Automotive battery insulation using vacuum insulation-camber

Abstract

The present invention relates to a vehicle battery insulation chamber using vacuum insulation material, wherein a vehicle battery whose performance deteriorates with temperature is installed inside an insulation chamber made of vacuum insulation material, thereby minimizing battery temperature changes caused by the outside air and preventing performance degradation of electric vehicle batteries during the winter season. The present invention is characterized by forming a thermal insulation chamber by mutually combining a vacuum insulation material coupled to the battery housing of a vehicle battery and a rectangular jig formed by mutually assembling a profile of a predetermined size, and installing the vehicle battery inside the thermal insulation chamber to prevent battery performance degradation caused by the outside air.

Description

Technology Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a thermal insulation chamber for a vehicle battery that minimizes temperature changes caused by the outside air by installing the vehicle battery, whose performance deteriorates with temperature, inside a thermal insulation chamber made of vacuum insulation material. Background Technology

[0003] Generally, batteries used in vehicles and the like are lithium-ion batteries, which utilize a charging and discharging mechanism where lithium ions move between the positive and negative electrodes through an electrolyte.

[0004] Accordingly, batteries used in vehicles face a problem where performance deteriorates when the temperature of the battery's interior and electrolyte decreases due to low external temperatures, such as during the winter, as the mobility of lithium ions decreases.

[0005] Meanwhile, since the battery is the primary means of powering the vehicle body in electric vehicles, there are ongoing reports of user inconvenience caused by differences in battery performance between summer and winter. Consequently, methods such as using heating wires or thermal insulation using coolant heat exchangers have been continuously researched to address this issue; however, practical application remains difficult due to safety and cost concerns, and implementation is hampered by the need for design modifications to the vehicle body itself.

[0006] As prior art filed to solve these problems, Korean Registered Utility Model No. 20-0484521 (hereinafter referred to as the 'prior art') has been published.

[0007] The above prior art relates to a thermal insulation cover for a vehicle battery, comprising: a housing that is open upward to accommodate a vehicle battery; first and second side wing pieces that extend upward from the upper portions of each side of the housing and cover both sides of the upper surface of the battery; a front wing piece that extends upward from the upper portion of the front of the housing and covers the front portion of the upper surface of the battery; and a rear wing piece that extends upward from the upper portion of the rear of the housing and covers across the upper surface of the battery, wherein the end portion of the rear wing piece is detachably attached to the upper front end portion of the housing, and the width of the rear wing piece is narrower than the width of the rear of the housing to provide a space for a cable connected to the terminal to be connected to the outside of the housing, and wherein the housing is made of a thermal insulation material capable of thermal insulation and the outer surface is waterproof.

[0008] However, the configuration of the prior art described above has a problem in that it fails to provide proper thermal insulation to the battery, as the structure and materials allow not only the battery temperature to drop due to mere external wind, but also gases such as moisture to enter the interior and easily facilitate heat exchange.

[0009] Therefore, the need has arisen for a vehicle battery insulation chamber utilizing vacuum insulation to prevent performance degradation of electric vehicle batteries during the winter by minimizing temperature fluctuations caused by the outside air, thereby ensuring that vehicle batteries, whose performance deteriorates with temperature, are installed inside an insulation chamber made of vacuum insulation. Prior art literature

[0011] Registered Utility Model No. 20-0484521 (April 18, 2017) The problem to be solved

[0012] The present invention aims to solve the above-mentioned problems, and its purpose is to provide a vehicle battery insulation chamber using vacuum insulation material so that a vehicle battery, whose performance deteriorates with temperature, is installed inside an insulation chamber made of vacuum insulation material, thereby minimizing battery temperature changes caused by the outside air and preventing performance degradation of electric vehicle batteries during the winter.

[0013] In addition, another objective of the present invention is to improve compatibility by configuring the insulation chamber, which consists of a jig and a vacuum insulation material, in an assembled form, thereby providing a vehicle battery insulation chamber using a vacuum insulation material that can be applied to batteries installed in existing vehicles by changing the size of the jig or the vacuum insulation material used during assembly. means of solving the problem

[0015] To achieve the above-mentioned objective, the present invention is characterized by forming a thermal insulation chamber by mutually assembling a vacuum insulation material and a profile of a predetermined size to be coupled to a battery housing of a vehicle battery and forming a rectangular jig, wherein a urethane-based thermal insulation foam is filled into the gap between the profile and the vacuum insulation material, or between the vacuum insulation material and another vacuum insulation material, and the vacuum insulation material installed on one side of the jig is a perforated vacuum insulation material having at least one hollow section, wherein a bidirectional connector that fits into the hollow section is further installed in the hollow section, and the vehicle battery is installed inside the thermal insulation chamber to prevent battery performance degradation due to the outside air.

[0016] In addition, the above jig is formed by combining aluminum profiles with a '┐' cross-sectional shape and comprises a rectangular lower member installed on a vacuum insulation material coupled to the lower surface of a battery housing, a rectangular upper member formed by combining aluminum profiles, and a support member formed by a C-shaped or H-shaped profile connecting the lower member and the upper member, wherein the support member is characterized by being installed in multiple numbers spaced apart at a predetermined interval.

[0017] In addition, the above profile is characterized by being manufactured from anodized aluminum material and having insulating properties.

[0018] In addition, the upper member is characterized by having one profile and a handle portion made of the same material as the profile further installed on one side of the profile facing the profile.

[0019] In addition, the vacuum insulation material coupled to the support member is characterized by being coupled such that the end of the vacuum insulation material is inserted into the opening of one profile forming the support member and the opening of another profile, respectively.

[0020] In addition, the thermal insulation chamber is installed on a vacuum insulation material installed on the lower surface of the jig, and is characterized by having a recess formed in the shape of the lower part of the battery housing installed inside the thermal insulation chamber to stably fix the battery.

[0021] In addition, the above-described thermal insulation chamber is characterized in that the battery housing of a vehicle battery is coupled to a recess of a vacuum insulation material and is fixed by an adhesive applied to the recess.

[0022] delete

[0023] delete

[0024] delete Effects of the invention

[0026] According to the present invention, by installing a vehicle battery whose performance deteriorates with temperature inside a thermal insulation chamber made of vacuum insulation material, the temperature change of the battery caused by the outside air is minimized, thereby preventing the performance deterioration of the electric vehicle battery during the winter season.

[0027] In addition, by configuring the thermal insulation chamber, which consists of a jig and a vacuum insulation material, in an assembled form, when the thermal insulation chamber of the present invention is applied to a battery installed in an existing vehicle, the size of the jig or the size of the vacuum insulation material can be changed, thereby improving the compatibility of the thermal insulation chamber. Brief explanation of the drawing

[0029] FIG. 1 is a front perspective view of a thermal insulation chamber according to one embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 2 is a rear perspective view of a thermal insulation chamber according to one embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view of a thermal insulation chamber according to an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 4 is an exploded view of a thermal insulation chamber of an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 5 is an example diagram of the opening of the upper member of the thermal insulation chamber of an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 6 is a jig configuration diagram of an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 7 is an example profile diagram of an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 8 is an example diagram of vacuum insulation material combination according to one embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 9 is a graph of the results of Experimental Example 1-1 (thermal insulation performance test) of an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 10 is a graph of the results of Experimental Example 1-2 (thermal insulation performance test) of an embodiment of the present invention. Specific details for implementing the invention

[0030] A vehicle battery insulation chamber using a vacuum insulation material according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention will be described in detail below with reference to the attached drawings.

[0031] The terms used herein are not intended to limit the technology described in this document to specific embodiments, and it is preferable to understand that they include various modifications, equivalents, and substitutions of said embodiments.

[0032] Terms such as "first" or "second" used in describing the present invention are intended to distinguish one component from another component of a similar form, and the use of such terms does not limit the scope of the rights.

[0033] When describing the present invention, unless otherwise indicated, it is preferable to understand that the expression 'A or B' may be used selectively as either A or B, or as A and B together.

[0034] The drawings used to describe the present invention may contain exaggerated or omitted parts to facilitate the easy identification of the features of the invention, and this does not limit specific embodiments of the invention.

[0035] In addition, when a specific direction (up, down, left, right, vertical, horizontal, inward, outward, etc.) is specified in the description of the present invention, it should be understood that such description is merely for the purpose of explaining specific examples to facilitate explanation and aid understanding, and does not limit or restrict a specific configuration or specific embodiment.

[0037] As illustrated in FIGS. 1 to 5, the vehicle battery insulation chamber (1) using the vacuum insulation material (20) of the present invention is formed by mutually assembling a rectangular jig (10) formed by mutually assembling a vacuum insulation material (20) that is coupled to the battery housing of a vehicle battery and a profile (101) of a predetermined size, thereby forming an insulation chamber, and the vehicle battery is installed inside the insulation chamber to prevent the deterioration of battery performance due to the outside air.

[0038] To explain the specific configuration of the above-mentioned thermal insulation chamber (1), the jig (10) comprises a rectangular lower member (11) installed on a vacuum insulation material (20) coupled to the lower surface of a battery housing, formed by combining aluminum profiles (101) with a '┐' cross-sectional shape, a rectangular upper member (12) formed by combining aluminum profiles (101), and a support member (13) formed by a C-shaped or H-shaped profile (101) connecting the lower member (11) and the upper member (12), wherein multiple support members (13) are installed spaced apart at a predetermined interval.

[0039] At this time, each profile (101) constituting the jig (10) is preferably made of anodized aluminum material to provide insulation, thereby preventing battery short circuits that may occur due to contact caused by impact or shaking, but is not necessarily limited thereto. It is also preferable to understand that each profile (101) constituting the jig (10) may be replaced with materials having low thermal and electrical conductivity, such as MC nylon, bakelite, or wood, in addition to aluminum.

[0040] As shown in FIGS. 6 and 7, the lower member (11) is a '┐' cross-sectional profile (101) that is joined together, specifically, the side of the vacuum insulation material (20) that is joined to the lower housing of the vehicle battery is fitted into the bent portion of the profile (101).

[0041] At this time, when the side of the vacuum insulation material (20) is joined so that it is fitted into the bent portion of the profile (101), an adhesive is applied to the inner surface of the bent portion of the profile (101) that contacts the side of the vacuum insulation material (20), or an adhesive film is attached, thereby preventing the vacuum insulation material (20) from falling off or separating from the profile (101).

[0042] In addition, the lower member (11) is further provided with a plurality of fixing parts extending from the end of each profile (101) so that the vacuum insulation material (20) and the vehicle battery can be fixed to the vehicle body, etc., and by bolting these fixing parts to the vehicle body, the vacuum insulation material (20) that is coupled to the lower housing of the vehicle battery by the lower member (11) can be fixed in a state of close contact with the vehicle body.

[0043] The upper member (12) is configured to be coupled to a vacuum insulation material (20) that faces the vacuum insulation material (20) coupled to the lower member (11), that is, to a vacuum insulation material (20) installed on the upper side of the vehicle battery. Depending on the need, a type of upper member (12) in which a '┐' cross-sectional profile (101) is coupled can be used, or alternatively, a type of upper member (12) in which a C-shaped or H-shaped profile (101) is coupled can be used.

[0044] At this time, the upper member (12) may further be provided with one profile (101) and a handle made of the same material as the profile (101) on one side of the profile (101) facing the profile (101) so as to facilitate removal of the insulation chamber or movement and loading while the insulation chamber is assembled.

[0045] Here, it is preferable that a predetermined space be formed between the profile (101) and the handle portion so that a traction means for removing the thermal insulation chamber can be caught therein, and an anti-slip member such as a rubber cover or a fiber cover may be attached to the surface of the handle portion to prevent slipping.

[0046] The above support member (13) is configured to consist of a C-shaped or H-shaped profile (101) that interconnects the lower member (11) and the upper member (12), and it is preferable to understand that a combination of the C-shaped profile (101) and the H-shaped profile (101) may be used.

[0047] As an example, the support member (13) is connected to the lower member (11) or the upper member (12), and is installed such that the profiles (101) are spaced apart from each other by a predetermined distance when the profiles (101) are installed on the lower member (11) so that the vacuum insulation material (20) can be inserted between the profile (101) and another profile (101).

[0048] At this time, it is preferable that a C-shaped profile (101) be installed at the vertex position of the lower member (11) and that an H-shaped profile (101) be installed at the corner position of the lower member (11). More specifically, the C-shaped profile (101) installed at the vertex position of the lower member (11) is installed such that the opening of the C-shaped profile (101) faces the opening of the C-shaped profile (101) installed at another vertex position, and the H-shaped profile (101) is installed such that the openings on both sides of the H-shaped profile (101) face the openings of the C-shaped profiles (101) installed at the vertex position.

[0049] That is, it is preferable to understand that the vacuum insulation material (20) coupled to the support member (13) configured as above is coupled such that the end of the vacuum insulation material (20) is inserted into the opening of one profile (101) forming the support member (13) and the opening of another profile (101), respectively.

[0050] At this time, in order to increase the effect of the vacuum insulation material (20), if there is a gap between the profile (101) and the vacuum insulation material (20), it is desirable to fill with a urethane-based thermal foam to minimize the gap between the profile (101) and the vacuum insulation material (20), or the gap between the vacuum insulation material (20) and another vacuum insulation material (20).

[0052] The above vacuum insulation material (20) is a plate-shaped insulation material using glass fiber as the core material and is basically combined in a form inserted between the profiles (101) constituting the jig (10). However, the vacuum insulation material combined on the lower side of the jig (10) (i.e., the vacuum insulation material combined on the lower side of the vehicle battery) is installed on the vacuum insulation material (20) installed on the lower side of the jig (10), and a recess is formed molded in the shape of the lower housing of the battery installed in the thermal insulation chamber so that the combined vehicle battery is stably fixed on the vacuum insulation material (20).

[0053] At this time, the battery housing of the vehicle battery may be joined to the recess of the vacuum insulation material (20), and the vehicle battery may be fixed to the vacuum insulation material (20) by means of an adhesive applied to the recess so that the vehicle battery does not shake or separate.

[0054] When configuring the thermal insulation chamber (1) of the present invention, the vacuum insulation material (20) installed on one side of the jig (10) is configured to include at least one perforated vacuum insulation material (21), and it should be understood that, preferably, at least one of the vacuum insulation materials (20) installed on the support member (13) side is installed as a perforated vacuum insulation material (21).

[0055] The above-mentioned perforated vacuum insulation material (21) is a vacuum insulation material (20) having at least one hollow section perforated therein, formed so that a wire connected to a battery can pass through the hollow section or a connector connected to the wire can be installed therein, thereby enabling the battery installed inside the insulation chamber to be electrically connected to other body parts located outside the insulation chamber.

[0056] At this time, it is preferable to further install a bidirectional connector that fits into the hollow portion of the perforated vacuum insulation material (21) so that it can be easily separated from the vehicle body of the vehicle battery or insulation chamber.

[0057] These bidirectional connectors are fitted into the hollow section to provide high airtightness. Since they can block outside air from penetrating the insulation chamber through the hollow section and also provide protection for the terminals outputting from the vehicle battery, they are easier to install and offer higher stability compared to conventional direct circuit connection methods.

[0058] In addition, when wiring using a bidirectional connector, quick removal is easy in the event that the vehicle battery needs to be replaced due to a failure.

[0059] In addition, the thermal insulation chamber formed by combining the above configurations may be configured such that the upper member (12) can be opened as needed by combining a '┐' cross-sectional profile (101) on the upper part of the support member (13) and finishing it, then installing a hinge on one side of the upper part of the support member (13) and connecting one side of the upper member (12) with the hinge.

[0061] In order to verify and standardize the performance of the thermal insulation chamber manufactured according to the embodiment of the present invention, the present invention configured as described above conducted an experiment on the change in performance according to battery temperature using a thermal insulation chamber manufactured as described in the following embodiment, and through this, verified the thermal insulation performance of the thermal insulation chamber.

[0063] <Example 1>

[0064] A thermal insulation chamber manufactured to the following specifications was prepared.

[0065] (1) Aluminum profiles (101) with a longitudinal cross-section of 20 mm × 20 mm were assembled to form a rectangular jig (10) with dimensions of 400 mm × 800 mm × 400 mm.

[0066] ⑵ A vacuum insulation material (20) with a thickness of 10 mm was attached to the surface of the jig (10) to form a thermal insulation chamber with six sealed sides.

[0068] <Experimental Example 1>

[0069] 1-1. Thermal Insulation Performance Test (60M)

[0070] After preparing two 12V 4AH vehicle batteries, one vehicle battery was installed inside the insulation chamber of Example 1, which was placed inside a freezer at a temperature of -15°C, and the other vehicle battery was installed inside a freezer at a temperature of -15°C.

[0071] At this time, a voltmeter was installed on each vehicle battery to measure the voltage, and a temperature sensor was attached to each vehicle battery to measure the temperature of the battery, so that real-time temperature changes were monitored for 60 minutes, and the voltage and temperature measured from each vehicle battery were recorded in seconds and plotted, resulting in a graph as shown in Fig. 9.

[0072] As a result, as shown in Fig. 9, the battery exposed to the outside air of the freezer without applying insulation was measured at a temperature of -13.8°C after 20 minutes of freezing, and it was confirmed that it reached an approximate set temperature of the freezer at -14.7°C after 40 and 60 minutes of freezing. On the other hand, the battery installed in the insulation chamber of Example 1 according to the embodiment of the present invention was confirmed to have a temperature of 3°C after 20 minutes of freezing, -5°C after 40 minutes of freezing, and -8.8°C after 20 minutes of freezing, respectively, confirming that not only is the rate of temperature drop of the battery significantly reduced, but a high temperature can also be maintained for a long time.

[0074] 1-2. Thermal Insulation Performance Test (900M)

[0075] After preparing two 12V 4AH vehicle batteries, one vehicle battery was installed inside the insulation chamber of Example 1, which was placed inside a freezer at a temperature of -15°C, and the other vehicle battery was installed inside a freezer at a temperature of -15°C.

[0076] At this time, a voltmeter was installed on each vehicle battery to measure the voltage, and a temperature sensor was attached to each vehicle battery to measure the temperature of the battery, so that real-time temperature changes were monitored for 900 minutes, and the voltage and temperature measured from each vehicle battery were recorded in seconds and plotted, resulting in a graph as shown in Fig. 10.

[0077] As a result, as shown in Fig. 10, the battery exposed to the outside air of the freezer without applying insulation was measured at a temperature of -15.0°C after 60 minutes of freezing, which is close to the set temperature of the freezer. It was confirmed that the temperature was maintained at -14.8 to -15.0°C even after 120 and 180 minutes of freezing. On the other hand, the battery installed in the insulation chamber of Example 1 according to the embodiment of the present invention was confirmed to be -8°C after 60 minutes of freezing, -11.5°C after 120 minutes of freezing, and -13.2°C after 180 minutes of freezing, respectively. It was also confirmed that the temperature remained stabilized at -13.8 to -14.1°C from 300 minutes of freezing onwards. Accordingly, it was confirmed that the insulation chamber of the present invention has a significant effect on maintaining the temperature of a vehicle battery.

[0079] In other words, as seen in the experimental examples above, it was confirmed that a vehicle battery equipped with the thermal insulation chamber of the present invention has an excellent effect in maintaining the battery temperature by blocking the heat exchange effect caused by the outside air, and it was confirmed that there is absolutely no performance degradation due to the application of the thermal insulation chamber, but rather the temperature is maintained at a higher level.

[0081] The above description is based on the drawings of the present invention, but is not limited to the parts described based on the drawings. Various modifications can be made within the scope of the gist of the present invention in the technical field to which the present invention belongs, without departing from the parts described based on the drawings. Explanation of the symbols

[0083] 1 : Thermal chamber 10 : Jig 101 : Profile 11 : Lower member 12 : Upper member 13 : Support 20 : Vacuum insulation 21 : Perforated vacuum insulation

Claims

Claim 1 A vehicle battery insulation chamber using a vacuum insulation material, characterized by forming a rectangular jig by mutually assembling a vacuum insulation material (20) and a profile (101) of a predetermined size to be coupled to a battery housing of a vehicle battery, wherein a urethane-based thermal foam is filled into the gap between the profile (101) and the vacuum insulation material (20), or between the vacuum insulation material (20) and another vacuum insulation material (20), and the vacuum insulation material (20) installed on one side of the jig is a perforated vacuum insulation material (21) having at least one hollow section, wherein a bidirectional connector that fits into the hollow section is further installed in the hollow section, and a vehicle battery is installed inside the insulation chamber (1) to prevent battery performance degradation due to the outside air. Claim 2 A vehicle battery insulation chamber using vacuum insulation material according to claim 1, wherein the jig comprises a rectangular lower member (11) formed by combining aluminum profiles (101) with a '┐' cross-sectional shape and installed on a vacuum insulation material (20) coupled to the lower surface of a battery housing, a rectangular upper member (12) formed by combining aluminum profiles (101), and a support member (13) formed by a C-shaped or H-shaped profile (101) connecting the lower member (11) and the upper member (12), wherein the support member (13) is installed in multiple numbers spaced apart at a predetermined interval. Claim 3 In paragraph 2, the above profile (101) is characterized by being made of anodized aluminum material and having insulating properties, thereby forming a vehicle battery insulation chamber using a vacuum insulation material. Claim 4 In paragraph 2, the upper member (12) is characterized by having one profile (101) and a handle portion made of the same material as the profile (101) further installed on one side of the profile (101) facing the profile (101), thereby forming a vehicle battery insulation chamber using a vacuum insulation material. Claim 5 A vehicle battery insulation chamber using a vacuum insulation material, characterized in that, in paragraph 2, the vacuum insulation material (20) coupled to the support member (13) is coupled such that the end of the vacuum insulation material (20) is inserted into the opening of one profile (101) forming the support member (13) and the opening of another profile (101), respectively. Claim 6 In claim 5, the above-described insulation chamber (1) is installed on a vacuum insulation material (20) installed on the lower surface side of the jig, and a recess is formed molded in the shape of the lower housing of the battery installed inside the insulation chamber (1) to stably fix the battery, thereby forming a vehicle battery insulation chamber using a vacuum insulation material. Claim 7 In claim 6, the above-mentioned thermal insulation chamber (1) is a vehicle battery thermal insulation chamber using a vacuum insulation material, characterized in that the battery housing of the vehicle battery is coupled to the recess of the vacuum insulation material (20) and fixed by an adhesive applied to the recess. Claim 8 delete Claim 9 delete Claim 10 delete

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