KR102648405B1 - Battery pack using immersion cooling method - Google Patents

Abstract

In the present invention, a battery pack and a battery pack manufacturing method using an immersion cooling method are disclosed. The battery pack includes a plurality of battery cells and a battery case for storing the battery cells, and the side surfaces of the battery case are arranged to be spaced apart from each other so as to be in contact with the refrigerant, and the upper electrode tab and the battery case are each exposed on the upper surface of the battery case. A plurality of battery modules including at least one of the lower electrode tabs exposed on the lower surface of the battery module; a lower cover plate on which the plurality of battery modules are mounted; an upper cover plate mounted on the upper surface of the plurality of battery modules; A side cover plate connected to the upper cover plate and the lower cover plate, mounted on the side of the plurality of battery modules, and having one or more refrigerant inlets through which refrigerant can flow and one or more refrigerant outlets through which refrigerant can be discharged; an upper layer and a lower layer disposed between the plurality of battery modules and the upper cover plate; wherein the battery case is an exterior member surrounding the outer surfaces of the plurality of battery cells excluding electrode terminal portions of the plurality of battery cells, and the upper layer and the lower layer are each of the plurality of battery modules. It is a sealing member that seals the upper and lower surfaces of the plurality of battery modules, excluding the electrode tab portion.

Description

Battery pack using immersion cooling method}

The present invention relates to a battery pack using an immersion cooling method.

Secondary batteries are also attracting attention as an energy source for electric vehicles and hybrid electric vehicles, which are being proposed as a solution to air pollution from existing gasoline and diesel vehicles that use fossil fuels. Additionally, it is beginning to be used as a major member of power storage devices. Therefore, the types of applications using secondary batteries are becoming very diverse due to the advantages of secondary batteries, and it is expected that secondary batteries will be applied to more fields and products than now in the future.

As the application fields and products of secondary batteries are diversifying, the types of batteries are also diversifying to provide appropriate output and capacity. In addition, there is a strong demand for batteries applied to these fields and products to be compact and lightweight.

For example, small mobile devices such as mobile phones, PDAs, digital cameras, laptop computers, etc. are using one or two or three small and lightweight battery cells per device to correspond to the trend of smaller and thinner products. On the other hand, medium to large devices such as electric vehicles, hybrid electric vehicles, power storage devices, etc. are using medium to large battery modules or battery packs in which multiple battery cells are electrically connected due to the need for high output and large capacity. Since the size and weight of a battery module are directly related to the accommodation space and output of the medium-to-large device, manufacturers are trying to manufacture battery modules that are as small and lightweight as possible.

Meanwhile, conventional medium to large-sized battery modules are manufactured by stacking a plurality of units, adding fixing plates on the top and bottom to complete the fixation between the units, and then separately re-securing them inside the frame. This method is used to manufacture battery modules. This is causing an increase in overall volume. Additionally, when individual plates are used to secure individual units, the overall rigidity of the battery module is reduced, which requires additional reinforcing members. Moreover, if additional cooling channels or cooling members are installed to cool the battery module, the number of parts increases and efficient work in a small space becomes difficult.

Therefore, there is a high need for technology that can fundamentally solve these problems.

One embodiment of the present invention provides a battery pack in which a plurality of battery cells stored in a battery case surrounding the outer surface of the battery cells excluding the terminal portion are immersed in a coolant, thereby preventing contact between the terminal and the coolant while preventing the battery cells from contacting each other. By maximizing the heat exchange area between the heat exchanger and the refrigerant, a low-cost, high-efficiency cooling structure can be provided.

In order to solve the above problems and other problems, a battery pack according to one aspect of the present invention,

A battery pack using an immersion cooling method,

It includes a plurality of battery cells and a battery case for storing them, arranged to be spaced apart from each other so that the side of the battery case can be in contact with the refrigerant, and an upper electrode tab exposed on the upper surface of the battery case and an upper electrode tab exposed on the lower surface of the battery case, respectively. A plurality of battery modules including at least one of the lower electrode tabs;

a lower cover plate on which the plurality of battery modules are mounted;

an upper cover plate mounted on the upper surface of the plurality of battery modules;

A side cover plate connected to the upper cover plate and the lower cover plate, mounted on the side of the plurality of battery modules, and having one or more refrigerant inlets through which refrigerant can flow and one or more refrigerant outlets through which refrigerant can be discharged;

an upper layer disposed between the plurality of battery modules and an upper cover plate and a lower layer disposed between the plurality of battery modules and a lower cover plate; Contains one or more of

The battery case is an external member that surrounds the outer surface of the plurality of battery cells except for electrode terminal portions of the plurality of battery cells,

The upper layer and the lower layer are sealing members that seal the upper and lower surfaces of the plurality of battery modules, respectively, except for electrode tab portions of the plurality of battery modules.

For example, the plurality of battery modules may be arranged to be spaced apart from each other in a horizontal or vertical direction with respect to the ground.

For example, the upper cover plate, the lower cover plate, and the side cover plate may be connected to each other to form a rectangular parallelepiped structure.

For example, the plurality of battery modules may be arranged in a matrix, side by side or zigzag.

For example, when there are a plurality of upper electrode tabs, the plurality of upper electrode tabs may be electrically connected to each other, and when there are a plurality of lower electrode tabs, the plurality of lower electrode tabs may be electrically connected to each other.

For example, the plurality of upper electrode tabs may be connected to each other in series or parallel, and the plurality of lower electrode tabs may be connected to each other in series or parallel.

For example, the plurality of battery modules include both an upper electrode tab and a lower electrode tab, the upper layer blocks contact between the upper electrode tab and the refrigerant, and the lower layer blocks contact with the lower electrode tab and the refrigerant. Contact can be blocked.

For example, the upper layer includes one or more openings through which the upper electrode tabs are exposed, the upper layer has a structure that completely covers the upper part of the plurality of battery modules except for the openings, and the lower layer includes the openings. It may include one or more openings through which the lower electrode tab is exposed, and the lower layer may have a structure that completely covers the lower portion of the plurality of battery modules, excluding the openings.

For example, the battery pack may further include one or more of a first insulating layer disposed between the upper cover plate and the upper layer and a second insulating layer disposed between the lower cover plate and the lower layer.

For example, the battery pack includes a first insulating layer disposed between the upper cover plate and the upper layer, and the plurality of battery modules are independently included in the lower cover plate and the plurality of battery modules. It may further include a second insulating layer disposed between the plurality of battery cells.

For example, the battery pack may further include a wire connection layer disposed between the upper cover plate and the upper layer, electrically connected to an external system, and including a conductive wire and an insulating substrate electrically connecting the electrode tabs. You can.

For example, the conductive wire may be metal and the insulating substrate may be polymer, plastic, or PCB.

For example, at least one of the plurality of battery modules may further include a third insulating layer that is disposed between the battery cell and the battery case and includes an insulating material.

For example, the plurality of battery cells may independently be cylindrical secondary batteries, prismatic secondary batteries, or pouch-shaped secondary batteries.

A battery pack manufacturing method according to another aspect of the present invention is a method of manufacturing the above-described battery pack,

Manufacturing a plurality of battery cases including open upper and lower surfaces and storing battery cells;

An upper layer including openings corresponding to upper surfaces of the plurality of battery cases is disposed on top of the plurality of battery cases, and a lower layer including openings corresponding to lower surfaces of the plurality of battery cases is disposed below the plurality of battery cases. placing on;

A plurality of battery cases having the upper and lower layers are inserted into a side cover plate having one or more refrigerant inlets through which refrigerant can flow and one or more refrigerant outlets through which refrigerant can be discharged, and having open upper and lower surfaces. steps;

storing a plurality of battery cells in the plurality of battery cases;

A lower cover plate is placed below the lower layer, the lower cover plate and the side cover plate are fastened together, an upper cover plate is placed on top of the upper layer, and the upper cover plate and the side cover plate are fastened together. steps; and

It includes the step of introducing refrigerant into the refrigerant inlet.

A battery pack manufacturing method according to another aspect of the present invention is a method of manufacturing the above-described battery pack,

Manufacturing a plurality of battery cases including open upper and lower surfaces and storing battery cells;

disposing an upper layer including openings corresponding to upper surfaces of the plurality of battery cases on top of the plurality of battery cases;

The upper layer is disposed in a battery pack box in which one or more refrigerant inlets through which refrigerant can flow and one or more refrigerant outlets through which refrigerant can discharge are formed, the upper surface is open, and the side cover plate and lower cover plate are integrally combined. Inserting a plurality of battery cases;

storing a plurality of battery cells in the plurality of battery cases;

A wire connection layer including a conductive wire that electrically connects the upper electrode tabs of the plurality of battery cells exposed on the upper layer to each other and a conductive wire that electrically connects the lower electrode tabs of the plurality of battery cells to each other. Place it on the table,

Placing an upper cover plate on top of the wire connection layer and fastening the upper cover plate and the side cover plate; and

It includes the step of introducing refrigerant into the refrigerant inlet.

According to the present invention, a battery pack in which a plurality of battery cells stored in a battery case covering the outer surface excluding the terminal portions of the battery cells are immersed in a coolant is used to prevent contact between the terminals and the coolant, while preventing the battery cells from contacting the coolant. By maximizing the heat exchange area, a low-cost, high-efficiency cooling structure can be provided.

Additionally, even if a less toxic refrigerant is used, uniform and high cooling efficiency can be provided throughout the battery cell.

In addition, since the battery case is easily attachable and detachable, a battery pack that can be recycled and regenerated by replacing the battery case can be provided.

FIG. 1A is a schematic diagram of a battery pack according to an embodiment of the present invention, and FIG. 1B is an exploded perspective view of the battery pack of FIG. 1A.
2 and 3 are plan views of a battery pack according to an embodiment of the present invention, respectively.
Figure 4 is a front perspective view schematically showing a battery module used in a battery pack according to an embodiment of the present invention.
FIG. 5 is a cross-sectional view taken along line Y of FIG. 2, FIG. 6 is an enlarged cross-sectional view of portion A of FIG. 5, and FIG. 7 is a cross-sectional view taken along line X of FIG. 2.
Figure 8 is a schematic diagram of a battery pack according to another embodiment of the present invention, and Figure 9 is an exploded perspective view of the battery pack of Figure 8.
10 is a plan view of a battery pack according to an embodiment of the present invention.
FIG. 11 is a cross-sectional view taken along line Y of FIG. 10, FIG. 12 is an enlarged cross-sectional view of portion A' of FIG. 11, and FIG. 13 is a cross-sectional view taken along line X of FIG. 10.
Figure 14 is a diagram schematically showing the manufacturing process of a battery module used in a battery pack according to an embodiment of the present invention.
15 is a plan view of a battery module used in a battery pack according to an embodiment of the present invention.
FIG. 16 is a schematic diagram of a battery pack according to another embodiment of the present invention, and FIG. 17 is a top view of the battery pack of FIG. 16.
FIG. 18 is a cross-sectional view taken along line Y in FIG. 17, and FIG. 19 is a cross-sectional view taken along line X in FIG. 17.
FIG. 20 is a schematic diagram of a battery module according to an embodiment stored in the battery pack of FIG. 16.
FIG. 21 is a plan view of a battery module stored in the battery pack of FIG. 16 according to an embodiment.
Figures 22a to 22d are schematic diagrams sequentially showing a method of manufacturing a battery pack according to an embodiment of the present invention.
Figures 23A to 23E are schematic diagrams sequentially showing a method of manufacturing a battery pack according to another embodiment of the present invention.

Hereinafter, the present invention will be described in more detail with reference to the drawings, but the scope of the present invention is not limited thereto.

FIG. 1A is a schematic diagram of the battery pack 100 according to an embodiment of the present invention, and FIG. 1B is an exploded perspective view of the battery pack 100 of FIG. 1A.

1A and 1B, the battery pack 100 includes at least one of an upper electrode tab 113 exposed on the upper surface of the battery case (not shown) and a lower electrode tab (not shown) exposed on the lower surface of the battery case. A plurality of battery modules 110 including; A lower cover plate 130 on which the plurality of battery modules 110 are mounted; An upper cover plate 120 mounted on the upper surface of the plurality of battery modules 110; It is connected to the upper cover plate 120 and the lower cover plate 130, is mounted on the side of the plurality of battery modules 110, and has one or more refrigerant inlets 141 through which refrigerant can flow and through which refrigerant can be discharged. A side cover plate (140) with one or more refrigerant outlets (142) that can be used; An upper layer 150 disposed between the plurality of battery modules 110 and the upper cover plate 120 and a lower layer (not shown) disposed between the plurality of battery modules 110 and the lower cover plate 130. Includes ;

The refrigerant is not particularly limited as long as it is a refrigerant used in the art, and may be, for example, water, glycol, or a dielectric fluid.

Several methods have been proposed for cooling battery modules. In the case of air cooling, there are problems with low cooling efficiency, low thermal conductivity of air, and ease of use only for small battery packs. In the case of cold plate cooling, there are problems with low cooling efficiency, low thermal conductivity of air, and ease of use only for small battery packs. There were problems with cooling efficiency and the temperature gradient being large, making it difficult to cool evenly.

On the other hand, the method of cooling by flowing the refrigerant through a flow path requires a complicated configuration of the flow path, the temperature of the battery cells arranged along the flow path varies, making uniform cooling difficult, and the contact area between the battery cells and the flow path is small. There was this.

Cooling by refrigerant immersion has the limitation of using a non-conductive fluid as a refrigerant for the safety of battery cells, and non-conductive fluids have low thermal conductivity, high cost, and environmental problems.

The battery pack 100 according to an embodiment of the present invention implements cooling of battery cells by immersing a plurality of battery modules 110 in a coolant, while preventing contact between terminals and the coolant, and preventing contact between the battery cells and the coolant. By maximizing the heat exchange area, a low-cost, high-efficiency cooling structure can be provided.

The upper cover plate 120, lower cover plate 130, and side cover plate 140 are connected to each other to form a rectangular parallelepiped structure.

Although not shown in FIGS. 1A and 1B, the plurality of battery modules 110 may be mounted on the lower cover plate 130 through a predetermined fixing member such as a cartridge.

The upper cover plate 120, lower cover plate 130, and side cover plate 140 can be independently made of metal, plastic, composite, or ceramic, but special restrictions are placed on materials used in the industry. It doesn't work.

2 and 3 are plan views of the battery pack 100 according to an embodiment of the present invention, respectively.

Referring to Figures 2 and 3, the plurality of battery modules 110 include a plurality of battery cells 111 and a battery case 112 storing them, and the side of the battery case 112 is in contact with the refrigerant. They are arranged and spaced apart from each other so that

The battery case 112 may be made of metal, plastic, composite, or ceramic, but is not particularly limited as long as it is a material used in the industry. For example, the battery case 112 may be made of aluminum or copper.

The battery case 112 performs a waterproofing function for the battery cells 111, prevents refrigerant from flowing into the battery cells 111, and transfers heat from the battery cells 111 to the refrigerant.

The refrigerant flows in the direction of the arrow through the refrigerant inlet 141, flows between the plurality of battery modules 110, between the plurality of battery modules 110 and the side cover plate 140, and flows through the refrigerant outlet 142. ) is discharged in the direction of the arrow. Through this, the refrigerant comes into contact with the plurality of battery modules 110 evenly throughout, so that a cooling effect can be achieved through heat exchange.

The plurality of battery modules 110 are arranged in a matrix, side by side (FIG. 2) or zigzag (FIG. 3).

15 is a plan view of a battery module used in a battery pack according to an embodiment of the present invention.

Referring to FIG. 15 together with FIGS. 2 and 3, at least one of the plurality of battery modules 110 is disposed between the battery cell 111 and the battery case 112 and has a third insulating material including an insulating material. It further includes a layer 115.

The third insulating layer 115 is disposed between the battery cell 111 and the battery case 112 to prevent electrical short circuit and transfer heat from the battery cell 111 to the refrigerant.

The insulating material may be, for example, an electrically non-conductive fluid, polymer, ceramic, or polymer composite, but is not particularly limited, and the third insulating layer 115 may be, for example, thermal grease, heat It may be included in the form of a thermal pad or a thermally conductive coating, but is not particularly limited.

Figure 4 is a front perspective view schematically showing a battery module used in the battery pack 100 according to an embodiment of the present invention.

Referring to FIG. 4, the plurality of battery cells 111 include an upper electrode tab 113 and a lower electrode tab 114 connected to each electrode terminal portion 111a, and the upper electrode tabs 113 are plural. In this case, the plurality of upper electrode tabs 113 are electrically connected to each other, and when there are multiple lower electrode tabs 114, the plurality of upper electrode tabs 114 are electrically connected to each other.

At this time, the plurality of upper electrode tabs 113 may be connected in series or parallel to each other as needed, and the plurality of lower electrode tabs 114 may be connected in series or parallel to each other as needed. The upper electrode tab 113 and the lower electrode tab 114 connect the plurality of battery cells 111 and implement electrical connection with an external system (eg, BMS). These upper electrode tabs 113 and lower electrode tabs 114 may each be electrically connected by a bus bar. In addition, the upper electrode tab 113 and the lower electrode tab 114 may be further connected to bus bars (not shown) for external input/output terminals so that they can be electrically connected to external input/output terminals (not shown).

FIG. 5 is a cross-sectional view taken along line Y of FIG. 2, FIG. 6 is an enlarged cross-sectional view of portion A of FIG. 5, and FIG. 7 is a cross-sectional view taken along line X of FIG. 2.

5 to 7, the plurality of battery modules 110 include both an upper electrode tab 113 and a lower electrode tab 114, and the upper layer 150 includes the upper electrode tab 113 and the refrigerant. and the lower layer 160 blocks contact between the lower electrode tab 114 and the refrigerant.

The battery case 112 is an exterior member that surrounds the outer surface of the plurality of battery cells 111 except for the electrode terminal portion of the plurality of battery cells 111, and the upper layer 150 and lower layer 160 each have a plurality of It is a sealing member that seals the upper and lower surfaces of the plurality of battery modules 110 except for the electrode tabs 113 and 114 of the battery modules 110.

The battery pack 100 includes a first insulating layer 170 disposed between the upper cover plate 120 and the upper layer 150 and a second insulating layer disposed between the lower cover plate 130 and the lower layer 160. It further includes one or more of (180).

The first insulating layer 170 and the second insulating layer 180 may independently include an electrically non-conductive material (e.g., polymer, composite, thermal pad, etc.), and the battery cell 110 and the electrode The tabs 113 and 114 and the upper plate 120 and lower plate 130 can be separated and insulated.

FIG. 8 is a schematic diagram of a battery pack 200 according to another embodiment of the present invention, and FIG. 9 is an exploded perspective view of the battery pack 200 of FIG. 8.

Referring to FIGS. 8 and 9, the battery pack 200 includes at least one of an upper electrode tab 213 exposed on the upper surface of the battery case (not shown) and a lower electrode tab (not shown) exposed on the lower surface of the battery case. A plurality of battery modules 210 including; A lower cover plate (not shown) on which the plurality of battery modules 210 are mounted; An upper cover plate 220 mounted on the upper surface of the plurality of battery modules 210; It is connected to the upper cover plate 220 and the lower cover plate (not shown), is mounted on the side of the plurality of battery modules 210, and has one or more refrigerant inlets 241 through which refrigerant can flow and discharge refrigerant. A side cover plate (240) formed with one or more refrigerant outlets (242), which may be; It includes an upper layer 250 disposed between the plurality of battery modules 210 and the upper cover plate 230. The lower cover plate (not shown) may have a structure integrated with the side cover plate 240. .

The battery pack 200 does not include a lower layer, and a plurality of battery modules 210 are disposed on a lower cover plate (not shown). As will be described later, the plurality of battery modules 210 are disposed on the lower cover plate. It further includes a second insulating layer (see 280 in FIG. 12) to implement insulation between 230 and the plurality of battery cells 211.

The battery pack 200 is disposed between the upper cover plate 220 and the upper layer 250, is electrically connected to an external system (e.g., BMS), and has a conductive wire electrically connecting the electrode tabs 213 ( 291) and a wire connection layer 290 including an insulating substrate 292.

The conductive wire 291 may be electrically connected to each other by bending the electrode wires 216 of the plurality of battery modules 210, connects the plurality of battery cells (not shown) in series or parallel, and connects to the BMS. It is a structure to do this.

The conductive wire 291 is metal, and the insulating substrate 292 is polymer, plastic, or PCB.

Figure 10 is a plan view of the battery pack 200 according to an embodiment of the present invention.

Referring to FIG. 10, the plurality of battery modules 210 include a plurality of battery cells 211 and a battery case 212 for storing them, and the side of the battery case 212 is configured to contact the refrigerant. They are arranged spaced apart from each other.

The refrigerant flows in the direction of the arrow through the refrigerant inlet 241, flows between the plurality of battery modules 210, between the plurality of battery modules 210 and the side cover plate 240, and flows through the refrigerant outlet 242. ) is discharged in the direction of the arrow. Through this, the refrigerant comes into contact with the plurality of battery modules 210 evenly throughout, so that a cooling effect can be achieved through heat exchange.

A plurality of battery modules 210 are arranged in a matrix.

At least one of the plurality of battery modules 210 is disposed between the battery cell 211 and the battery case 212 and further includes a third insulating layer 215 including an insulating material.

FIG. 11 is a cross-sectional view taken along line Y of FIG. 10, FIG. 12 is an enlarged cross-sectional view of portion A' of FIG. 11, and FIG. 13 is a cross-sectional view taken along line X of FIG. 10.

11 to 13, the plurality of battery modules 210 include both an upper electrode tab 213 and a lower electrode tab 214, and the upper layer 250 includes the upper electrode tab 113 and the refrigerant. Block contact with

Referring to FIGS. 11 and 12 together, the plurality of battery modules 210 further include a second insulating layer 280 to implement insulation between the lower cover plate 230 and the plurality of battery cells 211.

Referring to FIG. 13, electrode wires 216 having an upwardly protruding structure are disposed by connecting the upper electrode tabs 213 and the lower electrode tabs 214, respectively, and the electrode wires 216 are connected to the same poles ( A wire connection layer 290 including conductive wires (not shown) connecting the positive electrodes (for example, the positive electrodes or the negative electrodes) to each other is disposed on the electrode wire 216.

FIG. 14 is a diagram schematically showing the manufacturing process of the battery module 210 used in the battery pack 200 of FIG. 13.

To explain the formation process of the electrode wire 216, referring to FIG. 14, an upper electrode terminal 211a and a lower electrode terminal (not shown) are disposed at each end of the plurality of battery cells 211. The upper electrode terminals 211a are connected to each other through the upper electrode tab 213, and the lower electrode terminals (not shown) are connected to each other through the lower electrode tab 214. A first electrode wire 216a is formed in which one end of the structure connected to each other through the upper electrode tab 213 protrudes upward, and one end of the structure connected to each other through the lower electrode tab 2134 protrudes upward. A second electrode wire 216b with a similar structure is formed. The first electrode wire 216a and the second electrode wire 216b have a structure in which different electrodes are connected. For example, the first electrode wire 216a may have a structure that connects anodes, and the second electrode wire 216b may have a structure that connects cathodes. For example, the first electrode wire 216a may have a structure connecting cathodes, and the second electrode wire 216b may have a structure connecting positive electrodes.

For further explanation of the configuration of the battery pack 200, refer to the above.

The plurality of battery cells may be independently cylindrical secondary batteries, prismatic secondary batteries, or pouch-shaped secondary batteries. Although the cylindrical secondary battery, the prismatic secondary battery, or the pouch-shaped secondary battery are not separately described in this specification, those skilled in the art can fully understand and implement them through common sense widely known in the art.

As shown in FIGS. 1A to 15 , the plurality of battery cells 111 and 211 may be cylindrical secondary batteries.

FIG. 16 is a schematic diagram of a battery pack 300 according to another embodiment of the present invention, and FIG. 17 is a top view of the battery pack 300 of FIG. 16. FIG. 18 is a cross-sectional view taken along line Y in FIG. 17, and FIG. 19 is a cross-sectional view taken along line X in FIG. 17. FIG. 20 is a schematic diagram of a battery module 310 according to an embodiment stored in the battery pack 300 of FIG. 16. FIG. 21 is a plan view of a battery module 310 according to an embodiment accommodated in the battery pack 300 of FIG. 16 .

As shown in FIGS. 16 to 21 , the plurality of battery cells 111 and 211 may be prismatic secondary batteries.

16 to 21, the battery pack 300 includes a plurality of battery modules 310 including an upper electrode tab 316 exposed on the top surface of the battery case 312; A lower cover plate 330 on which the plurality of battery modules 310 are mounted; An upper cover plate 320 mounted on the upper surface of the plurality of battery modules 310; It is connected to the upper cover plate 320 and the lower cover plate 330, is mounted on the side of the plurality of battery modules 310, and has one or more refrigerant inlets 341 through which refrigerant can flow and through which refrigerant can be discharged. A side cover plate 340 having one or more refrigerant outlets 342 that can be used; It includes an upper layer 350 disposed between the plurality of battery modules 310 and the upper cover plate 330. The plurality of battery modules 310 include a plurality of battery cells 311 and a battery case 312 accommodating them, and are arranged to be spaced apart from each other so that the side of the battery case 312 is in contact with the refrigerant.

The refrigerant flows in the direction of the arrow through the refrigerant inlet 341, flows between the plurality of battery modules 310, between the plurality of battery modules 310 and the side cover plate 340, and flows through the refrigerant outlet 342. ) is discharged in the direction of the arrow. Through this, the refrigerant comes into contact with the plurality of battery modules 310 evenly throughout, so that a cooling effect can be achieved through heat exchange.

A plurality of battery modules 310 are arranged in a matrix.

At least one of the plurality of battery modules 310 is disposed between the battery cell 311 and the battery case 312 and further includes a third insulating layer 315 including an insulating material.

The battery cell 311 includes a positive terminal 311a and a negative terminal 311b, and includes electrode tabs 316 electrically connected to the positive terminal 311a and the negative terminal 311b, respectively.

The battery pack 300 is disposed between the upper cover plate 320 and the upper layer 350, is electrically connected to an external system (e.g., BMS), and has a connection layer electrically connecting the electrode tabs 316 ( 390) is further included.

Although not shown in the drawing, the plurality of battery cells may be pouch-type secondary batteries. A pouch-type secondary battery is a plate-shaped battery cell in which electrode terminals (anode terminal, cathode terminal) are formed at one end. Specifically, a plate-type battery cell has an electrode assembly built into a pouch-shaped case of a laminated sheet including a metal layer and a resin layer, and a sealing portion is formed by, for example, heat fusion.

The structure of the battery pack including the pouch-type secondary battery can be understood through the structure of the battery pack 300 including the above-described prismatic secondary battery.

22A to 22D are schematic diagrams sequentially showing a method of manufacturing the battery pack 100 according to an embodiment of the present invention.

Referring to FIG. 22A, a plurality of battery cases 112 including open upper and lower surfaces and storing battery cells are manufactured, and an opening 151 corresponding to the upper surface of the plurality of battery cases 112 is manufactured. The upper layer 150 is disposed on the plurality of battery cases 112, and the lower layer 160 including the opening 161 corresponding to the lower surface of the plurality of battery cases 112 is disposed on the plurality of battery cases 112. Place it at the bottom.

The upper layer 150 includes one or more openings 151 through which the upper electrode tab (see 113 in FIG. 22D) is exposed, and the upper layer 150 includes a plurality of battery modules 110, excluding the opening 151. It is a structure that completely covers the upper part of the layer to prevent contact between the refrigerant and the upper electrode tab (see 113 in Figure 22D), and the lower layer 160 includes one or more openings 161 through which the lower electrode tab (not shown) is exposed. In addition, the lower layer 160 completely covers the lower portion of the plurality of battery modules 110 except for the opening 161, and has a structure to prevent contact between the refrigerant and the lower electrode tab (not shown).

Next, referring to FIG. 22b, one or more refrigerant inlets 141 through which refrigerant can flow and one or more refrigerant outlets 142 through which refrigerant can be discharged are formed, and the side cover plate 140 has an open upper and lower surface. ) Insert a plurality of battery cases 112 in which the upper layer 150 and the lower layer 160 are disposed.

Next, referring to FIG. 22C together with FIG. 22B, a plurality of battery cells 111 are stored in a plurality of battery cases 112. The plurality of battery cells 111 have at least one of an upper electrode tab (see 113 in FIG. 22D) exposed on the upper surface of the battery case 112 and a lower electrode tab (not shown) exposed on the lower surface of the battery case 112. Includes.

Although not separately shown, a process of disposing the above-described first insulating layer on top of the upper layer 150 or disposing the above-described second soft layer below the lower layer 160 may be additionally performed.

Next, referring to FIG. 22D together with FIG. 22C, the lower cover plate 130 is placed below the lower layer 160, the lower cover plate 130 and the side cover plate 140 are fastened, and the upper layer ( 150) The battery pack 100 is manufactured by placing the top cover plate 120 on the top and fastening the top cover plate 120 and the side cover plate 140. At this time, the upper electrode tabs 113 of the plurality of battery cells are exposed above the upper layer 150, and the lower electrode tabs (not shown) of the plurality of battery cells are exposed below the lower layer (not shown).

Next, coolant is introduced into the coolant inlet 141 to cool the battery pack 100 as described above.

The refrigerant flows between the plurality of battery modules 110 and/or between the plurality of battery modules 110 and the side cover plate 140, and the upper layer 150 is in contact with the upper electrode tab 113. and the lower layer (not shown) prevents the refrigerant from contacting the lower electrode tab (not shown).

The upper layer 150 and the lower layer (not shown) may each have an appropriate size and structure to achieve the above purpose, considering the arrangement structure of the plurality of battery modules 110.

Figures 23A to 23E are schematic diagrams sequentially showing a method of manufacturing a battery pack according to another embodiment of the present invention.

Referring to FIG. 23A, a plurality of battery cases 212 including an open upper surface and storing battery cells are manufactured, and an upper layer including an opening 251 corresponding to the upper surface of the plurality of battery cases 212. (250) is placed on top of the plurality of battery cases (212).

The upper layer 250 includes one or more openings 251 through which the upper electrode tab (see 213 in FIG. 23D) is exposed, and the upper layer 250 includes a plurality of battery modules 210, excluding the opening 251. It is a structure that completely covers the top of the and prevents contact between the refrigerant and the upper electrode tab (see 213 in Figure 23d).

Next, referring to FIG. 23b, one or more refrigerant inlets 241 through which refrigerant can flow and one or more refrigerant outlets 242 through which refrigerant can be discharged are formed, a side cover plate 240 with an open upper surface, and A plurality of battery cases 212 in which the upper layer 250 is disposed are inserted into a battery pack box in which the lower cover plate 230 is integrated.

Next, referring to FIG. 23C together with FIG. 23B, a plurality of battery cells 211 are stored in a plurality of battery cases 212. The plurality of battery cells 211 include an upper electrode tab (see 213 in FIG. 23D) and a lower electrode tab (not shown) exposed on the top surface of the battery case 212. The plurality of battery cells 211 further include an electrode wire 216 that connects the upper electrode tabs 213 and the lower electrode tabs (not shown), respectively, and protrudes upward.

Next, referring to FIG. 23D together with FIG. 23C, the electrode wire 216 and the lower electrode tab electrically connecting the upper electrode tabs 213 of the plurality of battery cells 211 exposed on the upper layer 250 to each other. A wire connection layer 290 including a conductive wire 291 electrically connecting electrode wires 216 (not shown) and an insulating substrate 292 is disposed on the upper layer 250.

Next, referring to FIG. 23E together with FIG. 23D, the upper cover plate 220 is placed on the wire connection layer 290, and the upper cover plate 220 and the side cover plate 240 are fastened to form a battery pack. (200) is manufactured.

Next, coolant is introduced into the coolant inlet 241 to cool the battery pack 200 as described above.

The refrigerant flows between the plurality of battery modules 210 and/or between the plurality of battery modules 210 and the side cover plate 240, and the upper layer 250 is in contact with the upper electrode tab 213. prevent it from happening.

The upper layer 250 may have an appropriate size and structure to achieve the above purpose, considering the arrangement structure of the plurality of battery modules 210.

Although the present invention has been described with reference to the drawings according to embodiments of the present invention, those skilled in the art will be able to make various applications and modifications within the scope of the present invention based on the above contents.

Claims (11)

A battery pack using an immersion cooling method,

It includes a battery case including a plurality of battery cells and an open upper and lower surfaces for storing the battery cells, the sides of the battery case are arranged to be spaced apart from each other so as to be in contact with the refrigerant, and the upper electrode tabs are each exposed on the upper surface of the battery case. and a plurality of battery modules including at least one of the lower electrode tabs exposed on the bottom of the battery case;
a lower cover plate on which the plurality of battery modules are mounted;
an upper cover plate mounted on the upper surface of the plurality of battery modules;
A side cover plate connected to the upper cover plate and the lower cover plate, mounted on the side of the plurality of battery modules, and having one or more refrigerant inlets through which refrigerant can flow and one or more refrigerant outlets through which refrigerant can be discharged;
an upper layer disposed between the plurality of battery modules and the upper cover plate and including an opening corresponding to the upper surface of the battery case; and
a lower layer disposed between the plurality of battery modules and the lower cover plate and including an opening corresponding to the lower surface of the battery case;
Contains,
The battery case is an external member that surrounds the outer surface of the plurality of battery cells except for electrode terminal portions of the plurality of battery cells,
The upper layer and the lower layer are sealing members that seal the upper and lower surfaces of the plurality of battery modules, respectively, except for electrode tab portions of the plurality of battery modules,
At least one of the plurality of battery modules further includes a third insulating layer disposed between the battery cell and the battery case and including an insulating material,
The battery case is mounted on the upper layer and the lower layer,
The upper layer and the lower layer are mounted on the side cover plate,
Even without the battery cells, refrigerant can flow into the refrigerant inlet and be discharged from the refrigerant outlet without leakage, or

or

Comprising a battery case including a plurality of battery cells and an open upper surface for storing the battery cells, the sides of the battery case being arranged to be spaced apart from each other so as to be in contact with the refrigerant, the upper electrode tabs and the battery respectively exposed to the upper surface of the battery case. A plurality of battery modules including at least one of the lower electrode tabs exposed on the bottom of the case;
a lower cover plate on which the plurality of battery modules are mounted;
an upper cover plate mounted on the upper surface of the plurality of battery modules;
It is connected to the upper cover plate and integrally combined with the lower cover plate, is mounted on the side of the plurality of battery modules, and has one or more refrigerant inlets through which refrigerant can flow and one or more refrigerant outlets through which refrigerant can be discharged. A side cover plate formed; and
an upper layer disposed between the plurality of battery modules and the upper cover plate and including an opening corresponding to the upper surface of the battery case;
Contains,
The battery case is an external member that surrounds the outer surface of the plurality of battery cells except for electrode terminal portions of the plurality of battery cells,
The upper layer is a sealing member that seals the upper surfaces of the plurality of battery modules except for the electrode tab portions of the plurality of battery modules,
At least one of the plurality of battery modules further includes a third insulating layer disposed between the battery cell and the battery case and including an insulating material,
The battery case is mounted on the upper layer,
The upper layer is mounted on the side cover plate,
Even without the battery cells, refrigerant can flow into the refrigerant inlet and be discharged from the refrigerant outlet without leakage.
Battery pack. According to paragraph 1,
A battery pack wherein the plurality of battery modules are arranged in a matrix, side by side or zigzag with each other. According to paragraph 1,
When there is a plurality of upper electrode tabs, the plurality of upper electrode tabs are electrically connected to each other,
When there is a plurality of lower electrode tabs, the plurality of lower electrode tabs are electrically connected to each other. According to paragraph 1,
The plurality of battery modules include both an upper electrode tab and a lower electrode tab,
The upper layer blocks contact between the upper electrode tab and the coolant, and the lower layer blocks contact between the lower electrode tab and the coolant. According to paragraph 1,
A battery pack further comprising at least one of a first insulating layer disposed between the upper cover plate and the upper layer and a second insulating layer disposed between the lower cover plate and the lower layer. According to paragraph 1,
The battery pack further includes a wire connection layer disposed between the upper cover plate and the upper layer, electrically connected to an external system, and including a conductive wire and an insulating substrate electrically connecting the electrode tabs. According to clause 6,
The conductive wire is metal,
A battery pack, wherein the insulating substrate is polymer, plastic, or PCB. delete According to paragraph 1,
A battery pack wherein the plurality of battery cells are independently of each other, a cylindrical secondary battery, a prismatic secondary battery, or a pouch-shaped secondary battery. A method of manufacturing the battery pack according to claim 1, comprising:
Manufacturing a plurality of battery cases including open upper and lower surfaces and storing battery cells;
An upper layer including openings corresponding to upper surfaces of the plurality of battery cases is disposed on top of the plurality of battery cases, and a lower layer including openings corresponding to lower surfaces of the plurality of battery cases is disposed below the plurality of battery cases. placing on;
A plurality of battery cases having the upper and lower layers are inserted into a side cover plate having one or more refrigerant inlets through which refrigerant can flow and one or more refrigerant outlets through which refrigerant can be discharged, and having open upper and lower surfaces. steps;
storing a plurality of battery cells in the plurality of battery cases;
A lower cover plate is placed below the lower layer, the lower cover plate and the side cover plate are fastened together, an upper cover plate is placed on top of the upper layer, and the upper cover plate and the side cover plate are fastened together. steps; and
A battery pack manufacturing method comprising: introducing a refrigerant into the refrigerant inlet. A method of manufacturing the battery pack according to claim 1, comprising:
Manufacturing a plurality of battery cases including an open upper surface and storing battery cells;
disposing an upper layer including openings corresponding to upper surfaces of the plurality of battery cases on top of the plurality of battery cases;
The upper layer is disposed in a battery pack box in which one or more refrigerant inlets through which refrigerant can flow and one or more refrigerant outlets through which refrigerant can discharge are formed, the upper surface is open, and the side cover plate and lower cover plate are integrally combined. Inserting a plurality of battery cases;
storing a plurality of battery cells in the plurality of battery cases;
A wire connection layer including a conductive wire that electrically connects the upper electrode tabs of the plurality of battery cells exposed on the upper layer to each other and a conductive wire that electrically connects the lower electrode tabs of the plurality of battery cells to each other. Place it on the table,
Placing an upper cover plate on top of the wire connection layer, and fastening the upper cover plate and the side cover plate; and
A battery pack manufacturing method comprising: introducing a refrigerant into the refrigerant inlet.

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