Fire damage mitigation system for electric vehicle with detachable battery module

Abstract

The present invention relates to a fire damage mitigation system for an electric vehicle with a detachable battery module, the system comprising: a body frame that forms a body of the electric vehicle; a battery pack assembly which is coupled to the body frame and in which a plurality of divided battery modules are inserted; and an automatic detachment device which is provided in the battery pack assembly along the outer perimeter of each of the battery modules and which, when a fire incident occurs in a battery module, detaches and separates the battery module in which the fire incident occurred from the battery pack assembly.

Description

Fire damage reduction system for electric vehicles with detachable battery modules

[0001] The present invention relates to a fire damage reduction system for an electric vehicle with a detachable battery module, and more specifically, to a fire damage reduction system for an electric vehicle with a detachable battery module that allows charging and discharging to be performed simultaneously by dividing the battery module, and separates the battery module from the vehicle body in the event of a fire in the battery module.

[0002] Recently, attempts are being made to use alternative power sources other than traditional internal combustion engines (hereinafter referred to as "engines") as power sources for automobiles in order to reduce environmental pollution caused by automobile exhaust gases and to cope with limited petroleum resources.

[0003] A representative example is the electric vehicle, which is a car that uses electrical energy stored in a battery to drive a motor and utilizes the motor's driving force as the vehicle's entire or partial power source.

[0004] These electric vehicles are broadly classified into pure electric vehicles, which use only electrical energy from a battery as a power source, and hybrid electric vehicles (HEVs), which are equipped with an internal combustion engine and use the power generated from the engine to charge the battery or drive the vehicle.

[0005] In a narrow sense, the term "electric vehicle" may refer exclusively to pure electric vehicles to distinguish them from hybrid electric vehicles; however, in this invention, the term "electric vehicle" is used in a broad sense encompassing both pure electric vehicles and hybrid electric vehicles, referring to any vehicle equipped with one or more batteries in which the electrical energy stored in the batteries is used as the driving force.

[0006] However, while these electric vehicles have the advantage of being eco-friendly, they have the disadvantage that if a fire occurs due to external impact or internal short circuits, the battery will burn up completely.

[0007] In other words, once the battery catches fire, not only does the flame not go out until it is completely burned, but because the battery has a considerably large capacity and volume, there is a disadvantage that it continues to burn until the vehicle is completely incinerated.

[0008]

[0009] (Prior Art Literature)

[0010] (Patent Literature)

[0011] Republic of Korea Registered Patent No. 10-2711740

[0012]

[0013] Accordingly, the present invention has been devised to solve the problems of the prior art as described above, and aims to provide a fire damage reduction system for an electric vehicle with a detachable battery module that can perform charging and discharging simultaneously by dividing the battery module, and can prevent the total combustion of the electric vehicle by immediately separating the battery pack assembly equipped with the battery module from the vehicle body before a fire occurs when a risk of fire in the battery module is detected.

[0014] A fire damage reduction system for an electric vehicle with a detachable battery module according to the present invention for achieving the above-mentioned purpose comprises: a body frame forming the body of the electric vehicle; a battery pack assembly coupled to the body frame and having a plurality of divided battery modules each inserted therein; and an automatic separation device provided in the battery pack assembly along the outer circumference of each battery module, which detaches and separates the battery module where the fire problem occurred from the battery pack assembly when the fire problem occurred in the battery module.

[0015] In addition, the battery pack assembly may include an upper frame coupled and fixed to a body frame; and a plurality of underframes each coupled and fixed to the upper frame, with a battery module each fixed to its upper surface, so that in the event of a fire in a battery module, the underframes are separated from the upper frame along with the battery module, thereby exposing the battery module with the fire problem to the outside.

[0016] In addition, an automatic separation device may be provided along the edge of each underframe so as to be able to connect and separate each underframe to the upperframe.

[0017] In addition, the automatic separation device may be configured to include: a hollow case provided in the upper frame of the battery pack assembly; a hollow folder inserted into the case and configured to be movable up and down; a piston inserted into the folder and configured to be movable up and down; a split nut inserted into the folder below the piston; a fastening bolt that penetrates the underframe and upper frame of the battery pack assembly and is fastened to the split nut; and a power cartridge provided in the case that ignites upon a fire in the battery module to provide explosive force into the folder, thereby moving the folder and the piston in opposite directions. In the event of a fire in the battery module, the power cartridge ignites and explodes within the folder prior to the fire, causing the folder and the piston to move in opposite directions, thereby forcibly separating the fastening bolt and the split nut and separating the underframe from the upper frame of the battery pack assembly.

[0018] In addition, the case may be equipped with a guiding member that guides the chemical of the power cartridge into the folder and causes it to explode inside the folder.

[0019] According to the battery module separation type fire damage reduction system for electric vehicles of the present invention, the battery module is divided into multiple parts to perform charging and discharging simultaneously, and when a fire occurs in a specific divided battery module, the battery module is immediately separated from the battery pack assembly and the vehicle body to prevent the total burning of the electric vehicle and to quickly suppress the fire in the battery module.

[0020] FIG. 1 is an exploded view illustrating the configuration of a battery pack assembly provided in the body frame of an electric vehicle according to the present invention.

[0021] FIG. 2 is a planar configuration diagram illustrating a body frame of an electric vehicle equipped with a battery pack assembly that accommodates a plurality of divided battery modules according to the present invention.

[0022] FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view of a body frame according to the present invention, where FIG. 3a is a cross-sectional view along line AA of FIG. 2 and FIG. 3b is a cross-sectional view along line BB.

[0023] FIG. 4 is an exploded view of a battery pack assembly according to the present invention.

[0024] FIG. 5 is a configuration diagram and cross-sectional view of a battery module and an underframe configured in a battery pack assembly according to the present invention.

[0025] FIG. 6 is a diagram showing the configuration of an automatic separation nut device that combines an upper frame and an under frame configured in a battery pack assembly according to the present invention.

[0026] FIG. 7 is a drawing illustrating the connection means of the power supply module and the cooling module according to the present invention.

[0027] FIG. 8 is a diagram illustrating the circuit configuration of a battery pack assembly according to the present invention.

[0028] FIG. 9 is a block diagram illustrating the process of separating the battery module before a fire occurs when a fire risk is detected in a fire damage reduction system for electric vehicles according to the present invention.

[0029] Hereinafter, preferred embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the attached drawings.

[0030] The terms used in this invention are defined considering their functions within the invention; however, since these may vary depending on the intentions or practices of the user or operator, the definitions of these terms should be interpreted in a meaning and concept consistent with the technical details of this invention.

[0031] In addition, the embodiments of the present invention are not intended to limit the scope of the rights of the present invention, but are merely exemplary matters of the components presented in the claims of the present invention, and are embodiments that include components that are included in the technical concept throughout the specification of the present invention and can be substituted as equivalents for the components of the claims.

[0032] Additionally, optional terms in the following examples are used to distinguish one component from another, and the components are not limited by said terms.

[0033] Accordingly, in describing the present invention, detailed descriptions of related prior art that may unnecessarily obscure the essence of the invention are omitted.

[0034]

[0035] The attached drawings, FIGS. 1 to 9, are drawings illustrating specific embodiments of a fire damage reduction system for electric vehicles according to the present invention.

[0036] Here, in this embodiment, a fire damage reduction system applying battery module splitting and separation technology and upper frame structural technology is described as being applied to an electric vehicle as an example, but it should be noted in advance that it can be applied not only to electric vehicles but also to hybrid electric vehicles.

[0037] As shown in FIG. 1, the fire damage reduction system for an electric vehicle according to the present invention comprises a body frame (100) forming the body of an electric vehicle, a battery pack assembly (200) coupled to the lower part of the body frame (100) and having a plurality of divided battery modules (300) (310) (320) each inserted therein, and an automatic separation device (500) provided in the battery pack assembly (200) along the outer circumference of each battery module (300) (310) (320) and, when a fire risk of the battery module (300) (310) (320) is detected, the battery module (300) (310) (320) that has a fire risk (hereinafter referred to as "fire problem") detaches and separates it from the battery pack assembly (200).

[0038] In addition, the lower surface of the battery pack assembly (200) may be further provided with a cooling channel for cooling the divided battery modules (300) (310) (320) and a protective cover provided on the lower surface of the cooling channel to protect the battery modules (300) (310) (320) from impact.

[0039] Meanwhile, the body frame (100) is composed of a front section of the front wheel, a rear section of the rear wheel, and a central section forming the floor surface of the passenger space.

[0040] As shown in FIG. 2, the central part of the body frame (100) is formed to be divided into a front part (100a) at the front end and a mounting part (100b) at the rear of the front part (100a). The front part (100a) is formed in a trapezoidal shape and a control module and a cooling module that control and cool the operation of the battery module (300) (310) (320) are installed thereon, and the mounting part (100b) is formed in a rectangular shape and a plurality of divided battery modules (300) (310) (320) are each installed thereon.

[0041] Also, the hatched portion of the mounting portion (100b) in FIG. 2 represents the area of ​​each divided battery pack that is coupled to the battery pack assembly (200) mounted on the lower surface of the mounting portion (100b). In this embodiment, the plurality of divided battery packs are exemplified as being divided into three, but the number of divided battery packs can be increased or decreased as needed.

[0042] Here, the split battery pack refers to a plurality of split battery modules (300)(310)(320) and a plurality of underframes (240)(241)(242) to be described later, into which each of the plurality of battery modules (300)(310)(320) is inserted.

[0043]

[0044] Meanwhile, the split battery pack, consisting of battery modules (300)(310)(320) and underframes (240)(241)(242), is formed long along the front-rear length direction of the electric vehicle as shown in FIG. 2, and each of these split battery packs is provided in a width direction on the lower surface of the mounting portion (100b) of the body frame (100).

[0045] And, the battery modules (300)(310)(320) provided in each battery pack are inserted and fixed into each underframe (240)(241)(242), and the open upper surface of each underframe (240)(241)(242) is covered and concealed by the upperframe (210), so that a plurality of battery modules (300)(310)(320) are inserted and embedded between the upperframe (210) and the underframe (240)(241)(242).

[0046] Meanwhile, as shown in FIGS. 3a to 4, the battery pack assembly (200) includes an upper frame (210) that is coupled and fixed to the lower part of the body frame (100), and a split battery pack provided at the lower part of the upper frame.

[0047] Specifically, the battery pack assembly (200) comprises an upper frame (210) that is coupled and fixed to the lower part of the body frame (100), an under frame (240) (241) (242) that is coupled and fixed to the lower part of the upper frame (210), and a battery module (300) (310) (320) that is fixed to the upper surface of the under frame (240) (241) (242) and is embedded by the upper frame (210) and the under frame (240) (241) (242).

[0048] Inside this upper frame (210), a receiving space is formed with the upper surface closed and the lower surface open, and the receiving space is divided into several spaces according to the battery module (300)(310)(320) inserted therein.

[0049] Additionally, an upper cover (220) is further provided on the upper surface of the upper frame (210) to reinforce the upper frame (210) which is coupled and fixed to the lower surface of the body frame (100), while covering the open upper surface of the adjacent control module housing (260) to be described later.

[0050] Additionally, the underframe (240)(241)(242), which is coupled and fixed to the lower surface of the upper frame (210), is provided as a flat plate, and a plurality of battery modules (300)(310)(320) corresponding to the receiving space of the upper frame (210) are installed and provided in a arranged state on the upper surface of the underframe (240)(241)(242).

[0051] These underframes (240)(241)(242) are in close contact with the lower surface of the upperframe (210) and, while closing the receiving space of the upperframe (210), the edges of each underframe (240)(241)(242) are connected and fixed to the upperframe (210) as an automatic separation device (500) to be described later.

[0052] The underframe (240)(241)(242) provided in this manner may be provided with a cooling function through which cooling water flows to cool the battery module (300)(310)(320), or a plurality of cooling channels may be provided on the lower surface of the underframe (240)(241)(242) to cool the battery module (300)(310)(320), but in this embodiment, an embodiment in which a cooling function is provided to the underframe (240)(241)(242) is described as an example.

[0053] Among the multiple battery packs as described above, the edges of the underframes (240) (241) (242) of adjacent battery packs each have a protrusion (230) and a groove (231) formed as shown in FIG. 2, and the protrusion (230) of one underframe (240) (241) (242) is provided in a state where it is inserted into the groove (231) of the adjacent other underframe (240) (241) (242), thereby minimizing the installation area of ​​the battery pack, that is, the installation area of ​​the underframe (240) (241) (242) installed on the lower surface of the upperframe (210).

[0054] Additionally, the battery pack assembly (200) is provided with a control module housing (260) that is fixedly coupled to the lower surface of the front part (100a) of the body frame (100) as shown in FIGS. 3a and 4, and the control module housing (260) is provided with a control module and a cooling module connected to the battery module (300) (310) (320).

[0055] This control module housing (260) is formed with an open upper surface, and the open upper surface is covered and concealed by one side of the upper cover (220) and is fixedly attached to the lower surface of the front part (100a) of the body frame (100).

[0056] In particular, the control module housing (260) is fastened and fixed to the lower surface of the front part (100a) of the body frame (100) using ordinary bolts and nuts. In the event of a fire in the battery module (300)(310)(320), the battery module (300)(310)(320) and the under frame (240)(241)(242) are separated and detached from the upper frame (210) of the battery pack assembly (200), but the control module housing (260) remains fixedly connected to the lower surface of the front part (100a) of the body frame (100) to protect the control module and cooling module, etc.

[0057]

[0058] Meanwhile, each battery pack is equipped with a plurality of battery modules (300)(310)(320), and as shown in FIG. 8, each of the plurality of battery modules (300)(310)(320) is connected to a switching unit (340)(350), and each of the switching units (340)(350) is equipped with an inverter (360)(370) that connects a power generation device and a regenerative braking device, respectively, so as to be configured to simultaneously perform charging and discharging on the plurality of battery modules (300)(310)(320).

[0059] Here, multiple battery modules (300)(310)(320) may be divided and configured without limit in number, but in this embodiment, three battery modules divided into a first battery module (300), a second battery module (310), and a third battery module (320) are described as examples.

[0060] In such first, second, and third battery modules (300)(310)(320), a plurality of unit battery cells are arranged and provided. For example, a plurality of unit battery cells may be provided in series and parallel connections in 3 vertical columns and 16 horizontal columns. In the event of a malfunction in some of the battery modules, only the problematic battery module (300)(310)(320) and unit battery cell that caused the malfunction can be replaced, so maintenance of the battery modules (300)(310)(320) is easily performed.

[0061] Additionally, the switching unit is exemplified as two switching units consisting of a first switching unit (340) and a second switching unit (350), and the first and second switching units (340) and (350) may each be configured with three switches (340a) (340b) (340c) (350a) (350b) (350c) installed independently.

[0062] In particular, each switch configured in the first and second switching units (340) (350) is provided as a first switch (340a) (350a), a second switch (340b) (350b), and a third switch (340c) (350c) as shown in FIG. 8, and is connected in a one-to-one correspondence with each divided battery module (300) (310) (320).

[0063] That is, the first switch (340a)(350a) of each switching unit (340)(350) is connected to the first battery module (300), the second switch (340b)(350b) is connected to the second battery module (310), and the third switch (340c)(350c) is connected to the third battery module (320), and the first, second, and third battery modules (300)(310)(320) are each grounded.

[0064] And, as an example, the inverter is exemplified as two inverters consisting of a first inverter (360) and a second inverter (370), the first inverter (360) may be configured to connect the regenerative braking device and the first switching unit (340), and the second inverter (370) may be configured to connect the power generation device and the second switching unit (350).

[0065] These first and second inverters (360) (370) are power conversion devices that can convert the DC power of each battery module (300) (310) (320) into AC power and supply it as power to the regenerative braking device and power generation device, respectively, or convert the AC power generated from each regenerative braking device and power generation device into DC power and supply it to each battery module (300) (310) (320) for storage.

[0066] That is, the first and second inverters (360) (370) are each connected to the regenerative braking device and the power generation device by multiple cables, and are each connected to the first and second switching units (340) (350) by a single cable, and the first and second switching units (340) (350) are separately grounded.

[0067] In addition, the divided battery modules (300)(310)(320) configured as described above are configured so that charging and discharging are controlled by a control module.

[0068] To this end, the divided battery modules (300)(310)(320) are arranged and connected in a directional manner from the first battery module (300) to the last third battery module (320), and the divided battery modules (300)(310)(320) by the control system are used and discharged in order from the first battery module (300) to the second battery module (310) and the third battery module (320), and are configured to be charged in order from the third battery module (320) to the first battery module (300) and the second battery module (310).

[0069] In this way, by allowing one battery module to be discharged and charged continuously with a time difference in the sequence between the discharge and charge of the divided battery modules (300) (310) (320), the discharge and charge can be performed simultaneously, and depending on the purpose of operation, the divided battery modules (300) (310) (320) can be used individually or combined sequentially.

[0070] In particular, when a fire occurs in a battery module (300)(310)(320) currently in use, the battery module (300)(310)(320) can be detached together with the underframe (240)(241)(242), and power supply can be quickly switched to the next battery module (300)(310)(320).

[0071] In addition, when the divided battery modules (300) (310) (320) are first charged, the third battery module (320) may be designed and provided to be charged only up to 50-70%, but more preferably, it may be designed and provided to be charged only up to 50%. This is because, due to the characteristics of the electric vehicle, power generation (charging) by repeated regenerative braking is always performed, so by providing a spare space for charging to the third battery module (320) that is charged first during charging, it is possible to maintain a state where charging is possible at all times.

[0072] In addition, the control module for controlling the discharge and charging of the divided battery modules (300)(310)(320) as described above further includes a Battery Management System (BMS) that manages the divided battery modules (300)(310)(320) and a Vehicle Control Unit (VCU) that controls the Battery Management System, as shown in FIG. 9.

[0073] The above-described battery management system (BMS) controls the first and second switching units (340)(350) and the driving discharge and charging sequence of the first, second, and third battery modules (300)(310)(320), and is also configured to separate the battery module (300)(310)(320) that has a fire problem from the underframe (240)(241)(242) depending on whether there is a fire problem with the battery module (300)(310)(320).

[0074] In addition, the vehicle control unit (VCU) receives input values ​​such as the accelerator pedal, brake pedal, GPS, inclination sensor, torque sensor, and vehicle speed sensor, and controls the regenerative braking device and generator through the transmission and power unit control unit, and can select the use of the battery module (300)(310)(320), and controls the driving discharge and charging of the first, second, and third battery modules (300)(310)(320) through the battery management system (BMS), and also performs the disconnection of the battery module (300)(310)(320) that has a fire problem according to the fire problem of the battery module (300)(310)(320).

[0075]

[0076] Meanwhile, the edges of each battery pack accommodating the battery modules (300)(310)(320) as described above, namely the upper frame (210) and the under frame (240)(241)(242) surrounding the battery modules (300)(310)(320), are mutually connected and fixed by an automatic separation device (500).

[0077] This automatic separation device (500) is configured to automatically release by the control module when a fire problem occurs in the battery module (300)(310)(320), thereby separating the underframe (240)(241)(242) of the battery pack equipped with the battery module (300)(310)(320) that has a fire problem from the upper frame (210).

[0078] Here, the occurrence of a fire problem in the battery module (300)(310)(320) refers to the time when the possibility of a fire is detected, and the time when the temperature of the battery module (300)(310)(320) exceeds, for example, 80 to 90°C, that is, the time when abnormal signs are detected, until the fire occurs.

[0079] As shown in FIG. 6, such an automatic separation device (500) comprises a hollow case (510) that is seated on the upper surface of the upper frame (210) of the battery pack assembly (200), a hollow folder (540) that is inserted into the case (510) and is movable up and down, a piston (550) that is inserted into the folder (540) and is movable up and down, a split nut (560) that is inserted into the folder (540) below the piston (550), a fastening bolt (570) that penetrates the rim portion of the underframe (240)(241)(242) of the battery pack assembly (200) and the upper frame (210) and is fastened to the split nut (560), and a fastening bolt (570) that is provided in the case (510) and is ignited when a fire problem occurs in the battery module (300)(310)(320) to provide explosive force into the folder (540) and the folder (540) and It includes a power cartridge (520) that moves the pistons (550) in opposite directions.

[0080] Thus, when a fire occurs in the battery module (300)(310)(320), the power cartridge (520) ignites and explodes within the folder (540), causing the folder (540) and the piston (550) to move in opposite directions, thereby forcibly separating the fastening bolt (570) and the split nut (560) from the upper frame (210) of the battery pack assembly (200) and separating the underframe (240)(241)(242) together with the battery module (300)(310)(320) downwards, thereby separating and removing the battery module (300)(310)(320) that has the potential to cause fire from the vehicle body, thereby safely protecting the electric vehicle from fire.

[0081] For this purpose, a hollow case (510) is provided to be fixed to the upper surface of the edge portion of the upper frame (210) as shown in FIG. 3a and FIG. 3b.

[0082] In the upper part of such a case (510), a plurality of through holes corresponding to a power cartridge (520) to be described later are formed, and in the lower part, a single through hole is formed through which a fastening bolt (570) to be described later passes.

[0083] A plurality of power cartridges (520) are provided on the upper surface of such a case (510), and a chemical agent capable of providing explosive force upon ignition is provided inside the power cartridge (520). At this time, the chemical agent is controlled to be ignited by a control module, and it is preferable that the explosive force is designed to provide only enough explosive force to push the folder (540) and the piston (550) up and down.

[0084] Thus, when the power cartridge (520) is operated, the power cartridge (520) is ignited by the control module, and the chemical of the ignited power cartridge (520) flows out of the power cartridge (520) and is guided into the folder (540) through the open through hole at the top of the case (510) as shown in the right drawing of FIG. 6, and explodes inside the folder (540).

[0085] At this time, a funnel or hopper-shaped guiding member (530) is provided between the case (510) and the folder (540) to guide the explosion of the power cartridge (520) into the folder (540).

[0086] These guiding members (530) are fixed within the case (510), with an opening on the upper surface provided to cover and accommodate the upper through hole of the case (510), and a hollow tube portion on the lower surface provided to be positioned within the folder (540) while penetrating the upper surface of the folder (540).

[0087] Additionally, the hollow folder (540) has a through hole formed in the center of its upper surface through which the hollow tube portion of the guiding member (530) passes, and its lower surface is formed so that its front surface is open. At this time, the space between the folder (540) and the hollow tube portion of the guiding member (530) is sealed so that the explosive force of the power cartridge (520) does not leak upward.

[0088] In addition, the piston (550) inserted into the folder (540) is also provided to be sealed between the folder (540) and the piston (550) to prevent the explosive force of the power cartridge (520) from leaking downward.

[0089] In this manner, the folder (540) and piston (550) are guided by the explosive force of the power cartridge (520) that explodes inside the folder (540) so that the folder (540) moves straight upward and the piston (550) moves straight downward within the folder (540), causing the gap of the folder (540) to widen.

[0090] The split nut (560) is provided in a state where it is inserted into the folder (540) at the bottom of the piston (550). As shown in the middle drawing of FIG. 6, this split nut (560) is configured to be divided into two or more pieces. In this embodiment, a structure divided into three pieces is exemplified, but it is not limited to or restricted thereto.

[0091] These split nuts (560) are configured so that three split pieces are temporarily fixed together by means such as adhesive, and then the temporarily fixed parts break due to an external force, causing them to be split into three pieces.

[0092] Thus, as shown in FIG. 6, the split nut (560) is provided in a state of being in contact with the folder (540), and when the folder (540) and the piston (550) are moved up and down respectively by the explosive force of the power cartridge (520), the folder (540) moves upward and the piston (550) moves downward at the same time, and as the piston (550) forcibly pushes the fastening bolt (570) fastened to the split nut (560) downward, the temporary fixing state of the split nut (560) is broken and split into the interior of the case (510) and scattered.

[0093] Accordingly, the fastening bolt (570) that was fastened to the split nut (560) before the split nut (560) was split is separated downward and detached at the same time as the split nut (560) is split by the forced downward movement of the piston (550), and the underframe (240)(241)(242) is separated downward along with the battery module (300)(310)(320) from the upper frame (210) of the battery pack assembly (200) by the detached fastening bolt (570).

[0094] At this time, as the underframe (240)(241)(242) is separated from the upper frame (210), the battery module (300)(310)(320) that is separated together with the underframe (240)(241)(242) is connected to the control module and cooling module mounted in the control module housing (260), respectively. Since the connection structure is connected to the control module and cooling module as shown in FIG. 7, the control module and cooling module are each connected by a connector and coupling structure that allows the connection to be easily separated and disconnected. Therefore, when the battery module (300)(310)(320) is detached from the upper frame (210) together with the underframe (240)(241)(242), the control module and cooling module connected to the battery module (300)(310)(320) are also quickly disconnected, thereby avoiding interference.

[0095] And, the operation of the automatic separation device (500) as described above is controlled by a control module.

[0096]

[0097] The operational relationship of the fire damage reduction system for electric vehicles according to the present invention as described above is explained.

[0098] When a fire occurs in a battery module (300)(310)(320) while the electric vehicle is in motion, stopped, or parked, the battery management system (BMS) detects the battery module (300)(310)(320) where the fire occurred and outputs the detection signal to the vehicle control unit (VCU).

[0099] Then, the vehicle control unit (VCU) activates an automatic separation device (500) attached to the edge of the battery pack assembly (200) where the battery module (300) (310) (320) that has a fire problem is installed, through the front part (100a) of the body frame (100) and the control module mounted in the control module housing (260). As the underframe (240) (241) (242) where the battery module (300) (310) (320) that has a fire problem is installed is detached and separated from the upper frame (210) together with the battery module (300) (310) (320) by the activated automatic separation device (500), the battery module (300) (310) (320) that has a fire problem can be separated from the electric vehicle.

[0100] And, when the automatic separation device (500) is activated, the power cartridge (520) is ignited by the control module as shown in the right drawing of FIG. 6, and the chemical of the ignited power cartridge (520) is guided into the folder (540) through the through hole at the top of the case (510) and the guiding member (530) and explodes inside the folder (540).

[0101] Then, due to the explosive force of the power cartridge (520), the folder (540) and the piston (550) that were in close proximity are moved in a straight line in the up and down directions, respectively, and the fastening bolt (570) that was fastened to the split nut (560) is pushed downward and forcibly separated by the piston (550) moving in a straight line downward, and at the same time, as the folder (540) moves in a straight line upward, the split nut (560) that was inserted into and connected to the folder (540) is split into three pieces in its original state and scattered into the case (510).

[0102] Thus, the underframe (240)(241)(242) on which the battery module (300)(310)(320) that has a fire problem is installed is detached downward from the upperframe (210) together with the battery module (300)(310)(320) as shown in FIGS. 4 and 5, and at the same time, the electric vehicle is moved forward or backward so that it can quickly move away from the battery module (300)(310)(320) that has a fire problem and evacuate to a safe area.

[0103] Accordingly, the battery module (300)(310)(320) that has a fire problem is quickly detached and separated from the upper frame (210) along with the corresponding under frame (240)(241)(242), and at the same time, the battery module (300)(310)(320) that has a fire problem is exposed to the outside, thereby safely protecting most of the electric vehicle from the fire of the battery module (300)(310)(320) and allowing the fire of the battery module (300)(310)(320) to be easily and quickly extinguished.

[0104] And, after the battery module (300)(310)(320) that caused the fire problem is removed, another battery module (300)(310)(320) is automatically selected by the vehicle control unit (VCU) and battery management system (BMS) so that the electric vehicle can continue to stably supply power.

[0105]

[0106] Although the present invention has been described in detail through specific embodiments, this is for the purpose of specifically explaining the invention, and the invention is not limited thereto. It is evident that modifications or improvements can be made by those skilled in the art within the technical scope of the invention.

[0107] All simple variations or modifications of the present invention fall within the scope of the present invention, and the specific scope of protection of the present invention will be clarified by the appended claims.

[0108]

[0109] (Explanation of symbols)

[0110] 100 : Body frame 100a : Front section

[0111] 100b : Mounting section 200 : Battery pack assembly

[0112] 210 : Upper frame 220 : Upper cover

[0113] 230 : Protrusion 231 : Groove

[0114] 240, 241, 242 : Underframe 250, 251, 252 : Undercover

[0115] 260: Control module housing 300, 310, 320: Battery module

[0116] 340,350 : Switching Unit 360,370 : Inverter

[0117] 500 : Automatic separation device 510 : Case

[0118] 520 : Power Cartridge 530 : Induction component

[0119] 540 : Folder 550 : Piston

[0120] 560 : Split nut 570 : Fastening bolt

Claims

1. Body frame forming the body of an electric vehicle; A battery pack assembly coupled to a body frame and having a plurality of divided battery modules each inserted therein; A fire damage reduction system for electric vehicles comprising: an automatic separation device provided in a battery pack assembly along the outer circumference of each battery module, which separates the battery module with the fire problem from the battery pack assembly when a fire problem occurs in the battery module.

2. In Claim 1, The battery pack assembly is an upper frame that is coupled and fixed to the body frame; A plurality of underframes, each coupled and fixed to an upper frame, while a battery module is each fixed to the upper surface thereof; including A fire damage reduction system for electric vehicles that, in the event of a fire in a battery module, separates the underframe from the upperframe along with the battery module to expose the battery module with the fire problem to the outside.

3. In Claim 2, A fire damage reduction system for electric vehicles, wherein an automatic separation device is provided along the perimeter of each underframe to enable each underframe to be connected to and separated from the upperframe.

4. In Claim 2, The automatic separation device is a hollow case provided in the upper frame of the battery pack assembly; A hollow folder inserted into a case and configured to move up and down; A piston inserted into a folder and configured to move up and down; A split nut inserted and provided within the folder at the bottom of the piston; A fastening bolt that penetrates the underframe and upperframe of a battery pack assembly and is fastened to a split nut; A power cartridge provided in a case that ignites upon fire in the battery module to provide explosive force into the folder, thereby moving the folder and the piston in opposite directions; A fire damage reduction system for electric vehicles that, in the event of a fire in a battery module, causes the power cartridge to ignite and explode within the folder before the fire occurs, thereby forcibly separating the fastening bolt and split nut to separate the underframe from the upper frame of the battery pack assembly.

5. In Claim 4, A fire damage reduction system for electric vehicles, wherein the case is equipped with a guiding member that guides the chemical of the power cartridge into the folder and causes it to explode inside the folder.

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