Battery pack and automobile including same

Abstract

A battery pack configured to ensure structural stability even when a thermal event occurs, and a vehicle including the same are provided. The battery pack according to one aspect of the present invention includes a battery cell, a pack housing that accommodates the battery cell in a cell receiving portion and has a vent path including a first path and a second path composed of two layers, the first path and the second path being connected to the cell receiving portion on a side surface and a bottom surface, respectively, and a cooling module that is provided at a bottom surface of the pack housing and configured to cool vent gas or flame discharged from the battery cell and flowing into the second path.

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] This application claims priority based on Korean Patent Application No. 10-2022-0112577, filed on September 6, 2022, the entire contents of which are incorporated herein by reference in their entirety in the specification and drawings thereof.

[0002] The present invention relates to a battery pack and a vehicle including the same, and more particularly to a battery pack configured to ensure structural stability even when a thermal event occurs, and a vehicle including the same. [Background technology]

[0003] Currently commercially available secondary batteries include nickel-cadmium batteries, nickel-metal hydride batteries, nickel-zinc batteries, lithium secondary batteries, etc. Among these, lithium secondary batteries have attracted attention due to their advantages of being free to charge and discharge since they have almost no memory effect compared to nickel-based secondary batteries, an extremely low self-discharge rate, and a high energy density.

[0004] Such lithium secondary batteries mainly use lithium-based oxides and carbon materials as the positive and negative electrode active materials, respectively, and include positive and negative electrode plates coated with the positive and negative electrode active materials, an electrode assembly in which the positive and negative electrode plates are arranged with a separator sandwiched between them, and an exterior material that seals and houses the electrode assembly together with an electrolyte.

[0005] Lithium secondary batteries are classified 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 an aluminum laminated sheet pouch, depending on the shape of the battery case. Can-type secondary batteries are further classified into cylindrical batteries and prismatic batteries depending on the shape of the metal can.

[0006] The pouch of a pouch-type secondary battery is generally divided into a lower sheet and an upper sheet covering the lower sheet. The pouch contains an electrode assembly formed by stacking and winding a positive electrode, a negative electrode, and a separator. After the electrode assembly is contained, the edges of the upper and lower sheets are sealed by heat sealing or the like. The electrode tabs extending from each electrode are connected to electrode leads, and an insulating film may be attached to the electrode leads at the portions in contact with the sealing portions.

[0007] In this way, pouch-type secondary batteries have the flexibility to be configured in various forms, and also have the advantage that a secondary battery with the same capacity can be realized with a smaller volume and mass.

[0008] In order to provide high voltage and high current, the lithium secondary battery is used as a battery module or a battery pack in which a plurality of battery cells are stacked or laminated by themselves or mounted in a cartridge or the like to form a dense structure, and then electrically connected.

[0009] One of the most important issues in the construction of such a battery pack is safety. In particular, if a thermal event occurs in one of the battery cells included in the battery pack, it is necessary to suppress the propagation of such an event to other batteries.

[0010] If heat transfer between battery cells is not properly suppressed, it may lead to thermal events in other battery cells included in the battery pack, which may cause larger problems such as fire or explosion of the battery pack. Furthermore, fire or explosion occurring in the battery pack may cause serious damage to surrounding people and objects. Therefore, for such battery packs, a configuration that can properly control the above-mentioned thermal events is required. Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0011] The present invention has been made to solve the above problems, and an object of the present invention is to provide a battery pack configured to ensure structural stability even when a thermal event occurs, and a vehicle including the same.

[0012] However, the technical problems that the present invention aims to solve are not limited to the above-mentioned problems, and other problems not mentioned will be clearly understood by those skilled in the art from the description of the invention described below. [Means for solving the problem]

[0013] A battery pack according to one aspect of the present invention includes a battery cell; a pack housing that accommodates the battery cell in a cell accommodating portion and has vent paths on its side and bottom, each of which includes a first path that communicates with the cell accommodating portion and a second path that is composed of two layers; and a cooling module that is provided at a bottom of the pack housing and configured to cool vent gas or flames that are discharged from the battery cell and flow into the second path.

[0014] In one embodiment, the pack housing may include a side frame that forms the side of the pack housing and has the first path that communicates with the cell storage section through a flow hole, and a floor frame that is connected to the side frame, forms the lower part of the pack housing, and has the second path that communicates with the cell storage section through a vent hole.

[0015] In one embodiment, the second passage may include an upper passage that communicates with the cell accommodating portion through the vent hole, and a lower passage that is disposed below the upper passage and communicates with the upper passage.

[0016] In one embodiment, the cooling module may include a first cooling section and a second cooling section disposed on the opposite side of the first cooling section across the upper passage within the floor frame.

[0017] In one embodiment, the lower passage may be located at the bottom of the cooling module.

[0018] In one embodiment, the battery cell may include an electrode lead on at least one side facing the vent path, and the vent hole may be formed in a portion of the floor frame corresponding to the electrode lead.

[0019] In one embodiment, the length of the vent hole in the front-to-rear direction of the pack housing can be configured to be shorter than the length of the upper passage in the front-to-rear direction of the pack housing.

[0020] In one embodiment, the pack housing may further include a first guide portion formed by bending a portion of the vent hole toward the inside of the upper passage, and a second guide portion formed by bending a remaining portion of the vent hole toward the inside of the lower passage.

[0021] In one embodiment, the pack housing may further include a flow restriction portion provided on at least one side or the other side of the lower passage and configured to collide with particles contained in the flame.

[0022] In one embodiment, the pack housing further includes a filtering section provided in the second passage and configured to filter particles contained in the flame, and the filtering section may be configured to surround the cooling module in the upper passage and the lower passage.

[0023] In one embodiment, the battery cell may be provided in a plurality of units, the cell accommodating units may be provided in a plurality of units, the battery cells may be accommodated in the cell accommodating units, and the pack housing may further include a plurality of partition walls connected to the side frames at both sides and configured to come into close contact with front and rear surfaces of the battery cells to seal the cell accommodating units from each other.

[0024] Furthermore, a vehicle according to another aspect of the present invention includes at least one battery pack according to the above-described aspect of the present invention. [Effects of the Invention]

[0025] According to such an embodiment of the present invention, the flow of vent gas and / or flame can be directed in a specific direction, thereby preventing thermal runaway and flame propagation between battery cells and minimizing or preventing simultaneous ignition of multiple battery cells.

[0026] In addition, according to this embodiment of the present invention, by configuring the vent paths on the side and bottom of the pack housing, the flow of vent gas and / or flame that tends to move in a straight line can be primarily guided to the side of the pack housing, and the remaining flow of vent gas and / or flame can be guided to the bottom of the pack housing and cooled, thereby minimizing or preventing the high-temperature vent gas and / or flame from being suddenly discharged outside the pack housing.

[0027] Furthermore, according to such an embodiment of the present invention, the second path of the vent path is constructed of two layers, which further weakens the flow of vent gas and / or flame and maximizes the cooling effect of the vent gas and / or flame.

[0028] Furthermore, according to this embodiment of the present invention, the vent gas and / or flame can be cooled at the bottom of the pack housing, thereby minimizing or preventing the vent gas and / or flame from heading toward the driver's seat, which is located at the top of the battery pack.

[0029] In addition, various other additional effects can be achieved by various embodiments of the present invention. These various effects of the present invention will be described in detail in each embodiment, or descriptions of effects that can be easily understood by those skilled in the art will be omitted.

[0030] 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 concepts of the present invention. Therefore, the present invention should not be interpreted as being limited to only the matters described in the drawings. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0031] [Figure 1] 1 illustrates a battery pack according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 2] FIG. 2 is a diagram for explaining the detailed structure of the battery pack in FIG. 1. [Figure 3] FIG. 2 is an exploded perspective view of the battery pack of FIG. 1. [Figure 4] FIG. 2 is a diagram showing a battery cell provided in the battery pack of FIG. 1. [Figure 5] FIG. 2 is a diagram showing a part of a pack housing provided in the battery pack of FIG. 1. [Figure 6] FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view of the battery pack in FIG. 1 taken along the line A-A'. [Figure 7] FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view of the battery pack in FIG. 1 taken along the line B-B'. [Figure 8] 10A and 10B are diagrams illustrating a state in which vent gas or flame is emitted during thermal runaway of a battery cell in a battery pack according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 9] 10A and 10B are diagrams illustrating a state in which vent gas or flame is emitted during thermal runaway of a battery cell in a battery pack according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 10] FIG. 4 is a diagram showing a battery pack according to a second embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 11] FIG. 4 is a diagram showing a battery pack according to a second embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 12] FIG. 10 is a diagram showing a battery pack according to a third embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 13] FIG. 10 is a diagram showing a battery pack according to a fourth embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 14] FIG. 10 is a diagram showing a battery pack according to a fourth embodiment of the present invention. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0032] Hereinafter, preferred embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. Prior to this, the terms and phrases used in the specification and claims should not be construed as being limited to their ordinary and dictionary meanings, but should be construed as having meanings and concepts corresponding to the technical ideas of the present invention, in accordance with the principle that the inventors themselves can appropriately define the concepts of terms in order to best describe the invention.

[0033] Therefore, it should be understood that the configurations shown in the embodiments described in this specification are merely the most desirable embodiments 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 therefor at the time of this application.

[0034] FIG. 1 is a diagram showing a battery pack 10 according to an embodiment of the present invention, FIG. 2 is a diagram for explaining a detailed structure of the battery pack 10 of FIG. 1, FIG. 3 is an exploded perspective view of the battery pack 10 of FIG. 1, and FIG. 4 is a diagram showing a battery cell 100 provided in the battery pack 10 of FIG. 1.

[0035] In an embodiment of the present invention, the X-axis direction shown in the drawings may refer to the front-to-rear direction of a battery pack 10, which will be described later; the Y-axis direction may refer to the left-to-right direction of the battery pack 10, which is perpendicular to the X-axis direction on a horizontal plane (XY plane); and the Z-axis direction may refer to the up-to-down direction, which is perpendicular to both the X-axis direction and the Y-axis direction.

[0036] 1 to 4, a battery pack 10 according to one embodiment of the present invention may include a battery cell 100 and a pack housing 200.

[0037] The battery cell 100 may refer to a secondary battery. The battery cell 100 may be provided as a pouch-type battery cell, a cylindrical battery cell, or a prismatic battery cell. For example, the battery cell 100 may be a pouch-type battery cell. An electrode lead 110 may be provided on at least one side (Y-axis direction) of the battery cell 100.

[0038] Meanwhile, two or more battery cells 100 may be provided to form a cell assembly C. In this case, the battery cells 100 may be stacked in one direction (e.g., the X-axis direction) to form the cell assembly C.

[0039] The pack housing 200 may be configured to accommodate the battery cell 100 therein. To this end, a cell accommodating portion S may be formed in the pack housing 200. The cell accommodating portion S may be an empty space having a shape capable of accommodating at least one battery cell 100 therein. Specifically, the cell accommodating portion S may be shaped to accommodate the battery cell 100 therein by a partition wall W, which will be described later. Meanwhile, the pack housing 200 may include a material having high heat resistance and rigidity.

[0040] Specifically, the pack housing 200 may include a side frame 210 , a floor frame 220 , and a top cover 230 .

[0041] The side frames 210 may form the side surfaces of the pack housing 200. As an example, the side frames 210 may form the side surfaces of the pack housing 200 in the front-to-rear direction (X-axis direction) and the side surfaces of the pack housing 200 in the left-to-right direction (Y-axis direction).

[0042] The floor frame 220 constitutes the lower part of the pack housing 200 and can be connected to the lower part of the side frame 210.

[0043] The upper cover 230 may be coupled to an upper portion of the side frame 210 and cover the upper side of the battery cells 100 accommodated inside the pack housing 200. In this case, a heat transfer material (not shown) may be provided on a lower portion of the upper cover 230.

[0044] 5 is a diagram showing a portion of the pack housing 200 provided in the battery pack 10 of FIG. 1, FIG. 6 is a cross-sectional view of the battery pack 10 of FIG. 1 in the A-A' direction (more specifically, FIG. 6 is a cross-sectional view of the battery pack 10 of FIG. 1 cut along the XZ plane with the A-A' line as the reference), and FIG. 7 is a cross-sectional view of the battery pack 10 of FIG. 1 cut along the B-B' direction (more specifically, FIG. 7 is a cross-sectional view of the battery pack 10 of FIG. 1 cut along the YZ plane with the B-B' line as the reference).

[0045] 5-7, the pack housing 200 may include a vent path P.

[0046] The vent path P may include a first path P1 and a second path P2 that communicate with the cell receiving portion S on the side and bottom of the pack housing 200, respectively. That is, the first path P1 may be formed in the side frame 210 and communicate with the cell receiving portion S.

[0047] Also, the second path P2 may be formed in the floor frame 220 and communicate with the cell receiving portion S. In this case, the second path P2 may be formed in two layers in the vertical direction within the floor frame 220.

[0048] Furthermore, the battery pack 10 according to an embodiment of the present invention may further include a cooling module 300.

[0049] The cooling module 300 may be provided in the lower part (floor frame 220) of the pack housing 200. As an example, the cooling module 300 may be a heat sink.

[0050] In a typical battery pack, an event such as a thermal runaway phenomenon may occur in a specific battery cell, which may generate high-temperature and high-pressure vent gas. If this vent gas comes into contact with oxygen, it may cause a fire inside or outside the battery pack.

[0051] In addition, there is a high risk that a fire that occurs in one battery cell will spread to other adjacent battery cells, which could result in multiple battery cells catching fire simultaneously.

[0052] The battery pack 10 of the present invention can solve the above problems by including the vent path P of the pack housing 200 and the cooling module 300. Specifically, the vent path P can be configured to guide the discharge of vent gas and / or flame to the outside of the pack housing 200. That is, the vent path P can provide a flow space so that the vent gas and / or flame discharged from the battery cells 100 can be discharged to the outside of the pack housing 200.

[0053] Specifically, the first path P1 may be provided in the side frame 210 and configured to face the electrode lead 110 of the battery cell 100 in the left-right direction (Y-axis direction) of the pack housing 200. Since the first path P1 may be configured to face the electrode lead 110 in this manner, vent gas and / or flames with strong linearity may initially flow into the first path P1 during thermal runaway of the battery cell 100. The vent gas and / or flames that flow into the inside of the side frame 210 through the first path P1 may weaken as they collide with the inner surface of the side frame 210. For example, the flames may contain particles. The particles may be high-temperature active material particles or sparks emitted from the battery cell 100 and may become an ignition source.

[0054] Additionally, the cooling module 300 may be configured to cool the vent gas and / or flame discharged from the battery cell 100 and flowing into the second path P2.

[0055] Specifically, the remaining vent gas and / or flame, excluding the vent gas and / or flame that has flowed into the first path P1, from among the vent gas and / or flame discharged from the battery cells 100 may flow into the second path P2 provided in the floor frame 220. In this manner, the vent gas and / or flame that has flowed into the second path P2 may be cooled by the cooling module 300 and may weaken as it flows within the second path P2.

[0056] In this case, as described above, the second path P2 may be configured with two layers in the vertical direction from within the floor frame 220. Therefore, the vent gas and / or flame that flows into the second path P2 may flow from the first layer to the second layer of the second path P2, or from the second layer to the first layer of the second path P2, thereby weakening the flow. Furthermore, the vent gas and / or flame may contact the cooling module 300 for a longer period of time by flowing through two layers.

[0057] Meanwhile, although not shown in detail, the side frame 210 may include an exhaust port. Such an exhaust port may be configured to communicate with the first path P1 so as to allow the vent gas and / or flame to be discharged to the outside of the pack housing 200. In addition, the floor frame 220 may include an exhaust port. Such an exhaust port may be configured to communicate with the second path P2 so as to allow the vent gas and / or flame to be discharged to the outside of the pack housing 200.

[0058] According to this embodiment of the present invention, the flow of vent gas and / or flame can be directed in a certain direction, thereby preventing thermal runaway and flame propagation between the battery cells 100, thereby minimizing or preventing simultaneous ignition of multiple battery cells 100.

[0059] Furthermore, according to this embodiment of the present invention, by configuring the vent paths P on the side and bottom of the pack housing 200, the flow of vent gas and / or flame that tends to move in a straight line can be primarily guided to the side of the pack housing 200, and the remaining flow of vent gas and / or flame can be guided and cooled to the bottom side of the pack housing 200. This can minimize or prevent the high-temperature vent gas and / or flame from being suddenly discharged outside the pack housing 200.

[0060] Furthermore, according to this embodiment of the present invention, the second path P2 of the vent path P is composed of two layers, which further weakens the flow of vent gas and / or flame and maximizes the cooling effect of the vent gas and / or flame.

[0061] Furthermore, according to this embodiment of the present invention, the vent gas and / or flame can be cooled at the bottom of the pack housing 200, thereby minimizing or preventing the vent gas and / or flame from heading toward the driver's seat, which is located at the top of the battery pack 10.

[0062] 3 and 5 to 7 again, the side frame 210 may include a communication hole 212. At this time, the first path P1 may communicate with the cell receiving portion S through the communication hole 212. That is, vent gas and / or flame may quickly flow into the first path P1 through the communication holes 212 corresponding to both sides of the cell receiving portion S in which the battery cells 100 are received.

[0063] In addition, the above-mentioned floor frame 220 may include vent holes 222. At this time, the second path P2 may be in communication with the cell receiving portion S through the vent holes 222. That is, vent gas and / or flame may quickly flow into the second path P2 through the vent holes 222 corresponding to the lower side of the cell receiving portion S in which the battery cells 100 are received. At this time, the vent gas and / or flame may flow into the second path P2, which is composed of two layers, through the vent holes 222.

[0064] According to such an embodiment, the flow of vent gas and / or flame can be more stably guided to the vent path P, thereby minimizing or preventing simultaneous ignition of multiple battery cells 100.

[0065] Referring to Figures 6 and 7, the second path P2 may include an upper path P2a and a lower path P2b.

[0066] The upper path P2a can communicate with the cell storage section S via a vent hole 222.

[0067] The lower path P2b is disposed below the upper path P2a and can communicate with the upper path P2a.

[0068] Specifically, the upper path P2a may be configured to extend along the left-right direction (Y-axis direction) of the pack housing 200. Also, the lower path P2b may be configured to extend along the left-right direction of the pack housing 200. That is, the upper path P2a and the lower path P2b may be configured to form the upper and lower parts of the second path P2 in a form that is vertically connected within the floor frame 220.

[0069] As a result, the vent gas and / or flame that flows into the second path P2 through the vent hole 222 can flow in the upper path P2a, or can flow to the lower path P2b that is connected to the upper path P2a and then flow in the lower path P2b. Also, the vent gas and / or flame flowing in the lower path P2b can flow back to the upper path P2a and then flow in the upper path P2a. Also, the flow direction of the vent gas and / or flame in the upper path P2a can be the same direction or the opposite direction to the flow direction of the vent gas and / or flame in the lower path P2b when viewed from the left-right direction (Y-axis direction) of the pack housing 200.

[0070] In such an embodiment, the cooling effect of the vent gas and / or flame can be maximized by weakening the flow of the vent gas and / or flame through the flow of the vent gas and / or flame in two paths and increasing the contact time between the cooling module 300 and the vent gas and / or flame.

[0071] Furthermore, since the second path P2 is composed of two paths, the reverse inflow of vent gas and / or flame into the cell accommodating portion S through the vent hole 222 can be restricted.

[0072] Referring again to FIG. 6, the cooling module 300 may include a first cooling unit 310 and a second cooling unit 320 .

[0073] The first cooling part 310 may be a heat sink.

[0074] The second cooling unit 320 may be disposed on the opposite side of the first cooling unit 310 across the upper path P2a within the floor frame 220. That is, the first cooling unit 310 and the second cooling unit 320 may be disposed within the floor frame 220 across the upper path P2a when viewed from the front-rear direction (X-axis direction) of the pack housing 200.

[0075] As a result, a portion of the high-temperature vent gas and / or flame that has flowed into the second path P2 can be cooled between the first cooling section 310 and the second cooling section 320.

[0076] Such an embodiment may improve the efficiency with which the cooling module 300 cools the hot vent gas and / or flame.

[0077] Referring again to FIGS. 6 and 7, the lower path P2b of the second path P2 may be disposed at the bottom of the cooling module 300.

[0078] That is, the vent gas and / or flame cooled in the upper path P2a between the first cooling unit 310 and the second cooling unit 320 may be further cooled in the lower path P2b communicating with the upper path P2a. In this case, the lower path P2b may be located below the first cooling unit 310 and the second cooling unit 320.

[0079] According to this embodiment, cooling of the vent gas and / or flame can also occur below the cooling module 300, and by increasing the contact time between the cooling module 300 and the vent gas and / or flame, the cooling effect of the vent gas and / or flame can be further maximized.

[0080] 5 to 7 again, the electrode lead 110 of the battery cell 100 may be configured to face the vent path P. Specifically, the electrode lead 110 may be configured to face the first path P1 in the left-right direction (Y-axis direction) of the pack housing 200. In addition, the electrode lead 110 may be configured to face the second path P2 in the up-down direction (Z-axis direction).

[0081] In this case, the vent hole 222 may be formed on the floor frame 220 at a portion corresponding to the electrode lead 110 .

[0082] That is, according to this embodiment, the vent holes 222 are not formed in an area on the floor frame 220 corresponding to the entire lower part of the battery cell 100, but may be formed only in a small area, particularly on both sides of the floor frame 220 in the left-right direction (Y-axis direction) (see FIG. 3).

[0083] As a result, most of the vent gas and / or flame, which tends to travel in a straight line, may flow through the first path P1 during thermal runaway of the battery cell 100. In addition, the vent gas and / or flame that does not flow into the first path P1 may flow into the second path P2 through the vent hole 222, which has a relatively smaller area than the cell receiving portion S, and thus the flow may be weakened. Furthermore, the vent gas and / or flame that flows into the second path P2 through the vent hole 222, which has a relatively smaller area than the cell receiving portion S, may be restricted from flowing back toward the cell receiving portion S.

[0084] In addition, since the vent gas and / or flame flows into the second path P2 through both the left and right sides of the floor frame 220, the time it takes for the high-temperature vent gas and / or flame to be cooled by the cooling module 300 within the second path P2 may increase.

[0085] According to this embodiment, the flow of vent gas and / or flame can be reliably weakened and the cooling time of the high-temperature vent gas and / or flame can be increased, thereby more reliably minimizing or preventing the high-temperature vent gas and / or flame from being suddenly discharged outside the pack housing 200.

[0086] Referring again to FIG. 6, the length of the vent hole 222 in the front-rear direction (X-axis direction) of the pack housing 200 can be configured to be shorter than the length of the upper path P2a in the front-rear direction of the pack housing 200.

[0087] That is, the area of ​​the vent hole 222 can be configured to be smaller than the area of ​​the corresponding upper path P2a on the horizontal plane (XY plane). As a result, when the vent gas and / or flame passes through the vent hole 222, the flow speed of the vent gas and / or flame in the upper path P2a can be slower than the flow speed of the vent gas and / or flame in the cell accommodating portion S.

[0088] According to such an embodiment, the flow of vent gas and / or flame flowing into the upper path P2a can be more reliably weakened, thereby increasing the cooling time of the high-temperature vent gas and / or flame by the cooling module 300.

[0089] Furthermore, since the flow of vent gas and / or flame that has flowed into the upper path P2a is weakened, the flow of vent gas and / or flame in the lower path P2b that communicates with the upper path P2a may also be weakened.

[0090] 8 and 9 are diagrams illustrating a state in which vent gas or flame is emitted when a thermal runaway occurs in a battery cell 100 in a battery pack 10 according to an embodiment of the present invention. In this case, the vent gas and flame, which will be described later in FIGS. 8 and 9, are denoted by the reference characters "V" and "F," respectively.

[0091] 2, 3, 8, and 9, a plurality of the battery cells 100 may be provided. Also, a plurality of the cell receiving portions S may be provided. In this case, the plurality of the cell receiving portions S may be configured independently of each other.

[0092] At this time, the plurality of battery cells 100 may be accommodated in each of the plurality of cell accommodating portions S. Meanwhile, the cell accommodating portion S may accommodate a cell assembly C including two or more battery cells 100.

[0093] The pack housing 200 may include a plurality of partition walls W. Both sides of the partition walls W may be connected to the side frames 210. At this time, both ends of the partition walls W in the left-right direction (Y-axis direction) may be coupled to side frames 210 arranged along the front-rear direction (X-axis direction) of the pack housing 200 among the side frames 210. The partition walls W may be formed to extend in the up-down direction to correspond to the height of the side frames 210. A floor frame 220 may be coupled to the lower side of the partition walls W, and an upper cover 230 may be coupled to the upper side of the partition walls W.

[0094] In addition, when viewed from the front-rear direction (X-axis direction) of the pack housing 200, the partition wall W can be in close contact with the front and rear surfaces of the battery cells 100 to seal off the plurality of cell accommodating sections S. Meanwhile, when a cell assembly C is accommodated in each cell accommodating section S, the partition wall W can also be in close contact with the front and rear surfaces of the cell assembly C.

[0095] In this case, the communication holes 212 of the side frames 210 and the vent holes 222 of the floor frames 220 can be configured to correspond to the respective cell storage portions S.

[0096] With this configuration, not only can simultaneous ignition between adjacent battery cells 100 be more reliably prevented, but the battery cells 100 can also be arranged compactly within the pack housing 200.

[0097] In addition, since the partition wall W seals the space between adjacent cell accommodating sections S and the battery cells 100 are in close contact with the partition wall W, the flow of vent gas and / or flame into the vent path P via the flow holes 212 and the vent holes 222 can be more stably guided.

[0098] 10 and 11 are diagrams illustrating a battery pack 12 according to a second embodiment of the present invention. In this regard, vent gas and flames, which will be described later in FIGS. 10 and 11, are denoted by the reference characters "V" and "F," respectively.

[0099] The battery pack 12 according to this embodiment is similar to the battery pack 10 of the above embodiment, and therefore, a redundant description of the configuration that is substantially the same as or similar to the above embodiment will be omitted, and the following discussion will focus on the differences from the above embodiment.

[0100] 10 and 11, in the battery pack 12, the pack housing 200 may further include a first guide portion G1 and a second guide portion G2.

[0101] 10, the first guide portion G1 may be formed by bending from a portion of the vent hole 222 toward the inside of the upper path P2a. Specifically, one end of the first guide portion G1 may be coupled to a portion of the vent hole 222 that is close to the side frame 210. In addition, the first guide portion G1 may be formed by bending from the end coupled to the vent hole 222 toward the inside of the upper path P2a.

[0102] 11, the second guide portion G2 may be formed by bending toward the inside of the lower path P2b from a remaining portion of the vent hole 222. Specifically, one end of the second guide portion G2 may be coupled to a portion of the vent hole 222 that is close to the side frame 210. In addition, the second guide portion G2 may be bent toward the inside of the lower path P2b from one end coupled to the vent hole 222, and the other end may be coupled to a lower surface of the lower path P2b.

[0103] Such first guide portion G1 and second guide portion G2 can further impart directionality to the flow of vent gas and / or flame that flows into second path P2 through vent hole 222. In other words, the flow of vent gas and / or flame that flows in through vent hole 222 is guided by first guide portion G1 or second guide portion G2, and can more reliably flow inside second path P2.

[0104] Furthermore, a portion of the vent gas and / or flame that flows in through the vent hole 222 may be guided directly to the upper path P2a by the first guide portion G1, and the remaining vent gas and / or flame may be guided directly to the lower path P2b by the second guide portion G2. At this time, the vent gas and / or flame whose flow is primarily guided to the upper path P2a by the first guide portion G1 may secondarily flow to the lower path P2b. Furthermore, the vent gas and / or flame whose flow is primarily guided to the lower path P2b by the second guide portion G2 may secondarily flow to the upper path P2a.

[0105] Such an embodiment allows the flow direction of the vent gas and / or flame within the second path P2 to be diversified, thereby further weakening the flow of the flame within the second path P2 and further increasing the contact time between the vent gas and / or flame and the cooling module 300.

[0106] The battery pack 12 according to this embodiment can more stably guide the flow of vent gas and / or flame, thereby weakening the flow, and the cooling module 300 can more reliably cool the high-temperature vent gas and / or flame.

[0107] 12 is a diagram showing a battery pack 14 according to a third embodiment of the present invention. In this regard, a flame, which will be described later in FIG. 12, is denoted by the reference character "F."

[0108] Since the battery pack 14 according to this embodiment is similar to the battery pack 10 according to the above embodiment, a redundant description of the configuration that is substantially the same as or similar to the above embodiment will be omitted, and the following discussion will focus on the differences from the above embodiment.

[0109] Referring to FIG. 12, in the battery pack 14, the pack housing 200 may further include a flow restriction portion T.

[0110] The flow restricting portion T may be provided on at least one side (one side in the X-axis direction) or the other side (the other side in the X-axis direction) of the lower path P2b. Specifically, the flow restricting portion T may be provided on at least one inner side of the lower path P2b in the X-axis direction, and may be provided in the form of at least one protrusion.

[0111] Such a flow restriction portion T may be configured to collide with particles contained in the flame emitted from the battery cell 100.

[0112] That is, the flame that flows into the upper path P2a through the vent hole 222 may be temporarily weakened as it flows within the upper path P2a. Furthermore, the flame that flows into the upper path P2a can be temporarily cooled by the cooling module 300. In this way, the flame whose flow is temporarily weakened within the upper path P2a can be temporarily weakened further within the lower path P2b through the configuration of the flow restriction portion T.

[0113] In the battery pack 14 according to this embodiment, the flame emitted from the battery cell 100 can collide with the protruding flow restriction portion T, thereby further weakening the flow of the flame in the second path P2. This increases the time the flame remains in the second path P2, and increases the time the cooling module 300 cools the flame.

[0114] Furthermore, by allowing particles contained in the flame to remain within the second path P2 due to the flow restriction portion T, the discharge of ignition sources to the outside of the pack housing 200 can be further minimized.

[0115] 13 and 14 are diagrams illustrating a battery pack 16 according to a fourth embodiment of the present invention. In this regard, flames, which will be described later in FIGS. 13 and 14, are indicated by the reference symbol "F." Furthermore, particles, which will be described later in FIG. 14, are indicated by the reference symbol "I."

[0116] The battery pack 16 according to this embodiment is similar to the battery pack 10 according to the above embodiment, and therefore, a redundant description of the configuration that is substantially the same as or similar to the above embodiment will be omitted, and the following discussion will focus on the differences from the above embodiment.

[0117] 13 and 14, in the battery pack 16, the pack housing 200 may further include a filtering unit M. In this case, Fig. 14 is a diagram schematically illustrating a state in which particles contained in the flame are filtered by the filtering unit M of Fig. 13 and then the flame is cooled by the cooling module 300.

[0118] The filtering unit M may be provided in the second path P2 and configured to filter particles contained in the flame. The filtering unit M may be configured to face the cooling module 300. For example, the filtering unit M may be configured in the form of a mesh having a plurality of micropores.

[0119] Specifically, the filtering unit M may be configured as a pair to face the first cooling unit 310 and the second cooling unit 320 in the front-rear direction (X-axis direction) of the pack housing 200, respectively.

[0120] More specifically, the filtering unit M may be configured to surround the cooling module 300 within the upper path P2a and the lower path P2b. That is, the filtering unit M may be configured to face the first cooling unit 310 or the second cooling unit 320 within the upper path P2a and the lower path P2b and surround the first cooling unit 310 or the second cooling unit 320.

[0121] The filtering unit M can primarily filter particles contained in the flame as shown in Figures 13 and 14. In addition, the flame from which large particles have been filtered by the filtering unit M can be secondarily cooled by the cooling module 300.

[0122] In the battery pack 16 according to this embodiment, the filtering of flame particles by the filtering unit M and the cooling of the flame by the cooling module 300 are performed in sequence, so that the cooling effect of the cooling module 300 on the flame can be further improved.

[0123] In addition, by filtering particles contained in the flame through the filtering unit M, the discharge of ignition sources to the outside of the pack housing 200 can be further minimized.

[0124] Meanwhile, the battery packs 10, 12, 14, and 16 according to the present invention can be applied to automobiles such as electric vehicles, that is, an automobile according to the present invention can include at least one or more of the battery packs 10, 12, 14, and 16 according to the present invention.

[0125] As described above, the present invention has been described using limited embodiments and drawings, but the present invention is not limited thereto, and it goes without saying that a person having ordinary knowledge in the technical field to which the present invention pertains can make various modifications and variations within the technical spirit of the present invention and the equivalent scope of the following claims.

[0126] Meanwhile, although terms indicating directions such as up, down, left, right, front, and back are used in the present invention, it will be obvious to those skilled in the art that these terms are used for the convenience of explanation and may vary depending on the position of the target object, the position of the observer, etc. [Explanation of symbols]

[0127] 10 Battery Pack 12 Battery Pack 14 Battery Pack 16 Battery Pack 100 battery cells 110 Electrode Lead 200 pack housing 210 Side Frame 212 Flow hole 220 Floor Frame 222 Vent hole 230 Upper cover 300 Cooling Module 310 1st cooling section 320 2nd cooling section C. Cell Assembly G1 First guide section G2 Second guide part M Filtering section P vent route P1 1st route P2 2nd pathway P2a upper pathway P2b lower pathway S Cell storage section T restriction part W Bulkhead

Claims

1. A battery cell; a pack housing that accommodates the battery cells in cell accommodating portions and has vent paths on its side and bottom, the vent paths including a first path and a second path configured with two layers, each of which communicates with the cell accommodating portion; a cooling module provided in a lower portion of the pack housing and configured to cool vent gas or flame discharged from the battery cell and flowing into the second path; The pack housing includes: a side frame that forms a side surface of the pack housing and has the first path that communicates with the cell accommodating portion via a communication hole; a floor frame connected to the side frame, constituting a lower portion of the pack housing, and including the second path communicating with the cell accommodating portion via a vent hole; The second pathway is an upper passage communicating with the cell accommodating portion through the vent hole; a lower passage disposed below the upper passage and communicating with the upper passage; The battery cell an electrode lead facing the vent path on at least one side; The vent hole is The battery pack is characterized in that the electrode leads are formed on the floor frame at portions corresponding to the electrode leads.

2. The cooling module comprises: A first cooling section; The battery pack according to claim 1 , further comprising: a second cooling section disposed in the floor frame on an opposite side of the first cooling section across the upper passage.

3. The lower path is The battery pack according to claim 1 , wherein the cooling module is disposed below the cooling module.

4. The length of the vent hole in the front-rear direction of the pack housing is The battery pack according to claim 1 , wherein the upper path is configured to be shorter than the length of the pack housing in the front-rear direction.

5. The pack housing includes: a first guide portion formed by bending a portion of the vent hole toward an inside of the upper path; The battery pack of claim 1 , further comprising: a second guide portion formed by bending a remaining portion of the vent hole toward an inner side of the lower passage.

6. The pack housing includes:

10. The battery pack of claim 1, further comprising a flow restrictor provided on at least one of one side and the other side of the lower passage and configured to collide with particles contained in the flame.

7. A battery cell; a pack housing that accommodates the battery cells in cell accommodating portions and has vent paths on its side and bottom, the vent paths including a first path and a second path configured with two layers, each of which communicates with the cell accommodating portion; a cooling module provided in a lower portion of the pack housing and configured to cool vent gas or flame discharged from the battery cell and flowing into the second path; The pack housing includes: a side frame that forms a side surface of the pack housing and has the first path that communicates with the cell accommodating portion via a communication hole; a floor frame connected to the side frame, constituting a lower portion of the pack housing, and including the second path communicating with the cell accommodating portion via a vent hole; The second pathway is an upper passage communicating with the cell accommodating portion through the vent hole; a lower passage disposed below the upper passage and communicating with the upper passage; The pack housing includes: Further comprising a filtering section provided in the second passage and configured to filter particles contained in the flame; The filtering unit The battery pack is configured to surround the cooling module within the upper passage and the lower passage.

8. A battery cell; a pack housing that accommodates the battery cells in cell accommodating portions and has vent paths on its side and bottom, the vent paths including a first path and a second path configured with two layers, each of which communicates with the cell accommodating portion; a cooling module provided in a lower portion of the pack housing and configured to cool vent gas or flame discharged from the battery cell and flowing into the second path; The pack housing includes: a side frame that forms a side surface of the pack housing and has the first path that communicates with the cell accommodating portion via a communication hole; a floor frame connected to the side frame, constituting a lower portion of the pack housing, and including the second path communicating with the cell accommodating portion via a vent hole; a plurality of the battery cells are provided, and a plurality of the cell accommodating portions are provided; The plurality of battery cells Each of the plurality of cell housing portions is housed therein, The pack housing includes: a plurality of partition walls, both sides of which are connected to the side frames and configured to closely contact front and rear surfaces of the battery cells to seal the plurality of cell receiving portions from each other.

9. A motor vehicle comprising at least one battery pack according to any one of claims 1 to 8.

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