Cell assembly, and battery pack and vehicle including same

Abstract

The present invention relates to a cell assembly comprising a plurality of battery cells and a cooling member, which encompasses at least some of the plurality of battery cells and allows a cooling medium to flow therein.

Description

Cell assembly and battery pack including the same and automobile

[0001] The present invention relates to a cell assembly, a battery pack including the same, and an automobile.

[0002] This application is a priority application for Korean Patent Application No. 10-2024-0139633 filed on October 14, 2024, and all contents disclosed in the specification and drawings of said application are incorporated into this application by reference.

[0003] Secondary batteries, which possess electrical characteristics such as high energy density and high applicability across product groups, are widely applied not only to portable devices but also to electric vehicles (EVs) or hybrid electric vehicles (HEVs) powered by electric sources. These secondary batteries are attracting attention as a new energy source for enhancing eco-friendliness and energy efficiency, not only for the primary advantage of drastically reducing the use of fossil fuels but also because they generate no by-products from energy use.

[0004] Currently, widely used types of secondary batteries include lithium-ion batteries, lithium-polymer batteries, nickel-cadmium batteries, nickel-hydrogen batteries, and nickel-zinc batteries. When a high output voltage is required, multiple battery cells are connected in series to form a battery module or battery pack. Additionally, 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 the battery module or pack can be varied depending on the required output voltage or charge / discharge capacity.

[0005] Meanwhile, when configuring a battery pack by connecting multiple battery cells in series or parallel, it is common practice to first construct a battery module containing at least one battery cell, and then use this at least one battery module to add other components to form a battery pack or battery rack. Alternatively, recently, battery packs in the form of a "Cell-to-Pack," in which multiple battery cells are directly housed in a pack housing without modularization, are also being manufactured.

[0006] Meanwhile, the battery pack is equipped with a cooling plate, such as thermal resin, to cool multiple battery cells. For example, a cooling plate is provided on the lower surface of multiple battery cells.

[0007] In such cases, significant temperature differences can occur between battery cells in contact with the cooling plate during charging. Consequently, this leads to problems such as degraded battery cell performance or a shortened lifespan. Additionally, there is a risk that charging times may be extended during rapid charging.

[0008] Therefore, there is a need to develop a structure that can extend the efficiency and expected lifespan of battery cells by minimizing the temperature variation between multiple battery cells.

[0009] Accordingly, the problem to be solved by the present invention is to provide a cell assembly capable of maximizing the performance or lifespan of battery cells by minimizing temperature variations between battery cells, a battery pack including the same, and an automobile.

[0010] However, the problems that the present invention aims to solve are not limited to those described above, and other unmentioned problems will be clearly understood by those skilled in the art from the description of the invention below.

[0011] To solve the above problem, a cell assembly according to one embodiment of the present invention may include a plurality of battery cells; and a cooling member that surrounds at least some of the plurality of battery cells and is configured to have a cooling medium flowing inside.

[0012] The above cooling member may be configured in the form of a tube.

[0013] The above cooling member may be configured to maintain a uniform temperature between the plurality of battery cells.

[0014] The above cooling member may have a first receiving portion configured to surround one battery cell and a second receiving portion configured to surround another battery cell.

[0015] The first receiving portion and the second receiving portion may be connected to each other and configured so that the cooling medium moves.

[0016] At least one of the first receiving portion and the second receiving portion may be provided in multiple quantities for each battery cell.

[0017] In addition, the present invention provides a battery pack characterized by including at least one cell assembly according to the present invention.

[0018] A battery pack according to one embodiment of the present invention includes a pack case configured to accommodate the cell assembly, and the cooling member may be configured to be connected to the side of the pack case.

[0019] A battery pack according to another embodiment of the present invention may further include a heat sink configured to be connected to the cooling member.

[0020] The heat sink may have an outlet configured to supply the cooling medium to the cooling member, and an inlet configured to supply the cooling medium from the cooling member.

[0021] The cell assembly and the cooling member are provided in multiple numbers, and the cooling member may be provided for each cell assembly.

[0022] Multiple cooling members may be configured to communicate with each other.

[0023] And, the present invention provides an automobile characterized by including a battery pack according to the present invention.

[0024] According to one aspect of the present invention, the cooling performance of a battery cell can be improved by providing a cooling member configured to surround the battery cell.

[0025] Furthermore, according to another aspect of the present invention, the expected lifespan of a battery cell can be extended by minimizing the temperature difference between a plurality of battery cells. In particular, according to this aspect of the present invention, the performance of the battery cell can be maximized.

[0026] In addition to the above, the present invention may have various other effects, which are described in each embodiment, or effects that can be easily inferred by those skilled in the art, etc., will be omitted.

[0027] The following drawings attached to this specification illustrate preferred embodiments of the present invention and serve to further enhance understanding of the technical concept of the present invention together with the detailed description of the invention provided below; therefore, the present invention should not be interpreted as being limited only to the matters described in such drawings.

[0028] FIG. 1 is an overall perspective view of a cell assembly according to one embodiment of the present invention.

[0029] FIG. 2 is an exploded perspective view of a cell assembly according to one embodiment of the present invention.

[0030] FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view of a cell assembly according to one embodiment of the present invention.

[0031] FIG. 4 is a side view of a cell assembly according to one embodiment of the present invention.

[0032] FIG. 5 is a schematic perspective view of a battery pack including a cell assembly according to one embodiment of the present invention.

[0033] FIG. 6 is a schematic perspective view of a battery pack including a cell assembly according to another embodiment of the present invention.

[0034] FIG. 7 is a cross-sectional view of a portion of a battery pack according to another embodiment of the present invention.

[0035] FIG. 8 is a diagram showing the flow of a cooling medium in a battery pack according to another embodiment of the present invention.

[0036] FIG. 9 is a top view of the interior of a battery pack according to another embodiment of the present invention.

[0037] FIG. 10 is a schematic perspective view of a vehicle including a battery pack according to one embodiment of the present invention.

[0038] Hereinafter, preferred embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the attached drawings. Prior to this, terms and words used in this specification and claims should not be interpreted as being limited to their ordinary or dictionary meanings, but should be interpreted in a meaning and concept consistent with the technical spirit of the present invention, based on the principle that the inventor can appropriately define the concept of the terms to best describe his invention.

[0039] Therefore, the embodiments described in this specification and the configurations illustrated in the drawings are merely the most preferred embodiments of the present invention and do not represent all of the technical ideas of the present invention; thus, it should be understood that various equivalents and modifications that can replace them may exist at the time of filing this application.

[0040] In addition, the present invention includes various embodiments. For each embodiment, redundant descriptions of substantially identical or similar configurations are omitted, and the focus is on the differences.

[0041] Meanwhile, although terms indicating directions such as up, down, left, right, front, and back may be used in the present invention, these terms are used merely for convenience of explanation and may vary depending on the position of the object or the position of the observer, as is obvious to those skilled in the art of the present invention.

[0042] For example, in an embodiment of the present invention, the X-axis direction shown in the drawing may mean the left-right direction, the Y-axis direction may mean the front-back direction perpendicular to the X-axis direction on the horizontal plane (XY plane), and the Z-axis direction may mean the up-down direction (vertical direction) perpendicular to both the X-axis direction and the Y-axis direction.

[0043]

[0044] FIG. 1 is an overall perspective view of a cell assembly according to one embodiment of the present invention, and FIG. 2 is an exploded perspective view of a cell assembly according to one embodiment of the present invention.

[0045] Referring to FIGS. 1 and FIGS. 2, a cell assembly (10) according to one embodiment of the present invention includes a battery cell (100) and a cooling member (200).

[0046] A battery cell (100) according to one embodiment of the present invention may be a secondary battery configured to be capable of charging and discharging. For example, the battery cell (100) may be a lithium-ion secondary battery. The battery cell (100) may be equipped with an electrode assembly (including a positive plate, a negative plate, and a separator), an electrolyte, and a cell case (110) that accommodates the same.

[0047] Referring to the embodiment illustrated in FIG. 2, a battery cell (100) according to one embodiment of the present invention may be a cylindrical secondary battery in which the cell case (110) is configured in a cylindrical shape. At this time, the battery cell (100) may be provided with a terminal (120) on the upper side. The terminal (120) may be configured to be exposed to the outside of the cell case (110).

[0048] At this time, the cell case (110) has a first polarity and can function as a first terminal, and the terminal (120) has a second polarity and can function as a second terminal. For example, the first terminal may be a negative terminal and the second terminal may be a positive terminal.

[0049] Meanwhile, the present invention is not limited by the specific type or form of such battery cell (100), and various battery cells (100) known at the time of filing the present invention may be employed to constitute the cell assembly (10) of the present invention. For example, the cell case (110) may be configured as a pouch type or a prismatic type.

[0050] Meanwhile, the battery cells (100) may include multiple units. Multiple battery cells (100) may be electrically connected to each other. For example, multiple battery cells (100) may be electrically connected to each other in series and / or parallel through a busbar, etc.

[0051] Multiple battery cells (100) may be included in a cell assembly (10) in a stacked form. For example, as shown in FIG. 1, multiple battery cells (100) may be arranged side by side in a horizontal direction while standing upright in a vertical direction (Z-axis direction).

[0052] The above cooling member (200) may be configured to be filled with a cooling medium (C) inside. The cooling medium (C) may be provided as insulating oil or cooling water.

[0053] The cooling member (200) may be configured to wrap at least partially around the outer surface of the battery cell (100). The cooling member (200) may be configured to make surface contact with the battery cell (100).

[0054] The cooling member (200) may be configured to surround at least some of the battery cells (100) among the plurality of battery cells (100). The cooling member (200) may be configured to group at least some of the plurality of battery cells. As in the embodiment illustrated in FIG. 1, the cooling member (200) may be configured to surround all of the plurality of battery cells (100). In particular, the cooling member (200) may be configured to individually surround the outer surfaces of the plurality of battery cells (100). That is, the cooling member (200) may be configured to accommodate each of the plurality of battery cells (100).

[0055] According to the above embodiment of the present invention, the cooling medium (C) filled in the cooling member (200) can delay the temperature rise of the battery cell (100) even in situations such as rapid charging and discharging of the battery cell (100), thereby preventing a rapid temperature rise of the battery cell (100). As a result, the cooling performance of the battery cell (100) can be improved.

[0056] These cooling members (200) can be configured to maintain a uniform temperature among multiple battery cells (100). Specifically, during rapid charging, the temperatures of the battery cells (100) included in the cell assembly (10) may differ. At this time, heat can be transferred from the battery cell (100) with a relatively high temperature to the battery cell (100) with a relatively low temperature by means of the cooling members (200).

[0057] According to the above embodiment of the present invention, as the cooling member (200) is provided, the temperature between a plurality of battery cells (100) can be maintained uniformly. As a result, the temperature difference between the battery cells (100) is minimized, thereby extending the expected lifespan of the battery cells (100). In addition, according to the above embodiment of the present invention, the performance of the battery cells (100) can be maximized.

[0058]

[0059] FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view of a cell assembly according to one embodiment of the present invention.

[0060] Referring to FIG. 3, the cooling member (200) may be configured in a tube shape. The cooling member (200) may be configured in a ring shape and have a thin film. A cooling medium (C) may be filled inside the tube-shaped cooling member (200).

[0061] As the cooling member (200) is configured in a ring shape, a battery cell (100) can be inserted into the cooling member (200) so that the outer surface of the battery cell (100) comes into contact with the inner surface of the cooling member (200).

[0062] The cooling member (200) may be configured to have elasticity. The cooling member (200) may be composed of a flexible material. Accordingly, the cooling member (200) may be configured to surround the outer surface of the battery cell (100) in accordance with the shape of the battery cell (100).

[0063] According to the above embodiment of the present invention, even if an external shock is applied to the cell assembly (10), the shock to the battery cell (100) can be mitigated by the cooling member (200). In addition, by providing a tube-shaped cooling member (200) between the battery cells (100), contact between the battery cells (100) can be prevented.

[0064] The cooling member (200) may be provided with a plurality of unit cooling members. Each of the plurality of unit cooling members may be configured to surround a battery cell (100). Each of the plurality of unit cooling members may be configured to accommodate one battery cell (100).

[0065] That is, a plurality of unit cooling members may be assembled to form a single cooling member (200) that surrounds the entire cell assembly (10). For example, as in the embodiment shown in FIG. 3, the battery cells (100) included in the cell assembly (10) are 6, and the number of unit cooling members provided by the cooling member (200) may be 6.

[0066] Meanwhile, the number and diameter of the unit cooling members are not limited to this and can be set by considering an appropriate LPM for cooling the battery cell (100).

[0067] As a more specific example, the cooling member (200) may have a first receiving portion (210) and a second receiving portion (220). The first receiving portion (210) and the second receiving portion (220) may each be provided in different unit cooling members. The first receiving portion (210) and the second receiving portion (220) may be formed by the inner surface of the unit cooling member. The first receiving portion (210) and the second receiving portion (220) may each be configured to surround different battery cells (100).

[0068] The first receiving section (210) and the second receiving section (220) may be configured to be connected to each other. The first receiving section (210) and the second receiving section (220) may be configured so that the cooling medium (C) moves between them. That is, the first receiving section (210) and the second receiving section (220) may be configured so that the cooling medium (C) can move and communicate with each other.

[0069] The cooling member (200) may be provided with a communication hole (H). The communication hole (H) may be configured to communicate with the first receiving portion (210) and the second receiving portion (220). The communication hole (H) may be formed between the first receiving portion (210) and the second receiving portion (220). A cooling medium (C) may move between the first receiving portion (210) and the second receiving portion (220) through the communication hole (H).

[0070] According to the above embodiment of the present invention, since the cooling medium (C) can flow through all unit cooling members, it can come into contact with all battery cells (100) included in the cell assembly (10) and maintain a uniform temperature between the battery cells (100).

[0071]

[0072] FIG. 4 is a side view of a cell assembly according to one embodiment of the present invention.

[0073] A plurality of cooling members (200) may be provided. For example, accordingly, as in the embodiment shown in FIG. 4, a plurality of cooling members (200) may be arranged along the height direction of the battery cell (100).

[0074] More specifically, at least one of the first receiving portion (210) and the second receiving portion (220) may be provided in multiple numbers for each battery cell (100). At least one of the first receiving portion (210) and the second receiving portion (220) may be spaced apart along the height direction of the battery cell (100).

[0075] In this case, the cooling medium (C) may be configured to move between the first receiving portions (210) provided in the same cooling member (200) or between the second receiving portions (220) provided in the same cooling member (200). Alternatively, the cooling medium (C) may be configured to move between the first receiving portions (210) and the second receiving portions (220) provided in different cooling members (200).

[0076] According to the above embodiment of the present invention, as the contact area of ​​the cooling member (200) with the battery cell (100) increases, the cooling performance of the battery cell (100) can be further improved. In addition, as the temperature difference between battery cells (100) as well as the temperature difference in the height direction within a single battery cell (100) is minimized, the expected lifespan of the battery cell (100) can be extended. Thus, the performance of the battery cell (100) can be maximized.

[0077]

[0078] FIG. 5 is a schematic perspective view of a battery pack including a cell assembly according to one embodiment of the present invention.

[0079] Meanwhile, a battery pack (1) according to one embodiment of the present invention may include at least one cell assembly (10) according to one embodiment of the present invention as described above.

[0080] A battery pack (1) according to one embodiment of the present invention may include a pack case (2) configured to accommodate a cell assembly (10). A battery cell (100) may be bonded to the bottom surface of the pack case (2) by means of adhesive or welding. In this case, it is also referred to as a cell-to-pack in that the battery cell (100) is directly housed in the pack case (2).

[0081] Meanwhile, although not illustrated in the drawings, the battery pack (1) according to the present invention may further include components of a battery pack known at the time of filing the present invention, such as a Battery Management System (BMS) for integrated control of charging and discharging of one or more cell assemblies (10), a current sensor, a fuse, etc.

[0082] As an example, referring to the embodiment illustrated in FIG. 5, the cooling member (200) may be configured to be connected to the pack case (2). For instance, the cooling member (200) may be provided on the side of the pack case (2).

[0083] Specifically, the cooling member (200) may be provided with a connecting portion (230). The connecting portion (230) may be configured to secure the cooling member (200) to the pack case (2). The connecting portion (230) may be configured to have elasticity. Multiple connecting portions (230) may be provided. The connecting portion (230) may be connected to the first receiving portion (210) and / or the second receiving portion (220). The connecting portion (230) may be connected to different cooling members (200). At this time, the elastic modulus or number of connecting portions (230) may be appropriately set to secure the cell assembly (10).

[0084] According to the above embodiment of the present invention, as the cooling member (200) and the pack case (2) are interconnected and fixed, the cooling member (200) can stably maintain the arrangement state of the cell assembly (10). That is, even if an external impact is applied to the pack case (2), the cell assembly (10) can be prevented from falling over by the tensioned connecting part (230).

[0085]

[0086] FIG. 6 is a schematic perspective view of a battery pack including a cell assembly according to another embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 7 is a cross-sectional view of a portion of a battery pack according to another embodiment of the present invention, and FIG. 8 is a drawing showing a cooling medium flowing in a battery pack according to another embodiment of the present invention.

[0087] Referring to FIGS. 6 to 8, a battery pack (1) according to one embodiment of the present invention may further include a heat sink (3). A cooling medium (C) may be interposed inside the heat sink (3). More specifically, the heat sink (3) may be configured to cool the cooling medium (C). The heat sink (3) may be equipped with a compressor or a mini chiller.

[0088] The heat sink (3) may be provided outside the pack case (2). Alternatively, as in the embodiment illustrated in FIGS. 6 and 7, the heat sink (3) may be provided inside the pack case (2). When the heat sink (3) is provided inside the pack case (2), the heat sink (3) may be provided between the cell assembly (10) and the pack case (2).

[0089] The heat sink (3) may be configured to be fastened to the pack case (2) by means of fastening members such as bolts. For example, the bolt may have a diameter of M8 or larger. The bolt may be configured so that the pack case (2) and the heat sink (3) do not separate when vibration or impact is applied to the pack case (2). In this case, the heat sink (3) can be easily separated from the pack case (2), thus improving ease of assembly and making it easy to repair or replace the heat sink (3).

[0090] The heat sink (3) may be configured to be in contact with at least one side of the cooling member (200). In particular, the heat sink (3) may be configured to be connected to the cooling member (200). Accordingly, the cooling medium (C) cooled in the heat sink (3) can be moved to the cooling member (200).

[0091] More specifically, referring to FIG. 8, the heat sink (3) may be provided with an outlet (O) and an inlet (I). The outlet (O) and the inlet (I) may be configured to communicate with each other between the heat sink (3) and the cooling member (200). A cooling medium (C) may move between the heat sink (3) and the cooling member (200) through the outlet (O) and the inlet (I). The outlet (O) may be configured to supply the cooling medium (C) to the cooling member (200). The inlet (I) may be configured to supply the cooling medium (C) from the cooling member (200).

[0092] The outlet (O) and inlet (I) may be configured to be connected to at least one of the first receiving portion (210) and the second receiving portion (220). As in the embodiment illustrated in FIGS. 4 and 8, when a plurality of cooling members (200) are provided along the height direction, the outlet (O) and inlet (I) may be configured to be individually connected to the plurality of cooling members (200). Accordingly, the heat sink (3) may be configured to supply a cooling medium (C) to each of the plurality of cooling members (200) or to supply a cooling medium (C).

[0093] Meanwhile, unlike the above embodiment, a heat sink (3) may not be provided, and a hole for inducing air cooling may be provided in the pack case (2).

[0094]

[0095] FIG. 9 is a top view of the interior of a battery pack according to another embodiment of the present invention.

[0096] Meanwhile, the cell assembly (10) may be provided in multiple numbers. Additionally, the cooling member (200) may also be provided in multiple numbers. The cooling member (200) may be provided for each cell assembly (10). That is, the cooling member (200) may be configured to individually wrap the multiple cell assemblies (10).

[0097] At this time, a plurality of heat sinks (3) may also be provided. The plurality of heat sinks (3) may be configured to be connected to each of the plurality of cooling members (200).

[0098] As an example of one embodiment, as shown in the embodiment illustrated in FIG. 9, a plurality of cooling members (200) may be configured to be interconnected. Specifically, a plurality of heat sinks (3) may be interconnected so that a cooling medium (C) can move. Thus, the cooling members (200) connected to the plurality of heat sinks (3) can also have the cooling medium (C) move among them.

[0099]

[0100] FIG. 10 is a schematic perspective view of a vehicle including a battery pack according to one embodiment of the present invention.

[0101] A vehicle (V) according to one embodiment of the present invention may include one or more battery packs (1) according to one embodiment of the present invention or cell assemblies (10) according to one embodiment of the present invention. The vehicle (V) according to the present invention may be, for example, an electric vehicle, a hybrid vehicle, or a plug-in hybrid vehicle. The vehicle (V) may include four-wheeled vehicles and two-wheeled vehicles. The vehicle (V) may operate by receiving power from the battery pack (1) to the cell assembly (10) according to one embodiment of the present invention.

[0102]

[0103] Although the present invention has been described above by limited embodiments and drawings, the present invention is not limited thereto, and it is obvious that various modifications and variations are possible within the scope of the technical spirit of the present invention and the equivalent scope of the claims described below by those skilled in the art to which the present invention belongs.

Claims

1. Multiple battery cells; and A cell assembly characterized by including a cooling member that surrounds at least some of the plurality of battery cells and is configured to allow a cooling medium to flow inside.

2. In Paragraph 1, A cell assembly characterized in that the above-mentioned cooling member is configured in the form of a tube.

3. In Paragraph 1, A cell assembly characterized in that the cooling member is configured to maintain a uniform temperature between the plurality of battery cells.

4. In Paragraph 1, The above cooling member is A first receiving portion configured to surround a battery cell, and A cell assembly characterized by having a second receiving portion configured to surround another battery cell.

5. In Paragraph 4, A cell assembly characterized in that the first receiving portion and the second receiving portion are connected to each other and configured to allow the cooling medium to move.

6. In Paragraph 4, A cell assembly characterized in that at least one of the first receiving portion and the second receiving portion is provided in plurality for each battery cell.

7. A battery pack comprising at least one cell assembly according to any one of claims 1 to 6.

8. In Paragraph 7, It includes a pack case configured to accommodate the above cell assembly, and A battery pack characterized in that the cooling member is configured to be connected to the side of the pack case.

9. In Paragraph 7, A battery pack characterized by further including a heat sink configured to be connected to the above-mentioned cooling member.

10. In Paragraph 9, The above heat sink is An outlet configured to supply the cooling medium to the cooling member, and A battery pack characterized by having an inlet configured to supply the cooling medium from the cooling member.

11. In Paragraph 7, The cell assembly and the cooling member are provided in multiple numbers, and A battery pack characterized in that the cooling member is provided for each cell assembly.

12. In Paragraph 11, A battery pack characterized in that a plurality of the above-mentioned cooling members are configured to communicate with each other.

13. An automobile comprising a battery pack according to any one of paragraphs 7 through 12.

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