EP-4738590-A1 - BATTERY MODULE, AND BATTERY PACK AND VEHICLE INCLUDING SAME

Abstract

The present disclosure relates to a battery module including: a cell assembly including a plurality of battery cells; a module terminal configured to be electrically connected to the plurality of battery cells; a module case configured to receive the cell assembly, and having the module terminal provided on one side and a first venting hole formed on the other side to discharge gas generated from the battery cell to the outside; and a block member configured to guide the gas to the first venting hole.

Inventors

• KIM, SOO-YOUL
• PARK, GI-CHAN
• PARK, JU-HUN

Assignees

• LG Energy Solution, Ltd.

Dates

Publication Date

20260506

Application Date

20250102

Claims (19)

1. A battery module comprising: a cell assembly comprising a plurality of battery cells; a module terminal configured to be electrically connected to the plurality of battery cells; a module case configured to receive the cell assembly, and having the module terminal provided on one side and a first venting hole formed on the other side to discharge gas generated from the battery cell to the outside; and a block member configured to guide the gas to the first venting hole.
2. The battery module according to claim 1, wherein a plurality of first venting holes are disposed in at least one direction.
3. The battery module according to claim 1, wherein each of the plurality of battery cells comprises an electrode lead, the battery module further comprising a bus-bar frame provided on a side of the battery cell where the electrode lead is provided and having a second venting hole formed to communicate with the first venting hole.
4. The battery module according to claim 3, wherein a plurality of second venting holes are disposed along a stacking direction of the battery cells.
5. The battery module according to claim 3, wherein the second venting hole is configured to allow at least some of the electrode leads of the plurality of battery cells to pass therethrough.
6. The battery module according to claim 3, wherein the block member comprises a first block member provided on an outer side of the bus-bar frame and configured to suppress gas discharged from the second venting holes from moving along a stacking direction of the battery cells in a space between the bus-bar frame and the other side of the module case.
7. The battery module according to claim 6, wherein a plurality of first block members are disposed along the stacking direction of the battery cells.
8. The battery module according to claim 6, wherein the first block member is configured to extend along a height direction of the bus-bar frame.
9. The battery module according to claim 6, wherein the first block member is configured to be compressed by the bus-bar frame.
10. The battery module according to claim 6, wherein the first block member is configured to be compressed by the module case.
11. The battery module according to claim 3, wherein the block member comprises a second block member interposed between the bus-bar frame and the cell assembly.
12. The battery module according to claim 11, wherein the second block member is configured to extend along a height direction of the battery cell.
13. The battery module according to claim 11, wherein the battery cell comprises a receiving portion configured to receive an electrode assembly and extending in one direction, and a sealing portion configured to protrude in one direction from the receiving portion, and wherein the second block member is provided on at least one side of the sealing portion.
14. The battery module according to claim 13, wherein the cell assembly further comprises a barrier member provided between the battery cells, and wherein the second block member is provided between the barrier member and the sealing portion of the battery cell.
15. The battery module according to claim 13, wherein the second block member is configured to pressurize an inner surfaces of the receiving portion and the bus-bar frame.
16. The battery module according to claim 14, wherein a plurality of second block members are disposed on one side and the other side of the battery cell, respectively, and wherein the second block members are provided in a larger number on one side of the battery cell than on the other side of the battery cell.
17. The battery module according to claim 1, wherein the battery cell comprises a fixing member configured to fix an upper surface.
18. A battery pack comprising a battery module according to any one of claims 1 to 17.
19. A vehicle comprising a battery module according to any one of claims 1 to 17.

Description

TECHNICAL FIELD The present disclosure relates to a battery module, and a battery pack and vehicle including the same. This application is based on and claims priority from Korean Patent Application No. 10-2024-0008985, filed on January 19, 2024, with the Korean Intellectual Property Office, the disclosure of which is incorporated herein in its entirety by reference. This application is based on and claims priority from Korean Patent Application No. 10-2024-0113576, filed on August 23, 2024, with the Korean Intellectual Property Office, the disclosure of which is incorporated herein in its entirety by reference. BACKGROUND ART Secondary battery cells, which are easy to apply depending on the product group and have electrical features such as high energy density and the like, are generally used in electric vehicles (EVs) or hybrid electric vehicles (HEVs) that are driven by an electrical drive source, as well as in portable devices. These secondary battery cells are attracting attention as a new energy source for improving eco-friendliness and energy efficiency because of the primary advantage of dramatically reducing the use of fossil fuels and another advantage of not generating by-products resulting from energy use. Secondary batteries currently widely used include lithium-ion batteries, lithium-polymer batteries, nickel-cadmium batteries, nickel-hydrogen batteries, nickel-zinc batteries, and the like. When a high output voltage is required, a battery module or battery pack may be configured by connecting a plurality of battery cells in series. In addition, a battery module or battery pack may be configured by connecting multiple battery cells in parallel in order to increase the charge/discharge capacity. A common method for configuring a battery pack by connecting a plurality of battery cells in series/parallel is to preferentially configure a battery module including at least one battery cell and then add other elements to one or more battery modules, thereby configuring a battery pack or battery rack. Alternatively, a battery pack has recently been manufactured in a cell-to-pack type in which multiple battery cells are directly stored in a pack housing, instead of being modularized. However, in the case where a battery pack includes multiple battery modules therein, it may be vulnerable to a chain thermal reaction between the battery modules. For example, if an event such as thermal runaway occurs inside one battery module, the thermal runaway may be propagated to other battery modules. If the propagation of thermal runaway between the battery modules fails to be properly suppressed, an event occurring in a specific battery module may cause a chain reaction in other battery modules, which may result in a major problem such as an explosion or fire. Therefore, it is necessary to develop a structure capable of preventing gas or flame from spreading to other cells inside the battery module or to other adjacent battery modules and causing thermal runaway, even if a thermal event occurs in a battery cell inside the battery module, thereby suppressing and delaying thermal propagation. In addition, there is a need to develop a structure capable of quickly discharging high-temperature gas or flame generated in a battery module when a thermal runaway occurs in the battery module to the outside, thereby dissipating heat accumulation from the battery module. DISCLOSURE Technical Problem The present disclosure is designed to solve the problems of the related art, and therefore the present disclosure is directed to providing a battery module capable of quickly discharging high-temperature gases or flames generated in the battery module to the outside when thermal runaway occurs in the battery module, thereby dissipating heat accumulation inside the battery module. The present disclosure is also to provide a battery pack and vehicle including such a battery module. However, the technical problems that the present disclosure seeks to solve are not limited to the above-mentioned problems, and other problems not mentioned above will be clearly understood by those skilled in the art from the description of the invention described below. Technical Solution In one aspect of the present disclosure, there is provided a battery module including: a cell assembly comprising a plurality of battery cells; a module terminal configured to be electrically connected to the plurality of battery cells; a module case configured to receive the cell assembly, and having the module terminal provided on one side and a first venting hole formed on the other side to discharge gas generated from the battery cell to the outside; and a block member configured to guide the gas to the first venting hole. A plurality of first venting holes may be disposed in at least one direction. Each of the plurality of battery cells may include an electrode lead, and the battery module may further include a bus-bar frame provided on a side of the battery cell