the venting guide frame 300 may be mounted within a pack frame 410.

[0074] As an example, at least one rupture part 500 is formed on one side wall of the pack frame 410, so that heat or flames generated inside can be discharged to the outside. In the present embodiment, two rupture parts 500 are formed on only one side of the pair of horizontal beams 320, but the present invention is not limited thereto, and a rupture part 500 may be formed on the other horizontal beam 320 or on the vertical beam 310, and the position and number of the rupture parts may be appropriately selected as necessary.

[0075] Also, a venting guide frame 300 may be disposed along the edges of the entire battery modules 100. The venting guide frame 300 may be formed in a tubular shape along each side of the battery pack 1000 and may include a pair of vertical beams 310 and a pair of horizontal beams 320 extending along a first direction (x-axis direction) and a second direction (y-axis direction), respectively, and these are formed to be connected as a whole.

[0076] With the above configuration, a passage is formed inside the rectangular venting induction frame 300 consisting of the vertical beams 310 and the horizontal beams 320 so that the passage is connected to the venting gate 121 and the rupture part 500 of the battery module 100, and when thermal runaway occurs in the battery module 100, the heat and flames are guided to the outside, minimizing the impact on the surrounding battery modules. At this time, the flames contained in the generated high-pressure venting gas are burned while passing through the path inside the venting induction frame 300, and can be discharged to the outside in a safer state. In addition, the venting induction frame 300 acts as a support frame that stably supports the battery module 100 during normal times when thermal runaway does not occur, thereby improving the stability of the battery pack 1000.

[0077] Hereinafter, a specific description will be given of a heat propagation path when an issue such as an overvoltage, overcurrent, or overheat occurs in some of the battery modules in the battery pack.

[0078] FIG. 8 is a simplified cross-sectional view taken along the AA' axis in FIG.

[0079] 4 and 8, in the battery pack 1000 of the present embodiment, a cell event (CE) may occur in some of the battery modules 100. Here, the cell event (CE) may refer to an abnormal phenomenon such as overvoltage, overcurrent, or overheating occurring in the battery module 100, causing the battery module 100 to become high temperature and generate gas.

[0080] Here, the heat generated in the battery module 100 in which a cell event (CE) has occurred is transferred through a thermal energy transfer path passing through the heat sink 200 and the heat insulating member 250 included in the battery module 100 .

[0081] More specifically, heat generated in a battery module 100 in which a cell event (CE) has occurred is first transferred to the heat sink 200. As described above, through the cooling integrated structure of the bottom of the module frame 114 and the heat sink 200, each battery module 100 includes an individual heat sink 200, and heat transferred from the battery cell stack 112 to the heat sink 200 is not transferred to other adjacent battery modules 100.

[0082] As a result, according to this embodiment, the integrated cooling structure of the battery module 100 can prevent heat from being transmitted to adjacent battery modules 100 even if a cell event (CE) occurs in some of the multiple battery modules 100.

[0083] At the same time, a portion of the heat transferred to the heat sink 200 of the battery module 100 is transferred to the insulating member 250. Here, the insulating member 250 can block a portion of the heat transferred from the heat sink 200 of the battery module 100, thereby preventing the heat generated in the battery module 100 from being directly transferred to the pack frame 410. That is, even if a cell event (CE) occurs in some of the battery modules 100 among the plurality of battery modules 100, generating a relatively large amount of thermal energy, the thermal energy transferred to the pack frame 410 through the insulating member 250 can be minimized, and the temperature rise of the adjacent battery modules 100 can also be minimized.

[0084] Also, as described above, since the insulating members 250 are individually arranged spaced apart from each other under the battery modules 100, heat transferred to the insulating member 250 of the battery module in which a cell event (CE) has occurred is not directly transferred to other battery modules 100. More specifically, a portion of the heat transferred to the insulating member 250 of the battery module 100 in which a cell event (CE) has occurred is transferred to the pack frame 410, and a portion of the heat transferred to the pack frame 410 is transferred to the insulating member 250 of another adjacent battery module 100.

[0085] As a result, even if some of the heat generated in a battery module 100 in which a cell event (CE) has occurred is transferred to another adjacent battery module 100, the heat transferred from the pack frame 410 can be effectively blocked by the insulating member 250 of the other adjacent battery module 100.

[0086] As a result, this embodiment having the above-mentioned heat propagation paths can effectively prevent heat from propagating to other adjacent battery modules 100 even if a cell event (CE) occurs in some of the multiple battery modules 100, and can also prevent the resulting chain reaction of thermal runaway phenomena.

[0087] The battery pack described above can be applied to various devices, including vehicles such as electric bicycles, electric cars, and hybrid cars, but the present invention is not limited thereto and can be applied to various devices that can use a battery module and a battery pack including the same, which also fall within the scope of the present invention.

[0088] Although the preferred embodiments of the present invention have been described in detail above, the scope of the present invention is not limited thereto, and various modifications and improvements made by those skilled in the art using the basic concept of the present invention defined in the following claims also fall within the scope of the present invention. [Explanation of symbols]

[0089] 100: Battery module 200: Heat sink 250: Thermal insulation material 300: Venting induction frame 410: Pack Frame

Claims

1. A pack frame in which a plurality of battery modules are mounted so as to be spaced apart from one another; and A battery pack including a heat insulating member located between a lower surface of the battery module and a bottom surface of the pack frame, the battery module includes a battery cell stack in which a plurality of battery cells are stacked, a module frame that houses the battery cell stack, and a heat sink located at a bottom of the module frame; the bottom of the module frame forms the top plate of the heat sink; The bottom of the module frame contacts the coolant supplied into the heat sink; The heat sink is a lower plate coupled to a bottom of the module frame and having a recess; a cooling flow path through which a coolant flows between the recess and a bottom of the module frame; a protrusion pattern formed over the entire area of ​​the cooling flow passage; wherein the protruding pattern restricts a flow of a coolant within the cooling channel.

2. The battery pack according to claim 1 , wherein the heat insulating members located under adjacent battery modules among the plurality of battery modules are spaced apart from each other.

3. The battery pack according to claim 2 , wherein the heat insulating member located under one battery module among the plurality of battery modules and the heat insulating member located under another battery module are spaced apart from each other.

4. The battery pack according to claim 3 , wherein the heat insulating member extends along a lower surface of the battery module.

5. The battery pack according to claim 4 , wherein the heat insulating member has a size different from that of the lower surface of the battery module and is larger than that of the lower surface of the battery module.

6. The battery pack according to claim 4 , wherein the heat insulating member has the same size as the lower surface of the battery module.

7. The battery pack according to claim 4 , wherein the heat insulating member has a size different from a size of the heat sink and is larger than a size of the heat sink.

8. The battery pack according to claim 4 , wherein the heat insulating member has the same size as the heat sink.

9. The battery pack according to claim 1 , wherein the heat insulating member is made of expanded polypropylene (EPP) foam.

10. A device comprising a battery pack according to any one of claims 1 to 9.

Citation Information

Patent Citations

  • Battery module

    JP2012094370A

  • Power storage device and power storage system

    JP2013196851A

  • Multi-cell battery module with integrated cooling and assembly support device

    JP2014504440A

  • Heat conduction device and battery module

    JP2015090750A

  • Battery cooling device for vehicle

    JP2017111900A