KR20210035521A - Battery Module - Google Patents

Abstract

The present invention discloses a battery module that efficiently maintains thermal balance to increase operating life. To achieve the above object, a battery module according to the present invention includes a plurality of cylindrical battery cells having electrode terminals formed on each of the upper and lower ends, and arranged in a horizontal direction; a module housing having a plurality of cooling holes having an upper wall, a side wall, and a lower wall to form an internal space for accommodating the plurality of cylindrical battery cells, and a guide part having an inclined surface for guiding refrigerant to flow into the cooling holes from an outside; and a cell frame having a plurality of inserts having an inner wall to surround at least a portion of the outer surface of each of the plurality of cylindrical battery cells, and a plurality of cooling tubes of which one ends are connected to the cooling holes to communicate with the cooling holes, and which has a tubular shape extending in the vertical direction to allow the refrigerant to flow.

Description

Battery Module

The present invention relates to a battery module including a module housing with improved cooling efficiency, and more particularly, to a battery module in which cooling efficiency is increased and thermal balance is efficiently maintained to increase operating life.

Currently commercialized secondary batteries include nickel cadmium batteries, nickel hydride batteries, nickel zinc batteries, and lithium secondary batteries, among which lithium secondary batteries have little memory effect compared to nickel-based secondary batteries, so charging and discharging are free. It has a very low self-discharge rate and is in the spotlight for its high energy density.

These lithium secondary batteries mainly use lithium-based oxides and carbon materials as a positive electrode active material and a negative electrode active material, respectively. A lithium secondary battery includes an electrode assembly in which a positive electrode plate and a negative electrode plate to which the positive electrode active material and the negative electrode active material are applied, respectively, are disposed with a separator therebetween, and a case material for sealing and receiving the electrode assembly together with an electrolyte solution, that is, a battery pouch case material.

In recent years, secondary batteries are widely used not only in small devices such as portable electronic devices, but also in medium and large devices such as automobiles and power storage devices. When used in such a medium-sized device, a large number of secondary batteries are electrically connected to increase capacity and output. In particular, pouch-type secondary batteries are widely used in such medium and large-sized devices due to the advantage of easy stacking.

On the other hand, in recent years, as the need for a large-capacity structure including utilization as an energy storage source increases, a plurality of secondary batteries electrically connected in series and/or in parallel, and a battery module having a metal plate electrically connecting these secondary batteries. The demand for it is increasing.

In addition, in order to prevent the temperature of the secondary battery from rapidly increasing during use, a cooling technology is generally applied to such a battery module. For example, in the prior art, it is common to use a method of injecting cold air into a housing of a battery module to cool a plurality of received secondary batteries.

However, in such a battery module, the area in which the wind comes into contact with each secondary battery is not uniform, so that the cooling effect is concentrated only on some secondary batteries, and the cooling effect is small in the remaining secondary batteries, so it is easy to cause some secondary batteries to overheat. . In other words, when heat imbalance occurs, deterioration occurs when some of the secondary batteries are placed in a high temperature state, and the life of some secondary batteries can be greatly reduced, which can be a major factor in reducing the battery module life. there was.

Accordingly, in order to increase the lifespan of the battery module, it was important to maintain a heat balance between a plurality of secondary batteries during use of the battery module.

In addition, the refrigerant (air) injected into the battery module from the outside is injected through a cooling hole formed in the housing of the battery module, and this air tends to be dispersed and lost before being injected into the cooling hole. Accordingly, there is a limit to completely injecting a large amount of refrigerant, and it is necessary to reduce the amount of loss of the refrigerant.

Accordingly, the present invention has been invented to solve the above problems, and an object of the present invention is to provide a battery module that increases cooling efficiency and efficiently maintains a heat balance to increase an operating life.

Other objects and advantages of the present invention can be understood by the following description, and will be more clearly understood by examples of the present invention. In addition, it will be easily understood that the objects and advantages of the present invention can be realized by the means shown in the claims and combinations thereof.

The battery module according to the present invention for achieving the above object,

A plurality of cylindrical battery cells having electrode terminals formed on each of the upper and lower portions, and arranged in a horizontal direction;

A plurality of cooling ports having an upper wall, a side wall, and a lower wall so as to form an inner space accommodating the plurality of cylindrical battery cells, and having an open shape so that refrigerant flows through at least one of the upper and lower walls, and from the outside. A module housing provided with a guide portion having an inclined surface for guiding the refrigerant to flow to the cooling hole; And

A plurality of inserts having an inner wall so as to surround at least a portion of the outer surface of each of the plurality of cylindrical battery cells is provided, one end is connected to the cooling port so as to communicate with the cooling port, and a tubular shape extending in the vertical direction so that the refrigerant flows. It includes a cell frame provided with a plurality of cooling pipes.

In addition, the guide portion may be positioned on an outer periphery of at least one of the upper wall and the lower wall to surround the plurality of cooling holes, and the inclined surface may extend to be inserted in the inner direction as it approaches the cooling hole.

Furthermore, ribs protruding in an upper direction or a lower direction may be formed on the inclined surface to guide the flow of the refrigerant to the cooling hole.

In addition, a thread extending in a vertical direction may be formed on an inner surface of the cooling pipe of the cell frame.

Further, a plurality of cooling ports provided on the upper wall of the module housing are configured to allow the refrigerant to flow from the outside to the inside, and the plurality of cooling ports provided on the lower wall of the module housing discharge the refrigerant introduced into the module housing to the outside. It can be configured to be.

In addition, at least two or more of the plurality of cooling holes provided on the lower wall of the module housing may have different sizes.

In addition, among the plurality of cooling holes, a cooling hole close to the center in a horizontal direction may be configured to have a diameter larger than that of a cooling hole located outside.

Furthermore, the plurality of cylindrical battery cells are spaced apart from each other so that the refrigerant flows,

The cell frame includes an upper case having the plurality of insertion parts and the plurality of cooling tubes, and a lower case coupled to a lower portion of the upper case and having the plurality of insertion parts and the plurality of cooling tubes,

The plurality of cooling pipes of the upper case and the plurality of cooling pipes of the lower case are positioned to correspond to each other in a vertical direction,

The plurality of cooling tubes of the upper case and the plurality of cooling tubes of the lower case may be spaced apart from each other in the vertical direction.

In addition, the plurality of cooling holes provided on the upper wall of the module housing are provided with a tapered structure configured to gradually decrease the inner diameter in the vertical direction,

The plurality of cooling holes provided on the lower wall of the module housing may have a tapered structure configured to gradually decrease an inner diameter in an up-down and outward direction.

Moreover, the battery pack according to the present invention for achieving the above object includes at least one battery module.

In addition, the power device according to the present invention for achieving the above object includes the battery pack.

According to an aspect of the present invention, the battery module of the present invention can increase the flow rate of the refrigerant to a portion requiring cooling by configuring at least two or more of the plurality of cooling ports provided in the module housing to be different in size. Temperature control can be performed for each zone inside the module. Accordingly, it is possible to prevent overheating of a specific part of the battery module.

Moreover, since the module housing of the present invention is provided with a guide portion having an inclined surface for guiding the refrigerant to flow from the outside to the cooling port, it is possible to induce the refrigerant to concentrate and flow to the cooling port. Accordingly, the refrigerant can flow smoothly into the battery module, thereby effectively increasing the cooling efficiency of the battery module.

In addition, according to one aspect of the present invention, the present invention provides a rib that protrudes upward or downward to direct the flow of the refrigerant to the cooling hole on the inclined surface, thereby allowing the horizontal flow of the refrigerant to flow to the cooling hole. Can be effectively induced. Accordingly, the refrigerant can flow smoothly into the battery module, thereby effectively increasing the cooling efficiency of the battery module.

Further, according to one aspect of the present invention, the present invention is, by forming a screw line extending in the vertical direction on the inner surface of the cooling tube of the cell frame, the screw line can generate a vortex in the refrigerant, and the refrigerant generated by the vortex is the cell frame It is possible to maximize the contact time, contact amount, and contact strength with a plurality of cylindrical battery cells provided therein.

The following drawings attached to the present specification illustrate preferred embodiments of the present invention, and serve to further understand the technical idea of the present invention together with the detailed description of the present invention to be described later, so the present invention is described in such drawings. It is limited to and should not be interpreted.
1 is a perspective view schematically showing a battery module according to an embodiment of the present invention.
2 is an exploded perspective view schematically showing a state in which components of a battery module according to an embodiment of the present invention are separated.
FIG. 3 is a schematic cross-sectional view of a battery module taken along line AA′ of FIG. 1.
FIG. 4 is a partially enlarged view schematically showing a state in which area B of FIG. 3 is enlarged.
5 is a bottom view schematically showing a module housing according to an embodiment of the present invention.
6 is a vertical cross-sectional view schematically showing a state of a battery module cut in the vertical direction according to another embodiment of the present invention.
7 is a perspective view schematically showing a partial configuration of a battery module according to an embodiment of the present invention.

Hereinafter, preferred embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. Prior to this, terms or words used in the present specification and claims should not be construed as limited to their usual or dictionary meanings, and the inventors appropriately explain the concept of terms in order to explain their own invention in the best way. Based on the principle that it can be defined, it should be interpreted as a meaning and concept consistent with the technical idea of the present invention.

Accordingly, the embodiments described in the present specification and the configurations shown in the drawings are only the most preferred embodiment of the present invention, and do not represent all the technical spirit of the present invention. It should be understood that there may be equivalents and variations.

1 is a perspective view schematically showing a battery module according to an embodiment of the present invention. And, FIG. 2 is an exploded perspective view schematically showing a state in which components of a battery module according to an embodiment of the present invention are separated.

1 and 2, the battery module 200 according to an embodiment of the present invention may include a plurality of cylindrical battery cells 100, a module housing 210, and a cell frame 220. .

Here, the cylindrical battery cell 100 may include a cylindrical battery can 120 and an electrode assembly (not shown) accommodated in the battery can 120.

In addition, the cylindrical battery cell 100 may be configured in a shape in which the battery can 120 is erected in a vertical direction. Furthermore, the battery can 120 includes a material having high electrical conductivity, and for example, the battery can 120 may include an aluminum alloy or a copper alloy.

In addition, two electrode terminals 111 may be formed on each of the upper and lower portions of the battery can 120. Specifically, a positive terminal 111a may be formed on a flat circular upper surface of the upper end of the battery can 120, and a negative terminal 111b may be formed on a flat circular lower surface of the battery can 120. I can.

In addition, an electrical insulating member may be coated on the side of the battery can 120.

That is, since the battery can 120 is electrically connected to the electrode of the electrode assembly therein, an unintended conductive object comes into contact with the battery can 120 to prevent electric leakage. An insulating film (not shown) or an electrically insulating adhesive surrounding the side may be coated.

In addition, the electrode assembly (not shown) may be formed in a structure wound in a jelly-roll type with a separator interposed between a positive electrode having a positive electrode plate coated with a positive active material and a negative electrode having a negative electrode plate coated with a negative electrode active material. I can. Furthermore, a positive electrode tab may be attached to the positive electrode (not shown) to be connected to the positive electrode terminal 111a on the upper end of the battery can 120. In addition, a negative electrode tab may be attached to the negative electrode (not shown) to be connected to the negative terminal 111b at the lower end of the battery can 120.

Further, the plurality of cylindrical battery cells 100 may be arranged in a horizontal direction in a form that is erected in an up-down direction within the module housing 210 when viewed in the F direction.

For example, as shown in FIG. 2, the battery module 200 includes 56 cylindrical battery cells 100. In addition, the 42 cylindrical battery cells 100 may be arranged to be adjacent to each other in a horizontal direction in a form erected in a vertical direction.

Here, terms representing directions such as before, after, left, right, up, and down may vary depending on the position of the observer or the shape of the object. However, in the present specification, for convenience of description, directions such as front, rear, left, right, up, and down are shown separately based on when viewed in the F direction.

In addition, when the plurality of battery cells 110 are accommodated in the module housing 210, the plurality of battery cells 110 may be arranged to be erected in the vertical direction. In this case, the module housing 210 may be made of an electrically insulating material. The electrical insulating material may be, for example, polyvinyl chloride.

Referring back to FIGS. 1 and 2, the module housing 210 includes an upper wall 211a, a side wall 213, and a lower wall 212a so that an inner space accommodating the plurality of cylindrical battery cells 100 is formed. Can be equipped. For example, as shown in FIG. 1, the side wall 213 of the module housing 210 includes a front wall 213a, a rear wall 213b, a left wall 213c, and a right wall 213d. Can be equipped.

In addition, the module housing 210 may include an upper housing 211 and a lower housing 212 coupled to a lower portion of the upper housing 211. The upper housing 211 and the lower housing 212 may be bolted to each other.

FIG. 3 is a schematic cross-sectional view of a battery module cut along line A-A' of FIG. 1.

Referring to FIG. 3 along with FIG. 2, at least one of the upper wall 211a and the lower wall 212a of the module housing 210 has a cooling port 214h configured in an open form to allow the refrigerant K1 to flow. It can be formed in plural. For example, as shown in FIG. 2, 30 cooling holes 214h perforated in the vertical direction may be provided in the upper wall 211a. The lower wall 212a may be provided with 30 cooling holes 214h perforated in the vertical direction.

Here, the refrigerant K1 may be continuously supplied from the outside to the inside of the module housing 210 and the heated refrigerant K1 may be discharged to the outside. A pump may be used to supply or discharge the refrigerant K1.

For example, the refrigerant K1 may be air, nitrogen, carbon dioxide, water, a freon-based refrigerant K1, ammonia, acetone, methanol, ethanol, naphthalene, sulfur, or mercury.

In addition, at least two of the plurality of cooling ports 214h of the module housing 210 may have different sizes. When viewed in the F direction, the plurality of cooling holes 214h may be spaced apart from each other in the front-to-back and left-right directions at regular intervals, and may be arranged in rows (x-axis direction) and columns (y-axis direction). In this case, the plurality of cooling holes 214h may have different sizes of two or more cooling holes 214h arranged in a row direction. The plurality of cooling ports 214h may have different sizes of two or more cooling ports 214h arranged in a column direction (y-axis direction).

Accordingly, according to this configuration of the present invention, the battery module 200 of the present invention requires cooling by configuring at least two or more of the plurality of cooling ports 214h provided in the module housing 210 to be different in size. It is possible to increase the flow rate of the refrigerant K1 in the region, so that the temperature can be adjusted for each region inside the battery module 200. Accordingly, overheating of a specific part of the battery module 200 can be prevented.

Referring back to FIGS. 1 and 2, the cell frame 220 may be provided with an insertion part 225 having an inner wall so as to surround at least a part of an outer surface of each of the plurality of cylindrical battery cells 100. The insertion part 225 may be formed with a hollow (H4) to surround the outer surface of the cylindrical battery cell 100. For example, the insertion part 225 may be configured to surround the upper and lower ends of the plurality of cylindrical battery cells 100 except for the electrode terminals. In this case, the cell frame 220 may be made of an electrically insulating material. The electrical insulating material may be, for example, polyvinyl chloride.

In addition, the cell frame 220 may be provided with a plurality of cooling pipes 221h configured to communicate with the plurality of cooling ports 214h. The cooling pipe 221h is connected to the cooling port 214h and has an empty inside so that the refrigerant K1 flows, and may have a tubular shape extending in a vertical direction.

Moreover, the cell frame 220 may include a lower case 222 and an upper case 221. Specifically, the upper case 221 may include the plurality of insertion portions 225 and the plurality of cooling tubes 221h. In addition, the lower case 222 may be coupled to a lower portion of the upper case 221. In other words, at least a portion of the upper surface of the lower case 222 may be connected to the lower surface of the upper case 221. In this case, the upper case 221 and the lower case 222 may be bolted to each other. For example, a portion of the upper surface of the lower case 222 corresponding to the outer peripheral surface may be configured to contact a corresponding outer peripheral surface of the lower surface of the upper case 221.

Accordingly, according to this configuration of the present invention, the cell frame 220 includes a plurality of cooling tubes 221h configured to communicate with the cooling hole 214h, so that the refrigerant K1 flowing into the cooling hole 214h is ) Of the heat can be effectively conducted to the plurality of cylindrical battery cells 100 accommodated in the insertion part 225. Thus, the present invention, by the module housing 210 and the cell frame 220, the plurality of cylindrical battery cells 100 can be double-protected from external shock, as well as the refrigerant supplied from the outside (K1 ) Can be supplied to the plurality of cylindrical battery cells 100, so that cooling efficiency can be greatly increased.

Meanwhile, referring again to FIGS. 1 to 3, the module housing 210 may be provided with a guide part 215 configured to induce the refrigerant K1 to flow from the outside to the cooling port 214h. The guide part 215 may have an inclined surface 215a configured to flow the coolant K1 to the cooling hole 214h. For example, as shown in FIG. 1, a guide portion 215 having an inclined surface 215a formed on each of the front, rear, left, and right sides of the module housing 210 may be provided on the upper wall of the module housing 210.

Accordingly, according to this configuration of the present invention, the module housing 210 is provided with a guide portion 215 having an inclined surface 215a for guiding the refrigerant K1 to flow from the outside to the cooling hole 214h, It is possible to induce the refrigerant K1 to be concentrated and flow through the cooling port 214h. Accordingly, the refrigerant K1 can flow smoothly into the battery module 200, thereby effectively increasing the cooling efficiency of the battery module 200.

Again, referring to FIGS. 1 to 3, the guide part 215 may be located on an outer periphery of at least one of the upper wall 211a and the lower wall 212a in the horizontal direction. Here, among the upper wall 211a and the lower wall 212a, a guide part 215 may be provided to the side into which the refrigerant flows. The guide part 215 may be positioned so that the inclined surface 215a surrounds the plurality of cooling holes 214h. An inclined surface 215a may be formed on the upper wall 211a of the module housing 210 on the front side, the rear side, the left side, and the right side, respectively, centering on the plurality of cooling holes 214h. In addition, the inclined surface 215a may extend so as to be inserted in the inner direction as it approaches the cooling hole 214h. For example, the inclined surface 215a extends from the outer circumferential portion of the upper wall 211a of the module housing 210 in the horizontal direction in the center direction, and the inclined surface 215a continuously decreases in height in the extending direction. Can have.

Accordingly, according to this configuration of the present invention, the guide part 215 is located on the outer periphery of any one or more of the upper wall 211a and the lower wall 212a so as to surround the plurality of cooling holes 214h, and the inclined surface (215a) has a shape extending so as to be inserted in the inner direction as it approaches the cooling hole 214h, so that the refrigerant K1 injected into the battery module 200 is completely along the guide part 215 It can be moved to the cooling hole (214h). The inclined surface 215a that surrounds the plurality of cooling holes 214h and is inserted in the inner direction is a cooling hole located at the center of the upper wall 211a of the module housing 210 without the refrigerant K1 being separated from the outside. 214h) can help to completely move the refrigerant (K1).

Again, referring to FIGS. 1 to 3, a rib 215d protruding in an upper direction or a lower direction may be formed on the inclined surface 215a to guide the flow of the refrigerant K1 to the cooling hole 214h. . For example, as shown in FIG. 1, the inclined surfaces 215a formed on the front, rear, left, and right sides of the guide part 215 respectively have a direction in which the plurality of cooling holes 214h are located and a vertical direction. Five ribs 215d extended to each other may be provided. The rib 215d may have an approximately triangular side view. In addition, this shape of the rib 215d may serve to guide the movement of the refrigerant K1 in the horizontal direction.

Accordingly, according to this configuration of the present invention, by forming a rib 215d protruding in an upper direction or a lower direction to guide the flow of the refrigerant K1 to the cooling port 214h on the inclined surface 215a, the refrigerant ( It is possible to effectively induce the flow of K1) in the horizontal direction to flow to the cooling port 214h. Accordingly, the refrigerant K1 can flow smoothly into the battery module 200, thereby effectively increasing the cooling efficiency of the battery module 200.

FIG. 4 is a partially enlarged view schematically showing a state in which area B of FIG. 3 is enlarged.

Referring to FIG. 4, a screw line L1 extending in a vertical direction may be formed on an inner surface of the cooling pipe 221h of the cell frame 220. That is, the threaded line L1 may pass through the threaded cooling tube 221h through which the refrigerant K1 introduced into the cooling hole 214h of the module housing 210 serves as a rotational cooling channel.

For example, as shown in FIG. 4, a screw line L1 may be provided in the plurality of cooling tubes 221h provided in the upper case 221 of the cell frame 220. The screw line L1 may have a shape extending from top to bottom. On the other hand, a screw line L1 may not be provided in the plurality of cooling tubes 221h provided in the lower case 222 of the cell frame 220.

Therefore, according to this configuration of the present invention, the present invention, by forming a screw line (L1) extending in the vertical direction on the inner surface of the cooling pipe (221h) of the cell frame 220, the screw line (L1) is a refrigerant ( Vortex can be generated in K1), and the refrigerant (K1) with vortex can maximize the contact time and contact strength with the plurality of cylindrical battery cells 100 provided in the cell frame 220. I can.

In addition, the plurality of cooling pipes 221h of the upper case 221 and the plurality of cooling pipes 222h of the lower case 222 may be positioned to correspond to each other in a vertical direction. That is, the refrigerant K1 introduced into the cooling port 214h of the module housing 210 flows downward along the cooling pipe 221h of the upper case 221, and cools the lower case 222 again. After the refrigerant K1 is introduced into the tube 222h and flows downward, the refrigerant K1 may be discharged to the outside.

The cooling tubes 221h and 222h may be positioned between the hollows H4 formed in the insertion part 225 provided in each of the upper case 221 and the lower case 222. That is, the cooling pipes 221h and 222h may be positioned so that the refrigerant K1 can flow in a horizontally spaced space between the plurality of cylindrical battery cells 100.

Furthermore, the plurality of cooling tubes 221h of the upper case 221 and the plurality of cooling tubes 222h of the lower case 222 may be configured to be spaced apart from each other in the vertical direction. That is, the upper case 221 and the lower case 222 may be partially opened to have a hollow (empty) shape. For example, a portion of the lower surface may have a stepped shape in which a lower surface of the upper case 221 is in contact with the lower case 222 except for an outer peripheral portion in contact with the lower case 222. A portion of the upper surface of the lower case 222 may have a stepped shape in which the upper surface of the upper case 221 is in contact with the upper case 221, except for an outer peripheral portion thereof. That is, the side portion in the horizontal direction of the cell frame 220 may have an open shape so that the inside may be exposed to the outside.

5 is a bottom view schematically showing a module housing according to an embodiment of the present invention.

Referring to FIG. 5 along with FIG. 3, at least two of the plurality of cooling ports 214h of the lower housing 212 of the module housing 210 may have different sizes. For example, as shown in FIG. 5, at least two of the plurality of cooling ports 214h provided on the lower wall 212a of the module housing 210 may have different sizes.

In addition, when viewed in the F direction, the plurality of cooling ports 214h may be spaced apart from each other in the front, rear, left and right directions at regular intervals to be arranged in rows and columns. In this case, the plurality of cooling holes 214h may have different sizes of two or more cooling holes 214h arranged in a row direction. The plurality of cooling holes 214h may have different sizes of two or more cooling holes 214h arranged in a column direction.

Accordingly, according to this configuration of the present invention, the battery module 200 of the present invention comprises at least two of the plurality of cooling ports 214h provided in the module housing 210 having different sizes, so that more cooling is possible. It is possible to increase the flow rate of the refrigerant K1 in a necessary area, so that the temperature can be adjusted for each area inside the battery module 200. Accordingly, overheating of a specific part of the battery module 200 can be prevented.

In addition, at least two of the plurality of cooling holes 214h2 provided on the lower wall 212a of the module housing 210 have a diameter greater than the cooling hole 214h2 located outside the cooling hole 214h2 closer to the center. It can be configured to be large. For example, as shown in FIG. 3, 30 cooling holes 214h2 arranged in 6 rows and 5 rows provided on the lower wall 212a of the lower housing 212 of the module housing 210 are arranged in the front, rear, left and right directions. Can be arranged. Of these, the cooling holes (214h2) of the 3rd row and 3rd row and 4th row and 3rd row located in the center are the largest, and the 2nd row 3rd row, 3rd row 2nd row, 3rd row 4th row, 4th row 2nd row, 4th row 4th row, 5th The cooling hole (214h2) in row 3 is the second largest, row 2 row 2, row 2 row 4, row 3 row 1 row 3 row 5, row 4 row 1, row 4 row 5, row 5 row 2, row 5 Fourth row of cooling holes (214h2) is the third largest, row 1 row 2 row, row 1 row 3 column, row 1 row 4 column, row 2 column 1, row 2 column 5, row 5 column 1, row 5 row 5, row 6 The cooling holes (214h2) of the 2nd, 6th, 3rd, 6th and 4th rows are the fourth largest, and the cooling holes (214h2) of the 1st row 1st row, 1st row 5th row, 6th row 1st row, 6th row 5th row Can be large.

Therefore, according to this configuration of the present invention, at least two of the plurality of cooling holes 214h2 provided on the lower wall 212a of the module housing 210 are located outside the cooling hole 214h2 closer to the center. By configuring the cooling hole (214h2) to be larger in diameter, the flow rate of the refrigerant (K1) flowing into the lower wall (212a) of the module housing (210) or the refrigerant (K1) flowing into the module housing (210) to the outside. The discharged flow rate may be increased as it approaches the center of the module housing 210 in the horizontal direction.

That is, the battery module 200 of the present invention can further increase the cooling efficiency at the center portion in the horizontal direction. Accordingly, it is possible to effectively prevent deterioration of the cylindrical battery cells 100 due to heat accumulation in the central portion of the plurality of cylindrical battery cells 100.

Here, the horizontal direction may be said to mean a direction parallel to the ground when the module housing 210 is placed on the ground, and may also be referred to as at least one direction on a plane perpendicular to the vertical direction.

Referring back to FIG. 3, the plurality of cylindrical battery cells 100 may be spaced apart from each other so that the refrigerant K1 flows. In addition, the cooling pipe 221h may be located in the spaced apart space of the plurality of cylindrical battery cells 100. For example, as shown in FIG. 5, the plurality of cylindrical battery cells 100 may be arranged to be spaced apart by a predetermined distance. The refrigerant K1 introduced from the refrigerant K1 port through the spaced space S1 may be configured to flow along the spaced space S1. Furthermore, the separation space S1 may communicate with the cooling tubes 221h and 222h.

Therefore, according to this configuration of the present invention, the plurality of cylindrical battery cells 100 are arranged to be spaced apart from each other so that the refrigerant K1 flows, so that the refrigerant K1 is smoothly in the spaced space S1. This can flow. Accordingly, there is no refrigerant K1 in which the flow is stagnant, so that the cooling efficiency of the battery module 200 can be improved.

As shown in FIG. 3, 30 cooling tubes 221h of the upper case 221 and 30 cooling tubes 222h of the lower case 222 may be configured to be spaced apart from each other in the vertical direction. In addition, each of the upper case 221 and the lower case 222 may have a stepped structure. In the hollow (empty) space formed by the upper case 221 and the lower case 222, the refrigerant K1 introduced through the cooling pipe 221h of the cell frame 220 is It can be configured so that the dispersion can be freely moved in various directions in a space).

Accordingly, according to this configuration of the present invention, the present invention is such that the plurality of cooling pipes 221h of the upper case 221 and the plurality of cooling pipes 222h of the lower case 222 are spaced apart from each other in the vertical direction. By configuring, it is possible to have a common (empty) space between the upper case 221 and the lower case 222, so that a part that needs more cooling inside the module housing 210 through the spaced apart space (For example, the refrigerant K1 may be concentrated and flowed in the center portion of the plurality of cylindrical battery cells 100 in the horizontal direction). Accordingly, there is an advantage in that the life of the battery module 200 can be increased and a failure rate can be drastically reduced.

Further, the plurality of cooling holes 214h provided on the upper wall 211a of the module housing 210 are provided with the refrigerant from the outside of the module housing 210 to the inside by an external device capable of injecting the refrigerant K1. It can be configured so that (K1) is introduced.

In addition, the plurality of cooling ports 214h provided in the lower wall 212a of the module housing 210 are refrigerant (K1) introduced into the module housing 210 by an external device capable of inhaling the refrigerant (K1). ) Can be configured to be discharged to the outside. In this case, compared to the case of an external device capable of injecting the refrigerant K1, the effect of heating the refrigerant K1 by operating heat such as a pump or a motor provided in the external device can be more radically reduced.

Accordingly, according to this configuration of the present invention, the plurality of cooling ports 214h provided on the lower wall 212a of the module housing 210 are provided with the module housing 210 by an external device capable of inhaling the refrigerant K1. ) When the refrigerant K1 introduced into the inside is configured to be discharged to the outside, it is possible to prevent the refrigerant K1 from being heated by an external device. Accordingly, there is an advantage in that the battery module 200 can be cooled more effectively.

6 is a vertical cross-sectional view schematically showing a state of a battery module cut in the vertical direction according to another embodiment of the present invention.

Referring to FIG. 6, the cooling pipe 221h of the upper case 221 may have a bent structure 227k that is bent in a horizontally inward direction of the plurality of cylindrical battery cells 100. That is, in the present invention, by providing a bent structure 227k in which a portion of the cooling tube 221h is bent, the refrigerant K1 discharged to the spaced space S1 through the cooling tube 221h is It may be guided to move toward the center of the horizontal direction of the plurality of cylindrical battery cells (100).

In addition, among the plurality of cooling pipes 221h of the upper case 221, the cooling pipe 221h located outside the center in the horizontal direction may have a larger bent angle of the cooling pipe 221h. Conversely, the degree of bending of the cooling pipe 221h close to the center in the horizontal direction may have a smaller bent angle than that of the cooling pipe 221h located outside. Furthermore, of the plurality of cooling pipes 221h provided in the upper case 221, the bent structure 227k may not be formed in the cooling pipe 221h located at the center in the horizontal direction.

Accordingly, according to this configuration of the present invention, the cooling pipe 221h of the upper case 221 has a bent structure 227k in a horizontally inward direction of the plurality of cylindrical battery cells 100, It is possible to induce the refrigerant K1 to be concentrated in the center of the plurality of cylindrical battery cells 100 to flow. Accordingly, it is possible to prevent deterioration from occurring in some battery cells due to thermal imbalance of the plurality of cylindrical battery cells 100, and thus the life of the battery module 200 may be significantly increased.

Again, referring to FIG. 3, the plurality of cooling holes 214h provided on the upper wall 211a of the module housing 210 gradually decrease in inner diameter in the vertical direction in which the plurality of cylindrical battery cells 100 are located. A tapered structure T1 configured to be formed may be provided. For example, each of the 30 cooling ports 214h provided on the upper wall 211a of the module housing 210 has a tapered structure configured to gradually decrease its inner diameter in a downward direction in which the plurality of cylindrical battery cells 100 are located ( T1) may be provided.

That is, when the refrigerant K1 is injected into the upper wall 211a of the module housing 210 by an external device, a large amount of the refrigerant K1 flows into the module housing 210 at a faster flow rate. A tapered structure T1 may be formed in the plurality of cooling holes 214h so that it can be formed.

Therefore, according to this configuration of the present invention, the plurality of cooling holes (214h) provided on the upper wall (211a) of the module housing (210) is gradually inner diameter in the vertical direction in which the plurality of cylindrical battery cells (100) are located. Since the tapered structure T1 configured to be smaller is provided, the flow rate and flow rate of the refrigerant K1 flowing into the module housing 210 can be increased, and thus the cooling efficiency of the battery module 200 can be further increased. .

Again, referring to FIG. 3, a tapered structure T2 configured to gradually decrease an inner diameter in a plurality of upper and lower outer directions (outer directions) provided on the lower wall 212a of the module housing 210 may be provided. For example, each of the 30 cooling ports 214h provided in the lower wall 212a of the module housing 210 is provided with a tapered structure T2 configured to gradually decrease the inner diameter in the downward direction from which the refrigerant K1 is discharged. Can be.

That is, on the lower wall 212a of the module housing 210, the plurality of refrigerant K1 heated inside the module housing 210 can be discharged to the outside of the module housing 210 in a larger amount at a faster flow rate. A tapered structure T2 may be formed in the cooling hole 214h.

Accordingly, according to this configuration of the present invention, the plurality of cooling holes 214h provided in the lower wall 212a of the module housing 210 have a tapered structure T2 configured to gradually decrease the inner diameter in the vertical and outer directions. As a result, the flow rate and flow rate of the refrigerant K1 discharged to the outside of the module housing 210 can be increased, and thus the cooling efficiency of the battery module 200 can be further increased.

7 is a perspective view schematically showing a partial configuration of a battery module according to an embodiment of the present invention.

Referring back to FIG. 7 along with FIG. 2, the cooling pipe 221h provided in the cell frame 220 may have an outer end protruding from the outer surface of the cell frame 220 in a vertical direction. For example, the cooling pipe 221h provided in the upper case 221 may have a shape protruding upward from the outer surface of the upper wall 211a around the cooling pipe 221h. In addition, the cooling pipe 222h provided in the lower case 222 may have a shape protruding downward from the outer surface of the lower wall 212a around the cooling pipe 222h.

Furthermore, the cell frame 220 may have an exposure hole H1 opened to expose the electrode terminals (FIGS. 2 and 111) to the outside. For example, as shown in FIG. 7, the 42 insertion portions 225 of the cell frame 220 may be provided with a hollow H4 into which a plurality of 42 cylindrical battery cells 100 are inserted and accommodated. . In addition, electrode terminals of the 42 plurality of cylindrical battery cells 100 may be exposed to the outside through the exposure hole H1 of the cell frame 220. 42 exposure holes H1 may be provided in each of the upper case 221 and the lower case 222.

Further, the battery module 200 according to an embodiment of the present invention may further include a plurality of connection plates 230 mounted on each of the upper and lower portions of the cell frame 220. Specifically, each of the plurality of connection plates 230 has a connection hole H2 opened to communicate with the exposure hole H1, and the connection hole H2 electrically connects the plurality of cylindrical battery cells 100 to each other. A connection terminal 232 protruding from the inner side and an insertion groove H3 opened so that an end portion of the cooling tube 221h is inserted may be provided. The connection terminal 232 may be in contact with or bonded to the electrode terminal 111 of the plurality of cylindrical battery cells 100.

Here, the connection plate 230 may include an electrically conductive material. For example, the electrically conductive material may be a metal alloy composed of a main material such as copper, nickel, aluminum, gold, and silver.

For example, 30 cooling tubes 221h protruding upward may be provided in the upper case 221. The connection plate 230 mounted on the upper surface of the upper case 221 may be provided with 30 insertion grooves H3 that are opened so that the ends of the 30 cooling tubes 221h are inserted.

In addition, 30 cooling tubes (not shown) protruding downward may be provided in the lower case 222. The connection plate 230 mounted on the lower surface of the lower case 222 may be provided with 30 insertion grooves H3 that are opened so that the ends of the 30 cooling tubes (not shown) are inserted.

Accordingly, according to this configuration of the present invention, the battery module 200 of the present invention includes at least one connection plate 230 provided with an insertion groove H3 opened so that the end of the cooling pipe 221h is inserted. By further including, since the connection plate 230 electrically connected to the electrode terminal may generate severe heat due to electrical resistance, the end of the cooling tube 221h is inserted into the insertion groove H3 of the connection plate 230 If so, the heat of the connection plate 230 can be effectively cooled through the cooling pipe 221h through which the refrigerant K1 flows.

Moreover, it is easy to mount and fix at least one connection plate 230 of the present invention on the cell frame 220, thereby increasing manufacturing efficiency. Further, the present invention, when welding between the connection terminal 232 and the electrode terminal (Fig. 2, 111), through the insertion groove (H3) into which the cooling pipe (221h) is inserted, the flow of the connection plate 230 Can be effectively prevented, it is possible to greatly increase the efficiency of the welding operation.

Referring back to FIGS. 2 and 7, partition walls P1 may be provided on each of the upper and lower surfaces of the cell frame 220. Specifically, the partition wall P1 may have a shape that protrudes in an outward direction and linearly extends in a horizontal direction. Part of the partition wall P1 may be configured to connect between the plurality of cooling pipes 221h.

For example, as shown in FIG. 7, the cell frame 220 may have a partition wall P1 linearly extending in the front-rear direction and the left-right direction on the upper surface of the cell frame 220. The partition wall P1 may be configured to connect between some of the cooling pipes 221h among the plurality of cooling pipes 221h.

Furthermore, the partition wall P1 may be positioned to correspond to the outer peripheral portion of the connection plate 230 in a horizontal direction.

In addition, each of the at least two connection plates 230 may be mounted in a space partitioned by a partition wall P1 on each of the upper and lower surfaces of the cell frame 220. For example, as shown in FIG. 7, the upper surface of the upper case 221 may be divided into seven areas partitioned by the partition wall P1. Seven connection plates 230 may be mounted in each of the seven regions.

Therefore, according to this configuration of the present invention, each of the upper and lower surfaces of the cell frame 220 protrudes outward and linearly extends in the horizontal direction, and a part of the partition wall configured to connect between the plurality of cooling pipes 221h ( Since P1) is provided, when two or more connection plates 230 are mounted on the upper or lower surface of the cell frame 220, two or more connection plates 230 so that a short circuit between the two or more connection plates 230 does not occur. ) Can be electrically insulated. Accordingly, it is possible to effectively increase the safety and durability of the battery module 200 of the present invention.

In addition, a partition wall P1 may be provided on an outer periphery of each of the upper and lower surfaces of the cell frame 220. In addition, a part of the partition wall P1 formed on the outer periphery may have an open opening. Through this opening, a part of the connection plate 230 may protrude to the outside. In addition, the partition wall P1 provided on the outer periphery may prevent the connection plate 230 from being separated from the outside or a conductive material from contacting the outside.

Referring back to FIGS. 2 and 7, the battery module 200 according to an embodiment of the present invention may further include a thermally conductive pad 240 and a heat sink 250.

Specifically, the thermally conductive pad 240 may be formed of a material having high thermal conductivity. In addition, the thermally conductive pad 240 may be formed of an electrically insulating material. For example, the thermally conductive pad 240 may be in a form in which a polymer resin or silicone resin having high thermal conductivity is solidified. More specifically, the polymer resin may be a polysiloxane resin, a polyamide resin, a urethane resin, or an epoxy resin. Alternatively, the thermally conductive pad 240 may have a form in which an added adhesive material is solidified. For example, the adhesive material may be a material such as acrylic, polyester, polyurethane, or rubber.

The thermally conductive pad 240 may be mounted on the outside of the connection plate 230 and may have a fixing groove H5 opened so that the cooling tube 221h is inserted. For example, the thermally conductive pad 240 mounted on the upper case 221 may be provided with 30 fixing grooves H5 opened so that the ends of the 30 cooling tubes 221h are inserted. .

Therefore, according to this configuration of the present invention, by providing a fixing groove (H5) opened so that the cooling tube (221h) is inserted into the thermally conductive pad 240 of the present invention, the thermally conductive pad 240 is It is easy to mount and fix on the frame 220 so that manufacturing efficiency can be improved. The thermally conductive pad 240 can effectively absorb the heat of the connection plate 230, which generates heat according to the electric resistance, and thus the cooling efficiency of the battery module 200 can be effectively increased.

The heat sink 250 may be mounted outside the thermally conductive pad 240 and may include a fixture H6 opened to insert the cooling tube 221h. Here, the heat sink 250 may be configured to be positioned between the module housing 210 and the thermally conductive pad 240. Specifically, the heat sink 250 may have a coolant K1 flow path (not shown) configured to move the coolant K1 therein. For example, the heat sink 250 may be in the form of a box having an empty interior and a metal outer wall 130a.

Alternatively, the heat sink 250 may be a cooling plate including a material having excellent thermal conductivity. The material having excellent thermoelectricity may be copper or aluminum.

In addition, a battery pack (not shown) according to the present invention may include at least one battery module 200. In addition, the battery pack according to the present invention includes, in addition to the battery module 200, a pack case for accommodating the battery module 200, various devices for controlling the charging and discharging of the battery module 200, such as BMS (Battery Management System), a current sensor, a fuse, etc. may be further included.

In addition, the electronic device according to the present invention may include the battery pack. Furthermore, the electronic device (not shown) may include a case (not shown) for accommodating the battery pack therein.

Furthermore, a vehicle (not shown) according to the present invention may include the battery pack. Moreover, the vehicle may be an electric vehicle including an electric motor (not shown) powered by the battery pack, for example.

Meanwhile, in the present specification, terms indicating directions such as up, down, left, right, before, and after are used, but these terms are only for convenience of explanation, and may vary depending on the location of the object or the observer. It is obvious to those skilled in the art of the present invention.

As described above, although the present invention has been described by the limited embodiments and drawings, the present invention is not limited thereto, and the technical idea of the present invention and the following by those of ordinary skill in the art to which the present invention pertains. It goes without saying that various modifications and variations are possible within the equivalent range of the claims to be described.

200: battery module 100: cylindrical battery cell
210: module housing 211, 212: upper housing, lower housing
220: cell frame
214h, 214h1, 214h2: cooling port 221h, 222h: cooling pipe
225: insertion part
221, 222: upper case, lower case
K1: refrigerant 215: guide part
215a: slope 215d: rib
L1: thread
227k: bending structure
T1, T2: tapered structure 230: connecting plate

Claims (10)

A plurality of cylindrical battery cells having electrode terminals formed at each of the upper and lower portions, and arranged in a horizontal direction;
A plurality of cooling ports having an upper wall, a side wall, and a lower wall so as to form an inner space accommodating the plurality of cylindrical battery cells, and an opening configured to allow refrigerant to flow through at least one of the upper and lower walls, and from the outside. A module housing provided with a guide portion having an inclined surface for guiding the refrigerant to flow to the cooling hole; And
A plurality of inserts having an inner wall so as to surround at least a portion of the outer surface of each of the plurality of cylindrical battery cells is provided, one end is connected to the cooling port so as to communicate with the cooling port, and a tubular shape extending in the vertical direction so that the refrigerant flows. Cell frame equipped with multiple cooling pipes
Battery module comprising a. The method of claim 1,
The guide part is located on the outer periphery of at least one of the upper wall and the lower wall to surround the plurality of cooling holes, the inclined surface is a battery module, characterized in that extending so as to be inserted in the inner direction closer to the cooling hole. The method of claim 1,
The battery module, characterized in that a rib protruding in an upper direction or a lower direction is formed on the inclined surface to guide the flow of the refrigerant to the cooling hole. The method of claim 1,
A battery module, characterized in that a screw line extending in a vertical direction is formed on an inner surface of the cooling tube of the cell frame. The method of claim 1,
A plurality of cooling ports provided on the upper wall of the module housing are configured to allow the refrigerant to flow from the outside to the inside, and a plurality of cooling ports provided on the lower wall of the module housing are configured to discharge the refrigerant introduced into the module housing to the outside. And
A battery module, characterized in that at least two of the plurality of cooling holes provided on the lower wall of the module housing have different sizes. The method of claim 5,
Among the plurality of cooling ports, a cooling port close to a center in a horizontal direction is configured to have a diameter larger than that of a cooling port located at an outer side. The method of claim 1,
The plurality of cylindrical battery cells are spaced apart from each other so that the refrigerant flows,
The cell frame includes an upper case having the plurality of insertion parts and the plurality of cooling tubes, and a lower case coupled to a lower portion of the upper case and having the plurality of insertion parts and the plurality of cooling tubes,
The plurality of cooling pipes of the upper case and the plurality of cooling pipes of the lower case are positioned to correspond to each other in a vertical direction,
The plurality of cooling tubes of the upper case and the plurality of cooling tubes of the lower case are spaced apart from each other in a vertical direction. The method of claim 7,
The plurality of cooling holes provided on the upper wall of the module housing are provided with a tapered structure configured to gradually decrease the inner diameter in the vertical direction,
A battery module, characterized in that the plurality of cooling holes provided on the lower wall of the module housing have a tapered structure configured to gradually decrease an inner diameter in an up-down and outward direction. A battery pack comprising at least one or more battery modules according to any one of claims 1 to 8. An electronic device comprising the battery pack according to claim 9.

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