JP2020149900A - Power supply device for vehicle - Google Patents

Abstract

To provide a power supply device for a vehicle, capable of effectively treating gas when the gas is generated due to a short circuit of a battery cell, etc.SOLUTION: A power supply device 10 for a vehicle of the present invention includes: a battery 11 including a plurality of battery cells 12; a battery cooler 14 in which a fluid circuit 13, where a cooling fluid absorbing heat generated from the battery cells 12 circulates, is formed; and a gas introduction mechanism 15 that introduces gas generated from the battery cells 12 into the fluid circuit 13. Thus, when gas is generated from the battery cells 12 due to the occurrence of an internal short circuit, etc., the gas is introduced into the fluid circuit 13 by the gas introduction mechanism 15, so that the gas can be suppressed from being released to the outside of a vehicle.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 2

Description

The present invention relates to a vehicle power supply device, and more particularly to a vehicle power supply device capable of safely and effectively discharging gas when smoke is generated from a battery cell.

Hybrid vehicles and electric vehicles have appeared as vehicles such as passenger cars, and these vehicles are equipped with a large rechargeable battery. The rechargeable battery mounted on the vehicle is composed of, for example, an assembled battery in which a plurality of single lithium-ion batteries called bassericells formed in a substantially plate shape are combined.

When the battery cell is composed of a lithium ion battery or the like, gas may be ejected to the outside of the battery cell from an exhaust valve formed at the upper end of the battery cell when an internal short circuit occurs. As a countermeasure against such an internal short circuit of the battery cell, Patent Document 1 describes an invention of detecting an abnormality of the battery cell with a plurality of temperature sensors. Further, Patent Document 2 describes an invention in which a refrigerant is effectively supplied to a battery cell to cool the battery cell when a short circuit or the like occurs in the battery cell.

Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 2014-192124 JP-A-2017-147128

However, although the above-mentioned Patent Documents 1 and 2 describe a method of detecting a short circuit of a battery cell and a method of cooling the battery cell, a method of treating gas generated when the battery cell is short-circuited is described. Not.

Generally, the gas generated when the battery cell is short-circuited is released toward the outside of the vehicle so as not to adversely affect the occupants in the vehicle. However, if a harmful gas is released outside the vehicle, the gas may adversely affect people in the vicinity of the vehicle. In particular, when a vehicle is present in a closed space such as a garage and gas is released from the battery cell to the outside of the vehicle, the adverse effect may become significant.

The present invention has been made in view of such problems, and an object of the present invention is to safely and effectively treat the gas when it is generated due to a short circuit of a battery cell or the like. The purpose is to provide a power supply device for vehicles that can be used.

The vehicle power supply device of the present invention includes a battery composed of a plurality of battery cells, a battery cooling unit that absorbs heat generated from the battery cells, a fluid circuit in which a cooling fluid flowing through the battery cooling unit circulates, and the above. It is characterized by including a gas introduction mechanism for introducing gas generated from a battery cell into the fluid circuit, and an arithmetic control unit for controlling the flow of the cooling fluid.

Further, in the vehicle power supply device of the present invention, the arithmetic control unit is characterized in that the cooling capacity of the fluid circuit is increased when the temperature difference between the upstream side and the downstream side of the fluid circuit is equal to or more than a threshold value. To do.

Further, in the vehicle power supply device of the present invention, the arithmetic control unit is characterized in that when the temperature of the cooling fluid at a specific portion of the fluid circuit is equal to or higher than a threshold value, the cooling capacity of the fluid circuit is increased. ..

Further, in the vehicle power supply device of the present invention, the arithmetic control unit is characterized in that the cooling capacity is increased by increasing the flow velocity of the cooling fluid in the fluid circuit.

Further, in the vehicle power supply device of the present invention, the arithmetic control unit is characterized in that the cooling capacity is increased by the fluid cooler cooling the cooling fluid to a lower temperature in the fluid circuit. ..

Further, in the vehicle power supply device of the present invention, the arithmetic control unit ends cooling of the cooling fluid in the fluid circuit when the temperature difference between the upstream side and the downstream side of the fluid circuit is equal to or less than a threshold value. It is characterized by.

Further, in the vehicle power supply device of the present invention, the arithmetic control unit terminates cooling of the cooling fluid in the fluid circuit when the temperature of the cooling fluid at a specific portion of the fluid circuit is equal to or lower than a threshold value. It is a feature.

Further, in the vehicle power supply device of the present invention, the arithmetic control unit controls the supply amount of the cooling fluid to the battery cell.

Further, in the vehicle power supply device of the present invention, the safety valve of the battery cell is arranged in a storage area formed between the battery cell and the battery cooling unit, and a filler is arranged in the vicinity of the safety valve. When the battery cell emits smoke, the filler is filled in the storage area.

The vehicle power supply device of the present invention includes a battery composed of a plurality of battery cells, a battery cooling unit that absorbs heat generated from the battery cells, a fluid circuit in which a cooling fluid flowing through the battery cooling unit circulates, and the above. It is characterized by including a gas introduction mechanism for introducing gas generated from a battery cell into the fluid circuit, and an arithmetic control unit for controlling the flow of the cooling fluid. As a result, according to the vehicle power supply device of the present invention, when gas is generated from the battery cell due to an internal short circuit or the like, the gas is introduced into the fluid circuit via the gas introduction mechanism, so that the gas is introduced. It can be prevented from being released outside the vehicle.

Further, in the vehicle power supply device of the present invention, the arithmetic control unit is characterized in that the cooling capacity of the fluid circuit is increased when the temperature difference between the upstream side and the downstream side of the fluid circuit is equal to or more than a threshold value. To do. As a result, according to the vehicle power supply device of the present invention, by using the relative temperature difference in the fluid circuit, it is possible to accurately determine whether or not the battery is emitting smoke without being affected by the ambient temperature environment. it can.

Further, in the vehicle power supply device of the present invention, the arithmetic control unit is characterized in that when the temperature of the cooling fluid at a specific portion of the fluid circuit is equal to or higher than a threshold value, the cooling capacity of the fluid circuit is increased. .. As a result, according to the vehicle power supply device of the present invention, the temperature state of the battery is stably monitored by using the temperature of the cooling fluid at a specific location of the fluid circuit, and it is accurate whether or not the battery is emitting smoke. Can be judged.

Further, in the vehicle power supply device of the present invention, the arithmetic control unit is characterized in that the cooling capacity is increased by increasing the flow velocity of the cooling fluid in the fluid circuit. As a result, according to the vehicle power supply device of the present invention, the cooling capacity of the fluid circuit can be increased by simple control for increasing the flow velocity.

Further, in the vehicle power supply device of the present invention, the arithmetic control unit is characterized in that the cooling capacity is increased by the fluid cooler cooling the cooling fluid to a lower temperature in the fluid circuit. .. As a result, according to the vehicle power supply device of the present invention, the cooling capacity of the fluid circuit can be increased by simple control for increasing the output of the fluid cooler.

Further, in the vehicle power supply device of the present invention, the arithmetic control unit ends cooling of the cooling fluid in the fluid circuit when the temperature difference between the upstream side and the downstream side of the fluid circuit is equal to or less than a threshold value. It is characterized by. Thereby, according to the vehicle power supply device of the present invention, the battery cell can be continuously cooled until the heat generation is completed based on the temperature difference of the fluid circuit.

Further, in the vehicle power supply device of the present invention, the arithmetic control unit terminates cooling of the cooling fluid in the fluid circuit when the temperature of the cooling fluid at a specific portion of the fluid circuit is equal to or lower than a threshold value. It is a feature. Thereby, according to the vehicle power supply device of the present invention, the battery cell can be continuously cooled based on the temperature of the fluid circuit until the heat generated by the smoke is completed.

Further, in the vehicle power supply device of the present invention, the arithmetic control unit controls the supply amount of the cooling fluid to the battery cell. As a result, according to the vehicle power supply device of the present invention, the battery cell can be efficiently cooled by controlling the cooling fluid supplied to the battery cell.

Further, in the vehicle power supply device of the present invention, the safety valve of the battery cell is arranged in a storage area formed between the battery cell and the battery cooling unit, and a filler is arranged in the vicinity of the safety valve. When the battery cell emits smoke, the filler is filled in the storage area. As a result, according to the vehicle power supply device of the present invention, when the battery cell emits smoke, the filler is filled in the storage area, so that the leakage of gas to the outside can be suppressed. As the filler, a foaming agent or a swelling agent can be adopted.

It is an exploded perspective view which shows the power supply device for a vehicle which concerns on embodiment of this invention. It is a figure which shows the power supply device for a vehicle which concerns on embodiment of this invention, (A) is a sectional view, (B) is an enlarged sectional view. It is a block diagram which shows the connection structure of the power supply device for a vehicle which concerns on embodiment of this invention. It is a flowchart which shows the method of cooling a battery by the power supply device for a vehicle which concerns on embodiment of this invention. It is a figure which shows the method of cooling a battery by the power supply device for a vehicle which concerns on embodiment of this invention, and (A) to (C) are sectional views which show this method sequentially.

Hereinafter, the vehicle power supply device 10 according to the embodiment of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings. In the following description, each direction of up, down, front, back, left and right will be used. Here, the front and rear are directions in which the battery cells 12 constituting the vehicle power supply device 10 are stacked.

FIG. 1 is an exploded perspective view showing a vehicle power supply device 10. The vehicle power supply device 10 supplies electric power to a vehicle motor and electrical components. As the vehicle on which the vehicle power supply device 10 is mounted, an EV (Electric Vehicle) vehicle, an HEV (Hybrid Electric Vehicle) vehicle, a PHEV (Plug-in Hybrid Electric Vehicle) vehicle, or the like can be adopted. As a whole, the vehicle power supply device 10 has a substantially rectangular parallelepiped shape elongated in the front-rear direction.

In the vehicle power supply device 10, the battery 11 is housed inside the storage case. The storage case includes a cover 17 that closes the battery 11 from above, a bottom member 20 that closes the battery 11 from below, an end plate 19 that closes the battery 11 from the front-rear direction, and a side member 18 that closes the battery 11 from the left-right direction. It is configured.

The battery 11 is a rechargeable high-power battery, and is composed of a large number of battery cells 12 stacked and arranged along the front-rear direction. A space is formed between the battery cells 12 to allow the flow of air for cooling. The battery cell 12 is a plurality of plate-shaped secondary batteries including, for example, a lithium ion battery or a nickel hydrogen battery. A safety valve 23 for letting gas escape to the outside is formed at the upper end of the battery cell 12.

A heat transfer sheet 21 is arranged above the battery 11. The shape of the heat transfer sheet 21 seen from above is a rectangular shape, and is formed to have the same size as the battery 11. The heat transfer sheet 21 is a member for transferring the heat generated by the battery 11 during charging / discharging to the battery cooling unit 14, which will be described later. The heat transfer sheet 21 is formed with a storage area 22 along the front-rear direction. The storage area 22 is a hole that penetrates the heat transfer sheet 21, and the safety valve 23 of the battery cell 12 is stored. As the material of the heat transfer sheet 21, a good heat conductor that conducts the heat generated by the battery 11 is adopted, and specifically, a synthetic resin, rubber, metal, gel-like substance, or the like can be adopted.

A battery cooling unit 14 is arranged between the heat transfer sheet 21 and the cover 17. When viewed from above, the battery cooling unit 14 has a rectangular shape formed elongated in the front-rear direction. The size of the battery cooling unit 14 is substantially the same as that of the heat transfer sheet 21 and the battery 11. As will be described later, a cooling path through which a cooling fluid that absorbs heat generated from the battery 11 flows is formed inside the battery cooling unit 14.

Although not shown here, a temperature raising means for raising the temperature of the battery 11 is arranged between the battery 11 and the bottom surface member 20 when the temperature of the battery 11 drops excessively.

The configuration of the vehicle power supply device 10 will be described in detail with reference to FIG. FIG. 2A is a side sectional view when the vehicle power supply device 10 is cut at the intermediate portion of the safety valve 23 along the front-rear direction, and FIG. 2B is a portion where the storage area 22 is formed. It is an enlarged sectional view of the power supply device 10 for a vehicle.

With reference to FIG. 2A, the vehicle power supply device 10 has a plurality of battery cells 12 stacked and arranged along the front-rear direction. The battery cells 12 are stacked and arranged so as to be separated from each other. Further, as described above, the heat transfer sheet 21 and the battery cooling unit 14 are arranged above the battery cell 12.

The heat transfer sheet 21 is a member that is arranged between the battery cell 12 and the battery cooling unit 14 and conducts the heat generated when the battery cell 12 is charged and discharged to the battery cooling unit 14. The lower surface of the heat transfer sheet 21 is in contact with the upper end of the battery cell 12, and the upper surface of the heat transfer sheet 21 is in contact with the lower surface of the battery cooling unit 14.

A fluid circuit 13 for circulating the cooling fluid is formed inside the battery cooling unit 14. As the cooling fluid, for example, cooling water can be adopted.

With reference to FIG. 2B, the safety valve 23 formed at the upper end of the battery cell 12 is arranged in the storage area 22 formed as a hole penetrating the heat transfer sheet 21. A filler 24 is provided on the outer surface of the intermediate portion of the safety valve 23. The filler 24 is made of, for example, a polymer material that foams or expands at high temperatures, and is arranged so as to come into contact with the outer surface of the safety valve 23. As the filler 24, a foaming agent or a leavening agent can be adopted.

The storage area 22 is a closed space formed between the upper surface of the battery cell 12 and the lower surface of the battery cooling unit 14. As will be described later, the gas generated from the safety valve 23 flows into the inside of the battery cooling unit 14 via the storage area 22.

A gas introduction mechanism 15 is formed on the lower surface of the fluid circuit 13 in a portion exposed to the storage region 22. The gas introduction mechanism 15 is in a closed state in a normal state when gas is not released from the safety valve 23 of the battery cell 12, and does not communicate the inside of the battery cooling unit 14 with the storage area 22. On the other hand, when the inside of the battery cell 12 is short-circuited and the gas is discharged from the safety valve 23, the gas introduction mechanism 15 communicates the inside of the battery cooling unit 14 with the storage area 22. As a result, the gas ejected from the safety valve 23 is transferred to the inside of the battery cooling unit 14 via the storage area 22 and the gas introduction mechanism 15.

As a specific configuration of the gas introduction mechanism 15, for example, a thin portion in which the battery cooling portion 14 is partially formed can be adopted. By adopting a thin portion as the gas introduction mechanism 15, it is possible to prevent the cooling fluid from leaking to the outside from the gas introduction mechanism 15 in a normal time. Further, in the case of a short circuit, the gas introduction mechanism 15 which is a thin portion is opened by the heat and pressure of the gas generated from the safety valve 23, so that the gas is introduced into the battery cooling unit 14 via the gas introduction mechanism 15. Can lead to. Here, as another configuration of the gas introduction mechanism 15, a machine such as an on-off valve which is normally closed and opened when short-circuited due to the pressure or heat of the gas generated from the safety valve 23. A type opening / closing mechanism can also be adopted.

FIG. 3 is a block diagram showing a connection configuration of the vehicle power supply device 10. With reference to this figure, the battery cooling unit 14 is connected to the fluid cooler 26 and the pump 25 via a fluid circuit 13 which is a circulation closed circuit. The pump 25 generates a water stream for circulating the battery cooling fluid in the fluid circuit 13. The fluid cooler 26 cools the cooling fluid whose temperature has risen by absorbing the heat from the battery 11.

The arithmetic control unit 16 includes a CPU, RAM, ROM, and the like, and controls each part constituting the vehicle power supply device 10. Specifically, the arithmetic control unit 16 includes a fluid cooler 26, a pump 25, a battery 11, and a junction based on information indicating the temperature of the cooling fluid input from the upstream temperature sensor 29 and the downstream temperature sensor 30. It controls the operation of the box 27.

The fluid circuit 13 is provided with an upstream temperature sensor 29 and a downstream temperature sensor 30 that measure the temperature of the cooling fluid flowing through the fluid circuit 13. The upstream temperature sensor 29 measures the temperature of the cooling fluid on the upstream side of the battery cooling unit 14, and the downstream temperature sensor 30 measures the temperature of the cooling fluid on the downstream side of the battery cooling unit 14. The upstream temperature sensor 29 may be arranged inside the battery cooling unit 14 in the flow of the cooling fluid, or may be arranged on the upstream side of the battery cooling unit 14. The downstream temperature sensor 30 may be arranged inside the battery cooling unit 14 in the flow of the cooling fluid, or may be arranged on the downstream side of the battery cooling unit 14. An electric signal indicating the temperature of the cooling fluid measured by the upstream temperature sensor 29 and the downstream temperature sensor 30 is transmitted to the arithmetic control unit 16.

The battery 11 is connected to the junction box 27 via a high voltage circuit 28. The junction box 27 is connected to an inverter circuit or the like (not shown here). The AC power converted to a predetermined frequency by the inverter circuit is supplied to the motor that drives the tire.

Based on the flowchart of FIG. 4, the operation of the vehicle power supply device 10 will be described with reference to each of the above-mentioned drawings and FIG. 5 (A) to 5 (C) are cross-sectional views showing sequentially the gas path at the time of a short circuit.

First, in step S10, with reference to FIG. 5A, harmful gas is generated due to an internal short circuit of the battery cell 12 or the like.

In step S11, the gas generated from the battery cell 12 flows into the fluid circuit 13. With reference to FIG. 5B, the gas generated from the battery cell 12 is injected from the safety valve 23. Since the generated gas has a high temperature of, for example, about 300 ° C., the safety valve 23 also becomes a high temperature state.

With reference to FIG. 5C, when the safety valve 23 becomes hot, the filler 24 disposed on the surface of the safety valve 23 foams or expands, and the storage region 22 is filled with the filler 24. As a result, the progress of gas inside the storage area 22 is restricted by the filler 24. Therefore, it is possible to prevent harmful gas from being released to the outside of the vehicle power supply device 10 through the gap between the battery cell 12 and the heat transfer sheet 21 and the gap between the heat transfer sheet 21 and the battery cooling unit 14. Will be done. A path for gas to flow from the safety valve 23 toward the gas introduction mechanism 15 is formed inside the filler 24.

With the release of gas from the safety valve 23, the gas introduction mechanism 15 is opened. For example, the battery cooling portion 14 of the gas introduction mechanism 15 is opened by the heat and pressure of the gas released from the safety valve 23, so that the gas introduction mechanism 15 is opened. Alternatively, the gas introduction mechanism 15, which is an on-off valve, is opened by the pressure or heat of the gas.

In the present embodiment, the gas generated from the battery cell 12 is transferred to the inside of the battery cooling unit 14, and the gas is not leaked to the outside of the vehicle power supply device 10. Inside the fluid circuit 13, the cooling fluid cools the gas below the boiling point, so that the gas is liquefied. As a result, the volume of the gas is significantly reduced, and a relatively large amount of gas can be contained in the fluid circuit 13.

Therefore, it is possible to prevent the adverse effect of gas from affecting the inside of the vehicle provided with the vehicle power supply device 10. Further, even when the vehicle is arranged in a closed space such as a garage, the gas is confined in the fluid circuit 13, so that it is possible to prevent the adverse effect of the gas on the person working in the garage. Further, after the battery cell 12 is short-circuited, the gas can be disposed of together with the fluid circuit 13 by removing the battery 11 from the vehicle body together with the fluid circuit 13.

In step S12, the presence or absence of smoke exhaust from the battery cell 12 is determined by checking the temperature of the cooling fluid. This determination can be made from the temperature difference or the temperature value.

When determining the presence or absence of smoke exhaust based on the temperature difference, the information indicating the temperature T29 of the cooling fluid measured by the upstream temperature sensor 29 arranged on the upstream side of the battery cooling unit 14 is the calculation control unit with reference to FIG. It is input to 16. At the same time, information indicating the temperature T30 of the cooling fluid measured by the downstream temperature sensor 30 arranged on the downstream side of the battery cooling unit 14 is input to the arithmetic control unit 16. The arithmetic control unit 16 calculates the temperature difference by subtracting the temperature T29 from the temperature T30. If the temperature difference is equal to or greater than a predetermined threshold value, the arithmetic control unit 16 determines that the cooling fluid flowing inside the battery cooling unit 14 has been heated by the gas, and gas is generated from the battery cell 12. Judge. Therefore, it is determined that YES is determined in step S12, and the process proceeds to step S13 to determine that smoke exhaust is occurring. On the other hand, if this temperature difference is less than a predetermined threshold value, NO is determined in step S12, and the determination in step S12 is continued.

Further, the determination in step S12 can also be performed using either the upstream temperature sensor 29 or the downstream temperature sensor 30. Preferably, it is easier to detect the temperature change of the cooling fluid due to the gas discharged from the battery cell 12 by using the measured value of the downstream temperature sensor 30 arranged on the downstream side of the battery cooling unit 14. Specifically, information indicating the temperature T30 of the cooling fluid measured by the downstream temperature sensor 30 is input to the arithmetic control unit 16. Next, if the temperature T30 is equal to or higher than a predetermined threshold value, the arithmetic control unit 16 determines that the cooling fluid flowing inside the battery cooling unit 14 has been heated by the gas, that is, the gas is released from the battery cell 12. Judge that it has occurred. That is, it is determined that YES is determined in step S12, and it is determined that smoke is being exhausted in step S13. On the other hand, if the temperature T30 is less than a predetermined threshold value, NO is determined in step S12, and the determination in step S12 is continued.

In step S14, the main relay is turned off. The main relay is interposed in the path between the battery 11 and an inverter circuit (not shown). By turning off the main relay, the power supply to the inverter circuit is cut off, and the occurrence of an accident in the event of an abnormality can be prevented.

In step S15, the cooling performance of the battery cooling unit 14 is increased in order to cool the battery cell 12 in which gas is generated. For example, the cooling performance in the battery cooling unit 14 is maximized. As a method of increasing the cooling performance of the battery cooling unit 14, referring to FIG. 3, a method of increasing the flow rate of the cooling fluid flowing through the fluid circuit 13 by increasing the rotation speed of the pump 25, the fluid cooler 26 A method of further lowering the temperature of the cooling fluid flowing through the fluid circuit 13 by increasing the output of the pump 25, increasing the rotation speed of the pump 25 and increasing the output of the fluid cooler 26 to increase the flow rate of the cooling fluid and the cooling fluid. A method of lowering the temperature of the water can be adopted.

By increasing the cooling performance of the battery cooling unit 14, even if gas is generated due to an internal short circuit of a specific battery cell 12, referring to FIG. 2A, the temperature rise of the battery cell 12 is suppressed. can do. Further, it is possible to suppress the temperature rise of other adjacent battery cells 12. Therefore, it is possible to suppress the occurrence of so-called continuous explosion in which other adjacent battery cells 12 fail in a chain.

Further, by increasing the cooling performance in the battery cooling unit 14, the liquefaction of the gas flowing into the fluid circuit 13 can be further promoted, and the increase in the internal pressure of the battery cooling unit 14 and the fluid circuit 13 can be suppressed.

In step S16, it is determined whether or not the battery cell 12 is cooled. This determination can be made from the temperature difference or the temperature value.

When determining the presence or absence of smoke exhaust based on the temperature difference, the information indicating the temperature T29 of the cooling fluid measured by the upstream temperature sensor 29 arranged on the upstream side of the battery cooling unit 14 is the calculation control unit with reference to FIG. It is input to 16. At the same time, information indicating the temperature T30 of the cooling fluid measured by the downstream temperature sensor 30 arranged on the downstream side of the battery cooling unit 14 is input to the arithmetic control unit 16. The arithmetic control unit 16 calculates the temperature difference by subtracting the temperature T29 from the temperature T30. If the temperature difference is equal to or less than a predetermined threshold value, the arithmetic control unit 16 determines that the smoked battery cell 12 has been sufficiently cooled by the cooling fluid flowing inside the battery cooling unit 14. That is, it is determined as YES in step S16, and the process proceeds to step S17. On the other hand, if this temperature difference is less than a predetermined threshold value, NO is determined in step S16, and the process is repeated from step S15.

Further, the determination in step S16 can be made by using either the upstream temperature sensor 29 or the downstream temperature sensor 30. Preferably, it is easier to detect the temperature change of the cooling fluid due to the gas discharged from the battery cell 12 by using the measured value of the downstream temperature sensor 30 arranged on the downstream side of the battery cooling unit 14. Specifically, information indicating the temperature T30 of the cooling fluid measured by the downstream temperature sensor 30 is input to the arithmetic control unit 16. Next, if the temperature T30 is equal to or lower than a predetermined threshold value, the arithmetic control unit 16 determines that the smoked battery cell 12 has been sufficiently cooled. That is, it is determined as YES in step S16, and the process proceeds to step S17. On the other hand, if this temperature difference is less than a predetermined threshold value, NO is determined in step S16, and the process is repeated from step S15.

In step S17, the cooling of the battery 11 in the vehicle power supply device 10 is completed. That is, the arithmetic control unit 16 stops the pump 25 and the fluid cooler 26.

As described above, in the vehicle power supply device 10 of the present embodiment, the gas generated from the battery cell 12 at the time of a short circuit is introduced into the fluid circuit 13 to prevent the gas from diffusing to the surroundings. Therefore, it is possible to establish a flue gas discharge route at the time of a battery short circuit and safely process it with a simple configuration that does not change the rough structure by utilizing the parts used.

Further, since the smoke emission of the battery cell 12 can be detected when the temperature or the temperature difference of the cooling fluid is equal to or more than the threshold value, the battery short circuit can be detected with a simple configuration and control. Similarly, when the temperature or temperature difference of the cooling fluid is equal to or less than the threshold value, it can be determined that the battery cell 12 has been sufficiently cooled, so that the short-circuited battery can be sufficiently cooled with a simple configuration and control.

In general, since the calculation control unit 16 constantly monitors the voltage of each battery cell 12, the battery cell can be used more accurately by using the detected temperature and the monitored voltage value together. It is also possible to determine the internal short circuit of 12.

Although the embodiments of the present invention have been described above, the present invention is not limited to this, and changes can be made without departing from the gist of the present invention. In addition, the above-mentioned forms can be combined with each other.

10 Vehicle power supply 11 Battery 12 Battery cell 13 Fluid circuit 14 Battery cooling unit 15 Gas introduction mechanism 16 Calculation control unit 17 Cover 18 Side member 19 End plate 20 Bottom member 21 Heat transfer sheet 22 Storage area 23 Safety valve 24 Filling agent 25 Pump 26 Fluid cooler 27 Junction box 28 High voltage circuit 29 Upstream temperature sensor 30 Downstream temperature sensor

Claims (9)

A battery consisting of multiple battery cells and
A battery cooling unit that absorbs heat generated from the battery cell,
A fluid circuit in which the cooling fluid flowing through the battery cooling unit circulates,
A gas introduction mechanism that introduces gas generated from the battery cell into the fluid circuit,
A vehicle power supply device including an arithmetic control unit that controls the flow of the cooling fluid. The vehicle power supply device according to claim 1, wherein the arithmetic control unit increases the cooling capacity of the fluid circuit when the temperature difference between the upstream side and the downstream side of the fluid circuit is equal to or greater than a threshold value. .. The vehicle power supply device according to claim 1, wherein the arithmetic control unit increases the cooling capacity of the fluid circuit when the temperature of the cooling fluid at a specific location of the fluid circuit is equal to or higher than a threshold value. The vehicle power supply device according to claim 2 or 3, wherein the arithmetic control unit increases the cooling capacity by increasing the flow velocity of the cooling fluid in the fluid circuit. The arithmetic control unit is according to any one of claims 2 to 4, wherein in the fluid circuit, the fluid cooler cools the cooling fluid to a lower temperature to increase the cooling capacity. The vehicle power supply described. Claims 1 to 5 are characterized in that the arithmetic control unit ends cooling of the cooling fluid in the fluid circuit when the temperature difference between the upstream side and the downstream side of the fluid circuit is equal to or less than a threshold value. The vehicle power supply according to any one of. Claims 1 to 5, wherein the arithmetic control unit ends cooling of the cooling fluid in the fluid circuit when the temperature of the cooling fluid at a specific location in the fluid circuit is equal to or lower than a threshold value. The vehicle power supply according to any one. The vehicle power supply device according to any one of claims 2 to 7, wherein the arithmetic control unit controls a supply amount of the cooling fluid to the battery cell. The safety valve of the battery cell is arranged in a storage area formed between the battery cell and the battery cooling unit.
A filler is placed near the safety valve.
The vehicle power supply device according to any one of claims 1 to 8, wherein the filler is filled in the storage area when the battery cell emits smoke.

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