KR-20260066648-A - BATTERY PACK, VEHICLE, AND ASSEMBLING PROCESS OF BATTERY PACK

KR20260066648AKR 20260066648 AKR20260066648 AKR 20260066648AKR-20260066648-A

Abstract

The battery pack includes a bottom cell holder having a storage structure that provides lateral and vertical forces to hold the battery cells. The bottom cell holder includes a layer of lateral stop structures, a layer of vertical stop structures, and a plurality of ventilation structures. The lateral stop structures are configured to accommodate the battery cells. The vertical stop structures are configured to support the weight of the battery cells. The vertical stop structures have a plurality of lateral channels that divide the vertical stop structures into individual islands, wherein, between the individual islands, the lateral channels form a gap between the bottom cell holder and the bottom wall. When a thermal event causes the battery cells to expel gas from their bottom, the gas passes through the lateral channels between the individual islands, then enters through the holes of the ventilation structures, and moves vertically toward the top end of the ventilation structures.

Inventors

린 위-충
츠 위-순
다이 상-츠
랴오 츠-원
촹 친-야오
투 카이-시앙
탕 츠-더
황 리-시앙
우 이-중

Assignees

싱 파워 인코포레이티드

Dates

Publication Date: 20260512
Application Date: 20251104
Priority Date: 20251103

Claims (20)

As a battery pack, At least one battery cell assembly (BCA) - the at least one battery cell assembly (BCA) is, Multiple battery cells (BC: battery cell); At least one cell holder configured to limit the position of the battery cell; and Includes at least one battery-cell-connecting member (BCCM) which is an electrical conductor configured to be connected to the electrode of the battery cell. A liquid-sealed enclosure configured to restrict the movement of a heat-managed liquid - said liquid-sealed enclosure, A front side wall, a left side wall, a right side wall, a rear side wall, a bottom wall, and a top wall integrated as the liquid-sealed enclosure and combined to define a space for accommodating the battery cell, the at least one cell holder, the at least one battery-cell-connect member, and the thermal-management liquid; A refrigerant inlet and a refrigerant outlet respectively installed on the right side wall and the left side wall, wherein the refrigerant inlet and the refrigerant outlet are configured to be interfaces for inputting and outputting the heat management liquid; At least one high-voltage connector installed on the front side wall to electrically connect to electrical equipment; and To provide a high-voltage electrical connection between the BCA and the electrical equipment, the apparatus includes at least one busbar connected to the high-voltage connector and the BCCM. The above enclosure is configured to be welded, adhesively bonded, or bolted to the above electrical equipment -; and A battery management system comprising at least one cell monitoring circuit (CMC). Includes, One BCA is monitored by one CMC, and A battery pack in which the external connection interface of the above CMC is assembled to the above enclosure, and the external connection interface is configured to connect to a low-voltage connector of a downstream signal circuit.
In paragraph 1, The above enclosure includes a signal opening structure, and The above signal opening structure is a through hole extending from the inner surface of the front sidewall to the outer surface of the front sidewall, and the through hole provides a channel for accommodating a signal communication interface, in a battery pack.
In paragraph 2, The above through hole includes a cylindrical-channel structure and a square-channel structure, and A battery pack, wherein the cylindrical-channel structure provides a through-hole extending from the inner surface of the sidewall to an intermediate section within the front sidewall, and such through-hole has a round-edged inner opening facing the BCA space and a round-edged outer opening facing the outer space of the enclosure.
In paragraph 1, The above battery pack includes a holder connection member, and The above cell holder includes a lower cell holder, and The above lower cell holder is attached to the surface of the above lower wall, and A battery pack, wherein the lower cell holder has a protrusion, the holder connecting member has a positioning hole, and the protrusion is inserted into the positioning hole to position the holder connecting member on the lower cell holder.
In paragraph 4, A battery pack comprising a plurality of fence structures that define a transverse channel for fluid to pass through by the spacing between the fence structures, wherein the holder connecting member comprises a plurality of fence structures.
In paragraph 1, The above cell holder includes a lower cell holder, and The lower cell holder is attached to the surface of the lower wall, and the lower cell holder includes a storage structure that provides lateral and vertical forces to maintain the battery cell, and the lower cell holder, Layer of a transverse stop structure - the transverse stop structure is a planar structure having a storage hole, and the storage hole is configured to penetrate the upper and lower surfaces of the lower cell holder and to accommodate the battery cell -; A layer of a vertical stop structure attached to the bottom of the above transverse stop structure and configured to support the weight of the battery cell - the vertical stop structure has a plurality of transverse channels dividing the vertical stop structure into discontinuous islands, and between the discontinuous islands, the transverse channels form a gap between the bottom cell holder and the bottom wall, and the transversely distributed transverse channels are formed to allow liquid or gas discharged from the bottom of the battery cell to pass through -; and A plurality of ventilation structures positioned above the transverse channel of the vertical stop structure and including a through hole extending from the lowest end of the transverse structure to the uppermost end of the ventilation structure, allowing vertical gas or liquid flow through the through hole, wherein the transverse channel is fluidically connected to the ventilation structure or the vertical fluid channel structure. Includes, A battery pack, wherein when a thermal event causes the battery cell to discharge gas from its bottom, the gas passes through the transverse channel between the discontinuous islands, then enters the through hole of the ventilation structure, and moves vertically toward the top end of the ventilation structure.
In paragraph 6, The lower cell holder further includes a connection structure and a plurality of vertical fluid channel structures located on both sides of the lower cell holder, and The above transverse channel is fluidically connected to the above vertical fluid channel structure, and A battery pack having a connection structure for connecting the lower cell holder to another lower cell holder.
In paragraph 6, A battery pack in which the horizontal projection area of the above-mentioned vertical stop structure is smaller than the horizontal projection area of the above-mentioned bottom cell holder.
In paragraph 1, The above-described BCCM is a battery pack comprising a plurality of parallel-connected groups of BCs, electrically connecting a plurality of BCs in parallel, and connecting a plurality of parallel-connected groups of BCs in series with at least one adjacent BC.
In paragraph 1, The right side wall may include a first internal passage which is a through hole having a first end fluidly connected to the inlet and a second end fluidly connected to the BCA space, and A battery pack, wherein the above-mentioned left side wall may include a second internal passage which is a through hole having a first end fluidly connected to the outlet and a second end fluidly connected to the BCA-space.
In Paragraph 10, Each of the above right side wall and the above left side wall further includes at least one passage interface structure configured as a fluid interface between the internal passage and the BCA-space, and The above-mentioned at least one passage interface structure includes a plurality of vertical protrusions extending from the inner side of the right side wall or the left side wall positioned below, and A battery pack, wherein the space between two adjacent vertical protrusions functions as a fluid channel for fluid to flow between the internal passage and the BCA-space.
As a vehicle, Chassis; and A battery system comprising at least one battery pack of claim 1 integrated into the chassis. A vehicle including
In Paragraph 12, The above battery system includes at least one battery cell assembly, a battery management system, and a thermal management system, and A battery pack formed by the battery cells that are electrically connected by the at least one battery cell assembly above.
As a battery pack assembly process, Step of assembling multiple side walls of an enclosure - said side walls include a front side wall, a rear side wall, a right side wall, and a left side wall, and a high-voltage connector and a signal interface circuit board are installed on said front side wall -; A step of installing a refrigerant inlet and a refrigerant outlet on the right side wall and the left side wall, respectively; Step of stacking the lower cell holder into the enclosure; A step of assembling a holder connecting member to the lower cell holder; A step of assembling two barriers to the right side wall and the left side wall, respectively; A step of assembling a plurality of battery cells into the lower cell holder within the enclosure; A step of connecting a portion of the high-voltage connector inside the enclosure to a contactor inside the enclosure; A step of assembling a plurality of connecting rods into a plurality of insertion holes of the lower cell holder - the connecting rods are positioned between the battery cells and protrude from above the battery cells -; A step of assembling the upper cell holder onto the connection rod and on top of the battery cell; A step of filling the enclosure with an interstitial material to secure the battery cell; A step of arranging a plurality of battery-cell-connecting members on the upper cell holder and assembling the battery-cell-connecting members to the battery cell; A step of sequentially installing two busbars into the enclosure to provide a high-voltage electrical connection from the inside to the outside of the battery pack; A step of installing a battery management system into the enclosure to provide signal connection from the inside to the outside of the battery pack; Step of installing the circuit layout of the temperature sensor; Step of installing a bottom wall on the bottom of the above enclosure; Step of installing an upper wall on the top of the above enclosure and installing a plurality of signal outlets on the upper wall Assembly process of a battery pack including
In Paragraph 14, Before stacking the lower cell holder into the enclosure, a plurality of positioning members are stacked with respect to the lower cell holder at the corners of the enclosure, and A battery pack assembly process in which, after stacking the lower cell holder into the enclosure, the corner of the lower cell holder contacts the positioning member.
In Paragraph 14, A battery pack assembly process in which the lower cell holder has a protrusion, the holder connecting member has a positioning hole, and the protrusion is inserted into the positioning hole to position the holder connecting member on the lower cell holder.
In Paragraph 14, An assembly process for a battery pack, wherein the lower cell holder comprises a layer of a transverse stop structure having a storage hole and a layer of a vertical stop structure, the battery cell is stored within the storage hole of the transverse stop structure and supported by the vertical stop structure, the inner side wall of the storage hole restricts the transverse movement of the battery cell, and the vertical stop structure restricts the downward vertical movement of the battery cell.
In Paragraph 17, An assembly process for a battery pack, wherein the thickness of the gap material is not greater than the height of the ventilation structure above the transverse stop structure, so that the gap material is not filled into the through hole of the ventilation structure.
In Paragraph 14, A battery pack assembly process in which a thermal couple is attached to the bottom of the battery cell before the battery cell is assembled to the bottom cell holder.
In Paragraph 14, An assembly process of a battery pack, wherein the upper cell holder has a plurality of assembly holes, and the connecting rod is inserted into the assembly holes to position the upper cell holder on top of the battery cell.

Description

Battery Pack, Vehicle, and Assembly Process of Battery Pack Cross-reference regarding related applications This application claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Application No. 63/716,203 filed November 4, 2024. Additionally, this application claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Application No. 63/735,305 filed December 17, 2024. The contents of these applications are incorporated herein by reference. The present disclosure generally relates to the integration of battery cells configured as a device capable of both storing and discharging electrical energy. Specifically, the present disclosure generally relates to a machine assembled from battery cells in which all battery cells are immersed in a thermal management liquid while in operation. Electrical energy is widely used to power modern machinery. At various stages of the electrical energy lifecycle, such as generation, distribution, and consumption, the temporary storage and subsequent discharge of energy are important and necessary. A rechargeable battery cell is a device that stores electrical energy by converting electrical energy into chemical energy (i.e., during the charging process) and then reconverting chemical energy back into electrical energy (i.e., during the discharging process). Depending on the application, battery cells are integrated through various methods to meet required electrical performance parameters. The integration of battery cells, or in other words, the battery cell assembly, is typically considered a subsystem of electrical equipment. In this disclosure, the phrase “electrical equipment” may refer to electrically powered machinery, vehicles having electric motors as prime movers, electrical energy storage systems electrically connected to a grid or power plant, or computing machines (e.g., IT gear, circuit boards, and/or servers having integrated circuit components configured to perform computational or information processing functions). Accordingly, it is also important to consider the integration between the battery cell assembly and the electrical equipment. Furthermore, it is widely known that integrating battery cells entails merging the thermal management system and the battery management system. Due to the aforementioned design considerations, optimizing the integration of battery cells presents a significant challenge. I. Problems to be Solved Optimizing the integration of battery cells requires simultaneously managing thermal performance, electrical interfaces, mechanical stacking, and manufacturability. In an immersion system, the thermal management liquid is configured to come into direct contact with the battery cells while its movement is restricted, so that modules can be stacked and sealed within a liquid-tight battery-pack enclosure. A refrigerant inlet and a refrigerant outlet may be installed on at least one side wall of the enclosure and configured to serve as an interface for inputting and outputting the thermal management liquid to a thermal management system. The battery cell assembly may include a cell monitoring circuit, a temperature sensor, and a voltage sensor to facilitate battery management functions. The battery cell assembly includes a bottom cell holder that is rigidly attached to the bottom wall of the enclosure. The bottom cell holder includes a storage structure that provides lateral and vertical forces to hold the battery cells. The bottom cell holder may be a rectangular plate and may include a layer of lateral stop structures, a layer of vertical stop structures, and a plurality of ventilation structures. A battery cell may be positioned on a bottom cell holder by means of a lateral stop structure and a vertical stop structure. The ventilation structure may include a through hole extending from the lowest end of the lateral stop structure to the uppermost end of the ventilation structure, thereby allowing vertical flow of gas or liquid through the through hole. The bottom cell holder may have a connection structure for connecting to another bottom cell holder. II. Technical Effects Immersion cooling can maintain the battery-cell temperature within a predetermined range and mitigate combustion. The housing structure of the bottom cell holder can provide lateral and vertical forces to support the battery cell. The battery cell can be positioned on the bottom cell holder by means of a lateral stop structure and a vertical stop structure. The inner sidewall of the housing hole restricts the lateral movement of the battery cell. The vertical stop structure protrudes inward in a radial direction from the housing hole to support the battery cell, thereby restricting the vertical downward movement of the battery cell. The through hole of the ventilation structure allows gas or liquid flow to pass through vertically. The vertical stop structure may have a plurality of lateral channels that divide the vertical stop structure into discontinuous islands. Between the discontinuous islands, chann