EP-4738537-A1 - BATTERY MODULE AND BATTERY DEVICE INCLUDING SAME

EP4738537A1EP 4738537 A1EP4738537 A1EP 4738537A1EP-4738537-A1

Abstract

The present invention provides a battery module and a battery device including same, the battery module being capable of minimizing temperature deviation for each location in the battery module by having heterogeneous battery cells arranged in the battery module on the basis of thermal characteristics of the heterogeneous battery cells. The battery module comprises: a first type of battery cells; and a second type of battery cells having thermal characteristics differing from those of the first type of battery cells, wherein the first type of battery cells and the second type of battery cells are irregularly and alternately arranged such that the difference in temperature for each location is minimized in the battery module on the basis of the thermal characteristics.

Inventors

JUNG, Hyunok
KANG, SUWON
CHUN, Yongho

Assignees

LG Energy Solution, Ltd.

Dates

Publication Date: 20260506
Application Date: 20250311

Claims (20)

A battery module, comprising: first type battery cells; and second type battery cells having thermal characteristics different from thermal characteristics of the first type battery cells, wherein the first type battery cells and the second type battery cells are arranged irregularly and alternately based on the thermal characteristics such that temperature difference according to locations within the battery module is minimized.
The battery module of claim 1, wherein at least one second type battery cell and at least one first type battery cell are arranged irregularly and alternately on two sides of at least one of the first type battery cells.
The battery module of claim 1, wherein at least one second type battery cell and at least one first type battery cell are arranged irregularly and alternately on two sides of at least one of the second type battery cells.
The battery module of claim 1, wherein the first type battery cells are electrically connected to each other via a first bus bar independent from the second type battery cells on at least one of a front side and a rear side of the battery module, and the second type battery cells are electrically connected to each other via a second bus bar independent from the first type battery cells on at least one of a front side and a rear side of the battery module.
The battery module of claim 4, wherein the first type battery cells are connected in series within the battery module independent from the second type battery cells and the second type battery cells are connected in series within the battery module independent from the first type battery cells.
The battery module of claim 5, wherein the first type battery cells are not connected to the second type battery cells within the battery module and independently charged and discharged.
The battery module of claim 4, wherein at least one first connector is provided on at least one of the front side and the rear side of the first type battery cells.
The battery module of claim 7, wherein at least one second connector is provided on at least one of the front side and the rear side of the second type battery cells.
The battery module of claim 8, wherein the first connector is electrically connected to first type battery cells of another battery module, and the second connector is electrically connected to second type battery cells of the another battery module.
The battery module of claim 4, wherein each of the first bus bar and the second bus bar has " " or " " shape such that the first bus bar and the second bus bar do not overlap each other when connecting same type battery cells.
A battery device, comprising: first to n th battery modules, wherein each of the first to n th battery modules is provided with first type battery cells and second type battery cells having thermal characteristics different from the first type battery cells, and the first type battery cells are electrically connected to each other independent from the second type battery cells and the second type battery cells are electrically connected to each other independent from the first type battery cells in the first to n th battery modules.
The battery device of claim 11, wherein the first type battery cells are connected to each other in series within and between the first to n th battery modules independent from the second type battery cells, and the second type battery cells are connected to each other in series within and between the first to n th battery modules independent from the first type battery cells.
The battery device of claim 11, further comprising: a relay selectively connecting the first type battery cells and the second type battery cells of the first to n th battery modules in parallel.
The battery device of claim 13, further comprising: a controller controlling the relay, wherein the controller selectively drives the relay according to an event signal.
The battery device of claim 11, wherein the first type battery cells and the second type battery cells are arranged irregularly and alternately based on the thermal characteristics such that temperature difference according to locations within the first to n th battery module is minimized.
The battery device of claim 15, wherein at least one second type battery cell and at least one first type battery cell are arranged irregularly and alternately on two sides of at least one of the first type battery cells.
The battery device of claim 11, wherein the first type battery cells are electrically connected to each other via a first bus bar independent from the second type battery cells on at least one of a front side and a rear side of the first to n th battery modules, and the second type battery cells are electrically connected to each other via a second bus bar independent from the first type battery cells on at least one of a front side and a rear side of the first to n th battery modules.
The battery device of claim 17, wherein the first type battery cells are connected in series within the first to n th battery modules independent from the second type battery cells and the second type battery cells are connected in series within the first to n th battery modules independent from the first type battery cells.
The battery device of claim 18, wherein the first type battery cells are not connected to the second type battery cells within the first to n th battery modules and independently charged and discharged.
The battery device of claim 17, wherein at least one first connector is provided on at least one of the front side and the rear side of the first type battery cells, at least one second connector is provided on at least one of the front side and the rear side of the second type battery cells, and the first connector is electrically connected to first type battery cells of another battery module, and the second connector is electrically connected to second type battery cells of the another battery module.

Description

[TECHNICAL FIELD] This application claims the benefit of priority based on Korean Patent Application No. 10-2024-0045385 filed on April 3, 2024 and Korean Patent Application No. 10-2025-0029098 filed on March 6, 2025, the entire contents disclosed in the documents of the patent applications are incorporated by reference as a part of this specification. The present invention relates to a battery module and a battery device including the same. [BACKGROUND ART] Generally, secondary batteries are used as energy sources for mobile devices, electric vehicles, hybrid vehicles, electric bicycles, etc., and depending on the type of external device to which they are applied, secondary batteries are used in the form of a single battery or in the form of a module in which multiple batteries are connected and combined into one unit. While small mobile devices such as mobile phones may operate for a certain period of time with the output and capacity of a single battery, a module form that includes multiple batteries is preferred due to issues with output and capacity in cases such as electric vehicles and hybrid vehicles with high power consumption that require long-term operation and high-power operation, and the output voltage or output current may be increased depending on the number of built-in batteries. Meanwhile, technology development is underway to minimize the temperature deviation between secondary battery cells in battery devices in order to reduce the performance and lifespan deviation between secondary battery cells. [DISCLOSURE] [TECHNICAL PROBLEM] It is an object of the present invention to provide a battery module and a battery device including the same capable of minimizing the temperature deviation according to locations within the battery module by arranging heterogeneous battery cells within the battery module based on the thermal characteristics thereof. In addition, it is an object of the present invention to provide a battery module and a battery device including the same capable of reducing the performance and lifespan deviation between battery cells by connecting homogeneous battery cells among the battery cells arranged within the battery module and independently driving the heterogeneous battery cells. In addition, it is an object of the present invention to provide a battery module and a battery device including the same capable of minimizing the thermal deviation between battery cells and the accumulation of heat at a specific location within the battery module. The objects of the present invention are not limited to the objects described above, and other objects and advantages of the present invention that are not described may be understood through the following description and will be more clearly understood by the examples of the present invention. Additionally, it is apparent that the objects and advantages of the present invention may be embodied by the means and combinations thereof indicated in the claims. [TECHNICAL SOLUTION] A battery module according to an embodiment of the present invention includes: first type battery cells; and second type battery cells having thermal characteristics different from thermal characteristics of the first type battery cells, wherein the first type battery cells and the second type battery cells are arranged irregularly and alternately based on the thermal characteristics such that temperature difference according to locations within the battery module is minimized. A battery device according to an embodiment of the present invention includes: first to nth battery modules, wherein each of the first to nth battery modules is provided with first type battery cells and second type battery cells having thermal characteristics different from the first type battery cells, and the first type battery cells are electrically connected to each other independent from the second type battery cells and the second type battery cells are electrically connected to each other independent from the first type battery cells in the first to nth battery modules. [ADVANTAGEOUS EFFECTS] According to the embodiments of the present invention, the temperature deviation according to locations within the battery module may be minimized by arranging heterogeneous battery cells within the battery module based on the thermal characteristics thereof. In addition, by connecting homogeneous battery cells among the battery cells placed in the battery module and operating heterogeneous battery cells independently, the performance and lifespan deviations between battery cells may be reduced. In addition, by minimizing the thermal deviation between battery cells, the accumulation of heat at a specific location within the battery module may be minimized. In addition, the thermal distribution between battery cells may be uniform such that the thermal propagation between battery cells may be uniform. In addition, by minimizing the temperature deviation according to locations within the batt