JP2019216045A - Cooling structure for vehicle batteries - Google Patents

Abstract

To solve the problem of conventional cooling structures for battery packs that a cooling air passage and a gas exhaust duct communicate with each other, and toxic gas generated from a battery module may flow into the interior of a vehicle.SOLUTION: A cooling structure 12 for a vehicle battery 10 of the present invention comprises: a battery module 23 in which a plurality of battery cells 22 is disposed in one direction; a cooling duct 26 disposed along the side surface of the battery module 23; a temperature control plate 41 to be deformed due to abnormal heat generation of the battery cells 22; a smoke exhaust duct 27 branched from the cooling duct 26 and disposed along the side surface of the battery module 23, and, in a branch area between the cooling duct 26 and the smoke exhaust duct 27, a shutter mechanism 31 that moves in conjunction with the temperature control plate 41 in the event of abnormal heat generation of the battery cells 22. With this structure, while the battery cells 22 are operating normally, the cooling air flowing through the cooling duct 26 is also supplied to the smoke exhaust duct 27, so that the cooling efficiency of the battery module 23 can be improved.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 2

Description

  The present invention relates to a cooling structure for a vehicle battery, and more particularly, to improve cooling efficiency by flowing cooling air to a smoke exhaust duct that discharges toxic gas generated when a battery cell is abnormal outside the vehicle during normal operation of the battery cell. The present invention relates to a cooling structure for a vehicle battery to be driven.

  As a conventional battery module 100, a structure shown in FIG. 6 is known. FIG. 6 is a perspective view illustrating a conventional battery module 100.

  As shown in FIG. 6, the battery module 100 has a case main body 101 and a plurality of battery cells 102 housed inside the case main body 101. For example, 19 battery cells 102 are arranged so as to have a certain gap in the longitudinal direction of the case main body 101, and are connected in series. A smoke exhaust pipe 103 is attached to the case main body 101 so as to close the upper surface opening. The smoke exhaust pipe 103 has a base plate portion 103A that covers an opening on the upper surface of the case main body 101, and a tubular portion 103B disposed on the upper surface of the base plate portion 103A.

  The battery cell 102 is provided with a valve (not shown) for discharging toxic gas generated inside at the time of abnormality to the outside, and the battery cell 102 communicates with the cylindrical portion 103B via the valve. It has a possible structure. A joint duct 104 is provided on a lateral side surface of the case body 101 in the longitudinal direction, and cooling air for cooling the battery module 100 flows inside the joint duct 104 (for example, Patent Document 1). reference.).

  Further, as a cooling structure of the conventional battery pack 110, a cooling structure shown in FIGS. 7A and 7B is known. FIG. 7A is a diagram schematically showing the flow of cooling air 113 in conventional battery pack 110. FIG. 7B is a perspective view illustrating a gas exhaust duct 120 used for the conventional battery pack 110.

  As shown in FIG. 7A, the battery pack 110 is a vehicle-mounted battery mounted on a vehicle such as an automobile or a train, and a plurality of battery modules 112 are accommodated in a battery pack case 111. An intake port 114 for supplying cooling air 113 is formed on the upper surface of the battery pack case 111, and an exhaust port 115 is formed on the lower surface of the battery pack case 111. Then, the cooling air 113 supplied from the blower 116 flows into the battery pack case 111 via the intake duct 117, passes through the cooling air passage 118 between the battery modules 112, flows into the exhaust duct 119, The air is discharged from the exhaust port 115 to the outside of the battery pack case 111.

  As shown in FIGS. 7A and 7B, the gas discharge duct 120 has a rectangular pipe shape in which an internal passage 121 is formed. The gas exhaust ducts 120 are arranged on the upper and lower surfaces of the battery modules 112 along the direction in which the battery modules 112 are arranged, and penetrate the battery pack case 111 to be drawn out.

  The gas exhaust duct 120 has a plurality of gas inlets 123 communicating with the gas exhaust holes 122 of the battery module 112 and a plurality of air inlets 124 for taking in a part of the cooling air 113. With this structure, the toxic gas discharged from the battery module 112 flows into the internal passage 121 of the gas discharge duct 120 through the gas inlet 123, and is discharged outside the vehicle while utilizing the flow of the cooling air 113. (For example, see Patent Document 2).

JP-A-2006-134243 JP 2009-277647 A

  As shown in FIG. 6, a smoke exhaust pipe 103 is disposed on the upper surface of a case main body 101 of the battery module 100, and a cooling joint duct 104 is disposed on a lateral side thereof. With this structure, the battery module 100 is cooled only through the joint duct 104 on the lateral side, and there is a problem that it is difficult to improve the cooling efficiency of the battery module 100. In particular, the smoke exhaust pipe 103 is provided on the upper surface of the case main body 101, and the smoke exhaust pipe 103 is an essential structure for discharging toxic gas out of the vehicle as described above. It has a structure that makes it difficult to add and arrange a joint duct for cooling.

  As shown in FIG. 7A, in the battery pack 110, gas exhaust ducts 120 are provided on the upper and lower surfaces of the battery modules 112 along the direction in which the battery modules 112 are arranged. It is used as a dedicated flow path for toxic gas generated from 112. As shown in FIG. 7B, a plurality of gas inlets 123 and a plurality of air inlets 124 are formed in the gas discharge duct 120, and even when the amount of toxic gas generated is very small, The generated toxic gas can be discharged outside the vehicle while utilizing the flow of the cooling air 113.

  However, in the gas discharge duct 120, the purpose is to use the flow of the cooling air 113 to discharge a small amount of toxic gas outside the vehicle, and not to actively flow the cooling air 113. 124 is formed as a small hole. With this structure, the cooling air 113 for cooling the battery module 112 cannot flow through the gas exhaust duct 120, and the gas exhaust duct 120 has room for improvement in terms of cooling performance.

  On the other hand, as described above, the gas exhaust duct 120 and the cooling air passage 118 are in a state of being constantly communicated via the plurality of air intakes 124. For this reason, there is no particular problem when the amount of toxic gas generated is very small, but when the amount of toxic gas generated is large, the pressure of the gas also increases, and the toxic gas is supplied to multiple air intakes. There is a risk of flowing back to the cooling air passage 118 via the cooling air passage 124. When the intake duct 117 and the blower 116 communicating with the cooling air passage 118 are connected to the vehicle interior, the toxic gas generated from the battery module 112 may flow into the vehicle interior. There is.

  The present invention has been made in view of the above circumstances, and has a cooling efficiency by flowing cooling air to a smoke exhaust duct that discharges toxic gas generated when a battery cell is abnormal to the outside of a vehicle during normal operation of the battery cell. The present invention relates to a cooling structure for a vehicle battery that improves the performance.

  In the vehicle battery cooling structure of the present invention, a battery module in which a plurality of battery cells are arranged in one direction, and a cooling module that extends in one direction along one side surface of the battery module and cools the battery module. A cooling duct for flowing air, a temperature control plate disposed so as to extend in the one direction along the battery module, and deformed by abnormal heat generation of the battery cell; A smoke exhaust duct extending in the one direction along the other side surface and flowing gas generated at the time of abnormal heat generation of the battery cell, and a branch area between the cooling duct and the smoke exhaust duct, An opening communicating with the cooling duct and the smoke exhaust duct; and maintaining the opening in an open state, and moving in conjunction with the temperature control plate during abnormal heat generation of the battery cell; Includes a shutter mechanism for closing, a, while the battery cell is operating normally, and wherein the flowing the cooling air flowing in the cooling duct also to the flue gas duct.

  Further, in the vehicle battery cooling structure of the present invention, the smoke exhaust duct branches off from the cooling duct at an upstream side of the battery module, and one end of the smoke exhaust duct passes through the opening. It is characterized in that it communicates with the cooling duct and the other end of the smoke exhaust duct is guided to the outside of the vehicle.

  Further, in the vehicle battery cooling structure of the present invention, the shutter mechanism is disposed in the cooling duct near the opening in the cooling duct near the opening in the one direction. A rail portion, a movable plate portion movably disposed on the rail portion, connected to one end of the temperature control plate, and having a through hole formed in a part thereof, And a support rod portion, the other end of which is movably disposed with respect to the movable plate portion, when the battery cell abnormally generates heat, in conjunction with the temperature control plate. The movable plate portion is movable, and the support bar portion falls from the through hole, so that the lid portion closes the opening.

  In the cooling structure for a vehicle battery according to the present invention, the movable plate portion is formed with a pair of guide wall portions extending in the one direction, and the through hole is provided between the pair of guide wall portions. The cross-sectional shape of the through-hole formed is an elliptical shape having a longitudinal direction in the one direction.

  Further, in the cooling structure for a vehicle battery according to the present invention, the lid is provided in the smoke exhaust duct, and has an area that covers the entire opening from the smoke exhaust duct side. Features.

  In the cooling structure for a vehicle battery according to the present invention, the lid is formed of a leaf spring that presses the support rod toward the movable plate.

  In the cooling structure for a vehicle battery according to the present invention, an insulating case extending in the one direction is disposed on a side surface on the battery module side in the cooling duct, and the temperature control plate made of an alloy plate is provided. Are disposed in the insulating case.

  In the vehicle battery cooling structure of the present invention, a battery module in which a plurality of battery cells are arranged in one direction, a cooling duct arranged along one side of the battery module, and deformation due to abnormal heat generation of the battery cell. The temperature control plate, the smoke exhaust duct branched from the cooling duct and arranged along the other side of the battery module, and the opening of the branch area between the cooling duct and the smoke exhaust duct, A shutter mechanism that moves in conjunction with the temperature control plate and closes the opening. With this structure, while the battery cells are operating normally, the cooling air flowing in the cooling duct is also supplied to the smoke exhaust duct, so that the cooling efficiency of the battery module can be improved.

  Further, in the vehicle battery cooling structure of the present invention, the smoke exhaust duct branches off from the cooling duct upstream of the battery module, and one end of the smoke exhaust duct communicates with the cooling duct via the opening. The other end of the smoke exhaust duct is guided to the outside of the vehicle. With this structure, even when toxic gas is generated at the time of abnormal heat generation of the battery cell, the shutter mechanism closes the opening of the branch area, thereby preventing the toxic gas from flowing into the interior of the vehicle and ensuring a reliable operation. Toxic gas can be discharged outside the vehicle.

  Further, in the vehicle battery cooling structure of the present invention, the shutter mechanism includes a lid that closes the opening when the battery cell is abnormally heated, a rail disposed in the cooling duct, and a movable rail. And a support bar for supporting the lid above the opening. With this structure, in the event of abnormal heating of the battery cell, the movable plate slides in conjunction with the temperature control plate, the support rod drops from the through hole formed in the movable plate, and the lid is opened. By closing the part, it is possible to prevent toxic gas from flowing into the cabin of the vehicle.

  In the cooling structure for a vehicle battery according to the present invention, a pair of guide walls are formed in the movable plate, and the through-hole is between the guide walls, and the longitudinal direction is the sliding direction of the movable plate. Is formed. According to this structure, when the movable plate slides during abnormal heat generation of the battery cell, the support rod is guided by the guide wall, and drops reliably from the through hole, thereby opening the lid. Can be closed.

  In the cooling structure for a vehicle battery according to the present invention, the lid is provided in the smoke exhaust duct, and has an area that covers the entire opening from the smoke exhaust duct side. With this structure, the lid is also pressed by the gas pressure of the toxic gas generated by abnormal heat generation of the battery cell, and can reliably close the opening of the branch region.

  In the vehicle battery cooling structure of the present invention, the lid is formed of a leaf spring that presses the support rod toward the movable plate. With this structure, the support rods stand upright in a state of being sandwiched between the lid and the movable plate. During normal operation of the battery cells, the openings are kept open and abnormal heat generation of the battery cells occurs. At times, the opening of the branch region can be reliably closed.

  In the vehicle battery cooling structure of the present invention, an insulating case is provided on the side of the battery module in the cooling duct, and a temperature control plate made of an alloy plate is provided in the insulating case. ing. With this structure, the temperature control plate is in a state of being insulated from the battery module, thereby preventing an unexpected short circuit or the like from occurring in the battery module.

1 is a perspective view illustrating a vehicle including a vehicle battery cooling structure according to an embodiment of the present invention. It is a perspective view explaining the cooling structure of the battery for vehicles which is one embodiment of the present invention. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS It is (A) perspective view and (B) perspective view explaining the cooling structure of the vehicle battery which is one Embodiment of this invention. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS It is (A) side view and (B) side view explaining the cooling structure of the vehicle battery which is one Embodiment of this invention. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS It is (A) sectional drawing and (B) sectional drawing explaining the cooling structure of the battery for vehicles which is one Embodiment of this invention. It is a perspective view explaining the conventional conventional battery module. It is (A) a schematic diagram explaining the cooling structure in the conventional assembled battery, (B) It is a perspective view.

  Hereinafter, a cooling structure 12 of a vehicle battery 10 according to an embodiment of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings. In the description of the present embodiment, the same reference numerals are used for the same members in principle, and repeated descriptions are omitted.

  FIG. 1 is a perspective view illustrating a vehicle 11 having a cooling structure 12 for a vehicle battery 10 according to the present embodiment. FIG. 2 is a perspective view illustrating the cooling structure 12 of the vehicle battery 10 of the present embodiment. FIGS. 3A and 3B are perspective views illustrating the shutter mechanism 31 of the cooling structure 12 of the vehicle battery 10 according to the present embodiment. FIGS. 4A and 4B are side views illustrating the cooling structure 12 of the vehicle battery 10 of the present embodiment. FIGS. 5A and 5B are cross-sectional views illustrating the operation state of the shutter mechanism 31 of the cooling structure 12 of the vehicle battery 10 according to the present embodiment.

  A vehicle 11 such as an automobile or a train is equipped with a vehicle battery 10 for supplying electric power to a motor and various electric components. In the case of an automobile as the vehicle 11, in recent years, EV (Electric Vehicle), HEV (Hybrid Electric Vehicle), PHEV (Plug-in Hybrid Electric Vehicle) and the like have become widespread. Is mounted.

  FIG. 1 illustrates a state in which the vehicle 11 including the vehicle battery 10 is viewed from above from the rear, and omits a rear gate that covers the rear end of the vehicle body of the vehicle 11 for convenience of description. A rear seat 13 is disposed behind the cabin of the vehicle body, and a rear floor 14 is disposed further behind the rear seat 13. The vehicle battery 10 is disposed in the storage space 15 below the rear floor 14, and the vehicle battery 10 is arranged so that, for example, its longitudinal direction coincides with the vehicle width direction of the vehicle 11 (the left-right direction on the paper). It is arranged. The vehicle battery 10 is not limited to the case where the vehicle battery 10 is arranged below the rear floor 14, but is arranged below a front floor (not shown) where a driver's seat and a passenger seat are arranged. But it's fine.

  In FIG. 2, the cooling structure 12 of the vehicle battery 10 is schematically illustrated, and for convenience of description, a part of the cooling duct 26 and a part of the smoke exhaust duct 27 are transparently illustrated. The cooling structure 12 of the vehicle battery 10 mainly includes a vehicle battery 10, a cooling duct 26 and a smoke exhaust duct 27 disposed around the vehicle battery 10, and a branch of the cooling duct 26 and the smoke exhaust duct 27. A shutter mechanism 31 provided in the region and a temperature control plate 41 (see FIG. 4A) for operating the shutter mechanism 31 are provided. Note that the temperature adjustment plate 41 is provided in an insulating case 42 provided in the cooling duct 26.

  The vehicle battery 10 mainly includes a storage frame 21 and a battery module 23 including a plurality of battery cells 22 stored in the storage frame 21. The storage frame 21 mainly includes a pair of bottom plate plates 21A and 21B that support the plurality of battery cells 22 from the lower surface thereof, and side plate plates 21C and 21D that are disposed on both longitudinal side surfaces of the vehicle battery 10. And a pair of holding plates 21E and 21F that connect the side plates 21C and 21D to each other on the upper surface of the battery cell 22.

  The battery cell 22 is used in a state in which the temperature of the battery cell 22 rises and exceeds a predetermined temperature, for example, when the vehicle 11 is rapidly charged, when the vehicle 11 is running under a high load, or when the vehicle 11 is running in a high temperature environment such as in summer. As a result, the characteristics and life of the battery cell 22 deteriorate. Although details will be described later, in the storage frame 21, the upper surface and side surfaces of the individual battery cells 22 are exposed from the storage frame 21, and the cooling duct 26 and the smoke exhaust duct 27 are arranged so as to face the exposed area. By increasing the area to be cooled by the cooling air, the cooling structure 12 of the vehicle battery 10 that enhances the cooling performance is realized.

  On the other hand, the storage frame body 21 has a frame structure in consideration of the cooling performance, but the side plate plates 21C and 21D are connected to the holding plates 21E and 21F and the bottom plate plates 21A and 21B on the upper and lower surfaces, respectively. Each battery cell 22 is firmly fixed from the upper surface by the plates 21E and 21F. With this structure, the position of each battery cell 22 is also fixed while maintaining the strength of the storage frame 21.

  The battery cell 22 is, for example, a secondary battery such as a nickel hydrogen battery or a lithium ion battery. The individual battery cells 22 are, for example, in the shape of a rectangular flat plate, and are arranged at equal intervals along the vehicle width direction of the vehicle 11 (lateral direction in the drawing) with a small gap in front and rear. On the upper surface of the battery cell 22, a positive electrode terminal 24 and a negative electrode terminal 25 that protrude upward are respectively arranged on both sides thereof so as to be separated from each other. The individual battery cells 22 are connected in series via a conductive connection plate (not shown) to form a high-output battery module 23.

  As shown in the figure, a cooling duct 26 through which cooling air for cooling the battery module 23 flows is provided along the longitudinal side surface of the battery module 23. The cooling duct 26 is a duct formed of, for example, an insulating resin such as polyethylene or polypropylene, and has a rectangular cross section. In the height direction of the vehicle 11 (vertical direction on the paper surface), the length of the cooling duct 26 is equal to the length of each battery cell 22 exposed from the side surface of the storage frame 21, and the battery module exposed to the cooling duct 26 23 is increased, and the cooling efficiency is improved.

  Here, the cooling duct 26 is disposed so as to guide indoor air conditioned by a vehicle air conditioner (not shown) for controlling the air conditioning of the room of the vehicle 11 to around the vehicle battery 10. As described above, after being arranged along the exposed area of the battery module 23, the battery module 23 is arranged so as to be guided again into the room. In other words, the cooling air flowing in the cooling duct 26 circulates in the vehicle 11, is heated by heat exchange with the battery module 23, and is then cooled by the vehicle air conditioner, thereby improving the cooling efficiency. Can be.

  Next, on the upper surface of the battery cell 22, between the positive terminal 24 and the negative terminal 25, a gas discharge valve (not shown) is formed in a central region thereof. The gas discharge valve is formed, for example, by using a thin portion or the like on the upper surface of the battery cell 22, and has a structure that breaks preferentially when an internal pressure increases due to generation of toxic gas when the battery cell 22 is abnormal.

  On the other hand, the smoke exhaust duct 27 is provided along the upper surface in the longitudinal direction of the battery module 23 so as to cover the upper part of the gas exhaust valve of each battery cell 22. The smoke exhaust duct 27 is a duct formed of, for example, an insulating resin such as polyethylene or polypropylene. In the front-back direction of the vehicle 11 (front-back direction in the drawing), the width of the smoke exhaust duct 27 is slightly shorter than between the positive terminal 24 and the negative terminal 25, and is exposed from above the storage frame 21. Most of the exposed area of the battery module 23 is covered.

  As shown by a circle 28, in the present embodiment, the upstream end of the smoke exhaust duct 27 communicates with the cooling duct 26. On the other hand, although not shown, the downstream end of the smoke exhaust duct 27 is led out of the vehicle. As will be described in detail later, while the battery cell 22 is operating normally, a part of the cooling air flowing through the cooling duct 26 flows into the smoke exhaust duct 27, so that the battery module 22 By cooling 23, the cooling efficiency is improved.

  Next, in FIG. 3A and FIG. 3B, the area indicated by the circle 28 in FIG. 2 is enlarged and shown through the cooling duct 26 and the smoke exhaust duct 27 for convenience of explanation. Is shown. The shutter mechanism 31 is disposed in a branch area between the cooling duct 26 and the smoke exhaust duct 27, and closes an opening 32 that allows the cooling duct 26 to communicate with the smoke exhaust duct 27 when the battery cell 22 abnormally generates heat. This is a mechanism for preventing toxic gas generated from 22 from flowing into the cabin of the vehicle 11.

  As shown in FIG. 3A, the shutter mechanism 31 mainly includes a lid 33 for opening and closing the opening 32, a support rod 34 for supporting the lid 33 from below, and a support rod 34 for lowering. A movable plate portion 35 for supporting the movable plate portion 35, a pair of rail portions 36 and 37 for movably supporting the movable plate portion 35, and a temperature control plate 41 having one end connected to the movable plate portion 35. The temperature control plate 41 will be described later with reference to FIGS. 4 (A) and 4 (B).

  The opening 32 is formed on the upper surface 26A of the cooling duct 26, and the smoke exhaust duct 27 is connected to the upper surface of the cooling duct 26 so as to include the opening 32 in its internal space.

  The lid 33 is disposed in the internal space of the smoke exhaust duct 27, and is formed of, for example, a leaf spring. The lid 33 includes a fixing part 33A, a main body 33B integrally formed with the fixing part 33A, have. The fixing portion 33A is fixed to the upper surface 26A of the cooling duct 26 near the opening 32, and the main body 33B supports the main body 33B so as to always face the opening 32 side. On the other hand, when closing the opening 32, the main body 33 </ b> B has an area that covers the entire opening 32, and one end of the support bar 34 is fixed to the tip end of the main body 33 </ b> B.

  The support rod portion 34 is, for example, a columnar elongated rod-shaped body, one end of which is fixed to the lid 33 and the other end of which is in contact with the upper surface 35A of the movable plate portion 35 (see FIG. 3B). I have. The other end of the support bar 34 is not fixed to the movable plate 35, and the movable plate 35 can slide without being restricted by the support bar 34. As described above, the support rod portion 34 is urged toward the upper surface 35A of the movable plate portion 35 by the lid portion 33, and is held between the lid portion 33 and the movable plate portion 35. It is upright on the upper surface 35A.

  The movable plate portion 35 is, for example, a rectangular parallelepiped plate-like body. As shown in FIG. 3B, both ends in the lateral width direction (the front-rear direction in the drawing) are fitted into the pair of rail portions 36 and 37, respectively. As a result, it becomes movable along the rails 36 and 37. A pair of guide walls 35B and 35C are formed on the upper surface 35A of the movable plate 35, and the guide walls 35B and 35C are formed substantially parallel to each other along the sliding direction of the movable plate 35 (the left-right direction in the drawing). Have been. A through hole 35D is formed between the guide wall portions 35B and 35C in the central region thereof so as to penetrate vertically. The cross-sectional shape of the through hole 35D is an elliptical shape having a longitudinal direction in the sliding direction of the movable plate portion 35.

  The pair of rails 36 and 37 are disposed on the inner side surfaces 26B and 26C of the cooling duct 26, respectively, and are disposed along the extending direction of the cooling duct 26. The cross-sectional shapes of the rail portions 36 and 37 are substantially U-shaped, and their opening regions are arranged to face each other. With this structure, the movable plate portion 35 is disposed between the pair of rail portions 36 and 37 and can slide in the direction in which the cooling duct 26 extends. As will be described later in detail, the movable plate portion 35 slides and the support bar portion 34 is positioned in the formation region of the through hole 35D, so that the support bar portion 34 falls into the through hole 35D. When the state in which the lid 33 is supported by the support rod 34 is eliminated, the lid 33 closes the opening 32, and the smoke exhaust duct 27 is shut off from the cooling duct 26.

  Next, FIGS. 4A and 4B schematically show the positional relationship between the temperature control plate 41 and the movable plate portion 35 provided in the cooling duct 26 (see FIG. 3A). FIG. As shown in FIG. 2, an insulating case 42 (see FIG. 2) is disposed on the inner surface 26B (see FIG. 3A) of the cooling duct 26 in a region facing the exposed region of the battery module 23, and A temperature control plate 41 is provided inside the sex case 42. With this structure, the temperature control plate 41 is in a state of being insulated from the battery module 23, thereby preventing an unexpected short circuit or the like in the battery module 23.

  As shown in FIG. 4 (A), the temperature control plate 41 is formed of a shape memory alloy, and deforms from a linear shape to a substantially U-shape when the temperature of the battery module 23 becomes high, for example. The temperature control plate 41 is disposed so as to face all the battery cells 22 arranged in the vehicle width direction (the horizontal direction on the paper) of the vehicle 11. The right end of the temperature control plate 41 in the drawing is fixed to the inner side surface 26B (see FIG. 3A) of the cooling duct 26 (see FIG. 3A), and the left end of the temperature control plate 41 in the drawing. The part is fixed to the movable plate part 35. With this structure, when the temperature control plate 41 is deformed, the movable plate 35 slides along the rails 36 and 37 (see FIG. 3A) to the right on the paper surface.

  As shown in FIG. 4B, when a short-circuit due to a metal piece occurs in the fourth battery cell 22 from the left side of the paper of the battery module 23 and abnormal heat generation occurs, a circle 43 (see FIG. 4A) The temperature control plate 41 in the region is heated and deformed into a substantially U-shape. The temperature control plate 41 is deformed into the above-described U-shape, so that the length of the temperature control plate 41 in the vehicle width direction (the left-right direction on the paper) of the vehicle 11 is reduced. As described above, the temperature control plate 41 is movable at the left end on the paper surface, and the movable plate portion 35 fixed to the end thereof slides to the right on the paper surface in conjunction with the movement of the temperature control plate 41. I do.

  Finally, FIGS. 5A and 5B illustrate the operation of the shutter mechanism 31 in conjunction with the sliding movement of the movable plate unit 35. FIG.

  FIG. 5A shows a case where the individual battery cells 22 (see FIG. 4A) operate normally and abnormal heat generation does not occur in the battery cells 22. As described above, one end of the support rod 34 is fixed to the lid 33, and the other end of the support rod 34 is in contact with the upper surface 35 </ b> A of the movable plate 35. Since the support bar 34 is urged toward the upper surface 35A of the movable plate 35 by the cover 33, the cover 33 is fixed above the opening 32. I have.

  With this structure, a part of the cooling air flowing through the cooling duct 26 flows into the smoke exhaust duct 27 through the opening 32 as shown by arrows 51 and 52, and the smoke exhaust duct 27 In the same manner as described above, it serves to cool the battery module 23 (see FIG. 4A). As shown in FIG. 2, since the smoke exhaust duct 27 covers most of the exposed area of the battery module 23 exposed from above the storage frame 21, the cooling efficiency of the battery module 23 can be improved. . The cooling air flowing through the smoke exhaust duct 27 is discharged outside the vehicle without circulating in the vehicle 11 via the vehicle air conditioner.

  FIG. 5B shows a case where a problem has occurred in any of the individual battery cells 22 (see FIG. 4B), and abnormal heat generation has occurred in the battery cells 22. As described above, the temperature control plate 41 in the area where abnormal heat generation occurs is heated and deformed into a substantially U-shape, so that the length of the temperature control plate 41 in the vehicle width direction of the vehicle 11 (left and right direction in the paper plane) It becomes shorter. When the movable plate portion 35 slides to the right in the drawing in conjunction with the deformation of the temperature control plate 41, a through-hole 35D of the movable plate portion 35 is provided below the support rod portion 34 to support the movable plate portion 35. The rod 34 falls into the through hole 35D, and the lid 33 closes the opening 32.

  At this time, as described with reference to FIG. 3B, on the upper surface 35A of the movable plate portion 35, a pair of guide wall portions 35B and 35C are formed substantially in the sliding direction of the movable plate portion 35 (the left-right direction on the paper). A through hole 35D that is formed in parallel and has a longitudinal direction in the sliding direction is formed between the guide wall portions 35B and 35C. With this structure, when the movable plate portion 35 slides, the support bar portion 34 is reliably guided by the guide wall portions 35B and 35C in the direction in which it falls from the through hole 35D. Further, due to the shape of the through hole 35D, even if the amount of deformation of the temperature control plate 41 is small, abnormal heat generation of the battery cell 22 is detected, and the smoke exhaust duct 27 is shut off from the cooling duct 26.

  As shown in FIG. 5B, the lid 33 has an area that covers the entire opening 32, and closes the opening 32 from the side of the smoke exhaust duct 27, so that the generated toxic gas, indicated by an arrow 53, is removed. The lid 33 is pressed against the upper surface 26A of the cooling duct 26 by the high pressure. Further, the lid 33 is pressed against the upper surface 26 </ b> A of the cooling duct 26 by the urging force of the lid 33 formed by a leaf spring.

  With this structure, immediately after the battery cell 22 abnormally generates heat, the opening 32 is closed by the lid 33, and then the gas discharge valve of the battery cell 22 is broken, and toxic gas flows into the smoke exhaust duct 27. . When the toxic gas flows, the opening 32 is closed by the lid 33, and the toxic gas generated from the battery cells 22 flows back into the cooling duct 26, and enters the cabin of the vehicle 11. Is prevented from flowing. Further, the generated toxic gas has a very high pressure, and the toxic gas generated from the battery cell 22 flows back into the cooling duct 26 by maintaining the state closed by the lid 33 by the gas pressure. Can be reliably prevented.

  In this embodiment, the case where the temperature control plate 41 detects abnormal heat generation of the battery cell 22 and deforms from a linear shape to a substantially U-shape has been described, but the present invention is not limited to this case. For example, conversely, on the contrary, a temperature control plate 41 that is repeatedly deformed into a substantially U-shape is prepared, and when the temperature control plate 41 detects abnormal heat generation of the battery cell 22, the temperature control plate 41 changes from a substantially U-shape to a linear shape. May be deformed. In this case, the temperature adjustment plate 41 is deformed in a direction in which the linear length of the vehicle 11 in the vehicle width direction (the left-right direction on the paper) becomes longer, and the movable plate unit 35 moves in the opposite direction (the left direction on the paper). By setting the positional relationship between the support bar 34 and the through hole 35D in accordance with the moving direction of the movable plate 35, the same effect as the above-described effect can be obtained. In addition, various modifications can be made without departing from the scope of the present invention.

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 10 Vehicle battery 11 Vehicle 12 Cooling structure 21 Storage frame 22 Battery cell 23 Battery module 26 Cooling duct 27 Smoke exhaust duct 31 Shutter mechanism 32 Opening 33 Cover 34 Support rod 35 Movable plate 35B, 35C Guide wall 35D Through hole 36, 37 Rail 41 Temperature control plate 42 Insulating case

Claims (7)

A battery module in which a plurality of battery cells are arranged in one direction;
A cooling duct that extends in the one direction along one side surface of the battery module and flows cooling air for cooling the battery module;
A temperature control plate disposed to extend in the one direction along the battery module, and deformed by abnormal heat generation of the battery cell;
A smoke exhaust duct that branches from the cooling duct, extends in the one direction along the other side surface of the battery module, and flows gas generated at the time of abnormal heat generation of the battery cell.
In the branch area between the cooling duct and the smoke exhaust duct,
An opening for communicating the cooling duct and the smoke exhaust duct,
A shutter mechanism that maintains the opening in the open state, moves in conjunction with the temperature control plate when the battery cell abnormally generates heat, and closes the opening.
A cooling structure for a vehicle battery, wherein the cooling air flowing in the cooling duct also flows to the smoke exhaust duct while the battery cell is operating normally. The smoke exhaust duct branches off from the cooling duct upstream of the battery module,
The vehicle according to claim 1, wherein one end of the smoke exhaust duct communicates with the cooling duct through the opening, and the other end of the smoke exhaust duct is guided to the outside of the vehicle. Battery cooling structure. The shutter mechanism,
A lid disposed near the opening,
A rail portion disposed in the cooling duct near the opening in the one direction;
A movable plate portion movably disposed on the rail portion, connected to one end of the temperature control plate, and a through hole is formed in a part thereof;
A support rod portion, one end of which is fixed to the lid portion, and the other end of which is movably disposed with respect to the movable plate portion,
In the case of abnormal heat generation of the battery cell, the movable plate portion moves in conjunction with the temperature control plate, and the support bar portion falls from the through hole, so that the lid portion closes the opening. The cooling structure for a vehicle battery according to claim 1 or 2, wherein: A pair of guide wall portions extending in the one direction are formed on the movable plate portion,
The said through-hole is formed between the said pair of guide wall parts, and the cross-sectional shape of the said through-hole is an elliptical shape which has a longitudinal direction in the said one direction, The claim of Claim 3 characterized by the above-mentioned. Cooling structure for vehicle batteries.   The said lid part is arrange | positioned in the said smoke exhaust duct, and has an area which covers the said opening part from the said smoke exhaust duct side, The Claim 3 or Claim 4 characterized by the above-mentioned. Cooling structure for vehicle batteries.   The vehicle battery cooling structure according to claim 5, wherein the lid is formed of a leaf spring that presses the support bar toward the movable plate. In the cooling duct, an insulating case extending in the one direction is provided on a side surface on the battery module side,
The cooling structure for a vehicle battery according to any one of claims 3 to 6, wherein the temperature control plate made of an alloy plate is disposed in the insulating case.

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