KR-20260065721-A - Battery pack and vehicle including the same

Abstract

A battery pack according to one embodiment of the present invention may include: a plurality of battery cells; a pack case accommodating the plurality of battery cells; a cooling plate provided on the inside of the pack case and having a cooling channel filled with a cooling medium and a water supply hole configured to discharge the cooling medium from the cooling channel toward the battery cells; and a sprinkler coupled to the water supply hole.

Inventors

• 고형호
• 장혁균

Assignees

• 주식회사 엘지에너지솔루션

Dates

Publication Date

20260511

Application Date

20250212

Priority Date

20241101

Claims (11)

1. Multiple battery cells; A pack case accommodating the above plurality of battery cells; A cooling plate having a cooling channel filled with a cooling medium inside the above-mentioned pack case and a water supply hole configured to discharge the cooling medium from the cooling channel toward the battery cell side, and A battery pack characterized by including a sprinkler coupled to the above-mentioned water supply hole.
2. In paragraph 1, A battery pack characterized in that the sprinkler is configured to spray the cooling medium from the water supply hole when a thermal event occurs in the battery cell.
3. In paragraph 1, The above sprinkler is A coupling part configured to be coupled to the above-mentioned water supply hole, A cover part configured to be coupled to the above-mentioned coupling part and to cover the above-mentioned water supply hole, A heat-sensing part connected to the above-mentioned cover part and configured to detect heat, and A battery pack characterized by having a spray unit connected to the above-mentioned thermal sensor and configured to spray the above-mentioned cooling medium.
4. In paragraph 3, A battery pack characterized in that the above-described thermal sensor is configured to rupture at a temperature above a certain level when a thermal event occurs in the battery cell.
5. In paragraph 3, A battery pack characterized in that the above-mentioned cover portion is configured to be separated from the above-mentioned water supply hole when a thermal event occurs in the battery cell.
6. In paragraph 1, A battery pack characterized in that the sprinkler above is configured as a glass bulb type.
7. In paragraph 1, A battery pack characterized in that the sprinkler above is configured as a fuse link type.
8. In paragraph 1, A battery pack characterized by further including a sealing member interposed between the sprinkler and the inner surface of the water supply hole.
9. In paragraph 1, A battery pack characterized by further including a housing that accommodates the plurality of battery cells and has a cooling hole configured to communicate with the water supply hole on one side.
10. In Paragraph 9, The above housing is A battery pack characterized by having a venting hole configured to discharge venting gas generated from the battery cell to the outside.
11. An automobile characterized by including a battery pack according to any one of claims 1 to 10.

Description

Battery pack and vehicle including the same The present invention relates to a battery pack and an automobile including the same. Secondary batteries, which possess electrical characteristics such as high energy density and high applicability across product groups, are widely applied not only to portable devices but also to electric vehicles (EVs) or hybrid electric vehicles (HEVs) powered by electric sources. These secondary batteries are attracting attention as a new energy source for enhancing eco-friendliness and energy efficiency, not only for the primary advantage of drastically reducing the use of fossil fuels but also because they generate no by-products from energy use. Currently, widely used types of rechargeable batteries include lithium-ion batteries, lithium-polymer batteries, nickel-cadmium batteries, nickel-hydrogen batteries, and nickel-zinc batteries. When high output voltage is required, multiple battery cells are connected in series to form a battery module or battery pack. Additionally, to increase charge/discharge capacity, multiple battery cells are connected in parallel to form a battery module or battery pack. When configuring a battery pack by connecting multiple battery cells in series or parallel, it is common practice to first construct a battery module containing at least one battery cell, and then use this at least one battery module to add other components to form a battery pack or battery rack. Alternatively, recently, battery packs in the form of a "Cell-to-Pack," in which multiple battery cells are directly housed in a pack housing without modularization, are also being manufactured. However, when multiple battery modules are contained within a battery pack in this manner, it can be vulnerable to thermal chain reactions between the modules. For example, if an event such as thermal runaway occurs within a single battery module, this runaway can propagate to other battery modules. If the propagation of thermal runaway between battery modules is not properly suppressed, an event originating in a specific module can trigger a chain reaction across multiple modules, potentially causing serious problems such as explosions or fires. Therefore, in the event that an event such as thermal runaway occurs in a battery pack, there is a need to develop a structure capable of rapidly cooling the battery cells and/or battery modules in the event of thermal runaway in the battery module. The following drawings attached to this specification illustrate preferred embodiments of the present invention and serve to further enhance understanding of the technical concept of the present invention together with the detailed description of the invention provided below; therefore, the present invention should not be interpreted as being limited only to the matters described in such drawings. FIG. 1 is an overall perspective view of a battery pack according to one embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 2 is an exploded perspective view of a battery pack according to one embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view of a battery pack according to one embodiment of the present invention. For example, FIG. 3 may be a drawing showing the cross-section I-I' of FIG. 1. FIG. 4 is a bottom perspective view of a cooling plate included in a battery pack according to one embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 5 is a bottom perspective view of a sprinkler included in a battery pack according to one embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 6 is an enlarged cross-sectional view of a battery pack according to one embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 7 is an enlarged cross-sectional view of a case where a thermal event occurs in a battery pack according to one embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 8 is a cross-sectional view showing a part of the configuration of a battery pack according to another embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 9 is a perspective view of a battery module included in a battery pack according to one embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 10 is a top view of the interior of a battery pack according to one embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 11 is a bottom perspective view of a battery module included in a battery pack according to one embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 12 is a cross-sectional view of a case where a thermal event occurs in a battery pack according to one embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 13 is an enlarged cross-sectional view of a battery pack according to one embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 14 is an internal perspective view of a pack case included in a battery pack according to another embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 15 is a schematic perspective view of a vehicle including a battery pack according to one 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, terms and