Title of the invention: Battery module, battery rack including such battery module, and power storage device including such battery rack
Technical field
[One]
The present invention relates to a battery module, a battery rack including such a battery module, and a power storage device including such a battery rack.
[2]
This application is a priority claim application for Korean Patent Application No. 10-2018-0122133 filed on October 12, 2018, and all contents disclosed in the specification and drawings of the application are incorporated herein by reference.
Background
[3]
Rechargeable batteries with high ease of application and high energy density according to product group are not only portable devices, but also electric vehicles (EVs) or hybrid vehicles (HEVs) driven by electric drive sources. It is universally applied. Such a secondary battery is attracting attention as a new energy source for environmentally friendly and energy efficiency enhancement in that it does not generate by-products from the use of energy as well as the primary advantage of being able to dramatically reduce the use of fossil fuels.
[4]
Types of rechargeable batteries currently widely used include lithium ion batteries, lithium polymer batteries, nickel cadmium batteries, nickel hydride batteries, and nickel zinc batteries. The operating voltage of such a unit secondary battery cell, that is, a unit battery cell, is about 2.5V to 4.5V. Therefore, when a higher output voltage is required, a battery pack may be formed by connecting a plurality of battery cells in series. In addition, a battery pack may be configured by connecting a plurality of battery cells in parallel according to the charge/discharge capacity required for the battery pack. Accordingly, the number of battery cells included in the battery pack may be variously set according to a required output voltage or charge/discharge capacity.
[5]
Meanwhile, when configuring a battery pack by connecting a plurality of battery cells in series/parallel, a battery module including at least one battery cell is first configured, and other components are added using at least one battery module. It is common to construct a battery pack or battery rack. When configuring a battery rack, a plurality of battery racks may be used to configure a power storage device.
[6]
In the case of a conventional battery module, a water-cooled or air-cooled cooling unit may be provided for cooling the battery module. Here, the cooling unit of the battery module of the air-cooled structure generally includes a cooling air supply unit and a cooling air discharge unit. Meanwhile, when a high temperature situation occurs due to abnormal heat generation of at least one of the battery cells, a high temperature gas and flame may be generated inside the battery module.
[7]
However, in the case of a conventional air-cooled battery module, when such a high-temperature situation occurs, hot gas and flame inside the module can be discharged to the outside of the module only through the cooling air supply unit and the cooling air discharge unit of the cooling unit. There is a problem in that it is difficult for the and flames to escape smoothly out of the battery module.
[8]
In this case, there is a problem in that thermal runaway of any one battery cell propagates to adjacent battery cells and leads to an explosion of the entire battery module, causing great damage.
[9]
Therefore, when a high-temperature situation occurs due to abnormal heat generation in an air-cooled battery module, there is a need to find a way to quickly discharge high-temperature gases and flames to the outside.
Detailed description of the invention
Technical challenge
[10]
Accordingly, an object of the present invention is a battery module capable of discharging high temperature gases and flames to the outside more quickly when a high temperature situation occurs due to abnormal heat generation in a battery module having an air-cooled structure, and a battery rack including such a battery module And it is to provide a power storage device including such a battery rack.
Means of solving the task
[11]
In order to solve the above object, the present invention provides a battery module, comprising: a plurality of battery cells; A module case accommodating the plurality of battery cells and having internal cooling passages formed on both sides of the plurality of battery cells; At least one opening facing the internal cooling passage of the module case and provided on both side surfaces of the module case; And a pair of film members mounted on both side surfaces of the module case to cover the at least one opening, and opening the at least one opening while melting at a predetermined temperature or higher. to provide.
[12]
The plurality of openings may be provided, and the plurality of openings may be disposed at a predetermined distance apart from each other along the length direction of the module case.
[13]
The pair of film members may have a size capable of covering all of the plurality of openings.
[14]
The openings may be provided in a pair, and the pair of openings may be provided on both side surfaces of the module case, respectively.
[15]
The pair of openings may be provided in a mesh shape.
[16]
The pair of film members may have a size capable of covering each of the pair of openings.
[17]
The battery module may include a cooling unit provided in the module case, supplying cooling air to the internal cooling channel and discharging the cooling air out of the module case.
[18]
The cooling unit includes: a cooling air supply unit provided on one side of the module case and providing the cooling air toward the internal cooling channel; And a cooling air discharge unit provided on the other side of the module case and discharging the cooling air in the internal cooling passage to the outside of the module case.
[19]
In addition, the present invention, as a battery rack, at least one battery module according to the above-described embodiments; And a rack case packaging the at least one battery module.
[20]
In addition, the present invention provides a power storage device comprising: at least one battery rack according to the above-described embodiment as a power storage device.
Effects of the Invention
[21]
According to various embodiments as described above, when a high temperature situation occurs due to abnormal heat generation in an air-cooled battery module, a battery module capable of discharging high temperature gases and flames to the outside more quickly, including such a battery module. A battery rack and a power storage device including such a battery rack may be provided.
Brief description of the drawing
[22]
The following drawings appended to the present specification illustrate preferred embodiments of the present invention, and serve to further understand the technical idea of ​​the present invention together with the detailed description of the present invention, which will be described later. It is limited only to and should not be interpreted.
[23]
1 is a view for explaining a battery module according to an embodiment of the present invention.
[24]
2 is a cross-sectional view of the battery module of FIG. 1.
[25]
3 is a side view of the battery module of FIG. 1.
[26]
FIG. 4 is a diagram for explaining a cooling state of the battery module of FIG. 1.
[27]
5 and 6 are diagrams for explaining the appearance of the battery module of FIG. 1 in a high temperature situation of a predetermined temperature or higher.
[28]
7 is a view for explaining a battery module according to another embodiment of the present invention.
[29]
8 is a side view of the battery module of FIG. 7.
[30]
FIG. 9 is a view for explaining the appearance of the battery module of FIG. 7 in a high temperature situation of a predetermined temperature or higher.
[31]
10 is a view for explaining a battery rack according to an embodiment of the present invention.
Mode for carrying out the invention
[32]
The present invention will become more apparent by describing in detail a preferred embodiment of the present invention with reference to the accompanying drawings. The embodiments described herein are illustratively shown to aid understanding of the invention, and it should be understood that the present invention may be implemented with various modifications different from the embodiments described herein. In addition, in order to help understanding the invention, the accompanying drawings are not drawn to scale, but dimensions of some components may be exaggerated.
[33]
1 is a view for explaining a battery module according to an embodiment of the present invention, FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view of the battery module of FIG. 1, and FIG. 3 is a side view of the battery module of FIG.
[34]
1 to 3, the battery module 10 may include a battery cell 100, a module case 200, a cooling unit 300, an opening 400, and a film member 500.
[35]
The battery cell 100 is a secondary battery, and may be provided as a pouch-type secondary battery, a prismatic secondary battery, or a cylindrical secondary battery. Hereinafter, in the present embodiment, the battery cell 100 is limited to a pouch-type secondary battery.
[36]
A plurality of such battery cells 100 may be provided. The plurality of battery cells 100 may be disposed to be stacked on each other so as to be electrically connected to each other.
[37]
The module case 200 may accommodate the plurality of battery cells 100. To this end, an accommodation space for accommodating the plurality of battery cells 100 may be provided in the module case 200.
[38]
The module case 200 may include an internal cooling passage 250.
[39]
The internal cooling passage 250 may be provided on both sides of the plurality of battery cells 100 in the module case 200. The internal cooling passage 250 may be disposed in communication with a cooling unit 300 to be described later.
[40]
The cooling unit 300 is for cooling the battery cells 100 and may be provided in an air-cooled manner. The cooling unit 300 is provided in the module case 200, supplies cooling air to the internal cooling passage 250 and discharges the cooling air out of the module case 200.
[41]
The cooling unit 300 may include a cooling air supply unit 310 and a cooling air discharge unit 330.
[42]
The cooling air supply unit 310 may be provided at one side of the module case 200, specifically, in front of the module case 200, and may provide the cooling air toward the internal cooling passage 250.
[43]
The cooling air supply unit 310 may be provided with a cooling supply fan unit for facilitating supply of cooling air to the internal cooling passage 250 in the module case 200.
[44]
The cooling air discharge unit 330 is provided on the other side of the module case 200, specifically, at the rear of the module case 200, and transfers the cooling air inside the internal cooling channel 250 to the module case. (200) can be discharged outside.
[45]
The cooling air discharge unit 330 may be provided with a cooling discharge fan unit for facilitating discharge of the cooling air at the side of the internal cooling passage 250 in the module case 200.
[46]
The cooling air discharge unit 330 may be disposed in a diagonal direction to the cooling air supply unit 310 in a front and rear direction of the module case 200. Accordingly, the cooling air may flow more smoothly in the entire interior of the module case 200.
[47]
The opening 400 faces the internal cooling passage 250 of the module case 200 and may be provided on both side surfaces of the module case 200.
[48]
A plurality of the openings 400 may be provided.
[49]
The plurality of openings 400 are provided on both side surfaces of the module case 200, respectively, and may be spaced apart from each other by a predetermined distance along a longitudinal direction along a front and rear direction of the module case 200.
[50]
The film member 500 is provided in a pair to cover the at least one opening 400, in this embodiment, a plurality of openings 400 provided on each side of the module case 200 It may be provided on both sides of the module case 200, respectively.
[51]
The pair of film members 500 may have a size capable of covering all of the plurality of openings 400 provided on each side of the module case 200. The pair of film members 500 seals all of the at least one of the plurality of openings 500 at a predetermined temperature or lower, and in this embodiment, the plurality of openings 500 are melted at a predetermined temperature or higher. ) At least one of the openings 500 may be at least partially opened.
[52]
To this end, the pair of film members 500 may be made of a film or foam material that is vulnerable to high temperatures of a predetermined temperature or higher. The pair of film members 500 may be melted at a high temperature of a predetermined temperature or higher.
[53]
Hereinafter, the appearance of the battery module 10 in a cooling and high temperature situation according to the present embodiment will be described in more detail.
[54]
FIG. 4 is a diagram for explaining a cooling state of the battery module of FIG. 1.
[55]
Referring to FIG. 4, when the battery module 10 is cooled, the cooling air supply unit 310 of the cooling unit 300 is cooled to cool the battery cells 100 outside the module case 200. Air may be introduced into the module case 200.
[56]
The cooling air introduced into the module case 200 may then cool the battery cells 100 while flowing through the internal cooling passage 250 of the module case 200.
[57]
Thereafter, the cooling air that has cooled the battery cells 100 may pass out of the module case 200 through the cooling air discharge unit 330 of the cooling unit 300.
[58]
5 and 6 are diagrams for explaining the appearance of the battery module of FIG. 1 in a high temperature situation of a predetermined temperature or higher.
[59]
5 and 6, in the case of the battery module 10, abnormal heating symptoms may occur in at least one battery cell 100 among the battery cells 100. If the abnormal heat condition persists, a high temperature situation may occur inside the module case 200, and high temperature gas and flame may be generated inside the module case 200.
[60]
When the high-temperature gas and flame are generated, only the cooling air supply unit 310 and the cooling air discharge unit 330 of the cooling unit 300 transmits the high-temperature gas and flame to the module case 200. Getting it out may not be smooth.
[61]
In this case, thermal runaway of any one battery cell may propagate to adjacent battery cells and lead to an explosion of the entire battery module, resulting in significant damage.
[62]
However, in the case of the present embodiment, when hot gas and flame are generated in the module case 200 according to such a high temperature situation, the pair of film members 500 melt and the plurality of openings 400 ) May be exposed outside the module case 200.
[63]
Accordingly, in this embodiment, since the high-temperature gas and flame can be quickly discharged through the plurality of openings 400, problems that may lead to explosion of the entire battery module 10 can be prevented in advance. have.
[64]
Consequently, in the case of the battery module 10 according to the present embodiment, through the plurality of openings 400 and the pair of film members 500, cooling for cooling the battery cells 100 in a normal operating environment While guiding the formation of a path, in an abnormal operating environment such as thermal runaway, hot gases and flames inside the module case 200 may be quickly discharged to the outside.
[65]
Accordingly, the battery module 10 according to the present exemplary embodiment can secure both reliability and stability of the battery module 10 in both normal or abnormal operating environments.
[66]
FIG. 7 is a view for explaining a battery module according to another embodiment of the present invention, FIG. 8 is a side view of the battery module of FIG. 7, and FIG. 9 is a view illustrating a state of a high temperature above a predetermined temperature of the battery module of FIG. 7 It is a drawing to do.
[67]
Since the battery module 20 according to the present embodiment is similar to the battery module 10 of the previous embodiment, redundant descriptions are omitted for configurations that are substantially the same as or similar to the previous embodiment. Explain around the differences.
[68]
7 to 9, the battery module 20 includes a battery cell 100, a module case 200, a cooling unit 300, a pair of film members 500, and an opening 600. can do.
[69]
The battery cell 100, the module case 200, the cooling unit 300, and the pair of film members 500 are substantially the same as or similar to the previous embodiment, and thus, redundant description is omitted below. do.
[70]
The openings 600 may be provided in a pair, and the pair of openings 600 may be provided on both side surfaces of the module case 200, respectively. The pair of openings 600 may be provided in a mesh shape. Meanwhile, the pair of film members 500 may have a size capable of covering each of the pair of openings 600.
[71]
As in the present embodiment, the openings 600 may be provided in a mesh form instead of a plurality. In addition, when a situation such as the mesh-shaped opening 600 and the abnormal thermal runaway occurs, it is exposed to the outside through the melting film member 500 to prevent high-temperature gases and flames inside the module case 200. It can be discharged to the outside more quickly.
[72]
10 is a view for explaining a battery rack according to an embodiment of the present invention.
[73]
Referring to FIG. 10, the battery rack 1 includes at least one battery module 10 and 20 according to the previous embodiment and a rack case 50 for packaging the at least one battery module 10 and 20. can do. The battery rack 1 may be provided in an industrial or household power storage device.
[74]
In addition, it goes without saying that the battery rack 1 may be provided in other devices, devices, and facilities, such as a vehicle using a secondary battery, in addition to the power storage device.
[75]
As such, the battery rack 1 and the power storage device including the battery rack 1 according to the present embodiment, or a device and equipment such as an automobile, include the battery modules 10 and 20 described above. It is possible to implement a battery rack 1 having all of the advantages of one battery module 10 and 20, and a power storage device including the same and a device and equipment such as a vehicle.
[76]
According to various embodiments as described above, when a high temperature situation occurs due to abnormal heat generation in the battery modules 10 and 20 of the air-cooled structure, the battery module capable of discharging high temperature gases and flames to the outside more quickly. (10, 20), the battery rack 1 including the battery module 10, 20, and a power storage device including the battery rack 1 may be provided.
[77]
In the above, preferred embodiments of the present invention have been illustrated and described, but the present invention is not limited to the specific embodiments described above, and is generally used in the technical field to which the present invention belongs without departing from the gist of the present invention claimed in the claims. Various modifications are possible by those skilled in the art, and these modifications should not be understood individually from the technical idea or prospect of the present invention.
Claims
[Claim 1]
A battery module, comprising: a plurality of battery cells; A module case accommodating the plurality of battery cells and having internal cooling passages formed on both sides of the plurality of battery cells; At least one opening facing the internal cooling passage of the module case and provided on both side surfaces of the module case; And a pair of film members mounted on both side surfaces of the module case to cover the at least one opening, and opening the at least one opening while melting at a predetermined temperature or higher.
[Claim 2]
The battery module of claim 1, wherein the plurality of openings are provided, and the plurality of openings are disposed to be spaced apart from each other by a predetermined distance along a length direction of the module case.
[Claim 3]
The battery module of claim 2, wherein the pair of film members has a size capable of covering all of the plurality of openings.
[Claim 4]
The battery module of claim 1, wherein the openings are provided in a pair, and the pair of openings are provided on both side surfaces of the module case, respectively.
[Claim 5]
The battery module according to claim 4, wherein the pair of openings are formed in a mesh shape.
[Claim 6]
The battery module of claim 4, wherein the pair of film members has a size capable of covering each of the pair of openings.
[Claim 7]
The battery module of claim 1, further comprising: a cooling unit provided in the module case and configured to supply cooling air to the internal cooling channel and to discharge the cooling air out of the module case.
[Claim 8]
The apparatus of claim 7, wherein the cooling unit comprises: a cooling air supply unit provided on one side of the module case and providing the cooling air toward the internal cooling channel; And a cooling air discharge unit provided on the other side of the module case and discharging the cooling air in the internal cooling channel to the outside of the module case.
[Claim 9]
At least one battery module according to claim 1; And a rack case for packaging the at least one battery module.
[Claim 10]
At least one battery rack according to claim 9; Power storage device comprising a.