Battery module

Abstract

Provided is a battery module comprising: a first cell stack and a second cell stack, each of which has a plurality of battery cells stacked thereon; a housing having an inner space in which the first cell stack and the second cell stack are accommodated; an insulating fluid configured to flow in the inner space of the housing; and a barrier assembly disposed between the first cell stack and the second cell stack, wherein the barrier assembly includes: a heat insulation cover configured to be capable of blocking heat propagation between the first cell stack and the second cell stack; and a heat dissipation member in contact with the insulating fluid and including a material having a higher thermal conductivity than the heat insulation cover.

Description

battery module

[0001] The present invention relates to a battery module.

[0002] Secondary batteries, capable of being recharged and discharged, are widely used in mobile devices such as digital cameras, cell phones, and laptops. Recently, they have been attracting attention as an energy source for electric vehicles and energy storage systems (ESS).

[0003] As electric vehicles and power storage devices demand large-capacity and high-output power, large-capacity battery devices, such as battery modules and battery packs, which house multiple secondary batteries (battery cells) within a housing, are becoming widely utilized. In particular, recent technology has been developed to construct sub-modules composed of multiple secondary batteries and assemble these sub-modules into large-scale battery modules.

[0004] In this way, in the case of a battery module composed of multiple sub-modules, as multiple secondary batteries are arranged inside the battery module, there was a problem in which high temperature heat or flames generated in one sub-module were quickly transmitted to other adjacent sub-modules.

[0005] In addition, as a number of secondary batteries are placed inside a battery module, a structure capable of quickly and effectively cooling the battery module is required.

[0006] The present invention has been made to solve at least some of the problems of the above-described prior art, and provides a battery module having a structure capable of blocking heat or flame propagation between sub-modules (or between cell stacks) in a battery module composed of a plurality of sub-modules (or a plurality of cell stacks).

[0007] In addition, an object of the present invention is to provide a battery module having excellent cooling performance in a battery module composed of a plurality of sub-modules (or a plurality of cell stacks).

[0008] In addition, it is an object of the present invention to provide a battery module having a composite function barrier assembly capable of simultaneously achieving insulation and cooling effects of a refrigerant between a plurality of sub-modules (or a plurality of cell stacks).

[0009] To achieve the above object, in embodiments, a battery module is provided, including a first cell stack and a second cell stack in which a plurality of battery cells are each stacked; a housing having an internal space in which the first cell stack and the second cell stack are accommodated; an insulating fluid configured to flow in the internal space of the housing; and a barrier assembly disposed between the first cell stack and the second cell stack, wherein the barrier assembly includes an insulating cover configured to block heat transmission between the first cell stack and the second cell stack; and a heat dissipation member that is in contact with the insulating fluid and includes a material having a higher thermal conductivity than the insulating cover.

[0010] In embodiments, the insulating cover includes a first insulating portion and a second insulating portion arranged along a direction in which the first cell laminate and the second cell laminate are arranged, and a heat dissipation member may be arranged between the first insulating portion and the second insulating portion.

[0011] In embodiments, the heat dissipation member has a plate-like structure, the first insulation portion covers at least a portion of a first surface of the heat dissipation member, and the second insulation portion covers at least a portion of a second surface opposite the first surface of the heat dissipation member.

[0012] In embodiments, the heat dissipation member may further include a plurality of guide grooves arranged on each of the first and second surfaces to guide the flow direction of the insulating fluid.

[0013] In embodiments, at least one of the plurality of guide grooves may extend in a direction intersecting the stacking direction of the plurality of battery cells.

[0014] In embodiments, a plurality of guide grooves on the first surface at the edge of the heat dissipation member may be connected to a plurality of guide grooves on the second surface.

[0015] In embodiments, the insulating cover may further include one or more first openings disposed in the first insulating portion and one or more second openings disposed in the second insulating portion.

[0016] In embodiments, one or more first openings may be arranged to face each other with at least a portion of one or more second openings and a heat dissipation member therebetween.

[0017] In embodiments, one or more first openings and one or more second openings may be provided in multiple numbers and arranged along the stacking direction of the multiple battery cells.

[0018] In embodiments, an insertion hole may be provided at the edge of the insulating cover into which a heat dissipation member may be inserted.

[0019] In embodiments, the battery module may further include a first busbar assembly electrically connecting a plurality of battery cells of the first cell stack and positioned facing one side of the barrier assembly; and a second busbar assembly electrically connecting a plurality of battery cells of the second cell stack and positioned facing an opposite side of the one side of the barrier assembly.

[0020] In embodiments, the insulating cover may be coupled to each of the first busbar assembly and the second busbar assembly.

[0021] In embodiments, the insulating cover may be made of an insulating material.

[0022] In embodiments, at least one of the first busbar assembly and the second busbar assembly may include a connecting terminal that connects to one or more terminal terminals exposed to the exterior of the housing.

[0023] In embodiments, the first cell stack and the second cell stack may be arranged in a direction perpendicular to the stacking direction of the plurality of battery cells in the internal space of the housing.

[0024] According to embodiments, a barrier assembly can block heat or flame propagation between multiple sub-modules (or multiple cell stacks), thereby implementing a battery module with improved thermal runaway performance.

[0025] Additionally, according to embodiments, a battery module having high cooling efficiency can be implemented by directly cooling the battery cells with the coolant introduced into the housing.

[0026] In addition, according to embodiments, the coolant that cools one sub-module (or cell stack) is dissipated and cooled through the barrier assembly before flowing into another sub-module (or cell stack), thereby enabling the battery module as a whole to have excellent cooling performance, while reducing the temperature deviation of each part of the battery module.

[0027] In addition, according to embodiments, a barrier assembly composed of a combination of an insulating cover and a heat dissipation member can simultaneously implement insulation between internal components of a battery module and heat dissipation effects of a coolant while having a simple structure.

[0028] Figure 1 is a perspective view of a battery module.

[0029] Figure 2 is an exploded perspective view of the battery module.

[0030] Figure 3 is an exploded perspective view of a sub-module included in a battery module.

[0031] Figure 4 is a perspective view of the barrier assembly.

[0032] Figure 5 is an exploded perspective view of the barrier assembly.

[0033] Figure 6 is an exploded perspective view of the barrier assembly viewed from a different angle than Figure 5.

[0034] Fig. 7 is an exemplary cross-sectional view according to part II' of Fig. 4.

[0035] Figure 8 is a reference drawing for explaining the combination of a sub-module and a barrier assembly.

[0036] Figure 9 is a reference diagram for explaining the flow of insulating fluid inside a battery module.

[0037] Fig. 10 is an exemplary cross-sectional view according to part II-II' of Fig. 4.

[0038] Before going into the detailed description of the present invention, it should be noted that the terms and words used in this specification and claims should not be interpreted as limited to their usual or dictionary meanings, but should be interpreted with meanings and concepts that conform to the technical idea of ​​the present invention based on the principle that the inventor can appropriately define the concept of the term in order to explain his own invention in the best way. Therefore, the embodiments described in this specification and the configurations illustrated in the drawings are only the most preferred embodiments of the present invention and do not represent all of the technical idea of ​​the present invention. Therefore, it should be understood that there may be various equivalents and modified examples that can replace them at the time of this application.

[0039] The same reference numbers or symbols used in each drawing attached to this specification represent parts or components that perform substantially the same functions. For convenience of explanation and understanding, the same reference numbers or symbols may be used in different embodiments. In other words, even if components with the same reference numbers are depicted in multiple drawings, they do not necessarily represent a single embodiment.

[0040] In the following description, singular expressions include plural expressions unless the context clearly indicates otherwise. Terms such as "comprises" or "comprises" should be understood to indicate the presence of a feature, number, step, operation, component, part, or combination thereof described in the specification, but do not preclude the presence or addition of one or more other features, numbers, steps, operations, components, parts, or combinations thereof.

[0041] In addition, in the description below, expressions such as top, upper, lower, lower, side, front, and rear are expressed based on the direction shown in the drawing, and it is noted in advance that they may be expressed differently if the direction of the object in question changes.

[0042] Additionally, terms including ordinal numbers, such as "first," "second," etc., may be used in this specification and claims to distinguish between components. These ordinal numbers are used to distinguish identical or similar components from each other, and the use of these ordinal numbers should not be interpreted in a limited manner. For example, components associated with these ordinals should not be interpreted in a restricted manner, such as in the order of use or arrangement, based on their numbers. If necessary, each ordinal number may be used interchangeably.

[0043] Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the attached drawings. However, the spirit of the present invention is not limited to the presented embodiments. For example, those skilled in the art who understand the spirit of the present invention may propose other embodiments within the spirit of the present invention by adding, modifying, or deleting components, etc., but such embodiments will also be considered to be within the spirit of the present invention. The shapes and sizes of elements in the drawings may be exaggerated for clarity.

[0044] Figure 1 is a perspective view of a battery module (10).

[0045] Figure 2 is an exploded perspective view of a battery module (10).

[0046] Figure 3 is an exploded perspective view of a sub-module (100) included in a battery module (10).

[0047] A battery module (10) according to embodiments may include a plurality of sub-modules (100) each including a plurality of battery cells (110), an insulating fluid for cooling the battery cells (110), and a housing (300) in which they are accommodated.

[0048] In the following description, the term "battery module (10)" collectively refers to an energy storage device configured by electrically connecting a plurality of battery cells. That is, the "battery module (10)" of the present disclosure may be understood not only as a battery module in the narrow sense, but also as various types of energy storage devices, such as a battery pack and an energy storage system (ESS).

[0049] The battery module (10) may include a plurality of sub-modules (100). For example, referring to FIG. 2, the battery module (10) may include a first sub-module (100a) and a second sub-module (100b) arranged side by side inside the housing (300). The first sub-module (100a) and the second sub-module (100b) may be assembled together to form at least a portion of one battery module (10).

[0050] Each sub-module (100a, 100b) may be configured to store or release electrical energy by including a plurality of battery cells (110).

[0051] Referring to FIG. 3, one sub-module (100) may include a cell stack (CS) including battery cells (110) stacked in one direction (e.g., in the X-axis direction), and a busbar assembly (130) electrically connected to the cell stack (CS). The sub-module (100) illustrated in FIG. 3 may correspond to either the first sub-module (100a) or the second sub-module (100b) illustrated in FIG. 2.

[0052] A cell stack (CS) may include a plurality of battery cells (110) and one or more protective members (120) for protecting the battery cells (110).

[0053] In a cell stack (CS), a plurality of battery cells (110) can be stacked in one direction. In the following description, the stacking direction of the battery cells (110) included in the cell stack (CS) is referred to as the 'cell stacking direction'.

[0054] At least one of the battery cells (110) of the cell stack (CS) may be a secondary battery capable of outputting or storing electrical energy. For example, the battery cell (110) may be a pouch-type secondary battery having a structure in which an electrode assembly is housed inside a flexible pouch. However, the battery cell (110) included in the cell stack (CS) is not limited to a pouch-type secondary battery. For example, the battery cell (110) may be configured as a square secondary battery in which an electrode assembly is housed inside a square case having a predetermined rigidity, or as a cylindrical secondary battery in which an electrode assembly is housed inside a cylindrical case. Alternatively, the battery cell (110) may also be configured as a bundle type in which a plurality of pouch-type secondary batteries are grouped together.

[0055] The cell stack (CS) may further include various types of protective members (120) to protect the battery cells (110). For example, referring to FIG. 3, the cell stack (CS) may include various protective members (120), such as a cooling plate (121) to smoothly dissipate heat energy generated from the battery cells (110) and a compression pad (122) to apply an appropriate surface pressure to the battery cells (110) to prevent a swelling phenomenon. However, the protective members (120) are not limited to those shown in the drawing. For example, at least one of the plurality of protective members (120) may be an insulating sheet (not shown) that is disposed between the plurality of battery cells (110) to block heat transmission between the battery cells (110).

[0056] A plurality of battery cells (110) of a cell stack (CS) can be electrically connected to each other through a busbar assembly (130). The busbar assembly (130) can include a plurality of busbars (131) electrically connected to the battery cells (110) and a busbar frame (132) supporting the busbars (131).

[0057] The bus bar (131) may be formed of a conductive material (e.g., copper) and serves to electrically connect a plurality of battery cells (110) to each other. The bus bar (131) may be electrically connected to the battery cells (110) while being fixed to the bus bar frame (132).

[0058] The busbar frame (132) can support the busbar (131) so that it is stably connected to the battery cell (110). The busbar frame (132) can include a non-conductive material (e.g., plastic) having a predetermined rigidity, and structurally supports a plurality of busbars (131).

[0059] The busbar assembly (130) may be positioned opposite at least one side of the cell stack (CS). For example, referring to FIG. 3, the busbar assembly (130) may be provided in pairs and positioned opposite the cell stack (CS) in a direction perpendicular to the cell stacking direction (e.g., in the Y-axis direction).

[0060] The sub-module (100) may further include a connection board (140) connected to a pair of busbar assemblies (130). The connection board (140) may have one end and the other end connected to one and the other of the pair of busbar assemblies (130), respectively. At least a portion of the connection board (140) may be formed of a flexible printed circuit board (FPCB). Accordingly, at least a portion of the connection board (140) may be arranged in a bent or folded state.

[0061] Various sensing elements, such as a temperature sensor for detecting the temperature of the cell stack (CS) and a voltage sensor for detecting the voltage of the bus bar, may be connected to the connection board (140). Information detected by the sensing elements may be transmitted to a control unit (e.g., a BMS (Battery Management System)) located inside or outside the battery module (10).

[0062] However, what is shown in FIGS. 2 and 3 is only an exemplary configuration of the sub-module (100), and the sub-module (100) included in the battery module (10) according to the embodiments may be configured differently from what is shown in the drawings. That is, the sub-module (100) is one of the components of the battery module (10), and means a single unit formed by assembling a plurality of battery cells (110), and its specific structure or shape may be different from FIGS. 2 and 3.

[0063] For example, the sub-module (100) may refer to a cell stack structure itself in which a plurality of battery cells (110) are assembled. In this case, the battery module (10) may be composed of a first sub-module (100a) and a second sub-module (100b), which are cell stack structures in which a plurality of battery cells (110) are stacked, and several components that electrically and structurally connect them.

[0064] A single battery module (10) may be configured by assembling a plurality of such sub-modules (100). For example, referring to FIG. 2, a first sub-module (100a) having a first cell stack (CSa) and a second sub-module (100b) having a second cell stack (CSb) may be assembled together to configure the entire battery module (10). In this case, the first sub-module (100a) and the second sub-module (100b) may be arranged along a direction perpendicular to the cell stacking direction (e.g., the Y-axis direction). Hereinafter, the direction in which the first sub-module (100a) and the second sub-module (100b) are arranged is referred to as the 'longitudinal direction of the battery module (10)'.

[0065] A plurality of sub-modules (100) can be accommodated in the internal space (S) of the housing (300). The housing (300) can be formed of a material having a predetermined rigidity to protect the plurality of sub-modules (100) accommodated in the internal space (S) and other components from external impact. For example, the housing (300) can include a metal material such as aluminum, iron, or stainless steel.

[0066] As illustrated in FIG. 2, the housing (300) may be configured as an integral monoframe with both sides open. Internal components of a battery module (10), including a plurality of sub-modules (100), may be accommodated inside the housing (300) through the open portion of the housing (300).

[0067] A terminal terminal (310) for charging and discharging the first sub-module (100a) and the second sub-module (100b) may be arranged on the outside of the housing (300). The terminal terminal (310) is exposed to the outside of the housing (300) and may be electrically connected to the battery cells (110) of the first sub-module (100a) and the second sub-module (100b) through a connection terminal (133) arranged on the bus bar assembly (130) of the first sub-module (100a) and the second sub-module (100b). For connection between the terminal terminal (310) and the connection terminal (133) of the bus bar assembly (130), a connection hole may be formed in the portion of the housing (300) where the terminal terminal (310) is arranged.

[0068] However, the specific structure of the housing (300) is not limited to that shown in the drawing, and can be of any shape as long as it has an internal space (S) in which a plurality of sub-modules (100) can be accommodated. For example, the housing may be configured with a combination of a U-shaped lower frame in which a plurality of sub-modules (100) are mounted and in which the upper and both sides are open, and an upper cover that is coupled to the upper part of the lower frame and covers the upper surface of the sub-modules. Alternatively, the housing may be configured with a combination of sub-housings in which each sub-module is individually accommodated.

[0069] After all components, including a plurality of sub-modules (100), are housed inside the housing (300), the open portion of the housing (300) can be closed by an end plate (400). For example, referring to FIG. 2, a pair of end plates (400) are coupled to both sides of the housing (300) of the integral mono-frame structure, so that the internal space (S) of the housing (300) can be closed.

[0070] A coolant for cooling the battery cells (110) can flow in the internal space (S) of the housing (300). The coolant can be configured to flow in the internal space (S) of the housing (300) and directly contact the battery cells (110) to cool the battery cells (110). In this case, cooling performance can be significantly improved compared to a conventional battery module structure in which the coolant cools the battery cells by flowing inside a separate heat sink structure disposed on one side of the cell stack.

[0071] According to embodiments, since the refrigerant comes into direct contact with the battery cells (110) within the housing (300), the refrigerant is preferably composed of an insulating fluid that is not electrically conductive. An example of such an insulating fluid is insulating oil. However, in addition to insulating oil, any fluid that can have a cooling effect without electrically affecting electrical components such as the battery cells (110) may be used without limitation. Hereinafter, a refrigerant having such properties is referred to as an "insulating fluid."

[0072] The insulating fluid may be injected from the outside of the battery module (10) into the internal space (S) of the housing (300), circulated inside the housing (300), and then discharged to the outside of the battery module (10). For example, referring to FIGS. 1 and 2, a pair of end plates (400) may be provided with an inlet (410) through which the insulating fluid can be injected and an outlet (420) through which the insulating fluid can be discharged. Accordingly, the insulating fluid injected through the inlet (410) arranged on one side of the housing (300) may cool the battery cells (110) while passing through the plurality of sub-modules (100), and then may be discharged to the outside of the housing (300) through the outlet (420) arranged on the other side of the housing (300). However, the inlet (410) and outlet (420) do not necessarily have to be placed in the end plate (400) and may be placed in the housing (300).

[0073] Although not shown in detail in the drawing, a sealing member may be placed on the inside of the end plate (400) to prevent the insulating fluid from leaking between the housing (300) and the end plate (400).

[0074] According to embodiments, a plurality of sub-modules (100) are housed inside a housing (300). In this case, in order to prevent heat energy generated in one sub-module (e.g., a first sub-module (100a)) from adversely affecting another neighboring sub-module (e.g., a second sub-module (100b)), it is necessary to block heat transmission between the sub-modules (100). For example, in a structure in which a plurality of sub-modules (100) are assembled inside a housing (300), if thermal runaway occurs in one sub-module, there is a concern that flames may easily spread to other neighboring sub-modules. Therefore, it is necessary to appropriately block such heat and flame transmission.

[0075] Additionally, as the insulating fluid passes through multiple sub-modules (100), the temperature of the refrigerant gradually increases, which may cause a temperature difference between the sub-modules. Therefore, a configuration capable of appropriately dissipating the thermal energy of the insulating fluid circulating within the housing (300) is required.

[0076] To this end, the battery module (10) according to the embodiments may further include a barrier assembly (200) disposed between a plurality of sub-modules (100) and capable of performing both the functions of blocking heat transmission and dissipating heat of the insulating fluid.

[0077] The barrier assembly (200) can be configured to block heat transfer between sub-modules while cooling the refrigerant passing through the barrier assembly (200). For example, referring to FIG. 2, the barrier assembly (200) can be arranged between a first sub-module (100a) and a second sub-module (100b), thereby blocking heat energy generated in the first sub-module (100a) from being transferred to the second sub-module (100b). Alternatively, the barrier assembly (200) can be arranged to face a side of the cell stacks (CSa, CSb), that is, a surface perpendicular to the cell stacking direction of the cell stacks (CSa, CSb), and can be arranged between two cell stacks (CSa, CSb) arranged in a row based on the two cell stacks (CSa, CSb), thereby blocking heat transfer between the cell stacks.

[0078] Additionally, the barrier assembly (200) can be configured to allow an insulating fluid passing through the first sub-module (100a), and can serve to dissipate heat energy of the insulating fluid while the insulating fluid passes through it.

[0079] To effectively perform heat transfer between sub-modules and cooling of the insulating fluid, the barrier assembly (200) may be composed of a composite structure in which an insulating cover and a heat dissipation member made of different materials are combined.

[0080] Hereinafter, the barrier assembly (200) will be described in detail with reference to FIGS. 4 to 8.

[0081] Figure 4 is a perspective view of a barrier assembly (200).

[0082] Figure 5 is an exploded perspective view of the barrier assembly (200).

[0083] Fig. 6 is an exploded perspective view of the barrier assembly (200) viewed from a different angle than Fig. 5.

[0084] Fig. 7 is an exemplary cross-sectional view according to part II' of Fig. 4.

[0085] Figure 8 is a reference drawing for explaining the combination of a sub-module and a barrier assembly (200).

[0086] The barrier assembly (200), sub-module, and battery module described in FIGS. 4 to 8 include all of the features of the barrier assembly (200), sub-module (100), and battery module (10) described in FIGS. 1 to 3, so redundant descriptions may be omitted.

[0087] A barrier assembly (200) according to embodiments may include an insulating cover (210) capable of blocking heat transmission between sub-modules (100 in FIG. 2) and a heat dissipation member (220) capable of cooling an insulating fluid.

[0088] The insulating cover (210) is disposed between the sub-modules (100) to prevent heat or flame generated in one sub-module (e.g., the first sub-module (100a)) from being transferred to another adjacent sub-module (e.g., the second sub-module (100b)). To this end, the insulating cover (210) may include a material having heat resistance and thermal insulation properties. For example, at least a portion of the insulating cover (210) may be made of a resin material or a non-conductive metal material having low thermal conductivity but excellent heat resistance. For a more excellent thermal insulation effect, at least a portion of the insulating cover (210) may include a material having high heat resistance and thermal insulation properties, such as mica, ceramic wool, or aerogel. However, the material of the insulating cover (210) is not limited to those described above, and may be made of any material that does not structurally collapse even in a thermal runaway situation of the sub-module and can prevent heat or flame from being transmitted to another adjacent sub-module.

[0089] Referring to FIGS. 4 to 6, the insulating cover (210) may be provided as a plate-shaped structure having an area corresponding to one side of a sub-module (100 of FIGS. 2 and 3). One side of the insulating cover (210) may face one sub-module (e.g., a first sub-module (100a)), and the opposite side of the one side may face another sub-module (e.g., a second sub-module (100b)). One or more openings (213, 214) may be provided on the insulating cover (210), and an insulating fluid flowing through one area of ​​the insulating cover (210) may flow to the other area beyond the insulating cover (210) through the openings (213, 214).

[0090] The barrier assembly (200) according to the embodiments may further include a heat dissipation member (220) for cooling the insulating fluid.

[0091] A heat dissipation member (220) may be positioned between a plurality of sub-modules (100) so that the insulating fluid passing through one sub-module (e.g., a first sub-module (100a)) can be contacted before flowing to another sub-module (e.g., a second sub-module (100b)). The insulating fluid can be heat-radiated and cooled while in contact with the heat dissipation member (220).

[0092] For effective heat dissipation of the insulating fluid, the heat dissipation member (220) may be made of a material with excellent thermal conductivity. For example, the heat dissipation member (220) may be made of aluminum with excellent thermal conductivity. However, in addition to this, any material with higher thermal conductivity than the insulation cover (210) may be used as the heat dissipation member (220) without limitation.

[0093] The barrier assembly (200) may have a structure in which both sides of a heat dissipation member (220) are covered by an insulating cover (210) each including an insulating material. For example, the heat dissipation member (220) may be provided in a plate shape and placed on the inside of the heat dissipation cover (210), and thus, the heat dissipation cover (210) may cover both sides of the heat dissipation member (220).

[0094] More specifically, referring to FIGS. 5 and 6, the insulating cover (210) may include a first insulating portion (211) and a second insulating portion (212) having a predetermined gap formed therebetween, and the heat dissipation member (220) may be disposed between the first insulating portion (211) and the second insulating portion (212). Here, the first insulating portion (211) of the insulating cover (210) may be a portion facing the first sub-module (100a of FIG. 2), and the second insulating portion (212) may be a portion facing the second sub-module (100b of FIG. 2). The first insulating portion (211) may cover at least a portion of a first surface of the heat dissipation member (220), and the second insulating member may cover at least a portion of a second surface of the heat dissipation member (220) that is opposite the first surface. According to this structure, even if the heat dissipation member (220) is made of a metallic material, it is possible to prevent a short circuit from occurring between the heat dissipation member (220) and the bus bar of the sub-module.

[0095] The barrier assembly (200) may have a structure in which a heat dissipation member (220) is inserted and assembled into the inside of the heat dissipation cover (210) from one side of the heat dissipation cover (210). For example, referring to FIG. 6, an insertion hole (215) into which the heat dissipation member (220) can be inserted may be provided at one edge of the heat dissipation cover (210), and the heat dissipation member (220) may be inserted into the inside of the heat dissipation cover (210) through the insertion hole (215) and placed between the first heat dissipation part (211) and the second heat dissipation part (212). In the drawing, the insertion hole (215) is formed at the bottom of the heat dissipation cover (210), but this is merely an example, and the insertion hole (215) may be formed at the side or top of the heat dissipation cover (210).

[0096] The heat dissipation member (220) inserted through the insertion hole (215) can be fixed in a state of being sandwiched between the first insulation part (211) and the second insulation part (212), as illustrated in FIG. 7. However, unlike what is illustrated in the drawing, the heat dissipation member (220) can be spaced apart from the first insulation part (211) or the second insulation part (212) at a predetermined distance, if necessary.

[0097] Referring again to FIGS. 4 to 6, the first insulating portion (211) and the second insulating portion (212) of the insulating cover (210) may be provided with a first opening (213) and a second opening (214) that are connected to the inner space of the insulating cover (210). The heat dissipation member (220) disposed on the inner side of the insulating cover (210) may be exposed to the outer side of the insulating cover (210) through the first opening (213) and the second opening (214).

[0098] As shown in FIGS. 4 to 6, a plurality of first openings (213) and second openings (214) may be provided in the first insulation part (211) and the second insulation part (212), respectively. In this case, at least some of the plurality of first openings (213) and the plurality of second openings (214) may be arranged in a central region in the height direction (e.g., Z-axis direction) of the barrier assembly (200) in the insulation cover (210) and may be arranged along the width direction (e.g., X-axis direction) of the barrier assembly (200). When a plurality of first openings (213) and second openings (214) are provided, the first openings (213) and second openings (214) may form a plurality of rows and be arranged along the width direction (e.g., X-axis direction) of the barrier assembly (200).

[0099] In this case, the arrangement direction of the plurality of first openings (213) and the plurality of second openings (214) may be parallel to the stacking direction of the battery cells (110) in the cell stack (CS). According to this arrangement structure, the insulating fluid passing through each battery cell (110) can easily flow into the interior of the insulating cover (210) through the plurality of openings (213, 214) arranged in the cell stacking direction.

[0100] However, the size, quantity, and location of the openings illustrated in the drawing are merely examples, and the specific structure of the openings may be modified in various ways. For example, the first opening (213) may be positioned only in the central area of ​​the first insulation portion (211), and may have a rectangular hole structure with a long side in the width direction of the barrier assembly (200).

[0101] The insulating fluid introduced into the inside of the insulating cover (210) through the openings (213, 214) flows along the surface of the heat dissipation member (220), and in this process, can be dissipated and cooled by the heat dissipation member (220).

[0102] Guide grooves (221, 222) that can guide the flow direction of the insulating fluid may be provided on the surface of the heat dissipation member (220). For example, referring to FIGS. 5 and 6, a plurality of guide grooves (221, 222) that guide the insulating fluid introduced into the inside of the insulating cover (210) to flow along the height direction (e.g., Z-axis direction) of the barrier assembly (200) may be arranged on the surface of the heat dissipation member (220).

[0103] The guide groove (221, 222) may be a portion corresponding to a groove among the groove and ridge structures formed on the surface of the heat dissipation member (220).

[0104] The guide grooves (221, 222) may be configured to extend in the height direction (Z-axis direction) of the barrier assembly (200), as illustrated in FIGS. 5 and 6. In this case, the height direction (Z-axis direction) of the barrier assembly (200) may be a direction perpendicular to both the cell stacking direction (e.g., X-axis direction) and the longitudinal direction (e.g., Y-axis direction) of the battery module (10) described above. However, the shapes of the guide grooves (221, 222) illustrated in the drawings are merely examples, and the specific structures of the guide grooves (221, 222) may be variously modified. For example, in order to further increase the contact area with the insulating fluid, the guide grooves (221, 222) may be configured to extend in a zigzag shape along the height direction (Z-axis direction) of the barrier assembly (200).

[0105] The guide grooves (221, 222) may be formed on both sides of the heat dissipation member (220). For example, a first guide groove (221) and a second guide groove (222) may be arranged on a first side of the heat dissipation member (220) facing the first sub-module (100a in FIG. 2) and a second side facing the second sub-module (100b in FIG. 2), respectively.

[0106] The first guide groove (221) and the second guide groove (222) can be connected to each other at the edge of the heat dissipation member (220). That is, the end of the first guide groove (221) extending along the height direction of the barrier assembly (200) from the first surface of the heat dissipation member (220) is connected to the second guide groove (222) of the second surface at the edge of the heat dissipation member (220). Accordingly, the insulating fluid flowing along the first guide groove (221) of the first surface smoothly flows beyond the heat dissipation member (220) through the second guide groove (222) of the second surface, and at the same time, a refrigerant flow in a constant direction can be formed along the surface of the heat dissipation member (220). According to this guide structure, the insulating fluid introduced into the inside of the insulating cover (210) through the openings (213, 214) can be guided to flow smoothly in the upper or lower direction of the barrier assembly (200), thereby preventing the flow of the insulating fluid from stagnating near the barrier assembly (200).

[0107] Meanwhile, the barrier assembly (200) may be coupled with the sub-module (100). For example, referring to FIG. 8, one side of the insulating cover (210) of the barrier assembly (200) may be coupled with the first busbar assembly (130a) of the first sub-module (100a of FIG. 2), and the other side may be coupled with the second busbar assembly (130b) of the second sub-module (100b of FIG. 2). In this case, in order to prevent a short circuit from occurring between the insulating cover (210) and the busbar (131) of the barrier assembly (200), the insulating cover (210) may be made of an insulating material. Alternatively, in order to more reliably prevent a short circuit, an insulating cover (not shown) made of an insulating material may be additionally placed between the insulating cover (210) and the busbar assemblies (130a, 130b).

[0108] The barrier assembly (200) can be coupled to the busbar assembly (130a, 130b) in various ways. For example, as illustrated in FIG. 8, the insulating cover (210) of the barrier assembly (200) may be provided with a fastening flange (216) for fastening to the busbar frame (132a, 132b) of the busbar assembly (130a, 130b), and a fastening member (217) may be fastened to the fastening flange (216) and the busbar frame (132a, 132b) so that the insulating cover (210) and the busbar frame (132a, 132b) can be fixed to each other. However, the coupling method of the insulating cover (210) and the busbar frame (132a, 132b) is not limited to that illustrated in the drawing. For example, the insulation cover (210) and the busbar frame (132a, 132b) may be mechanically fastened through a structure of a protrusion and a groove into which the protrusion is inserted.

[0109] In this way, the barrier assembly (200) can perform a function of structurally connecting a plurality of sub-modules (100) by being combined with the bus bar assemblies (130a, 130b) of the sub-modules (100) arranged on both sides, respectively. Accordingly, the structural stability of the internal configuration of the housing (300) composed of a plurality of sub-modules (100) can be increased. In addition, since the plurality of sub-modules (100) can be stored inside the housing (300) in a stably combined state through the barrier assembly (200), the assembling efficiency of the battery module (10) can be increased.

[0110] Hereinafter, the flow of insulating fluid inside the battery module (10) will be described with reference to FIGS. 9 and 10.

[0111] Figure 9 is a reference diagram for explaining the flow of insulating fluid inside a battery module (10).

[0112] Fig. 10 is an exemplary cross-sectional view according to part II-II' of Fig. 4.

[0113] Since the battery module (10) described in FIGS. 9 and 10 includes all the features of the battery module (10) described in FIGS. 1 to 8, redundant descriptions may be omitted.

[0114] In embodiments, the battery module (10) may be configured so that an insulating fluid circulates inside the housing (300) and directly contacts the battery cells (110) to cool the battery cells (110).

[0115] Referring to FIG. 9, the insulating fluid may come into contact with the battery cell (110) of the first sub-module (100a) while passing through the first sub-module (100a) housed inside the housing (300), cool the battery cell (110), and then flow to the second sub-module (100b) through the barrier assembly (200).

[0116] The insulating fluid that has absorbed heat energy in the first sub-module (100a) flows along the heat dissipation member (220) of the barrier assembly (200), and is then dissipated and cooled through the heat dissipation member (220) having high thermal conductivity, so that it can flow into the second sub-module (100b) with its temperature lowered again.

[0117] Afterwards, the insulating fluid passes through the second sub-module (100b) to cool the battery cells (110) of the second sub-module (100b), and then can be discharged to the outside of the battery module (10) through the discharge port (420) of the housing (300).

[0118] Referring to FIGS. 9 and 10 together, the flow of insulating fluid in the barrier assembly (200) is described in more detail.

[0119] The insulating fluid passing through the first sub-module (100a) can flow into the inside of the insulating cover (210) through the first opening (213) provided in the first insulating section (211). A heat dissipation member (220) is arranged on the inside of the insulating cover (210) to dissipate heat and cool the insulating fluid.

[0120] At this time, the first opening (213) is arranged in the central region in the height direction (Z-axis direction) of the barrier assembly (200) from the first insulation member (211), and the heat dissipation member (220) may include a first guide groove (221) that guides the insulating fluid that has flowed into the first opening (213) to flow in the height direction (Z-axis direction) of the barrier assembly (200). According to this structure, compared to the case where the first opening (213) is arranged to be biased to one side in the height direction (Z-axis direction) of the barrier assembly (200), the insulating fluid can be guided to spread evenly along the surface of the heat dissipation member (220). Accordingly, there is an advantage of further increasing the contact time and contact area between the insulating fluid and the heat dissipation member (220).

[0121] The insulating fluid that flows up and down along the first guide groove (221) flows again toward the central region of the barrier assembly (200) along the second guide groove (222), and flows out of the barrier assembly (200) through the second opening (214) of the second insulation part (212) and toward the second sub-module (100b). Like the first opening (213), the second opening (214) may also be arranged in the central region in the height direction (Z-axis direction) of the barrier assembly (200) from the second insulation part (212). In this case, the first opening (213) may be arranged to face at least a portion of the second opening (214) with a heat dissipation member therebetween. Accordingly, the insulating fluid introduced into the central region of the barrier assembly (200) can flow by wrapping around the heat dissipation member (220) inside the barrier assembly (200) and then be discharged back into the central region of the barrier assembly (200).

[0122] In this way, the barrier assembly (200) according to the embodiments is configured to have a structure in which the insulating fluid can sufficiently come into contact with the surface of the heat dissipation member (220) while flowing from the first opening (213) to the second opening (214), thereby maximizing the contact area and contact time between the insulating fluid and the heat dissipation member (220), and effectively cooling the insulating fluid. In addition, since a plurality of uneven structures are formed on the surface of the heat dissipation member (220) by the guide grooves (221, 222), the contact area between the insulating fluid and the heat dissipation member (220) can be further maximized, and thus the heat dissipation and cooling efficiency of the insulating fluid can be increased.

[0123] As described above, according to embodiments, a barrier assembly (200) having both insulation and refrigerant heat dissipation effects between a plurality of sub-modules (100) can be placed between a plurality of sub-modules (100) to implement a battery module (10) having excellent thermal stability.

[0124] The barrier assembly (200) has a composite barrier structure in which an insulating cover (210) made of a material having an insulating effect and a heat dissipation member (220) having superior thermal conductivity compared to the insulating cover (210) are combined, thereby enabling simultaneous insulation and refrigerant cooling effects.

[0125] In particular, in a 'long module' structure in which a plurality of sub-modules (100) are arranged along the length of a battery module (10), the insulation cover (210) effectively blocks heat transmission between the plurality of sub-modules (100), thereby preventing flames from being transferred between the plurality of sub-modules (100) in a thermal runaway situation and causing a chain reaction of ignition.

[0126] In addition, the heat dissipation member (220) arranged together with the insulating cover (210) can effectively cool the coolant between the plurality of sub-modules (100), thereby increasing the cooling performance of the battery module (10) and reducing the temperature deviation in the longitudinal direction of the battery module (10). Accordingly, in the battery module (10) having a cooling structure in which the insulating fluid can directly cool the battery cells (110), the cooling efficiency of the entire battery module (10) can be increased.

[0127] In addition, since the barrier assembly (200) is directly coupled to a plurality of neighboring sub-modules (100), the structural stability of the battery module (10) can be increased by allowing the sub-modules to remain stably coupled to each other inside the housing (300).

[0128] While various embodiments of the present invention have been described in detail above, the scope of the present invention is not limited thereto, and it will be apparent to those skilled in the art that various modifications and variations are possible without departing from the technical spirit of the present invention as set forth in the claims. Furthermore, the embodiments described above may be implemented by deleting some components, and the embodiments may be implemented in combination with each other.

[0129] [Explanation of symbols]

[0130] 10... Battery module 100... Sub module

[0131] 100a... 1st sub-module 100b... 2nd sub-module

[0132] 110... Battery cell 120... Protection member

[0133] 130... Busbar assembly 140... Connection board

[0134] 200... Barrier assembly 210... Insulation cover

[0135] 211... First insulation section 212... Second insulation section

[0136] 213... First opening 214... Second opening

[0137] 215... Insertion hole 216... Fastening flange

[0138] 217... Fastening member 220... Heat dissipation member

[0139] 221... 1st Guide Home 222... 2nd Guide Home

[0140] 300... Housing 310... Terminal

[0141] 400... End plate 410... Inlet

[0142] 420... exhaust port

Claims

1. A first cell stack and a second cell stack, each of which has a plurality of battery cells stacked on top of each other; A housing having an internal space in which the first cell stack and the second cell stack are accommodated; an insulating fluid configured to flow in the internal space of the housing; and A barrier assembly is included that is positioned between the first cell stack and the second cell stack, The above barrier assembly An insulating cover configured to block heat transmission between the first cell laminate and the second cell laminate; and A battery module comprising a heat dissipation member in contact with the insulating fluid and including a material having a higher thermal conductivity than the insulating cover.

2. In paragraph 1, The above insulating cover includes a first insulating portion and a second insulating portion arranged along the direction in which the first cell laminate and the second cell laminate are arranged, A battery module wherein the heat dissipation member is placed between the first insulation portion and the second insulation portion.

3. In paragraph 2, The above heat dissipation member has a plate-shaped structure, The first insulation portion covers at least a portion of the first surface of the heat-radiating member, A battery module in which the second insulation portion covers at least a portion of a second surface of the heat dissipation member that is opposite the first surface.

4. In paragraph 3, A battery module wherein the heat dissipation member further includes a plurality of guide grooves arranged on each of the first surface and the second surface to guide the flow direction of the insulating fluid.

5. In paragraph 4, A battery module in which at least one of the plurality of guide grooves extends in a direction intersecting the stacking direction of the plurality of battery cells.

6. In paragraph 4, A battery module wherein the plurality of guide grooves of the first surface at the edge of the heat dissipation member are connected to the plurality of guide grooves of the second surface.

7. In paragraph 2, A battery module, wherein the insulating cover further includes at least one first opening disposed in the first insulating portion and at least one second opening disposed in the second insulating portion.

8. In paragraph 7, A battery module wherein the one or more first openings are arranged to face each other with at least a portion of the one or more second openings and the heat dissipation member interposed therebetween.

9. In paragraph 7, A battery module in which the one or more first openings and the one or more second openings are provided in multiple numbers and arranged along the stacking direction of the plurality of battery cells.

10. In paragraph 1, A battery module having an insertion hole provided at the edge of the above insulating cover into which the above heat dissipation member can be inserted.

11. In paragraph 1, A first busbar assembly electrically connecting a plurality of battery cells of the first cell stack and positioned facing one side of the barrier assembly; and A battery module further comprising a second busbar assembly that electrically connects a plurality of battery cells of the second cell stack and is arranged to face the opposite side of the one side of the barrier assembly.

12. In paragraph 11, The above insulation cover is a battery module connected to the first busbar assembly and the second busbar assembly, respectively.

13. In paragraph 11, The above insulating cover is a battery module made of insulating material.

14. In paragraph 11, A battery module wherein at least one of the first busbar assembly and the second busbar assembly includes a connection terminal connected to one or more terminal terminals exposed to the outside of the housing.

15. In paragraph 1, A battery module in which the first cell stack and the second cell stack are arranged in a direction perpendicular to the stacking direction of the plurality of battery cells in the internal space of the housing.

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