Battery pack and vehicle including same

Abstract

A battery pack according to the present invention comprises: a plurality of battery modules; a pack case having an inner space for accommodating the plurality of battery modules and a wall part surrounding the battery modules; and at least one fire-resistant partition wall which partitions the inner space, which is disposed between the battery modules, and which is detachably assembled to the wall part, wherein the fire-resistant partition wall may comprise a body part made of a fire-resistant material and an edge part made of a rigid material and surrounding the outer periphery of the body part.

Description

Battery pack and vehicle including same

[0001] The present invention relates to a battery pack, and more particularly, to a battery pack capable of suppressing or delaying a thermal runaway phenomenon between battery modules in the event of a fire in the battery pack.

[0002] This application claims priority to Korean Patent Application No. 10-2024-0070559, filed on May 30, 2024, and all contents disclosed in the specification and drawings of the said application are incorporated by reference into this application.

[0003] Secondary batteries, which boast high electrical properties such as high energy density and easy applicability across a wide range of product categories, are widely used not only in portable devices but also in electric vehicles (EVs) and hybrid electric vehicles (HEVs) powered by electrical power sources. These batteries are attracting attention as a new energy source for environmental friendliness and energy efficiency, not only because they can dramatically reduce fossil fuel use, but also because they produce no byproducts from energy use.

[0004] Commonly used secondary batteries today include lithium-ion batteries, lithium polymer batteries, nickel-cadmium batteries, nickel-metal hydride batteries, and nickel-zinc batteries. When high output voltage is required, multiple battery cells are connected in series to form a battery module or battery pack. Furthermore, to increase charge / discharge capacity, multiple battery cells are connected in parallel to form a battery module or battery pack. Therefore, the number of battery cells included in a battery module or battery pack can vary depending on the required output voltage or charge / discharge capacity.

[0005] Typically, secondary batteries have an operating voltage of approximately 2.5 V to 4.5 V. Therefore, for example, in the case of electric vehicles, a battery module is formed by connecting multiple secondary batteries in series and / or parallel, and a battery pack is formed by connecting multiple battery modules in series and / or parallel, which are then used as an energy source.

[0006] Meanwhile, recent battery packs feature a large number of battery modules packed tightly into a limited internal space within the pack case, resulting in extremely low energy density. These battery packs are facing fire safety concerns, as a fire in one of the battery modules can quickly spread heat and ignite other nearby battery modules.

[0007] Accordingly, in the industry, when designing a battery pack, it is becoming an important task to devise a method to delay or suppress the transmission of thermal energy between battery modules within the battery pack in preparation for the issue of battery module ignition.

[0008] The present invention was created against the background described above, and its primary purpose is to provide a battery pack capable of suppressing or delaying the spread of heat energy to adjacent battery modules in the event of a fire in a battery module.

[0009] In addition, the present invention aims to apply a fireproof bulkhead that can be assembled and disassembled inside a pack case so that the battery modules and the fireproof bulkhead can be variably arranged as needed and the internal space of the battery pack can be used more efficiently.

[0010] The technical problems to be solved by the present invention are not limited to the problems described above, and other problems not mentioned will be clearly understood by those skilled in the art from the description of the invention described below.

[0011] According to the present invention, a battery pack can be provided, comprising: a plurality of battery modules; a pack case having an internal space for accommodating the plurality of battery modules and a wall portion surrounding the battery modules; and at least one fire-resistant partition wall that partitions the internal space and is disposed between the battery modules and detachably assembled to the wall portion, wherein the fire-resistant partition wall includes a main body portion made of a fire-resistant material; and a frame portion made of a rigid material and surrounding an outer periphery of the main body portion.

[0012] The above main body may be made of a refractory material including at least one of aerogel, mica, and silicon.

[0013] The above-mentioned frame may be made of a rigid material including at least one of steel, reinforced ceramic, and titanium.

[0014] Each of the above battery modules can be placed inside the pack case so as to be surrounded in the left, right, front, and rear directions by the wall portion and the fireproof bulkhead.

[0015] The above wall portion may include a bulkhead assembly portion provided so that the fireproof bulkhead is slidably coupled in the vertical direction.

[0016] The above bulkhead assembly may include a pair of guide blocks protruding from the side of the wall portion, extending in the vertical direction, and spaced apart from each other by a distance corresponding to the thickness of the fireproof bulkhead.

[0017] The pair of guide blocks may have at least one bolt fastening hole, and the fireproof bulkhead may have a through hole that matches the bolt fastening hole when inserted between the pair of guide blocks.

[0018] The above bulkhead assembly may include an insertion guide groove formed to a predetermined depth in a side surface of the wall body and extending in a vertical direction, and the fireproof bulkhead may include an insertion projection provided at least on one end and configured to be fitted into the insertion guide groove in a vertical direction.

[0019] As another example, the bulkhead assembly may include an insertion guide projection that protrudes from a side surface of the wall portion and extends in a vertical direction, and the fireproof bulkhead may include an insertion groove that is provided at least on one end and is designed to fit into the insertion guide projection in a vertical direction.

[0020] The pack case may include a pack tray having an open upper portion and a bottom plate on which the plurality of battery modules are mounted, and a pack cover covering the open upper portion of the pack tray.

[0021] The above wall portion may include an outer wall disposed along the outer edge of the floor plate; and a first cross beam extending across the floor plate and connected to the outer wall.

[0022] The above-mentioned fireproof bulkhead may have one end joined to the first cross beam, and the other end joined to the outer wall.

[0023] The pack case further includes a second cross beam that partitions between the battery modules that are laterally adjacent, and the fireproof bulkhead can be arranged between the battery modules and the second cross beam.

[0024] It may further include a module top cover bulkhead detachably assembled to the wall portion to cover the top portion of at least one of the battery modules.

[0025] The above wall portion may have a partition wall mounting groove formed in a recessed manner on the upper surface, and the module upper cover partition wall may have a mounting protrusion on the edge that is shaped to fit the partition wall mounting groove.

[0026] As another example, the wall portion may be provided at the upper end and may have a bolt fastening portion including a screw hole, and the module top cover bulkhead may be provided at the edge and may include a protrusion that is bolted to the bolt fastening portion.

[0027] According to another aspect of the present invention, a vehicle including the above-described battery pack can be provided.

[0028] According to the present invention, a battery pack can be provided that can suppress or delay the spread of heat energy to adjacent battery modules in the event of a fire in a battery module.

[0029] In addition, according to the present invention, a fireproof bulkhead that can be assembled and disassembled is applied inside the pack case, so that the battery modules and the fireproof bulkhead can be variably arranged as needed, and the internal space of the battery pack can be used more efficiently.

[0030] 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.

[0031] FIG. 1 is a schematic perspective view of a battery pack according to one embodiment of the present invention.

[0032] Figure 2 is a partially exploded perspective view of the battery pack of Figure 1.

[0033] Figure 3 is a perspective view of the pack tray of Figure 1.

[0034] Figure 4 is a perspective view of a fireproof bulkhead according to one embodiment of the present invention.

[0035] Figure 5 is a cross-sectional view of the refractory bulkhead of Figure 4.

[0036] Figure 6 is an exploded perspective view of the refractory bulkhead of Figure 4.

[0037] Figures 7 and 8 are assembly process diagrams of a fireproof bulkhead for a pack case according to one embodiment of the present invention.

[0038] FIG. 9 is a drawing showing a battery pack in which the arrangement of the fireproof bulkhead is configured differently according to the change in the size of the battery modules compared to the implementation configuration of FIG. 2.

[0039] FIG. 10 is a drawing showing a bulkhead assembly of a fireproof bulkhead and a pack case according to another embodiment of the present invention.

[0040] Fig. 11 is a drawing showing an example in which the refractory bulkhead of Fig. 10 is assembled into a pack case.

[0041] FIG. 12 is a drawing showing a bulkhead assembly of a fireproof bulkhead and a pack case according to another embodiment of the present invention.

[0042] Figure 13 is a drawing showing an example of the refractory bulkhead of Figure 12 being assembled into a pack case.

[0043] FIG. 14 is a drawing illustrating a main part of a battery pack including a module top cover bulkhead as another embodiment of the present invention.

[0044] Figure 15 is a partial plan view of a pack tray with the module top cover bulkhead of Figure 14 assembled.

[0045] FIG. 16 is a drawing showing a main part of a battery pack including a module top cover bulkhead according to another embodiment of the present invention.

[0046] Fig. 17 is a partial plan view of a pack tray with the module top cover bulkhead of Fig. 16 assembled.

[0047] FIG. 18 is a drawing illustrating a main part of a battery pack including a second cross beam and a fireproof bulkhead as another embodiment of the present invention.

[0048] FIG. 19 is a schematic drawing of a vehicle including a battery pack according to one embodiment of the present invention.

[0049] Hereinafter, preferred embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the attached drawings. Prior to this, it should be noted that the terms and words used in this specification and claims should not be interpreted as limited to their typical or dictionary meanings, and should be interpreted with meanings and concepts that conform to the technical spirit of the present invention, based on the principle that the inventor can appropriately define the concept of the term to best explain his or her own invention. 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 spirit of the present invention. Therefore, it should be understood that various equivalents and modified examples may exist as of the time of this application.

[0050] In addition, when describing the present invention, if it is determined that a detailed description of a related known configuration or function may obscure the gist of the present invention, the detailed description is omitted.

[0051] Since the embodiments of the present invention are provided to more fully explain the present invention to those skilled in the art, the shapes and sizes of components in the drawings may be exaggerated, omitted, or schematically illustrated for clearer explanation. Accordingly, the sizes and proportions of each component do not fully reflect the actual sizes or proportions.

[0052] FIG. 1 is a schematic perspective view of a battery pack according to one embodiment of the present invention, FIG. 2 is a partially exploded perspective view of the battery pack of FIG. 1, FIG. 3 is a perspective view of the pack tray of FIG. 1, and FIG. 4 is a perspective view of a fireproof bulkhead according to one embodiment of the present invention.

[0053] Referring to these drawings, a battery pack (10) according to one embodiment of the present invention includes a plurality of battery modules (100), a pack case (200) that accommodates the plurality of battery modules (100), and a fireproof bulkhead (300) that partitions the internal space of the pack case (200) and is placed between the battery modules (100).

[0054] The battery module (100) may include a plurality of battery cells and a module case that accommodates the battery cells. Here, the battery cell refers to a secondary battery including an electrode assembly, an electrolyte, and a battery case, and there is no limitation on any form of secondary battery, such as a pouch-shaped, cylindrical, or square secondary battery. The module case has an internal space that can accommodate the battery cells, and may be made of a metal material such as steel or a non-metal material with high rigidity so as to protect the battery cells from external impacts.

[0055] The above battery module (100) may be configured to have one or more venting holes (not shown) on at least one side of the module case, and to discharge gas or the like to the outside of the module case through the venting holes when the battery cells are ignited so that the internal pressure does not rapidly increase.

[0056] The pack case (200) may be configured to include a wall portion (212) that forms an internal space surrounding the battery modules (100) and accommodate a plurality of battery modules (100) in the internal space. For example, the pack case (200) may be configured to include a pack tray (210) and a pack cover (220), as shown in FIGS. 1 and 2.

[0057] The pack tray (210) may be provided in the form of a box with compartmentalized spaces inside and an open top. The battery modules (100) may be placed one by one in each of the compartmentalized spaces. In addition, the pack cover (220) may be provided to cover the open top of the pack tray (210) and be mutually connectable with the pack tray (210).

[0058] More specifically, referring to FIG. 3, the pack tray (210) may include a bottom plate (211) on which the plurality of battery modules (100) are mounted, and a wall portion (212) fixedly connected to the bottom plate (211) so that an internal space is formed in the pack tray (210).

[0059] The wall portion (212) may include an outer wall (212a) arranged along the outer edge of the floor plate (211). The pack tray (210) has an internal space surrounded by the floor plate (211) and the outer wall (212a). In addition, the wall portion (212) may include a first cross beam (212b) that extends across the floor plate (211) and is connected to the outer wall (212a). For example, the first cross beam (212b) may be configured to pass through the center of the floor plate and extend in a horizontal direction (X direction) and have both ends connected to the outer wall (212a) to divide the internal space of the pack tray (210) into two groups. The battery modules (100) may be divided into two groups and arranged on the left side (-Y direction) and the right side (+Y direction) of the first cross beam (212b). For convenience of explanation, the battery modules (100) arranged on the left side of the first cross beam (212b) are referred to as first group battery modules, and the battery modules (100) arranged on the right side of the first cross beam (212b) are referred to as second group battery modules.

[0060] This first cross beam (212b) can serve to increase the structural rigidity of the pack tray (210) by supporting the outer wall (212a). Accordingly, deformation such as warping of the pack tray (210) can be suppressed even in the event of an external impact. In addition, the first cross beam (212b) can serve to partition the first group battery modules and the second group battery modules, thereby blocking or delaying the spread of heat to the battery modules of the other group when a fire occurs in one group of battery modules.

[0061] The above pack tray (210) may further include a gas discharge port (201). One or more of the gas discharge ports (201) may be provided on at least one side of the outer wall (212a).

[0062] A metal mesh net may be combined with the gas outlet (201). Gas generated when the battery module (100) ignites may pass through the metal mesh net and be discharged to the outside of the pack case (200), but flames or sparks may be prevented from leaking out by the metal mesh net. Although not shown, a valve unit that opens and closes depending on the pressure difference between the inside and outside of the pack case (200) may be mounted on the gas outlet (201).

[0063] For example, two gas exhaust ports (201) may be provided at the front (+X direction) and rear (-X direction) of the outer wall (212a), respectively. One of the two gas exhaust ports (201) provided at the front of the outer wall (212a) may be provided at the left side (-Y direction) of the first cross beam (212b), and the other may be provided at the right side (+Y direction) of the first cross beam (212b). The two gas exhaust ports (201) provided at the rear of the outer wall (212a) may also be provided at the left side and the right side of the first cross beam (212b), respectively. The gas discharge ports (201) located on the left side of the first cross beam (212b) are used to discharge gas generated when the first group battery module (100) is ignited to the outside of the pack case (200), and the gas discharge ports (201) located on the right side of the first cross beam (212b) are used to discharge gas generated when the second group battery module (100) is ignited to the outside of the pack case (200).

[0064] The pack cover (220) may be provided in the form of a plate or cover that is bolted to the upper end of the outer wall (212a) of the pack tray (210) and can cover the open upper portion of the pack tray (210), for example. Although not shown, a sealing gasket may be arranged on the upper end of the outer wall (212a), and the edge of the pack cover (220) may be placed on the sealing gasket to increase the airtightness of the pack case (200).

[0065] Meanwhile, the battery pack (10) according to one embodiment of the present invention includes a fire-resistant partition wall (300) that is detachably assembled to the wall portion (212) of the pack tray (210). As will be described in detail later, the fire-resistant partition wall (300) according to the present invention is made of a fire-resistant material, and thus, in the event of a fire in the battery pack (10), serves to suppress or delay the transmission of thermal energy between adjacent battery modules (100). In addition, the battery pack (10) according to the present invention is configured so that the fire-resistant partition wall (300) can be assembled and disassembled from the pack tray (210), and thus the fire-resistant partition wall (300) can be added or omitted as needed. In this case, not only battery modules (100) of the same size but also battery modules (100) of different sizes can be stored in the partitioned spaces, and thus the usability of the internal space of the battery pack (10) can be improved. In addition, if the fireproof bulkhead (300) is damaged or has a durability problem, only the fireproof bulkhead (300) can be replaced or repaired, thereby increasing the convenience of maintenance and repair.

[0066] The above fire-resistant partition (300) is placed between the battery modules (100) to separate the battery modules (100). The fire-resistant partition (300) is made of a fire-resistant material so as to block the transmission of heat between the battery modules (100) in the event of a fire.

[0067] Specifically, referring to FIGS. 4 to 6, a fireproof bulkhead (300) according to one embodiment of the present invention may include a main body (310) made of a fireproof material, and a frame (320) made of a rigid material and surrounding the periphery of the main body (310).

[0068] The main body (310) may be formed of a refractory material, such as at least one of aerogel, mica, and silicon. The frame (320) may be formed of a rigid material, such as at least one of steel, reinforced ceramic, and titanium.

[0069] The above main body (310) is a part that serves to suppress the movement of heat and occupies 80% to 90% of the refractory bulkhead (300), and the above edge part (320) can be said to be a part that serves to support the main body (310) so that the shape of the main body (310) can be maintained.

[0070] For example, the frame portion (320) may be provided in the form of a square frame with an empty interior. The main body portion (310) may be provided to completely fill the empty space inside the frame portion (320).

[0071] The above fireproof bulkhead (300) may further include a fireproof sheet (330). The fireproof sheet (330) may be made of, for example, polyvinyl chloride (PVC) with an additional fire retardant added thereto or a material with excellent fire retardant performance, such as silicone-coated siltex.

[0072] The above-mentioned refractory sheet (330) can be attached to both sides of the main body (310) and the frame (320). Referring to FIG. 6, the refractory sheet (330) has an area that can integrally cover the main body (310) and the frame (320) and can be joined to the frame (320) by means of adhesion, bolting, riveting, or the like.

[0073] In this embodiment, the fire-resistant bulkhead (300) may be provided to have a length corresponding to the distance between the first cross beam (212b) and the outer wall (212a) described above, and a height equal to or lower than the outer wall (212a). Here, the outer wall (212a) refers to the outer wall (212a) arranged parallel to the first cross beam (212b).

[0074] The above-mentioned fireproof bulkhead (300) can be slidably coupled to the pack tray (210) in the vertical direction, as shown in Fig. 7. In particular, the wall portion (212) provided in the pack case (200) according to the present invention can include a bulkhead assembly portion (213) as a means for accurately and easily installing the fireproof bulkhead (300) at a designated location and providing structural stability.

[0075] The bulkhead assembly (213) according to the present embodiment may include a pair of guide blocks (213a, 213b) that protrude from the side of the wall portion (212), extend in the vertical direction, and are spaced apart from each other by a distance corresponding to the thickness of the fireproof bulkhead (300). The pair of guide blocks (213a, 213b) may be configured to be detachably attached to the wall portion (212). For example, the pair of guide blocks (213a, 213b) may be configured to be coupled and decoupled from the wall portion (212) by a bolting or snap-fit ​​method.

[0076] As illustrated in FIG. 3, the pair of guide blocks (213a, 213b) may be installed on one surface of the first cross beam (212b) and on an outer wall (212a) facing one surface of the first cross beam (212b), and on the other surface of the first cross beam (212b) and on an outer wall (212a) facing the other surface of the first cross beam (212b). In the present embodiment, the pair of guide blocks (213a, 213b) are installed at regular intervals, but may be configured differently from the present embodiment. For example, the interval between the pair of guide blocks (213a, 213b) may be determined according to the width of the battery module (100) to be stored in the pack tray (210). That is, the gap between the pair of guide blocks (213a, 213b) may be set narrower or wider than the gap (gap in the X direction) shown in FIG. 3.

[0077] Next, the process and structure for assembling the above-mentioned refractory bulkhead (300) to the pack tray (210) are briefly described as follows.

[0078] The above-mentioned fire-resistant bulkhead (300) can be inserted into a pair of guide blocks (213a, 213b) first installed in the wall portion (212), as shown in Fig. 7. At this time, one end of the fire-resistant bulkhead (300) can be inserted between a pair of guide blocks (213a, 213b) installed in a first cross beam (212b), and the other end of the fire-resistant bulkhead (300) can be inserted between a pair of guide blocks (213a, 213b) installed in an outer wall (212a). At this time, one end of the fire-resistant bulkhead (300) can be connected to the first cross beam (212b), and the other end can be connected to the outer wall (212a).

[0079] The pair of guide blocks (213a, 213b) may have at least one bolt fastening hole (213c). For example, as shown in FIG. 8, the pair of guide blocks (213a, 213b) may be provided at a predetermined height and may have a bolt fastening hole (213c) formed penetrating in a direction intersecting the refractory bulkhead (300). In addition, the refractory bulkhead (300) may have a through-hole (321) that matches the bolt fastening hole (213c) when inserted between the pair of guide blocks (213a, 213b) and seated on the bottom plate (211) of the pack tray (210). The bolt fastening hole (213c) and the through-hole (321) may be configured such that a fastening member (B), such as a bolt or a rivet, is inserted and fastened thereto.

[0080] According to this implementation configuration, the refractory bulkhead (300) can be inserted vertically between the pair of guide blocks (213a, 213b) and then fixed to the pack tray (210) by the fastening member (B). Meanwhile, unlike the present embodiment, the fastening member (B) may not be applied depending on the situation.

[0081] In this manner, when a plurality of fire-resistant bulkheads (300) are combined with the pack tray (210), partitioned spaces can be provided inside the pack tray (210). Battery modules (100) can be placed in each of the partitioned spaces. In this case, each battery module (100) can be surrounded in all directions, front, back, left and right, by the wall portion (212) and the fire-resistant bulkhead (300). Therefore, in the battery pack (10) according to one embodiment of the present invention, when a fire occurs in the battery module (100), the heat energy to other adjacent battery modules (100) can be suppressed or delayed by the fire-resistant bulkhead (300).

[0082] FIG. 9 is a drawing showing a battery pack (10) in which the arrangement of the fireproof bulkhead (300) is configured differently according to the change in the size of the battery modules (100) compared to the implementation configuration of FIG. 2.

[0083] Meanwhile, the fireproof bulkhead (300) according to the present invention can be assembled and disassembled from the pack tray (210) as described above. Therefore, the arrangement of the battery modules (100) and the fireproof bulkhead (300) can be changed as needed. For example, as shown in FIG. 9, some of the fireproof bulkheads (300) can be separated from the pack tray (210) to place a larger-sized battery module (100A) on the right side of the first cross beam (212b). In addition, the battery pack (10) can be configured so that a larger number of fireproof bulkheads (300) can be assembled to the pack tray (210) by narrowing the gap between the bulkhead assembly parts (213) and increasing the number of the bulkhead assembly parts compared to the present embodiment. In this case, battery modules (100) or other electrical components of various sizes can be stored in the partitioned spaces.

[0084] FIG. 10 is a drawing showing a fireproof bulkhead (300A) and a bulkhead assembly (213) of a pack case (200) according to another embodiment of the present invention, and FIG. 11 is a drawing showing an example in which the fireproof bulkhead (300A) of FIG. 10 is assembled to a pack case (200).

[0085] The same reference numerals as in the previous drawings indicate the same reference parts, and duplicate descriptions of the same reference parts will be omitted, and the differences from the previously described embodiment will be mainly explained.

[0086] A bulkhead assembly (213) according to another embodiment of the present invention may include an insertion guide groove (213d) that is formed to a predetermined depth in a side surface of a wall portion (212) and extends in a vertical direction, as illustrated in FIG. 10. A fireproof bulkhead (300A) according to another embodiment of the present invention may include an insertion projection (323) that is provided at least at one end and is designed to be fitted into the insertion guide groove (213d) in a vertical direction.

[0087] According to the embodiment illustrated in FIGS. 10 and 11, the degree of freedom of the internal space of the pack case (200) and the convenience of assembling the fireproof bulkhead (300) can be increased compared to the embodiment illustrated in FIGS. 7 and 8. For example, in the case of the embodiment described above, a pair of guide blocks (213a, 213b) are provided in a protruding form from the side of the wall portion (212), so that when the battery module (100) is placed, the guide blocks (213a, 213b) and the battery module (100) may interfere with each other. In addition, there is a disadvantage in that the fireproof bulkhead (300) and the guide blocks (213a, 213b) must be processed for bolt fastening, which increases the assembly work. However, according to another embodiment of the present invention, the fireproof bulkhead (300) can be easily assembled to the pack tray (210) by inserting the insertion projection (323) of the fireproof bulkhead (300A) into the insertion guide groove (213d) of the wall portion (212). Therefore, the assembly of the fireproof bulkhead (300A) is very easy. In addition, unlike the pair of guide blocks (213a, 213b) of the above-described embodiment, there is no protruding portion from the wall portion (212), making it easy to place the battery module (100).

[0088] Although not shown, the wall portion (212) may be provided with a plurality of insertion guide grooves (213d), and the plurality of insertion guide grooves (213d) may be provided along the longitudinal direction (X direction) of the wall portion (212). Here, the spacing between the insertion guide grooves (213d) may be configured in various ways. For example, the number of the insertion guide grooves (213d) may be increased and the spacing between the insertion guide grooves (213d) may be configured narrower than in the present embodiment. The refractory bulkhead (300) may be inserted into a required position among the plurality of insertion guide grooves (213d). In this case, the assembly position of the refractory bulkhead (300) may be variably operated depending on the size of the battery module (100) to be mounted on the pack tray (210).

[0089] As a modified example of the embodiment of FIGS. 10 and 11, a bulkhead assembly (213) according to another embodiment of the present invention includes an insertion guide projection (213e) that is formed protrudingly on a side surface of the wall portion and extends in a vertical direction, as shown in FIG. 12, and the fireproof bulkhead (300B) may include an insertion groove (325) provided at least at one end and arranged to be fitted into the insertion guide projection (213e) in a vertical direction.

[0090] The assembly of the pack tray (210) and the fireproof bulkhead (300) can be completed by inserting the insertion groove (325) of the above-described fireproof bulkhead (300B) into the insertion guide protrusion (213e) of the wall portion (212). Therefore, as in the above-described embodiment, the assembly of the fireproof bulkhead (300B) is very easy. As in the case of the pair of guide blocks (213a, 213b) of the above-described embodiment, there is no protruding portion from the wall portion (212), making it easy to place the battery module (100).

[0091] FIG. 14 is a drawing showing a main part of a battery pack (10) including a module top cover bulkhead (400) as another embodiment of the present invention, and FIG. 15 is a plan view of a part of a pack tray (210) on which the module top cover bulkhead (400) of FIG. 14 is assembled.

[0092] The same reference numerals as in the previous drawings indicate the same reference parts, and duplicate descriptions of the same reference parts will be omitted, and the differences from the previously described embodiment will be mainly explained.

[0093] A battery pack (10) according to another embodiment of the present invention may further include a module top cover bulkhead (400) that is detachably assembled to the wall portion (212) to cover the upper portion of at least one battery module (100).

[0094] For example, a battery pack (10) according to another embodiment of the present invention may be configured such that the front, back, left, and right sides of the battery module (100) are covered by the wall portion (212) and the fire-resistant partition wall (300) according to the above-described embodiment, and the upper part of the battery module (100) is covered by the module top cover partition wall (400).

[0095] The module top cover bulkhead (400) may be configured substantially identically to the fire-resistant bulkhead (300). That is, the module top cover bulkhead (400), like the fire-resistant bulkhead (300), may be configured with a main body (310) made of a fire-resistant material, a frame (320) made of a rigid material and surrounding the periphery of the main body (310), and a fire-resistant sheet (330) that integrally covers the main body (310) and the frame (320).

[0096] The module top cover bulkhead (400) may be configured to be detachably attached to the pack tray (210). To this end, the wall portion (212) of the pack tray (210) may have a bulkhead mounting groove (214) formed recessed in the upper surface, as shown in FIG. 14, and the module top cover bulkhead (400) may have a mounting protrusion (410) on the edge that is shaped to fit the bulkhead mounting groove (214).

[0097] According to this implementation configuration, as shown in FIG. 15, the module upper cover bulkhead (400) can be mounted on the upper part of the wall portion (212) of the pack tray (210) to cover the upper part of the battery module (100). In this case, the upper part, front and rear, left and right sides of the battery module (100) can all be covered, so that in the event of a fire in the battery module (100), heat and flames can be more effectively prevented from being transferred to other adjacent battery modules (100).

[0098] As another example of the embodiment configuration of FIGS. 14 and 15, as shown in FIGS. 16 and 17, the wall portion (212) according to another embodiment of the present invention may include a bolt fastening portion (215) having a screw hole (215a) at the upper end. In addition, the module upper cover bulkhead (400A) may include a protrusion (420) provided on the edge and bolted (B2) to the bolt fastening portion (215). For example, the bolt fastening portion (215) may be formed recessed into the upper surface of the wall portion (212), and the protrusion (420) of the module upper cover bulkhead (400A) may be provided in a form having a bolt insertion hole that is shaped to fit the bolt fastening portion (215) and is aligned vertically with the screw hole (215a). According to this implementation configuration, the module top cover bulkhead (400A) can be more stably fixed to the pack tray (210).

[0099] FIG. 18 is a drawing illustrating a main part of a battery pack (10) including a second cross beam (212c) and a fireproof bulkhead (300) as another embodiment of the present invention.

[0100] The same reference numerals as in the previous drawings indicate the same reference parts, and duplicate descriptions of the same reference parts will be omitted, and the differences from the previously described embodiment will be mainly explained.

[0101] A battery pack (10) according to another embodiment of the present invention may further include a second cross beam (212c) compared to the above-described embodiments. That is, a pack tray (210) according to another embodiment of the present invention may include a bottom plate (211), an outer wall (212a), a first cross beam (212b), and a second cross beam (212c). Here, the second cross beam (212c) is a part of the pack tray (210) that is arranged in a direction intersecting the first cross beam (212b) described above and partitions between the battery modules (100) that are adjacent in a side direction.

[0102] The second cross beam (212c) may have both ends fixedly connected to the first cross beam (212b) and the outer wall (212a). The second cross beam (212c) supports the outer wall (212a) together with the first cross beam (212b), thereby increasing the structural rigidity of the pack tray (210). In addition, it may serve to block or delay heat transmission between adjacent battery modules (100).

[0103] In another embodiment of the present invention, the fireproof bulkhead (300A) may be placed between the battery module (100) and the second cross beam (212c), as shown in FIG. 18. In this case, the structural rigidity of the pack case (200) can be further strengthened, and heat transmission between the battery modules (100) in the event of a fire can be more reliably blocked or delayed.

[0104] Next, a vehicle according to the present invention will be briefly described with reference to FIG. 19.

[0105] FIG. 19 is a schematic drawing of a vehicle including a battery pack (10) according to one embodiment of the present invention.

[0106] A vehicle (1) according to the present invention may be configured to include the battery pack (10), ECU (Electronic Control Unit, 20), inverter (30), and motor (40) described above according to one embodiment of the present invention. Preferably, the vehicle (1) may be an electric vehicle.

[0107] The above battery pack (10) can be used as an electric energy source to drive a motor (40) and drive a vehicle (1). The battery pack (10) can be charged or discharged by an inverter (30) according to the driving of the motor (40) and / or an internal combustion engine (not shown). The battery pack (10) can be charged by a regenerative charging device combined with a brake. The battery pack (10) can be electrically connected to the motor (40) of the vehicle (1) via the inverter (30).

[0108] The ECU (20) is an electronic control device that controls the state of the automobile (1). For example, it determines torque information based on information such as an accelerator, brake, and speed, and controls the output of the motor (40) to match the torque information. In addition, the ECU (20) sends a control signal to the inverter (30) so that the battery pack (10) can be charged or discharged based on state information such as the SOC and SOH of the battery pack (10) transmitted by the BMS. The inverter (30) allows the battery pack (10) to be charged or discharged based on the control signal of the ECU (20). The motor (40) drives the automobile (1) based on control information (e.g., torque information) transmitted from the ECU (20) by using the electric energy of the battery pack (10).

[0109] Although the present invention has been described above with reference to limited embodiments and drawings, the present invention is not limited thereto, and it is obvious that various modifications and variations can be made within the scope of the technical idea of ​​the present invention and the equivalent scope of the claims to be described below by a person skilled in the art to which the present invention pertains.

[0110] In addition, although terms indicating directions such as up, down, left, and right are used in this specification, it is obvious to those skilled in the art that 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.

Claims

1. Multiple battery modules; A pack case having an internal space for accommodating the plurality of battery modules and a wall portion surrounding the battery modules; and Comprising at least one fireproof bulkhead that divides the internal space and is disposed between the battery modules and detachably assembled to the wall portion, A battery pack characterized in that the above fireproof bulkhead comprises a main body made of a fireproof material and a frame made of a rigid material and surrounding the periphery of the main body.

2. In paragraph 1, A battery pack characterized in that the main body is made of a refractory material including at least one of aerogel, mica, and silicon.

3. In paragraph 1, A battery pack characterized in that the above-mentioned frame is made of a rigid material including at least one of steel, reinforced ceramic, and titanium.

4. In paragraph 1, A battery pack characterized in that each of the above battery modules is arranged inside the pack case so as to be surrounded in the left, right, front, and rear directions by the wall portion and the fire-resistant bulkhead.

5. In paragraph 1, A battery pack characterized in that the above wall part includes a bulkhead assembly provided so that the fireproof bulkhead is slidably coupled in the vertical direction.

6. In paragraph 5, The above bulkhead assembly, A battery pack characterized by including a pair of guide blocks protruding from the side of the wall portion, extending in the vertical direction, and spaced apart from each other by a distance corresponding to the thickness of the fireproof bulkhead.

7. In paragraph 6, A battery pack characterized in that the pair of guide blocks has at least one bolt fastening hole, and the fireproof bulkhead has a through hole that matches the bolt fastening hole when inserted between the pair of guide blocks.

8. In paragraph 5, The above bulkhead assembly, It includes an insertion guide groove formed to a predetermined depth on the side of the above wall portion and extending in the vertical direction, A battery pack characterized in that the above-mentioned fireproof bulkhead is provided at least on one side and includes an insertion projection arranged to be fitted in the upper and lower direction into the insertion guide groove.

9. In paragraph 5, The above bulkhead assembly, It includes an insertion guide projection that protrudes from the side of the above wall portion and extends in the vertical direction, A battery pack characterized in that the above-mentioned fireproof bulkhead is provided at least on one side and includes an insertion groove arranged to be fitted in the upper and lower direction to the insertion guide protrusion.

10. In paragraph 1, The above pack case is, A pack tray having an open upper portion and a bottom plate on which the above wall portion and the plurality of battery modules are mounted; and A battery pack characterized by including a pack cover covering the open upper portion of the pack tray.

11. In paragraph 10, The above wall part, A perimeter wall arranged along the outer edge of the above floor plate; and A battery pack characterized by comprising a first cross beam extending across the floor plate and connected to the outer wall.

12. In paragraph 11, A battery pack characterized in that one end of the above-mentioned fireproof bulkhead is connected to the first cross beam and the other end is connected to the outer wall.

13. In paragraph 1, The pack case further comprises a second cross beam that partitions between the battery modules that are laterally adjacent to each other, A battery pack, characterized in that the fireproof bulkhead is disposed between the battery module and the second cross beam.

14. In paragraph 1, A battery pack further comprising a module top cover bulkhead detachably assembled to the wall portion to cover the upper portion of at least one of the battery modules.

15. In paragraph 14, The above wall portion has a partition wall mounting groove formed sunken into the upper surface, A battery pack characterized in that the upper cover bulkhead of the module has a fixing projection that is shaped to fit the bulkhead mounting groove on the edge.

16. In paragraph 14, The above wall portion is provided at the upper part and has a bolt fastening portion including a screw hole, A battery pack characterized in that the upper cover bulkhead of the module is provided on the edge and includes a protrusion that is bolted to the bolt fastening portion.

17. A vehicle characterized by including a battery pack according to any one of claims 1 to 16.

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