Batter pack including carbon heater

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10374446-B2
Application number	US-201715712847-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Sep 22, 2017
Priority date	Sep 23, 2016
Publication date	Aug 6, 2019
Grant date	Aug 6, 2019

Abstract

The present disclosure provides a battery pack including a battery cell array in which a plurality of battery cells are arranged in a state in which side surfaces thereof face each other, a heater disposed between the battery cells, a battery management system (BMS) configured to control an operation of the battery cells, and a temperature sensor configured to measure a temperature of the battery cells to transmit the measured temperature to the BMS. Here, when the temperature of the battery cells, which is measured from the temperature sensor, is equal to or less than a critical temperature, the BMS provides a current to the heater to increase the temperature of the battery cells.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A battery pack, comprising:
a battery cell array in which a plurality of battery cells are arranged such that side surfaces thereof face each other;
a heater disposed between two of the battery cells, the heater directly contacting one of the two battery cells, the heater being attached to the other of the two battery cells with a double-sided tape;
a battery management system (BMS) configured to control an operation of the battery cells; and
a temperature sensor configured to measure a temperature of the battery cells to transmit the measured temperature to the BMS,
wherein, when the temperature of the battery cells, which is measured from the temperature sensor, is equal to or less than a critical temperature, the BMS provides a current to the heater to increase the temperature of the battery cells.

2. The battery pack of claim 1 , wherein the heater comprises a carbon heating film.

3. The battery pack of claim 2 , wherein the carbon heating film comprises:
a composite film comprising a sheet shape; and
strip-type conductive terminals provided on both ends of the composite film in a width direction of the sheet.

4. The battery pack of claim 3 , wherein the carbon heating film emits heat due to resistance heat of the composite film when a current is applied to the conductive terminals.

5. The battery pack of claim 3 , wherein terminal recessed portions, at which the conductive terminals are positioned, are defined in one surface adjacent to both ends of the composite film in the width direction of the sheet.

6. The battery pack of claim 3 , wherein the strip-type conductive terminals are applied on the both ends of the composite film in the width direction of the sheet.

7. The battery pack of claim 1 , wherein the heater has a thickness of 50 μm to 100 μm.

8. The battery pack of claim 1 , wherein the critical temperature is set in a range of −40° C. to 0° C.

9. A battery pack, comprising:
a base plate;
at least one module accommodation portion on the base plate;
a plurality of battery modules mounted in the at least one module accommodation portion;
at least one battery module assembly comprising a plurality of battery modules that are arranged adjacent to each other and mounted to the at least one module accommodation portion;
an assembly cooling member disposed between a lower portion of the battery module assembly and the base plate and through which a refrigerant flows horizontally to the ground to cool the battery modules configuring the battery module assembly;
at least one heater mounted to a portion of an outer surface of the assembly cooling member;
a battery management system (BMS) mounted to an upper end of the battery module assembly to control an operation of the battery modules; and
a temperature sensor configured to measure a temperature of the battery modules to transmit the measured temperature to the BMS,
wherein, when the temperature of the battery cells, which is measured from the temperature sensor, is equal to or less than a critical temperature, the BMS provides a current to the heater to increase the temperature of the assembly cooling member.

10. The battery pack of claim 9 , wherein the heater is mounted to an upper outer surface of the assembly cooling member in a portion that is not in contact with the battery modules.

11. The battery pack of claim 9 , wherein the assembly cooling member comprises:
a heat transfer plate mounted to a lower end of the battery modules configuring the battery module assembly; and
an assembly cooling plate mounted to a bottom surface of the heat transfer plate in a thermal contact state and having a hollow structure or a refrigerant pipe, through which the refrigerant flows.

12. The battery pack of claim 9 , wherein:
the battery module comprises:
two or more battery cells of which the same surfaces are stacked and arranged in the same direction as each other;
frame members surrounding outer circumferential sides of the battery cells, respectively; and
cooling members each having a plate shape and respectively facing to contact the battery cells;

one battery cell is mounted to one side of one frame member; and
one cooling member is mounted to the other side of the one frame member to configure a unit module.

13. The battery pack of claim 12 , wherein, in the frame member, a locking part for being coupled to the frame member of the adjacent unit module is provided on at least one outer circumferential side from among the rest of the outer circumferential sides, except for the outer circumferential side corresponding to an electrode terminal of the battery cell.

14. The battery pack of claim 13 , wherein the locking part comprises:
a first coupling portion protruding in a direction in which the battery cells are stacked to be coupled to the frame member of the adjacent unit module by a hook structure; and
a second coupling portion that is a recessed groove having a shape corresponding to the first coupling portion so that the first coupling portion of the frame member of another adjacent unit module is inserted and coupled thereto.

15. The battery pack of claim 12 , wherein the frame member comprises an extended locking portion having a shape protruding outward from at least one corner to intensify locking with other frame members.

16. The battery pack of claim 15 , wherein:
an extended locking hole is perforated in the extended coupling portion; and
an extended locking tool is inserted into the extended locking portions of the frame members to couple the frame members to each other.

17. The battery pack of claim 9 , wherein the heater comprises a carbon heating film.

18. The battery pack of claim 17 , wherein the carbon heating film comprises:
a composite film comprising a sheet shape; and
strip-type conductive terminals provided on both ends of the composite film in a width direction of the sheet.

19. The battery pack of claim 9 , wherein the critical temperature is set in a range of −40° C. to 0° C.

Assignees

• Lg Chemical Ltd

Inventors

• Lim Jong Min
• Ahn Sang Jin

Classifications

• H01M10/625

  Vehicles · CPC title

• H01M10/613

  Cooling or keeping cold · CPC title

• H01M10/6551

  Surfaces specially adapted for heat dissipation or radiation, e.g. fins or coatings · CPC title

• H01M10/0525

  Rocking-chair batteries, i.e. batteries with lithium insertion or intercalation in both electrodes; Lithium-ion batteries · CPC title

• H01M2220/30

  Batteries in portable systems, e.g. mobile phone, laptop · CPC title