technical field
[One]
The present invention relates to a battery module, and a battery rack and power storage device including the same.
[2]
This application is a priority claim application for Korean Patent Application No. 10-2019-0142955 filed on November 08, 2019, and all contents disclosed in the specification and drawings of the application are incorporated herein by reference.
background
[3]
Secondary batteries that are easy to apply according to product groups and have electrical characteristics such as high energy density are not only portable devices, but also electric vehicles (EVs) or hybrid vehicles (HEVs) driven by an electric drive source. It is universally applied. These secondary batteries are attracting attention as a new energy source for improving eco-friendliness and energy efficiency in that not only the primary advantage of being able to dramatically reduce the use of fossil fuels but also the fact that no by-products are generated from the use of energy.
[4]
The types of secondary batteries currently widely used include a lithium ion battery, a lithium polymer battery, a nickel cadmium battery, a nickel hydrogen battery, a nickel zinc battery, and the like. The unit secondary battery cell, that is, the operating voltage of the unit battery cell is about 2.5V ~ 4.5V. Accordingly, when a higher output voltage is required, a plurality of battery cells are connected in series to form a battery pack. In addition, a plurality of battery cells may be connected in parallel to form a battery pack 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]
On the other hand, 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 the at least one battery module. A method of configuring the battery pack is common. Here, the battery pack including at least one battery module may also constitute a power storage device including at least one such battery pack according to various voltage and capacity requirements.
[6]
In the case of a conventional battery module, when thermal runaway occurs in the module, the transition between battery cells continues inside the module, causing a problem in which all battery cells are damaged.
[7]
Therefore, when such thermal runaway occurs, it is required to find a way to quickly stop it.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
technical challenge
[8]
Accordingly, an object of the present invention is to provide a battery module capable of quickly preventing thermal runaway occurrence according to an abnormal situation, a battery rack including such a battery module, and a power storage device.
means of solving the problem
[9]
In order to solve the above object, the present invention provides a battery module, comprising: at least one battery cell; a module case accommodating the at least one battery cell; a fire extinguishing unit disposed at least partially inside the module case and connected to a fire extinguishing tank unit including a fire extinguishing agent to directly spray the fire extinguishing agent into the module case when thermal runaway or fire occurs in the at least one battery cell; and an insulating cover that at least partially covers the fire extinguishing unit, at least a portion of which is disposed inside the module case.
[10]
The insulation cover may be mounted on a rear surface of the module case, and an insulation cover mounting part for mounting the insulation cover may be provided on the rear surface of the module case.
[11]
The fire extinguishing unit may be disposed inside the insulating cover inside the module case, at least a part of which passes through the module case.
[12]
The insulating cover may include a cover base mounted on a rear surface of the module case; a cover cap protruding a predetermined length from the cover base into the module case; and a watering guider formed on the cover cap and guiding the spraying of the fire extinguishing agent of the fire extinguishing unit.
[13]
The insulating cover may include a hot air flow hole formed in the cover cap and provided on the opposite side of the watering guider.
[14]
The watering guider may include a plurality of guide ribs formed to have a predetermined length along the longitudinal direction of the cover cap and spaced apart from each other by a predetermined distance to form a plurality of openings.
[15]
The fire fighting unit may include: a unit body connected to the fire fighting tank unit; and a spray nozzle provided in the unit body and configured to spray the extinguishing agent toward the battery cell inside the module case.
[16]
The spray nozzle may include: a nozzle body connected to the unit body and provided with a spray hole for spraying the extinguishing agent; And it is provided in the nozzle body, is configured to cover the injection hole, when the inside of the module case is exposed to an internal gas of a predetermined temperature or higher, is separated from the injection hole or at least a part is damaged so as to open the injection hole It may include a glass bulb;
[17]
And, the present invention provides a battery pack, comprising: at least one battery module according to the above-described embodiments; and a rack case accommodating the at least one battery module; provides a battery rack comprising a.
[18]
In addition, the present invention provides a power storage device comprising a; at least one battery rack according to the above-described embodiment as a power storage device.
Effects of the Invention
[19]
According to various embodiments as described above, when a thermal runaway occurs according to an abnormal situation, it is possible to provide a battery module capable of quickly preventing it, a battery rack and a power storage device including such a battery module.
Brief description of the drawing
[20]
1 is a view for explaining a battery module according to an embodiment of the present invention.
[21]
FIG. 2 is a rear perspective view of the battery module of FIG. 1 ;
[22]
3 is a partial exploded view of the battery module of FIG. 1 .
[23]
4 is an enlarged view of a main part of the battery module of FIG. 3 .
[24]
FIG. 5 is a partially exploded perspective view of the battery module of FIG. 4 .
[25]
6 and 7 are views for explaining an insulating cover of the battery module of FIG. 5 .
[26]
Fig. 8 is a cross-sectional view of a main part of the battery module of Fig. 1;
[27]
9 to 11 are views for explaining a mechanism for injecting an extinguishing agent inside the module case when a fire or thermal runaway situation occurs in the battery module of FIG. 1 .
[28]
12 is a view for explaining a battery rack according to an embodiment of the present invention.
[29]
13 is a diagram for explaining a power storage device according to an embodiment of the present invention.
Modes for carrying out the invention
[30]
The present invention will become more apparent by describing preferred embodiments of the present invention in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. It should be understood that the embodiments described herein are illustratively shown to aid understanding of the invention, and the present invention may be implemented with various modifications different from the embodiments described herein. In addition, in order to help understanding of the invention, the accompanying drawings are not drawn to scale, but dimensions of some components may be exaggerated.
[31]
1 is a view for explaining a battery module according to an embodiment of the present invention, FIG. 2 is a rear perspective view of the battery module of FIG. 1 , and FIG. 3 is a partially exploded view of the battery module of FIG. 1 .
[32]
1 to 3 , the battery module 10 may include a battery cell 100 , a module case 200 , a fire extinguishing unit 300 , and an insulating cover 400 .
[33]
The battery cell 100, as a secondary battery, may be provided as a pouch-type secondary battery, a prismatic secondary battery, or a cylindrical secondary battery. Hereinafter, in this embodiment, the battery cell 100 will be described by limiting it to a pouch-type secondary battery.
[34]
At least one battery cell 100 may be provided in plurality. Hereinafter, in the present embodiment, the battery cell 100 will be described by limiting it to being provided in plurality.
[35]
The module case 200 may accommodate the at least one or more of 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 .
[36]
The module case 200 may include an insulating cover mounting part 205 .
[37]
The insulating cover mounting part 205 is provided at the rear of the module case 200, and the insulating cover mounting part 205 may be provided with an opening of a predetermined size. An insulating cover 400 through which a fire extinguishing unit 300 to be described later is mounted may be mounted on the insulating cover mounting part 205 .
[38]
The fire extinguishing unit 300 is at least partially disposed inside the module case 200 and is connected to a fire extinguishing tank unit T (refer to FIG. 16 ) having a fire extinguishing agent so that the heat of the at least one battery cell 100 . In case of runaway or fire, the extinguishing agent may be directly sprayed into the module case 200 . For example, the extinguishing agent may be provided with water.
[39]
The fire extinguishing unit 300 may be interconnected with the fire extinguishing tank unit T through an extinguishing agent supply pipe 70 . The fire extinguishing unit 300 may be disposed to be at least partially surrounded by an insulating cover 400 to be described later inside the module case 200 . That is, the fire extinguishing unit 300 may be disposed inside the insulating cover 400 , which will be described later, inside the module case 200 , at least a part of which passes through the module case 200 .
[40]
In the case of this embodiment, when a fire occurs in the battery cells 100 in the battery module 10 through the direct fire injection into the module case 200 of the fire extinguishing unit 300, the fire is more quickly and effectively can be suppressed early.
[41]
Hereinafter, the fire extinguishing unit 300 and the insulating cover 400 covering the fire extinguishing unit 300 according to this embodiment will be described in more detail below.take a closer look
[42]
Figure 4 is an enlarged view of the main part of the battery module of Figure 3, Figure 5 is a partially exploded perspective view of the battery module of Figure 4, Figures 6 and 7 are views for explaining the insulating cover of the battery module of Figure 5, Fig. 8 is a cross-sectional view of a main part of the battery module of Fig. 1;
[43]
4 to 8 , the fire extinguishing unit 300 may include a unit body 310 and a spray nozzle 330 .
[44]
The unit body 310 may be connected to the fire fighting tank unit T (refer to FIG. 16 ). Specifically, the unit body 310 has an internal flow path for storing and flowing the fire extinguishing agent, and may be connected to a fire extinguishing tank unit (T, see FIG. 16 ) to be described later through the fire extinguishing agent supply pipe 70 . .
[45]
The injection nozzle 330 is provided on the unit body 310 and may be disposed inside the module case 200 to spray the extinguishing agent toward the battery cell 100 inside the module case 200 . .
[46]
The spray nozzle 330 may include a nozzle body 331 and a glass bulb 333 .
[47]
The nozzle body 331 is connected to the unit body 310 , and specifically, may be mounted on the unit body 310 to communicate with the internal flow path of the unit body 310 .
[48]
The nozzle body 331 may be provided with a spray hole 332 .
[49]
The injection hole 332 is for injection of the extinguishing agent, and may communicate with an internal flow path of the unit body 310 . When the spray hole 332 is opened, the extinguishing agent may be sprayed to the outside.
[50]
The glass bulb 333 is provided in the nozzle body 331 and is configured to cover the injection hole 332 , and when the inside of the module case 200 is exposed to internal gas at a predetermined temperature or higher, the injection hole It may be configured to open the injection hole 332 by being separated from the 332 or at least partially damaged.
[51]
The glass bulb 333 is filled with a predetermined substance such as a predetermined liquid or gas therein. Such a predetermined material may have a property of increasing in volume as the temperature increases. Specifically, the glass bulb 333 is broken, melted, or separated from the nozzle body 331 by volume expansion of the predetermined material at a predetermined temperature, for example, 70 to 100 degrees Celsius or more, and the spraying. The hole 332 may be opened.
[52]
The insulating cover 400 is for protecting the fire extinguishing unit 300 , and at least partially covers the fire extinguishing unit 300 , and at least a part thereof may be disposed inside the module case 200 . Specifically, the insulating cover 400 may be mounted on the rear surface of the module case 200 and may be arranged to at least partially cover the spray nozzle 330 of the fire extinguishing unit 300 .
[53]
The insulating cover 400 may be made of an insulating material. Insulation between the fire extinguishing unit 300 and the internal circuit inside the module case 200 can be secured through the insulating cover 400 .
[54]
The insulating cover 400 may include a cover base 410 , a cover cap 430 , a water injection guide 450 , and a heat flow hole 470 .
[55]
The cover base 410 may be mounted on the rear surface of the module case 200 . Specifically, the cover base 410 may be mounted on the insulating cover mounting part 205 of the module case 200 .
[56]
The cover cap 430 may protrude a predetermined length from the cover base 410 into the module case 200 and may at least partially cover the spray nozzle 330 of the fire extinguishing unit 300 .
[57]
The watering guide 450 is formed on the cover cap 430 and may guide the fire extinguishing agent injection of the fire extinguishing unit 300 . The watering guider 450 may be formed to open a front part and a side part of the cover cap 430 .
[58]
The watering guider 450 may include a plurality of guide ribs 455 .
[59]
The plurality of guide ribs 455 may have a predetermined length along the longitudinal direction of the cover cap 430 and may be spaced apart from each other by a predetermined distance to form a plurality of openings. The plurality of guide ribs 455 may guide the inflow of air into the cover cap 430 and also guide the injection of the extinguishing agent when the extinguishing agent is injected, which will be described later.
[60]
The hot air flow hole 470 is formed in the cover cap 430 , and may be provided opposite the water injection guider 450 . At least one or more of the hot air flow holes 470 may be provided, and may be provided in the shape of a hole having a predetermined size.
[61]
The hot air flow hole 470 may function as a hot air flow passage for ensuring smooth heat transfer within the cover cap 430 of the insulating cover 400 . Through this heat flow hole 470, in the case of a thermal runaway situation to be described later, smooth heat transfer inside the cover cap 430 of the insulating cover 400 is secured to open the injection hole 332 for injecting the extinguishing agent. It is possible to guide the breakage, melting, or separation of the glass bulb 333 above a predetermined temperature to be made more rapidly.
[62]
Meanwhile, the battery module 10 may include a cooling air discharge unit 500 and a cooling air supply unit 600 .
[63]
The cooling air discharge unit 500 may be disposed to be spaced apart from the insulating cover 400 and the fire extinguishing unit 300 by a predetermined distance, and may be formed on the rear surface of the module case 200 .
[64]
The cooling air discharge unit 500 may be provided at the rear of the module case 200 , opposite to the insulating cover mounting unit 205 . The lower end of the cooling air discharge unit 500 may be provided to have a predetermined height from the lower end of the rear surface of the module case 200 .
[65]
The cooling air discharge unit 500 is provided with a plurality of discharge holes, and may be provided above the predetermined height. Accordingly, when pouring the extinguishing agent inside the module case 200, which will be described later, a predetermined water level at which the extinguishing agent can be filled up to the predetermined height inside the module case 200 is secured, so that a more smooth thermal runaway or fire situation can be prevented. can be suppressed more effectively.
[66]
The cooling air supply unit 600 is provided in front of the module case 200 and supplies cooling air into the module case 200 of the battery module 10 for cooling the battery cells 100 . can The cooling air supply unit 600 may be disposed diagonally to the cooling supply discharge unit 500 to increase cooling circulation efficiency.
[67]
Hereinafter, the fire extinguishing agent injection mechanism inside the module case 200 in case of a fire or thermal runaway situation of the battery module 10 according to this embodiment will be described in more detail.
[68]
9 to 11 are views for explaining a mechanism for injecting an extinguishing agent inside the module case when a fire or thermal runaway situation occurs in the battery module of FIG. 1 .
[69]
9 to 11 , in the battery cells 100 inside the module case 200 of the battery module 10 , according to an abnormal condition of at least one battery cell 100 , a fire situation due to overheating, etc. Alternatively, a thermal runaway situation may occur. When such a fire situation or thermal runaway situation occurs, a high-temperature gas G may be generated inside the module case 200 due to the overheated battery cell 100 .
[70]
By the high temperature gas (G), the glass bulb 333 of the fire extinguishing unit 300 is broken or melted, or the glass bulb 333 is separated from the nozzle body 331, The injection hole 332 through which the extinguishing agent may be injected may be opened. According to the opening of the injection hole 332 , the fire extinguishing agent W inside the fire extinguishing unit 300 , that is, water W may be immediately and directly sprayed toward the battery cells 100 .
[71]
Accordingly, in this embodiment, when a fire situation or thermal runaway situation occurs in the battery module 10, it is immediately directed from the inside of the module case 200 to the battery cells 100 through the fire extinguishing unit 300. Since direct fire extinguishing is performed, it is possible to extinguish a fire or thermal runaway situation more quickly and quickly.
[72]
Therefore, in this embodiment, through the rapid initial suppression of such a fire situation or thermal runaway situation, the occurrence of a dangerous situation such as a secondary explosion due to heat or flame transfer to the adjacent battery cells 100 can be more effectively prevented in advance. can
[73]
12 is a view for explaining a battery rack according to an embodiment of the present invention.
[74]
12, the battery rack 1, the plurality of battery modules 10 of the previous embodiment, a rack case 50 for accommodating the plurality of battery modules 10, and the plurality of battery modules 10 It may include a fire extinguishing agent supply pipe 70 connected to.
[75]
The fire extinguishing agent supply pipe 70 communicates with the fire extinguishing unit 300 and a fire extinguishing tank unit (T, see FIG. 13 ) to be described later, thereby generating an abnormal situation such as a fire situation in at least one of the plurality of battery modules 10 . It is possible to guide the supply of the extinguishing agent of the fire fighting tank unit T to the battery module 10 in which the abnormal situation occurs.
[76]
The battery rack (1) according to this embodiment, to include the battery module 10 of the previous embodiment, to provide a battery rack (1) including all the advantages of the battery module 10 of the previous embodiment can
[77]
13 is a diagram for explaining a power storage device according to an embodiment of the present invention.
[78]
Referring to Figure 13, The power storage device E, as an energy source, may be used for home or industrial use. The power storage device (E), at least one of the preceding embodiment, in the case of this embodiment, a plurality of battery racks (1) and a rack container (C) for accommodating the plurality of battery racks (1) may include .
[79]
The rack container (C) may be provided with a fire fighting tank unit (T) for supplying a fire extinguishing agent to the plurality of battery racks (1). The fire extinguishing agent, that is, fire extinguishing water provided with water is filled in the fire fighting tank unit T. The fire fighting tank unit T is connected to the plurality of battery racks 1 and the fire extinguishing agent supply pipe 70 to supply fire extinguishing water to the plurality of battery racks 1 .
[80]
The power storage device (E) according to this embodiment, including the battery rack (1) of the previous embodiment, the power storage device (E) including all the advantages of the battery rack (1) of the previous embodiment can provide
[81]
According to various embodiments as described above, when a fire occurs due to thermal runaway or thermal runaway inside the battery module 10, the battery module 10 capable of suppressing thermal runaway or fire more quickly in the initial stage, such as It is possible to provide a battery rack (1) including a battery module (10) and a power storage device (E) including such a battery rack (1).
[82]
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 it is common in the technical field to which the present invention pertains without departing from the gist of the present invention as claimed in the claims. Various modifications may be made by those having the knowledge of, of course, and these modifications should not be individually understood from the technical spirit or perspective of the present invention.
Claims
[Claim 1]
A battery module comprising: at least one battery cell; a module case accommodating the at least one battery cell; a fire extinguishing unit disposed at least partially inside the module case and connected to a fire extinguishing tank unit including a fire extinguishing agent to directly spray the fire extinguishing agent into the module case when thermal runaway or fire occurs in the at least one battery cell; and an insulating cover at least partially covering the fire extinguishing unit, at least a portion of which is disposed inside the module case.
[Claim 2]
The battery module according to claim 1, wherein the insulation cover is mounted on a rear surface of the module case, and an insulation cover mounting part for mounting the insulation cover is provided on the rear surface of the module case.
[Claim 3]
The battery module according to claim 2, wherein the fire extinguishing unit is disposed inside the insulating cover inside the module case, at least a part of which passes through the module case.
[Claim 4]
The method according to claim 2, wherein the insulating cover comprises: a cover base mounted on a rear surface of the module case; a cover cap protruding a predetermined length from the cover base into the module case; and a watering guider formed on the cover cap and guiding the fire extinguishing agent injection of the fire extinguishing unit.
[Claim 5]
The battery module according to claim 4, wherein the insulating cover includes a hot air flow hole formed in the cover cap and provided on the opposite side of the watering guider.
[Claim 6]
The battery according to claim 4, wherein the watering guider includes a plurality of guide ribs formed to have a predetermined length along the longitudinal direction of the cover cap and spaced apart from each other by a predetermined distance to form a plurality of openings. module.
[Claim 7]
5. The fire fighting unit according to claim 4, wherein the fire fighting unit comprises: a unit body connected to the fire fighting tank unit; and a spray nozzle provided in the unit body and configured to spray the extinguishing agent toward the battery cell inside the module case.
[Claim 8]
The apparatus of claim 7 , wherein the spray nozzle comprises: a nozzle body connected to the unit body and provided with a spray hole for spraying the extinguishing agent; And it is provided in the nozzle body, is configured to cover the injection hole, when the inside of the module case is exposed to internal gas of a predetermined temperature or higher, is separated from the injection hole or at least a part is damaged to open the injection hole Glass bulb; Battery module comprising a.
[Claim 9]
at least one battery module according to claim 1; and a rack case accommodating the at least one battery module.
[Claim 10]
The power storage device comprising a; at least one battery rack according to claim 9.