Electric storage device

Abstract

To provide a power storage device capable of suppressing trouble due to dew condensation water in a power storage device to which a gap filling member is arranged.SOLUTION: A power storage device 1 comprises: a power storage module 20; a housing case 10 that houses the power storage module 20; a cooler 40 that cools the power storage module 20 via the housing case 10; a gap filling member 30 that is arranged at a part of a gap between the power storage module 20 and the housing case 10; and a bonding part 60 that bonds the gap filling member 30 to the housing case 10. The housing case 10 includes a cooling region R1 cooled by the cooler 40. In the cooling region R1, the power storage module 20 and the gap filling member 30 are arranged. The gap filling member 30 includes an opposite surface 30a that is opposite to the cooling region R1. The bonding part 60 is provided at a peripheral edge part of the opposite surface 30a so as to seal the gap between the opposite surface 30a and the cooling region R1.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 3

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present disclosure relates to a power storage device mounted on a vehicle.

Background Art

[0002] As a conventional power storage device, Japanese Unexamined Patent Application Publication No. 2020-181632 (Patent Document 1) discloses a technique for cooling a power storage stack from the lower surface side.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0003]

Patent Document 1

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0004] In a power storage device in which a plurality of power storage stacks as power storage modules are housed in a housing case, the number of power storage stacks installed in the same housing case may be adjusted according to the vehicle type or the required driving distance. For example, when reducing the number of housed power storage stacks, a space is formed in the area where the power storage stack is not installed. In this case, it is conceivable to arrange a filling member in the area where the power storage stack is not installed.

[0005] However, unlike the power storage stack, the filling member does not generate heat due to charge and discharge. Therefore, the temperature in the area where the filling member is arranged is lower than that in the area where the power storage stack is arranged, and condensation is likely to occur. When condensation occurs, there is a concern that the condensed water adheres to the high-voltage part in the housing case, causing problems.

[0006] The present disclosure has been made in view of the above problems, and an object of the present disclosure is to provide a power storage device capable of suppressing problems caused by condensed water in a power storage device in which a filling member is arranged.

Means for Solving the Problem

[0007] The energy storage device according to the present disclosure includes an energy storage module, a housing case that houses the energy storage module, a cooler that cools the energy storage module via the housing case, a packing member disposed in a part of the gap between the energy storage module and the housing case, and an adhesive portion that adheres the packing member to the housing case. The housing case has a cooling region that is cooled by the cooler. In the cooling region, the energy storage module and the packing member are disposed. The packing member includes a facing surface that faces the cooling region. The adhesive portion is provided at the peripheral edge of the facing surface so as to seal the gap between the facing surface and the cooling region.

[0008] According to the above configuration, since the adhesive portion is provided at the peripheral edge of the facing surface so as to seal the gap between the facing surface of the packing member and the cooling region, the condensed water generated in the gap can be held inside the adhesive portion. Thereby, it is possible to suppress the leakage of the condensed water to the outside of the adhesive portion and to suppress the adhesion of the condensed water to the high-voltage portion in the housing case. As a result, problems caused by the condensed water can be suppressed.

[0009] In the energy storage device according to the present disclosure, the cooling region is provided at the bottom of the housing case. The bottom may be provided so as to partially contact the facing surface within the region surrounded by the adhesive portion.

[0010] According to the above configuration, by partially adhering the bottom portion constituting the cooling region to the facing surface of the packing member, the generation area of condensation can be reduced.

[0011] According to the above configuration, the housing case includes an upper case and a lower case, and the packing member has an upper surface and a lower surface. The opposing surface may be constituted by the lower surface. The upper surface may be provided with a protruding portion that extends in a direction intersecting the vertical direction and protrudes toward the upper case. The top of the protruding portion may be located above the power storage module.

[0012] According to the above configuration, when a downward load is input to the upper case, the upper case can be supported by the protruding portion of the packing member, and deformation of the upper case can be suppressed. Further, since the top of the protruding portion is located above the power storage module, contact between the high-voltage portion included in the power storage module and the upper case can be suppressed when the load is input as described above. Thereby, the power storage module can be protected.

[0013] In the power storage device according to the present disclosure, the power storage module may include a plurality of power storage stacks arranged side by side in a first direction orthogonal to the vertical direction. The packing member may be arranged side by side with the power storage module in the first direction. A plurality of the protruding portions may be arranged side by side in the first direction and may be provided so as to extend in a second direction orthogonal to the vertical direction and the first direction. A plurality of the protruding portions may be arranged side by side in the first direction and may be provided so as to extend in a second direction orthogonal to the vertical direction and the first direction.

[0014] According to the above configuration, when a plurality of protruding portions are provided, deformation of the upper case can be further suppressed when a load is input downward from the upper case side. Further, since the plurality of protruding portions extend in the second direction and are arranged side by side in the first direction, deformation of the upper case can be suppressed over a wide range.

Effects of the Invention

[0015] According to the present disclosure, it is possible to provide a power storage device capable of suppressing problems caused by condensed water in a power storage device in which a packing member is disposed.

Brief Description of the Drawings

[0016]

Figure 1

Figure 2

Figure 3

Figure 4

Figure 5

Modes for Carrying Out the Invention

[0017] Hereinafter, embodiments of the present disclosure will be described in detail with reference to the drawings. In the embodiments shown below, the same or common parts are denoted by the same reference numerals in the drawings, and the description thereof will not be repeated.

[0018] (Embodiment 1) FIG. 1 is a schematic view showing a vehicle according to Embodiment 1. With reference to FIG. 1, the vehicle 100 according to Embodiment 1 will be described.

[0019] The vehicle 100 according to Embodiment 1 is a hybrid vehicle capable of traveling using the power of at least one of a motor and an engine, or an electric vehicle that travels using a driving force obtained from electric energy.

[0020] The vehicle 100 includes a power storage device 1, a floor panel 2, front wheels 3, and rear wheels 4. The power storage device 1 is mounted, for example, below the floor panel 2.

[0021] FIG. 2 is a plan view of the power storage device according to Embodiment 1 with the upper case of the housing case removed. FIG. 3 is a schematic cross-sectional view of the power storage device according to Embodiment 1. The power storage device 1 according to Embodiment 1 will be described with reference to FIGS. 2 and 3.

[0022] The power storage device 1 includes a housing case 10, a power storage module 20, a packing member 30, a cooler 40, an electronic device 50, and an adhesive portion 60.

[0023] The housing case 10 houses a plurality of power storage modules 20, a packing member 30, and an electronic device 50 inside. The housing case 10 has a cooling region R1 that is cooled by a cooler 40 described later. The cooling region R1 is provided on a bottom portion 121 described later.

[0024] The housing case 10 includes an upper case 11 and a lower case 12. The upper case 11 constitutes the upper part of the housing case 10.

[0025] The upper case 11 has a substantially box-shaped configuration that opens downward. The upper case 11 has a ceiling portion 111, a peripheral wall portion 112, and a flange portion 113. The peripheral wall portion 112 is provided so as to extend from the periphery of the ceiling portion 111. The flange portion 113 is provided so as to bend outward from the lower end side of the peripheral wall portion 112.

[0026] The lower case 12 has a substantially box-shaped configuration that opens upward. The lower case 12 has a bottom portion 121, a peripheral wall portion 122, and a flange portion 123. The bottom portion 121 is provided so as to face the ceiling portion 111. The peripheral wall portion 122 is provided so as to extend upward from the periphery of the bottom portion 121. The flange portion 123 is provided so as to bend outward from the upper end side of the peripheral wall portion 122.

[0027] With the lower surface of the flange portion 113 and the upper surface of the flange portion 123 being aligned, the flange portion 113 and the flange portion 123 are fastened by a plurality of fastening members. Thereby, the upper case 11 and the lower case 12 are coupled.

[0028] The power storage module 20 includes a plurality of power storage stacks 21. In the embodiment, the case where the power storage module 20 includes three power storage stacks 21 has been exemplified and described, but the number of the power storage stacks 21 is not limited to three. As long as the packing member 30 can be arranged in the housing case 10, the number of the power storage stacks 21 may be one, two, or four or more. That is, the power storage module 20 only needs to include one or more power storage stacks 21.

[0029] The power storage stack 21 includes a plurality of power storage cells 22 arranged side by side in a predetermined arrangement direction. The power storage stack 21 includes a high-voltage portion. The high-voltage portion is each power storage cell, a bus bar connecting the plurality of power storage cells 22, or a connector or the like. The arrangement direction is parallel to, for example, the width direction of the vehicle in the mounted state where the power storage device 1 is mounted on the vehicle. Each of the plurality of power storage cells 22 is provided with an exhaust portion 23 that can exhaust gas from the inside to the outside.

[0030] The power storage cell 22 is, for example, a secondary battery such as a nickel-hydrogen battery or a lithium-ion battery. The power storage cell 22 has, for example, a rectangular shape. The secondary battery may use a liquid electrolyte or a solid electrolyte.

[0031] The plurality of power storage stacks 21 are arranged side by side at intervals in a first direction (DR1 direction) orthogonal to the above-described arrangement direction. The first direction is parallel to, for example, the longitudinal direction of the vehicle in the mounted state.

[0032] The plurality of power storage stacks 21 are arranged so as to be in thermal contact with the inner surface of the bottom portion 121 of the housing case 10.

[0033] The plurality of power storage stacks 21 and the packing member 30 are arranged side by side in the first direction. The packing member 30 is arranged so as to be located on one side in the first direction, away from the electronic device 50 described later. Note that one side in the first direction is, for example, the rear side of the vehicle in the mounted state.

[0034] As the packing member 30, a resin member such as a foamed resin can be employed. The packing member 30 can employ a substance with low thermal conductivity. Thereby, even when cooled by the cooler 40 via the cooling region R1, generation of dew condensation can be suppressed around the packing member 30.

[0035] The packing member 30 has a substantially rectangular parallelepiped shape. The packing member 30 has a shape substantially equivalent to that of the power storage stack 21. The packing member 30 has an opposing surface 30a that faces the cooling region R1. The opposing surface 30a is constituted by the lower surface of the packing member 30.

[0036] The cooler 40 cools the power storage module 20 via the housing case 10. The cooler 40 is disposed below the housing case 10. The cooler 40 is provided so as to be in thermal contact with, for example, the outer surface of the bottom portion 121 of the housing case 10.

[0037] The electronic device 50 controls the power storage module 20. The electronic device 50 is, for example, a cell ECU. The electronic device 50 is located on the side opposite to the side where the packing member 30 is located in the first direction. That is, one or more power storage stacks 21 are arranged between the electronic device 50 and the packing member 30.

[0038] The bonding portion 60 fixes the packing member 30 to the housing case 10. Specifically, the bonding portion 60 fixes the packing member 30 to the bottom portion 121. The bonding portion 60 is provided at the peripheral edge of the opposing surface 30a of the packing member 30 so as to seal the gap between the opposing surface 30a and the cooling region R1 (more specifically, the bottom portion 121). As the bonding portion 60, for example, a water - proof adhesive or a double - sided tape can be employed.

[0039] FIG. 4 is a diagram showing an enlarged structure around the packing member in the power storage device according to Embodiment 1.

[0040] As shown in FIG. 4, the cooler 40 has, for example, a plurality of flow path portions 41 through which a refrigerant flows, and a connection portion 43 that connects the flow path portions 41 adjacent to each other. The plurality of flow path portions 41 are arranged side by side in the first direction. The flow path portion 41 has an upper surface 41a. The upper surface 41a is located above the connection portion 43.

[0041] The cooler 40 is fixed to the bottom 121 of the housing case 10 by an adhesive layer 70 having thermal conductivity. The bottom 121 includes a plurality of raised portions 124 and a flat portion 125. The plurality of raised portions 124 are provided on the bottom 121 of the portion where the adhesive layer 70 is provided so that the inner surface of the bottom 121 bulges toward the packing member 30 side (upward). Two raised portions 124 are provided side by side at intervals in the first direction. The packing member 30 is placed on the two raised portions 124. Thereby, a gap is formed between the bottom 121 (that is, the flat portion 125) of the portion where the raised portion 124 is not provided and the packing member 30. Note that the number of the raised portions 124 is not limited to two, and may be a single number or three or more.

[0042] The raised portion 124 on which the cooler 40 is placed is provided within a region surrounded by the adhesive portion 60. Thereby, the bottom 121 of the housing case 10 partially contacts the opposing surface 30a within the region. In this way, by partially adhering the bottom portion constituting the cooling region R1 to the opposing surface 30a, the condensation generation area can be reduced.

[0043] Furthermore, in the present embodiment, an adhesive portion 60 is provided at the peripheral edge of the opposing surface 30a so as to seal the gap between the opposing surface 30a of the packing member 30 and the cooling region R1. As a result, the condensed water generated in the gap between the opposing surface 30a and the cooling region R1 can be retained inside the adhesive portion 60. This suppresses the leakage of the condensed water to the outside of the adhesive portion 60 and prevents the condensed water from adhering to the electronic device 50 or the high-voltage portion included in the power storage module 20 inside the storage case 10. As a result, problems caused by the condensed water can be suppressed.

[0044] (Embodiment 2) FIG. 5 is a schematic cross-sectional view of a power storage device according to Embodiment 2. Note that FIG. 5 shows a state in which the power storage device 1A is mounted below the floor panel 2. The power storage device 1A according to Embodiment 2 will be described with reference to FIG. 5.

[0045] As shown in FIG. 5, the power storage device 1A according to Embodiment 2 mainly differs in the shape of the packing member 30A as compared with the power storage device 1 according to Embodiment 1. Other configurations are substantially the same.

[0046] The packing member 30A has an opposing surface 30a (lower surface) and an upper surface 30b. The opposing surface 30a is located on the bottom 121 side of the lower case 12, and the upper surface 30b is located on the ceiling 111 side of the upper case 11.

[0047] A plurality of protruding portions 31 are provided on the upper surface 30b. The plurality of protruding portions 31 protrude toward the ceiling 111 of the upper case 11. That is, the plurality of protruding portions 31 protrude upward.

[0048] The plurality of protrusions 31 are, for example, arranged side by side at intervals in the first direction. The plurality of protrusions 31 are provided at both end portions in the first direction and the central portion in the first direction of the upper surface 30b. The plurality of protrusions 31 extend in a direction intersecting the vertical direction. Specifically, the plurality of protrusions 31 extend in a second direction orthogonal to the first direction and the vertical direction. The second direction is parallel to the width direction of the vehicle in the mounted state.

[0049] For example, the length of the protrusion 31 provided at the central portion in the first direction is longer than the length of the protrusion 31 provided at both end portions. In the above, the case where three protrusions 31 are provided is exemplified, but the number of protrusions 31 is not limited. The protrusion 31 may be provided at the central portion of the upper surface 30b and the peripheral edge portion of the upper surface 30b. Further, as will be described later, as long as the ceiling portion 111 of the upper case 11 can be supported and the deformation of the upper case 11 can be suppressed, the protrusion 31 may be singular.

[0050] Each of the plurality of protrusions 31 has a top portion 31a, and the top portion 31a is located above the power storage module 20. More specifically, the top portion 31a is located above the high voltage portion (more specifically, the power storage cell 22, the bus bar, the connector, etc.) included in the power storage module 20.

[0051] In the housing case 10, a plurality of partition members 126 are provided. The partition members 126 are arranged between adjacent power storage stacks 21 and between the power storage stack 21 and the packing member 30A. The partition members 126 are fixed to the bottom portion 121. A column 127 is arranged between the partition member 126 and the ceiling portion 111. The column 127 is fixed to the partition member 126.

[0052] On the lower surface side of the floor panel 2 of the vehicle 100, for example, a reinforcing member 5 is provided. In the mounted state where the power storage device 1A is mounted on the vehicle 100, the column 127 is located below the reinforcing member 5, for example.

[0053] When an impact is input to the vehicle 100 and a force acts downward from the reinforcing member 5, a load is applied to the upper case 11 so as to face downward. At this time, the upper case 11 (more specifically, the ceiling portion 111) can be supported by a plurality of protruding portions 31. Thereby, deformation of the upper case 11 can be suppressed. Further, since the top portion 31a of the protruding portion 31 is located above the power storage module 20, when the load is input as described above, contact between the high voltage portion included in the power storage module 20 and the upper case 11 can be suppressed. Thereby, the power storage module 20 can be protected.

[0054] Furthermore, since the plurality of protruding portions 31 extend in the second direction and are arranged side by side in the first direction, deformation of the upper case 11 can be suppressed over a wide range.

[0055] In a configuration in which the plurality of protruding portions 31 are not provided, when a load is applied to the upper case 11 as described above, the upper case 11 is supported only by the column 127 fixed to the partition member 126. At this time, if the column 127 cannot support the load, the column 127 will fall down.

[0056] In the present embodiment, since the deformation of the upper case 11 can be suppressed by the protruding portion 31 described above, it is also possible to suppress the column 127 from falling down. Thereby, it is also possible to suppress an impact from being input from the inclined column 127 to the high voltage portion of the power storage module 20. Note that a protective member 90 for further suppressing interference between the upper case 11 and the power storage module 20 may be provided between the power storage module 20 and the upper case 11 (more specifically, the ceiling portion 111).

[0057] As described above, all the embodiments disclosed this time are illustrative in all respects and not restrictive. The scope of the present invention is indicated by the scope of the claims, and includes all changes within the meaning and scope equivalent to the scope of the claims.

Explanation of reference numerals

[0058] 1,1A power storage device, 2 floor panel, 3 front wheel, 4 rear wheel, 5 reinforcing member, 10 housing case, 11 upper case, 12 lower case, 20 power storage module, 21 power storage stack, 22 power storage cell, 23 exhaust portion, 30, 30A packing member, 30a facing surface, 30b upper surface, 31 protruding portion, 31a top portion, 40 cooler, 41 flow path portion, 41a upper surface, 43 connecting portion, 50 electronic device, 60 bonding portion, 70 bonding layer, 90 protection member, 100 vehicle, 111 ceiling portion, 112 peripheral wall portion, 113 flange portion, 121 bottom portion, 122 peripheral wall portion, 123 flange portion, 124 raised portion, 125 flat portion, 126 partition member, 127 pillar.

Claims

1. A power storage module, a housing case that houses the power storage module, a cooler that cools the power storage module via the housing case, a packing member disposed in a part of a gap between the power storage module and the housing case, and an adhesive part that adheres the packing member to the housing case, wherein the housing case has a cooling region cooled by the cooler, the power storage module and the packing member are disposed in the cooling region, the packing member includes a facing surface facing the cooling region, and the adhesive part is provided at a peripheral edge of the facing surface so as to seal a gap between the facing surface and the cooling region. A power storage device.

2. The cooling region is provided at a bottom of the housing case, and the bottom is provided so as to partially contact the facing surface within a region surrounded by the adhesive part. The power storage device according to claim 1.

3. The housing case includes an upper case and a lower case, the packing member has an upper surface and a lower surface, the facing surface is constituted by the lower surface, and a protruding part that extends in a direction intersecting the vertical direction and protrudes toward the upper case is provided on the upper surface, wherein a top of the protruding part is located above the power storage module. The power storage device according to claim 1 or 2.

4. The power storage module includes a plurality of power storage stacks arranged side by side in a first direction orthogonal to the vertical direction, the packing member is arranged side by side with the power storage module in the first direction, and a plurality of the protruding parts are arranged side by side in the first direction and are provided so as to extend in a second direction orthogonal to the vertical direction and the first direction. The power storage device according to claim 3.

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