WO2013105756A1

WO2013105756A1 - Secondary battery module and secondary battery pack

Info

Publication number: WO2013105756A1
Application number: PCT/KR2013/000054
Authority: WO
Inventors: Won Jun Lee; Ji Seok Lee
Original assignee: Sk Innovation Co., Ltd.
Priority date: 2012-01-10
Filing date: 2013-01-04
Publication date: 2013-07-18
Also published as: KR102002043B1; KR20130081802A

Abstract

Provided are a secondary battery module and a secondary battery pack, the secondary battery module being capable of improving cooling efficiency of secondary batteries by forming an integrated type case in which containing parts for containing the secondary batteries inserted therein and coolant passages formed at outsides thereof to allow a coolant to flow are formed in the same direction, and connecting the coolant passages by U-shaped pipes to allow the coolant to circulate, the secondary battery pack being formed such that a plurality of secondary battery modules are stacked and arranged and the coolant passages of the respective secondary battery modules are communicated with each other by U-shaped pipes or manifolds, to thereby allow the coolant to circulate.

Description

Title of Invention: SECONDARY BATTERY MODULE AND

SECONDARY BATTERY PACK

Technical Field

[1] The present invention relates to a secondary battery module and a secondary battery pack, and more particularly, to a secondary battery module capable of improving cooling efficiency of secondary batteries and easily manufacturing a case by allowing a plurality of secondary batteries to be inserted and contained inside the case and forming coolant passages at one side of the case in an integrated type, and a secondary battery pack in which a plurality of secondary battery modules are stacked and arranged therein.

[2]

Background Art

[3] Generally, secondary batteries are chargeable and dischargeable differently from

primary batteries, and thus are applied to various fields such as digital cameras, mobile phones, notebooks and are being actively studied. In addition, in order to use the secondary battery in high-capacitance at a high voltage, a plurality of secondary batteries are stacked and then connected in parallel or series, to thereby be manufactured into a module type. Since this secondary battery module generates a large amount of heat while repeating charging and discharging, the module is configured so as to cool the heat in an air cooling type or water cooling type. However, the air cooling type has low cooling efficiency, large noise, and safety problems. The water cooling type for improving the air cooling type cools the secondary battery by using cooling water or coolant, and various types of secondary batteries using the water cooling type have been developed.

[4] Meanwhile, with respect to the existing water cooling type secondary battery

module, the secondary batteries are contained inside a case and a coolant passage is separately coupled with one side of the case. Here, the secondary battery should not be exposed at a high temperature, and the secondary battery needs to be inserted into an inside of the case and then the coolant passage needs to be coupled therewith due to the nature of a manufacturing process of the secondary battery module. Thus, the coolant passage cannot be coupled with the case through a high-temperature process such as brazing, and the coupling is carried out by using a gasket or sealant or a leakage liquid is prevented at a connection portion of the passage. However, these are factors of hindering a manufacturing process of the secondary battery module and the cooling efficiency thereof. [5] In addition, since it is difficult to closely adhere to contact surfaces, of which the case and the coolant passage are coupled and contacted, to each other, thermal conductivity may be lowered and cooling efficiency may be deteriorated.

[6] As the related art associated with this, Korean Patent Laid-Open Publication No.

10-2010-0119499 discloses "A Battery System, A Battery Module, and A Method of

Cooling the Battery Module".

[7] [Related Art Document]

[8] [Patent Document]

[9] KR 10-2010-0119499 A (2010.11.09)

[10]

Disclosure of Invention

Technical Problem

[11] An object of the present invention is to provide a secondary battery module capable of improving cooling efficiency of secondary batteries and easily manufacturing a case therefor, by forming an integrated type case, in which secondary battery containing parts into which the secondary batteries are inserted, and coolant passages are formed in the same direction, and connecting the coolant passages by U-shaped pipes to thereby allow a coolant to circulate.

[12] Further, another object of the present invention is to provide a secondary battery pack in which a plurality of secondary battery modules are stacked and arranged and coolant passages of the secondary battery modules are communicated with each other by U- shaped pipes or manifolds to thereby allow a coolant to circulate.

[13]

Solution to Problem

[14] In one general aspect, there is provided a secondary battery module, including: a case having a plurality of slot type containing parts formed in parallel inside thereof and each pair of coolant passages formed at both sides of the containing parts and spaced apart from each other at a predetermined distance, the coolant passage being opened; a plurality of secondary batteries inserted into the containing parts; and a U-shaped pipe coupled with lower sides of the coolant passages to be connected therewith to allow a coolant to circulate.

[15] In another general aspect, there is provided a secondary battery pack in which a

plurality of the secondary battery modules described above are stacked and arranged and an upper side of a coolant passage of each of the secondary battery modules is connected with a coolant passage of a neighboring secondary battery module by a U- shaped pipe.

[16] In still another general aspect, there is provided a secondary battery pack in which a plurality of the secondary battery modules described above are stacked and arranged and an upper side of one of one pair of coolant passages of each of the secondary battery modules is connected to an inlet manifold and an upper side of the other is connected to an outlet manifold.

[17]

Advantageous Effects of Invention

[18] As set forth above, according to the secondary battery module and the secondary battery pack of the present invention, the secondary battery containing parts and the coolant passages are formed in the same direction, and thus, the secondary battery module and the secondary battery pack can be manufactured in an integrated type through the extrusion of metal, thereby facilitating to manufacture the case, and the number of parts of the secondary battery module is decreased, thereby reducing manufacturing cost.

[19] Further, since the secondary battery containing parts and the coolant passages are formed in an integrated type, superior cooling efficiency can be obtained and the coolant can be prevented from leaking.

[20]

Brief Description of Drawings

[21] FIG. 1 is an exploded perspective view showing a secondary battery module of the present invention;

[22] FIG. 2 is an assembled perspective view of FIG. 1;

[23] FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view of a case according to the present invention;

[24] FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view taken along the line AA' of FIG. 3;

[25] FIG. 5 is a perspective view showing another embodiment of the secondary battery module of the present invention;

[26] FIG. 6 is a cross-sectional view showing passage grooves of a coolant passage

according to the present invention;

[27] FIG. 7 shows a perspective view and a thermal analysis image of the secondary

battery module of the present invention;

[28] FIGS. 8 and 9 show thermal analysis images and a temperature measurement result table of a secondary battery module to which another embodiment of the coolant passage according to the present invention is applied; and

[29] FIGS. 10 and 1 1 are perspective views showing embodiments of a secondary battery pack composed of a plurality of secondary battery modules of the present invention.

[30] _,

[31 ] [Detailed Description of Main Elements]

[32] 1000: secondary battery module [33] 2000: secondary battery pack

[34] 100: secondary battery 110: electrode body

[35] 120: electrode tap 200: case

[36] 210: containing part 220: coolant passage

[37] 230: passage groove 300: U-shaped pipe

[38] 310: inlet pipe 320: outlet pipe

[39] 330: inlet manifold 340: outlet manifold

[40] 400: upper cap 500: lower cap

[41]

Best Mode for Carrying out the Invention

[42] Hereinafter, a secondary battery module and a secondary battery pack of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawing.

[43] FIG. 1 is an exploded perspective view showing a secondary battery module of the present invention; FIG. 2 is an assembled perspective view of FIG. 1; and FIGS. 3 and 4 are cross-sectional views of a case according to the present invention.

[44] As described above, a secondary battery module 1000 of the present invention may include: a case 200 having a plurality of slot type containing parts 210 formed in parallel inside thereof and each pair of coolant passages 220 formed at both sides of each of the containing parts 210 and spaced apart from each other at a predetermined distance, the coolant passage being opened; a plurality of secondary batteries 100 inserted into the containing parts 210; and a U-shaped pipe 300 coupled with lower sides of the coolant passages 220 to be connected therewith to allow a coolant to circulate.

[45] First, the containing parts 210 are formed inside the case 200 such that the secondary batteries 100 are contained therein. Each pair of coolant passages 220 are formed at both sides of the containing parts 210 and are spaced apart from each other, so that the secondary batteries 100 can be cooled. Here, upper and lower surfaces of each of the containing part 210 and the coolant passage 220 are opened in a height direction of the case 200. A lower side of the containing part 210 may be closed.

[46] Here, the containing part 210 has a slot type formed of a thin plate, which a

secondary battery is inserted into and closely adhere to. The plurality of containing parts 210 are formed in parallel with each other at a predetermined interval in a width direction. In addition, each pair of coolant passages 220 are formed at the both sides in a length direction of containing part 210. The coolant passages 220 are formed to have circular holes, which are then connected through pipes or tubes, to thereby facilitate the configuration of a passage for circulating a coolant.

[47] Here, the case 200 is formed such that the direction in which the containing parts 210 are opened is the same as the direction in which the coolant passages 220 are opened. Thus, the containing parts 210 for containing the secondary batteries therein and the cooling passages 220 may be formed in an integrated type through the extrusion of metal or the like.

[48] The secondary batteries 100 each have electrode taps 120 formed on one side of an electrode body 110. The secondary battery 100 may be joined to the case 200 such that the secondary battery 100 is inserted from an upper side of the containing part 210. Here, the secondary batteries 100 are joined to the case 200 such that the electrode taps 120 of the secondary batteries 100 are protruded toward an upper surface of the case 200, and thus the electrode taps 120 of the respective secondary batteries 100 are electrically connected to each other in series or in parallel.

[49] In addition, the secondary battery 100 is preferably joined to the case 200 such that the secondary battery 100 closely adheres to a wall surface of the containing part 210, so that the heat generated from the secondary battery 100 is well transferred to the case 200. That is, the containing part 210 of the case 200 is preferably formed, in consideration of the thickness of the secondary battery 100, so that to the secondary battery closely adhere to the containing part 210 when being joined to the containing part 200 of the case 200.

[50] Both ends of the U-shaped pipe 300 are respectively coupled and connected with openings of lower sides of one pair of coolant passages 220, so that the coolant flows in along one coolant passage 200, passes through the other coolant passage 220, and then flows out. Here, in the case in which the case 200 is formed through the extrusion of metal such as aluminum, the U-shaped pipe 300 is also formed of the same material, and thus coupled with the case by brazing or the like to thereby prevent the coolant from leaking at a connection portion therebetween.

[51] In addition, upper openings of the coolant passages 220 are coupled with linear types of inlet pipe 310 and outlet pipe 320, or connected by tubes, respectively, so that the coolant flows in the inlet pipe 310, circulates the coolant passages 220 and the U- shaped pipes 300, and then flows out to the outlet pipe 320.

[52] Thus, according to the secondary battery module of the present invention, the

containing parts into which the secondary batteries are inserted and the coolant passages are formed in the same direction, and thus the case is manufacture in an integrated type through the extrusion of metal, thereby achieving easy manufacturing of the case, and the number of parts of the secondary battery module is decreased, thereby saving manufacturing cost.

[53] In addition, since the containing parts for containing the secondary batteries therein and the coolant passages are formed in an integrated type, contact resistance between the secondary battery as a heating body and the coolant can be minimized, thereby improving cooling efficiency, and the coolant can be prevented from leaking.

[54] In addition, the secondary battery module 1000 of the present invention may further include an upper cap 400 coupled with the case 200 such that an upper side of the case 200 is closed, and a lower cap 500 coupled with the case 200 such that a lower side of the case 200 is closed. That is, as shown in FIG. 5, the upper cap 400 and the lower cap 500 are respectively coupled with an upper side and a lower side of the case 200 while the secondary batteries are inserted into the containing parts 210 of the case 200, so that the secondary batteries 100 are sealed and thus completely sealed from the outside, thereby protecting the secondary batteries 100 from outside contaminants.

[55] In addition, a plurality of passage grooves 230 are formed in an inner circumferential surface of the coolant passage 220 of the case 200, and the passage groves 230 are formed in the same direction of the coolant passages 220. The plurality of passage grooves 230 may be formed in a radial shape on a cross section thereof and formed long along the coolant passages 220, as shown in FIG. 5, so that the passage grooves 230 may be formed at one time by extrusion when the case 200 is formed. Here, the passage grooves 230 can improve cooling efficiency by performing a role of increasing the heat transfer area with the coolant in the coolant passage 220 when the heat generated from the secondary batteries 100 is transferred through the case 200.

[56] FIG. 7 shows a perspective view and a thermal analysis image of a secondary battery module of the present invention, and FIGS. 8 and 9 show thermal analysis images and a temperature measurement result table when passage grooves are formed in a cooling passage according to the present invention. As described above, cooling performance and efficiency of the secondary battery module 1000 of the present invention were confirmed through experiments.

[57] First, as shown in FIG. 7a, heating bodies such as the secondary batteries 100 were inserted into the containing parts 210 of the case 200. Here, the coolant passage 220 had an inner diameter of 10mm. When a coolant having predetermined temperature and flow rate was circulated along the coolant passage 220 while the heating body generates a predetermined amount of heat (20W/cell), a thermal analysis image as shown in FIG. 7b was obtained. As the result of the cooling analysis, the cooling efficiency was superior as compared with the existing various secondary battery modules. The reason was that an integrated type cooling structure was formed by a metal extruding process so as to minimize contact resistance between the heating body and the coolant.

[58] In addition, when the passage grooves 230 were formed in the cooling passage 220 of the case 200 as shown in FIG. 8a, thermal analysis images as shown in FIGS. 8b and 9a were obtained and measurement results as shown in FIG. 9b were obtained. Here, FIG. 8b shows temperatures of the secondary batteries 100 and the case 200, and FIG. 9a shows temperatures of the coolant. In addition, it can be seen from the measurement results of FIG. 9b, when the passage grooves 230 were formed in an inner circumferential surface of the cooling passage 220, the cooling efficiency was further improved, the maximum temperature and the minimum temperature were lowered, and the temperature difference was decreased.

[59] In addition, the secondary battery pack 2000 of the present invention may include a plurality of secondary battery modules 1000 stacked and arranged therein. An upper side of the coolant passage 220 of each of the secondary battery modules 1000 is connected with the coolant passage 220 of a neighboring secondary battery module 1000 by a U-shaped pipe 300.

[60] As shown in FIG. 10. a plurality of secondary battery modules 1000 are stacked and arranged and an opening of the upper side of the coolant passage 220 of each of the secondary battery modules 1000 is connected with the coolant passage 220 of a neighboring secondary battery module 1000 by a U-shaped pipe 30, so that the coolant flows into or flows out from the coolant passage 220 of the secondary battery module 1000 disposed at the outermost side, and moves along the cooling passages 220 of the respective secondary battery modules and the U-shaped pipes 300. That is, the coolant passages 220 of the plurality of secondary battery modules 1000 are connected with each other in series.

[61] In addition, as for the secondary battery pack 2000 of the present invention, a

plurality of secondary battery modules 1000 are stacked and arranged, and an upper side of one of one pair of coolant passages 220 of each of the secondary battery modules 1000 may be connected to an inlet manifold 330 and an upper side of the other may be connected to an outlet manifold 340.

[62] That is, as shown in FIG. 11, the plurality of secondary battery modules 1000 are stacked and arranged, and the upper side of one of one pair of coolant passages 220 of each of the secondary battery modules 1000 may be connected to the inlet manifold 330 that is formed long and the upper side of the other may be connected to the outlet manifold 340 that is formed long, so that the coolant passages 220 of the plurality of secondary battery modules 1000 are connected to each other in parallel. Here, the inlet manifold 330 and one coolant passage 220 may be connected to each other by a linear type pipe, and the outlet manifold 340 and the other coolant passage 220 are connected to each other by a pipe bent in a ' n ' shape, so that the inlet manifold 330 and the outlet manifold 340 can be prevented from disturbing each other.

[63] The present invention is not limited to the above-mentioned embodiments and an applied range thereof may be various. Also, various modifications of the present invention may be made by those skilled in the art without departing from the gist of the present invention.

Claims

A secondary battery module, comprising:

a case having a plurality of slot type containing parts formed in parallel inside thereof and each pair of coolant passages formed at both sides of the containing parts and spaced apart from each other at a predetermined distance, the coolant passage being opened;

a plurality of secondary batteries inserted into the containing parts; and a U-shaped pipe coupled with lower sides of the coolant passages to be connected therewith to allow a coolant to circulate.

The secondary battery module of claim 1 , wherein the containing parts and the coolant passages of the case are formed in the same direction. The secondary battery module of claim 1 , further comprising an upper cap coupled with the case so as to seal an upper side of the case and a lower cap coupled with the case so as to seal a lower side of the case. The secondary battery module of claim 1 , wherein the coolant passage of the case has a plurality of passage grooves formed in an inner circumferential surface thereof, the passage grooves being formed in the same direction as the coolant passage.

A secondary battery pack in which a plurality of the secondary battery modules of any one of claims 1 to 4 are stacked and arranged and an upper side of a coolant passage of each of the secondary battery modules is connected with a coolant passage of a neighboring secondary battery module by a U-shaped pipe.

A secondary battery pack in which a plurality of the secondary battery modules of any one of claims 1 to 4 are stacked and arranged and an upper side of one of one pair of coolant passages of each of the secondary battery modules is connected to an inlet manifold and an upper side of the other is connected to an outlet manifold.