Patent Description:
A secondary battery has attracted much attention as an energy source in various products such as a mobile device and an electric vehicle. The secondary battery is a potent energy resource that can replace the use of existing products using fossil fuels, and is in the spotlight as an environment-friendly energy source because it does not generate by-products due to energy use.

Recently, along with a continuous rise of the necessity for a large-capacity secondary battery structure, including the utilization of the secondary battery as an energy storage source, there is a growing demand for a battery pack of a multi-module structure which is an assembly of battery modules in which a plurality of secondary batteries are connected in series/parallel.

Meanwhile, when a plurality of battery cells are connected in series/parallel to configure a battery pack, it is common to configure a battery module composed of at least one battery cell first, and then configure a battery pack by using at least one of the battery modules and adding other components. The battery pack may be used mainly as an energy source of an electric vehicle.

When designing such a battery module, it has been developed by pressing the battery cells at a constant pressure and thus, the battery cells are swelled in the process of repeating charging and discharging. However, as the battery cells are swelling, there is a concern that swelling may occur to such an extent as to push out the surrounding module frame and battery pack case.

Therefore, if the pressure of battery cells can be measured, action can be taken through the measured pressure before the appearance of the battery module or the battery pack is deformed, thereby securing the safety of the battery module and the battery pack. At this time, the swelling pressure of the battery cells can be measured by using pressure sensors, but in the case of the RSR (Force-Sensing Resistor) sensor, which has previously been often used as a pressure sensor, there is a problem it is small in size and thus dose not measure all the swelling pressures generated on the entire surface of the battery cells.

Further, when the size of the FSR sensor is made larger in compliance with the surface size of the battery cells, a spacer that supports an upper plate and a lower plate between the upper plate and the lower plate no longer supports the upper plate and the lower plate, which causes a problem that the swelling pressure of the battery cells are not accurately measured.

<CIT> relates to a method of detecting swelling of a battery using a pressure sensor and an electronic device using the method. An electronic device includes a pressure sensor that is located at a lower layer of a plurality of layers of a display and at an upper portion of the battery. The electronic device detects swelling of the battery through the pressure sensor located at the lower portion of the display. The pressure sensor may be an induction type pressure sensor including an inductor. A plurality of inductors are connected to a measuring device via a plurality of signal lines.

<CIT> concerns a battery pressure detection sensor and a terminal including the same.

<CIT> concerns a battery pack and a battery module using the same, wherein swelling of the battery cell is detected by a sensing terminal.

It is an object of the present invention to provide a battery module including stacked battery cells and a method for measuring a pressure of battery cells, which can accurately measure a swelling pressure of the battery cell.

The objects of the present disclosure are not limited to the aforementioned object, and other objects which are not described herein should be clearly understood by those skilled in the art from the following detailed description.

In order to achieve the above object, one embodiment of the present invention provides a battery module including stacked battery cells and a method for measuring a pressure of battery cells, as defined in claims <NUM> and <NUM>. The battery module comprises: stacked battery cells, and a pressure sensor configured to measure the pressure of the battery cells stacked in the interior of the battery module, wherein the pressure sensor includes a plurality of pressure measuring units, a connection unit for connecting the plurality of pressure measuring units to each other, and an output unit connected to the connection unit and configured to output pressure values measured through the pressure measuring units, and wherein the plurality of pressure measuring units are arranged on a surface of the battery cell to measure the pressure of the battery cell. The output unit is formed of one unit, and the pressure values measured through the pressure measuring units are summed up into one value and outputted.

Each of the plurality of pressure measuring units may include a current input unit and a current output unit, the connection unit may include a current input side connection unit for connecting the current input units, and a current output side connection unit for connecting the current output units, and the output unit may be connected to the current input side connection unit and the current output side connection unit to output the pressure value measured by the plurality of pressure measuring units.

Each battery cell may include a cell body, a cell terrace, and an electrode lead, and the plurality of pressure measuring units may be arranged on the body surfaces of the cell bodies.

The plurality of pressure measuring units may be arranged in rectangular grids on the surface of the battery cell.

The plurality of pressure measuring units may be formed of a circular shape having a pattern.

A method for measuring a pressure of battery cells of the above battery module includes the steps of applying a pressure to the pressure sensor while the battery cells are swelled, transferring sensing information of the pressure sensor to a BMS (battery management system), and transferring the sensing information from a MCU (micro controller unit) inside the BMS to an ECU (electric control unit) or a user.

The step of transferring sensing information to a BMS may include transmitting a warning signal when a resistance value of the pressure sensor is <NUM>,<NUM> Ohm or less.

The step of transferring sensing information to a BMS may include transmitting a danger signal when a resistance value of the pressure sensor is <NUM>,<NUM> Ohm or less.

The method for measuring a pressure of battery cells may further include a step of setting a resistance value of the pressure sensor to be infinite, before the step of applying the pressure to the pressure sensor while the battery cells are swelled.

The battery module including stacked battery cells and method for measuring a pressure of battery cells according to an embodiment of the present invention can cope with a swelling phenomenon of battery cells and measure the swelling pressure of the battery cells more accurately, by disposing a plurality of pressure measuring units on the surface of the battery cell and measuring the pressure of the battery cell.

It should be appreciated that the exemplary embodiments, which will be described below, are illustratively described to help understand the present disclosure, and the present disclosure may be variously modified within the scope of the appended claims. However, in the description of the present disclosure, the specific descriptions and illustrations of publicly known functions or constituent elements will be omitted when it is determined that the specific descriptions and illustrations may unnecessarily obscure the subject matter of the present disclosure. In addition, in order to help understand the present disclosure, the accompanying drawings are not illustrated based on actual scales, but parts of the constituent elements may be exaggerated in size.

As used herein, terms such as first, second, and the like may be used to describe various components, and the components are not limited by the terms. The terms are used only to discriminate one component from another component.

Further, the terms used herein are used only to describe specific exemplary embodiments, and are not intended to limit the scope of the present invention.

A singular expression includes a plural expression unless they have definitely opposite meanings in the context. It should be understood that the terms "comprise", "include", and "have" as used herein are intended to designate the presence of stated features, numbers, steps, constitutional elements, or combinations thereof, but it should be understood that they do not preclude a possibility of existence or addition of one or more other features, numbers, steps, constitutional elements, or combinations thereof.

Hereinafter, an apparatus for measuring a pressure of battery cells will be described with reference to <FIG>.

<FIG> is an exploded perspective view illustrating a battery module including battery cells. <FIG> is a view illustrating the battery cell of <FIG>. <FIG> is a view illustrating a state in which an apparatus for measuring a pressure of battery cells according to an embodiment of the present invention is formed on the body surface of the cell body of <FIG>.

Referring to <FIG>, an apparatus for measuring a pressure of battery cells includes a pressure sensor <NUM> configured to measure the pressure of battery cells <NUM> stacked in the interior of a battery module <NUM>. The pressure sensor <NUM> includes a plurality of pressure measuring units <NUM>, a connection unit <NUM> connecting the plurality of pressure measuring units <NUM> to each other, and an output unit <NUM> connected to the connection unit <NUM> and configured to output pressure values measured through the pressure measuring units <NUM>. The plurality of pressure measuring units <NUM> are arranged on surfaces of the battery cells <NUM> to measure the pressures of the battery cells <NUM>.

The battery cell <NUM> is a secondary battery, and may be configured of a pouch type secondary battery. The battery cells <NUM> may be formed of a plurality of battery cells and the plurality of the battery cells may be stacked together so as to be electrically connected to each other, thereby forming the battery cell stack <NUM>.

A module frame <NUM> can house the battery cell stack <NUM> and a busbar frame assembly <NUM> to protect electronic components constituting the battery module from the outside.

The busbar frame assembly <NUM> may include busbar frames <NUM> configured to cover front and rear surfaces of the battery cell stack <NUM>, and an upper plate <NUM> configured to connect two busbar frames <NUM> on an upper surface of the battery cell stack <NUM>. The busbar frame <NUM> can electrically connect an electrode lead formed in the battery cell <NUM> and the busbar through a busbar mounted on the busbar frame <NUM>. A connection unit (not illustrated) may be formed at a lower side of the upper plate <NUM> to electrically connect the busbar frames <NUM> formed at both ends of the battery cell stack <NUM>. The busbar frame assembly <NUM> may be coupled to the front and rear surfaces and the upper surface of the battery cell stack <NUM>.

End plates <NUM> may be disposed so as to cover the front and rear surfaces of the battery cell stack <NUM>. The end plates <NUM> may be coupled to edge portions of the module frame <NUM> through welding.

The battery cells <NUM> disposed in the battery module <NUM> occurs a swelling phenomenon, in which expands the volumes of the battery cells <NUM> expand while repeating charging and discharging, and due to the swelling of the battery cells, deformation may be occurred in the battery module and a battery pack on which the battery module is mounted. Therefore, before the battery module and the battery pack are deformed, it is possible to measure a swelling pressure and take a pretreatment based on the measured pressure value.

<FIG> is a view illustrating a configuration of a FSR sensor according to a comparative example the present invention.

When the swelling pressure of the battery cells is measured, the FSR sensor <NUM> illustrated in <FIG> can be used, and the FSR sensor <NUM> may include a measuring unit <NUM> configured to measure the pressure and an output unit <NUM> configured to transmit the measured pressure value to the outside. However, in the case of the FSR sensor <NUM>, there is a problem that the size is very small and a measurable range thereof is narrow. Further, when the size of the FSR sensor <NUM> is simply made large to correspond to a surface of the battery cell, it is difficult for a spacer 11C formed in the interior of the FSR sensor <NUM> to support an upper plate 11B and a lower plate 11A of the FSR sensor <NUM>, thereby making it difficult to measure a proper pressure because a middle part of the upper plate is deflected to the lower side.

<FIG> is a view illustrating a state in which a plurality of FSR sensors according to the comparative example of the present disclosure are attached to the surface of battery cells.

Further, when the FSR sensors <NUM> are independently installed in respective areas of one battery cell <NUM> to measure a pressure of the battery cell as illustrated in <FIG>, a plurality of FSR sensors <NUM> are necessary, and the plurality of FSR sensors <NUM> have to be installed in all of the respective areas. Therefore, many measuring devices are necessary, and the measured values are separately outputted through the output units <NUM> formed for the respective FSR sensors <NUM>, thereby making it difficult to arrange the output values.

Thus, according to the present embodiment, the plurality of pressure measuring units <NUM> are arranged in rectangular grids on the surface of the battery cells <NUM> and the pressure measuring units <NUM> are connected to each other by the connection unit <NUM> to cover all ranges of the surfaces of the battery cells. Further, because the connection unit <NUM> is connected to one output unit <NUM>, the pressure values measured through the plurality of the pressure measuring units <NUM> may be summed up into one output value through the output unit <NUM> formed of one, so that it easier to detect the swelling pressure.

Referring to <FIG>, the battery cell <NUM> may include a cell body <NUM>, a cell terrace <NUM>, and an electrode lead <NUM>, and the plurality of pressure measuring units <NUM> may be arranged on the body surface of the cell body <NUM>.

Each of the plurality of pressure measuring units <NUM> may include a current input unit <NUM> and a current output unit <NUM>, and the connection unit <NUM> may include a current input side connection unit <NUM> for connecting the current input units <NUM>, and a current output side connection unit <NUM> connecting the current output units <NUM>. Here, the output unit <NUM> may be connected to the current input side connection unit <NUM> and the current output side connection unit <NUM> to output the pressure value measured from the plurality of pressure measuring units.

The plurality of pressure measuring units <NUM> may have a circular shape having a pattern. In more detail, referring to <FIG>, the current input side connection unit <NUM> and the current output side connection unit <NUM> may form an outskirt of the pressure measuring unit <NUM> of a circular shape and sensing units extending from the current input side connection unit <NUM> and the current output side connection unit <NUM> may form a pattern of the interior of a circular shape.

Hereinafter, a method for measuring a pressure of battery cells according to an embodiment of the present disclosure will be described with reference to <FIG>.

<FIG> is a flowchart illustrating a method for measuring a pressure of battery cells according to the embodiment of the present invention.

Referring to <FIG> and <FIG>, the method for measuring the pressure of battery cells includes a step of applying a pressure to a pressure sensor <NUM> while a battery cell <NUM> is swelled (S200), a step of transferring sensing information of the pressure sensor <NUM> to a BMS (battery management system) (S300), and a step of transferring the sensing information from a MCU (micro controller unit) inside the BMS to a user or an ECU (electric control unit) (S400). In more detail, in a battery cell for a vehicle, sensing information from the MCU may be transferred to the ECU of the vehicle, and in a battery cell for an ESS (energy storage system), sensing information from the MCU may be transferred to a user.

Swelling information measured from the pressure sensor <NUM> may be transferred to a user so that the user can take a pretreatment on a product before the battery module and the battery pack are deformed.

According to the present embodiment, in the step of transferring sensing information to a BMS, a warning signal may be transmitted when a resistance value of the pressure sensor <NUM> is <NUM>,<NUM> Ohm or less. Further, a danger signal may be transmitted when a resistance value of the pressure sensor <NUM> is <NUM>,<NUM> Ohm or less. This means that the pressure acts on the pressure sensor <NUM> more strongly as the resistance value decreases. Further, as the resistance value of the pressure sensor <NUM> decreases, the type of the signal depending on the swelling becomes different, so that a user can immediately recognize the danger level depending on the level of swelling according to the type of the signal in advance.

In order to exactly transmit signals of the pressure sensor, the method for measuring the pressure of the battery cell may further include a step of setting a resistance value of the pressure sensor to be infinite (S100) before the step of applying the pressure to the pressure sensor <NUM> while the battery cell <NUM> is swelled (S200). When the resistance value is infinite, it may mean that no pressure is acted, and when the resistance value decreases, it may mean that the pressure is increasingly acting on the pressure sensor <NUM>.

The above-mentioned battery module may be included in the battery pack. The battery pack may have a structure in which one or more of the battery modules according to the present embodiment are gathered, and packed together with a battery management system (BMS) and a cooling device that control and manage battery's temperature, voltage, etc..

The battery pack can be applied to various devices. Such a device may be applied to a transportation means such as an electric bicycle, an electric vehicle, or a hybrid vehicle, but the present disclosure is not limited thereto, and is applicable to various devices that can use a battery module, which also belongs to the scope of the present disclosure.

Claim 1:
A battery module (<NUM>), comprising:
stacked battery cells (<NUM>); and
a pressure sensor (<NUM>) configured to measure the pressure of the battery cells (<NUM>) stacked in the interior of the battery module (<NUM>),
characterized in that
the pressure sensor (<NUM>) comprises
a plurality of pressure measuring units (<NUM>);
a connection unit (<NUM>) for connecting the plurality of pressure measuring units (<NUM>) to each other; and
an output unit (<NUM>) connected to the connection unit (<NUM>) and configured to output pressure values measured through the pressure measuring units (<NUM>), and
wherein the plurality of pressure measuring units (<NUM>) are arranged on surfaces of the battery cells (<NUM>) to measure the pressure of the battery cells (<NUM>),
wherein the output unit (<NUM>) is formed of one unit, and the pressure values measured through the pressure measuring units (<NUM>) are summed up into one value and outputted.