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KR-20260067121-A - BATTERY ASSEMBLY

KR20260067121AKR 20260067121 AKR20260067121 AKR 20260067121AKR-20260067121-A

Abstract

A battery assembly is disclosed. A battery assembly according to one embodiment of the present invention may include: a case comprising a top cover having a space inside and a flow path; a plurality of battery cells accommodated inside the case and stacked along the left and right directions; a barrier located between the plurality of battery cells and comprising a first material; and a second material accommodated in the flow path and configured to expand by reacting with the first material.

Inventors

  • 이병준
  • 이혜영
  • 조영민
  • 한민희

Assignees

  • 주식회사 엘지에너지솔루션

Dates

Publication Date
20260512
Application Date
20241105

Claims (14)

  1. A case including a top cover that provides internal space and is equipped with a Euro; A plurality of battery cells housed inside the above case and stacked along the left and right directions; A barrier located between the plurality of battery cells and comprising a first material; and, A battery assembly comprising a second material that is accommodated in the above Euro and configured to expand by reacting with the first material.
  2. In Article 1, The above second material is, A battery assembly configured to be injected into the interior of the case when a thermal event occurs.
  3. In Article 1, Each of the above plurality of battery cells is: A storage portion extending along the front-rear direction and equipped with an electrode assembly; and, It includes an electrode lead protruding forward from the above storage portion, and The above barrier is, A battery module comprising a first part located between the storage portions of adjacent battery cells among the plurality of battery cells.
  4. In Paragraph 3, The above barrier is, A battery module further comprising a second part extending along the front-rear direction from the first part and covering the front of the housing portion of the adjacent battery cell.
  5. In Paragraph 4, The width of the above second part in the left-right direction is, A battery module configured to be larger than the width in the left-right direction of the first part above.
  6. In Paragraph 4, It further includes a busbar frame assembly electrically connected to the plurality of battery cells, and The above busbar frame assembly is, The device is provided with a slit through which the electrode leads of the plurality of battery cells pass, and The above barrier is, A battery assembly further comprising a third part extending from the second part and inserted into the slit.
  7. In Article 1, A battery assembly further comprising a heat transfer member disposed between the top cover and the plurality of battery cells.
  8. In Article 1, The above top cover is, A battery assembly comprising a rupture portion formed between the above Euro and the above barrier and configured to rupture upon the occurrence of a thermal event.
  9. In Article 8, The thickness of the above-mentioned rupture portion is, A battery assembly configured to be thinner than the thickness of the portion adjacent to the rupture portion.
  10. In Article 1, The above top cover is: A spray hole formed between the above Euro and the above barrier; and, A battery assembly including a melting member covering the injection hole.
  11. In Article 1, The above barrier is, A battery assembly extending along the longitudinal direction of the above Euro.
  12. In Article 1, The above barrier is, Battery assembly including fiber material.
  13. In Article 1, The above barrier is, It includes a shell that provides space inside, The above first substance is, A battery assembly placed inside the above shell.
  14. An automobile comprising a battery assembly according to any one of claims 1 to 13.

Description

Battery Assembly The present invention relates to a battery assembly. As the demand for portable electronic products such as smartphones, tablet PCs, and smartwatches increases significantly and electric vehicles become increasingly widespread, research on batteries installed in them, particularly secondary batteries capable of repeated charging and discharging, is actively underway. Currently commercialized rechargeable batteries include nickel-cadmium, nickel-hydrogen, nickel-zinc, and lithium-ion batteries. Among these, lithium-ion batteries are gaining attention for their advantages, such as the ability to charge and discharge freely with almost no memory effect compared to nickel-based batteries, 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, lithium secondary batteries can be classified according to the shape of the casing into can-type secondary batteries, in which the electrode assembly is embedded in a metal can, and pouch-type secondary batteries, in which the electrode assembly is embedded in a pouch of aluminum laminate sheet. Recently, secondary batteries are widely used for driving or energy storage not only in small devices such as portable electronic devices but also in medium-to-large devices such as electric vehicles and Energy Storage Systems (ESS). A single battery module can be formed by housing multiple such secondary batteries together inside a module case while electrically connected. In this case, each secondary battery included in a single battery module can be referred to as a battery cell. Furthermore, multiple such battery modules can be connected to form a single battery pack. However, when a battery pack contains multiple battery modules, and each module contains multiple battery cells, it may be vulnerable to thermal chain reactions between modules or cells. For example, if an event such as thermal runaway occurs within a single battery module, it is necessary to suppress the propagation of this runaway to other battery modules or cells. If the propagation of thermal runaway between modules or cells is not properly suppressed, an event originating in a specific module or cell may trigger a chain reaction of thermal reactions in other modules or cells, potentially causing explosions or fires, or significantly amplifying their scale. In particular, if an event such as thermal runaway occurs in a single battery module, gases or flames may be randomly released to the outside. If the release of such gases or flames is not properly controlled, they may be released toward other battery modules, potentially causing a thermal chain reaction in those modules. Specifically, module terminals may be located on the front side of a battery module to provide electrical connections to other battery modules or battery packs, such as module busbars. Therefore, if flames are released toward the front of such a battery module, they can damage the module terminals within the battery pack and cause an electrical short circuit. Furthermore, since other battery modules may be located in front of a specific battery module, if flames are released toward the front of that module, the emitted flames may spread toward other modules, making it easy for fire to spread between battery modules. If thermal propagation between battery modules or between battery cells is not properly controlled, a rapid voltage drop in the battery module or battery pack may occur. This can lead to a sudden shutdown of the device equipped with the battery module or battery pack, causing unexpected damage. For example, if a sudden voltage drop in the battery pack occurs while an electric vehicle is in operation, there may not be enough time to move the electric vehicle to a safe location. Furthermore, if thermal propagation between battery modules or battery cells is not properly controlled and a fire or explosion occurs suddenly, there is a high possibility of causing casualties to users. For example, if thermal runaway occurs in an electric vehicle and a certain amount of time is not secured before it progresses into a full-scale fire, the occupants may not be able to escape safely. 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