Battery unit

Abstract

In a battery unit comprising multiple battery modules housed in a rack, the invention aims to achieve both improved thermal insulation between battery modules and suppression of fire spread. [Solution] The rack 2 comprises a rack body 10, at least one partition 20 that extends in the longitudinal direction X within the interior 16 of the rack body 10 and divides the interior 16 in the width direction Y, thereby dividing a plurality of storage spaces 17 capable of accommodating a plurality of battery modules 3, and an insulating material 30 provided on at least one side of the partition 20. The insulating material 30 is configured such that its elastic modulus differs along the longitudinal direction X, with the elastic modulus of the central part in the longitudinal direction X being lower than the elastic modulus of at least one end in the longitudinal direction X.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present disclosure relates to a rack for housing a battery module and a battery unit.

Background Art

[0002] Patent Document 1 discloses a battery module having a heat-insulating container made of a single material as an exterior.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0003]

Patent Document 1

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0004] Generally, many materials having high heat insulation exhibit a heat insulation effect due to an air layer formed in the material, and thus have high cushioning properties and are easily deformed.

[0005] On the other hand, in order to provide a battery corresponding to high output, a plurality of battery modules housed in a rack in an aligned state may be electrically connected to each other to construct one battery unit. When such a battery module is used in such a battery unit, when a certain battery module causes an abnormality such as thermal runaway, the exterior of the battery module is deformed by an increase in internal pressure, and the flame generated in the battery module may propagate to an adjacent battery module. Although heat transfer between battery modules can be suppressed by the heat insulation effect of the exterior, there is a possibility that adjacent battery modules may be burned due to leakage of the flame.

[0006] An object of the present disclosure is to achieve both improvement in heat insulation between battery modules and suppression of burning between battery modules in a battery unit in which a plurality of battery modules are housed in a rack.

Means for Solving the Problems

[0007] A first aspect of the present disclosure provides a battery module housing rack comprising: a rack body; at least one partition extending longitudinally within the rack body and dividing the interior in the width direction to divide the interior into a plurality of housing spaces each capable of housing a plurality of battery modules; and an insulating material provided on at least one side of the partition, wherein the insulating material is configured to have different moduli along the longitudinal direction, and the moduli of elasticity of the central part in the longitudinal direction is lower than the moduli of elasticity of at least one end in the longitudinal direction.

[0008] A second aspect of the present disclosure provides a battery unit comprising a rack for housing battery modules and a plurality of battery modules housed in each of the plurality of housing spaces. [Effects of the Invention]

[0009] According to this disclosure, in a battery unit comprising multiple battery modules housed in a rack, it is possible to achieve both improved thermal insulation between battery modules and suppression of fire spreading between battery modules. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0010] [Figure 1] A perspective view of a battery unit according to an embodiment. [Figure 2] Figure 1 shows an exploded perspective view of the rack. [Figure 3] Figure 1 shows an exploded perspective view of the battery unit partition and battery module. [Figure 4] A partial cross-sectional view of the battery unit shown in Figure 1. [Figure 5] A diagram corresponding to Figure 3 of the modified battery unit. [Modes for carrying out the invention]

[0011] A battery module housing rack according to one embodiment of the present disclosure comprises a rack body, at least one partition extending longitudinally within the rack body and dividing the interior in the width direction to divide the interior into a plurality of housing spaces capable of housing a plurality of battery modules, and a thermal insulation material provided on at least one side of the partition. The thermal insulation material is configured such that its modulus of elasticity differs along the longitudinal direction. The modulus of elasticity of the central part in the longitudinal direction is lower than the modulus of elasticity of at least one end in the longitudinal direction.

[0012] According to the above configuration, two battery modules are housed in a rack so that they are arranged side by side in the width direction, separated by a partition. Insulation material is provided on the side of this partition.

[0013] In battery modules, especially long ones, a cell unit containing multiple battery cells is often positioned in the center along its longitudinal direction. The cell unit is the main heat source of the battery module and can also be a source of fire if any abnormalities such as thermal runaway occur in the battery cells.

[0014] On the other hand, thermal insulation materials exert their insulating effect through the thermal resistance of the material and the air layer formed within it. Not only the elastic modulus of the material itself, but also the amount of air layer greatly affects the elastic modulus of the thermal insulation material. Unless otherwise specified, "elastic modulus" refers to the compressive modulus. Thermal insulation materials with a low elastic modulus tend to contain a large air layer, making them highly cushioned and easily deformable, while exhibiting high thermal insulation performance. Thermal insulation materials with a high elastic modulus have relatively lower thermal insulation performance, but are hard and resistant to deformation.

[0015] The heat insulation material is configured such that the elastic modulus varies along the longitudinal direction. The central portion in the longitudinal direction can face the cell unit of the battery module in the width direction. In this portion, the elastic modulus of the heat insulation material is relatively low, and the heat insulation performance of the heat insulation material is relatively high. Therefore, heat transfer between two adjacent battery modules separated by a partition in the width direction can be effectively suppressed. Also, if only the central portion is easily deformed, when the internal pressure of the battery module excessively increases, a slight gap can be formed. Air can be vented without passing flames or sparks, and damage due to an excessive rise in internal pressure and sudden ejection of gas can be suppressed. Further, the impact applied from the battery module to the partition can be mitigated by the cushioning property of the central portion.

[0016] At the end portions in the longitudinal direction, the elastic modulus of the heat insulation material is relatively high, and the heat insulation material is relatively difficult to deform. Therefore, even when an abnormality occurs in one of two adjacent battery modules separated by a partition in the width direction and the exterior is deformed so as to peel off due to an increase in internal pressure, the deformation load can be received at the end portion of the heat insulation material. Deformation of the exterior can be suppressed, and leakage of flames and sparks from the exterior in the width direction can be suppressed, so that fire spread to adjacent battery modules can be prevented.

[0017] The "central portion in the longitudinal direction" means a region near the center in the longitudinal direction of the heat insulation material and is not limited to only the exact midpoint in the longitudinal direction. For example, in a state where the battery module is housed in the housing space, a region that can face the cell unit of the battery module in the width direction is included therein.

[0018] In another embodiment, the elastic modulus of both end portions in the longitudinal direction may be higher than the elastic modulus of the central portion. Thereby, when an abnormality occurs in the battery module, the exterior becomes even more difficult to deform. Therefore, fire spread can be further suppressed.

[0019] In another embodiment, the heat insulation material may be provided on both side surfaces of the partition. Thereby, it is possible to achieve both improvement in heat insulation and suppression of fire spread at a higher level.

[0020] In other embodiments, the heat insulating material may include a first heat insulating material provided at the central portion and a second heat insulating material made of a material different from that of the first heat insulating material, having a higher elastic modulus than the first heat insulating material, and provided at at least one of the ends. By applying two types of heat insulating materials having different materials in this way, a heat insulating material configured to have different elastic moduli along the longitudinal direction can be easily realized.

[0021] In other embodiments, in a state where the battery module is accommodated in the accommodation space, the first heat insulating material may be arranged so as to cover the cell unit of the battery module from the width direction. Thereby, heat transfer between two battery modules adjacent in the width direction with a partition therebetween can be suppressed more effectively.

[0022] In other embodiments, the first heat insulating material may be made of ceramic wool, glass wool, organic fiber, or a foaming material.

[0023] In other embodiments, the second heat insulating material may be made of an aramid resin, a polycarbonate resin, or glass fiber.

[0024] In other embodiments, the elastic modulus of the first heat insulating material may be less than 30 MPa, and the elastic modulus of the second heat insulating material may be 30 MPa or more.

[0025] In other embodiments, the heat insulating material may further include an intermediate heat insulating material provided between the first heat insulating material and the second heat insulating material in the longitudinal direction, having an elastic modulus higher than that of the first heat insulating material and lower than that of the second heat insulating material. Thereby, the elastic modulus of the heat insulating material can be made to vary more finely along the longitudinal direction.

[0026] A battery unit according to an embodiment of the present disclosure includes the above-described rack for housing a battery module and a plurality of battery modules housed in the plurality of accommodation spaces respectively.

[0027] According to the above configuration, in a battery unit comprising multiple battery modules housed in a rack, it is possible to achieve both improved heat insulation between battery modules and suppression of fire spreading between battery modules.

[0028] Embodiments will be described below with reference to the drawings. The same or corresponding elements are denoted by the same reference numerals throughout the drawings, and redundant detailed descriptions will be omitted.

[0029] Referring to Figure 1, the battery unit 1 according to this embodiment is applied, for example, as an emergency power supply installed in a data center. The battery unit 1 comprises a rack 2 and a plurality of battery modules 3. The rack 2 accommodates the plurality of battery modules 3 side by side. The number of battery modules 3 that can be accommodated in one rack 2 is not particularly limited. The battery unit 1 may also comprise a plurality of racks 2. The plurality of battery modules 3 are electrically connected in series or in parallel.

[0030] Referring to Figures 3 and 4, the battery module 3 comprises an outer casing 50 and a cell unit 60.

[0031] The outer casing 50 is, for example, a long rectangular parallelepiped, and is rectangular when viewed in the height direction Z (i.e., in a plan view). Hereinafter, the direction in which the long side of this rectangle extends will be called the longitudinal direction X, and the direction in which the short side extends will be called the width direction Y. The longitudinal direction X corresponds to the depth direction. The longitudinal direction X, the width direction Y, and the height direction Z are orthogonal to the other two directions. These three directions coincide with the longitudinal direction X, the width direction Y, and the height direction Z of the rack 2, respectively.

[0032] The outer casing 50 has a bottom wall 51 and a top wall 52 facing each other in the height direction Z, a front wall 53 and a rear wall 54 facing each other in the longitudinal direction X, and a pair of side walls 55 facing each other in the width direction Y. The outer casing 50 defines an internal space enclosed by these walls. A handle may be provided on the front wall 53 for convenience in attaching and detaching it from the rack 2.

[0033] The outer casing 50 is constructed by assembling multiple case components. These case components include, for example, a case base 50a, a case cover 50b, and a pair of end plates 50c and 50d. The case base 50a constitutes the bottom wall 51, and the case cover 50b constitutes the top wall 52. One end plate 50c constitutes the front wall 53, and the other end plate 50d constitutes the rear wall 54. However, this is merely an example, and the configuration of the components of the outer casing 50 can be changed as appropriate.

[0034] In this embodiment, a pair of side walls 55 are formed by a case base 50a and are seamlessly continuous with the bottom wall 51. The case cover 50b has a pair of flanges 56 that project downward from each of the side edges of the top wall 52. The flanges 56 are strip-shaped, long in the longitudinal direction X and short in the height direction Z. When assembling the case cover 50b onto the case base 50a from above, the pair of flanges 56 are superimposed on the inner surfaces of the pair of side walls 55, and each pair of side walls 55 is fixed to the flanges 56 at multiple fixing points using fasteners such as bolts. The fixing points are set at intervals in the longitudinal direction X.

[0035] The outer casing 50 has ventilation sections 57 that connect its internal space to the external space. The ventilation sections 57 are provided on the front wall 53 and the rear wall 54 (only the ventilation section 57 on the front wall 53 is shown). The ventilation sections 57 are constructed by arranging a large number of through holes at a fine pitch, allowing air for forced cooling to pass through. In addition, in the event of a malfunction in the cell unit 60, gas ejected from the battery cell 61 is discharged to the outside of the outer casing 50 through the ventilation sections 57, and the internal pressure of the outer casing 50 is released.

[0036] The cell unit 60 has a plurality of battery cells 61 and a cell holder 62. The cell holder 62 as a whole is generally rectangular parallelepiped and constitutes the appearance of the cell unit 60. The plurality of battery cells 61 are, for example, aligned and held in the cell holder 62 in a vertical orientation with their axial direction oriented in the height direction Z.

[0037] The battery cell 61 is, for example, a cylindrical lithium-ion secondary battery. However, the battery cell 61 may be a battery other than a cylindrical type, such as a prismatic battery, or a battery other than a lithium-ion secondary battery, such as an all-solid-state battery.

[0038] The battery cell 61 has a bottomed cylindrical outer casing 61a that houses the electrode body and electrolyte, and a sealing plate 61b that closes the opening of the outer casing 61a. A safety valve is provided in the sealing plate 61b to release the high-temperature, high-pressure gas generated in the battery cell 61 to the outside of the outer casing 61a when the internal pressure of the battery cell 61 rises due to an abnormality such as thermal runaway. When the safety valve opens, the gas is ejected from the battery cell 61, sometimes accompanied by sparks or flames.

[0039] Although detailed illustrations are omitted, the cell unit 60 may include a current collection structure and a heat transfer structure. The current collection structure may have lead plates made of a conductive material to electrically connect the battery cells 61 to each other. The heat transfer structure may have a sheet or plate made of a thermally conductive material to remove heat from the battery cells 61. These structures are assembled to the top or bottom surface of the cell holder 62 and together with the cell holder 62 constitute a block body.

[0040] The battery module 3 may further include a circuit unit 71, a fan 72, and an exhaust structure 73. These are also housed in the outer case 50 together with the cell unit 60. The circuit unit 71 is positioned behind the cell unit 60. The fan 72 is positioned in front of the cell unit 60.

[0041] The circuit unit 71 may include a monitoring module for monitoring the status of the battery cells 61, a charge / discharge control module for controlling the charging and discharging of the battery cells 61, a voltage conversion module for converting the voltage transmitted between the battery cells 61 and the outside (e.g., step-down, step-up, or both), and a fan control module for controlling the airflow of the fan 72 according to the status of the battery cells 61 (e.g., temperature). Some of these modules may be mounted on a circuit board (not shown) located elsewhere inside the outer casing 50.

[0042] The fan 72 creates an airflow for forced cooling within the outer case 50. The air blown out from the fan 72 cools the cell unit 60 and the circuit unit 71.

[0043] The exhaust structure 73 is composed of multiple plate materials and guides the gas ejected from the battery cell 61. The exhaust structure 73 includes a lower plate 73a (see Figure 4) that covers the cell unit 60 from below, a first wall 73b (see Figure 3) that rises from the front end of the lower plate 73a, and a second wall (not shown) that extends downward from the upper wall 52 in front of the first wall 73b. The exhaust structure 73 causes the gas flow to meander in order to prevent the gas from being discharged linearly to the outside of the outer casing 50 through the ventilation section 57.

[0044] Returning to Figures 1 and 2, the rack 2 comprises a rack body 10, at least one partition 20, and insulation material 30 provided on at least one side of each partition 20. In this embodiment, as just one example, the rack 2 is capable of accommodating six battery modules 3 and has one less than five partitions 20. The insulation material 30 is provided on both sides of each partition 20.

[0045] The rack body 10 is, for example, a rectangular cylindrical shape with an open front. The rack body 10 has a bottom wall 11, a top wall 12, a rear wall 14, and a pair of side walls 15, and a space enclosed by these walls is formed inside the rack body 16. The rack body 10 is long, wide, and low-profile.

[0046] Five partitions 20 extend in the longitudinal direction X (i.e., the depth direction) and the height direction Z within the interior 16 of the rack body 10, parallel to a pair of side walls 15. Multiple lower flanges 21 are provided at the lower end of each partition 20, spaced apart in the longitudinal direction X. Multiple upper flanges 22 are provided at the upper end of each partition 20, spaced apart in the longitudinal direction X. The lower flanges 21 abut against the inner surface of the bottom wall 11 and are fastened to the bottom wall 11. The upper flanges 22 abut against the inner surface of the top wall 12 and are fastened to the top wall 12.

[0047] Five partitions 20 are arranged in the width direction Y of the rack body 10, spaced apart from each other. The interior 16 of the rack body 10 is divided in the width direction Y by the five partitions 20, thereby dividing it into six storage spaces 17. Each storage space 17 can accommodate one battery module 3. For example, the cross-section of the storage space 17 is complementary to the vertical cross-section (cross-section perpendicular to the longitudinal direction X) of the battery module 3, and in this example it is rectangular (see also Figure 4). Multiple battery modules 3 are arranged side by side, sequentially adjacent to each other in the width direction Y, with their height and front-to-back positions aligned.

[0048] Referring to Figure 3, partition 20 is made of metal such as stainless steel or aluminum alloy and is formed by sheet metal processing. Partition 20 is mostly hollowed out to reduce weight and is more like a ladder frame than a strip. Partition 20 alone does not have sufficient thermal insulation or rigidity to withstand the deformation load of the battery module 3.

[0049] The insulation material 30 covers the sides of such a partition 20, and its thickness is oriented in the width direction Y. The insulation material 30 is in the form of a sheet or paper, and its thickness is 0.1 to 4 mm. Even without widening the rack body 10, the width of the storage space 17 is not significantly narrowed by applying the insulation material 30, and the battery module 3 can be attached and detached smoothly.

[0050] The partition 20 and the pair of insulation materials 30 constitute a composite bulkhead interposed between the two storage spaces 17. The partition 20 serves as the skeleton or core of this bulkhead. The insulation material 30 is the outer skin or surface layer of this bulkhead. The insulation material 30 provides the bulkhead with high thermal insulation and the rigidity necessary to withstand the deformation load of the battery module 3.

[0051] The insulation material 30 is long in the longitudinal direction X and covers the entire length of the partition 20 in the longitudinal direction X. When the battery module 3 is housed in the housing space 17, the insulation material 30 covers the entire side surface of the battery module 3 from the width direction Y.

[0052] The thermal insulation material 30 is configured such that its elastic modulus differs along its longitudinal direction X. The elastic modulus of the central part in the longitudinal direction X is lower than that of at least one end in the longitudinal direction X. In this embodiment, the elastic modulus of both ends in the longitudinal direction X is higher than that of the central part.

[0053] In order to achieve a gradient in the elastic modulus in the longitudinal direction X, in this embodiment the thermal insulation material 30 is composed of two types of thermal insulation materials: a first thermal insulation material 31 and a second thermal insulation material 32, which are made of different materials.

[0054] The first thermal insulation material 31 is applied to the central part in the longitudinal direction X and has a relatively low modulus of elasticity. The first thermal insulation material 31 is positioned to cover the cell units 60 of the battery module 3 from the width direction Y when the battery module 3 is housed in the housing space 17.

[0055] Both ends of the first insulation material 31 are abutted against the ends of the second insulation material 32. The second insulation material 32 is applied to both ends in the longitudinal direction X and has a relatively high modulus of elasticity.

[0056] The first insulation material 31 is composed of, for example, ceramic wool, glass wool, organic fibers, foamed material, or a combination thereof. These materials contain many air layers within them. Therefore, they have a low modulus of elasticity, high cushioning properties, and are easily deformed, but they also have high thermal insulation properties.

[0057] The second insulation material 32 is composed of aramid resin, polycarbonate resin, glass fiber, or a combination thereof. Compared to the material applied to the first insulation material 31, these materials contain fewer air pockets internally. Therefore, while their thermal insulation performance is relatively lower, they have a high modulus of elasticity, making them rigid and resistant to deformation.

[0058] The elastic modulus of the first insulation material 31 is less than 30 MPa. The elastic modulus of the second insulation material 32 is 30 MPa or more. When the elastic modulus is 30 MPa or more, deformation of the outer case 50 can be effectively suppressed, as will be described later. Note that "elastic modulus" here refers to the compressive modulus.

[0059] Referring to Figure 4, two battery modules 3 are housed in a rack 2, arranged in the width direction Y, separated by a partition 20. The first insulation material 31 is located in the center in the longitudinal direction X and can face the cell units 60 of the battery modules 3 in the width direction Y. In this area, the elastic modulus of the insulation material 30 is relatively low, and the thermal insulation performance of the insulation material 30 is relatively high. Therefore, heat transfer between two battery modules adjacent in the width direction Y, separated by the partition 20, can be effectively suppressed.

[0060] On the other hand, at the ends in the longitudinal direction X, the elastic modulus of the insulation material 30 is relatively high, making it relatively difficult for the insulation material 30 to deform. Therefore, even if an abnormality occurs in one of the two battery modules 3 adjacent in the width direction Y, separated by the partition 20, and the exterior deforms to the point of peeling due to the increase in internal pressure, the deformation load can be absorbed at the ends of the insulation material 30. This suppresses deformation of the exterior case 50 and prevents flames and sparks from leaking from the exterior in the width direction Y. Consequently, it is possible to prevent the fire from spreading to adjacent battery modules 3.

[0061] Thus, according to this embodiment, in a battery unit 1 in which a plurality of battery modules 3 are housed in a rack 2, it is possible to achieve both improved heat insulation between the battery modules 3 and suppression of fire spreading between the battery modules 3.

[0062] The above configuration is merely an example and can be modified as appropriate within the scope of the intent of this disclosure.

[0063] Referring to Figure 5, the thermal insulation material 30 may be composed of three or more thermal insulation materials of different materials. In the example shown in Figure 5, the thermal insulation material 30 further includes an intermediate thermal insulation material 33 in addition to the first thermal insulation material 31 and the second thermal insulation material 32. The intermediate thermal insulation material 33 is provided between the first thermal insulation material 31 and the second thermal insulation material 32 in the longitudinal direction X. The elastic modulus of the intermediate thermal insulation material 33 is higher than that of the first thermal insulation material 31 and lower than that of the second thermal insulation material 32. This makes it possible to make the elastic modulus of the thermal insulation material 30 differ more finely along the longitudinal direction X.

[0064] In the example shown in Figure 5, the second insulation material 32, intermediate insulation material 33, first insulation material 31, intermediate insulation material 33, and second insulation material 32 are arranged in this order from one side to the other in the longitudinal direction X. Two or more types of intermediate insulation material 33 may be interposed between the second insulation material 32 and the first insulation material 31.

[0065] In the above embodiment, the elastic modulus of both ends of the thermal insulation material 30 is higher than that of the central part. This is just one example; the elastic modulus of only one end of the thermal insulation material 30 may be higher than that of the central part, or the elastic modulus of the other end of the thermal insulation material 30 may be the same as that of the central part.

[0066] In the above embodiment, the heat insulating material 30 is provided on both sides of the partition 20. This is just one example, and the heat insulating material 30 may be provided on only one side of the partition 20. Alternatively, the heat insulating material 30 may be provided on the side wall 15 of the rack body 10.

[0067] This disclosure may include the following aspects: (Aspect 1) The rack unit and The rack body has at least one partition that extends longitudinally and divides the interior in the width direction, thereby dividing it into multiple storage spaces, each capable of accommodating multiple battery modules, An insulating material provided on at least one side of the partition, Equipped with, The aforementioned thermal insulation material is configured such that its elastic modulus differs along the longitudinal direction. The modulus of elasticity of the central part in the longitudinal direction is lower than the modulus of elasticity of at least one end in the longitudinal direction. Battery module housing rack. (Aspect 2) The modulus of elasticity at both ends in the longitudinal direction is higher than the modulus of elasticity at the central part. A battery module housing rack as described in Embodiment 1. (Aspect 3) The aforementioned insulation material is provided on both sides of the partition. A battery module housing rack according to embodiment 1 or 2. (Aspect 4) The aforementioned insulating material, The first insulating material provided in the central part, A second insulating material is made of a different material from the first insulating material, has a higher modulus of elasticity than the first insulating material, and is provided at at least one end of the second insulating material. including, A battery module housing rack according to any one of embodiments 1 to 3. (Aspect 5) In the state in which the battery module is housed in the housing space, the first insulating material is arranged to cover the cell unit of the battery module from the width direction. A battery module housing rack as described in Embodiment 4. (Aspect 6) The first insulation material is composed of ceramic wool, glass wool, organic fibers, or foamed material. A battery module housing rack according to embodiment 4 or 5. (Aspect 7) The second insulating material is made of aramid resin, polycarbonate resin, or glass fiber. A battery module housing rack according to any one of embodiments 4 to 6. (Pattern 8) The elastic modulus of the first insulation material is less than 30 MPa, and the elastic modulus of the second insulation material is 30 MPa or more. A battery module housing rack according to any one of embodiments 4 to 7. (Aspect 9) The aforementioned thermal insulation material further includes an intermediate thermal insulation material provided between the first thermal insulation material and the second thermal insulation material in the longitudinal direction, having an elastic modulus higher than that of the first thermal insulation material and lower than that of the second thermal insulation material. A battery module housing rack according to any one of embodiments 4 to 8. (Aspect 10) A battery module housing rack according to any one of embodiments 1 to 9, Multiple battery modules housed in each of the aforementioned multiple storage spaces, A battery unit equipped with the following features. [Explanation of symbols]

[0068] 1 Battery Unit 2 racks 3 Battery Modules 10 Rack Unit 11 Bottom wall 12 Upper wall 14 Back wall 15 Side wall 16 Internal 17 Containment space 20 partitions 21 Lower flange 22 Upper flange 30 Insulation 31. First insulation material 32. Second insulation material 50 outer cases 50a Case Base 50b Case Cover 50c, 50d end plates 51 Bottom wall 52 Upper wall 53 Front wall 54 Back wall 55 Side wall 56 Flange 57 Ventilation section 60 cell units 61 battery cells 61a Outer can 61b Sealing plate 62 Cell Holder 71 Circuit Unit 72 Fans 73 Exhaust Structure 73a Lower Plate 73b 1st wall

Claims

1. Multiple battery modules, A battery module housing rack in which the plurality of battery modules are housed, A battery unit comprising, The aforementioned battery module housing rack is A rack body that is long in the longitudinal direction, Within the rack body, there is at least one partition that extends in the longitudinal direction and divides the interior in the width direction, thereby dividing the interior into multiple storage spaces capable of housing multiple battery modules, An insulating material provided on at least one side of the partition, Equipped with, The aforementioned thermal insulation material is configured such that its elastic modulus differs along the longitudinal direction. The modulus of elasticity of the central part in the longitudinal direction is lower than the modulus of elasticity of at least one end in the longitudinal direction. With the insulation material provided on the partition, the storage space has a width that allows the battery module to be attached and detached. Battery unit.

2. Each of the plurality of battery modules is A cell unit including a battery cell having a safety valve, The cell unit comprises an outer case for housing the cell unit, The aforementioned outer casing is The internal space in which the cell unit is arranged, It has a ventilation section that connects the internal space and the external space, The battery unit according to feature 1.

3. The modulus of elasticity at both ends in the longitudinal direction is higher than the modulus of elasticity at the central part. The battery unit according to claim 1.

4. The aforementioned insulation material is provided on both sides of the partition. The battery unit according to claim 1.

5. The aforementioned insulating material, The first insulating material provided in the central part, A second insulating material is made of a different material from the first insulating material, has a higher modulus of elasticity than the first insulating material, and is provided at at least one end of the second insulating material. including, The battery unit according to claim 1.

6. In the state in which the battery module is housed in the housing space, the first insulating material is arranged to cover the cell unit of the battery module from the width direction. The battery unit according to claim 5.

7. The first insulation material is composed of ceramic wool, glass wool, organic fibers, or foamed material. The battery unit according to claim 5.

8. The second insulating material is made of aramid resin, polycarbonate resin, or glass fiber. The battery unit according to claim 5.

9. The elastic modulus of the first insulating material is less than 30 MPa, and the elastic modulus of the second insulating material is 30 MPa or more. The battery unit according to claim 5.

10. The aforementioned thermal insulation material further includes an intermediate thermal insulation material provided between the first thermal insulation material and the second thermal insulation material in the longitudinal direction, having an elastic modulus higher than that of the first thermal insulation material and lower than that of the second thermal insulation material. The battery unit according to claim 5.

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