Battery packs and automobiles containing them

Abstract

The battery pack according to the present invention may include a plurality of battery modules, a pack case provided to house the plurality of battery modules and having recessed grooves formed in the bottom plate on which each of the plurality of battery modules is mounted, and a fire extinguishing member housed in the recessed grooves and positioned below the battery modules, which generates a fire extinguishing substance when a heat event occurs in the battery modules.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a battery pack, and more particularly, to a battery pack capable of delaying or suppressing the propagation of thermal energy of a battery module in which a thermal event has occurred within the battery pack.

[0002] This application claims priority based on Korean Patent Application No. 10-2024-0059244 filed on May 3, 2024, and all the contents disclosed in the specification and drawings of the application are incorporated into this application.

Background Art

[0003] Secondary batteries with high applicability according to product groups and having electrical characteristics such as high energy density are not only widely applied to portable devices but also universally applied to electric vehicles (EVs) or hybrid electric vehicles (HEVs) driven by an electric drive source. Such secondary batteries not only have the primary advantage of significantly reducing the use of fossil fuels but also attract attention as a new energy source for improving energy efficiency because they are environmentally friendly in that they do not produce any by-products associated with energy use.

[0004] Currently, widely used types of secondary batteries include lithium-ion batteries, lithium polymer batteries, nickel cadmium batteries, nickel metal hydride batteries, nickel zinc batteries, etc. When a high output voltage is required, a plurality of battery cells can be connected in series to form a battery module or a battery pack. Also, in order to increase the charge / discharge capacity, a plurality of battery cells can be connected in parallel to form a battery module or a battery pack. Therefore, the number of battery cells included in a battery module or a battery pack can be variously set according to the required output voltage or charge / discharge capacity.

[0005] Typically, a single rechargeable battery has an operating voltage of approximately 2.5V to 4.5V. Therefore, in the case of electric vehicles and power storage devices that require large capacity and high output, a battery module is constructed by connecting multiple rechargeable batteries in series and / or parallel, and a battery pack is constructed by connecting these battery modules in series and / or parallel, and this is used as the energy source.

[0006] Recently, battery packs have been designed to house as many battery modules containing as many secondary batteries as possible in an integrated manner in order to improve energy density. However, it has been pointed out that such battery packs have inferior fire safety because if a fire occurs in any one of the battery modules, the thermal energy is quickly propagated and can easily cause a chain reaction of fire in the other battery modules.

[0007] Therefore, in our industry, a crucial challenge in battery pack design is to incorporate measures that can delay or suppress the propagation of thermal energy between battery modules within the battery pack, in order to prepare for battery module fire issues. [Overview of the project] [Problems that the invention aims to solve]

[0008] This invention has been made in view of the above-mentioned problems, and aims to provide a battery pack with enhanced fire safety compared to conventional models by delaying or suppressing the propagation of thermal energy generated in a ignited battery module into the battery pack.

[0009] The technical problems that this invention aims to solve are not limited to those described above, and other problems not mentioned will be clearly understood by those skilled in the art from the following description of the invention. [Means for solving the problem]

[0010] According to the present invention, a battery pack may be provided that includes a plurality of battery modules, a pack case provided to house the plurality of battery modules and having recessed grooves formed in the bottom plate on which each of the plurality of battery modules is mounted, and a fire extinguishing member housed in the recessed grooves and positioned below the battery modules, which generates a fire extinguishing substance when a heat event occurs in the battery modules.

[0011] The fire extinguishing member is made of a material that undergoes an endothermic reaction and may be configured to generate carbon dioxide as a byproduct of the thermal reaction.

[0012] The fire extinguishing component may include a plurality of fire extinguishing agent capsules.

[0013] The fire extinguishing member may be positioned to contact the lower surface of the battery module.

[0014] The pack case may further include a cooling channel provided inside the bottom plate, a cross beam forming a wall between the battery modules so that the battery modules are arranged in partitioned spaces, and a cooling path blocking unit that, when a thermal event occurs in any of the battery modules, falls from inside the cross beam to block the cooling channel located below the battery module where the thermal event occurred.

[0015] The cooling path interruption unit includes an interruption block member disposed inside the cross beam and equipped with an electromagnet electrically connected to each of the plurality of battery modules, and a magnetic material provided inside the bottom plate of the pack case and positioned opposite the electromagnet so as to act a repulsive force across the cooling path, and can be configured to cut off the current supply to the electromagnet electrically connected to the battery module where a thermal event has occurred.

[0016] A fuse unit, which is provided to interrupt the flow of current based on a predetermined temperature or signal, may be connected to the cable connecting the battery module and the interruption block member.

[0017] The fuse component may be a thermal fuse.

[0018] The blocking member may include a weight balance member coupled to the electromagnet.

[0019] The cooling channel may include a main channel having a refrigerant inlet at one end and a refrigerant outlet at the other end; branch channels that branch off from the main channel and pass through the lower part of the corresponding crossbeam; individual module cooling channels provided from each of the branch channels to pass through the lower region of the corresponding battery module; and connecting channels connected to the branch channels and the main channel.

[0020] The cooling path blocking unit may be configured to block the branched path that is connected to the individual module cooling path passing through the lower region of the battery module.

[0021] The battery module includes a plurality of battery cells and a module case housing the plurality of battery cells, the module case may include one or more vent holes in an upper plate that covers the top of the battery cells.

[0022] The aforementioned pack case may include one or more gas outlets in its outer wall.

[0023] In addition, according to another aspect of the present invention, an automobile including the aforementioned battery pack may be provided. [Effects of the Invention]

[0024] According to the present invention, it is possible to provide a battery pack with enhanced fire safety compared to the prior art by delaying or suppressing the propagation of thermal energy generated in a fired battery module into the battery pack.

[0025] In particular, in the battery pack according to the present invention, when the battery module catches fire, a fire extinguishing member operates to absorb the heat of the fired battery module and generate carbon dioxide, thereby suppressing the ignition of the battery module.

[0026] Also, according to another aspect of the present invention, it is configured to block the temperature rise of the refrigerant due to the heat generated in the fired battery module and enhance the cooling of other battery modules, thereby delaying or suppressing the heat accumulation in the battery pack.

[0027] The effects of the present invention are not limited to the effects described above, and other effects of the present invention not mentioned will be clearly understood by those having ordinary knowledge in the technical field to which the present invention pertains from the present specification and the attached drawings.

Brief Description of the Drawings

[0028] [Figure 1] It is a schematic perspective view of a battery pack according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 2] It is a partially exploded perspective view of the battery pack of FIG. 1. [Figure 3] It is a cross-sectional view of a pack tray according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 4] It is a cross-sectional view of a battery module and the bottom plate of a pack case according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 5] It is a view corresponding to FIG. 4 and showing a modified embodiment of the fire extinguishing member. [Figure 6] It is a cross-sectional view of a cooling flow path provided in the bottom plate of a pack case according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 7]This is a schematic cross-sectional view of a portion of a battery pack according to one embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 8] This is a magnified view of a portion of Figure 7. [Figure 9] This is a diagram corresponding to Figure 7, showing the operation of the blocking member. [Figure 10] This diagram illustrates the flow of refrigerant when any battery module in a battery pack according to one embodiment of the present invention catches fire. [Figure 11] This diagram schematically shows an automobile including a battery pack according to one embodiment of the present invention. [Modes for carrying out the invention]

[0029] Preferred embodiments of the present invention will now be described in detail with reference to the attached drawings. Prior to this, terms and words used in this specification and in the claims should not be interpreted in a manner limited to their ordinary or dictionary meanings, but rather in a manner consistent with the technical idea of ​​the present invention, in accordance with the principle that the inventor himself may appropriately define the concepts of terms in order to best describe the invention. Accordingly, it should be understood that the embodiments described herein and the configurations shown in the drawings are merely the most preferred embodiments of the present invention and do not represent the entirety of the technical idea of ​​the present invention, and that there may be a variety of equivalents and modifications that can be substituted therein at the time of this application.

[0030] Furthermore, in describing the present invention, if it is determined that a specific description of a related known configuration or function would obscure the gist of the present invention, such description will be omitted.

[0031] Since embodiments of the present invention are provided to give a more complete explanation to an ordinary person of the art, the shapes and sizes of components in the drawings may be exaggerated or omitted, or illustrated schematically, for the sake of clearer explanation. Accordingly, the sizes and proportions of each component do not fully reflect their actual sizes and proportions.

[0032] Figure 1 is a schematic perspective view of a battery pack according to one embodiment of the present invention, Figure 2 is a partially exploded perspective view of the battery pack of Figure 1, Figure 3 is a cross-sectional view of a pack tray according to one embodiment of the present invention, and Figure 4 is a cross-sectional view of the battery module and the bottom plate of the pack case according to one embodiment of the present invention.

[0033] As shown in Figures 1 to 4, a battery pack 10 according to one embodiment of the present invention may include a plurality of battery modules 100, a pack case 200, and a fire extinguishing member 300 that generates a fire extinguishing substance when a thermal event occurs in the battery module 100.

[0034] The battery module 100 may include a plurality of battery cells 110 and a module case that houses the battery cells 110. Here, the battery cells 110 mean secondary batteries including electrode assemblies, electrolytes, and battery cases, and may be any form of secondary battery, such as pouch-type, cylindrical, or rectangular secondary batteries. The module case has an internal space for housing the battery cells 110 and may be made of a metallic material such as steel or a highly rigid non-metallic material to protect the battery cells 110 from external impacts. The module case 120 may also be configured to have gas vent holes 123 on at least one side.

[0035] The battery module 100 according to this embodiment may include one or more vent holes 123 in the upper plate 121 that covers the top of the battery cell 110. In such a battery module 100, when the internal battery cell 110 ignites, gas can be discharged from the gas vent holes 123 to the outside of the module case 120.

[0036] The pack case 200 may be configured to house the plurality of battery modules 100. For example, the pack case 200 may include a pack tray 210 and a pack cover 220, as shown in Figures 1 and 2.

[0037] The pack tray 210 may be provided in a box shape with an open top, having a partitioned space inside, and the battery module 100 arranged in the partitioned space. The pack cover 220 may be provided to cover the open top of the pack tray 210 and to be connectable to the pack tray 210.

[0038] More specifically, the pack tray 210 may include, as shown in Figure 2, a bottom plate 211 that supports the battery module 100 at the bottom of the battery module 100, an outer wall 212 that forms a wall along the outer edge of the bottom plate 211, and a plurality of cross beams 213 and a center beam 214 that partition the internal space enclosed by the outer wall 212.

[0039] The center beam 214 is a wall that extends in the lateral direction (Y direction) and divides the internal space of the pack tray 210 in two. The cross beams 213 are separated from each other by a predetermined distance, extend in the vertical direction (X direction), and have both ends connected to the center beam 214 and the outer wall 212. Each cross beam 213 may have one end connected to the center beam 214 and the other end connected to the outer wall 212. The cross beams 213 may be spaced apart by an interval corresponding to the width of the battery module 100.

[0040] These crossbeams 213 and center beam 214 support the outer wall 212, increasing the structural rigidity of the pack tray 210. Therefore, the pack tray 210 according to this embodiment is less susceptible to deformation such as distortion from external impacts.

[0041] Furthermore, the pack tray 210 has multiple partitioned spaces, allowing the battery modules 100 to be stored in a spatially separated manner. When the battery modules 100 are stored in this partitioned and separated manner, for example, if a thermal event occurs in any of the battery modules 100, the cross beam 213 or center beam 214 can block the heat and high-temperature gas, thereby blocking or delaying heat propagation between the battery modules 100.

[0042] The pack tray 210 may include a gas outlet 215. One or more gas outlets 215 may be provided on at least one side of the outer wall 212.

[0043] The gas outlet 215 may be formed penetrating the outer wall 212. A metal mesh may be attached to the gas outlet 215. The gas passes through the metal mesh, but sparks or flames can be prevented from flowing out to the outside by the metal mesh. Although not shown, a valve unit that opens and closes due to the pressure difference between the inside and outside of the pack case 200 may be attached to the gas outlet 215.

[0044] For example, in this embodiment, two gas outlets 215 may be provided at the front and two at the rear of the outer wall 212. One of the two gas outlets 215 provided at the front of the outer wall 212 may be located on the left side (-X direction) of the center beam 214, and the other may be located on the right side (+X direction) of the center beam 214. The two gas outlets 215 provided at the rear of the outer wall 212 may also be located one on the left side and one on the right side of the center beam 214. Here, the gas outlet 215 located on the left side of the center beam 214 is used to discharge gas generated by the battery module 100, which is located to the left of the center beam 214, to the outside of the pack case 200, and the gas outlet 215 located on the right side of the center beam 214 may be used to discharge gas generated by the battery module 100, which is located to the right of the center beam 214, to the outside of the pack case 200.

[0045] The pack cover 220 may be provided in the form of a plate-like body that can be bolted to the upper end of the outer wall 212 of the pack tray 210 and can cover at least the open upper part of the pack tray 210. Although not shown, a sealing gasket may be placed at the upper end of the outer wall 212, and the edge of the pack cover 220 may rest on the sealing gasket.

[0046] A battery pack 10 according to one embodiment of the present invention may include a fire extinguishing member 300 as a means for extinguishing the fire in the battery module 100 or preventing the propagation of thermal energy in the event of ignition of the battery module 100.

[0047] The fire extinguishing member 300 may be placed on the bottom plate 211 of the pack case 200.

[0048] Specifically, referring to Figure 3, the pack case 200 includes a recessed groove 216 formed in the bottom plate 211 of the pack case 200, in which each of the plurality of battery modules 100 is mounted. The fire extinguishing member 300 can be housed in the recessed groove 216 and positioned below the battery module 100.

[0049] The groove 216 may be provided such that it has a smaller area than the lower surface of the battery module 100. Here, the lower surface of the battery module 100 refers to the bottom surface of the module case 120. The battery module 100 may be mounted on the bottom plate 211 of the pack case 200, with its edge outside the groove 216. The fire extinguishing member 300 may be housed in the space formed between the lower surface of the battery module 100 and the bottom surface of the groove 216. In this way, when the fire extinguishing member 300 is placed in the groove 216, the efficiency of the internal space of the pack case 200 is not hindered. That is, even when the fire extinguishing member 300 is added to the battery pack 10 according to the present invention, the internal space of the pack case 200 does not change.

[0050] The fire extinguishing member 300 may be a material that undergoes an endothermic reaction and generates carbon dioxide as a byproduct of the thermal reaction. The fire extinguishing member 300 may be embodied in the form of a powder or pad containing, for example, sodium bicarbonate, potassium bicarbonate, potassium bicarbonate + iodine.

[0051] 1) Sodium bicarbonate 2NaHCO3 → Na2CO3 + H2O + CO2 - Q 2) Potassium bicarbonate 2KHCO3 → K2CO3 + H2O + CO2 - Q 3) Potassium bicarbonate + iodine 2KHCO3+(NH2)2CO → K2CO3+2NH3+2CO2-Q As can be seen from the chemical reaction equation above, in the event of a fire in the battery module 100, the fire extinguishing member 300 provides a cooling effect on the battery module 100 as an endothermic reaction, and a suffocation effect by cutting off the oxygen supply with carbon dioxide and / or water vapor.

[0052] For example, as shown in Figure 4, the fire extinguishing member 300 according to one embodiment of the present invention is positioned to be in contact with the lower surface of the battery module 100, that is, the bottom surface of the module case 120, thereby absorbing the heat generated when the battery module 100 ignites, while simultaneously generating carbon dioxide and / or water vapor to suppress or mitigate the combustion of the battery module 100. Therefore, the fire extinguishing member 300 can remove or reduce the flame or thermal energy of the battery module 100 when a thermal event occurs.

[0053] Instead of the aforementioned powder or pad-type fire extinguishing member 300, a fire extinguishing capsule-type fire extinguishing member 300 may be used.

[0054] Specifically, as shown in Figure 5, the fire extinguishing member 300A may include a plurality of fire extinguishing agent capsules. The fire extinguishing agent capsules are microcapsules containing a fire extinguishing agent and may be configured to rapidly suppress the initial stages of a fire by rupturing the microcapsules and automatically spraying the fire extinguishing agent when a fire occurs. For example, the fire extinguishing agent capsules may be capsules that store carbon dioxide and may be configured to rupture and release the carbon dioxide when a fire occurs. Alternatively, the fire extinguishing agent may include a fire extinguishing substance that exhibits a chemical effect through subcatalytic action that suppresses the chain reaction of combustion when a fire occurs in a combustible material. For example, the fire extinguishing substance may be an element that has a strong affinity for hydrogen, which is a constituent element of the combustible material, and may consist of elements such as fluorine, chlorine, and bromine.

[0055] On the other hand, the battery pack 10 according to the present invention may further include a cooling channel 400 provided inside the bottom plate 211 of the pack case 200, as shown in Figure 6, as a cooling means for absorbing the heat of the battery module 100 generated during charging and discharging.

[0056] The cooling channel 400 refers to a passage through which a refrigerant moves, and the refrigerant may be, for example, cooling water. The cooling channel 400 includes a refrigerant inlet 401 for supplying the refrigerant from outside the pack case 200 and a refrigerant outlet 402 for discharging the refrigerant to the outside of the pack case 200, and may be provided inside the bottom plate 211 of the pack case 200 and configured to absorb heat in indirect contact with the battery module 100.

[0057] The battery pack 10 according to this embodiment may include two cooling channels 400, as shown in Figure 6, in order to efficiently cool the battery module 100 located on the left side of the center beam 214 and the battery module 100 located on the right side, as shown in Figure 2. For example, the refrigerant absorbs heat from the battery module 100 and moves along the cooling channel 400, so the temperature rises as it moves towards the refrigerant outlet 402. Therefore, when a cooling channel 400 for cooling the battery module 100 located on the left side of the center beam 214 and a cooling channel 400 for cooling the battery module 100 located on the right side of the center beam 214 are provided independently, as in this embodiment, the temperature rise of the refrigerant is mitigated and the cooling efficiency is improved compared to using a single cooling channel 400. The two cooling channels 400 according to this embodiment may be provided symmetrically with respect to the center beam 214.

[0058] Specifically, looking at the cooling passage 400, as shown in Figure 6, the cooling passage 400 may include a main passage 410 having a refrigerant inlet 401 at one end and a refrigerant outlet 402 at the other end, branch passages 420 that branch off from the main passage 410 and pass under the corresponding crossbeams 213, individual module cooling passages 430 provided from each of the branch passages 420 so as to pass under the corresponding battery module 100, and connecting passages 440 that connect to the branch passages 420 and the main passage 410.

[0059] The main flow path 410 may be provided along the edge of the bottom plate 211 of the pack case 200, extending in a straight line along the longitudinal direction (Y direction) of the pack case 200. The branch flow paths 420 are a plurality of flow paths branched from the main flow path 410 to supply refrigerant individually to the battery module 100. In particular, each branch flow path 420 may be provided so as to be located below each cross beam 213 in Figure 3. Each of the branch flow paths 420 may be configured to close when a blocking member 510, described later and built into the cross beam 213, falls. In this case, the inflow of refrigerant into the closed branch flow path 420 is blocked.

[0060] The individual module cooling channels 430 may be positioned in the lower region of the battery module 100 so as to absorb heat from each corresponding battery module 100. Each of the individual module cooling channels 430 may have a starting point and an ending point connected to the branched channel 420, and may have a winding channel that, for example, indirectly contacts the battery module 100 over a wide area. Of course, the individual module cooling channels 430 may have a configuration different from that of this embodiment.

[0061] The connecting channel 440 is a channel through which the refrigerant exiting the branch channel 420 and the individual module cooling channel 430 merges, and can be configured to guide the merged refrigerant to the refrigerant outlet 402 of the main channel 410. As shown by the arrows in Figure 3, the refrigerant moves from the main channel 410 to the branch channel 420, and then from the branch channel 420 to the individual module cooling channel 430, absorbing heat from the battery module 100 at the corresponding location. The refrigerant that has absorbed heat can then move from the individual module cooling channel 430, through the branch channel 420, along the connecting channel 440 to the refrigerant outlet 402 of the main channel 410.

[0062] Furthermore, a battery pack according to one embodiment of the present invention may further include a cooling path blocking unit 500.

[0063] The cooling path blocking unit 500 may be configured to selectively block the cooling path 400 located below any of the battery modules 100 when a thermal event occurs in one of the battery modules 100. Such a cooling path blocking unit 500 can prevent a rapid rise in the temperature of the refrigerant due to the heat generated in the ignited battery module 100. The cooling path blocking unit 500 plays a role in blocking the transfer of thermal energy from the refrigerant, whose temperature has rapidly risen due to the ignited battery module 100, to the other battery modules 100.

[0064] The cooling path blocking unit 500 includes a blocking block member 510 which is located inside the crossbeam 213 and has an electromagnet 511 that is electrically connected to each of the plurality of battery modules. The blocking block member 510 may be provided for each crossbeam 213 adjacent to each battery module 100. The blocking block member 510 may be connected one-to-one with adjacent battery modules 100.

[0065] The cooling path blocking unit 500 may include a magnetic body 520 provided inside the bottom plate 211 of the pack case 200 and positioned opposite the electromagnet 511 so as to exert a repulsive force across the cooling path 400. The cooling path blocking unit 500 may be configured such that when a thermal event occurs in any of the battery modules 100, the current supply to the electromagnet 511 electrically connected to any of the battery modules 100 is cut off, causing the blocking block member 510 to fall toward the magnetic body 520, thereby closing at least a portion of the cooling path 400 that passes below the battery modules 100.

[0066] Specifically, as shown in Figures 3 and 7, the blocking member 510 can be built inside each cross beam 213. The cross beam 213 can be provided as a cavity so that the blocking member 510 is housed inside. Furthermore, the lower end of the cross beam 213 can be configured to communicate with the branched channel 420 of the cooling channel 400.

[0067] The blocking member 510 may include the electromagnet 511 and a weight balance member 512 positioned above the electromagnet 511. Here, the electromagnet 511 refers to a magnet that becomes magnetized when an electric current flows through it and returns to its non-magnetized state when the electric current is cut off.

[0068] The weight balance member 512 is a means for increasing the weight of the electromagnet 511. For example, a weight may be used as the weight balance member 512. The electromagnet 511 floats in the air to a predetermined height due to the repulsive force between the electromagnet 511 and the magnetic material 520, and at this time, the distance between the electromagnet 511 and the magnetic material 520 can be appropriately adjusted by adjusting the weight of the weight balance member 512. Also, when the electromagnet 511 loses its magnetism and falls, the weight balance member 512, which has weight, can stably close the cooling channel 400. On the other hand, the weight balance member 512 may be made up of a heat insulating material. Such a weight balance member 512 can make it more difficult for thermal energy to be transmitted between the battery modules 100 sandwiched between the crossbeam 213.

[0069] The magnetic material 520 may be positioned opposite the electromagnet 511 and below the cooling channel 400. The magnetic material 520 may be a permanent magnet that maintains its magnetism stably even without an external current supply.

[0070] The electromagnet 511 and the magnetic material 520 may be configured to have opposing polarities. In this case, as shown by F in Figure 8, a repulsive force acts between the electromagnet 511 and the magnetic material 520, causing them to repel each other. The magnetic material 520 is fixedly coupled inside the bottom plate 211 of the pack case 200, and the electromagnet 511 is not fixedly coupled to the cross beam 213. In this case, the electromagnet 511 levitates due to the repulsive force, and the cooling channel 400 is not closed. Here, the cooling channel 400 may refer to the branch channel 420 located below the cross beam 213. When the electromagnet 511 loses its magnetism, the blocking member 510 falls, closing the branch channel 420, and thereby closing the individual module cooling channel 430 connected to the branch channel 420. In other words, the cooling path blocking unit 500 according to this embodiment is configured to block the branched flow path 420 located at the bottom of the crossbeam 213 adjacent to the specific battery module 100, thereby closing the individual module cooling flow path 430 that passes through the lower region of the specific battery module 100.

[0071] The cooling path interruption unit 500 may further include a fuse section 530. The fuse section 530 may be coupled to a cable connecting the battery module 100 and the interruption block member 510. The electromagnet 511, for example, as schematically shown for convenience in the drawings, may be supplied with current by being connected by a cable to a BMS (not shown) included in the battery module 100. The fuse section 530 may be coupled to the cable. Here, the fuse section 530 may be a thermal fuse that operates at a predetermined temperature. For example, when the temperature of the fuse section 530 reaches a specific temperature due to the ignition of the battery module 100, the fuse section 530 may melt and interrupt the current. Alternatively, the fuse section 530 may be configured such that when an ignition signal is received from the BMS (not shown) of the battery module 100, a circuit provided inside the fuse section 530 is cut off and the flow of current is interrupted.

[0072] With this configuration of the fuse section 530, as shown in Figure 9, when any of the battery modules 100 catch fire, the fuse section 530 connected to any of the battery modules 100 is damaged, interrupting the current supply. When the electromagnet 511 of the interruption block member 510 connected to the fuse section 530 loses its magnetism, the interruption block member 510 falls, potentially closing the corresponding cooling passage 400. As a result, no refrigerant is supplied to the individual module cooling passage 430 located below the battery modules 100.

[0073] Figure 10 is a diagram illustrating the flow of refrigerant when a specific battery module 100 ignites in a battery pack 10 according to one embodiment of the present invention.

[0074] For example, if we assume that the second battery module 100B in the four battery modules 100A, 100B, 100C, and 100D shown in Figure 10 is the battery module 100B where a thermal event occurred, then the fuse section 530 connected to the second battery module 100B may be damaged by heat. In that case, as described above, the electromagnet 511 of the interruption block member 510 connected to the fuse section 530 will lose its magnetism, causing the interruption block member 510 to fall and interrupting the branch channel 420 located in the lower region of the crossbeam 213. However, the fuse sections 530 connected to the remaining battery modules 100A, 100C, and 100D will not be damaged unless they are overheated, so the interruption block members 510 connected to the fuse sections 530 will not fall from inside the crossbeam 213.

[0075] As a result, the flow of refrigerant is blocked only in the branch channel 420 and individual module cooling channel 430 corresponding to the second battery module 100B, while the flow of refrigerant is maintained in the branch channels 420 and individual module cooling channels 430 corresponding to the remaining battery modules 100A, 100C, and 100D. In this case, since refrigerant is not supplied to the lower region of the ignited second battery module 100B, a rapid temperature rise of the refrigerant due to the heat of the ignited second battery module 100B can be prevented. In addition, since the refrigerant supplied to the lower region of the second battery module 100 is also supplied to the lower regions of the remaining battery modules 100A, 100C, and 100D, the cooling performance for the remaining battery modules 100A, 100C, and 100D is enhanced. This significantly delays the propagation of heat from the second battery module 100B to the remaining battery modules 100A, 100C, and 100D.

[0076] Figure 11 is a schematic diagram showing an automobile including a battery pack according to one embodiment of the present invention.

[0077] Referring to Figure 11, an automobile V according to one embodiment of the present invention may include a battery pack 10 according to one embodiment of the present invention. The automobile according to the present invention may be, for example, an electric vehicle, a hybrid vehicle, or a plug-in hybrid vehicle. The automobile includes four-wheeled vehicles and two-wheeled vehicles. The automobile may be configured to operate by being powered by a battery pack or battery module according to one embodiment of the present invention.

[0078] Although the present invention has been described above with reference to limited embodiments and drawings, the present invention is not limited thereto, and it goes without saying that a wide range of modifications and variations are possible within the equivalent scope of the technical concept of the present invention and the following claims by persons with ordinary skill in the art to which the present invention pertains.

[0079] In this specification, terms indicating direction such as up, down, left, and right are used, but these terms are for the sake of convenience of explanation only, and it is obvious to those skilled in the art that the direction can change depending on the position of the object in question, the position of the observer, etc.

Claims

1. Multiple battery modules, A pack case provided to house the plurality of battery modules inside, and having recessed grooves formed in the bottom plate on which each of the plurality of battery modules is mounted, The fire extinguishing member is housed in the groove and positioned below the battery module, and generates a fire extinguishing substance when a heat event occurs in the battery module, The aforementioned fire extinguishing component is made of a material that undergoes an endothermic reaction, and is characterized by generating carbon dioxide as a byproduct of the thermal reaction, in a battery pack.

2. Multiple battery modules, A pack case provided to house the plurality of battery modules inside, and having recessed grooves formed in the bottom plate on which each of the plurality of battery modules is mounted, The fire extinguishing member is housed in the groove and positioned below the battery module, and generates a fire extinguishing substance when a heat event occurs in the battery module, A battery pack characterized in that the fire extinguishing member is arranged to be in contact with the lower surface of the battery module.

3. The battery pack according to claim 1 or claim 2, characterized in that the fire extinguishing member includes a plurality of fire extinguishing agent capsules.

4. A cooling channel is provided inside the bottom plate of the aforementioned pack case, Cross beams forming walls between the battery modules so that each battery module is arranged in a partitioned space, The battery pack according to claim 1 or 2, further comprising: a cooling path blocking unit that, when a thermal event occurs in any of the battery modules, drops from inside the crossbeam to block a cooling path located below the battery module in which the thermal event occurred.

5. The aforementioned cooling path blocking unit is A shielding block member is provided with an electromagnet that is arranged inside the crossbeam and electrically connected to each of the plurality of battery modules, The pack case includes a magnetic material provided inside the bottom plate and positioned opposite the electromagnet such that a repulsive force acts across the cooling channel, The battery pack according to claim 4, characterized in that it is configured such that the current supply to the electromagnet electrically connected to the battery module where a thermal event has occurred is cut off.

6. The battery pack according to claim 5, characterized in that a fuse unit that interrupts the flow of current based on a predetermined temperature or signal is coupled to the cable connecting the battery module and the interruption block member.

7. The battery pack according to claim 6, characterized in that the fuse portion is a thermal fuse.

8. The aforementioned blocking member is The battery pack according to claim 5, characterized in that it includes a weight balance member coupled to the electromagnet.

9. The aforementioned cooling channel is A main flow path having a refrigerant inlet at one end and a refrigerant outlet at the other end, Branch channels that branch off from the main channel and pass through the lower part of the corresponding crossbeam, Individual module cooling channels are provided so as to pass through the lower region of the corresponding battery module from each of the aforementioned branch channels, The battery pack according to claim 5, characterized in that it includes the branch channel and the connecting channel connected to the main channel.

10. The battery pack according to claim 9, characterized in that the cooling path blocking unit is configured to block the branched path connected to the individual module cooling path that passes through the lower region of the battery module.

11. The aforementioned battery module is It includes a plurality of battery cells and a module case that houses the plurality of battery cells, The battery pack according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that the module case includes one or more vent holes in the upper plate that covers the top of the battery cell.

12. The aforementioned pack case is The battery pack according to claim 1 or claim 2, characterized in that the outer wall includes one or more gas outlets.

13. An automobile characterized by including the battery pack described in claim 1 or claim 2.

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