Tiled battery system

Abstract

The present document relates to a tiled battery system. The battery system according to the present document comprises: a plurality of battery tiles, each including a battery cell comprising an aqueous electrolyte and a separator and having a tile-shaped rectangular parallelepiped shape; and a fixing profile including an electrical connection configuration for connecting the plurality of battery tiles in series or in parallel, and a fixing configuration for fixing the widest surface of each of the plurality of battery tiles so as to be parallel to the plane of an indoor wall surface.

Description

Tile-type battery system

[0001] The following description relates to a tile-type battery system, specifically, a battery system such as an ESS (Energy Storage System) or UPS (Uninterruptible Power Supply) by configuring cells of a fire-safe aqueous battery having a thin cell shape as tiles that can be attached to a wall.

[0002] Secondary batteries, unlike primary batteries, which are non-rechargeable, are rechargeable and dischargeable. These secondary batteries are used in a variety of applications, including portable devices like cell phones and laptops, as well as electric vehicles, energy storage systems (ESS), and uninterruptible power supplies (UPS).

[0003] Among these secondary batteries, lithium secondary batteries, which are currently the most popular, have a larger capacity than nickel-cadmium batteries or nickel-hydrogen batteries, and their utilization is increasing due to their high energy density per unit weight.

[0004] However, these lithium secondary batteries have the disadvantage of being vulnerable to fire safety, and thus, research on aqueous batteries that can replace / supplement them is actively being conducted.

[0005]

[0006] Meanwhile, secondary batteries can be classified into cylindrical batteries, pouch-type batteries, and square batteries depending on the cell shape.

[0007] Figure 1 is a drawing for explaining a conventional battery type.

[0008] In FIG. 1, reference numeral 1 exemplarily illustrates a cylindrical battery, reference numeral 2 exemplarily illustrates a pouch-type battery, and reference numeral 3 exemplarily illustrates a square battery.

[0009] All of these conventional battery types are arranged in a stacked manner, and they take up a significant amount of space when forming battery systems such as ESS and UPS. If the battery system is placed indoors, the heavy load can be a problem.

[0010] In order to solve the above-described problem, one aspect of the present invention proposes to implement a battery system such as an ESS or UPS by configuring cells of a fire-safe water-based battery as tiles that can be attached to a wall.

[0011] Specifically, in one embodiment of the present invention, a wall-mounted battery system is proposed as described above using a VIB (Vanadium Ion Battery) developed by the applicant among fire-safe water-based batteries.

[0012] In addition, according to an embodiment, a configuration for attaching battery cells to a wall and / or a configuration for the operation of a battery system such as an ESS are specifically proposed, thereby providing a method for maximizing the interior effect of an interior through a battery system and ensuring the safety of the battery system.

[0013] The problems to be solved by the present invention are not limited to the technical problems mentioned above, and other technical problems not mentioned can be clearly understood by a person having ordinary skill in the technical field to which the present invention belongs from the description below.

[0014] In one aspect of the present invention for solving the above-described problem, a tile-type battery system is proposed, comprising: a plurality of battery tiles each including a battery cell having a rectangular parallelepiped shape in the form of a tile, including an aqueous electrolyte and a separator; and a fixing profile including an electrical connection configuration for connecting the plurality of battery tiles in series or parallel, and a fixing configuration for fixing the plurality of battery tiles so that the widest surface thereof is parallel to the plane of an interior wall.

[0015] Each of the plurality of battery tiles includes: the battery cell; first and second current collectors disposed on both sides of the battery cell, each including a protrusion; and upper and lower plates disposed on both sides of the first and second current collectors, wherein the lower plate may include a hole through which the protrusion can pass.

[0016] Both the protrusion of the first collector and the protrusion of the second collector may be configured to protrude in the direction of the lower plate, and may be configured to be connected to the electrical connection configuration through the hole of the lower plate.

[0017] The second case may include a fixing member configured to be connected to the fixed configuration.

[0018] It is preferable that the above-mentioned fixed configuration include a first direction ball latch providing vertical fixing force; and a second direction ball latch providing left-right fixing force.

[0019] The above plurality of battery tiles can be configured by mounting the plurality of battery cells on frames corresponding to N rows and M columns (N and M are natural numbers).

[0020] , the plurality of battery cells may be arranged between the upper and lower plates of the frame.

[0021] At this time, the upper plate and the lower plate can be fixed through bolt fastening.

[0022] In addition, it is preferable that the portion where the bolt is fastened between the upper plate and the lower plate be sealed by a sealing member.

[0023] The above electrical connection configuration can be configured to be connected to the first collector and the second collector without wiring.

[0024] Additionally, the electrical connection configuration may include a bus bar; and an elastic conductor connected to the bus bar and configured to have elasticity and be in electrical contact with a protrusion of the first current collector or the second current collector.

[0025] The above bus bar may be configured to connect the plurality of battery tiles in parallel in the length direction of the bus bar and to connect the plurality of battery tiles in series in the width direction of the bus bar.

[0026] In addition, the busbar is configured to include a first busbar and a second busbar of a size unit of the battery tile in the longitudinal direction of the busbar, and the first busbar and the second busbar can be connected by a connecting busbar.

[0027] The above connecting bus bar can be connected to the back surface of the above fixing profile.

[0028] At this time, the connecting bus bar on the back surface of the fixed profile may be configured to accommodate part or all of a wiring section including at least one of a power line or a communication line.

[0029] The above plurality of battery cells may correspond to battery cells of a VIB (Vanadium Ion Battery), but need not be limited thereto.

[0030] According to the embodiments of the present invention as described above, a battery system such as an ESS or UPS can be implemented by configuring cells of a fire-safe water-based battery as tiles that can be attached to a wall.

[0031] In addition, depending on the embodiment, the interior effect of the battery system can be maximized and the safety of the battery system can be secured through a configuration for attaching battery cells to a wall and / or a configuration for the operation of a battery system such as an ESS.

[0032] The effects that can be obtained from the present invention are not limited to the effects mentioned above, and other effects not mentioned can be clearly understood by a person having ordinary skill in the art to which the present invention belongs from the description below.

[0033] Figure 1 is a drawing for explaining a conventional battery type.

[0034] Figure 2 is a drawing for explaining VRFB.

[0035] FIG. 3 is a drawing for explaining VIB as a water-based battery according to one embodiment of the present invention.

[0036] FIG. 4 is a drawing illustrating the shape of a VIB cell according to one embodiment of the present invention.

[0037] FIGS. 5 and 6 are drawings for explaining application examples of a tile-type battery system according to embodiments of the present invention.

[0038] FIGS. 7 to 9 are drawings for explaining the configuration of a battery tile according to one embodiment of the present invention.

[0039] FIG. 10 and FIG. 11 are drawings for explaining the configuration of a tile-type battery system according to another embodiment of the present invention.

[0040] FIGS. 12 and 13 are drawings for explaining configurations for fixing a battery tile according to one embodiment of the present invention.

[0041] FIG. 14 is a drawing for explaining configurations for fixing a battery tile according to another embodiment of the present invention.

[0042] FIG. 15 and FIG. 16 are drawings for explaining an electrical connection configuration according to one embodiment of the present invention.

[0043] Figure 17 is a drawing for explaining a comparative example of an electrical connection configuration.

[0044] FIG. 18 and FIG. 19 are drawings for explaining electrical connection configurations according to other embodiments of the present invention.

[0045] FIG. 20 and FIG. 21 are drawings for explaining a single-line configuration of a tile-type ESS according to another embodiment of the present invention.

[0046] Figure 22 illustrates the configuration of a single-line configuration of ESS in terms of stacking / installation order.

[0047] FIGS. 23 and 24 illustrate the arrangement of a BMS and a busbar in a tile-type battery system arranged in a matrix form according to one embodiment of the present invention.

[0048] FIG. 25 is a drawing for explaining the arrangement relationship with the peripheral configuration of a tile-type battery system according to one embodiment of the present invention.

[0049] FIG. 26 is a drawing for explaining a series / parallel connection method of battery tiles according to one embodiment of the present invention.

[0050] FIGS. 27 to 29 are drawings for explaining a series / parallel connection method of battery tiles according to another embodiment of the present invention.

[0051] Hereinafter, 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 present invention. However, the present invention may be implemented in various different forms and is not limited to the embodiments described herein. In addition, in the drawings, parts irrelevant to the description have been omitted to clearly explain the present invention, and similar parts have been designated with similar reference numerals throughout the specification.

[0052] 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 stated.

[0053]

[0054] As described above, in one aspect of the present invention, it is proposed to implement a battery system such as an ESS or UPS by configuring cells of a fire-safe water-based battery as tiles that can be attached to a wall.

[0055]

[0056] water-based batteries

[0057] Although various batteries can be used as water-based batteries, for convenience of explanation, the following description focuses on VRFB and VIB developed by the applicant.

[0058] Figure 2 is a drawing for explaining VRFB.

[0059] As illustrated in FIG. 2, the VRFB may include a stack (1) of vanadium-based battery cells, a positive electrode electrolyte tank (2), a negative electrode electrolyte tank (3), and a pump (4) as its basic components.

[0060] The stack (1) has a structure in which unit cells (6) are stacked as shown on the right, and the unit cells (6) can have a structure in which electrodes (9) and current collectors (7) are arranged on both sides with a separator (8) in between.

[0061] In this structure, the structure that generates current is explained. First, the electrolyte (S110) in the electrolyte tank (3) is used to generate a flow of electrolyte (S120) using a pump (4), and this flow of electrolyte moves (S140) to the battery stack (1) through a pipe (S130).

[0062] A battery that generates current by returning the electrolyte to the tank after a vanadium redox reaction occurs within the battery stack (1) can be viewed as a VRFB.

[0063] However, in the case of the VRFB described above, there are problems such as energy consumption of the pump (4), imbalance of ions in the tank (2, 3), occurrence of electrode resistance due to uneven flow of electrolyte, and problems with planted pipelines, which result in reduced energy efficiency.

[0064] FIG. 3 is a drawing for explaining VIB as a water-based battery according to one embodiment of the present invention.

[0065] Referring to FIG. 3, the structurally most significant difference from the VRFB described in FIG. 2 is the absence of a pump (3). Instead, in some embodiments, the VIB (200A) is structurally provided with a transition portion and / or a connecting tube within the VIB so that the first and second electrolytes can be ion-redistributed within the positive electrolyte receiving portion (106A) of the first half-cell (204A) and the negative electrolyte receiving portion (106B) of the second half-cell (204B), respectively.

[0066] The transition portion and / or the connecting tube are capable of various structural deformations, and the reason why ion rearrangement is possible is because crossover occurs, and the crossover occurs: due to an osmotic pressure difference between the two receiving portions (106A, 106B); due to a density change in one or both of the first and second electrolytes; due to diffusion or migration of one or both of the first and second electrolytes; due to first and second redox half reactions; and / or due to expansion or contraction of one or both of the first and second electrolytes due to temperature.

[0067] A VIB implemented in this manner can offer various technical and commercial advantages. For example, it can minimize or eliminate failures or reliability issues arising from passages such as pipe / tube joints between the battery cells and the receiving compartment (tank), as well as malfunctions / malfunctions of pumps used to circulate the electrolyte, thereby reducing the need for repairs, safety issues, and operating costs associated with the operation of the VIB (200A). Furthermore, since there is no need for a pump to circulate the electrolyte between the battery cells and the receiving compartment (tank), overall efficiency can be improved.

[0068] The present inventors have discovered that the use of a VIB (200A) can increase power or energy density by 2 to 50 times, depending on its size, by eliminating the electrolyte circulation between the battery cells and the electrolyte tank required in the VRFB described above with reference to FIG. 2. As described above, power or energy density refers to the power or energy density output relative to the total volume of the energy storage device. Therefore, in the case of a VIB, power or energy density refers to the ratio of the total capacity of the VIB to the power or energy output. In addition, since separate equipment such as a tank, pump, and circulation pipe required for the electrolyte circulation system is not necessary, the space occupied by the energy storage device can also be significantly reduced.

[0069] Additionally, the overall system complexity can be significantly reduced, thereby eliminating constraints on the commercial application of VRFBs. For example, unlike the VRFB of FIG. 2, the VIB (200A) can be manufactured in a pack form, similar to lithium-ion batteries, making it suitable for automated processes and mass production. Furthermore, the VRFB of FIG. 2 does not require the design and construction of chemical plants, such as piping and pumps.

[0070] The following describes the general operating principles and characteristics of a redox battery, using a VIB based on vanadium-based redox pairs as an example. However, embodiments of the present invention are not limited thereto, and it will be appreciated that the principles described below are applicable to other types of redox batteries utilizing other types of redox pairs.

[0071]

[0072] As described above, a liquid electrode can be accommodated in the positive electrolyte receiving portion (106A) and the negative electrolyte receiving portion (106B). A separator (112; membrane) is arranged between these electrolyte receiving portions (106A and 106B), and as described below, it can be seen that protons move between the separators (112) to maintain electrical balance between the electrolytes.

[0073] The liquid electrode contains ions in which a redox (i.e., oxidation-reduction) reaction occurs. The first liquid electrode is an electrolyte in which an anode redox couple is dissolved. The anode redox couple can be implemented with a material including at least one of transition metals such as titanium (Ti), vanadium (V), chromium (Cr), manganese (Mn), iron (Fe), cobalt (Co), or zinc (Zn), bromine (Br), and cesium (Cs), and the electrolyte of the present embodiments includes vanadium (V) and V. 2+ / V 3+ The redox couple is dissolved.

[0074] The first liquid electrode may be an acidic aqueous solution that conducts current through ionization, preferably containing sulfuric acid.

[0075] In this embodiment, the first liquid electrode can be manufactured by dissolving VOSO4 (vanadylsulfate), V2O5 (vanadium pentoxide) or other suitable substances in an H2SO4 aqueous solution.

[0076] The first liquid electrode causes the first half-reaction. The first half-reaction is as shown in [Chemical Formula 1] below, where the right arrow (→) indicates the direction of the discharge reaction and the left arrow (←) indicates the direction of the charge reaction.

[0077] [Chemical Formula 1]

[0078] V 2+ ←→V 3+ + e-

[0079] In the relationship described above, vanadium divalent ions are oxidized to vanadium trivalent ions during discharge, and vanadium trivalent ions are reduced to vanadium divalent ions during charge.

[0080] Meanwhile, the second liquid electrode is an electrolyte in which the cathode redox couple is dissolved, and in the present embodiments, V 4+ / V 5+ Redox couples may exist.

[0081] The second liquid electrode causes the second half-reaction. The second half-reaction is as shown in [Chemical Formula 2] below, where the right arrow (→) indicates the direction of the discharge reaction and the left arrow (←) indicates the direction of the charge reaction.

[0082] [Chemical Formula 2]

[0083] V 5+ + e - ←→V 4+

[0084] At this time, during discharge, vanadium pentavalent ions are reduced to vanadium tetravalent ions, and during charge, vanadium tetravalent ions are oxidized to vanadium pentavalent ions.

[0085]

[0086] Meanwhile, in the VIB cell according to one embodiment of the present invention illustrated in FIG. 3, the hollow cell frame (212) may be divided into a first electrode receiving portion (106A) and a second electrode receiving portion (106B) by a separator (112). The electrode receiving portions (106A, 106B) are formed by being surrounded by the cell frame, the separator, and the current collector. A liquid electrode and a solid electrode are positioned in both electrode receiving portions (106A, 106B), and the liquid electrode may be received in a form in which the solid electrode is impregnated with the liquid electrode. The liquid electrode is electrically connected to a carbon current collector (208A, 208B), so that electrons can move from the current collector toward the liquid electrode or from the liquid electrode toward the current collector depending on charge and discharge. The liquid electrode is in contact with the separator (112), so that hydrogen cations can move through the separator (112) when electrons move.

[0087] The current collector may include a metal current collector (108A, 108B) formed of metal and electrically connected to the bus bar, and a carbon current collector (208A, 208B) disposed between the metal current collector (108A, 108B) and the electrode receiving portion. The carbon current collector (208A, 208B) is preferably formed of a material such as graphite, carbon, carbon plastic, etc., and has high electrical conductivity and high acid resistance. The carbon current collector (208A, 208B) is disposed between the liquid electrode and the metal current collector (108A, 108B) to allow electrons to move while preventing the metal current collector (108A, 108B) from being oxidized.

[0088]

[0089] The aqueous battery used in the tile type battery system described below may be a variety of aqueous batteries, but for convenience of explanation, the VIB described above with reference to FIG. 3 will be described as an example.

[0090] FIG. 4 is a drawing illustrating the shape of a VIB cell according to one embodiment of the present invention.

[0091] In one embodiment of the present invention, it is intended to provide a battery system that minimizes the volume occupied by a battery system such as an ESS installed indoors and enhances interior functions.

[0092] As illustrated in Figure 4, current VIB cells can have a thin rectangular cuboid shape. Conventionally, these VIB cells were stacked vertically with their widest surfaces parallel to the horizontal plane to form monoblocks, and these were then stacked vertically and horizontally to implement battery systems such as ESS.

[0093] In addition, as described above with respect to Fig. 1, regardless of the cell shape such as pouch type / cylindrical type, ESS equipped with different types of batteries in the past was generally a battery system that took up a lot of space in a stacked form.

[0094] In contrast, one embodiment of the present invention proposes to construct a battery system such as an ESS in a form similar to laying tiles on a wall by utilizing cells of a thin shape as illustrated in FIG. 4.

[0095] At this time, it is proposed to improve space efficiency and maximize interior effects by arranging the cells in the up-down, left-right directions so that the widest surface of the cells is parallel to the plane of the wall.

[0096]

[0097] Application examples of tile-type battery systems

[0098] FIGS. 5 and 6 are drawings for explaining application examples of a tile-type battery system according to embodiments of the present invention.

[0099] Specifically, FIG. 5 illustrates an application example in which a tile-type battery system according to embodiments of the present invention is applied to an outer wall of an underground parking lot of a building such as an apartment or office, and FIG. 6 illustrates an application example in which a tile-type battery system according to embodiments of the present invention is applied to a space such as an apartment living room or office.

[0100] In this way, the tile-type battery system according to embodiments of the present invention proposes that, unlike the concept of a solar battery system arranged in a tile-type manner to generate power based on solar energy outdoors, it is arranged in an indoor space where a power supply system such as an ESS or UPS is required, thereby minimizing the installation space while providing an interior effect suitable for the space.

[0101] In addition, when implementing a tile-type battery system using a water-based battery such as VIB, VIB can additionally perform the function of a firewall in that it does not cause fire under any circumstances and blocks fires that do occur to a certain extent.

[0102]

[0103] Battery tile configuration

[0104] FIGS. 7 to 9 are drawings for explaining the configuration of a battery tile according to one embodiment of the present invention.

[0105] First, referring to FIG. 7, one battery tile of the tile-type battery system as exemplified through FIGS. 5 and 6 may include a battery cell (540) such as the VIB exemplified in FIG. 5, first and second current collectors (530a, 530b) disposed on both sides of the battery cell (540), each including a protrusion (930), and an upper plate (510a) and a lower plate (510b) disposed on both sides of the first and second current collectors (530a, 530b). That is, the battery tile may complete one tile structure by the casing combination by the upper plate (510a) and the lower plate (510b). The first and second current collectors (530a, 530b) may correspond to the metal current collectors (108A, 108B) of FIG. 3, but need not be limited thereto.

[0106] In FIG. 7, it is illustrated that an insulating member (520a, 520b) (e.g., a gasket) is additionally included between the first and second collectors (530a, 530b) and the upper / lower plates (510a, 510b), but whether or not the insulating member (520a, 520b) is included can be implemented selectively.

[0107] In addition, in one embodiment of the present invention, in order to implement an electrical connection configuration that connects a plurality of battery tiles in series or parallel without separate wiring as illustrated in FIGS. 5 and 6, the lower plate (510b) includes a hole through which a protrusion (930) can pass, and the protrusion of the first current collector (530a) and the protrusion of the second current collector (530b) are both configured to protrude toward the lower plate (510b) and are configured to be connected to an electrical connection configuration through the hole of the lower plate (510b). A structure combined in this way can be illustrated as in FIGS. 8 and 9.

[0108] The electrical connection configuration can be implemented in the form of a busbar of a fixed profile positioned on the wall, as described in more detail below.

[0109] Meanwhile, the fixed profile includes a fixing configuration that fixes the plurality of battery tiles so that their widest surfaces are parallel to the plane of the interior wall surface in addition to the electrical connection configuration without laminating them, and the lower plate (510b) of the battery tile may include a fixing member (550a, 550b) (e.g., a ball latch) configured to be connected to the fixing configuration. However, depending on the embodiment, a small number of battery cells may be laminated to form a battery tile, but the present invention assumes limited lamination in the sense that it maintains the concept of a wall-mounted battery tile.

[0110]

[0111] FIG. 10 and FIG. 11 are drawings for explaining the configuration of a tile-type battery system according to another embodiment of the present invention.

[0112] FIG. 10 illustrates another configuration of the battery tile (710) described above with reference to FIGS. 7 to 9, which may be referred to as a battery cell for convenience of explanation. The embodiment proposed in FIG. 10 illustrates a structure in which two current collectors (1140a, 1140b) are arranged with a cell (1130) interposed therebetween, and proposes a configuration in which the first current collector (1140a) and the second current collector (1140b) are extended in one direction (e.g., toward the wall) to facilitate connection / arrangement.

[0113] The reason why the part 2910 of the drawing in Fig. 10 is formed by taking into account the concern for the fastening rigidity, but the present embodiment need not be limited thereto, and it is also possible to configure a single collector (1140a, 1140b) in a form in which it extends outward. In addition, the shape or size of the protrusion of the collector (1140a, 1140b) may be determined by considering the electrical resistance of each product.

[0114] Meanwhile, FIG. 11 is a drawing showing a form in which a cell (1130) and a collector (1140) are assembled with a case.

[0115] As illustrated in Fig. 11, this embodiment proposes a configuration assembled using bolts. Because space is limited, it is preferable to use small-headed bolts. The number of bolts illustrated in Fig. 11 is exemplary and need not be limited thereto.

[0116] In this embodiment, as shown in Fig. 11, the external appearance may be in the form of a rectangular box with only the collector (1140) protruding. In addition, it is desirable to form the front so that nothing is visible except the smooth top plate from the user's perspective.

[0117]

[0118] Fixed configuration

[0119] FIGS. 12 and 13 are drawings for explaining configurations for fixing a battery tile according to one embodiment of the present invention.

[0120] The fixing profile (820) of the tile-type battery system according to the present embodiment is proposed to include a fixing configuration for fixing a battery tile (810), which includes first-direction ball latches (830a, 830b) that provide vertical fixing force, and second-direction ball latches (840) that provide left-right fixing force. As described above with reference to FIGS. 5 and 6 , it is preferable to fix the battery tiles that are repeatedly arranged in the vertical / left-right directions in both the vertical / left-right directions. In FIG. 12, more emphasis is placed on the vertical fixing force by including two first-direction ball latches (830a, 830b) that provide vertical fixing force, and one second-direction ball latches (840) that provide left-right fixing force. This is an example that takes into account the fact that the tile-type battery system is placed on a wall, but this may change depending on the installation location. In addition, Fig. 13 illustrates the upper and lower ball latches (910a, 910b) and the left and right ball latches (920) of the battery tile (810) corresponding to the configuration of the fixed profile (820) of Fig. 12.

[0121] In Fig. 12, the fixed profile (820) is shown as a shape implemented in the form of a copper clip as an elastic conductor (850a, 850b) for electrical connection connected to a bus bar (960), and Fig. 13 shows a protrusion (930a, 930b) of a current collector coupled thereto, but these will be described in detail below in relation to the electrical connection configuration.

[0122]

[0123] FIG. 14 is a drawing for explaining configurations for fixing a battery tile according to another embodiment of the present invention.

[0124] In the embodiment of Fig. 14, the fixing profile includes only a fixing structure (1010) (e.g., a ball latch) that provides vertical fixing force, unlike Figs. 13 and 14, and Fig. 14 shows an example of arranging four such ball latches.

[0125] As described above, considering that the tile-type battery system is installed on a wall, the vertical fixing structure (1010) is more important, so it is also possible to configure it as shown in Fig. 14.

[0126] Meanwhile, the embodiment of FIG. 14 illustrates an example of implementing electrical connection without wiring through a bus bar (1020) having a groove arranged to be electrically connected in a fastening manner to a current collector protrusion (1030) of a battery tile, and these are described in detail below in relation to the electrical connection configuration.

[0127]

[0128] Electrical connection configuration

[0129] FIG. 15 and FIG. 16 are drawings for explaining an electrical connection configuration according to one embodiment of the present invention.

[0130] As described above, the electrical connection configuration of the tile-type battery system according to the embodiments of the present invention is proposed to be configured to be connected to the current collector (930a, 930b) without wiring. In one embodiment of the present invention for this purpose, as described above with respect to FIG. 12, the fixing profile (820) may include a bus bar (860) and an elastic conductor (850a, 850b) connected to the bus bar (860) and configured to have elasticity and electrically contact a protrusion of the first current collector (930a) or the second current collector (930b).

[0131] Figures 15 and 16 illustrate a structure in which such elastic conductors (850a, 850b) are formed with copper clips, and the copper clips (850a, 850b) are deformed and combined with current collectors (930a, 930b). By using a conductor having elasticity such as the copper clips (850a, 850b), a stable combination can be achieved, thereby reducing contact resistance.

[0132] Figure 16 shows a shape in which the copper clip (950a) overlaps with the current collector (930a) before being deformed, but when actually combined, it is preferable that the curved portion of the copper clip (950a) comes into contact with the inner surface of the current collector (930a) as the copper clip (950a) is deformed.

[0133]

[0134] Figure 17 is a drawing for explaining a comparative example of an electrical connection configuration.

[0135] The example of Fig. 17 illustrates an example in which a current collector (930), specifically a protrusion of the current collector, is in contact with a flat bus bar (860) and is electrically connected. In this way, when an electrical connection is formed through a flat contact, there is a problem in that the contact resistance is large and inconsistent. Therefore, as in the embodiments illustrated in Figs. 15 and 16, it is preferable to reduce the contact resistance and manage it consistently by utilizing elastic conductors (850a, 850b).

[0136]

[0137] FIG. 18 and FIG. 19 are drawings for explaining electrical connection configurations according to other embodiments of the present invention.

[0138] As illustrated in FIG. 18, a battery cell (1130) excluding a fixed structure can be arranged between the upper plate (1110) and the lower plate (1120) of the frame forming the battery tile (710).

[0139] In one embodiment of the present invention, as illustrated in FIG. 18, a current collector (1140) connected to a battery cell (1130) is electrically connected to a bus bar (940) through a lower plate (1120). The current collector (1140) may be electrically connected directly to the bus bar (940) without an elastic member (1150, for example, a spring) illustrated in FIG. 18. However, in the embodiment illustrated in FIG. 18, an example is illustrated in which the electrical connection between the current collector (1140) and the bus bar (940) is configured to receive elastic force through an elastic member (1150) having a contact point on the body of the current collector (1140) rather than on the end portion of the current collector (1140). In the case where the bus bar (940) is directly connected to the terminal end of the current collector (1140), this configuration is designed in consideration of the possibility that an unnecessary increase in contact resistance may occur due to the non-uniform surface of the terminal end of the current collector (1140), as described above with reference to FIG. 17.

[0140] It is preferable that the elastic member (1150) be placed in a space where there is no fixing means (e.g., a bolt; 1210) in the direction of the fixing profile (720) as illustrated in FIG. 18 to provide an electrical connection through elasticity between the current collector (1140) and the bus bar (940).

[0141] However, as described above, the use of the elastic member (1150) is not essential, and even if the elastic member (1150) is used, it is not necessary to be limited to the shape illustrated in FIG. 18.

[0142]

[0143] Meanwhile, in one embodiment of the present invention, it is proposed that the area (1160) where the current collector (1140) is placed between the upper plate (1110) and the lower plate (1120) be sealed by a sealing member. That is, it is preferable to seal the space for the current collector (1140) by using a gasket or molding so that the battery cell (1130) is not exposed to the outside.

[0144] Meanwhile, in FIG. 18, the connection between the plurality of battery cells (710) and the fixing profile (720) can be made by a bolt (1210).

[0145] FIG. 19 illustrates an example of electrical connection in which a groove is formed in a bus bar (1020) according to another embodiment of the present invention, and a protrusion (1030) of a current collector is fastened to the groove of the bus bar (1020). In this case, it may be advantageous for the groove of the bus bar (1020) and the protrusion (1030) of the current collector to be fastened with elasticity.

[0146]

[0147] Variant example

[0148] FIG. 20 and FIG. 21 are drawings for explaining a single-line configuration of a tile-type ESS according to another embodiment of the present invention.

[0149] A plurality of battery tiles according to the present embodiment are configured by mounting a plurality of battery cells in a frame corresponding to N rows and M columns (N and M are natural numbers), and the plurality of battery cells may have a structure in which they are arranged between the upper and lower plates of the frame. Among these configurations, FIGS. 20 and 21 illustrate an example in which eight battery tiles are configured in a single row, with N = 1 and M = 8, but N / M may be configured in various ways depending on the installation location, etc.

[0150] First, in this embodiment, a configuration for fixing to a wall using fiberglass tape is proposed, as shown in Fig. 20.

[0151] - Lower EP (End Plate) + Insulating Tape

[0152] - Metal current collector (MCC)

[0153] - Cell

[0154] - Metal current collector

[0155] - Top plate EP + insulation tape

[0156] - Fiberglass tape

[0157] - BMS attachment and BMS wiring

[0158] It shows a form formed through the configuration of. In Fig. 20, battery tiles can be formed in a row by stacking them in the direction indicated by the drawing reference numeral 2010.

[0159] Specifically, it can be manufactured by attaching an insulating tape to a long lower plate forming a line in the direction designated by reference numeral 2010 in FIG. 20, attaching a first metal collector, positioning a cell, attaching a second metal collector on the opposite side, positioning an upper plate to which the insulating tape is attached, and then fixing the entirety with a glass fiber tape.

[0160] Among the plurality of cells illustrated in the embodiment of FIG. 20, a specific cell (2020b) may be connected in series with an adjacent cell (2020c) on the right side by a first metal collector (2030) and connected in series with an adjacent cell (2020a) on the left side by a second metal collector (2040).

[0161] Although not shown in Fig. 20, in the case of the outermost cells (2020c, 2020d) of a single row of battery tiles of cells connected in series in this way, a protrusion of the current collector may be formed in a horizontal direction to perform electrical connection with the outside, which can be distinguished from the structure in which all the protrusions of the current collector pass through holes in the lower plate and protrude to the outside in the embodiment described above with reference to Fig. 7.

[0162]

[0163] Meanwhile, Fig. 21 is a drawing illustrating the number of components required in the structure illustrated in Fig. 20.

[0164] As illustrated in FIG. 21, the lower EP and the upper EP can be configured to have different sizes in a row unit or cell unit size, and similarly, the upper metal collector and the lower metal collector can also be configured to have different sizes.

[0165] Although not shown in Fig. 21, additional configurations of glass fiber tape and insulating adhesive tape may be required for the configuration of Fig. 20.

[0166] Figure 22 illustrates the configuration of a single-line configuration of ESS in terms of stacking / installation order.

[0167] First, an insulator is placed on top of the lower EP, and a metal current collector can be placed on top of it.

[0168] After the cells are placed on top, a metal collector is placed again, an insulator is placed on top of that, and finally, a top plate EP can be placed in layers.

[0169] The upper and lower plates can be fixed by bolt fastening, and preferably, the portion where the bolt is fastened between the upper and lower plates can be sealed by a sealing member, but it is not necessary to be limited thereto.

[0170]

[0171] FIG. 23 and FIG. 24 illustrate the arrangement of a BMS (Battery Management System) and a bus bar in a tile-type battery system arranged in a matrix form according to one embodiment of the present invention.

[0172] In the example of Fig. 23, busbars are arranged at the bottom and top of the matrix-shaped array to perform the necessary electrical connections, and the example of Fig. 23 illustrates an example in which a BMS for managing voltage / temperature, etc. of a column-unit cell array configured in the same manner as Figs. 21 and 22 is arranged in one row. Such a row of battery cells may be referred to as a module, in which case the BMS may be referred to as a module BMS (MBMS).

[0173] Meanwhile, 24 also exemplifies an embodiment in which the BMS and inverter, etc. are configured separately.

[0174] First, as illustrated in 2110 of FIG. 24, multiple cells are arranged in a matrix with their wide surfaces facing the wall, and then connected in series in the row direction and in parallel in the column direction. The voltage of the entire battery system can be determined based on the number of cells connected in series, and the matrix configuration can be varied according to the user's needs for the battery system.

[0175] 2110 of FIG. 24 illustrates an embodiment in which a battery management system (BMS) is arranged per column to monitor the voltage and temperature of each cell on a column-by-column basis and take necessary actions. Accordingly, the BMS can be arranged in a single row.

[0176] On the other hand, 2120 of FIG. 24 illustrates an embodiment in which one BMS is placed throughout all matrices to perform voltage and temperature management of the entire battery system unit.

[0177] Both embodiments may include an inverter for voltage conversion when exchanging voltage with the grid.

[0178]

[0179] FIG. 25 is a drawing for explaining the arrangement relationship with the peripheral configuration of a tile-type battery system according to one embodiment of the present invention.

[0180] The above-described tile-type battery system (610) may additionally include a converter that performs power conversion when exchanging power with the grid (1660), and the converter may be implemented in the form of a switching mode power supply (SMPS) and / or an inverter. FIG. 25 illustrates an SMPS (Switching Mode Power Supply) for supporting multiple voltage conversions as an example. Such a converter may be arranged as a concept of a control unit (1610) together with a configuration such as a module BMS (MBMS), a pack BMS (PBMS), etc., as illustrated in FIG. 25.

[0181] The PMBS / MBMS of the control unit (1610) can receive voltage / temperature information of the tile-type battery system (610) by wire or wirelessly, and provide necessary control information (S1640). In addition, the control unit (1610) is connected by wire / wireless to the control unit (1630) that provides a UI (User Interface) that provides information about the tile-type battery system to a user, such as a laptop, as illustrated in FIG. 25, and can display information about the tile-type battery system and receive necessary control information from the user (S1650).

[0182] Meanwhile, the tile-type battery system according to the present embodiment may be configured to supply power to at least one of a first type load (1620a) supplied with direct current from a first side of a converter (1610) or a second type load (1620b) supplied with alternating current from a second side of the converter (1610).

[0183] Meanwhile, the central control of the tile-type battery system according to the present embodiment may be in the form of wirelessly issuing commands to the module BMS and receiving information, and the control unit (1610) and / or the control unit (1630) of FIG. 25 may be placed in the distribution panel of a home / office, thereby manufacturing the system without requiring additional space.

[0184] Additionally, since PV (Photovoltaics) systems are usually 24 to 48 V, the tile-type battery system according to embodiments of the present invention may also be configured to provide a voltage of a similar level.

[0185] If the battery cells are configured as VIB cells, connecting 9 cells in series will implement a system of approximately 12 V, so two rows can be configured to provide 24 V as one module.

[0186] Additionally, two cells can be placed in series on one tile so that each cell has 2.4 to 3 V, providing 24 V.

[0187] Additionally, it may be possible to place three cells in series to match the individual PV voltage ranges, forming one tile per PV panel.

[0188]

[0189] Serial / parallel connection structure

[0190] FIG. 26 is a drawing for explaining a series / parallel connection method of battery tiles according to one embodiment of the present invention.

[0191] As illustrated in FIG. 26, the bus bar (2510) may be configured to connect a plurality of battery tiles in parallel in the longitudinal direction (B) of the bus bar (2510) and to connect a plurality of battery tiles in series in the width direction (A) of the bus bar (2510). In FIG. 26, the longitudinal direction (B) of the bus bar (2510) is illustrated as a vertical direction, and the width direction (A) of the bus bar (2510) is illustrated as a horizontal direction, but this may vary depending on the arrangement direction of the bus bar (2510). However, for the convenience of the following description, the illustrated direction will be described.

[0192] Specifically, the bus bar (2510) can connect one side current collector of the first battery tile and the other side current collector of the second battery tile, which are adjacent in the horizontal direction (A) of the bus bar (2510), to connect battery cells of different polarities and connect them in series.

[0193] Additionally, the bus bar (2510) can be connected in parallel by connecting the same poles of the batteries in the new direction (B) of the bus bar (2510).

[0194] If a BMS is deployed, it can be configured to monitor the voltage / current of the serially connected battery tiles in a specific row in the horizontal direction (A) of the series connection. In the case of the vertical direction (B) of the parallel connection, overvoltage of a specific battery tile (cell) is not a significant problem, so there may not be much practical benefit in deploying an additional BMS.

[0195]

[0196] FIGS. 27 to 29 are drawings for explaining a series / parallel connection method of battery tiles according to another embodiment of the present invention.

[0197] In the embodiment illustrated in FIG. 27, the busbar (940) may be configured to include a first busbar (940a) and a second busbar (940b) of size units (710a, 710b) of battery tiles in the longitudinal direction of the busbar (940), as illustrated in the drawing reference numeral 920, and the first busbar (940a) and the second busbar (940b) may be connected by a connecting busbar (960) therebetween (950b).

[0198] Meanwhile, as illustrated in FIG. 28, the connecting bus bar (960) can be connected to the back surface of the fixing profile (720), and FIG. 28 illustrates a protrusion (950-1) in which the connecting bus bar (960) protrudes from the back surface of the fixing profile (720).

[0199] In this way, it is preferable that the connecting bus bar (960) on the back surface of the fixed profile (720) be configured to accommodate part or all of the wiring section including power lines (810c, 810d) and / or communication lines (810e) for driving a configuration such as a BMS.

[0200] As illustrated in FIG. 28, the connection of the connecting bus bar (960) to the back surface of the fixing profile (720) may be applied only to the battery tiles of the lowest row among the plurality of rows of battery tiles. That is, as described above, the configuration for accommodating part or all of the wiring section including the power lines (810c, 810d) and / or the communication lines (810e) may be sufficient with only one row of battery tiles, and accordingly, the rows of the remaining battery tiles may be configured such that the connecting bus bar (960) is not connected to the back surface of the fixing profile (720).

[0201] When bus bars (940a, 940b) are configured in units of battery tile size (710a, 710b) as in this embodiment, it has the advantage of making it easy to add a tile-type battery system in units of rows, as illustrated in FIG. 29.

[0202] For example, when adding one additional row of battery tiles to a tile-type battery system of N rows and M columns as illustrated in FIG. 29, it may be easy to add a row of battery tiles by connecting the adjacent first bus bars (940a) and second bus bars (940b) with a connecting bus bar (960).

[0203] In the above description, it is assumed that the bus bars (940a, 940b) are formed in units of the size of one battery tile. However, the first bus bar (940a) may correspond to the sizes of multiple battery tiles, and may be implemented in a manner in which the second bus bar (940b) corresponding to the row of battery tiles required is connected by a connecting bus bar (960).

[0204]

[0205] The detailed description of the preferred embodiments of the present invention disclosed above has been provided to enable those skilled in the art to implement and practice the present invention. While the above description has been made with reference to preferred embodiments of the present invention, those skilled in the art will appreciate that various modifications and variations can be made to the present invention without departing from the scope of the present invention. For example, those skilled in the art can utilize the individual components described in the above-described embodiments in combination with each other.

[0206] Accordingly, the present invention is not intended to be limited to the embodiments shown herein but is to be accorded the widest scope consistent with the principles and novel features disclosed herein.

[0207] The tile-type battery system according to the embodiments of the present invention as described above can be used in various battery systems such as ESS and UPS placed indoors, and can be used to provide fire safety and interior functions.

Claims

1. A plurality of battery tiles each including a battery cell having a rectangular parallelepiped shape in the form of a tile, the battery cell including an aqueous electrolyte and a separator; and A fixing profile including an electrical connection configuration for connecting the plurality of battery tiles in series or parallel, and a fixing configuration for fixing the plurality of battery tiles so that the widest surface thereof is parallel to the plane of an indoor wall. Tile-type battery system.

2. In paragraph 1, Each of the above plurality of battery tiles is The above battery cell; First and second current collectors are arranged on both sides of the battery cell, each including a protrusion; and It includes an upper plate and a lower plate arranged on both sides of the first and second collectors, The lower plate includes a hole through which the protrusion can penetrate. Tile-type battery system.

3. In paragraph 2, The protrusion of the first collector and the protrusion of the second collector are both configured to protrude in the direction of the lower plate, configured to be connected to the electrical connection configuration through the hole of the lower plate, Tile-type battery system.

4. In paragraph 2, The second case includes a fixing member configured to be connected to the fixed configuration. Tile-type battery system.

5. In paragraph 1, The above fixed configuration is, A first direction ball latch providing vertical fixing force; and Including a second direction ball latch providing left-right holding force, Tile-type battery system.

6. In paragraph 1, The above plurality of battery tiles are, The above plurality of battery cells are mounted on a frame corresponding to N rows and M columns, The above plurality of battery cells are arranged between the upper and lower plates of the frame, Tile-type battery system. (N and M are natural numbers) 7. In paragraph 6, The upper plate and the lower plate are fixed by bolt fastening. Tile-type battery system.

8. In paragraph 7, The portion where the bolt is fastened between the upper plate and the lower plate is sealed by a sealing member. Tile-type battery system.

9. In paragraph 1, The above electrical connection configuration is configured to be connected to the first collector and the second collector without wiring. Tile-type battery system.

10. In paragraph 1, The above electrical connection configuration is, bus bar; and An elastic conductor connected to the bus bar and configured to be in electrical contact with a protrusion of the first collector or the second collector, Tile-type battery system.

11. In paragraph 10, The above bus bar connects the plurality of battery tiles in parallel in the length direction of the bus bar, configured to connect the plurality of battery tiles in series in the width direction of the bus bar; Tile-type battery system.

12. In paragraph 10, The above busbar is configured to include a first busbar and a second busbar of the size unit of the battery tile in the longitudinal direction of the busbar, The above first busbar and the above second busbar are connected by a connecting busbar, Tile-type battery system.

13. In paragraph 12, The above connecting bus bar is connected to the back surface of the above fixing profile, Tile-type battery system.

14. In paragraph 13, On the back of the above fixed profile, the connecting bus bar is configured to accommodate part or all of a wiring section including at least one of a power line or a communication line. Tile-type battery system.

15. In paragraph 1, The above plurality of battery cells correspond to battery cells of VIB (Vanadium Ion Battery). Tile-type battery system.

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