Battery modules and battery packs with enhanced safety

Abstract

The present invention discloses a battery module having an improved structure to ensure safety when a thermal event occurs inside the battery module. The battery module according to one aspect of the present invention includes a cell assembly having one or more battery cells, a module case that houses the cell assembly in an internal space and has a vent hole formed therein to discharge vent gas generated from the cell assembly, and a vent unit that is attached to the outside of the module case and is configured to allow the vent gas discharged from the vent hole to flow in and be discharged to the outside and to redirect the flow direction of the vent gas in the opposite direction.

Description

[Technical field]

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

[0002] This application claims priority to Korean Patent Application No. 10-2021-0138851, filed on October 18, 2021, the entire contents of which are incorporated herein by reference in their entirety in the specification and drawings of that application. [Background technology]

[0003] Recently, as the demand for portable electronic products such as notebook PCs, mobile phones, tablet PCs, and smart watches has increased sharply and the commercialization of robots, electric vehicles, and the like has progressed in earnest, research into high-performance secondary batteries that can be repeatedly charged and discharged has been actively conducted.

[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 due to their advantages over nickel-based secondary batteries, such as almost no memory effect, freedom to charge and discharge, a very low self-discharge rate, and high energy density.

[0005] Such lithium secondary batteries mainly use lithium-based oxides and carbon materials as positive and negative active materials, respectively, and include an electrode assembly in which a positive electrode plate and a negative electrode plate, each coated with a positive electrode active material and a negative electrode active material, are arranged with a separator sandwiched therebetween, and an exterior material, i.e., a battery case, that seals and houses the electrode assembly together with an electrolyte.

[0006] Depending on the shape of the exterior material, lithium secondary batteries can be divided into can-type secondary batteries, in which the electrode assembly is housed in a metal can, and pouch-type secondary batteries, in which the electrode assembly is housed in a pouch made of an aluminum laminate sheet.

[0007] Recently, secondary batteries are widely used for driving and storing energy not only in small devices such as portable electronic devices but also in medium and large devices such as electric vehicles and energy storage systems (ESS). A battery module can be formed by housing a plurality of such secondary batteries together in a module case while being electrically connected to each other. A battery pack can be formed by connecting a plurality of such battery modules.

[0008] However, when multiple battery modules are included in a battery pack, the battery pack may be vulnerable to a thermal chain reaction between the battery modules. For example, if a thermal event such as thermal runaway occurs in one battery module, the propagation of the thermal runaway to other battery modules needs to be suppressed. If the propagation of thermal runaway between battery modules cannot be suppressed, a thermal event occurring in a specific battery module may cause a chain reaction to other battery modules, which may result in an explosion or fire.

[0009] In particular, when a thermal event such as thermal runaway occurs in one battery module, gas, flame, etc. may be discharged to the outside. In this case, if the discharge of gas, flame, etc. is not appropriately controlled, the gas, flame, etc. may be discharged toward other battery modules, causing a thermal chain reaction in the other battery modules. Furthermore, when a thermal event occurs inside a battery module, factors that can induce ignition, including sparks, electrode ejection, charcoal, etc., may be generated together with a large amount of flammable gas. Furthermore, if such ignition inducers are discharged to the outside when gas is discharged, they may come into contact with oxygen and cause a fire. Furthermore, if external oxygen flows into the inside of a battery module where a thermal event has occurred, it may cause or spread a fire in the battery module. Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0010] The present invention has been made in consideration of the above problems, and aims to provide a battery module having an improved structure to ensure safety when a thermal event occurs inside the battery module, and a battery pack and automobile including the same.

[0011] However, the technical problems that the present invention aims to solve are not limited to the problems described above, and other problems not mentioned will be clearly understood by those skilled in the art from the description of the invention below. [Means for solving the problem]

[0012] To achieve the above object, according to one aspect of the present invention, a battery module includes: a cell assembly having one or more battery cells; a module case that houses the cell assembly in an internal space and has a vent hole formed therein to discharge vent gas generated from the cell assembly; and a vent unit that is attached to the outside of the module case and is configured so that the vent gas discharged from the vent hole flows in and is discharged to the outside, and is configured so that the flow direction of the vent gas is redirected in the opposite direction.

[0013] Here, the vent unit may be configured to define a vent channel with an exterior surface of the module case.

[0014] The vent unit may include a plate-shaped main body and a bent portion bent from an edge of the main body toward the module case.

[0015] The vent unit may include a protruding path portion configured to protrude from an inner surface toward an outer surface of the module case and to define a flow path of the vent gas.

[0016] Furthermore, the end of the protruding path portion may come into contact with the outer surface of the module case.

[0017] Also, the protruding path portion may be configured such that at least a portion of the protruding path portion is bent into a curved shape.

[0018] Also, the protruding path portion may include a spiral part at least a portion of which is bent into a spiral shape.

[0019] The protruding path may also comprise two spiral parts, at least partially inserted.

[0020] The protruding path portion may further include a straight part.

[0021] Also, the vent unit may be located on a side surface of the module case, and the protruding path may be configured to allow the vent gas to flow at least partially downward.

[0022] The protruding path portion may be configured to be able to open and close the vent path.

[0023] In order to achieve the above object, a battery pack according to another aspect of the present invention includes a battery module according to the present invention.

[0024] In order to achieve the above object, according to yet another aspect of the present invention, a battery pack includes one or more battery modules, a pack housing that accommodates the one or more battery modules in an internal space and has a pack hole formed therein, and a vent unit that is attached to the pack housing and has a vent channel formed therein so that vent gas discharged from the pack hole flows in and is discharged to the outside, and is configured so that a flow direction of the vent gas is redirected in the opposite direction inside the vent channel.

[0025] In order to achieve the above object, according to yet another aspect of the present invention, a vehicle includes a battery module according to the present invention. Effect of the Invention

[0026] According to one aspect of the present invention, in the event of a thermal event occurring within a particular battery module or battery pack, a path can be provided for gas and heat to be rapidly vented to the outside.

[0027] Furthermore, according to one aspect of the present invention, by increasing the exhaust path of the vent gas, it is possible to effectively prevent highly linear flames, sparks, electrode ejection material, charcoal, and the like from being exhausted outside the module.

[0028] In particular, in the case of the present invention, it is possible to prevent a fire from occurring outside the battery module by blocking materials that could cause ignition, such as sparks and electrode ejection material, from coming into contact with oxygen outside the module.

[0029] In addition, according to one aspect of the present invention, even if a flame occurs inside a battery module, the flame is prevented from being discharged to the outside of the battery module as much as possible, thereby preventing the thermal event from spreading to other battery modules.

[0030] In addition, according to one aspect of the present invention, by suppressing the inflow of oxygen from outside the battery module into the inside of the battery module, it is possible to prevent a fire from starting or expanding inside the battery module.

[0031] In addition, according to one aspect of the present invention, it is possible to realize an effect of preventing the propagation of heat or flame between battery modules by controlling the venting of the battery modules with a simple structure.

[0032] In addition, the present invention provides various other effects, which will be described in each embodiment, and descriptions of effects that can be easily inferred by those skilled in the art will be omitted.

[0033] The following drawings attached to this specification illustrate preferred embodiments of the present invention and, together with the detailed description of the invention, serve to further understand the technical ideas of the present invention. Therefore, the present invention should not be interpreted as being limited to only the matters described in the drawings. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0034] [Figure 1] 1 is an assembled perspective view illustrating a schematic configuration of a battery module according to an embodiment of the present invention; [Diagram 2] FIG. 2 is an exploded perspective view of a portion of the configuration in FIG. [Diagram 3] 4 is a diagram illustrating a flow direction of vent gas in an internal space of a vent unit according to an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. [Figure 4] 1 is an exploded front view showing a partial configuration of a battery module according to an embodiment of the present invention; [Diagram 5] FIG. 5 is a combination diagram of the configuration of FIG. [Figure 6] 1 is a cross-sectional view illustrating a schematic configuration of a portion of a battery module according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 7] 4 is a cross-sectional view illustrating a schematic configuration of a portion of a battery module according to another embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 8] 11 is a cross-sectional view illustrating a schematic configuration of a portion of a battery module according to still another embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 9] FIG. 4 is an enlarged view of part A5 in FIG. 3 as seen from one side. [Figure 10] 11A and 11B are diagrams illustrating the configuration of a vent unit according to another embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 11] 13 is a diagram illustrating a schematic configuration of a vent unit according to still another embodiment of the present invention. FIG. [Figure 12] 13 is a diagram illustrating a schematic configuration of a vent unit according to still another embodiment of the present invention. FIG. [Figure 13] 13 is a diagram illustrating a schematic configuration of a vent unit according to still another embodiment of the present invention. FIG. [Figure 14]1 is a top view illustrating a battery pack according to an embodiment of the present invention; [Figure 15] FIG. 13 is a top view of a battery pack according to yet another embodiment of the present invention. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0035] Hereinafter, a preferred embodiment of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the attached drawings. Prior to this, the terms and words used in the specification and claims should not be interpreted as being limited to their ordinary or dictionary meanings, but should be interpreted as having meanings and concepts according to the technical ideas of the present invention, in accordance with the principle that the inventor himself can appropriately define the concepts of terms in order to best describe the invention.

[0036] Therefore, it should be understood that the embodiments described in this specification and the configurations shown in the drawings are merely the most preferred embodiment of the present invention and do not represent the entire technical idea of ​​the present invention, and that there may be various equivalents and modifications that can be substituted for them at the time of this application.

[0037] FIG. 1 is an assembled perspective view illustrating a schematic configuration of a battery module according to an embodiment of the present invention, and FIG. 2 is an exploded perspective view of a portion of the configuration of FIG.

[0038] 1 and 2, a battery module according to the present invention includes a cell assembly 100, a module case 200 and a vent unit 300.

[0039] The cell assembly 100 may include one or more battery cells. Here, each battery cell may refer to a secondary battery. The secondary battery may include an electrode assembly, an electrolyte, and a battery case. In particular, the battery cell included in the cell assembly 100 may be a pouch-type secondary battery. However, other types of secondary batteries, such as cylindrical batteries and prismatic batteries, may also be adopted in the cell assembly 100 of the present invention.

[0040] A plurality of secondary batteries may be stacked on one another to form the cell assembly 100. For example, a plurality of secondary batteries may be stacked so that they are arranged in a horizontal direction (X-axis direction in the drawing) with each battery cell standing vertically (Z-axis direction in the drawing). Each battery cell may have an electrode lead, and such an electrode lead may be located at both ends or one end of each battery cell. A secondary battery having electrode leads protruding in both directions is called a bidirectional cell, and a secondary battery having electrode leads protruding in one direction is called a unidirectional cell. The present invention is not limited by the specific type or shape of such a secondary battery, and various types of secondary batteries known at the time of filing of the present invention may be used in the cell assembly 100 of the present invention.

[0041] The module case 200 may be configured to have a space formed therein and to accommodate the cell assembly 100 in the space. For example, the module case 200 may be configured to include an upper plate, a lower plate, a left plate, a right plate, a front plate, and a rear plate to define the space. At least two of the upper plate, the lower plate, the left plate, the right plate, the front plate, and the rear plate may be integrated together. For example, the upper plate, the lower plate, the left plate, and the right plate may be integrated together. In this case, the integrated case has a tubular shape and may be called a monoframe. In another example, the left plate, the right plate, and the lower plate may be integrated together. In this case, the integrated case may be called a U-frame depending on its shape. The module case 200 may be configured in various other shapes.

[0042] The module case 200 may have a vent hole formed on at least one side, as indicated by H1 in FIG. 2. For example, a vent hole H1 may be formed on each of the left and right plates of the module case 200. The vent hole H1 may be configured to discharge the generated vent gas to an external space of the module case 200 when the vent gas is generated and ejected from the cell assembly 100 housed in the internal space. For example, the vent hole H1 may be formed in a completely open shape so as to penetrate the module case 200 in an internal and external direction. Alternatively, the vent hole H1 may not be completely opened, but may be closed in a normal state and may be configured to be openable depending on changes in pressure, temperature, etc. Also, the vent hole H1 may be formed to extend long in one direction. For example, as shown in FIG. 2, the vent hole H1 may be formed to extend long in a vertical direction. Also, the vent hole H1 may be formed on the side of the module case 200, particularly on the left and right side. However, the vent hole H1 may be formed in other parts of the module case 200, such as the upper surface, the lower surface, the front surface, and / or the rear surface. In addition, the configuration of the vent hole H1 formed in the module case 200 may be configured in various other forms in addition to the above form.

[0043] The vent unit 300 may be provided on the outside of the module case 200. In particular, the vent unit 300 may be attached to a portion of the module case 200 where the vent hole H1 is formed. For example, as shown in FIG. 2, when the vent hole H1 is formed on the left side surface of the module case 200, the vent unit 300 may be attached to the left side surface of the module case 200. Although not shown, the vent hole H1 may also be formed on the right side surface of the module case 200. In this case, the vent unit 300 may also be attached to the outside of the right side surface of the module case 200 as shown in FIG. 2.

[0044] The vent unit 300 may be configured so that the vent gas discharged from the vent hole H1 of the module case 200 flows in and is discharged to the outside. In particular, the vent unit 300 may be configured to define a space therein and to allow the vent gas to flow in the defined internal space. In this case, the internal space of the vent unit 300 is a space that guides the vent gas and may be referred to as a vent channel. That is, the vent unit 300 may be formed with a vent channel through which the vent gas flows.

[0045] In particular, the vent unit 300 may be configured such that the flow direction of the vent gas is reversed when the vent gas flows therein, which will be described in detail with further reference to FIG.

[0046] 3 is a diagram illustrating a flow direction of vent gas in an internal space of a vent unit 300 according to an embodiment of the present invention. For ease of explanation, the position of a vent hole H1 formed in a module case 200 is indicated by a dotted line in FIG.

[0047] 3, the vent unit 300 may be configured to have at least one portion where the flow direction of the vent gas is redirected to the opposite direction when the vent gas flows through the internal space, i.e., the vent channel. For example, the vent gas may flow inside the vent unit 300 as shown by the arrows in FIG 3. In this case, the flow direction of the vent gas may be redirected to the opposite direction at some portions as shown by A1, A2, and A3 in FIG 3.

[0048] In particular, in the portion indicated by A2, the vent gas may be configured to change direction to flow in the opposite direction to the overall flow direction. Here, the overall flow direction of the vent gas may be the direction from the vent hole H1 toward the exhaust port O1 (-Y axis direction). However, in the portion indicated by A2, the flow direction of the vent gas may be formed in the opposite direction, i.e., from the exhaust port O1 toward the vent hole H1. As a result, in the portion indicated by A2, the flow direction of the vent gas may change by about 180 degrees from the -Y axis direction to the +Y axis direction.

[0049] According to this configuration of the present invention, a long flow path of the vent gas may be formed in the internal space of the vent unit 300. As a result, the temperature of the vent gas may be lowered when the vent gas that has flowed into the vent unit 300 is discharged to the outside of the vent unit 300. In addition, according to the configuration, it may be less likely that ignition sources such as flames, sparks, and active material particles contained in the vent gas are discharged to the outside of the vent unit 300. As a result, it is possible to prevent a fire from occurring in other components located outside the battery module, such as other battery modules. In this case, problems such as thermal runaway propagation between a plurality of battery modules may be more effectively prevented.

[0050] In addition, according to the above embodiment, the path through which oxygen present outside the vent unit 300 flows into the inside of the module case 200 through the vent unit 300 can be lengthened. This can prevent oxygen from flowing into a battery module in which a problem such as thermal runaway has occurred, thereby preventing the battery module from starting or accelerating a fire.

[0051] The vent unit 300 may be configured to define a vent channel together with an outer surface of the module case 200. This will be described in detail with further reference to FIGS.

[0052] Fig. 4 is an exploded front view showing a partial configuration of a battery module according to an embodiment of the present invention. For example, Fig. 4 is a schematic diagram showing a configuration of the battery module of Fig. 1 in a state in which the right vent unit 300 is separated from the module case 200. Fig. 5 is a diagram showing a state in which the configurations of Fig. 4 are combined. Fig. 6 is a schematic cross-sectional view showing a partial configuration of a battery module according to an embodiment of the present invention. For example, Fig. 6 is a cross-sectional view taken along line A4-A4' of Fig. 3.

[0053] 1 to 6, the vent unit 300 may be configured to define a vent channel together with the module case 200. As a more specific example, referring to Fig. 4, the right vent unit 300 may be attached to the right side surface of the module case 200 as indicated by an arrow. In this case, a vent channel may be formed in the internal space of the vent unit 300 as indicated by V.

[0054] However, it can be said that the vent channel V is not completely formed by the vent unit 300 alone, but is completely formed when the vent unit 300 is attached to the module case 200. That is, as shown in FIG. 4, before the vent unit 300 is attached to the outer surface of the module case 200, one side of the vent channel V, for example, the left side of the vent channel V, may be in an open state. Then, as shown in FIG. 5, when the vent unit 300 is attached to the right side of the module case 200, the open left side of the vent channel V may be closed by the right side of the module case 200. In other words, in the configuration of FIG. 5, it can be said that the upper, lower, and right side of the vent channel V are defined by the vent unit 300, and the left side is defined by the module case 200.

[0055] According to this configuration of the present invention, the structure of the vent unit 300 is simplified, and the manufacture of the vent unit 300 may be facilitated. In particular, a structure defining a flow path of the vent gas may be present in the internal space of the vent unit 300. In this case, when one side of the vent unit 300 is configured to be open, a configuration for providing such a structure inside the vent unit 300 may be more easily implemented. In addition, according to the above embodiment, the manufacture of the battery module may be more easily facilitated.

[0056] The vent unit 300 may include a main body portion 310 and a bent portion 320. Here, the main body portion 310 may be configured in a plate shape. The bent portion 320 may be configured to be bent from an edge of the main body portion 310 toward the module case 200. In particular, the bent portion 320 may be configured integrally with the main body portion 310.

[0057] As a more specific example, the body 310 may be configured in the form of a square plate. The bent portions 320 may be formed on three of the four edges of the body 310. For example, as shown in Figures 3 and 4, the bent portions 320 may be formed on the upper edge, the lower edge, and the rear edge of the body 310. Since the bent portion 320 is not formed on the front edge of the body 310, an exhaust port O1 for discharging the vent gas may be formed thereon.

[0058] In this embodiment, the vent channel V may have one side and upper and lower portions defined by the main body portion 310 and the bent portion 320 of the vent unit 300. For example, referring to the configuration shown in Fig. 4, the vent channel V may have a right side defined by the main body portion 310, and an upper portion and a lower portion defined by the upper end bent portion 320 and the lower end bent portion 320. The vent channel V may have a rear portion defined by the rear end bent portion 320 of the vent unit 300.

[0059] Meanwhile, outer ends (left ends) of the upper end bent portion 320 and the lower end bent portion 320 of the vent unit 300, indicated by W1 and W2 in FIG. 4, may be attached to the outer surface of the module case 200. Also, the rear end bent portion 320 of the vent unit 300 may be attached to the outer surface of the module case 200. Here, the attachment portion between each bent portion 320 of the vent unit 300 and the module case 200 may be sealed to prevent vent gas from leaking. For example, the ends of each bent portion 320 of the vent unit 300 may be laser welded to the outer surface of the module case 200. Also, the vent unit 300 and the module case 200 may be coupled to each other in various other ways.

[0060] In this manner, the vent channel V may be formed by the vent unit 300 and the outer surface of the module case 200. The vent gas discharged from the vent hole H1 may flow through the inside of the vent channel V as shown by the arrow in FIG. 3 and be discharged to the exhaust port O1.

[0061] According to this configuration of the present invention, the configuration for guiding vent gas in the battery module has a simple structure and can be provided by an easy assembly method. In particular, according to this embodiment of the present invention, as long as the vent hole H1 is formed in the module case 200, many of the conventional battery module configurations can be used as they are. Therefore, there is no need to change or complicate the design or manufacturing method of the module case 200 or its internal configuration in order to embody the present invention. Therefore, the battery module according to the present invention can be easily manufactured.

[0062] The vent unit 300 may also include a protruding path portion 330 .

[0063] The protruding path portion 330 may be configured to protrude from an inner surface of the vent unit 300 toward an outer surface of the module case 200. For example, referring to the configurations of Figs. 3 to 6, the protruding path portion 330 may be configured to protrude from an inner surface of the left side of the body portion 310 toward the left side (-X axis direction) where the module case 200 exists.

[0064] In particular, in the vent unit 300, one side of the vent channel V may be configured in an open form, and the protruding path portion 330 may be configured to protrude from the inner side of the vent unit 300 toward the open side. For example, referring to the embodiment configurations of Figs. 4 to 6, the left side of the vent channel V is configured in an open form. In this case, the protruding path portion 330 may be configured to protrude toward the left side, which is the open portion, from the left side of the main body portion 310, which is the inner side of the vent unit 300.

[0065] The protruding path portion 330 may be configured to define a flow path of the vent gas in the vent channel. That is, the protruding path portion 330 may be a structure that determines the flow direction of the vent gas in the internal space of the vent unit 300. For example, the flow direction of the vent gas inside the vent unit 300 may be formed by the protruding path portion 330 as shown in FIG.

[0066] The protruding path portion 330 may be configured such that an end portion thereof contacts the outer surface of the module case 200. For example, when the vent unit 300 is attached to the right side surface of the module case 200 as in the configurations of Figures 5 and 6, the left end portion of the protruding path portion 330 may contact the right side surface of the module case 200 as indicated by C1 and C1'.

[0067] According to this embodiment of the present invention, the vent gas flow guide configuration by the protruding path portion 330 can be more reliably implemented. That is, in the case of the embodiment, a gap may not be formed between the outer end (left end) of the protruding path portion 330 and the module case 200. As a result, the vent gas can flow only in an intended direction. That is, the portion in the vent unit 300 where the vent gas is guided to flow may be the space between the protruding path portions 330 or the space between the protruding path portion 330 and the bent portion 320. Therefore, in the case of the embodiment, the vent gas can be prevented from leaking from the gap between the end of the protruding path portion 330 and the module case 200. That is, in the case of the embodiment, the vent gas can be prevented from flowing in a straight line beyond the protruding path portion 330 and being discharged to the exhaust port O1 side.

[0068] The protruding path portion 330 may be configured in the form of a plate extending long in one direction, as shown in Fig. 3. In particular, the length of the protruding path portion 330 in the extension direction may be much greater than the length of the protruding path portion 330 in the width direction. In this case, the protruding path portion 330 may be formed in the form of a stripe or band.

[0069] The vent unit 300 may be configured such that the flow direction of the vent gas is formed along the extension direction of the protruding path portion 330. Furthermore, the protruding path portion 330 may be configured such that one edge of the protruding path portion 330 is attached to the body portion 310 with respect to the elongated plate. For example, in the configurations of FIGS. 3 to 6, the protruding path portion 330 may be configured as a plate having two wide surfaces and extending elongated in one direction, and a right edge portion may be attached to the body portion 310. In this case, the right edge portion of the protruding path portion 330 and the body portion 310 may be coupled in various ways, such as by welding or adhesion. Alternatively, the protruding path portion 330 may be manufactured integrally with the body portion 310 from the beginning. When the vent unit 300 is attached to the module case 200, the left edge portion of the protruding path portion 330 may contact the outer surface of the module case 200 as shown by C1 and C1' in FIGS. 5 and 6. This allows the vent gas to flow along the broad surface of the elongated plate-like protruding path portion 330 .

[0070] Fig. 7 is a cross-sectional view showing a schematic configuration of a portion of a battery module according to another embodiment of the present invention. For example, Fig. 7 shows another example of a cross section taken along line A4-A4' in Fig. 3. In describing various embodiments of the present invention including this embodiment, detailed descriptions of parts similar or identical to those described in other embodiments will be omitted, and differences will be mainly described.

[0071] 7, the protruding path portion 330 may be configured to protrude from the inner surface of the main body portion 310 toward the module case 200 at a predetermined angle. That is, the protruding path portion 330 may be configured to be inclined at a predetermined angle rather than perpendicular to the surface of the main body portion 310. Since the protruding path portion 330 protrudes in such an inclined manner, it also comes into contact with the outer surface of the module case 200 at a predetermined angle rather than perpendicularly.

[0072] In particular, the protruding path portion 330 may be configured to protrude toward the module case 200 and incline toward the side into which the vent gas flows as it approaches the end. Furthermore, the protruding path portion 330 may be configured to incline toward the vent hole H1 as it approaches the end. More specifically, in FIG. 7, the vent hole H1 can be said to be located in the +Y-axis direction from the protruding path portion 330. And the exhaust port O1 can be said to be located in the -Y-axis direction from the protruding path portion 330. That is, the vent gas flows into the protruding path portion 330 in FIG. 7 from the +Y-axis direction side.

[0073] In this case, the protruding path portion 330 may be configured to incline toward the +Y axis direction as it progresses toward the left direction (-X axis direction) toward the module case 200. The C2 portion, which is the left end portion of the protruding path portion 330, may contact the right side surface of the module case 200. In this case, the vent channel may be divided into V1 and V2 spaces by the protruding path portion 330. When the vent gas flows into the inside of the vent channel from the vent hole H1, the vent gas may first flow into the V1 space. The vent gas that flows into the V1 space may move to the V2 space through a portion where the protruding path portion 330 does not exist.

[0074] At this time, according to the embodiment, it is possible to more effectively prevent the vent gas from leaking from the gap between the protruding path portion 330 and the module case 200 as shown by C2. That is, when the vent gas first flows into the V1 space, the vent gas may move to the right side (+X-axis direction) along the inclined surface of the surface on the rear side (+Y-axis direction side) of the protruding path portion 330 as shown by the arrow in FIG. 7. At this time, the right end portion of the protruding path portion 330 may be configured in a form integrated with the main body portion 310. As a result, when the vent gas moves from the V1 space to the V2 direction, the vent gas moves only in the specified direction and does not leak from the gap as shown by C2. Therefore, it is possible to more reliably prevent an unintended flow of the vent gas inside the vent unit 300, particularly, the vent gas from flowing in a straight line.

[0075] 8 is a cross-sectional view illustrating a schematic configuration of a portion of a battery module according to still another embodiment of the present invention, for example, a cross-section taken along line A4-A4' in FIG.

[0076] 8, the protruding path portion 330 may be configured to protrude from the inner surface of the vent unit 300, i.e., the inner surface of the main body portion 310, toward the module case 200, and have an end portion configured to be folded along the surface of the module case 200, as shown by C3. That is, the protruding path portion 330 may be configured to have an end portion configured to be folded, and to contact the outer surface of the module case 200 over a larger area than the edge.

[0077] According to such an embodiment of the present invention, the sealing performance between the end of the protruding path portion 330 and the module case 200 can be further improved. Therefore, it is possible to more effectively prevent vent gas and the like from leaking from the gap between the end of the protruding path portion 330 and the module case 200. This can further improve the vent gas guiding performance of the protruding path portion 330.

[0078] The protruding path portion 330 may be configured to be curved at least partially, which will be described in more detail with reference to FIG.

[0079] FIG. 9 is an enlarged view of part A5 in FIG. 3 as viewed from one side.

[0080] 9, the protruding path portion 330 may be formed in a long, strip-like shape, and may be configured to have at least a portion bent. The vent unit 300 may have a plurality of protruding path portions 330 separated from each other. For example, the vent unit 300 may have at least two protruding path portions 330, i.e., unit path portions, protruding from the main body portion 310 toward the module case 200, as shown by P1 and P2 in FIG. 9. In addition, all or a portion of the plurality of protruding path portions 330 may be configured to be at least partially bent in a curved shape, as shown by B1 in FIG. In this case, the flow path of the vent gas may be formed in a curved shape due to the configuration of the protruding path portion 330 bent in a curved shape.

[0081] According to this embodiment of the present invention, the vent gas can be smoothly discharged within the defined space of the vent unit 300 while the path of the vent gas can be maximized. This can lower the temperature of the vent gas and more effectively prevent the discharge of sparks, flames, etc. Also, in this case, even if oxygen flows in from the outside due to the vent gas, the oxygen inflow path can be lengthened to minimize the oxygen from reaching the inside of the module case 200.

[0082] In particular, the protruding path portion 330 may include a spiral part. Such a spiral part may mean a portion bent in a spiral shape. For example, in FIG. 9, the two protruding path portions 330 indicated by P1 and P2 may each be formed in a strip shape extending long in one direction and may have a configuration extending in a spiral shape as indicated by B1. In this way, the portion extending in a spiral shape may be said to be a spiral part.

[0083] According to this configuration of the present invention, the swirl part can rotate the vent gas in a circular, particularly swirl shape. In this case, the vent gas can be bent at an angle greater than 180°. This embodiment can further increase the flow path of the vent gas in a certain space. In addition, in this case, centrifugal force is generated by the rotation of the vent gas, and the effect of preventing the external discharge of flames, active material particles, etc. can be further improved.

[0084] Further, the protruding path portion 330 may include two spiral parts at least partially inserted. For example, referring to Fig. 9, the first path portion P1 and the second path portion P2 may each include a spiral part. The central portion of the spiral part of the first path portion P1 and the central portion of the spiral part of the second path portion P2 may be configured in a form in which the central portions are interdigitated with each other, as shown by B11.

[0085] Here, the two different protruding path portions 330, i.e., the first path portion P1 and the second path portion P2, may be configured such that the rotation directions of the vent gas due to each swirl are opposite to each other. For example, referring to the configuration of FIG. 9, first, the vent gas may rotate clockwise due to the swirl part of the first path portion P1 (solid arrow). Then, the vent gas that has escaped from the center of the swirl part of the first path portion P1 may flow into the center of the swirl part of the second path portion P2. At this time, the vent gas may flow between the central end of the swirl part of the first path portion P1 and the central end of the swirl part of the second path portion P2. Then, the vent gas that has flowed into the swirl part of the second path portion P2 may rotate counterclockwise following the shape of the swirl part of the second path portion P2 (dotted arrow).

[0086] In this case, the rotation direction of the vent gas can be changed from clockwise to counterclockwise. Furthermore, the direction of the vent gas can be changed at the center of the spiral parts of the two different protruding path portions 330. Therefore, according to this embodiment, the flow path of the vent gas is increased, and the effect of preventing flames, sparks, etc. contained in the vent gas from being discharged to the outside can be further improved.

[0087] 10 is a diagram showing a schematic configuration of a vent unit 300 according to another embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 10 shows a modified example of the configuration shown in FIG.

[0088] Referring to FIG. 10, the protruding path portion 330 includes a spiral part, and such a spiral part may be configured to have recesses, as indicated by G1 and G2. In particular, such recesses may be formed to be recessed outward from other parts in the spiral shape. Here, the outer side may mean the opposite side to the direction toward the center of the spiral. In particular, when comparing the configuration of FIG. 10 with the configuration of FIG. 9, the recesses indicated by G1 and G2 in FIG. 10 are formed to be recessed outward more than the spiral shape in FIG. 9. More specifically, in the first path portion P1, the G1 portion is formed to be recessed toward the right side. And, in the second path portion P2, the G2 portion is formed to be recessed toward the left side.

[0089] According to this embodiment of the present invention, the effect of preventing particles such as active material contained in the vent gas from being discharged can be further improved by the recesses G1 and G2 formed in the spiral part in the protruding path part 330. Furthermore, in the spiral part of the protruding path part 330, there is a high possibility that particles such as active material will flow into the recesses G1 and G2 as indicated by the arrows due to centrifugal force. Therefore, according to this embodiment, it is possible to more reliably prevent problems such as the propagation of thermal runaway caused by particles such as active material being discharged to the outside and acting as a heat source.

[0090] In particular, in such an embodiment, the recess may be configured to be deeper along the rotation direction of the vent gas. For example, in the configuration of Fig. 10, the recess G1 formed in the first path portion P1 may be configured to be deeper along the clockwise direction, which is the rotation direction of the vent gas. Also, in the configuration of Fig. 10, the recess G2 formed in the second path portion P2 may be configured to be deeper along the counterclockwise direction, which is the rotation direction of the vent gas.

[0091] According to this embodiment, the particle collection effect of the recesses G1 and G2 can be further improved. In particular, when the recesses G1 and G2 are formed in the spiral parts of the protruding path portion 330, the particle collection effect of the recesses G1 and G2 of the above embodiment can be significantly increased by the centrifugal force of the spiral parts. That is, when the vent gas rotates by the spiral parts of the protruding path portion 330, the particles such as the active material are likely to move along the inner side of the spiral parts of the protruding path portion 330 due to the rotational centrifugal force of the vent gas. At this time, according to the above embodiment, the particles such as the active material may flow into the recesses G1 and G2 located on the inner side of the protruding path portion 330. Then, the particles that flow into the recesses G1 and G2 may be less likely to be discharged to the outside of the recesses G1 and G2.

[0092] 11 is a diagram showing a schematic configuration of a vent unit 300 according to still another embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 11 shows yet another modified example of the configuration shown in FIG.

[0093] 11, the protrusion path portion 330 may have protrusions on its surface, as shown by D1 and D2. In particular, such protrusions D1 and D2 may be located on the inner surface of the spiral part. Furthermore, such protrusions D1 and D2 may be configured to protrude toward the part where the vent gas flows, at the part where the vent gas rotates in a spiral shape. That is, the protrusions D1 and D2 may protrude toward the center of the spiral shape.

[0094] In addition, a plurality of protrusions D1, D2 of the protruding path portion 330 may be provided in one unit path portion. For example, as shown in Fig. 11, a plurality of protrusions D1 may be formed on the inner side of the spiral part of the first path portion P1, and a plurality of protrusions D2 may be formed on the inner side of the spiral part of the second path portion P2.

[0095] According to this embodiment of the present invention, the movement of particles such as sparks and active materials contained in the vent gas can be more effectively prevented by the protrusions D1 and D2 formed on the protruding path portion 330. In particular, when the protruding path portion 330 is formed in a spiral shape, particles such as active materials contained in the vent gas can be positioned on the inner surface of the protruding path portion 330 due to the centrifugal force of rotation. As a result, the protrusions D1 and D2 positioned on the inner surface of the protruding path portion 330 can more reliably prevent the movement of particles such as flames and active materials. As a result, the filtering effect of the vent unit against flames and active materials can be further improved.

[0096] Also, the protruding path portion 330 may further include a straight part. The straight part is a configuration that is different from the above-mentioned spiral part, and may be a part formed by extending the protruding path portion 330 in a straight line shape, as shown by B2 in FIG. 9. In particular, when the protruding path portion 330 includes two unit path portions, for example, a first path portion P1 and a second path portion P2, each of the unit path portions P1 and P2 may include a straight part as well as a spiral part. More specifically, the first path portion P1 includes a straight part B2 and a spiral part B1, and the vent gas may first flow in a straight line shape along the surface of the straight part B2 and then flow in a spiral shape along the surface of the spiral part B1. And, the second path portion P2 includes a spiral part B1 and a straight part B2, and the vent gas may first flow in a spiral shape along the surface of the spiral part B1 and then flow in a straight line shape along the surface of the straight part B2.

[0097] In this case, the flow pattern of the vent gas may be varied in various ways depending on the spiral part B1 and the straight part B2 provided in the protruding path part 330. This makes it possible to more effectively prevent flames, sparks, particles of active material, etc. from being discharged to the outside. Meanwhile, the above-mentioned recesses G1, G2 and protrusions D1, D2 may also be provided in the straight part B2 instead of the spiral part or together with the spiral part B1.

[0098] 1 and 2, the vent unit 300 may be located on the side of the module case 200, for example, on the left side and right side of the module case 200. In this case, the protruding path portion 330 may be configured to allow the vent gas to flow at least partially downward.

[0099] 9, for example, the protruding path portion 330 may be configured so that the vent gas moves downward in a left portion of the straight part B2 of the first path portion P1. The protruding path portion 330 may be configured so that the vent gas moves downward along the first path portion P1 and the spiral part B1 of the second path portion P2. The protruding path portion 330 may be configured so that the vent gas moves downward in a right portion of the straight part B2 of the second path portion P2.

[0100] According to the above-mentioned configuration of the present invention, the effect of suppressing the external discharge of flames, high-temperature gases, or substances can be improved. In particular, flames and high-temperature gases may have a tendency to move upward. In this case, when the vent gas is configured to move downward inside the vent unit 300 as in the above-mentioned embodiment, the movement of such flames and high-temperature substances can be more reliably prevented.

[0101] Also, the vent unit 300 may be configured to allow the vent gas to flow in the reverse direction. Here, the reverse direction refers to the opposite direction to the direction from the vent hole H1 to the exhaust port O1. For example, in the embodiment of FIG. 3, the direction from the vent hole H1 to the exhaust port O1 may be the -Y axis direction (forward). In this case, the vent unit 300 may be configured to allow the vent gas to flow in the +Y axis direction (rearward) depending on the configuration of the protruding path portion 330. In this way, by providing a portion in the vent unit 300 where the vent gas flows in the opposite direction to the overall flow direction of the vent gas, the exhaust path of the vent gas and the inflow path of oxygen can be lengthened. Also, in this case, a vortex or the like is formed during the flow of the vent gas, which can be more advantageous in preventing the external discharge of active material particles, flames, etc. contained in the vent gas.

[0102] 12 and 13 are diagrams illustrating a schematic configuration of a vent unit 300 according to still another embodiment of the present invention.

[0103] 12 and 13, the protruding path portion 330 of the vent unit 300 may be configured to open and close the vent path. More specifically, the protruding path portion 330 may include an opening and closing member as indicated by E. Such an opening and closing member E may be configured to allow or block the flow of vent gas inside the vent unit 300. For example, the opening and closing member E may be located at the end of a straight part and configured to open or close the vent path.

[0104] In particular, the opening / closing member E may be configured to be hinged. First, the opening / closing member E may be configured to be in a closed state in a normal state so as to block the vent path as shown in FIG. 12. Here, a resilient body such as a spring may be provided in the hinge portion of the opening / closing member E. The opening / closing member E may be configured to maintain the closed state as shown in FIG. 12 by the resilience of such a resilient body.

[0105] When gas is generated and discharged from the cell assembly 100 and the internal force of the vent unit 300 increases, the pressure in the inner portion of the opening / closing member E (the left portion in FIG. 12) may increase. Here, the inner portion may refer to the side into which the vent gas flows. When this pressure exceeds a certain level, the opening / closing member E may rotate as shown by the arrow in FIG. 12. Then, the opening / closing member E may be deformed into an open state as shown in FIG. 13. In this case, the vent gas present inside the opening / closing member E may flow outward (in the -Y-axis direction in the drawing).

[0106] Then, when the vent gas is discharged and the pressure in the inner part of the opening / closing member E falls below a predetermined level, the opening / closing member E may rotate counterclockwise as indicated by the arrow in FIG. 13 due to the elastic force of the elastic body. The opening / closing member E may further maintain the state shown in FIG. 12 to close the vent path. Furthermore, in the above configuration, the opening / closing member E may be configured to maintain the closed state as shown in FIG. 12 without being opened even if the pressure in the outer part rises above a certain level. For example, in the embodiment configuration of FIG. 12, even if the pressure in the outer part of the opening / closing member E is high, the opening / closing member E may be configured not to rotate counterclockwise any further.

[0107] According to this embodiment of the present invention, when the vent gas flows into the vent unit 300, the vent gas can be smoothly discharged, and when the discharge of the vent gas is almost completed, the vent path can be blocked. This makes it possible to more reliably block oxygen from flowing in the opposite direction through the vent path. As a result, the occurrence or spread of a fire inside the module case 200 can be more effectively prevented.

[0108] 14 is a schematic top view of a battery pack according to an embodiment of the present invention. In this embodiment, detailed descriptions of parts that are similar or identical to those described in the above embodiments will be omitted.

[0109] 14, a battery pack according to the present invention may include one or more battery modules M according to the present invention. In particular, to increase capacity and / or output, a battery pack according to the present invention may include a plurality of battery modules M according to the present invention. In this case, the various configurations described above may be applied to each battery module M. For example, each battery module M includes a cell assembly 100, a module case 200, and a vent unit 300. The plurality of battery modules M may be accommodated inside a pack housing PH.

[0110] In the case of the battery pack according to the present invention, even if a thermal event occurs in a specific battery module, safety can be ensured to a certain level or more. In particular, the battery module M included in the battery pack according to the present invention includes a vent unit 300, and the vent unit 300 can exhaust vent gas as shown by the arrow. This can prevent ignition in other battery modules M as well as in the vicinity of the battery module M by minimizing the inclusion of ignition factors such as sparks, electrode ejection, and charcoal in the vent gas exhausted to the outside.

[0111] In addition, in the case of the battery pack according to the present invention, the vent unit 300 included in each battery module can control the vent direction, so that the vent gas is prevented from being directly sprayed toward other battery modules. For example, as shown in FIG 14, when a plurality of battery modules M are arranged in two rows, left and right, in the pack housing, the spray direction of the vent unit 300 may be directed leftward for the battery module M in the left row, and the spray direction of the vent unit 300 may be directed rightward for the battery module M in the right row. In this case, when the vent gas is discharged from a specific battery module, for example, M4, the vent gas is prevented from being directed toward other battery modules, so that the diffusion of a thermal event to other battery modules due to the vent gas can be more effectively prevented.

[0112] In addition, although not shown, the battery pack according to the present invention may further include various other components in addition to the battery module M and the pack housing PH, such as a BMS, bus bars, relays, current sensors, and other components of a battery pack known at the time of filing of the present invention.

[0113] Meanwhile, the vent unit 300 applied to the battery module in some of the above-described embodiments can also be applied to a battery pack, which will be further described with reference to FIG.

[0114] Fig. 15 is a top view of a battery pack according to another embodiment of the present invention. For example, Fig. 15 shows the internal structure of the battery pack according to the present invention with the upper part of the pack housing PH removed, similar to Fig. 14. In this embodiment, differences from the above-mentioned embodiment will be mainly described.

[0115] 15, a hole indicated by H2 may be formed on at least one side of the pack housing PH in which a plurality of battery modules M are accommodated. The pack hole H2 may be formed to connect the internal space of the pack housing PH to the external space. In particular, the pack hole H2 may function as a passage through which gas or the like present in the internal space of the pack housing PH is exhausted to the outside.

[0116] In this configuration, the vent unit 300 according to the present invention described above may be attached to the pack housing PH. In particular, as shown in Fig. 15, when a pack hole H2 is formed in the pack housing PH, the vent unit 300 may be attached to the portion of the outside of the pack housing PH where the pack hole H2 is formed.

[0117] That is, the battery pack according to this embodiment of the present invention may include one or more battery modules M, a pack housing PH that accommodates the one or more battery modules M in an internal space and has a pack hole H2 formed therein, and a vent unit 300 that is attached to the pack housing PH and has a vent channel V formed therein so that vent gas discharged from the pack hole H2 flows in and is discharged to the outside, and the flow direction of the vent gas inside the vent channel V is redirected to the opposite direction.

[0118] In this case, vent gas generated from any battery module M may pass through the pack hole H2 and flow into the vent unit 300 located outside the pack housing PH, as shown by the arrow in Fig. 15. In this way, as described above, the vent unit 300 may suppress the external emission of sparks, electrode ejection products, charcoal, and the like.

[0119] In such an embodiment in which the vent unit 300 is attached to the pack housing PH, the various embodiments of the vent unit 300 described in the form in which the vent unit 300 is attached to the module case 200 may be applied to the vent unit 300 in a similar or identical manner.

[0120] Meanwhile, as shown in Fig. 15, each battery module M may not include the vent unit 300. However, as shown in Fig. 14, it goes without saying that the vent unit 300 may be separately attached to each battery module M.

[0121] 15, the cell assemblies 100 are housed in the module case 200 and provided in the pack housing PH in a modularized form. However, in the case of a battery pack according to another embodiment of the present invention, the cell assemblies 100 may not be housed in the module case 200 but may be directly attached to the pack housing PH in a cell-to-pack form. In this case, the above-mentioned battery module M may include only the cell assemblies 100 without including the module case 200. Meanwhile, a control device such as a BMS (Battery Management System) and electrical devices such as a relay and a current sensor may be housed in the internal space of the pack housing PH.

[0122] The battery module or the battery pack according to the present invention can be applied to automobiles such as electric automobiles and hybrid automobiles. That is, the automobile according to the present invention may include the battery module or the battery pack according to the present invention. The automobile according to the present invention may further include various other components included in the automobile in addition to the battery module or the battery pack. For example, the automobile according to the present invention may further include a vehicle body, a motor, a control device such as an ECU (electronic control unit), etc. in addition to the battery module according to the present invention.

[0123] Furthermore, the battery module according to the present invention is applicable to an energy storage system (ESS), that is, the energy storage system according to the present invention may include the battery module according to the present invention or the battery pack according to the present invention.

[0124] In addition, although terms indicating directions such as up, down, left, right, front, and back are used in this specification, it will be obvious to those skilled in the art that these terms indicate relative positions and are used only for convenience of explanation, and may change depending on the position of the target object, the position of the observer, etc.

[0125] Although the present invention has been described above with reference to limited embodiments and drawings, it goes without saying that the present invention is not limited thereto, and various modifications and variations can be made by those having ordinary knowledge in the technical field to which the present invention pertains within the scope of the technical spirit of the present invention and the equivalent scope of the claims. [Explanation of symbols]

[0126] 100 Cell Assembly 200 module case 300 Vent Unit 310 Main body 320 Bend section 330 Projecting Path P1 First pathway P2 Second pathway H1 Vent Hole O1 outlet V-Vent Channel M Battery Module PH Pack Housing H2 Pac Hall

Claims

1. a cell assembly including one or more battery cells; a module case that houses the cell assembly in an internal space and has a vent hole formed therein to discharge vent gas generated from the cell assembly; a vent unit attached to the outside of the module case, configured to receive vent gas discharged from the vent hole and discharge the vent gas to the outside, and configured to redirect the flow of the vent gas in the opposite direction, The vent unit comprises a plate-shaped main body and a bent portion bent from an edge of the main body toward the module case.

2. The battery module according to claim 1 , wherein the vent unit is configured to define a vent channel together with an outer surface of the module case.

3. 2. The battery module according to claim 1, wherein the vent unit is configured to protrude from an inner surface toward an outer surface of the module case and includes a protruding path portion configured to define a flow path of the vent gas.

4. The battery module according to claim 3 , wherein an end of the protruding path portion contacts an outer surface of the module case.

5. A cell assembly comprising one or more battery cells; a module case that houses the cell assembly in an internal space and has a vent hole formed therein to discharge vent gas generated from the cell assembly; a vent unit attached to the outside of the module case, configured to receive vent gas discharged from the vent hole and discharge the vent gas to the outside, and configured to redirect the flow of the vent gas in the opposite direction, the vent unit is configured to protrude from an inner surface toward an outer surface of the module case and includes a protruding path portion configured to define a flow path of the vent gas; The battery module, wherein at least a portion of the protruding path portion is bent into a curved shape.

6. The battery module according to claim 5 , wherein the protruding path portion comprises a spiral part at least a portion of which is bent into a spiral shape.

7. The battery module according to claim 6 , wherein the protruding path portion comprises two spiral parts at least partially inserted.

8. 8. The battery module according to claim 7, characterized in that the two spiral parts define a first path portion and a second path portion extending in a spiral shape, and a spiral center of the first path portion and a spiral center of the second path portion are connected to each other.

9. The battery module according to claim 6 , wherein the protruding path portion further comprises a straight part.

10. the vent unit is located on a side surface of the module case, The battery module according to claim 3 , wherein the protruding path portion is configured to allow the vent gas to flow at least partially downward.

11. The battery module according to claim 3 , wherein the protruding path portion is configured to be capable of opening and closing a flow path of the vent gas.

12. A battery pack comprising a battery module according to any one of claims 1 to 11.

13. one or more battery modules; a pack housing that houses the one or more battery modules in an internal space and has a pack hole formed therein; a vent unit attached to the pack housing, the vent unit having a vent channel formed therein so that a vent gas discharged from the pack hole flows in and is discharged to the outside, and the flow direction of the vent gas is reversed inside the vent channel, The vent unit comprises a plate-shaped main body and a bent portion bent from an edge of the main body toward the module case.

14. A motor vehicle comprising a battery module according to any one of claims 1 to 11.

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