KR-20260067651-A - BATTERY MODULE

KR20260067651AKR 20260067651 AKR20260067651 AKR 20260067651AKR-20260067651-A

Abstract

A battery module is disclosed. A battery module according to one embodiment of the present invention may include a plurality of battery cells stacked along a left-right direction; and a cooling plate disposed between the plurality of battery cells and having a flow path inside, the cooling plate comprising a resistance member disposed in the flow path.

Inventors

이상준
강종모
권현수
노용환
박신영
서성원
안문열
황태원

Assignees

주식회사 엘지에너지솔루션

Dates

Publication Date: 20260513
Application Date: 20241106

Claims (12)

Multiple battery cells stacked along the left-right direction; and, A battery module comprising a cooling plate disposed between the plurality of battery cells and having a flow path inside, the cooling plate comprising a resistance member disposed in the flow path.
In Article 1, The above cooling plate is, It further includes an inlet and an outlet communicating with the above-mentioned Euro, The above Euro is: A supply channel connected to the above-mentioned inlet and extending in the vertical direction; A discharge channel communicating with the above-mentioned outlet and extending in the vertical direction; and, A battery module including a heat exchange channel connecting the supply channel and the discharge channel.
In Article 2, The above resistance member is, A battery module placed in the above supply path.
In Article 2, The above resistance member is, A battery module placed in the above discharge path.
In Paragraph 3, The above resistance member is, A battery module having a channel formed along the vertical direction.
In Paragraph 3, The above resistance member is, Served in multiple forms, The above plurality of resistance members are, Battery modules arranged along the vertical direction.
In Paragraph 3, The above cooling plate is, A battery module comprising a first cooling plate and a second cooling plate arranged along the left-right direction.
In Article 7, The resistance member of the first cooling plate above is, A battery module configured to be longer than the resistance member of the second cooling plate.
In Article 7, The resistance members of the first cooling plate are provided in plurality, and The resistance members of the second cooling plate are provided in plurality, and The number of resistance members of the first cooling plate is, A battery module configured to have more than the number of resistance members of the second cooling plate.
In Article 8 or Article 9, It further includes a cooling fluid supplied to the first cooling plate and the second cooling plate, The first cooling plate above is, A battery module located upstream of the second cooling plate.
A battery pack comprising a battery module according to any one of claims 1 to 10.
An automobile comprising a battery module according to any one of claims 1 to 10.

Description

Battery Module The present invention relates to a battery module. 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. Therefore, it is necessary to effectively cool the battery cells to suppress thermal events or heat propagation. Additionally, it is necessary to improve the performance of the battery module or battery pack by reducing the temperature variation between multiple battery cells. The following drawings attached to this specification illustrate preferred embodimen