KR-20260066506-A - BATTERY MODULE AND BATTERY PACK AND VEHICLE INCLUDING THE SAME

KR20260066506AKR 20260066506 AKR20260066506 AKR 20260066506AKR-20260066506-A

Abstract

A battery module according to one embodiment of the present invention comprises a plurality of battery cell assemblies, each comprising one or more battery cells and a cell cover covering five sides excluding the top surface of the one or more battery cells, and a busbar frame assembly coupled to at least one side of the plurality of battery cell assemblies.

Inventors

박원경
정기택
박상준
이준영
강민선

Assignees

주식회사 엘지에너지솔루션

Dates

Publication Date: 20260512
Application Date: 20241104

Claims (17)

A plurality of battery cell assemblies, each comprising one or more battery cells and a cell cover covering five sides excluding the top surface of the one or more battery cells; and Busbar frame assembly coupled to at least one side of the plurality of battery cell assemblies A battery module including
In paragraph 1, A thermal resin applied to the upper surface of one or more battery cells not covered by the cell cover. A battery module characterized by further including
In paragraph 1, The cell cover above is, A first cover portion covering one side of the above-mentioned one or more battery cells; A second cover portion covering another side of the one or more battery cells; A third cover part connecting the first cover part and the second cover part and covering the lower surface of the battery cell; A fourth cover portion covering a portion of the front of one or more of the above-mentioned battery cells; and A fifth cover portion covering a portion of the rear of the one or more battery cells mentioned above. A battery module characterized by including
In paragraph 3, A battery module characterized by having one or more venting holes formed in the third cover portion.
In paragraph 4, Each of the above plurality of battery cell assemblies further includes a bottom cover that covers one or more venting holes formed in the third cover portion, and A battery module characterized by having a perforated line formed in the bottom cover that at least partially surrounds one or more venting holes.
In paragraph 5, A battery module characterized in that the bottom cover is extended and attached to at least a part of the first cover portion and the second cover portion of the cell cover.
In paragraph 5, A battery module characterized by the above-mentioned bottom cover comprising one or more of silicone resin and hydroxyl group-containing polyimide (HPI).
In paragraph 3, The fourth cover portion and the fifth cover portion of the cell cover each cover the upper portions of the front and rear of the one or more battery cells, and A battery module characterized in that the above busbar frame assembly is coupled to the cell cover and covers the lower portions of the front and rear of one or more battery cells that are exposed and not covered by the fourth cover portion and the fifth cover portion of the cell cover.
In paragraph 8, An insulating cover coupled to the cell cover and covering the busbar frame assembly A battery module characterized by further including
In paragraph 8, The fourth cover portion and the fifth cover portion of the cell cover are each formed to protrude in a direction opposite to the direction of the one or more battery cells, and A battery module characterized in that a portion of the busbar frame assembly is accommodated in the space between the one or more battery cells and the fourth cover portion, and in the space between the one or more battery cells and the fifth cover portion, respectively, formed by the protrusion of the fourth cover portion and the fifth cover portion.
In paragraph 1, The above busbar frame assembly is, A busbar connected to an electrode lead drawn from one or more battery cells of the plurality of battery cell assemblies; A busbar frame that supports the busbar and secures the plurality of battery cell assemblies stacked and coupled to the cell cover. A battery module characterized by including
In Paragraph 11, A battery module characterized in that electrode leads drawn from one or more of the above-mentioned battery cells are welded to the busbar in an extended state.
In Paragraph 11, A battery module characterized in that the busbar frame is made of non-flammable plastic and is injection molded integrally with the busbar.
In Paragraph 11, A battery module characterized by having a coupling slit formed in the busbar frame for fitting and coupling a part of the cell cover.
In paragraph 1, The cell cover and the busbar frame assembly of the plurality of battery cell assemblies each have a fastening hole formed therein for coupling with a pack case, and A battery pack characterized by further including a coupling bolt coupled to the above-mentioned fastening hole.
A battery module described in any one of claims 1 to 15; and Pack case for accommodating the above battery module A battery pack including
An automobile comprising at least one battery pack as described in paragraph 16.

Description

Battery module, and battery pack including the same and vehicle {BATTERY MODULE AND BATTERY PACK AND VEHICLE INCLUDING THE SAME} The present invention relates to a battery module, a battery pack including the same, and an automobile. Secondary batteries, which offer high applicability across product lines and possess electrical characteristics such as high energy density, are widely applied not only to portable devices but also to electric vehicles (EVs) or hybrid electric vehicles (HEVs) powered by electric driving sources. These secondary batteries are attracting attention as a new energy source for improving eco-friendliness and energy efficiency, as they not only have the primary advantage of being able to drastically reduce the use of fossil fuels but also the advantage of not generating any by-products from the use of energy. Conventionally, nickel-cadmium batteries or nickel-hydrogen batteries were widely used as secondary batteries; however, recently, lithium secondary batteries are being widely used because they exhibit almost no memory effect compared to nickel-based secondary batteries, allowing for free charging and discharging, have a very low self-discharge rate, and high energy density. These lithium secondary batteries primarily use lithium-based oxides and carbon materials as the positive and negative active materials, respectively. The lithium secondary battery comprises an electrode assembly in which a positive plate and a negative plate, each coated with the positive and negative active materials, are arranged with a separator in between, and an outer casing, namely a battery case, that seals and houses the electrode assembly together with an electrolyte. Generally, secondary batteries can be classified according to the shape of the casing into can-type batteries, in which the electrode assembly is embedded in a metal can, and pouch-type batteries, in which the electrode assembly is embedded in a pouch of aluminum laminate sheet. Recently, battery packs are widely used in medium-to-large-sized devices such as electric vehicles and energy storage systems (ESS). A battery pack includes one or more battery modules and a control unit, such as a battery management system (BMS), that controls the charging and discharging of the battery pack, inside a pack case. Here, the battery module is configured to include multiple battery cells inside a module case. That is, in the case of a conventional battery pack, multiple battery cells are housed inside a module case to form individual battery modules, and one or more of these battery modules are housed inside a pack case to form a battery pack. In particular, while pouch-type batteries offer advantages in various aspects, such as being lightweight and having minimal dead space during stacking, they are vulnerable to external impacts and have somewhat poor assembly capabilities. Therefore, it is common practice to manufacture battery packs by first modularizing multiple battery cells and then housing them inside a pack case. However, conventional battery packs may be disadvantageous in terms of energy density, assembly, and cooling performance due to modularization. Specifically, during the process of modularizing multiple battery cells by housing them inside a module case, the volume of the battery pack may unnecessarily increase or the space occupied by the battery cells may decrease due to various components such as the module case or the stacking frame. Since the process involves first assembling a battery module by modularizing multiple battery cells and then housing the battery module in a pack case, there is a problem with the manufacturing process of the battery pack becoming complex. As the module case is housed inside the pack case and the battery cells are housed inside the module case, if the heat from the battery cells housed inside the module case is dissipated to the outside of the pack case through the module case, cooling efficiency may decrease and the cooling structure may become complex. Recently, the demand for battery packs used in electric vehicles and the like has been increasing. Since these battery packs are equipped with multiple cells, their safety must be managed with greater strictness. If thermal runaway, ignition, or explosion occurs in some cells within a single battery module, the generated high-temperature gases, flames, or high-temperature internal materials may be ejected and propagate to adjacent battery modules, potentially leading to secondary thermal runaway, secondary fires, or explosions. Consequently, there is a concern that cells within multiple battery modules may be triggered in a chain reaction of thermal runaway, ignition, or explosion. Therefore, there is a critical need for means to suppress or delay the transfer of flames between battery modules in the event of thermal events such as thermal runaway. However, conventional battery packs and modules may be vulnerable to thermal events. In particular