KR20210051300A - Air Cooling Type Battery Pack and Cooling Method Thereof - Google Patents

Abstract

The present invention relates to an air-cooled battery pack and a method for cooling a battery, and more specifically, to a battery pack and a method for cooling a battery, wherein the battery pack includes an upper case (100) having a predetermined volume, a lower case (200) coupled to the upper case (200), and one or more battery modules (300) accommodated in the space between the upper case (100) and the lower case (200), a plurality of battery cell (310) electrode leads (312) constituting the battery modules (300) are fixed to a bus bar (322), and a cooling means (400) for supplying cooling air toward the electrode leads (312) is additionally provided.

Description

Air Cooling Type Battery Pack and Cooling Method Thereof

The present invention relates to an air-cooled battery pack and a method of cooling a battery, and more particularly, an air-cooled battery pack capable of being quickly cooled by contacting an electrode lead with cooling air from which foreign matter has been removed, and stably operating the battery pack. And a method of cooling the battery.

As technology development and demand for mobile devices such as mobile phones, notebook computers, camcorders, and digital cameras increase, technologies related to rechargeable and dischargeable secondary batteries are becoming more active. In addition, secondary batteries are applied to electric vehicles (EV), hybrid electric vehicles (HEVs), plug-in hybrid electric vehicles (P-HEVs) as an alternative energy source for fossil fuels that cause air pollutants. The necessity for development of the product is increasing.

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.

On the other hand, when the secondary battery as described above is used in a device requiring a large capacity and high voltage, such as an electric vehicle, it is used in the form of a battery cell assembly or a battery pack having a structure in which a plurality of battery cells are arranged.

The battery cell assembly or battery pack may be affected by various operating environments of the device.For example, depending on the temperature condition, the charge amount and the output of the battery pack may vary greatly, and thus the temperature of the battery pack may be changed. A cooling means or a heating means is provided together to maintain a predetermined condition.

In particular, since the battery cells are densely packed in a narrow space, it is very important to easily dissipate heat generated from each battery cell. Since the process of charging or discharging a battery cell is performed by an electrochemical reaction, if the heat of the battery module generated during the charging/discharging process cannot be removed effectively, heat accumulation occurs and consequently the deterioration of the battery module is accelerated. It can lead to ignition or even an explosion.

Typical cooling means include a water cooling type and an air cooling type. In the case of a water cooling type, a flow path through which a refrigerant can flow is provided outside or inside the battery pack, while a port for circulation protrudes to the outside. However, if the port is damaged due to an external shock, etc., there is a risk that refrigerant flows into the pack, leading to a major accident.

In Korean Patent Application Publication No. 2012-0069567, a conductive connector is connected to at least one of the positive and negative terminals of the secondary battery, and a refrigerant is brought into contact with the connector to cool the battery cell. A method and cooling system are disclosed.

According to the prior literature, the advantage of providing a cooling means on one side of the secondary battery prevents the internal temperature of the secondary battery from rising above a predetermined temperature when the internal temperature increases due to abnormal heat generation of the secondary battery, thereby increasing the thermal stability of the secondary battery. However, since the refrigerant pipe is only located near the electrode terminal, the cooling efficiency is low, and there is a problem that the apparatus is complicated because a plurality of connectors and connecting parts are required for fixing the refrigerant pipe.

Korean Patent Application Publication No. 2012-0069567

The present invention is to solve the above problems, and an object of the present invention is to provide a battery pack capable of rapidly dissipating heat generated from a battery cell and a method of cooling a battery.

In addition, an object of the present invention is to provide a battery pack and a method of cooling a battery that can secure stability by minimizing problems that may occur due to contact between a cooling fluid and a battery cell.

In addition, an object of the present invention is to provide a battery pack that can be manufactured at low cost and is easy to install and a method for cooling a battery.

The battery pack according to the present invention for solving the above problems includes an upper case 100 having a predetermined volume, a lower case 200 fastened to the upper case 200, and the upper case 100 and the lower In a battery pack including one or more battery modules 300 accommodated in a space portion of the case 200, the electrode leads 312 of the plurality of battery cells 310 constituting the battery module 300 include a bus bar ( It is fixed to 322, characterized in that the cooling means 400 for supplying cooling air toward the electrode lead 312 is further provided.

In addition, in the battery pack according to the present invention, the cooling means 400 is provided with an inlet port 411 for introducing cooling air on one side, and an outlet port 412 through which residual cooling air is discharged is connected to the other side. It characterized in that it comprises a main pipe 410, and a flat plate-shaped spray plate 430 communicating with the main pipe 410 to supply cooling air to the electrode lead 312.

In addition, in the battery pack according to the present invention, the main tube 410 is located in a shape surrounding the battery module 300.

In addition, in the battery pack according to the present invention, a cover plate 330 covering the bus bar frame 321 is positioned outside the bus bar 322 to which the electrode lead 312 is fixed, and the cover plate 330 It is characterized in that the same number of slits 331 as the electrode lead 312 are formed.

In addition, in the battery pack according to the present invention, an insertion groove 323 is provided between the bus bars 322 adjacent to each other, and a partition plate 324 is positioned so as to protrude a predetermined height in the insertion groove 323, and the cover The plate 330 is characterized in that a receiving portion 332 for enclosing the protruding portion of the partition plate 323 is provided on the inner surface of the plate 330.

In addition, in the battery pack according to the present invention, the slit 331 of the cover plate 330 is characterized in that it has a rectangular shape.

In addition, in the battery pack according to the present invention, the edge of the spray plate 430 is in close contact with the front surface of the cover plate 330.

In addition, in the battery pack according to the present invention, there are a plurality of battery modules 300, and a branch pipe between the main pipe 410 and the spray plate 430 so that cooling air can be supplied to each battery module 300 is provided. 420) is further provided.

In addition, the cooling method of the battery pack according to the present invention is characterized in that the cooling air is air filtered by an air filter.

In addition, in the cooling method of the battery pack according to the present invention, the cooling air is characterized in that the cooling air of the vehicle air conditioning system.

In addition, in the above-described cooling method of the battery pack according to the present invention, the cooling air is characterized in that the cooling air for a vehicle air conditioner.

According to the method of cooling the battery pack and the battery according to the present invention, there is an advantage that rapid cooling is possible because the cooling air and the electrode lead directly contact each other.

In addition, according to the battery pack and the method of cooling the battery according to the present invention, there is an advantage that stable operation of the battery pack can be ensured because cooling air from which foreign substances are removed is used.

In addition, according to the method for cooling the battery pack and the battery according to the present invention, when applied to a vehicle, the cooling air of the air conditioning system can be utilized, so that the structure is simple and the manufacturing cost can be reduced accordingly.

1 is a perspective view of a battery pack according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention.
2 is an exploded perspective view of the battery pack shown in FIG. 1.
3 is a plan view as viewed from above of the inside of the battery pack shown in FIG. 1.
FIG. 4 is an enlarged perspective view of part A of FIG. 1 viewed from the side.
5 is a perspective view of a bus bar assembly mounted on the battery pack of the present invention.
6 is an enlarged front view of part A of FIG. 1 by partially cutting it.
7 is an enlarged view of a cover plate mounted on the battery pack of the present invention.
8 is a view for explaining an air flow path provided in the cover plate.

In the present application, terms such as "include", "have" or "have" are intended to designate the existence of features, numbers, steps, components, parts, or combinations thereof described in the specification. It is to be understood that it does not preclude the presence or addition of features, numbers, steps, actions, components, parts, or combinations thereof.

In addition, the same reference numerals are used for portions having similar functions and functions throughout the drawings. Throughout the specification, when a part is said to be connected to another part, this includes not only a case in which it is directly connected, but also a case in which it is indirectly connected with another element interposed therebetween. In addition, the inclusion of a certain component does not exclude other components unless specifically stated to the contrary, but means that other components may be further included.

Hereinafter, an air-cooled battery pack and a method of cooling the battery according to the present invention will be described.

1 is a perspective view of a battery pack according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention, FIG. 2 is an exploded perspective view of the battery pack shown in FIG. 1, and FIG. 3 is a plan view as viewed from above of the battery pack shown in FIG. 1, and FIG. It is an enlarged perspective view of part A of FIG. 1 as viewed from the side.

1 to 3, the battery pack according to the present invention includes an upper case 100 having a predetermined space, a lower case 200 positioned under the upper case 100 and provided with a predetermined space, Includes one or more battery modules 300 accommodated in the space formed by the fastening of the upper case 100 and the lower case 200, and a cooling means 400 for cooling heat generated from the battery module 300 It is done by doing.

First, the upper case 100 and the lower case 200 will be described. The upper case 100 and the lower case 200 are in contact with each other, that is, the flange portion has the upper case 100 and the lower case 200. A plurality of bolt insertion holes into which bolts (not shown) are inserted are provided so that the bolts can be firmly fastened.

In addition, a first through hole 210 for supporting and fixing the inlet port 411 and the outlet port 412 provided in the main pipe 410 of the cooling means 400 at one side vertical portion of the lower case 200 A second through hole 220 is formed.

Subsequently, the battery module 300 accommodated in the space portion of the upper case 100 and the lower case 200 includes a plurality of unit cells 310, a bus bar assembly 320, and a cover plate 330. It is done by doing.

Here, the battery module 300 means that a plurality of unit cells 310 including electrode leads extending from an electrode assembly are stacked side by side in a horizontal or vertical direction in order to match the capacity or output of the battery pack.

When the unit cell 310 is described in more detail, the unit cell 310 includes an electrode assembly and an electrode lead formed of an anode lead and a cathode lead on both sides of the electrode assembly. The electrode assembly consists of a jelly-roll type assembly consisting of a structure in which a separator is interposed between a long sheet-shaped positive electrode and a negative electrode, and then wound, or a unit cell in a structure in which the rectangular positive electrode and the negative electrode are stacked with the separator interposed therebetween. It may be composed of a stack-type assembly, a stack-folding-type assembly in which unit cells are wound by a long separation film, or a lamination-stack-type assembly in which the unit cells are stacked with a separator interposed therebetween and attached to each other. Do not limit.

The electrode assembly as described above is embedded in a case of a laminate sheet structure stacked in the order of inner layer/metal layer/outer layer, and the inner layer is polypropylene, polyethylene, polyethylene acrylic acid, polybutyl with excellent insulation, electrolyte resistance and sealing properties. It may be selected from polyolefin resins such as ene, polyurethane resins, and polyimide resins.

The metal layer is a barrier layer that prevents moisture or various gases from penetrating into the battery from the outside, and may be an aluminum thin film, and the outer layer on the other side of the metal layer is nylon or polyethylene with excellent tensile strength, moisture permeability and air permeation prevention properties. Heat-resistant polymers such as terephthalate are preferred.

Electrode leads composed of a positive electrode and a negative electrode may have a structure in which the positive and negative tabs of the electrode assembly are electrically connected to each other and then exposed to the outside of the case, and the lead is directly connected to the electrode assembly and the case without the positive and negative tabs. It may be a structure that connects, but is not limited thereto.

In the accompanying Figures 2 and 3, it is shown that two battery modules 300 are accommodated in one battery pack, but this is only an example, and one or three or more battery modules 300 may be accommodated. In addition, it is obvious that the number of battery cells 310 in another battery module 300 can be variously changed.

Meanwhile, reference numeral 326 denotes a fastener for connecting and fixing the upper case 100 and the bus bar assembly 320 to each other.

The cooling means 400 is for removing heat generated from the battery module 300, more precisely, the battery cell 310, and is provided along a portion where the electrode leads are located.

Specifically, the cooling means 400 includes a main pipe 410, a branch pipe 420, and a spray plate 430, and an inlet port 411 for introducing cooling air into one side of the main pipe 410 Is provided, and the other side is provided with an outlet port 412 for inducing the discharge of the remaining cooling air.

And these inlet ports 411 and outlet ports 412 are fixed to the first through hole 210 and the second through hole 220 of the lower case 200, while a separate cooling air supply port supplied from the outside (not shown) It is preferable that the opening portion is positioned to protrude outward from the lower case 200 to facilitate connection with the city) and the discharge port (not shown).

Meanwhile, as shown in FIG. 4, when there are a plurality of battery modules 300, a branch pipe is provided between the main pipe 410 and the spray plate 430 so that cooling air can be separately supplied to each battery module 300. It is preferable that 420 is further provided.

FIG. 5 is a perspective view of a bus bar assembly mounted on the battery pack of the present invention, FIG. 6 is a partially cut-away front view of FIG. 1, and FIG. 7 is an enlarged cover plate mounted on the battery pack of the present invention. It is a drawing.

5 to 7, the bus bar assembly 320 used for connecting a plurality of unit cells 110 in series or parallel is a bus bar frame 321 having an approximately rectangular shape, and an anode. At least one bus bar 322 to which a lead or negative lead is fixed, an insertion groove 323 through which the positive lead or negative lead passes, and a partition plate 324 are included.

Therefore, the anode lead or cathode lead extending from the electrode assembly 311 of each unit cell 110 is bent through the insertion groove 323 of the bus bar frame 321, and thereafter, known fixing such as laser welding, resistance welding, etc. It is fixed to the outer surface of the bus bar 322 through a method.

When there are a plurality of battery modules 300 as shown in FIG. 6, a connection bus bar 325 having a predetermined shape may be additionally provided between adjacent battery modules 300 in order to connect the modules in series or parallel to each other.

The partition plate 324 positioned between the insertion grooves 323 reliably prevents unwanted electrode leads from being connected and protrudes a predetermined length toward the front portion so that cooling air, which will be described later, can be intensively supplied to the electrode leads. .

A cover plate 330 is located outside the bus bar assembly 320 in which the electrode leads 312 are fixed to the bus bar 322, and a spray plate 430 for supplying cooling air to the cover plate 330 These are placed sequentially.

Here, the cover plate 330 is to protect the electrode lead 312 by preventing various foreign substances from accessing the outside, and as shown in FIG. 7(a) showing the front surface, a plurality of The slits 331, more specifically, the same number as the inner electrode lead 312, are provided with a rectangular slits 331 having a narrow width and a long length.

In addition, as can be seen from FIG. 7(b) showing the inner surface portion, that is, the rear surface of the cover plate 330, a long rectangular receiving portion 332 protruding at a predetermined height is provided on the electrode lead 312 and facing each other. do. The receiving portion 332 is a place where the protruding portion of the partition plate 324 is accommodated, and the partition plate 324 is inserted and coupled to the receiving portion 332 to minimize the movement of the cover plate 330, and Heat generated from the electrode lead 312 is blocked from being transmitted to the adjacent electrode lead 312.

On the other hand, when assembling or using the battery pack, it is preferable that the electrode lead is not directly exposed from the outside in order to further increase the safety of the unit cell including the electrode lead.

FIG. 8 is a view for explaining an air flow path provided in the cover plate. In the cover plate 330, a flow path 333 having an approximately'L' shape in communication with the slit 331 is formed. Therefore, the air introduced through the slit 331 can be directed to the electrode lead 312, whereas the operator's tools cannot be directed toward the electrode lead 312 due to the bent portion, so that the electrode lead 312 is more reliable. Can be protected.

Subsequently, the spray plate 430 covering the cover plate 330 is for supplying the cooling air moving through the main pipe 410 to the cover plate 330, and at this time, the total amount of the supplied cooling air is the cover plate In order to pass through the slit 331 of 330, the edge of the spray plate 430 is preferably formed to be in close contact with the front surface of the cover plate 330.

As described above, in the present invention, after passing through the slits 331 of the main pipe 410, the spray plate 430, and the cover plate 330 in sequence, the cooling air is located on the same axis as the slit 331. Since it is supplied to the electrode lead 312, there is an advantage of not only improving cooling efficiency, but also minimizing the amount of air required for cooling. The general air-cooled cooling structure simply supplies cold air to the inside of the battery pack, but in the present invention, since cooling air is intensively supplied to the electrode leads that dissipate the most heat from the battery pack, it is much more efficient.

Meanwhile, in the battery pack cooling method of the present invention having the above configuration, the cooling air is preferably cooling air filtered by an air filter so as not to contain foreign substances. Although a large amount of foreign matter to the electrode lead 312 can be blocked by mounting the cover plate 330, the electrode lead 312 may be damaged even by a small amount of foreign matter, so that foreign matter contained in the cooling air does not exist as much as possible. Air filtered with an air filter is preferred.

For example, when the battery pack of the present invention is mounted on a vehicle, the inlet port 411 and the outlet port 412 of the main pipe 410 may be connected to an air conditioning system of a vehicle that generates cooling air for an air conditioner. The air conditioner cooling air is clean because most foreign substances are removed by the air conditioner filter, and is cold enough to cool the heat of the electrode lead 312. In particular, in the summer when the heat of the electrode lead 312 is not easily discharged, since most vehicles use the air conditioner with the air conditioner turned on, there is an advantage that a separate operation for cooling is not required.

Of course, even in a cold environment, that is, when the battery's operating temperature is lowered, the battery's performance deteriorates, but in this case, warm air from the heater can be used to maintain the optimal condition of the battery.

Specific parts of the present invention have been described in detail above, and for those of ordinary skill in the art, these specific techniques are only preferred embodiments, and the scope of the present invention is not limited thereto. It is obvious to those skilled in the art that various changes and modifications are possible within the scope and scope of the technical idea, and it is natural that such modifications and modifications fall within the appended claims.

100: upper case
200: lower case
210: first through hole
220: second through hole
300: battery module
310: unit cell
311: electrode assembly 312: electrode lead
320: bus bar assembly
321: bus bar frame 322: bus bar
323: insertion groove 324: partition plate
325: connection bus bar 326: fastener
330: cover plate
331: slit 332: receiving portion
333: Euro
400: cooling means
410: main building
411: inlet port 412: outlet port
420: branch pipe
430: spray plate

Claims (11)

A battery pack comprising an upper case having a predetermined volume, a lower case fastened to the upper case, and at least one battery module accommodated in a space portion of the upper case and the lower case,
The plurality of battery cell electrode leads constituting the battery module are fixed to the bus bar, and a cooling means for supplying cooling air to the electrode leads is further provided.
The method of claim 1,
The cooling means is provided with an inlet port for introducing cooling air on one side, and a main pipe connected to an outlet port through which residual cooling air is discharged, and in communication with the main pipe to supply cooling air to the electrode lead. A battery pack comprising a flat plate-shaped spray plate.
The method of claim 2,
The main tube is a battery pack, characterized in that located in a shape surrounding the battery module.
The method of claim 2,
A cover plate covering the bus bar frame is positioned outside the bus bar to which the electrode leads are fixed, and the cover plate has the same number of slits as the electrode leads.
The method of claim 4,
An insertion groove is provided between adjacent bus bars, and a partition plate is positioned so as to protrude a predetermined height in the insertion groove,
The battery pack, characterized in that the receiving portion is provided on the inner surface of the cover plate to surround the protruding portion of the partition plate.
The method of claim 5,
Battery pack, characterized in that the slit of the cover plate has a rectangular shape.
The method of claim 5,
The battery pack, characterized in that the edge of the spray plate is in close contact with the front surface of the cover plate.
The method of claim 5,
The battery pack according to claim 1, wherein a plurality of battery modules are provided, and a branch pipe is further provided between the main pipe and the spray plate to supply cooling air to each battery module.
In the cooling method of the battery pack according to any one of claims 1 to 8,
The cooling air is the cooling method of the battery pack, characterized in that the air filtered by an air filter.
The method of claim 9,
The cooling air is a cooling method of a battery pack, characterized in that the cooling air of the vehicle air conditioning system.
The method of claim 10,
The cooling air is a cooling method for a battery pack, characterized in that the cooling air for a vehicle air conditioner.

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