Battery module having structure capable of rapid cooling, and ESS comprising same

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12362408-B2
Application number	US-202117633737-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jan 15, 2021
Priority date	Feb 27, 2020
Publication date	Jul 15, 2025
Grant date	Jul 15, 2025

Abstract

A battery module includes a plurality of battery cells; a module housing configured to accommodate a cell stack including the plurality of battery cells; a sprinkler provided through the module housing at one side of the cell stack in a stacking direction; and a thermally expanding block disposed in an empty space inside the module housing and configured to be thermally expanded according to a temperature rise inside the module housing.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A battery module, comprising:
a cell stack including a plurality of battery cells;
a module housing configured to accommodate the cell stack;
a sprinkler configured to supply cooling fluid inside the module housing and provided through the module housing at one side of the cell stack in a stacking direction; and
a first plurality of thermally expanding blocks disposed in an empty space inside the module housing and configured to be thermally expanded according to a temperature rise inside the module housing, thereby reducing the volume of the empty space configured to be filled with the cooling fluid,
wherein the module housing includes:
a pair of base covers configured to cover a lower surface and an upper surface of the cell stack, respectively;
a pair of side covers configured to cover side surfaces of the cell stack;
a front cover configured to cover a front surface of the cell stack; and
a rear cover configured to cover a rear surface of the cell stack,

wherein the battery module comprises a pair of bus bar frames coupled to a first side and a second side of the cell stack in a width direction, respectively,
wherein the first plurality of thermally expanding blocks are spaced apart from each other along a longitudinal direction of the battery module and directly on a first base cover of the pair of base covers,
wherein the first plurality of thermally expanding blocks is between a first bus bar frame of the pair of bus bar frames and a first side cover of the pair of side covers, and
wherein the cell stack is on the first base cover.

2. The battery module according to claim 1 , wherein a second plurality of thermally expanding blocks are interposed between terrace portions of the plurality of battery cells adjacent to each other, respectively.

3. The battery module according to claim 1 , wherein the first plurality of thermally expanding blocks includes a thermally expanding foaming agent.

4. The battery module according to claim 1 , wherein the sprinkler includes:
a coupler positioned at an outer side of the module housing and configured to be connected to a supply tube that supplies the cooling fluid;
a sprinkler head positioned at an inner side of the module housing and connected to the coupler; and
an insulation cover including a fixing portion fixed to the module housing and a cover portion fixed to the fixing portion by a bonding layer and configured to be separated from the fixing portion over a reference temperature as a bonding force of the bonding layer is decreased or lost.

5. The battery module according to claim 4 , wherein the sprinkler is provided through the rear cover and positioned in an empty space formed between a bus bar frame of the pair of bus bar frames and a side cover of the pair of side covers.

6. The battery module according to claim 4 , wherein the cover portion is hinged to the fixing portion and is opened by rotating about an axis at the bottom of the cover portion.

7. The battery module according to claim 1 , wherein the battery module comprises:
an air inlet formed through the front cover;
an air outlet formed through the rear cover; and
an expansion pad disposed at an inner side of the air inlet and the air outlet and configured to at least partially close the air inlet and the air outlet by expanding when contacting the cooling fluid introduced into the battery module.

8. The battery module according to claim 7 , wherein the expansion pad is attached onto an inner surface of the module housing.

9. The battery module according to claim 7 , wherein the expansion pad is at least partially inserted into an accommodation groove formed at an inner surface of the module housing.

10. The battery module according to claim 7 , wherein the battery module comprises mesh plates respectively disposed at opposite sides of the expansion pad to guide an expanding movement of the expansion pad.

11. The battery module according to claim 7 , wherein the air inlet and the air outlet are formed at locations corresponding to an empty space formed between a bus bar frame of the pair of bus bar frames and a side cover of the pair of side covers.

12. An energy storage system (ESS), comprising a plurality of battery modules according to claim 1 .

13. The battery module according to claim 1 , wherein each of the plurality of battery cells includes an accommodation portion and a terrace portion,
wherein a distance between the terrace portions is greater than a distance between the accommodation portions in adjacent battery cells of the cell stack, and
wherein a second plurality of thermally expanding blocks are interposed between terrace portions of the plurality of battery cells adjacent to each other.

14. The battery module according to claim 13 , further comprising an electrode lead extending from the terrace portion of each of the plurality of battery cells,
wherein a height of the second plurality of thermally expanding blocks is less than a height of the electrode leads.

Assignees

• Lg Energy Solution Ltd

Inventors

• Kim Seung-Hyun
• Jeong Ji-Won
• Bae Kyung-Hyun
• Shin Jin-Kyu
• Lee Jin-Kyu

Classifications

• A62C3/16

  in electrical installations, e.g. cableways · CPC title

• A62C2/065

  having as the main closure device materials, whose characteristics undergo an irreversible change under high temperatures, e.g. intumescent · CPC title

• H01M50/271

  Lids or covers for the racks or secondary casings · CPC title

• H01M50/375

  Vent means sensitive to or responsive to temperature · CPC title

• H01M50/383

  Flame arresting or ignition-preventing means · CPC title