Energy storage module

Abstract

To provide a power storage module which can suppress deformation so that a plurality of power storage cells and a resin frame become a convex shape toward an open side of a case.SOLUTION: A power storage module comprises: a plurality of power storage cells; a resin frame 200; and a case. The resin frame 200 includes: an inclusion part 210 that is included to between a pair of power storage cells; and a channel formation part 220 that forms a channel of a cooling fluid. The channel formation part 220 includes: a one side channel formation part 222 that is provided to one side region in a second direction of the inclusion part; and the other side channel formation part 224 that is provided to the other side region in a second direction of the inclusion part. A cross-sectional secondary moment of the one side channel formation part 222 is larger than the cross-sectional secondary moment of the other side channel formation part 224. A spring constant of the other side channel formation part 224 in the first direction is larger than that of the one side channel formation part 222 in the first direction.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 3

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present disclosure relates to an energy storage module. [Background technology]

[0002] For example, Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open Publication No. 2022-163449 discloses a battery pack including a stack in which multiple battery cells and multiple resin frames are alternately stacked in an arrangement direction, and a lower case that houses the stack while compressing it in the arrangement direction. The lower case is open upward. The resin frame has multiple comb teeth extending in the arrangement direction on at least one of its surfaces facing the battery cells. The multiple comb teeth include multiple upper comb teeth located above the center of the battery cells in the height direction and multiple lower comb teeth located below the center of the battery cells in the height direction. The multiple upper comb teeth are configured so that the height of the comb teeth in the arrangement direction decreases as the upper comb teeth located lower. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2022-163449 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] In the battery pack described in JP 2022-163449 A, if the second moment of area at the multiple upper comb teeth is greater than the second moment of area at the multiple lower comb teeth, there is a concern that the stack may deform in an upwardly convex manner.

[0005] An object of the present disclosure is to provide an energy storage module that can prevent a plurality of energy storage cells and a resin frame from deforming in a manner that convexly faces the opening side of the case. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] An energy storage module according to one aspect of the present disclosure includes: a plurality of energy storage cells arranged side by side in a first direction; a resin frame arranged between a pair of adjacent energy storage cells among the plurality of energy storage cells; and a case that houses the plurality of energy storage cells and the resin frame while restraining the plurality of energy storage cells from both sides in the first direction, and that opens toward one side in a second direction perpendicular to the first direction, wherein the resin frame is provided on an intervening portion intervening between the pair of energy storage cells and a surface of the intervening portion facing the energy storage cells, a flow path forming portion that forms a flow path for a cooling fluid to cool the cells, the flow path forming portion having a one-side flow path forming portion provided in a region of the intervening portion on one side in the second direction, and a other-side flow path forming portion provided in a region of the intervening portion on the other side in the second direction, wherein the second moment of area of ​​the one-side flow path forming portion is greater than the second moment of area of ​​the other-side flow path forming portion, and the spring constant of the other-side flow path forming portion in the first direction is greater than the spring constant of the one-side flow path forming portion in the first direction. [Effects of the Invention]

[0007] According to the present disclosure, it is possible to provide an energy storage module that can prevent a plurality of energy storage cells and a resin frame from deforming so as to be convex toward the opening side of the case. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0008] [Figure 1] 1 is a plan view schematically illustrating a configuration of an energy storage module according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. [Figure 2] FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view taken along line II-II in FIG. [Figure 3] FIG. [Figure 4] FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view taken along line IV-IV in FIG. [Figure 5] FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view taken along line VV in FIG. [Figure 6] FIG. 10 is a cross-sectional view schematically showing a modified example of the resin frame. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0009] DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0013] The present disclosure will be described with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which the same or corresponding elements are designated by the same reference numerals.

[0010] Fig. 1 is a plan view schematically illustrating the configuration of an electricity storage module according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. Fig. 2 is a cross-sectional view taken along line II-II in Fig. 1. This electricity storage module 1 is mounted on, for example, a vehicle.

[0011] As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, the energy storage module 1 includes a plurality of energy storage cells 100, a plurality of resin frames 200, end plates 300, a case 400, and elastic members 500.

[0012] The plurality of storage cells 100 are arranged side by side in a first direction (the left-right direction in FIG. 1). An example of the storage cells 100 is a lithium ion battery. Each storage cell 100 is formed in the shape of a flat rectangular parallelepiped.

[0013] Each resin frame 200 is disposed between a pair of adjacent energy storage cells 100 .

[0014] The end plates 300 are arranged on both sides of the stack (the plurality of energy storage cells 100 and the plurality of resin frames 200) in the first direction.

[0015] The case 400 houses the plurality of energy storage cells 100 and the resin frame 200 while restraining the plurality of energy storage cells 100 from both sides in a first direction. The case 400 is open toward one side (upper side in FIG. 2) in a second direction perpendicular to the first direction. Specifically, the case 400 has a bottom wall 410 (see FIG. 2) provided below the stack, and a pair of restraining walls 420 (see FIG. 1) arranged on both sides of the stack in the first direction. Each restraining wall 420 stands upright from an end of the bottom wall 410 in the first direction. The pair of restraining walls 420 restrain the stack from both sides in the first direction.

[0016] The elastic member 500 is disposed between the bottom wall 410 and the stack. The elastic member 500 has a shape that extends long in a first direction. The elastic member 500 is a member that prevents a cooling fluid (air, etc.) supplied between the stack and the bottom wall 410 from leaking out to the side of the stack (the left-right direction in FIG. 2 ) without passing between a pair of energy storage cells 100.

[0017] Next, the resin frame 200 will be described in detail with reference to Figures 3 to 5. The resin frame 200 has an interposed portion 210 and a flow path forming portion 220.

[0018] The interposing portion 210 is interposed between a pair of energy storage cells 100. The interposing portion 210 has a function of ensuring insulation between a pair of adjacent energy storage cells 100. The interposing portion 210 is made of, for example, PP or PE.

[0019] The flow path forming portion 220 is provided on a surface of the interposition portion 210 facing the energy storage cells 100. The flow path forming portion 220 forms a flow path for a cooling fluid (a fluid supplied between the bottom wall 410 and the stack) for cooling the energy storage cells 100. As indicated by the arrows in FIG. 3 , the flow path forming portion 220 is formed in a shape that guides the cooling fluid supplied from below to above the interposition portion 210 toward a side of the interposition portion 210 (a direction perpendicular to both the first direction and the second direction). Note that the flow direction of the cooling fluid may be opposite to the direction of the arrow. The flow path forming portion 220 has a one-side flow path forming portion 222 and an other-side flow path forming portion 224.

[0020] The one-side flow path forming portion 222 is provided in a region on the one side in the second direction (the side on which the case 400 is open) of the interposed portion 210. As shown in Fig. 4, the one-side flow path forming portion 222 is formed integrally with the interposed portion 210 using the same material as that of the interposed portion 210.

[0021] The other-side flow path forming portion 224 is provided in a region of the interposed portion 210 on the other side in the second direction (on the bottom wall 410 side in this embodiment).

[0022] The shape of the flow path forming portion 220 is set so that the second moment of area of ​​the one-side flow path forming portion 222 is larger than the second moment of area of ​​the other-side flow path forming portion 224. In this embodiment, as shown in Fig. 3, the volume of the portion of the one-side flow path forming portion 222 that extends continuously in the width direction (direction perpendicular to both the first direction and the second direction) is larger than the volume of the portion of the other-side flow path forming portion 224 that extends continuously in the width direction.

[0023] The spring constant of the other-side flow path forming portion 224 in the first direction is greater than the spring constant of the one-side flow path forming portion 222 in the first direction. In this embodiment, the other-side flow path forming portion 224 has an upright portion 225 and an enclosing portion 226.

[0024] The upstanding portion 225 stands upright from the intervening portion 210. The upstanding portion 225 is formed integrally with the intervening portion 210 using the same material as that of the intervening portion 210.

[0025] The surrounding portion 226 surrounds the standing portion 225. The protruding dimension of the surrounding portion 226 from the intermediate portion 210 is smaller than the protruding dimension of the standing portion 225 from the intermediate portion 210. In other words, the standing portion 225 protrudes from the surrounding portion 226.

[0026] In this embodiment, the surrounding portion 226 is configured as a separate body from the standing portion 225. As shown in Fig. 5, the standing portion 225 has a holding portion 225a that holds the surrounding portion 226 and a clamping portion 225b provided at the tip of the holding portion 225a. The holding portion 225a is connected to the interposing portion 210. The clamping portion 225b clamps the surrounding portion 226 together with the interposing portion 210. In other words, the clamping portion 225b has the function of preventing the surrounding portion 226 from coming off the holding portion 225a.

[0027] The surrounding portion 226 has a bending rigidity in the first direction that is higher than the compressive elastic modulus of the standing portion 225. The surrounding portion 226 is made of metal, fiber reinforced plastic (FRP), or the like.

[0028] As described above, in the energy storage module 1 of this embodiment, the second moment of area of ​​the one-side flow path forming portion 222 is larger than the second moment of area of ​​the other-side flow path forming portion 224, and the spring constant of the other-side flow path forming portion 224 in the first direction is larger than the spring constant of the one-side flow path forming portion 222 in the first direction, so that the stack (the multiple energy storage cells 100 and the resin frame 200) is prevented from deforming in a convex manner toward one side in the second direction (the side where the case 400 opens).

[0029] 6, the other-side flow path forming portion 224 may be formed of a material (e.g., PPS, PEEK, fiber-reinforced PP / PE, stainless steel, steel, aluminum) different from the material forming the intervening portion 210 and the one-side flow path forming portion 222. In this case, the resin frame 200 may be formed by two-color molding, or the other-side flow path forming portion 224 may be connected to the intervening portion 210. Alternatively, although not shown, the one-side flow path forming portion 222 may be formed of a material (e.g., PPS, PEEK, fiber-reinforced PP / PE, stainless steel, steel, aluminum) different from the material forming the intervening portion 210 and the other-side flow path forming portion 224. In either case, the materials of the one-side flow path forming portion 222 and the other-side flow path forming portion 224 are selected so that the spring constant of the other-side flow path forming portion 224 in the first direction is greater than the spring constant of the one-side flow path forming portion 222 in the first direction.

[0030] It will be appreciated by those skilled in the art that the exemplary embodiments described above are examples of the following aspects.

[0031] [Aspect 1] A plurality of storage cells arranged in a first direction; a resin frame disposed between a pair of adjacent storage cells among the plurality of storage cells; a case that houses the plurality of energy storage cells and the resin frame while constraining the plurality of energy storage cells from both sides in the first direction and that is open toward one side in a second direction orthogonal to the first direction, The resin frame is an interposition portion interposed between the pair of power storage cells; a flow path forming portion provided on a surface of the interposition portion facing the energy storage cell, the flow path forming portion forming a flow path for a cooling fluid for cooling the energy storage cell, The flow path forming portion is a one-side flow path forming portion provided in a region of the interposition portion on the one side in the second direction; a second-side flow path forming portion provided in a region of the interposition portion on the second side in the second direction, a second moment of area of ​​the one-side flow path forming portion is larger than a second moment of area of ​​the other-side flow path forming portion, The spring constant of the second-side flow path forming portion in the first direction is greater than the spring constant of the first-side flow path forming portion in the first direction.

[0032] In this energy storage module, the second moment of area of ​​the one-side flow path forming portion is larger than the second moment of area of ​​the other-side flow path forming portion, and the spring constant of the other-side flow path forming portion in the first direction is larger than the spring constant of the one-side flow path forming portion in the first direction, so that the multiple cells and resin frame are prevented from deforming convexly toward one side in the second direction (the side where the case opens).

[0033] [Aspect 2] The other-side flow path forming portion is a standing portion standing from the interposed portion; a surrounding portion surrounding the standing portion, 2. The energy storage module according to aspect 1, wherein the upstanding portion protrudes from the surrounding portion.

[0034] In this aspect, when the standing portion is subjected to a compressive load in the first direction, the surrounding portion restricts the standing portion from expanding in a direction perpendicular to the first direction, so that the spring constant of the other-side flow path forming portion becomes larger than the spring constant of the one-side flow path forming portion.

[0035] [Aspect 3] 3. The energy storage module according to aspect 2, wherein the surrounding portion is configured as a separate body from the standing portion.

[0036] In this embodiment, the spring constant of the other-side flow-path forming portion can be easily adjusted by adjusting the thickness and material of the surrounding portion.

[0037] [Aspect 4] Aspect 4. The energy storage module according to aspect 3, wherein the surrounding portion has a bending stiffness higher than a compressive elastic modulus of the upright portion.

[0038] [Aspect 5] The standing portion is a holding portion that holds the surrounding portion; a clamping portion provided at a tip of the holding portion and configured to clamp the surrounding portion together with the interposing portion.

[0039] In this embodiment, the surrounding portion is prevented from separating from the standing portion.

[0040] It should be noted that the embodiments disclosed herein are illustrative in all respects and should not be considered limiting. The scope of the present invention is defined by the claims rather than the description of the above embodiments, and further includes all modifications within the meaning and scope of the claims. [Explanation of symbols]

[0041] 1 Energy storage module, 100 Energy storage cell, 200 Resin frame, 210 Interposition portion, 220 Flow path forming portion, 222 One side flow path forming portion, 224 Other side flow path forming portion, 225 Standing portion, 225a Holding portion, 225b Clamping portion, 226 Enclosure portion, 300 End plate, 400 Case, 410 Bottom wall, 420 Restraint wall, 500 Elastic member.

Claims

1. a plurality of storage cells arranged to be aligned in a first direction; a resin frame disposed between a pair of adjacent storage cells among the plurality of storage cells; a case that houses the plurality of energy storage cells and the resin frame while constraining the plurality of energy storage cells from both sides in the first direction and that is open toward one side in a second direction orthogonal to the first direction, The resin frame is an interposition portion interposed between the pair of power storage cells; a flow path forming portion provided on a surface of the interposition portion facing the energy storage cell, the flow path forming portion forming a flow path for a cooling fluid for cooling the energy storage cell, The flow path forming portion is a one-side flow path forming portion provided in a region of the interposition portion on the one side in the second direction; a second-side flow path forming portion provided in a region of the interposition portion on the second side in the second direction, a second moment of area of ​​the one-side flow path forming portion is larger than a second moment of area of ​​the other-side flow path forming portion, a spring constant of the second-side flow path forming portion in the first direction is greater than a spring constant of the first-side flow path forming portion in the first direction.

2. The other-side flow path forming portion is a standing portion standing from the interposed portion; a surrounding portion surrounding the standing portion, The energy storage module according to claim 1 , wherein the upstanding portion protrudes from the surrounding portion.

3. The energy storage module according to claim 2 , wherein the surrounding portion is configured as a separate body from the standing portion.

4. The energy storage module according to claim 3 , wherein the surrounding portion has a bending rigidity higher than a compressive elastic modulus of the upright portion.

5. The standing portion is a holding portion that holds the surrounding portion; The energy storage module according to claim 3 , further comprising: a clamping portion provided at a tip of the holding portion, the clamping portion clamping the surrounding portion together with the interposition portion.

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