Patent Description:
Meanwhile, when a plurality of battery cells are connected in series or in parallel to configure a battery pack, it is common to configure a battery module including at least one battery cell first, and then configure a battery pack by using at least one battery module and adding other components. Here, by using the battery pack including at least one battery module, according to various voltage and capacity requirements, an energy storage system may be configured to include battery racks, each having at least one battery pack.

In the case of a battery module used for a conventional energy storage system, a fire-fighting facility is provided to cope with risks such as fire caused by overheating that may occur due to the characteristics of the battery cell in the rack container that accommodates battery racks, each having a plurality of battery modules.

However, if fire starts inside the battery module, it is difficult to quickly extinguish the fire. If the fire is not quickly extinguished in the battery module or delayed to allow fire spreading, the fire may be transferred to surrounding battery modules more rapidly. Accordingly, there is a high possibility that the fire-fighting facility inside the rack container is operated later after damage is generated to the extent that it is difficult to recover.

Therefore, in the event of a fire situation, it is necessary to promptly extinguish the fire more quickly, and for this purpose, it is necessary to extinguish the fire and prevent fire spreading inside the battery module.

Further prior art is described in <CIT>, <CIT> and in <CIT>.

The present disclosure is directed to providing a battery module, which may extinguish fire and prevent fire spreading inside the battery module when a fire situation occurs, and a battery rack and an energy storage system including the battery module.

In one aspect of the present disclosure, there is provided a battery module, comprising: a plurality of battery cells; a module case configured to accommodate the plurality of battery cells; an air intake unit provided to one side of the module case and configured to guide an air into the module case to cool the plurality of battery cells; an air discharge unit provided to the other side of the module case and configured to discharge the air introduced into the module case through the air intake unit to the outside of the module case; and at least one sheet member attached to an inner wall of the module case between the air discharge unit and the air intake unit and configured to expand at a predetermined temperature or above to seal an inner space of the module case, wherein the sheet member is provided in plural, and the plurality of sheet members are attached to a front inner wall, a rear inner wall, both side inner walls, an upper inner wall and a lower inner wall of the module case, respectively, wherein the battery module further comprises a pair of air circulation guide members disposed at inner portions of both sides of the module case to face the air intake unit and the air discharge unit, respectively, and having an air circulation flow path formed therein, and the pair of air circulation guide members are made of the same material as the at least one sheet member.

The plurality of sheet members may be sealed to each other at each edge.

The pair of air circulation guide members may be disposed to face each other with the plurality of battery cells being interposed therebetween.

The pair of air circulation guide members may include a plurality of guide slits provided to one side thereof to face the plurality of battery cells and spaced apart from each other by a predetermined distance.

The pair of air circulation guide members may include a plurality of guide barriers provided adjacent to the plurality of guide slits and inclined at a predetermined angle inside the air circulation flow path.

In addition, the present disclosure further provides a battery rack, comprising: at least one battery module according to the above embodiments; and a rack case configured to accommodate the at least one battery module.

Moreover, the present disclosure further provides an energy storage system, comprising at least one battery rack according to the above embodiments.

According to various embodiments as above, it is possible to provide a battery module, which may extinguish fire and prevent fire spreading inside the battery module when a fire situation occurs, and a battery rack and an energy storage system including the battery module.

<FIG> is a diagram for illustrating a battery module according to an embodiment of the present disclosure, and <FIG> is an exploded perspective view showing the battery module of <FIG>.

Referring to <FIG> and <FIG>, a battery module <NUM> includes a battery cell <NUM>, a module case <NUM>, an air intake unit <NUM>, an air discharge unit <NUM> and a plurality of sheet members <NUM>.

The battery cell <NUM> is a secondary battery and may be provided as a pouch-type secondary battery, a rectangular secondary battery or a cylindrical secondary battery. Hereinafter, in this embodiment, the battery cell <NUM> will be described as a pouch-type secondary battery.

The battery cell <NUM> may be provided in plural. The plurality of battery cells <NUM> may be provided to be stacked on each other. The plurality of battery cells <NUM> may be electrically connected to each other.

The module case <NUM> accommodates the plurality of battery cells <NUM>. The module case <NUM> includes a case body <NUM> and a case cover <NUM>.

An accommodation space for accommodating the plurality of battery cells <NUM> is provided in the case body <NUM>. The case cover <NUM> is disposed at an upper side of the plurality of battery cells <NUM> and may be coupled to the case body <NUM>.

The air intake unit <NUM> is provided to one side of the module case <NUM>, specifically at a rear side of the case body <NUM>, and guides air into the module case <NUM> to cool the plurality of battery cells <NUM>.

The air discharge unit <NUM> is provided to the other side of the module case <NUM>, specifically at a front side of the case body <NUM>, to discharge air introduced into the module case <NUM> through the air intake unit <NUM> to the outside of the module case <NUM>.

The sheet members <NUM> are attached to an inner wall of the module case <NUM> between the air discharge unit <NUM> and the air intake unit <NUM> and expand at a predetermined temperature or above to seal an inner space of the module case <NUM>.

The sheet members <NUM> may be made of a material that may be expanded at a predetermined temperature or above. For example, the sheet members <NUM> may be made of a foam-type material whose volume increases at a predetermined temperature or above.

The sheet member <NUM> are provided in plural.

The plurality of sheet members <NUM> are attached to a front inner wall, a rear inner wall, both side inner walls, an upper inner wall and a lower inner wall of the module case <NUM>, respectively. Specifically, the plurality of sheet members <NUM> are attached to a front inner wall, a rear inner wall, both side inner walls and a lower inner wall of the case body <NUM> and an upper inner wall of the case cover <NUM>. Here, the plurality of sheet members <NUM> may be sealed at each edge.

<FIG> is a cross-sectional view showing the battery module of <FIG>, <FIG> is a diagram for illustrating an air circulation guide member of the battery module of <FIG>, <FIG> is a cross-sectional view showing the air circulation guide member of <FIG>, <FIG> is a diagram for illustrating another embodiment of the air circulation guide member of <FIG>, and <FIG> is a diagram for illustrating air circulation for cooling the battery module of <FIG>.

Referring to <FIG>, the battery module <NUM> further includes a pair of air circulation guide members <NUM>, <NUM>.

The pair of air circulation guide members <NUM>, <NUM> are disposed at an inner portion of both sides of the module case <NUM>, specifically the case body <NUM>, to face the air intake unit <NUM> and the air discharge unit <NUM>. Specifically, the pair of air circulation guide members <NUM>, <NUM> may be disposed to face each other with the plurality of battery cells <NUM> being interposed therebetween.

The pair of air circulation guide members <NUM>, <NUM> are made of the same material as the at least one sheet member <NUM>. That is, the pair of air circulation guide members <NUM>, <NUM> are also made of a material that expands at a predetermined temperature or above.

The pair of air circulation guide members <NUM>, <NUM> include a first air circulation guide member <NUM> and a second air circulation guide member <NUM>.

The first air circulation guide member <NUM> is for guiding air introduced through the air intake unit <NUM> to the plurality of battery cells <NUM>, and may include an air circulation flow path <NUM>, a guide slit <NUM> and a guide barrier <NUM>.

The air circulation flow path <NUM> communicates with the air intake unit <NUM>, and may be elongated along a stacking direction of the plurality of battery cells <NUM>.

The guide slit <NUM> communicates with the air circulation flow path <NUM>, and may be provided to one side thereof to face the plurality of battery cells <NUM>. The guide slit <NUM> may be provided in plural. The plurality of guide slits <NUM> may be arranged to be spaced from each other by a predetermined distance along the stacking direction of the battery cells <NUM>, and may guide the air in the air circulation flow path <NUM> to move toward the plurality of battery cells <NUM>.

The guide barrier <NUM> may be provided in plural. The plurality of guide barriers <NUM> may be disposed adjacent to the plurality of guide slits <NUM>, and may be inclined at a predetermined angle inside the air circulation flow path <NUM>. The plurality of guide barriers <NUM> may guide the air to be introduced more uniformly toward the plurality of guide slits <NUM>.

The second air circulation guide member <NUM> is for guiding the air cooling the plurality of battery cells <NUM> toward the air discharge unit <NUM>, and may include an air circulation flow path <NUM>, a guide slit <NUM> and a guide barrier <NUM>.

The air circulation flow path <NUM> communicates with the air discharge unit <NUM>, and may be elongated along the stacking direction of the plurality of battery cells <NUM>.

The guide slit <NUM> communicates with the air circulation flow path <NUM>, and may be provided to face the plurality of battery cells <NUM>. The guide slit <NUM> may be provided in plural. The plurality of guide slits <NUM> may be arranged to be spaced from each other by a predetermined distance along the stacking direction of the battery cells <NUM>, and may guide the air to move from the plurality of battery cells <NUM> toward the air circulation flow path <NUM>.

The guide barrier <NUM> may be provided in plural. The plurality of guide barriers <NUM> are disposed adjacent to the plurality of guide slits <NUM>, and may be included at a predetermined angle inside the air circulation flow path <NUM>. The plurality of guide barriers <NUM> may guide the air introduced from the plurality of guide slits <NUM> to move toward the air discharge unit <NUM> more uniformly.

Meanwhile, the guide barrier <NUM> may be coupled as a separate member as shown in <FIG>, or a guide barrier <NUM> may also be formed as an integral body as shown in <FIG>.

<FIG> is a diagram for illustrating an operation of the sheet member and the air circulation guide member when the battery module of <FIG> has a predetermined temperature or above.

Referring to <FIG>, in the case of the battery module <NUM>, a fire may occur due to overheating in at least one of the plurality of battery cells <NUM> inside the module case <NUM>.

When such a fire occurs, the temperature inside the module case <NUM> rises. If the temperature exceeds the predetermined temperature, the plurality of sheet members <NUM> and the pair of air circulation guide members <NUM>, <NUM> are expanded to seal the inner space of the module case <NUM>.

As the inner space of the module case <NUM> is sealed due to the expansion of the plurality of sheet members <NUM> and the pair of air circulation guide members <NUM>, <NUM>, it is possible to block the introduction of oxygen into the module case <NUM> at the air intake unit <NUM> or the air discharge unit <NUM>.

Accordingly, the fire generated inside the battery module <NUM> may be suppressed more rapidly or weakened significantly, and heat diffusion to the outside of the battery module <NUM> may be effectively prevented.

Thus, when a fire situation occurs, the battery module <NUM> of this embodiment may more quickly extinguish the fire or effectively prevent the fire from spreading by using the sheet members <NUM> and the air circulation guide members <NUM>, <NUM> at the inside of the battery module <NUM>.

<FIG> is a diagram for illustrating a battery rack according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

Referring to <FIG>, a battery rack <NUM> may include a plurality of battery modules <NUM> of the former embodiment and a rack case <NUM> for accommodating the plurality of battery modules <NUM>.

Since the battery rack <NUM> of this embodiment includes the battery module <NUM> of the former embodiment, the battery rack <NUM> may have all advantages of the battery module <NUM> of the former embodiment.

In other words, even if a fire situation occurs in any one battery module <NUM>, the battery rack <NUM> of this embodiment may more quickly seal the inside of the battery module <NUM> at which the fire situation occurs, thereby quickly extinguishing the fire or effectively preventing the fire from spreading to neighboring battery modules <NUM>.

<FIG> is a diagram for illustrating an energy storage system according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

Referring to <FIG>, an energy storage system E may be used for home or industries as an energy source. The energy storage system E may include at least one battery rack <NUM> of the former embodiment, or a plurality of battery racks <NUM> in this embodiment, and a rack container C for accommodating the plurality of battery racks <NUM>.

Since the energy storage system E of this embodiment includes the battery rack <NUM> of the former embodiment, the energy storage system E may have all advantages of the battery rack <NUM> of the former embodiment.

According to various embodiments as above, it is possible to provide the battery module <NUM>, which may extinguish fire and prevent fire spreading inside the battery module <NUM> when a fire situation occurs, and the battery rack <NUM> and the energy storage system E including the battery module <NUM>.

Claim 1:
A battery module (<NUM>), comprising:
a plurality of battery cells (<NUM>);
a module case (<NUM>) configured to accommodate the plurality of battery cells (<NUM>);
an air intake unit (<NUM>) provided to one side of the module case (<NUM>) and configured to guide an air into the module case (<NUM>) to cool the plurality of battery cells (<NUM>);
an air discharge unit (<NUM>) provided to the other side of the module case (<NUM>) and configured to discharge the air introduced into the module case (<NUM>) through the air intake unit (<NUM>) to the outside of the module case (<NUM>); and
at least one sheet member (<NUM>) attached to an inner wall of the module case (<NUM>) between the air discharge unit (<NUM>) and the air intake unit (<NUM>) and configured to expand at a predetermined temperature or above to seal an inner space of the module case (<NUM>),
wherein the sheet member (<NUM>) is provided in plural, and
the plurality of sheet members (<NUM>) are attached to a front inner wall, a rear inner wall, both side inner walls, an upper inner wall and a lower inner wall of the module case (<NUM>), respectively, and
further comprising a pair of air circulation guide members (<NUM>, <NUM>) disposed at inner portions of both sides of the module case (<NUM>) to face the air intake unit (<NUM>) and the air discharge unit (<NUM>), respectively, and having an air circulation flow path (<NUM>, <NUM>) formed therein,
wherein the pair of air circulation guide members (<NUM>, <NUM>) are made of the same material as the at least one sheet member (<NUM>).