CN116783764A

CN116783764A - Battery module with improved safety

Info

Publication number: CN116783764A
Application number: CN202280008494.0A
Authority: CN
Inventors: 张诚桓; 成准烨; 李福建; 郑惠美
Original assignee: LG Energy Solution Ltd
Current assignee: LG Energy Solution Ltd
Priority date: 2021-05-20
Filing date: 2022-04-12
Publication date: 2023-09-19

Abstract

A battery module having improved safety in the event of a specific event such as thermal runaway is disclosed. A battery module according to an aspect of the present application includes: a plurality of pouch-type battery cells, each having a storage unit and a sealing unit and being stacked on each other; a module case accommodating a plurality of pouch-type battery cells in an inner space thereof; and a blocking member located between the storage units of the adjacent pouch type battery cells, wherein at least one side of the blocking member is configured to protrude from between the storage units of the adjacent pouch type battery cells and extend to between the sealing units of the adjacent pouch type battery cells.

Description

Battery module with improved safety

Technical Field

The present application claims priority from korean patent application No.10-2021-0065127 filed 20 at 2021 and korean patent application No.10-2022-0007727 filed 19 at 2022, the disclosures of which are incorporated herein by reference.

The present disclosure relates to a battery, and more particularly, to a battery module having improved safety even in the event of a specific event such as thermal runaway, and a battery pack and a vehicle including the same.

Background

As the demand for portable electronic products such as notebook computers, video cameras, and cellular phones is rapidly increasing, robots, electric vehicles, and the like are urgently commercialized, and research into high-performance secondary batteries that allow repeated charge and discharge has been actively conducted.

The secondary batteries commercialized at present include nickel-cadmium batteries, nickel-hydrogen batteries, nickel-zinc batteries, lithium secondary batteries, and the like, in which the lithium secondary batteries have little memory effect to ensure free charge and discharge as compared with nickel-based secondary batteries, and the lithium secondary batteries are attracting attention due to very low discharge rate and high energy density.

Lithium secondary batteries mainly employ lithium-based oxides and carbon materials as positive electrode active materials and negative electrode active materials. The lithium secondary battery includes: an electrode assembly in which positive and negative electrode plates coated with a positive and negative electrode active material, respectively, are disposed with a separator interposed therebetween; and an appearance (i.e., a battery case) for sealing the electrode assembly with the electrolyte.

In general, lithium secondary batteries may be classified into can-type secondary batteries, in which an electrode assembly is included in a metal can, and pouch-type secondary batteries, in which an electrode assembly is included in a pouch of an aluminum laminate sheet, according to the shape of the external appearance.

Recently, secondary batteries have been widely used for driving or energy storage not only in small-sized devices such as portable electronic devices but also in medium-and large-sized devices such as electric vehicles and Energy Storage Systems (ESS). A plurality of secondary batteries may be accommodated together in a module case in a state of being electrically connected to constitute one battery module. In this case, a plurality of battery cells (secondary batteries) may be disposed in a dense state in a narrow space to increase the energy density inside the battery module.

However, when a plurality of battery cells (secondary batteries) are concentrated in a narrow space, they may be easily affected by an event such as a fire or explosion. In particular, when the temperature rises rapidly in one or some of the battery cells, an event such as thermal runaway propagation of the temperature rise to other battery cells may occur. At this time, if such an event is not properly controlled, it may cause a fire or explosion of the battery module, and may even cause serious damage to people and property. In addition, when a thermal event occurs in some battery cells, exhaust gas, flame, spark, etc. may be injected. In addition, when such exhaust gas or flame is directed to adjacent normal cells, thermal runaway or fire in adjacent cells may result.

Disclosure of Invention

Technical problem

The present disclosure is directed to solving the problems of the related art, and therefore, the present disclosure is directed to providing a battery module configured to improve safety by effectively suppressing a thermal runaway event, and a battery pack and a vehicle including the same.

However, the technical problems to be solved by the present disclosure are not limited to the above-described problems, and other problems not mentioned herein will be clearly understood by those skilled in the art from the following disclosure.

Technical proposal

In one aspect of the present disclosure, there is provided a battery module including: a plurality of pouch-type battery cells having a receiving part and a sealing part, respectively, and configured to be stacked on each other; a module case configured to accommodate the plurality of pouch-type battery cells in an inner space of the module case; and a blocking member interposed between receiving parts of the adjacent pouch type battery cells and configured to have at least one side protruding from a portion between the receiving parts of the adjacent pouch type battery cells to a portion between the sealing parts of the adjacent pouch type battery cells.

Here, the blocking member may be configured to be protrusively extended toward a stepped portion where an electrode lead is located among the sealing portions of the pouch type battery cell.

Further, the plurality of pouch type battery cells may be stacked in a horizontal direction in a state of being erected in a vertical direction, and the blocking member may be constructed in a plate shape erected in the vertical direction and interposed between the adjacent pouch type battery cells.

Further, the battery module may further include a bus bar assembly configured to connect electrode leads of the plurality of pouch-type battery cells to each other, and the blocking member may be configured to have at least one end portion in contact with the bus bar assembly.

Further, the blocking member may be configured to have at least one end inserted into an inner surface of the bus bar assembly.

Further, the blocking member may be configured such that at least a portion of the portion extending protrusively between the sealing portions of the adjacent pouch type battery cells is curved.

Further, the blocking member may be configured such that a portion interposed between the receiving portions of the battery cells and a portion interposed between the sealing portions of the battery cells are formed to have different thicknesses.

Further, the blocking member may include at least one material selected from GFRP (glass fiber reinforced plastic) and CFRP (carbon fiber reinforced plastic).

In addition, the battery module may further include a sealing member configured to surround an end of the blocking member.

In another aspect of the present disclosure, there is also provided a battery pack including the battery module according to the present disclosure.

In another aspect of the present disclosure, there is also provided a vehicle including the battery module according to the present disclosure.

Advantageous effects

According to the embodiments of the present disclosure, the thermal runaway propagation problem of the battery module may be effectively prevented.

Further, in the present disclosure, when a thermal event occurs in a specific battery cell to generate and spray exhaust gas or flame, movement of the exhaust gas or flame to an adjacent battery cell may be suppressed.

In particular, in the event of a thermal runaway event propagation, the landing portion of the battery cell where the electrode leads are located may be susceptible to chain reactions. However, according to embodiments of the present disclosure, when a thermal runaway event occurs in the battery module, landing portions of adjacent battery cells may be more reliably protected from gases or flames. Therefore, the thermal chain reaction between the battery cells can be more effectively prevented.

Further, the present disclosure may have various other effects, and such effects will be described in each embodiment, or any effects that can be easily inferred by those skilled in the art will not be described in detail.

Drawings

The accompanying drawings illustrate preferred embodiments of the present disclosure and together with the foregoing disclosure serve to provide a further understanding of the technical features of the present disclosure, and thus, the present disclosure is not to be construed as limited to the accompanying drawings.

Fig. 1 is a perspective view schematically illustrating the construction of a battery module according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

Fig. 2 is a perspective view illustrating some components of the battery module of fig. 1 separately.

Fig. 3 is a perspective view schematically illustrating the construction of a battery cell included in a battery module according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

Fig. 4 is a sectional view schematically showing some components of a battery module according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

Fig. 5 is an enlarged view illustrating a portion A2 of fig. 4.

Fig. 6 is a sectional view schematically illustrating some components of a battery module according to another embodiment of the present disclosure.

Fig. 7 is a sectional view schematically illustrating some components of a battery module according to still another embodiment of the present disclosure.

Fig. 8 is a sectional view schematically illustrating some components of a battery module according to still another embodiment of the present disclosure.

Fig. 9 is a sectional view schematically illustrating some components of a battery module according to still another embodiment of the present disclosure.

Fig. 10 is a sectional view schematically illustrating some components of a battery module according to still another embodiment of the present disclosure.

Fig. 11 is a sectional view schematically illustrating some components of a battery module according to still another embodiment of the present disclosure.

Fig. 12 is a sectional view schematically illustrating some components of a battery module according to still another embodiment of the present disclosure.

Fig. 13 is a sectional view schematically illustrating some components of a battery module according to still another embodiment of the present disclosure.

Fig. 14 is a perspective view schematically illustrating a blocking member included in a battery module according to still another embodiment of the present disclosure.

Fig. 15 is a view illustrating that the blocking member and the battery cell of fig. 14 are adjacently disposed.

Detailed Description

Hereinafter, preferred embodiments of the present disclosure will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. Before the description, it should be understood that the terms used in the specification and the appended claims should not be construed as limited to general and dictionary meanings, but interpreted based on the meanings and concepts corresponding to technical aspects of the present disclosure on the basis of the principle that the inventor is allowed to define terms appropriately for the best explanation.

Accordingly, the description set forth herein is merely a preferred example for the purpose of illustration and is not intended to limit the scope of the disclosure, and it is therefore to be understood that other equivalents and modifications may be made thereto without departing from the scope of the disclosure.

Fig. 1 is a perspective view schematically illustrating the construction of a battery module according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. Fig. 2 is a perspective view illustrating some components of the battery module of fig. 1 separately. Fig. 3 is a perspective view schematically illustrating the construction of a battery cell included in a battery module according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. Fig. 4 is a sectional view schematically showing some components of a battery module according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. For example, FIG. 4 may be considered to show an example of a cross-sectional structure taken along line A1-A1' of FIG. 1.

Referring to fig. 1 to 4, a battery module according to the present disclosure includes a pouch-type battery cell 100, a module case 200, and a blocking member 300.

The pouch type battery cell 100 is a pouch type secondary battery, which may include an electrode assembly, an electrolyte, and a pouch appearance. Further, the pouch type battery cell 100 may include a receiving part indicated by R and a sealing part indicated by S, as shown in fig. 3. Here, the receiving portion R represents a portion where the electrode assembly and the electrolyte are received, and the sealing portion S may represent a portion where the pouch appearance is melted in a form surrounding the receiving portion R.

In particular, the pouch type battery cell 100 may be considered to have four sides (edges) surrounding the receiving part R. In this case, all four sides may be sealed, or only three sides may be sealed. In this case, the four-side sealed unit may be referred to as a four-side sealed unit, and the three-side sealed unit may be referred to as a three-side sealed unit. For example, in the embodiment shown in fig. 3, the battery cell 100 is constructed in an upright form in which the front, rear, and upper ends of the left and right pouches may be sealed, and the lower ends of the left and right pouches may not be sealed, but are folded in a state of being connected to each other. In this case, the battery cell 100 may be considered to be sealed on three sides.

A plurality of pouch-type battery cells 100 may be included in the battery module. In addition, each pouch type battery cell 100 may include an electrode lead 110. The electrode leads 110 include a positive electrode lead and a negative electrode lead, and the positive electrode lead and the negative electrode lead may be disposed to protrude at the same side or different sides of the battery cell 100. In this case, when the positive electrode lead and the negative electrode lead are located at the same side, the cell may be referred to as a unidirectional cell, and when the positive electrode lead and the negative electrode lead are located at different sides, particularly at opposite sides, the cell may be referred to as a bidirectional cell.

The module case 200 may be configured to accommodate a plurality of pouch-type battery cells 100 in an inner space of the module case 200. That is, the module case 200 may have an empty space therein, and the plurality of battery cells 100 may be accommodated in the inner space. For example, the module case 200 may include an upper plate, a lower plate, a left plate, a right plate, a front plate, and a rear plate to limit an inner space. Further, the stack may be positioned in the inner space as defined above. Here, the module case 200 may be made of a metal and/or plastic material.

In addition, at least some of the individual plates constituting the module case 200 may be configured in a form integrated with each other. For example, the module case 200 may be constructed in a single frame form in which an upper plate, a lower plate, a left plate, and a right plate are integrated with each other. In this case, the front and rear sides of the single frame may have an opening shape, and the front and rear plates may serve as end frames and be coupled to the opening portions at the front and rear sides of the single frame to seal the inner space of the single frame. As another example, the module case 200 may be constructed in a U-shaped frame form in which a lower plate, a left plate, and a right plate are integrated with each other. In this case, the upper plate, the front plate, and the rear plate may be coupled to the upper, front, and rear ends of the U-shaped frame. Meanwhile, when each component of the module case 200 is coupled, various fastening methods such as welding or bolting may be used.

The present disclosure is not limited by the particular materials or shapes of the module housing 200, the coupling method, etc.

The blocking member 300 may be interposed between adjacent pouch type battery cells 100. That is, the blocking member 300 may be interposed in the lamination of the battery cells 100 in a state in which the battery cells 100 are laminated in at least one direction. For example, referring to fig. 4, in a state in which a plurality of pouch type battery cells 100 are stacked in the X-axis direction, a blocking member 300 may be interposed between adjacent battery cells 100. One or more blocking members 300 may be provided in one battery module. In particular, when three or more battery cells 100 are included, a plurality of blocking members 300 may be respectively disposed and interposed between adjacent battery cells 100.

In particular, the blocking member 300 may be interposed between the receiving parts R of the neighboring battery cells 100. That is, as described above, the receiving parts R may be present in the central region of each pouch type battery cell 100, and the blocking member 300 may be interposed between the receiving parts R of the pouch type battery cells 100 to face the receiving parts R of the adjacent pouch type battery cells 100.

Further, the blocking member 300 may be configured to have at least one side protruding from a portion between the receiving portions R of the neighboring pouch type battery cells 100 to a portion between the sealing portions S of the neighboring battery cells 100. This will be described in further detail with reference to fig. 5.

Fig. 5 is an enlarged view illustrating a portion A2 of fig. 4.

Referring to fig. 5, a blocking member 300 may be interposed between the receiving parts R of the neighboring pouch type battery cells 100, as indicated by C1. Further, the blocking member 300 may be prominently extended to a portion deviated from the space between the receiving parts R of the neighboring pouch type battery cells 100, as indicated by C2.

Further, the protruding extension C2 of the blocking member 300 may be protruding to extend to a portion between the sealing portions S of the neighboring battery cells 100. That is, in the lamination of the pouch-shaped battery cells 100, the sealing parts S of each battery cell 100 may exist as shown in fig. 5, and the protruding extension parts C2 of the blocking member 300 may also exist in the portions between the sealing parts S.

The blocking member 300 may be made of a heat or flame resistant material. For example, the blocking member 300 may include a material such as heat resistant plastic, ceramic, or metal.

According to this configuration of the present disclosure, the safety of the battery module may be further improved. More specifically, according to this embodiment, when high-temperature exhaust gas or flame is injected from a specific battery cell 100, the influence of the exhaust gas or flame on other surrounding battery cells 100 can be effectively prevented. In particular, the sealing portion S of the battery cell 100 is a welded portion, and may have weak durability against high temperature, pressure, flame, etc., as compared to the receiving portion R of the battery cell 100. However, according to the embodiments of the present disclosure, since the sealing part S of the battery cell 100 is protected by the protruding extension of the blocking member 300, it is possible to prevent the sealing part S from being affected by exhaust gas or flame discharged from other battery cells 100. Therefore, in this case, the propagation of thermal runaway between the battery cells 100 inside the battery module can be effectively prevented.

In particular, the blocking member 300 may be configured to be protrusively extended toward the landing portion of the pouch type battery cell 100. More specifically, the pouch type battery cell 100 may have three or four sealing parts S, and the electrode leads 110 may be disposed in some of the sealing parts S. For example, in the battery cell 100 shown in fig. 3, the sealing parts S may be formed at the front side, the rear side, and the upper side of the receiving part R, respectively. At this time, the electrode leads 110 may be respectively disposed to a sealing part at a front side and a sealing part at a rear side, which are indicated by T, among the three sealing parts. In addition, the sealing portions at the front and rear sides may be referred to as landing portions of the battery cell 100.

As described above, the blocking member 300 may be configured to be protrusively extended toward the stepped portion where the electrode lead 110 is located among the sealing portions of the pouch type battery cell 100. In particular, referring to fig. 5, a landing portion may be located at the front side of each battery cell 100 indicated by T, and the landing portions T may be arranged to be spaced apart by a predetermined distance in the left-right direction (X-axis direction). In this case, the extension portion C2 of the blocking member 300 protruding from the receiving portion R of each battery cell 100 in the forward direction (-Y-axis direction) may be located in the separate space between the adjacent landing portions T.

According to this embodiment of the present disclosure, the landing portions T of the adjacent battery cells 100 may be blocked by the blocking member 300.

In particular, in the space in which the landing portion T is disposed inside the module case 200, there may be a relatively large empty space as compared to the space in which other portions of the battery cell 100, particularly the receiving portion R, are located. Accordingly, exhaust gas or flame sprayed from the battery cell 100 may be easily collected.

In addition, among the several sealing parts included in the battery cell 100, the sealing parts other than the landing part T may be folded. For example, in the embodiment of fig. 3, the upper sealing portion may be accommodated inside the module case 200 in a folded state. Meanwhile, since the electrode lead 110 is located in the front sealing part or the rear sealing part (i.e., the terrace part T), the front sealing part or the rear sealing part may be stored in the module case 200 as it is without being folded. Therefore, when the exhaust gas or flame is injected from the inside of the specific battery cell 100, the exhaust gas or flame is generally injected toward the landing portion T and not toward the folded sealing portion S.

Therefore, in the pouch type battery cell 100, the terrace portion T may be considered to be more susceptible to the hot chain reaction than other portions. However, according to this embodiment, the landing portions T of the neighboring battery cells 100 may be blocked from each other by the blocking member 300. Therefore, even if exhaust gas or flame is gathered or sprayed to the landing portion T of a specific battery cell 100, the influence of the exhaust gas or flame on the landing portions T of other adjacent battery cells 100 can be prevented or reduced.

In the battery module according to the present disclosure, a plurality of pouch-shaped battery cells 100 may be stacked in a horizontal direction (X-axis direction) in a state of being erected in a vertical direction (Z-axis direction), as shown in fig. 2 and the like. That is, the two large surfaces of each pouch type battery cell 100 may be disposed in the horizontal direction (e.g., in the left-right direction) such that the receiving parts thereof are positioned to face each other. In addition, the rim of each pouch type secondary battery may be disposed in upward, downward, front and rear directions. In this case, the sealing part S may be provided in at least a portion of the rim of each pouch type secondary battery.

The blocking member 300 may be constructed in a plate shape as shown in fig. 4 and the like. In particular, the blocking member 300 may be configured in a plate shape erected in a vertical direction such that both wide surfaces thereof face in a horizontal direction. In addition, the blocking member 300 may be interposed between the adjacent battery cells 100. Accordingly, the wide surface of the blocking member 300 may face the receiving portion R and the sealing portion S of the battery cell 100 disposed at one side or both sides.

In this case, even though the blocking member 300 is interposed between the battery cells 100, the stack of the battery cells 100 or the total volume of the battery module may not be significantly increased. Further, in this case, most of the battery cells 100 may be easily blocked by the blocking member 300.

The battery module according to the present disclosure may further include a bus bar assembly 400 as shown in fig. 2. The bus bar assembly 400 may be configured to connect the electrode leads 110 of the plurality of pouch type battery cells 100 to each other. More specifically, the bus bar assembly 400 may be configured to support the electrode leads 110, facilitate interconnection of the electrode leads 110, and enable sensing of voltages or the like of the electrode leads 110. In particular, the bus bar assembly 400 may include a module bus bar 410 and a bus bar housing 420, as shown in fig. 2.

Here, the module bus bar 410 may be made of a conductive material, such as a metal material. In addition, the module bus bar 410 may be configured to electrically connect two or more electrode leads 110 to each other or may be connected to one or more electrode leads 110 to transmit sensing information to a control unit such as a Battery Management System (BMS).

Further, the bus bar housing 420 may be made of an electrically insulating material, such as a plastic material. Further, the bus bar housing 420 may be configured such that the module bus bar 410 is seated and fixed. Further, the bus bar housing 420 may have a slit, as indicated by S1 in fig. 2. Further, the module bus bar 410 may be attached to an outside, such as a front side, of the bus bar housing 420. In this case, the electrode leads 110 may contact the module bus bar 410 located at the outside through the slits S1 of the bus bar case 420. In particular, the electrode leads 110 may be fixed to the module bus bar 410 alone or in a state in which two or more electrode leads 110 are laminated. In this case, the coupling and fixing method between the electrode leads 110 and the module bus bar 410 may employ laser welding or ultrasonic welding, but various other fastening methods may be applied.

The blocking member 300 may be configured to have at least one end in contact with the bus bar assembly 400. For example, as indicated by A3 in fig. 5, the front end of the blocking member 300 may be in direct contact with an inner (rear) surface of the bus bar assembly 400 at the front side of the stack of the plurality of battery cells 100. In particular, the blocking member 300 may contact an inner surface of the bus bar housing 420 provided in the bus bar assembly 400.

According to this embodiment of the present disclosure, by eliminating or minimizing a gap between the end of the blocking member 300 and the bus bar assembly 400, exhaust gas or flame can be prevented from flowing in or out through the gap. Therefore, in this case, the gas or flame blocking performance of the blocking member 300 between the battery cells 100 may be further improved. Further, in this case, the fixing force of the blocking member 300 may be increased by a friction force caused by contact between the blocking member 300 and the bus bar assembly 400. Therefore, the blocking member 300 may be prevented from moving due to external impact or internal pressure.

Meanwhile, the blocking member 300 may be protrusively extended in the front-rear direction (Y-axis direction) to the outside (front side and rear side) beyond the sealing portion S of the pouch type battery cell 100. In this case, the length of the blocking member 300 in the front-rear direction may be equal to or greater than the length of each pouch battery cell 100 in the front-rear direction. Further, the blocking member 300 may be formed to be equal to or longer than the length of the pouch type battery cell 100 in the up-down direction. In this case, the upper and lower ends of the blocking member 300 may be in contact with the inner surfaces of the module case 200, respectively. In this case, it is possible to stably secure gas or flame stopping performance, fixing force, etc. not only at the front and rear ends of the blocking member 300 but also at the upper and lower ends of the blocking member 300.

Fig. 6 is a sectional view schematically illustrating some components of a battery module according to another embodiment of the present disclosure. In each embodiment of the present disclosure including this embodiment, features different from those of the other embodiments will be described in detail, and the same or similar features to those of the other embodiments will not be described in detail.

Referring to fig. 6, the blocking member 300 may be configured to have at least one end inserted into an inner surface of the busbar assembly 400, as indicated by A4. In this case, the bus bar assembly 400 (particularly, the bus bar housing 420) may have a groove concavely formed in an external direction so that one end of the blocking member 300 may be inserted into the groove. For example, as shown in fig. 6, the bus bar case 420 located at the front side of the battery cell 100 may have an insertion groove G1 concavely formed at the inner surface in the outer direction (Y-axis direction). In addition, the front end of the blocking member 300 may be inserted into the insertion groove G1 of the bus bar housing 420. Here, the bus bar case 420 may be configured such that a specific portion is bent, as shown in fig. 6, to form the insertion groove G1. Alternatively, the bus bar housing 420 may be configured such that a specific portion is formed to have a reduced thickness (i.e., in a hollowed-out shape) to form the insertion groove G1.

According to the embodiment of the present disclosure, the fixing force of the blocking member 300 may be further improved. In particular, when exhaust gas is generated from a specific battery cell 100, the internal pressure around the corresponding battery cell 100 may be increased to pressurize the barrier member 300 in the left-right direction (X-axis direction). However, in this embodiment, since the end of the blocking member 300 is inserted into the insertion groove G1 of the bus bar housing 420, the movement of the blocking member 300 in the left-right direction can be suppressed. Further, in this embodiment, the sealing force between the end of the blocking member 300 and the bus bar assembly 400 can be stably ensured. Therefore, according to the present embodiment, the heat/flame propagation prevention performance of the blocking member 300 between the battery cells may be further improved, and the arrangement state of the battery cells 100 and the blocking member 300 may be stably maintained.

Further, in this embodiment, an adhesive may be filled in the insertion groove G1 of the bus bar housing 420, and the end of the blocking member 300 is inserted into the insertion groove G1. In this case, the fixing force and the sealing force to the end of the blocking member 300 may be further improved by the adhesive.

Referring to fig. 7, the blocking member 300 may be configured such that at least a portion of a portion extending protrusively between the sealing portions of the neighboring battery cells 100 is curved. For example, as indicated by A5 in fig. 7, the front end of the blocking member 300 may be protrusively extended in the forward direction (-Y-axis direction) between the sealing portions S (particularly the landing portions T) of the neighboring battery cells 100. In addition, the protruding extension of the blocking member 300 may be configured in a zigzag shape such that an uneven portion is formed in the left-right direction (X-axis direction), i.e., in the horizontal direction.

According to this embodiment of the present disclosure, exhaust gas or flame sprayed from the battery cell 100 may be directed toward the central portion of the battery cell 100, but not toward other surrounding battery cells 100. For example, when exhaust gas is discharged from the left battery cell 100 in the embodiment of fig. 7, the exhaust gas may flow in the left direction as shown by the arrow D1 due to the curved shape of the left surface at the front end of the blocking member 300. In addition, when exhaust gas is discharged from the right battery cell 100 in the embodiment of fig. 7, the exhaust gas may flow in the right direction as shown by the arrow D2 due to the curved shape of the right surface at the front end of the blocking member 300. Therefore, in this case, since the gas or flame discharged from the surrounding battery cells 100 is directed away from the other adjacent battery cells 100, the influence of the gas or flame on the other battery cells 100 can be reduced.

In this embodiment, the front and/or rear ends of the blocking member 300 interposed between the sealing parts S of the battery cells 100 may be configured in a bent plate shape to achieve a bent shape. In addition, the central portion of the blocking member 300 interposed between the receiving portions R of the battery cells 100 may have a flat plate shape. In this case, the blocking member 300 may be regarded as having a plate shape including a flat plate portion and a bent portion.

According to this embodiment, by applying a curved shape to one or both ends of the plate-like member, a portion extending protrusively between the seal portions can be more easily implemented to be configured into a curved shape. In addition, according to this embodiment, by using one bent portion, the bent shape may face all the sealing portions S of two adjacent battery cells 100. For example, in the embodiment of fig. 7, by forming the front end of one blocking member 300 to be bent in the left-right direction, the sealing portion S of the left battery cell 100 and the sealing portion S of the right battery cell 100 may face the bent shape.

Referring to fig. 8, the blocking member 300 may be partially formed to have different thicknesses. In particular, the blocking member 300 may have different thicknesses between portions interposed between the receiving portions of the battery cells 100 and portions interposed between the sealing portions of the battery cells 100.

More specifically, as indicated by A6 in fig. 8, the protruding ends of the blocking member 300 interposed between the sealing parts S may have thicker portions than other portions (e.g., portions interposed between the receiving parts R of the battery cells 100).

According to this embodiment of the present disclosure, since the portion of the blocking member 300 interposed between the sealing portions, particularly the portion interposed between the landing portions T, is formed thicker, the effect of protecting the landing portions T according to the blocking member 300 can be further improved. That is, according to this embodiment, since the blocking member 300 is formed thickly between the landing portions T, it is possible to further suppress the influence of exhaust gas or flame on the landing portions T of other adjacent battery cells 100. Further, since a relatively large empty space is formed between the landing portions T of the battery cell 100, the volume of the battery module may not be increased even though the end portions of the blocking member 300 are configured to be as thick as in the embodiment. Further, according to this embodiment, the mechanical strength or durability of the barrier member 300 can be further improved. Accordingly, the blocking member 300 can be prevented from being damaged or destroyed by exhaust gas or flame.

Further, the blocking member 300 may have inclined surfaces formed in portions located between the sealing portions S, as indicated by E1 and E2 in fig. 8. In particular, the inclined surfaces E1, E2 may be configured in a shape that becomes closer to the sealing portion in the external direction (forward). For example, on the left surface of the protruding extension of the blocking member 300, an inclined surface may be formed in the shape of the landing portion T of the battery cell 100 that becomes closer to the left in the forward direction, as indicated by E1. In addition, on the right surface of the protruding extension of the blocking member 300, an inclined surface may be formed in the shape of the landing portion T of the battery cell 100 that becomes closer to the right in the forward direction, as indicated by E2.

According to this embodiment of the present disclosure, when exhaust gas or flame is generated, it is possible to more effectively suppress the gas or flame from going to the adjacent battery cells 100. For example, when a flame occurs in the left battery cell 100 in the embodiment of fig. 8, the flame may become distant from the terrace portion T of the right battery cell 100 as indicated by an arrow D3 as the flame moves forward along the left inclined surface E1 of the blocking member 300. In contrast, when a flame is generated in the right battery cell 100 in the embodiment of fig. 8, the flame may become distant from the terrace portion T of the left battery cell 100 as indicated by an arrow D4 as the flame moves forward along the right inclined surface E2 of the blocking member 300. Therefore, in this case, problems such as thermal runaway propagation between the battery cells 100 can be more reliably prevented.

Referring to fig. 9, the blocking member 300 may have uneven portions indicated by F1 and F2 formed on surfaces of the protruding extension portions between the sealing portions of the neighboring battery cells 100. Further, a concave portion or a convex portion may be formed in the uneven portion. For example, the uneven portion indicated by F1 may be formed on the left surface of the protruding extension of the blocking member 300 as a sealing portion S of the battery cell 100 facing to the left, particularly, as a landing portion T. Further, the uneven portion indicated by F2 may be formed on the right surface of the protruding extension of the blocking member 300 as a sealing portion S of the battery cell 100 facing the right, particularly, as a landing portion T.

According to this embodiment of the present disclosure, when an exhaust gas or flame is generated, external ejection of spark or high-temperature active material particles, flame, or the like contained in the exhaust gas can be suppressed. Further, external ejection of active material particles or the like can be suppressed because their movement is prevented due to the friction force of the uneven portions F1 and F2. Further, spark or high-temperature active material particles may be inserted or collected in concave portions formed in the uneven portions F1 and F2 of the blocking member 300. In addition, the linear movement of the spark or flame may be limited by concave or convex portions formed in the uneven portions F1 and F2 of the blocking member 300. In this case, therefore, the active material particles or sparks may be prevented from being sprayed to the outside and act as an ignition source at the outside of the battery module or in other battery cells 100.

Referring to fig. 10, the blocking member 300 may have protrusions as indicated by P1 and P2 on the surfaces of portions extending protrusively between the sealing portions of the neighboring battery cells 100. For example, a protrusion indicated by P1 formed to protrude in the left direction may be formed on the left surface of the protruding extension of the blocking member 300. In addition, a protrusion indicated by P2 formed to protrude in the right direction may be formed on the right surface of the protruding extension of the blocking member 300.

Further, the protrusions P1 and P2 may be configured to be inclined at a predetermined angle with respect to a direction parallel to the stacking direction of the battery cells 100. In particular, the protrusions P1 and P2 may be configured to be inclined toward the ends thereof to become distant from the battery cell 100. For example, the protrusion P1 formed on the left surface of the blocking member 300 may be inclined toward the left side in the forward direction (-Y-axis direction). In addition, the protrusion P2 formed on the right surface of the blocking member 300 may be inclined toward the right side in the forward direction (-Y-axis direction).

According to this embodiment of the present disclosure, it is possible to suppress exhaust gas or flame discharged from the battery cell 100 from being guided toward the landing portion of other adjacent battery cells 100. For example, in the embodiment of fig. 10, if exhaust gas is discharged from the left battery cell 100, when exhaust gas is discharged from the landing portion T at the front side of the left battery cell 100 in the forward direction, the flame may gradually move away from the landing portion T of the right battery cell 100 due to the shape of the left protrusion P1, as indicated by the arrow D5. In contrast, in the embodiment of fig. 10, when the exhaust gas is discharged from the right battery cell 100, the exhaust gas may be discharged away from the landing portion T of the left battery cell 100 due to the right protrusion P2, as indicated by an arrow D6. Therefore, in this case, the influence of the gas discharged from each battery cell 100 on the landing portion of the other battery cells 100 can be more reliably prevented.

Meanwhile, in the embodiment of fig. 10, a configuration in which the protrusions P1 and P2 are formed in a straight line is illustrated, but the protrusions P1 and P2 may be formed in a curved shape. That is, the protrusions P1 and P2 may have inclined surfaces in the form of curved surfaces instead of flat surfaces.

The blocking member 300 may include at least one material selected from GFRP (glass fiber reinforced plastic) and CFRP (carbon fiber reinforced plastic).

For example, the blocking member 300 may be made of GFRP material or CFRP material. In this case, the blocking member 300 may be entirely made of GFRP or CFRP material. According to this embodiment, the blocking member 300 can be easily manufactured.

Alternatively, the blocking member 300 may comprise a metal, ceramic, or other plastic material, as well as GFRP or CFRP materials. This will be described in more detail with reference to fig. 11.

Referring to fig. 11, the blocking member 300 may include a body portion indicated by H1 and a reinforcing portion indicated by H2. Here, the body portion H1 may have a plate shape and be interposed between the receiving portions R of the battery cells 100 and between the landing portions T of the battery cells 100. Further, the reinforcing portion H2 may be configured to be added on an end (e.g., front end) of the main body portion H1. That is, the reinforcing portion H2 may be attached to the left and right surfaces at the front end of the main body portion H1, respectively.

In this configuration, the main body portion H1 and the reinforcing portion H2 may be made of different materials. For example, the body portion H1 may be made of metal, ceramic, plastic, or silicon. Furthermore, the reinforcing portion H2 may be made of a material that is more heat or fire resistant than the main body portion H1, in particular GFRP or CFRP material. The reinforcing portion H2 may be attached to the surface of the body portion H1 in a coated form.

According to this embodiment of the present disclosure, since the expensive GFRP or CFRP material is provided only to the landing portion, it is possible to increase the economic feasibility of the battery module and stably secure the flame retardant performance at the landing portion T. Further, according to this embodiment, in the blocking member 300, the thickness of the portion positioned between the landing portions T of the battery cell 100 can be increased. Therefore, the end portion of the blocking member 300 where the stress caused by the exhaust gas can be concentrated can be prevented from being damaged or broken, and the heat/flame resistance stability of the landing portion T can also be improved.

Referring to fig. 12, the battery module according to the present disclosure may further include a sealing member 500. The sealing member 500 may be positioned at an end of the blocking member 300 to surround the end of the blocking member 300. For example, the sealing member 500 may be positioned at front and rear sides of the blocking member 300 and configured to surround front and rear ends of the blocking member 300.

In particular, the sealing member 500 may be interposed between the end of the blocking member 300 and the inner surface of the bus bar assembly 400 to seal a space therebetween. The sealing member may be made of a material having higher elasticity than the blocking member 300. For example, the sealing member may be made of a material having excellent heat resistance such as rubber, silicone, plastic, metal, CFRP or GFRP.

According to this embodiment, the sealing force between the blocking member 300 and the bus bar housing 420 may be further improved, thereby more stably securing the heat/flame blocking performance by the blocking member 300.

In particular, the sealing member 500 may have a fitting groove such that the end of the blocking member 300 is fitted thereto. Further, when a plurality of blocking members 300 are included, a sealing member 500 may be provided at an end of each blocking member 300. Further, the sealing member 500 may be disposed at a front edge and/or a rear edge of each blocking member 300.

Further, the sealing member 500 may be provided to be elongated from an edge of each blocking member 300. For example, the sealing member 500 may be formed to be elongated in the up-down direction at the front and rear edges of each blocking member 300.

In addition, the sealing member 500 may have inclined surfaces as indicated by E3 and E4 in fig. 12. In particular, the inclined surfaces E3 and E4 may be configured to become closer to the sealing portion of the battery cell 100 in the external direction (forward direction). For example, in the embodiment of fig. 12, the left inclined surface E3 of the sealing member 500 may be inclined in the forward direction (-Y-axis direction) to become closer to the landing portion T of the left battery cell 100. In addition, in the embodiment of fig. 12, the right inclined surface E4 of the sealing member 500 may be inclined in the forward direction (-Y-axis direction) to become closer to the landing portion T of the battery cell 100 on the right.

According to this embodiment of the present disclosure, it is possible to suppress exhaust gas or flame discharged from the battery cell 100 from being guided toward the landing portion of other adjacent battery cells 100. For example, in the embodiment of fig. 12, when the flame is discharged from the left battery cell 100, at the front left side of the blocking member 300, the flame may be discharged to gradually incline to the left in the forward direction, as indicated by an arrow D7. Accordingly, the flame discharged from the left battery cell 100 may gradually move away from the landing portion T of the right battery cell 100. Further, in the embodiment of fig. 12, when the flame is discharged from the right battery cell 100, at the front right side of the blocking member 300, the flame may be discharged to be gradually inclined rightward in the forward direction, as indicated by an arrow D8. Accordingly, the flame discharged from the right battery cell 100 may gradually move away from the landing portion T of the left battery cell 100. Therefore, in this case, it is possible to more effectively prevent the propagation of thermal runaway, flames, etc., and the spread of fire between the battery cells 100.

Referring to fig. 13, the battery module according to the present disclosure may further include a mesh member 600. The mesh member 600 may be positioned at the coupling portion joint between the blocking member 300 and the bus bar assembly 400. In particular, the mesh member 600 may be in contact with a portion between the end of the blocking member 300 and the inner surface of the bus bar housing 420. At this time, the mesh member 600 may be adhesively fixed to the barrier member 300 and the bus bar housing 420, respectively.

For example, the mesh member 600 may be attached to the left and right surfaces at the front end of the blocking member 300, respectively. Further, a portion of each mesh member 600 not attached to the blocking member 300 may be attached to the bus bar housing 420.

According to this embodiment of the present disclosure, the performance of suppressing the ejection of sparks, active material particles, and the like can be further improved. In particular, when active material particles, sparks, flames, etc. flow along the surface of the mesh member 600, movement may be inhibited by uneven structures formed in the mesh member 600. In addition, according to this embodiment, since the exhaust gas or the like must pass through the mesh member 600 in order to move toward the coupling portion between the end of the blocking member 300 and the bus bar housing 420, the active material particles or the like included in the exhaust gas may be filtered by the mesh member 600. Further, according to this embodiment, since the blocking member 300 and the bus bar housing 420 are coupled and fixed by the mesh member 600, the position of the blocking member 300 can be stably maintained. In addition, in this embodiment, the durability or mechanical rigidity of the end portion of the blocking member 300 may be improved by the mesh member 600.

Fig. 14 is a perspective view schematically illustrating a blocking member included in a battery module according to still another embodiment of the present disclosure. Fig. 15 is a view illustrating that the blocking member and the battery cell of fig. 14 are adjacently disposed.

Referring to fig. 14 and 15, the end portions of the blocking member 300 interposed between the landing portions T may have different thicknesses in the up-down direction. In particular, the blocking member 300 may be configured such that, in a portion interposed between the landing portions T of the battery cell 100, a central portion in the up-down direction has a greater thickness than upper and lower portions thereof. For example, as shown in fig. 14 and 15, a central portion indicated by I at the front end of the blocking member 300 may be formed to have a greater thickness than the upper and lower ends thereof. In particular, the portion thickly formed at the end of the barrier member 300 as described above may be a portion facing the electrode lead 110. That is, the blocking member 300 may be formed such that a portion facing the electrode lead 110 has a greater thickness than other portions.

According to this embodiment of the present disclosure, it is possible to more reliably prevent the gas or flame discharged from a specific battery cell 100 from increasing the temperature of the electrode leads 110 of other battery cells 100 positioned beyond the blocking member 300. Further, according to this embodiment, the thick portion I formed in the blocking member 300 may support the electrode lead 110 and restrain movement of the electrode lead 110 in the left-right direction caused by external impact or gas pressure. Therefore, the electrode lead 110 can be more effectively prevented from being damaged or destroyed. Further, according to the embodiment, when exhaust gas or flame is generated from a specific battery cell 100, the exhaust gas or flame may not flow to the electrode leads 110 but flow to the upper or lower sides of the electrode leads 110. Therefore, the electrode lead 110 can be prevented from being damaged by exhaust gas, flame, or the like.

A battery pack according to the present disclosure may include one or more battery modules according to the present disclosure described above. In addition, the battery pack according to the present disclosure may further include various other components besides the battery module, for example, components of the battery pack known at the time of filing the present application, such as a BMS, a bus bar, a battery pack case, a relay, a current sensor, and the like.

The battery module according to the present disclosure may be applied to a vehicle such as an electric vehicle or a hybrid electric vehicle. That is, a vehicle according to the present disclosure may include a battery module according to the present disclosure or a battery pack according to the present disclosure. Further, the vehicle according to the present disclosure may include other various components included in the vehicle in addition to the battery module or the battery pack. For example, a vehicle according to the present disclosure may include a vehicle body, a motor, and a control device such as an Electronic Control Unit (ECU) in addition to a battery module according to the present disclosure.

Further, the battery module according to the present disclosure may be applied to an Energy Storage System (ESS). That is, an energy storage system according to the present disclosure may include a battery module according to the present disclosure or a battery pack according to the present disclosure.

Meanwhile, in the present specification, terms indicating directions such as "upper", "lower", "left", "right", "front" and "rear" are used, but these terms are merely for convenience of explanation and it is apparent to those skilled in the art that these terms may be changed according to the position of an object or the position of an observer.

The present disclosure has been described in detail. However, it should be understood that the detailed description and specific examples, while indicating preferred embodiments of the disclosure, are given by way of illustration only, since various changes and modifications within the scope of the disclosure will become apparent to those skilled in the art from this detailed description.

[ reference numerals ]

100: battery cell

110: electrode lead

200: module shell

300: barrier member

400: bus bar assembly

410: modular bus bar, 420: bus bar housing

500: sealing member

600: net-shaped member

R: accommodation portion, S: sealing part, T: landing portion

Claims

1. A battery module, the battery module comprising:

a plurality of pouch-type battery cells having a receiving part and a sealing part, respectively, and configured to be stacked on each other;

A module case configured to accommodate the plurality of pouch-type battery cells in an inner space of the module case; and

a blocking member interposed between receiving parts of the adjacent pouch type battery cells and configured to have at least one side protruding from a portion between the receiving parts of the adjacent pouch type battery cells to a portion between the sealing parts of the adjacent pouch type battery cells.

2. The battery module according to claim 1,

wherein the blocking member is configured to be protrusively extended toward a stepped portion where an electrode lead is located among the sealing portions of the pouch type battery cell.

3. The battery module according to claim 1,

wherein the plurality of pouch-type battery cells are stacked in the horizontal direction in a state of being erected in the vertical direction, and

the blocking member is constructed in a plate shape standing in the vertical direction and interposed between the adjacent pouch type battery cells.

4. The battery module of claim 1, further comprising:

a bus bar assembly configured to connect electrode leads of the plurality of pouch type battery cells to each other,

Wherein the blocking member is configured to have at least one end in contact with the busbar assembly.

5. The battery module according to claim 4,

wherein the blocking member is configured to have at least one end inserted into an inner surface of the busbar assembly.

6. The battery module according to claim 1,

wherein the blocking member is configured such that at least a portion of a portion extending protrusively between the sealing portions of the adjacent pouch type battery cells is curved.

7. The battery module according to claim 1,

wherein the blocking member is configured such that a portion interposed between the receiving parts of the battery cells and a portion interposed between the sealing parts of the battery cells are formed to have different thicknesses.

8. The battery module according to claim 1,

wherein the blocking member includes at least one material selected from GFRP (glass fiber reinforced plastic) and CFRP (carbon fiber reinforced plastic).

9. The battery module of claim 1, further comprising:

a sealing member configured to surround an end of the blocking member.

10. A battery pack comprising the battery module according to any one of claims 1 to 9.

11. A vehicle comprising the battery module according to any one of claims 1 to 9.