KR20240102834A - Battery module and Battery pack including the same - Google Patents

Abstract

A battery module according to the present invention includes a plurality of battery cells; and a conductive unit that electrically connects a plurality of battery cells to each other; and a cooling bus bar unit formed integrally with the conductive unit and having a cooling unit disposed between the battery cells to absorb heat from the battery cells. .

Description

Battery module and battery pack including the same}

The present invention relates to a battery module and a battery pack containing the same, and more specifically, to a battery module having a cooling busbar unit that can be used as an electrical connection and cooling means for battery cells, and a battery pack containing the same. It's about.

Lithium secondary batteries, which have been widely used recently, have an operating voltage of approximately 2.5V to 4.5V. Therefore, in the case of electric vehicles or power storage devices that require large capacity and high output, a battery module or battery pack is constructed by connecting multiple lithium secondary batteries in series and/or parallel and used as an energy source. In particular, in order to satisfy the output or capacity required for electric vehicles, a large number of lithium secondary batteries are included in battery modules or battery packs.

As an example of a battery module according to the prior art, in the case of a battery module including cylindrical battery cells, the cylindrical battery cells may be connected to each other in series and/or parallel by a bus bar plate disposed on the top. The bus bar plate has a welding plate portion, and the positive terminal (or negative terminal) of each cylindrical battery cell and the welding plate are connected by resistance (or laser) welding or soldering.

Meanwhile, as explosions and fires caused by heat generation from battery cells have emerged as social issues, in order to prevent heat generation from battery cells, recent technology has been developed to dissipate heat from battery cells by inserting cooling plates (cooling tubes) between battery cells. There is an example applied to this battery module.

However, as the busbar plate for the electrical connection structure and the cooling tube for cooling are manufactured separately and are individually supplied and assembled at the module assembly stage, the assembly process increases and the tact time increases due to the complexity of the assembly process. There is a problem. Increased tact time may reduce productivity and increase the manufacturing cost of the battery pack.

The present invention was created in consideration of the above problems, and the problem to be solved by the present invention is to reduce the number of assembly man-hours and simplify assembly through a cooling busbar unit composed of an electric current carrying part and an integrated cooling part. The aim is to provide a battery module and a battery pack containing the same, which reduce the productivity and thereby reduce the manufacturing cost of the battery pack.

The technical problems to be solved by the present invention are not limited to the above-mentioned problems, and other problems not mentioned will be clearly understood by those skilled in the art from the description of the invention described below.

A battery module according to the present invention includes a plurality of battery cells; and a conductive unit that electrically connects the plurality of battery cells to each other; and a cooling bus bar unit formed integrally with the conductive unit and having a cooling unit disposed between the battery cells to absorb heat from the battery cells. It can be included.

The cooling busbar unit is made of an electrically conductive material, and the area in contact with the battery cells is insulated, and at least one area of the current conducting part electrically connected to the electrode terminal of the battery cell may not be insulated. there is.

In the cooling busbar unit, any one of an insulating film, a powder coating surface, and an epoxy coating layer may be applied to the insulated area.

The battery cells are cylindrical battery cells that are arranged standing upright, the current conductive portion may be disposed on top of the cylindrical battery cells, and the cooling portion may extend downward from the conductive portion and be disposed between the cylindrical battery cells.

The cylindrical battery cells are arranged in N (a natural number where N ≥ 2) rows, and the cooling bus bar unit may be arranged between rows of the cylindrical battery cells.

With respect to the conductive portion, first electrode terminals of the cylindrical battery cells in the left column and second electrode terminals of the cylindrical battery cells in the right column may each be wire-bonded to the conductive portion.

The current conduction portion may have a width that allows it to be simultaneously seated on the top of the cylindrical battery cells in the left row and the top of the cylindrical battery cells in the right row.

Based on the cooling unit, one surface of the cooling unit may be in contact with the outer peripheral surface of the cylindrical battery cells in the left row and the other surface may be in contact with the outer peripheral surface of the cylindrical battery cells in the right row.

The cylindrical battery cells are arranged in a square or rectangular configuration, and the cooling unit may extend in a straight line between the cylindrical battery cells in the N row and the cylindrical battery cells in the N+1 row.

The cylindrical battery cells are arranged in a triangular configuration, and the cooling unit may extend in a curved shape with repeated peaks and valleys between the cylindrical battery cells in the N row and the cylindrical battery cells in the N+1 row.

The cooling busbar unit may be provided with a cooling channel through which coolant can flow.

The cooling channel may be provided in the energizing part and the cooling part.

The battery module may further include a refrigerant supply/discharge unit having a refrigerant inlet port and a refrigerant discharge port in communication with the cooling channel and connected to one end of the cooling bus bar unit.

The battery cells may be rectangular battery cells, the current conductive portion may be disposed on top of the rectangular battery cells, and the cooling portion may be configured to extend downward from the conductive portion and be disposed between the rectangular battery cells.

The prismatic battery cells are arranged in N (a natural number where N ≥ 2) rows, and the cooling bus bar unit may be disposed between rows of the prismatic battery cells.

With respect to the cooling unit, one surface of the cooling unit may be in contact with the outer surface of the prismatic battery cells in the left row, and the other surface of the cooling unit may be arranged to contact the external surface of the prismatic battery cells in the right row.

Additionally, according to the present invention, a battery pack including the above-described battery module can be provided.

Additionally, according to the present invention, a vehicle including the above-described battery pack can be provided.

According to one aspect of the present invention, through a cooling busbar unit consisting of a current-conducting part and an integrated cooling part, the number of assembly man-hours is reduced and assembly is simplified, thereby reducing tack time, thereby improving productivity and manufacturing cost of the battery pack. can be reduced.

According to another aspect of the present invention, the risk of ignition of the battery module is suppressed and heat transfer is delayed due to an efficient cooling structure in which the battery cell is cooled with coolant and circulated through the cooling unit and the refrigerant supply/discharge unit before heat accumulation proceeds. It can be blocked or blocked.

The effects of the present invention are not limited to the effects described above, and effects not mentioned can be clearly understood by those skilled in the art from this specification and the attached drawings.

The following drawings attached to this 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 invention described later, so the present invention includes the matters described in such drawings. It should not be interpreted as limited to only .
1 is a perspective view of a battery module according to an embodiment of the present invention.
Figure 2 is an exploded perspective view of the main components of a battery module according to an embodiment of the present invention.
Figure 3 is a perspective view with the case cover removed from the battery module according to an embodiment of the present invention.
Figure 4 is a perspective view of a cooling busbar unit and a refrigerant supply/discharge unit in a battery module according to an embodiment of the present invention.
Figure 5 is a diagram showing a portion of a battery module according to an embodiment of the present invention.
Figure 6 is a longitudinal cross-sectional view of a state in which a cooling bus bar unit is coupled between a pair of battery cells in a battery module according to an embodiment of the present invention.
Figure 7 is a perspective view of a cooling busbar unit and a refrigerant supply/discharge unit in a battery module according to another embodiment of the present invention.
FIG. 8 is a diagram corresponding to FIG. 5 and is a diagram illustrating a portion of a battery module according to another embodiment of the present invention.
FIG. 9 is a diagram corresponding to FIG. 5 and is a diagram illustrating a portion of a battery module according to another embodiment of the present invention.
Figure 10 is a diagram schematically showing an example of applying a cooling bus bar to square battery cells in a battery module according to another embodiment of the present invention.

Hereinafter, preferred embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the attached drawings. Prior to this, the terms or words used in this specification and claims should not be construed as limited to their usual or dictionary meanings, and the inventor should appropriately define the concept of terms in order to explain his or her invention in the best way. It must be interpreted as meaning and concept consistent with the technical idea of the present invention based on the principle of definability.

Accordingly, the embodiments described in this specification and the configurations shown in the drawings are only some of the most preferred embodiments of the present invention and do not represent the entire technical idea of the present invention, so at the time of filing the present application, various options that can replace them are available. It should be understood that equivalents and variations may exist.

In the drawings, the size of each component or specific part constituting the component is exaggerated, omitted, or schematically shown for convenience and clarity of explanation. Therefore, the size of each component does not entirely reflect the actual size. If it is determined that specific descriptions of related known functions or configurations may unnecessarily obscure the gist of the present invention, such descriptions will be omitted.

FIG. 1 is an exploded perspective view of the main components of a battery pack according to an embodiment of the present invention, FIG. 2 is a diagram schematically showing the side of FIG. 1, and FIG. 3 is a battery according to an embodiment of the present invention. This is a perspective view with the case cover removed from the module.

1 to 3, the battery module 10 according to an embodiment of the present invention may include a plurality of battery cells 100, a cooling busbar unit 200, and a module case 400. You can.

The plurality of battery cells 100 may be secondary batteries, and may be a cylindrical secondary battery, a pouch-shaped secondary battery, or a prismatic secondary battery. In this embodiment, the plurality of battery cells 100 are cylindrical battery cells 100.

The cylindrical battery cell 100 includes an electrode assembly, a battery can, and a cap.

The electrode assembly may be manufactured by winding a laminate formed by sequentially stacking a first electrode (cathode), a separator, a second electrode (anode), and a separator at least once. That is, the electrode assembly applied to the present invention may be a wound-type electrode assembly. In this case, an additional separator may be provided on the outer peripheral surface of the electrode assembly to insulate it from the battery can. The electrode assembly may have a winding structure well known in the related art without limitation.

The battery can is a substantially cylindrical container with an opening formed on one side, and is made of a conductive metal material. The battery can has an open top (or bottom) in the height direction, and the remaining area is closed. The battery can receives the electrode assembly and the electrolyte through an opening formed on one side in the height direction. And the opening part of the battery can is sealed with a cap.

Meanwhile, in one embodiment of the present invention, the entire surface of the battery can may function as a negative terminal. For example, in the cylindrical battery cell 100, a negative electrode current collector connected to the negative electrode of the electrode assembly is accommodated inside a battery can, and the negative electrode current collector is in contact with the inside of the battery can, so that the entire surface of the battery can is It can function as a negative terminal.

On the opposite side of the opening of the battery can, a positive terminal may be provided that penetrates the battery can and is electrically connected to the positive electrode of the electrode assembly. The positive terminal may have a riveted structure, for example. The positive terminal is insulated from the battery can by an insulating gasket and has positive polarity. Meanwhile, unlike the present embodiment, the cap sealing the opening portion and the anode of the electrode assembly may be electrically connected to use the cap as an anode terminal.

Therefore, the battery module 10 according to an embodiment of the present invention can simplify the electrical connection structure by connecting both the anode and cathode in one direction when electrically connecting a plurality of cylindrical battery cells 100. there is.

These cylindrical battery cells 100 are arranged standing up as shown in FIG. 2 and may be arranged in the horizontal direction or on a horizontal plane (X-Y plane). The cylindrical battery cells 100 may be arranged in a square or rectangular configuration. When arranged in a square or rectangular configuration, the cylindrical battery cells 100 are arranged in a checkerboard pattern, and a predetermined gap may be formed between the cylindrical battery cells 100.

Specifically, the cylindrical battery cells 100 may be arranged in N (a natural number where N ≥ 2) columns, and a plurality of the cylindrical battery cells 100 may be arranged in each column. That is, N columns are sequentially arranged along the Y-axis direction, and each row may have a plurality of cylindrical battery cells 100 arranged in the X-axis direction. In this embodiment, the cylindrical battery cells 100 are composed of 6 columns where N = 6, and 7 cylindrical battery cells 100 may be arranged in one column. Meanwhile, the number of rows and the number of cylindrical battery cells 100 arranged in each row may be changed in various ways.

The cooling busbar unit 200 is a component that simultaneously performs electrical connection and cooling for the cylindrical battery cells 100, and has a current conducting part ( 210) and a cooling part 220 that is formed integrally with the energizing part 210 and absorbs heat by contacting the outer peripheral surface of the cylindrical battery cells.

The energizing unit 210 may electrically connect the plurality of battery cells 100 to each other. The electrical conductive unit 210 may provide a joining area (for example, the upper surface of the electrical conductive unit 210) for wire (W) bonding to the electrode terminals of the plurality of battery cells 100. The conductive portion 210 may be disposed on top of the cylindrical battery cells 100 and may be electrically connected to an electrode terminal of the battery cell 100. At least one area of the energizing part 210 electrically connected to the electrode terminal of the battery cell 100 may not be insulated.

The cooling unit 220 may be disposed between the battery cells 100 to absorb heat from the battery cells 100. To this end, the cooling unit 220 may extend downward from the energizing unit 210 and be disposed between the cylindrical battery cells 100. The cooling unit 220 may absorb heat by contacting the outer peripheral surface of the battery can. The surface of the cooling unit 220 may be insulated.

The current conducting part 210 and the cooling part 220 are integrated and may be made of a metal material with excellent electrical conductivity and thermal conductivity. The cooling busbar unit 200 may be manufactured by extrusion or injection molding, and is preferably manufactured by extrusion. For example, the metal material may be copper (Cu), aluminum (Al), nickel (Ni), an alloy thereof, or a clad metal made by joining different metals.

The cooling busbar unit 200 is a unit of the cylindrical battery cells 100. It can be placed between column N (natural numbers with N≥2) and column N+1. The cooling busbar unit 200 may be disposed between a pair of rows arranged in the Y-axis direction. For example, as shown in FIG. 3, a plurality of cylindrical battery cells 100 are arranged in six rows, and a cooling bus bar unit may be interposed in the space between adjacent rows.

Specifically, the conductive portion 210 is disposed on top of the cylindrical battery cells 100, and the cooling portion 220 extends downward from the conductive portion 210 to form adjacent rows of the cylindrical batteries. It may be placed between cells 100.

In addition, with respect to the cooling unit 220, one surface of the cooling unit 220 is in contact with the outer peripheral surface of the cylindrical battery cells 100 in the left row, and the other surface of the cooling unit 220 is in contact with the cylindrical battery cells 100 in the right row. (100) It can be arranged to contact the outer peripheral surface of the.

Meanwhile, a refrigerant supply/discharge unit 300 may be additionally connected to one side of the cooling bus bar unit 200. And the refrigerant supply/discharge unit 300 may be a part that supplies and discharges refrigerant to the cooling unit 220. The refrigerant supply/discharge unit 300 is provided to communicate with the cooling unit 220, and this refrigerant supply/discharge unit 300 may be provided with a refrigerant inlet port 310 and a refrigerant discharge port 320. there is.

The module case 400 can accommodate the cylindrical battery cells 100. The module case 400 may include a case body 410 with an open top and a case cover 420 that covers the open surface.

The case body 410 may be provided with a partition wall 430 that separates the cylindrical battery cells 100 and the refrigerant supply/discharge unit 300 from each other. The partition wall 430 is disposed between the plurality of cooling bus bar units 200 and the refrigerant supply/discharge unit 300 to space them apart from each other and separate them. The plurality of refrigerant supply/discharge units 300 connected to the plurality of cooling bus bar units 200 may be configured to be connected to and connection pipes. The connection pipe may include an inlet pipe and an discharge pipe (311, 321). One side of the case body 410 may be provided with a case inlet 411 and a case outlet 412 connected to the inlet and outlet pipes 311 and 321, respectively.

Hereinafter, the cooling busbar unit 200 will be described in more detail.

Figure 4 is a perspective view of a cooling busbar unit and a refrigerant supply/discharge unit in a battery module according to an embodiment of the present invention, and Figure 5 is a diagram showing a portion of the upper part of the battery module according to an embodiment of the present invention. , FIG. 6 is a longitudinal cross-sectional view of a cooling bus bar unit coupled between a pair of battery cells in a battery module according to an embodiment of the present invention.

Referring to FIGS. 4 to 6 , the cooling bus bar unit 200 is formed integrally with an energizing part 210 that electrically connects the plurality of battery cells 100 to each other and the energizing part 210. and may be provided with a cooling unit 220 disposed between the battery cells 100 to absorb heat from the battery cells 100.

The electrically conductive portion 210 may be disposed on top of the cylindrical battery cells 100. The current conducting portion 210 is arranged in a direction (Y-axis direction) parallel to each row of the cylindrical battery cells 100, and may be provided to have a predetermined width in the horizontal direction (disposition direction of each column, X-axis direction). there is. The energizing part 210 may have a width that allows it to be simultaneously seated on the top of the cylindrical battery cells 100 in the left row and the top of the cylindrical battery cells 100 in the right row.

In addition, with respect to the conductive portion 210, the first electrode terminals of the cylindrical battery cells 100 in the left column and the second electrode terminals of the cylindrical battery cells 100 in the right column are respectively connected to the conductive portion 210. It can be bonded to a wire (W).

For example, in the exemplary configuration of FIG. 3, the positive terminals of the cylindrical battery cells 100 arranged in the first row are electrically connected to the conductive portion 210 and wire (W) bonding, respectively, and the second battery cells adjacent to the first row are electrically connected to each other by wire (W) bonding. The negative terminals of the battery cells 100 arranged in a row may be electrically connected to the conductive portion 210 by wire (W) bonding, respectively. In this pattern, the 2nd and 3rd rows of cylindrical battery cells 100 are electrically connected to the conductive portion 210 between them, and the 3rd and 4th rows of cylindrical battery cells 100 are electrically connected to the conductive portion 210 between them. can be connected In this case, the battery cells 100 arranged in the same row are connected in parallel with each other, and the battery cells 100 arranged in neighboring rows are connected in series with each other.

The energizing part 210 is integrated with the cooling part interposed between the cylindrical battery cells 100, so that flow in the left and right directions (±Y direction) can be suppressed. Therefore, without separate support parts, the energizing part 210 can be placed on top of the cylindrical battery cells 100, and after being placed, it can be stably maintained without moving in the left or right direction. Therefore, according to this embodiment, the distance between the cylindrical battery cells 100 in each row and the current conducting portion 210 of each cooling bus bar unit 200 is constant, so the wire (W) bonding work is easy, and after the work, The wire bonding state can be maintained stably.

The cooling unit 220 extends downward (vertically) from the center of the energizing unit 210 and is disposed in a space between two battery cells 100 facing each other. The cooling unit 220 may be interposed between rows of the cylindrical battery cells 100. Based on the cooling unit 220, one surface of the cooling unit 220 is in contact with the outer peripheral surface of the cylindrical battery cells 100 in the left row, and the other surface is in contact with the outer peripheral surface of the cylindrical battery cells 100 in the right row. It can be. As the cooling unit 220 partially contacts the outer peripheral surface of the cylindrical battery cells 100, it can efficiently cool the cylindrical battery cells 100.

The cooling unit 220 may extend in a straight line between the cylindrical battery cells 100 in the N row and the cylindrical battery cells 100 in the N+1 row. That is, the cylindrical battery cells 100 are arranged in a square or rectangular configuration, The cooling unit 220 disposed between the rows of the cylindrical battery cells 100 may be provided in a straight shape.

The cooling busbar unit 200 may be provided with a cooling channel 230 through which refrigerant can flow. The refrigerant may be coolant.

According to the above configuration, when cooling water is supplied to the cooling channel 230, the cooling bus bar unit 200 can maintain a low temperature. In this case, the thermal gradient between the battery cells 100 and the cooling bus bar unit 200 is maximized, so that the heat of the battery cells can be more quickly and effectively absorbed into the cooling bus bar unit 200. .

The cooling channel 230 according to this embodiment may be provided inside the cooling unit 220, as shown in FIG. 4. A refrigerant supply/discharge unit 300 may be connected to one side of the cooling busbar unit 200. The refrigerant supply/discharge unit 300 may be provided with a refrigerant inlet port 310 communicating with the inlet of the cooling channel 230 and a refrigerant discharge port 320 communicating with the outlet of the cooling channel 230. . And referring to Figures 3 and 5, the refrigerant supply/discharge units 300 connected one-to-one to the cooling bus bar units 200 may be connected to communicate with each other through connection pipes 311 and 321. The connection pipes include an inlet pipe 311 connected to the refrigerant inlet port 310 of each refrigerant supply/discharge unit 300, and an outlet pipe connected to the refrigerant discharge port 320 of each refrigerant supply/discharge unit 300. Includes piping 321. The inlet pipe 311 and the outlet pipe 321 may be connected to the case inlet 411 and the case outlet 412 provided on one side of the case body 410. According to this implementation configuration, the refrigerant can be supplied from an external water source into the battery module 10 through the case inlet 411, and is connected one-to-one with the cooling bus bar units through the inlet pipe 311. It can be distributed to the refrigerant supply/discharge units 300.

In addition, the refrigerant is introduced through the refrigerant inlet port 310 located on the upper side of each refrigerant supply/discharge unit 300, and the length of the cooling unit 220 is extended through the cooling channel 230 of the cooling unit 220. It can be circulated in this direction and discharged through the refrigerant discharge port 320 located on the lower side of the refrigerant supply/discharge unit 300. The refrigerant that absorbs heat in the cooling channel 230 moves along the discharge pipe 321 connected to the refrigerant discharge port 320 of each refrigerant supply/discharge unit 300 and passes through the case discharge port 412. It may be discharged to the outside of the battery module 10. In this process, heat exchange occurs between the cooling unit 220 and the cylindrical battery cells 100 so that the cylindrical battery cells 100 can be cooled.

The cooling channel 230 may be provided in at least one of the energizing part 210 and the cooling part 220. For example, as shown in FIG. 6, the cooling channel 230 may be provided not only in the cooling unit 220 but also in the energizing unit 210. In this case, although not shown, an insulating means may be provided inside the energizing part 210 where the cooling channel 230 is formed.

The cooling busbar unit 200 needs to be made of an electrically conductive material and insulated from the cylindrical battery cell 100. Accordingly, in this embodiment, the cooling bus bar unit 200 has an area in contact with the battery cells 100 insulated, and the conductive portion electrically connected to the electrode terminal of the battery cell 100 ( At least one region of 210) may not be insulated.

The cooling unit 220 has an electrically insulated area 240. At this time, any one of an insulating film, a powder coating surface, and an epoxy coating layer may be applied to the insulated area.

The current conducting part 210 may also have an insulated area 241. In particular, the area requiring insulation treatment in the current-carrying portion 210 may be the lower surface of the current-carrying portion 210 that intersects the cooling portion 220 and is disposed on the top of the battery cell.

The energizing part 210 and the cylindrical battery cells 100 may be electrically insulated through the insulated area 241 provided on the lower surface of the energizing part 210. Like the cooling unit 220 described above, any one of an insulating film, a powder coating surface, and an epoxy coating layer may be applied to the insulated area 241. As another alternative, an insulating gasket or an O-ring made of rubber may be applied between the lower surface of the conductive portion 210 and the top of the battery cell.

Hereinafter, the assembly process of the battery module 10 according to this embodiment will be briefly described.

First, a cooling busbar unit 200 may be provided. The cooling busbar unit 200 may be manufactured by extrusion molding, and additional man-hours may be required to form the internal cooling channel 230.

Next, the cylindrical battery cells 100 are accommodated in the case body 410 in a rectangular configuration, and the cooling bus bar unit 200 is disposed. In this process, the cooling busbar unit 200 may be disposed in a space between each row of the cylindrical battery cells 100. Since the cooling busbar unit 200 is provided as an integrated unit, the problem of the existing busbar plate and cooling tube being separately prepared and individually assembled, thereby increasing the assembly man-hour, can be solved. By inserting and arranging the cooling unit 220 vertically between rows of the cylindrical battery cells 100, arrangement of the energizing unit 210 and alignment of the cylindrical battery cells 100 can be completed. This can reduce assembly time.

Next, a plurality of refrigerant supply/discharge units 300 are respectively connected to the cooling bus bar units 200. Then, a partition wall 430 is assembled between the plurality of battery cells arranged in rows and columns and the refrigerant supply/discharge unit. The partition wall 430 may be configured to have slits that can be inserted into the connection portion of the cooling bus bar unit 200 and the refrigerant supply/discharge unit 300. When the partition 430 is assembled, as shown in FIG. 3, the cooling bus bar units 200 are kept at constant intervals by the partition 430, and the battery cells are connected to the partition 430 and the case body ( 410) can be accommodated in a dense form in a space surrounded by the outer wall.

Next, a wire (W) bonding operation is accepted between the plurality of cooling busbar units 200 and the cylindrical battery cells, and the refrigerant supply/discharge units 300, the case inlet 411, and the case outlet 412 are connected. Connection to the pipes 311 and 321 may be performed.

And the case cover 420 can be assembled to the case body 410.

According to the configuration of the battery module according to an embodiment of the present invention described above, the number of hours of assembly of the battery module can be reduced. In particular, in the battery module 10, electrical connection and cooling of the battery cells 100 can be achieved through the cooling busbar unit 200, so the assembly structure and assembly process can be simplified.

Figure 7 is a perspective view of a cooling busbar unit and a refrigerant supply/discharge unit in a battery module according to another embodiment of the present invention, and Figure 8 is a diagram showing a portion of the upper part of a battery module according to another embodiment of the present invention. .

Next, another embodiment of the present invention will be briefly described with reference to FIGS. 7 and 8.

The same reference numbers as in the previous drawings indicate the same members, and redundant descriptions of the same members will be omitted and the description will focus on the differences from the above-described embodiment.

In a battery module according to another embodiment of the present invention, the cooling unit 220a of the cooling busbar unit 200a has a shape depending on the arrangement of the cylindrical battery cells 100 within the battery module 10. It may be arranged differently.

That is, the cylindrical battery cells 100 according to this embodiment may be arranged in a triangular or zigzag arrangement within the module case 400. In the case of such a triangular array structure, the maximum energy density can be achieved within the same volume.

Corresponding to the arrangement of these cylindrical battery cells 100, the cooling bus bar unit 200a also has differences. In particular, the shape of the cooling unit 220a may vary. That is, the cooling unit 220a extends in a curved shape where peaks 221 and valleys 222 are repeated between the cylindrical battery cells 100 in the N row and the cylindrical battery cells 100 in the N+1 row. It can be. That is, the outer surface of the cooling unit 220a may have a wave shape.

For example, as shown in FIG. 8 , the first row of cylindrical battery cells 100 and the second row of cylindrical battery cells 100 may be arranged to alternate with each other in the horizontal direction. In this case, by manufacturing the cooling unit 220a in the form shown in FIG. 7 and inserting it between rows of the cylindrical battery cells 100, contact between the cooling unit 220a and the cylindrical battery cells 100 can be increased. In addition, dead space inside the battery module 10 can be reduced.

Accordingly, the cooling unit 220a, such as this embodiment, may be capable of higher cooling efficiency compared to the previous embodiment. As the contact area between the cylindrical battery cells 100 and the outer surface of the cooling unit 220 increases, heat exchange can be further increased, thereby improving cooling efficiency.

Next, another embodiment of the present invention will be briefly described with reference to FIGS. 9 and 10.

FIG. 9 is a diagram corresponding to FIG. 5, showing a portion of a battery module according to another embodiment of the present invention, and FIG. 10 is a diagram showing a portion of a battery module according to another embodiment of the present invention, showing the shape of the prismatic battery cells. This is a diagram schematically showing an example of applying a cooling busbar.

The same reference numbers as in the previous drawings indicate the same members, and redundant descriptions of the same members will be omitted and the description will focus on the differences from the above-described embodiment.

The battery module according to another embodiment of the present invention differs from the battery module according to the embodiment of FIG. 1 in that the cylindrical battery cell 100 is replaced with a prismatic battery cell 100A.

Here, the prismatic battery cell 100A refers to a battery cell formed in a substantially rectangular parallelepiped shape. The square battery cell 100A may be made of aluminum and may be provided in a form in which an electrode assembly is stored in a battery can with an open top and a cap plate is coupled to the upper opening of the battery can. The prismatic battery cell 100A is connected to a positive electrode plate forming the electrode assembly, has a positive terminal 111 that penetrates the cap plate and protrudes to the outside of the cap plate, and is connected to a negative electrode plate forming the electrode assembly, and the cap A negative terminal 112 may be provided that penetrates the plate and protrudes to the outside of the cap plate.

Referring to FIGS. 9 and 10, the square battery cells 100A are arranged in N (a natural number of N ≥ 2) rows, and the cooling bus bar unit 200 is arranged between rows of the square battery cells 100A. It can be.

The current-carrying unit 210 of the cooling busbar unit 200 is disposed on top of the square battery cells 100A, and the cooling unit 220 of the cooling busbar unit 200 is connected to the current-carrying unit 210. ) may extend downward and be disposed between the prismatic battery cells 100A.

The energizing part 210 is electrically connected to the positive terminals 111 of the square battery cells 100A in the left row with respect to the energizing part 210, and the prismatic battery in the right row with respect to the energizing part 210. It may be configured to be electrically connected to the negative terminals 112 of the cells 100A. When the N rows of square battery cells 100A are electrically connected to the current conductors 210 of the corresponding cooling bus bar units 200 in this pattern, the square battery cells 100A arranged in the same row are connected in parallel to each other. And the rectangular battery cells 100A arranged in adjacent columns may be connected in series to each other. Electrical connection between the electrode terminals of the square battery cells 100A and the energizing portions 210 may be made, for example, by one of the following methods: wire (W) bonding, soldering, bolt fastening, etc.

In addition, the left side of the cooling unit 220 is in contact with the right side of the square battery cells 100A in the left row with respect to the cooling unit 220, and the right side of the cooling unit 220 is in contact with the cooling unit 220. ) may be configured to contact the left side of the square battery cells 100A in the right row.

In this way, the cooling busbar unit 200 according to the present invention can also be applied to electrical connection and cooling of the square battery cells 100A.

Meanwhile, a battery pack (not shown) according to the present invention may include one or more of the battery modules 10 described above. The battery pack according to the present invention may further include a master BMS (Battery Management System) for integrated control of charging and discharging of one or more battery modules 10, a current sensor, a fuse, etc., and a pack case for accommodating the above-described components. there is.

The battery pack according to the present invention may be applied to an energy storage device or to a vehicle such as an electric scooter, electric vehicle, or hybrid vehicle. That is, the vehicle according to the present invention may include the battery pack according to the present invention. The battery pack may be installed in the car body frame or trunk space under the vehicle seat, and the arrangement order of the battery pack may be reversed as needed when installed in the vehicle.

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

As described above, although the present invention has been described with limited examples and drawings, the present invention is not limited thereto, and the technical idea of the present invention and the following will be understood by those skilled in the art to which the present invention pertains. Of course, various modifications and variations are possible within the scope of equivalence of the patent claims to be described.

100: Cylindrical battery cell
200, 200a: Cooling busbar unit
210: Electricity unit
220, 220a: cooling unit
221, 222: mountain, valley
230: cooling channel
240, 241: Insulated surface
300: Refrigerant supply/discharge unit
310: Refrigerant inlet port
311: Inlet pipe
320: Refrigerant discharge port
321: discharge pipe
400: module case
410: Case body
420: Case cover
430: bulkhead

Claims (18)

a plurality of battery cells; and
It includes a current conducting part that electrically connects the plurality of battery cells to each other; and a cooling bus bar unit formed integrally with the conducting part and having a cooling part disposed between the battery cells to absorb heat from the battery cells. A battery module characterized in that. According to paragraph 1,
The cooling busbar unit is made of electrically conductive material,
A battery module, wherein an area in contact with the battery cells is insulated, and at least one area of the current conducting part electrically connected to an electrode terminal of the battery cell is not insulated. According to paragraph 2,
A battery module, characterized in that any one of an insulating film, a powder coating surface, and an epoxy coating layer is applied to the insulated area in the cooling busbar unit. According to paragraph 1,
The battery cells are cylindrical battery cells arranged standing up,
The battery module, wherein the current conductive portion is disposed on top of the cylindrical battery cells, and the cooling portion extends downward from the conductive portion and is disposed between the cylindrical battery cells. According to clause 4,
The cylindrical battery cells are arranged in N (a natural number where N ≥ 2) rows,
The battery module, characterized in that the cooling busbar unit is disposed between rows of the cylindrical battery cells. According to clause 5,
A battery module, wherein the first electrode terminals of the cylindrical battery cells in the left column and the second electrode terminals of the cylindrical battery cells in the right column are each wire-bonded to the current conduction portion, with respect to the conductive portion. According to clause 6,
The battery module, characterized in that the current conduction part has a width that can be simultaneously seated on the top of the cylindrical battery cells in the left row and the top of the cylindrical battery cells in the right row. According to clause 5,
A battery module, characterized in that, with respect to the cooling unit, one surface of the cooling unit is in contact with the outer peripheral surface of the cylindrical battery cells in the left row and the other surface is in contact with the outer peripheral surface of the cylindrical battery cells in the right row. According to clause 5,
The cylindrical battery cells are arranged in a square or rectangular configuration,
The cooling unit is a battery module characterized in that it extends in a straight line between the cylindrical battery cells in the N row and the cylindrical battery cells in the N+1 row. According to clause 5,
The cylindrical battery cells are arranged in a triangular configuration,
The cooling unit is a battery module characterized in that it extends in the form of a curved surface with repeated peaks and valleys between the cylindrical battery cells in the N row and the cylindrical battery cells in the N+1 row. According to paragraph 1,
The cooling busbar unit is a battery module characterized in that it is provided with a cooling channel inside which coolant can flow. According to clause 11,
The cooling channel is a battery module, characterized in that provided inside the energizing part and the cooling part. According to clause 11,
The battery module is,
The battery module further includes a refrigerant supply/discharge unit having a refrigerant inlet port and a refrigerant discharge port in communication with the cooling channel and connected to one end of the cooling bus bar unit. According to paragraph 1,
The battery cells are square battery cells,
The battery module, wherein the current conductive portion is disposed on top of the square battery cells, and the cooling portion extends downward from the current conductor and is disposed between the square battery cells. According to clause 14,
The prismatic battery cells are arranged in N (a natural number where N ≥ 2) rows,
The battery module, characterized in that the cooling busbar unit is disposed between rows of the square battery cells. According to clause 15,
With respect to the cooling unit, one surface of the cooling unit is in contact with the outer surface of the prismatic battery cells in the left row, and the other surface of the cooling unit is provided to contact the external surface of the prismatic battery cells in the right row. A battery pack comprising the battery module according to any one of claims 1 to 16. A motor vehicle comprising a battery pack according to claim 17.

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