Battery pack and device including same

Abstract

According to an embodiment of the present invention, the battery pack comprises multiple battery modules and a busbar barrier disposed between neighboring battery modules among the multiple battery modules. The busbar barrier comprises: a busbar unit for electrically connecting terminal busbars provided on the neighboring battery modules, respectively; and a pair of barrier units coupled to the busbar unit and disposed between side surfaces of the neighboring battery modules.

Description

Battery pack and device including same

[0001] Cross-citation with related application(s)

[0002] This application claims the benefit of priority to Korean Patent Application No. 10-2023-0169615, filed November 29, 2023, the entire contents of which are incorporated herein by reference.

[0003] The present invention relates to a battery pack and a device including the same, and more particularly, to a battery pack and a device including the same that improves assemblability while delaying heat transfer time to adjacent modules.

[0004] In modern society, the widespread use of portable devices like cell phones, laptops, camcorders, and digital cameras has fueled active development of technologies related to these devices. Furthermore, rechargeable secondary batteries are increasingly being used as power sources for electric vehicles (EVs), hybrid electric vehicles (HEVs), and plug-in hybrid electric vehicles (P-HEVs) to address air pollution caused by conventional gasoline-powered vehicles, further increasing the need for secondary battery development.

[0005] Currently commercialized secondary batteries include nickel cadmium batteries, nickel hydrogen batteries, nickel zinc batteries, and lithium secondary batteries. Among these, lithium secondary batteries are receiving attention for their advantages of being able to charge and discharge freely, having a very low self-discharge rate, and having a high energy density, as they have almost no memory effect compared to nickel-based secondary batteries.

[0006] These lithium secondary batteries primarily use lithium oxide and carbon materials as the positive and negative electrode active materials, respectively. The lithium secondary battery comprises an electrode assembly comprising a positive electrode plate and a negative electrode plate, each coated with the positive and negative electrode active materials, with a separator interposed between them, and a battery case that seals and houses the electrode assembly together with an electrolyte.

[0007] In general, lithium secondary batteries can be classified into can-type secondary batteries in which the electrode assembly is built into a metal can and pouch-type secondary batteries in which the electrode assembly is built into a pouch of an aluminum laminate sheet, depending on the shape of the outer packaging material.

[0008] Secondary batteries used in small devices are arranged with 2-3 battery cells, but secondary batteries used in medium to large devices such as automobiles use battery modules in which multiple battery cells are electrically connected. These battery modules have improved capacity and output by forming a battery cell stack by connecting multiple battery cells in series or parallel. In addition, one or more battery modules can be mounted together with various control and protection systems such as a Battery Disconnect Unit (BDU), a Battery Management System (BMS), and a cooling system to form a battery pack.

[0009] Battery packs comprised of multiple battery modules can experience rapid and severe temperature increases due to the accumulation of heat from the numerous battery cells within a confined space. In other words, while battery modules stacked with multiple battery cells and battery packs equipped with these modules can achieve high output, if the heat dissipation between the cells is inadequate or if thermal runaway occurs, there is a high risk of continual fires or subsequent explosions.

[0010] Accordingly, even if a thermal runaway phenomenon occurs in one battery cell or module, a battery pack configuration that can delay the propagation to adjacent battery modules as much as possible is required, and furthermore, development of a technology that does not increase the difficulty or cost of assembly even if components are added to delay the thermal propagation in this way is required.

[0011] The problem to be solved by the present invention is to provide a battery pack and a device including the same that can delay the transfer of an adjacent battery module even if a ignition phenomenon occurs within a battery module, while being easy to assemble and reducing cost.

[0012] The problems to be solved by the present invention are not limited to the problems described above, and problems not mentioned can be clearly understood by a person having ordinary skill in the art to which the present invention pertains from this specification and the attached drawings.

[0013] A battery pack according to one embodiment of the present invention includes a plurality of battery modules, and a busbar partition wall disposed between neighboring battery modules among the plurality of battery modules, wherein the busbar partition wall includes a busbar portion electrically connecting terminal busbars provided in each of the neighboring battery modules, and a pair of partition walls integrally formed with the busbar portion and disposed between side surfaces of the neighboring battery modules.

[0014] The battery pack may further include an insulating material interposed between the pair of bulkheads.

[0015] The above busbar bulkhead and the above insulation material can be formed to be separable.

[0016] The above insulation may include mica or foamed silicone.

[0017] The above pair of bulkheads may have a flat shape parallel to the side surfaces of the adjacent battery modules.

[0018] The above bus bar may have a rod shape extending in a direction perpendicular to the side surface of the neighboring battery module.

[0019] The above bus bar may include two through holes formed at both ends of the rod shape.

[0020] The above pair of bulkheads can be placed between the two through holes.

[0021] The above bus bar portion may be integrally connected to the pair of bulkhead portions by welding.

[0022] The above pair of bulkheads may include aluminum (Al).

[0023] The above bus bar portion includes a recessed portion corresponding to the pair of bulkhead portions, and the recessed portion can be slidably coupled to the upper portion of the pair of bulkhead portions.

[0024] The bus bar portion includes a coupling hole at a position in contact with the pair of bulkhead portions, and the pair of bulkhead portions includes a coupling groove at a position corresponding to the coupling hole, and the bus bar portion and the pair of bulkhead portions can be coupled to each other by a fastening member penetrating the coupling hole and the coupling groove.

[0025] A device according to another embodiment of the present invention includes the battery pack described above.

[0026] According to embodiments, in a battery pack, even if a ignition phenomenon occurs within some battery modules, the transmission to adjacent battery modules can be delayed, while improving the ease of assembly of the battery pack and reducing costs.

[0027] The effects of the present invention are not limited to the effects described above, and effects not mentioned can be clearly understood by a person having ordinary skill in the art to which the present invention pertains from this specification and the attached drawings.

[0028] FIG. 1 is a perspective view schematically showing the configuration of a battery pack according to one embodiment of the present invention.

[0029] FIG. 2 is a perspective view of some of the battery modules included in the battery pack of FIG. 1.

[0030] Figure 3 is a partial perspective view showing the battery module of Figure 2 with the module frame and end plate removed.

[0031] Fig. 4 is a plan view showing an enlarged view of the busbar portion of the busbar bulkhead of Fig. 2.

[0032] Figure 5 is a perspective view of the busbar bulkhead and insulation of Figure 2.

[0033] FIG. 6 is a perspective view of a busbar bulkhead and insulation in a battery pack according to another embodiment of the present invention.

[0034] Fig. 7 is a perspective view of a bus bar portion included in the bus bar bulkhead of Fig. 6.

[0035] FIG. 8 is a perspective view of a busbar bulkhead and insulation in a battery pack according to another embodiment of the present invention.

[0036] Hereinafter, various embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the attached drawings so that those skilled in the art can easily implement the invention. The present invention may be implemented in various different forms and is not limited to the embodiments described herein.

[0037] In order to clearly explain the present invention, parts that are not related to the description are omitted, and the same reference numerals are used for identical or similar components throughout the specification.

[0038] Furthermore, the sizes and thicknesses of each component shown in the drawings are arbitrarily indicated for convenience of explanation, and thus the present invention is not necessarily limited to the illustrated components. In the drawings, the thicknesses are enlarged to clearly represent various layers and regions. Furthermore, in the drawings, the thicknesses of some layers and regions are exaggerated for convenience of explanation.

[0039] Additionally, throughout the specification, whenever a part is said to “include” a component, this does not mean that it excludes other components, but rather that it may include other components, unless otherwise specifically stated.

[0040] Additionally, throughout the specification, when we say "in plan", we mean when the target portion is viewed from above, and when we say "in cross section", we mean when the target portion is viewed from the side in a cross-section cut vertically.

[0041] Hereinafter, a battery module according to one embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to FIGS. 1 to 5.

[0042] FIG. 1 is a perspective view schematically showing the configuration of a battery pack according to one embodiment of the present invention, FIG. 2 is a perspective view of some of the battery modules included in the battery pack of FIG. 1, FIG. 3 is a partial perspective view showing the battery module of FIG. 2 with the module frame and end plate removed, FIG. 4 is an enlarged plan view of part A of FIG. 1, and FIG. 5 is a perspective view of the busbar bulkhead and insulation of FIG. 2.

[0043] First, referring to FIG. 1, a battery pack (1000) according to one embodiment includes a plurality of battery modules (100), and a busbar partition (200) disposed between adjacent battery modules (100) among the plurality of battery modules (100). The plurality of battery modules (100) may be housed in a pack frame (1100). At this time, the plurality of battery modules (100) may be mounted together with various control and protection systems such as a BDU (Battery Disconnect Unit), a BMS (Battery Management System), and a cooling system to form a battery pack. Electrical connection between battery modules (100) or electrical connection between a battery module (100) and a BDU module may be made by a busbar, and in the present embodiment, the connection may be made by a busbar portion (210) included in the busbar partition (200).

[0044] The pack frame (1100) may include a lower frame (1110) having an empty space formed therein and configured to accommodate a plurality of battery modules (100) and various control and protection systems in the empty space, and an upper frame (1120) coupled to the upper portion of the lower frame (1110) to protect electrical components accommodated in the pack frame (1100). For example, as illustrated in FIG. 1, the lower frame (1110) may be configured in a box shape with an open upper portion, and the upper frame (1120) may be configured in a flat plate shape that covers the upper open end of the lower frame (1110), but is not limited thereto, and the pack frame (1100) may be configured in various shapes.

[0045] Hereinafter, a battery module (100) according to the present embodiment will be described with reference to FIGS. 2 and 3. However, the battery module (100) described below is an exemplary structure of a battery module including a plurality of battery cells (11), and various types of battery modules including a plurality of battery cells may be applied.

[0046] Referring to FIGS. 2 and 3, the battery module (100) according to the present embodiment may include a battery cell stack (11A) in which a plurality of battery cells (11) are stacked. The battery cell stack (11A) is illustrated in FIG. 3. This battery cell stack (11A) may be accommodated in a module frame (30) and an end plate (40).

[0047] The battery cell (11) may be a pouch-type battery cell. Such a pouch-type battery cell may be formed by housing an electrode assembly in a pouch case made of a laminate sheet including a resin layer and a metal layer, and then fusing the outer periphery of the pouch case. Such a battery cell (11) may be formed in a rectangular sheet structure. An electrode lead (11L) connected to the electrode assembly protrudes to the outside of the pouch case, and the electrode leads (11L) of each battery cell (11) may be electrically connected to each other via a lead bus bar (21). Meanwhile, at least one electrode lead (11L) may be connected to a terminal bus bar (22). A portion of the terminal bus bar (22) may be exposed to the outside of the battery module (100), as illustrated in FIG. 2. Both the lead bus bar (21) and the terminal bus bar (22) may include a metal material having excellent electrical conductivity.

[0048] The busbar portion (210) of the busbar bulkhead (200) according to the present embodiment is electrically connected to the terminal busbar (22) so that an HV (High voltage) connection can be made. Here, the HV connection means a connection that serves as a power source for supplying power, and for example, a battery module (100) can be electrically connected to another battery module (100) via a busbar assembly (100) connected to the terminal busbar (22). In addition, although not shown, a separate busbar may be further included for electrically connecting not between neighboring battery modules (100) but with a BDU module or a BMS module.

[0049] Hereinafter, the busbar bulkhead (200) having the busbar (210) and the insulation material (300) provided therewith will be described in more detail with further reference to FIGS. 4 and 5.

[0050] The busbar bulkhead (200) includes a busbar portion (210) that electrically connects terminal busbars (22) provided in each of neighboring battery modules (100), and a pair of bulkhead portions (220) that are connected to the busbar portions (210) and are arranged between the side surfaces of the neighboring battery modules (100). In addition, the pair of bulkhead portions (220) are spaced apart from each other at a distance, and an insulating material (300) is arranged between the bulkhead portions (220).

[0051] The bus bar (210) is a configuration for guiding electrical connection between neighboring battery modules (100) and may include a metal material with excellent electrical conductivity. The bus bar (210) may have a rod shape extending in one direction. As illustrated in FIG. 4, for example, the bus bar (210) is illustrated as having a rod shape extending in the X-axis direction. Both ends of the bus bar (210), i.e., the ends in the X-axis direction, are arranged to contact the terminal bus bars (22) of the neighboring battery modules (100). A through hole (HH) is formed at the end. A fastening member (not illustrated), such as a bolt, may be inserted into the through hole (HH) to achieve electrical connection with the terminal bus bar (22).

[0052] A pair of bulkheads (220) are coupled to the lower surface of the bus bar (210). That is, the pair of bulkheads (220) are formed by two plate-shaped bulkheads (220) facing each other with a gap between them, and these configurations can be formed by coupling with the lower surface of the bus bar (210) at the upper end (upper end in the Z-axis direction) of the end (end in the Y-axis direction). The bulkheads (220) can be formed in the form of a surface parallel to the widest surface of the battery cells (11) included in the battery module (100). That is, they can be configured in a form erected to face the side surfaces of the battery modules (100) arranged adjacently in the X-axis direction, and each of the pair of bulkheads (220) can be arranged to face each of the adjacent battery modules (100). Thereby, the adjacent battery modules (100) can be arranged to separate each other. In addition, the bulkhead (220) is placed between neighboring battery modules (100), and can be placed between through holes (HH) formed at each end (X-axis direction end) of the bus bar (210) based on the bus bar (210).

[0053] The bulkhead (220) may be formed of a shape and material capable of blocking or reducing the transfer of heat and / or flame between battery modules (100). For example, the bulkhead (220) may include aluminum. In addition, the bulkhead (220) may be formed of the same material as the busbar (210), or may be formed of different materials, and is not particularly limited thereto.

[0054] Meanwhile, referring to FIG. 5, a pair of bulkheads (220) may be spaced apart from each other to form a space between them, and an insulating material (300) may be inserted and placed in the space. A flame retardant material with high heat resistance may be used as the insulating material (300), and for example, mica or foamed silicone may be used. A stopper may be provided at the top or bottom of the bulkhead (220) to fix the insulating material (300) while it is inserted, or the insulating material (300) may be fixed by fitting the thickness of the insulating material (300) into the space between the bulkheads (220), but is not particularly limited thereto.

[0055] A pair of bulkheads (220) can be formed in a combined state by being attached to the lower surface of a busbar portion (210) as described above, thereby forming a busbar bulkhead (200). This attachment can be achieved by welding so that a pair of bulkheads (220) and a busbar portion (210) are formed integrally, but this is not particularly limited and various configurations can be applied. By forming the bulkhead portion (220) and the busbar portion (210) in a combined state in this way, the number of parts can be reduced and the assembly process can be shortened.

[0056] In addition, it is possible to easily assemble a configuration that blocks heat transfer between battery modules (100) by inserting an insulating material (300) between the bulkhead portions (220) of the busbar bulkhead (200). That is, in the past, a separate insulating material had to be attached to the outside of the bulkhead to prevent heat transfer, and a busbar separate from this configuration had to be provided. In this case, there were problems such as the insulating material attached to the outside of the bulkhead continuously coming off during the assembly process, and thus having to be replaced with a new part. In addition, since the busbar and the bulkhead were separate configurations, there was also a problem that the assembly process was complicated because they had to be aligned and assembled separately.

[0057] However, according to the present embodiment, since the bus bar part (210) and the bulkhead part (220) are formed in a combined state, the bulkhead part (220) can be aligned simultaneously with the alignment of the bus bar part (210) for electrical connection, thereby shortening the assembly process. In addition, since the insulation material (300) is not attached to the outside of the bulkhead but is placed between the bulkhead parts (220), the insulation material (300) can be prevented from being damaged or detached during the assembly process, etc., thereby reducing costs. In addition, even if the bulkhead part (220) melts in a heat transfer test, etc., the heat transfer to the neighboring battery module (100) can be delayed by the insulation material (300).

[0058] Meanwhile, the insulation material (300) may not be formed as a complete integral part with the busbar bulkhead (200), but may be formed so that it can be separated and replaced. Therefore, if either the insulation material (300) or the busbar bulkhead (200) is damaged, only the damaged portion can be separated and replaced for reuse, thereby achieving cost savings.

[0059] As described above, in the battery pack (1000) according to one embodiment of the present invention, even if thermal runaway occurs in one module, the transfer to the neighboring module can be delayed by the busbar partition wall (200) disposed between neighboring battery modules (100), while improving the ease of assembly and reducing the cost. That is, since the busbar portion (210) and the partition wall portion (220) are formed in a combined state, the number of parts can be reduced and the ease of assembly can be improved. In addition, by disposing the insulation (300) between the partition walls (220), damage to the insulation during the assembly process can be prevented, and even if the partition wall portion (220) is damaged by thermal runaway, heat transfer can be prevented or delayed by the insulation (300).

[0060] Hereinafter, a battery pack according to another embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to FIGS. 6 and 7.

[0061] FIG. 6 is a perspective view of a busbar bulkhead and an insulation material in a battery pack according to another embodiment of the present invention, and FIG. 7 is a perspective view of a busbar portion included in the busbar bulkhead of FIG. 6.

[0062] As illustrated in FIG. 6, the busbar bulkhead (200) included in the battery pack according to another embodiment of the present invention is different from the previous embodiment in that the busbar portion (210) and the pair of bulkhead portions (220) are joined by sliding rather than welding. To this end, as illustrated in FIG. 7, the lower surface of the busbar portion (210) includes a recessed portion (211) formed at a position corresponding to the pair of bulkhead portions (220). As illustrated in FIG. 6, the upper surface of the bulkhead portion (220) is slidably joined to the recessed portion (211), thereby joining the busbar portion (210) and the pair of bulkhead portions (220) to complete the busbar bulkhead (200). According to this configuration, the bus bar (210) and the pair of bulkheads (220) can be formed into a single part by joining while being separated, so that the advantages of being formed by joining (ease of assembly and process, cost reduction) can be enjoyed, while the ease of joining between the bus bar (210) and the pair of bulkheads (220) can also be improved.

[0063] Hereinafter, a battery pack according to another embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to FIG. 8.

[0064] FIG. 8 is a perspective view of a busbar bulkhead and insulation in a battery pack according to another embodiment of the present invention.

[0065] As illustrated in FIG. 8, in the case of the busbar bulkhead (200) included in the battery pack according to another embodiment of the present invention, the busbar portion (210) and the pair of bulkhead portions (220) are joined by a fastening member rather than welding, which is different from the previous embodiments. For this purpose, as illustrated in FIG. 8, the busbar portion (210) includes a fastening hole (212) formed at a position corresponding to the pair of bulkhead portions (220) and penetrating the busbar portion (210). Corresponding to the fastening hole (212), a fastening groove (221) is formed in the pair of bulkhead portions (220). After aligning their positions, the fastening member (400) is inserted through the fastening hole (212) and the fastening groove (221), whereby the busbar portion (210) and the pair of bulkhead portions (220) are joined to complete the busbar bulkhead (200). According to this configuration, the bus bar (210) and the pair of bulkheads (220) can be formed into a single part by joining while being separated, so that the advantages of being formed by joining (ease of assembly and process, cost reduction) can be enjoyed, while the ease of joining between the bus bar (210) and the pair of bulkheads (220) can also be improved.

[0066] The above battery pack can be applied to various devices. Specifically, it can be applied to transportation vehicles such as electric bicycles, electric vehicles, and hybrid vehicles, but is not limited thereto, and can be applied to various devices that can use secondary batteries.

[0067] In this example, terms indicating directions such as front, back, left, right, up, and down are used, but these terms are only for convenience of explanation and may vary depending on the location of the target object or the location of the observer.

[0068] Although the preferred embodiments of the present invention have been described in detail above, the scope of the present invention is not limited thereto, and various modifications and improvements made by those skilled in the art using the basic concept of the present invention defined in the following claims also fall within the scope of the present invention.

[0069] [Explanation of symbols]

[0070] 1000: Battery pack

[0071] 100: Battery module

[0072] 200: Busbar bulkhead

[0073] 210: Busbabu

[0074] 220: Bulkhead

[0075] 300: Insulation

Claims

1. Multiple battery modules, and Including a busbar bulkhead arranged between adjacent battery modules among the above plurality of battery modules, The above busbar bulkhead, A busbar section electrically connecting terminal busbars provided in each of the above neighboring battery modules, and A battery pack comprising a pair of baffles coupled to the above bus bar portion and arranged between side surfaces of the adjacent battery modules.

2. In paragraph 1, A battery pack further comprising an insulating material interposed between the pair of baffles.

3. In paragraph 2, A battery pack in which the above busbar bulkhead and the above insulation are formed to be separable.

4. In paragraph 2, The above insulation material is a battery pack containing mica or foamed silicone.

5. In paragraph 1, A battery pack wherein the pair of baffles have a flat plate shape parallel to the side surfaces of the adjacent battery modules.

6. In paragraph 5, The above bus bar portion is a battery pack having a bar shape extending in a direction perpendicular to the side surface of the neighboring battery module.

7. In paragraph 6, The above bus bar portion includes two through holes formed at both ends of the bar shape, A battery pack in which the above pair of bulkheads are placed between the two through holes.

8. In paragraph 1, The above bus bar portion is a battery pack integrally connected to the pair of bulkhead portions by welding.

9. In paragraph 1, The above pair of baffles is a battery pack including aluminum (Al).

10. In paragraph 1, The above bus bar portion includes a recessed portion corresponding to the pair of bulkhead portions, The above-mentioned recessed portion is a battery pack that is slidably connected to the upper portion of the pair of bulkheads.

11. In paragraph 1, The above bus bar portion includes a joining hole at a position in contact with the pair of bulkhead portions, The above pair of bulkheads includes a joining groove at a position corresponding to the joining hole, A battery pack in which the bus bar portion and the pair of bulkhead portions are connected to each other by a fastening member penetrating the connecting hole and the connecting groove.

12. A device comprising a battery pack according to paragraph 1.

Images