CN117203841A - Battery pack and vehicle including the same - Google Patents

Abstract

Disclosed is a battery pack configured such that, when gas is generated inside a battery module, gas having a high temperature can be discharged to the outside of the battery pack without affecting adjacent other battery modules. A battery pack according to an aspect of the present application includes: a battery pack case; a battery module; and a battery pack cover including a first side vent flow path, a second side vent flow path, and a central vent flow path configured to guide gas generated at the battery module at a position corresponding to the battery module, and configured to be coupled to the battery pack case to cover the battery module.

Description

Battery pack and vehicle including the same

Technical Field

The present disclosure relates to a battery pack and a vehicle including the same, and more particularly, to a battery pack configured to discharge high-temperature gas to the outside of the battery pack without affecting other adjacent battery modules when gas is generated inside the battery modules, and a vehicle including the same.

The present application claims priority from korean patent application No.10-2021-0188983 filed in korea at 12 months of 2021 and from korean patent application No. 10-2022-0076228 filed in korea at 23 months of 2022, the disclosures of which are incorporated herein by reference.

Background

With the rapid increase in demand for portable electronic products such as notebook computers, video cameras, and cellular phones, and the commercialization of robots and electric vehicles is formally beginning, research into high-performance secondary batteries capable of being repeatedly charged and discharged is actively underway.

The secondary batteries commercialized at present include nickel-cadmium batteries, nickel-hydrogen batteries, nickel-zinc batteries, and lithium secondary batteries. Among them, lithium secondary batteries are attracting attention because of their advantages of free charge and discharge, extremely low self-discharge rate, and high energy density, because lithium secondary batteries are less likely to produce a memory effect than nickel-based secondary batteries.

These lithium secondary batteries mainly use lithium-based oxides and carbon materials as positive electrode active materials and negative electrode active materials, respectively. The lithium secondary battery includes: an electrode assembly in which positive and negative electrode plates coated with such positive and negative electrode active materials, respectively, are provided and a separator is interposed between the positive and negative electrode plates; and an exterior material, i.e., a battery case for sealing and accommodating the electrode assembly together with the electrolyte.

Generally, lithium secondary batteries can be classified into can-type secondary batteries in which an electrode assembly is embedded in a metal can and pouch-type secondary batteries in which an electrode assembly is embedded in a pouch of an aluminum laminate sheet, according to the shape of an external material.

Recently, secondary batteries are widely used not only for driving or energy storage in small-sized devices such as portable electronic devices, but also for driving or energy storage in medium-and large-sized devices such as electric vehicles and Energy Storage Systems (ESS). Many of these secondary batteries may be housed together inside a module case (which may configure one battery module) in an electrically connected state, and such battery modules may be electrically connected again in a narrow space to increase energy density (which configures a battery pack).

However, when a plurality of battery modules exist in a dense state in a narrow space as described above, they may be easily subjected to accidents such as fire or explosion. For example, when an event such as thermal runaway occurs in one battery module, high-temperature exhaust gas may be discharged from the battery module. If the exhaust gas is not properly discharged to the outside of the battery pack, it may be transmitted to other battery modules disposed inside the battery pack, which may cause a chain reaction. Also, in this case, the pressure inside the battery pack increases, and there is a possibility of explosion. When the battery pack explodes, not only may huge damage to nearby devices or users be caused by the pressure of the explosion, but the range and speed of the damage may be further increased. Therefore, there is a need to develop a battery pack having the following structure: when an abnormality occurs in some battery modules and exhaust gas is discharged, it is allowed to safely discharge high-temperature exhaust gas to the outside of the battery pack without affecting other adjacent battery modules.

Disclosure of Invention

Technical problem

The present disclosure is designed to solve the problems of the related art, and therefore, the present disclosure is directed to controlling the flow of exhaust gas in a desired direction by adding an additional exhaust passage forming structure to an existing battery pack.

In another aspect, the present disclosure relates to other battery modules that allow high-temperature exhaust gas emitted when a thermal event occurs in some battery modules to be safely discharged to the outside of the battery pack without affecting the inside of the battery pack.

However, technical problems to be solved by the present disclosure are not limited to the above-described problems, and other problems not mentioned will be clearly understood by those skilled in the art from the following description.

Technical proposal

In one aspect of the present disclosure, there is provided a battery pack including: a battery pack case having a first receiving space, a second receiving space spaced apart from the first receiving space, and a central space formed between the first receiving space and the second receiving space; at least one first battery module disposed within the first receiving space; at least one second battery module disposed within the second receiving space; and a battery pack cover having: a first side exhaust passage configured to guide exhaust gas generated from the first battery module to the central space at a position corresponding to the first battery module; a second side exhaust passage configured to guide exhaust gas generated from the second battery module to the central space at a position corresponding to the second battery module; and a central exhaust passage configured to guide exhaust gas collected toward the central space to an outside of the battery pack case at a position corresponding to the central space, the battery pack cover being configured to cover the battery module by being coupled with the battery pack case.

The battery pack case may include barriers respectively disposed at corresponding positions between the first battery modules adjacent to each other and between the second battery modules adjacent to each other.

The barrier may be coupled with the stack cover to prevent movement of the exhaust gas between the receiving spaces of the first battery modules adjacent to each other and movement of the exhaust gas between the receiving spaces of the second battery modules adjacent to each other.

The sealing member may be disposed between the barrier and the battery cover.

The battery pack cover may include: the cover plate covers the accommodating space of the battery pack shell; and a passage plate coupled to an inner side of the cover plate and having a first side exhaust passage, a second side exhaust passage, and a central exhaust passage.

The channel plate may include: a first passage plate coupled to an inner side of the cover plate at a position corresponding to the first battery module and having a first side exhaust passage; a second channel plate coupled to an inner side of the cap plate at a position corresponding to the second battery module and having a second side exhaust channel; and a third passage plate coupled to an inner side of the cover plate at a position corresponding to the central space and having a central exhaust passage.

The battery pack case may have a gas collection space formed in at least one of one side and the other side along the extension direction of the central exhaust passage.

The battery pack case may have a vent hole configured to allow the exhaust gas in the gas collection space to be discharged to the outside of the battery pack case.

The first side exhaust passage and the second side exhaust passage may have a groove shape formed on the inner side of the battery pack cover.

The first and second side exhaust passages may have groove shapes formed on one side of the first and second passage plates, respectively, and sides of the first and second passage plates opposite to the side on which the grooves are formed may be coupled on an inner side of the cover plate.

The first side exhaust passage and the second side exhaust passage may be provided in plurality, respectively, along the longitudinal direction of the battery pack.

The central exhaust passage may include: a first central exhaust passage in communication with the first side exhaust passage; and a second central exhaust passage in communication with the second side exhaust passage.

The third passage plate may include: a first passage forming portion that forms a first central exhaust passage communicating with the first side exhaust passage; a second passage forming portion that forms a second central exhaust passage that communicates with the second side exhaust passage and that does not communicate with the first central exhaust passage; and a coupling portion connecting and coupling the first and second channel forming portions on the inner side of the cover plate.

A vehicle for achieving the above object according to an embodiment of the present disclosure includes a battery module according to the present disclosure.

Advantageous effects

According to one aspect of the present disclosure, when gas is generated inside the battery pack, the gas discharge direction may be appropriately controlled such that the generated exhaust gas may be discharged in a desired direction.

According to another aspect of the present disclosure, the discharge direction of exhaust gas generated inside the battery pack can be effectively controlled without significantly changing the overall structure of the battery pack.

According to another aspect of the present disclosure, it is possible to delay/prevent high-temperature exhaust gas generated from some battery modules having problems from affecting adjacent battery modules when a thermal event occurs.

According to another aspect of the present disclosure, exhaust gas may be rapidly discharged.

According to another aspect of the present disclosure, a fire may be prevented or the rate of fire spread may be reduced.

According to another aspect of the present disclosure, a secondary battery, in which energy density is important, may be disposed without providing a separate space for wiring for connecting battery modules, and the secondary battery may be protected from external physical impact.

Therefore, when the battery pack according to the present disclosure is applied to a vehicle, the safety of the occupant can be more effectively ensured.

Drawings

The accompanying drawings illustrate preferred embodiments of the present disclosure and together with the foregoing disclosure serve to provide a further understanding of the technical features of the present disclosure, and thus, the present disclosure is not to be construed as limited to the accompanying drawings.

Fig. 1 is an exploded perspective view illustrating a battery pack according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

Fig. 2 is a perspective view illustrating an external appearance of a battery pack according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

Fig. 3 is a diagram illustrating an inner space of a battery pack case according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

Fig. 4 is a diagram illustrating a battery module according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

Fig. 5 is an exploded perspective view illustrating a battery module according to another embodiment of the present disclosure.

Fig. 6 is a diagram illustrating a flow path of gas in a battery pack according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

Fig. 7 is a diagram illustrating an exemplary form of a barrier of a battery pack case according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

Fig. 8 is a cross-sectional view schematically showing an exemplary shape of a cross-section taken along the line A-A' in fig. 2.

Fig. 9 is a diagram illustrating an exemplary form of a cover plate and a channel plate according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

Fig. 10 is a diagram illustrating an exemplary form of a collection space and a vent hole of a battery pack case according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

Fig. 11 is a diagram illustrating an exemplary shape of a groove provided in a battery pack cover according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

Fig. 12 is a diagram illustrating a flow path of gas in a battery pack according to another embodiment of the present disclosure.

Fig. 13 is a sectional view schematically showing an exemplary shape of a cross section taken along line B-B' after coupling the battery pack cover to another embodiment of fig. 12.

Detailed Description

Hereinafter, preferred embodiments of the present disclosure will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. Before the description, it should be understood that the terms used in the specification and the appended claims should not be construed as limited to general and dictionary meanings, but interpreted based on the meanings and concepts corresponding to technical aspects of the present disclosure on the basis of the principle that the inventor is allowed to define terms appropriately for the best explanation.

Accordingly, the description set forth herein is merely a preferred example for the purpose of illustration and is not intended to limit the scope of the disclosure, so it should be understood that other equivalent substitutions and modifications may be made thereto without departing from the scope of the disclosure.

Fig. 1 is an exploded perspective view illustrating a battery pack according to an embodiment of the present disclosure, and fig. 2 is a perspective view illustrating an external appearance of the battery pack according to the embodiment.

Referring to fig. 1 and 2, a battery pack according to the present disclosure includes a battery pack case 100, a battery module 200, and a battery pack cover 300.

The battery pack case 100 may have an empty space formed therein to accommodate the battery module 200 in the inner space. For example, the battery pack case 100 may include five plates without one side in the form of a rectangular parallelepiped. At this time, at least some of the individual plates constituting the battery pack case 100 may be integrated with each other. Alternatively, the five plates may be manufactured separately and then coupled to each other by welding, bolting, or the like. For example, the battery pack case 100 may include a metal material such as aluminum. However, the present disclosure is not limited to a particular material of the battery pack case 100.

As shown in fig. 3, the battery pack case 100 includes a first receiving space 110, a second receiving space 120 spaced apart from the first receiving space 110, and a central space 130 formed between the first receiving space 110 and the second receiving space 120. The first receiving space 110 may be disposed opposite to the second receiving space 120 with the central space 130 interposed between the first receiving space 110 and the second receiving space 120.

The battery module 200 includes at least one first battery module 210 disposed in the first receiving space 110 and at least one second battery module 220 disposed in the second receiving space 120. For example, as shown in fig. 3, four first battery modules 210 may be disposed in the first receiving space 110, and four second battery modules 220 may be disposed in the second receiving space 120.

Referring to fig. 4, a battery module 200 may include a battery cell 201. The battery cells 201 may be provided in plurality. The battery cell 201 may refer to a secondary battery. The battery cell 201 may include an electrode assembly, an electrolyte, a battery case accommodating the electrode assembly and the electrolyte, and a pair of electrode leads connected to the electrode assembly and drawn out from the battery case. For example, the battery cell 201 may be a pouch-type secondary battery. However, other types of secondary batteries (e.g., cylindrical batteries or prismatic batteries) may also be used as the battery cell 201 of the present disclosure.

When the battery cells 201 are provided in plurality, the plurality of battery cells 201 may be electrically connected. The battery module 200 may further include a bus bar frame assembly 202 for electrically connecting the plurality of battery cells 201 to each other. For example, the bus bar frame assemblies 202 may be arranged in pairs. In this case, a pair of bus bar frame assemblies 202 may be coupled to one side and the other side of the longitudinal direction of the battery cell 201, respectively.

Referring to fig. 5, the battery module 200 may further include a module case 203. The module housing 203 may be configured to house at least one battery cell 201. The module housing 203 may include a vent 203a. When the exhaust gas is generated from the battery cell 201 received in the internal space, the exhaust hole 203a may be configured to discharge the generated exhaust gas from the inside of the module case 203 to the outside.

The battery pack cover 300 is coupled with the battery pack case 100 to cover the battery module 200. Referring to fig. 6 and fig. 1 and 2, a battery cover 300 is coupled with the battery case 100 to form a first side exhaust passage 310, a second side exhaust passage 320, and a central exhaust passage 330 in the inner space of the battery case 100. The first side exhaust passage 310 is configured to guide exhaust gas generated in the first battery module 210 to the central space 130 at a position corresponding to the first battery module 210. The second side exhaust passage 320 is configured to guide exhaust gas generated in the second battery module 220 to the central space 130 at a position corresponding to the second battery module 220. The central exhaust passage 330 is configured to guide exhaust gas collected toward the central space 130 from the inside to the outside of the battery pack case 100 at a position corresponding to the central space 130. The first side exhaust passage 310, the second side exhaust passage 320, and the central exhaust passage 330 may be formed on the inner side of the battery pack cover 300.

According to this configuration of the present disclosure, the function of controlling the flow of exhaust gas may be added by forming an exhaust passage in the battery cover 300, which battery cover 300 is only used to cover the battery case 100 in a general case. In particular, according to the configuration of the present disclosure, when a thermal event occurs in each battery module 200, flames and exhaust gas move to the central space 130 along the first and second side exhaust passages 310 and 320 formed between the upper portion of the battery module 200 and the inner side of the battery pack cover 300, whereby the possibility of the thermal event spreading toward the adjacent battery modules can be significantly reduced. In addition, according to this configuration of the present disclosure, since the exhaust gas collected in the central space 130 moves again along the central exhaust passage 330 formed on the inner side of the stack cover 300, the temperature of the exhaust gas may be lowered during the movement, and even when a flame is generated together with the exhaust gas, the intensity of the flame may be weakened while moving along the exhaust passage. Therefore, damage that may occur due to the injection of the high-temperature exhaust gas and flame to the outside can be eliminated or reduced.

Referring to fig. 7, the battery pack case 100 may include barriers 140 disposed at corresponding positions between first battery modules 210 adjacent to each other and second battery modules 220 adjacent to each other, respectively. According to this configuration of the present disclosure, an independent accommodation space for each of the plurality of first battery modules 210 may be provided, and similarly, an independent accommodation space for each of the plurality of second battery modules 220 may be provided.

Referring to fig. 7 and 8, the barrier 140 may be coupled with the stack cover 300 to prevent movement of exhaust gas between the receiving spaces of the first battery modules 210 adjacent to each other and movement of exhaust gas between the receiving spaces of the second battery modules 220 adjacent to each other. Since the barrier 140 is coupled with the stack cover 300, it is possible to prevent the movement of exhaust gas between the receiving spaces of the adjacent battery modules 200. The coupling may be performed by welding, bolting, etc.

According to this embodiment of the present disclosure, since the receiving space of the first battery module 210 adjacent to each other and the receiving space of the second battery module 220 adjacent to each other are structurally isolated from each other by the barrier 140, the exhaust gas generated in each battery module does not move toward the adjacent battery module, but moves toward the central space 130 only through the first and second side exhaust passages 310 and 320. Exhaust gas collected in the central space 130 may move through the central exhaust passage 330. During this movement, the temperature of the exhaust gas may be reduced and the intensity of the flame may be weakened, thereby minimizing the influence of the high-temperature flame and the exhaust gas generated in each battery module on other battery modules.

Meanwhile, as shown in fig. 8, a sealing member 150 may be disposed between the barrier 140 and the battery cover 300. The sealing member 150 may be configured to cover at least a portion of the coupling portion of the barrier 140 and the battery cover 300.

According to this configuration of the present disclosure, the effect of preventing the exhaust gas from moving into the gap between the barrier 140 and the stack cover 300 can be further improved.

Meanwhile, the battery pack of the present disclosure may further include an additional barrier 141 for defining the receiving space of the first battery module 210 and the receiving space of the second battery module 220. In this case, the additional barrier 141 for defining the receiving space of the first battery module 210 may be elongated along the extension direction of the central exhaust passage 330. Accordingly, the receiving space of the first battery module 210 may be formed by the battery pack case 100 and the additional barrier 141. Similarly, the additional barrier 141 for defining the receiving space of the second battery module 220 may be elongated along the extension direction of the central exhaust passage 330. Accordingly, the receiving space of the second battery module 220 may be formed by the battery pack case 100 and the additional barrier 141. The additional barrier 141 for defining the receiving space of the first battery module 210 and the additional barrier 141 for defining the receiving space of the second battery module 220 may be spaced apart from each other to form the central space 130 therebetween. The additional barrier 141 may be formed to have an empty interior so that weight is reduced while maintaining rigidity. Therefore, in the secondary battery in which the energy density is important, a high energy density can be ensured.

Referring to fig. 9 and fig. 1 and 2, the battery pack cover 300 may include a cover plate 340 and a channel plate 350. The cover plate 340 may be configured to cover the receiving space of the battery pack case 100. The passage plate 350 may be coupled to an inner side of the cover plate 340 and may include a first side exhaust passage 310, a second side exhaust passage 320, and a central exhaust passage 330.

The channel plate 350 may include a first channel plate 351, a second channel plate 352, and a third channel plate 353. The first channel plate 352 may be coupled to the inner side of the cap plate 340 at a position corresponding to the first battery module 210. The first passage plate 351 may include a first side exhaust passage 310. The second channel plate 352 may be coupled to the inner side of the cap plate 340 at a position corresponding to the second battery module 220. The second channel plate 352 may include a second side exhaust channel 320. The third channel plate 353 may be coupled to the inner side of the cover plate 340 at a position corresponding to the central space 130. The third channel plate 353 may include a central exhaust channel 330. At this time, at least some of the cover plate 340, the first channel plate 351, the second channel plate 352, and the third channel plate 353 may be integrated with each other, and the present disclosure is not limited to the case in which the respective plates are separately manufactured and coupled. In addition, side exhaust channels and a center exhaust channel may be formed at positions corresponding to each battery module on each plate.

In particular, in the present disclosure, when the cover plate 340 and the channel plate 350 do not have an integrated form and are provided as separate components and are coupled, the general form of the battery pack cover 300 without an exhaust channel may be used as it is. In addition, according to the configuration of the present disclosure, when the battery pack cover 300 is manufactured, the production efficiency may be increased by separately manufacturing and coupling the plates. On the other hand, as described above, when the vent passages 310, 320, 330 are located on the inner side of the battery pack cover 300, it is possible to minimize the reduction of the receiving space within the battery pack case 100 due to the formation of the vent passages, thereby ensuring efficient space utilization in the secondary battery in which energy density is important.

Referring to fig. 10 and fig. 6 and 9, the battery pack case 100 may be configured to have a gas collection space 160 in at least one of one side and the other side along the extension direction of the central exhaust passage 330. The exhaust gas generated in the battery module 200 moves through the first side exhaust passage 310 and the second side exhaust passage 320, and the exhaust gas collected in the central space 130 in this way moves through the central exhaust passage 330 and is collected in the gas collection space 160. For example, the gas collection space 160 may be disposed at an end of the longitudinal direction of the battery pack case 100 parallel to the extension direction of the central exhaust passage 330. In addition, the battery pack case 100 may have a vent hole 170 so that the exhaust gas in the gas collection space 160 may be discharged to the outside of the battery pack case 100. The vent hole 170 may have a shape penetrating the battery pack case 100. In addition, the vent hole 170 may have not only a completely opened form but also a form that is not completely opened and is closed in a normal state and is opened according to a change in pressure or temperature. However, the present disclosure is not limited to the shape, position and number of the gas collecting spaces 160 or the shape of the gas discharge holes 170 shown in fig. 10.

According to this embodiment of the present disclosure, when a large amount of exhaust gas is generated at a time and the internal pressure of the battery pack increases, the internal pressure of the battery pack can be rapidly reduced by the gas collecting space 160 having a relatively larger volume than the side exhaust passages 310, 320 and the central exhaust passage 330. In addition, the exhaust gas may be discharged in a desired direction through the exhaust hole 170, and even if a large amount of exhaust gas is instantaneously generated, the gas may be discharged more rapidly and smoothly by increasing the size or number of the exhaust holes 170.

Referring to fig. 11 and fig. 6 and 9, the first and second side exhaust passages 310 and 320 may have a groove G shape formed on the inner side of the battery pack cover 300. The first and second side exhaust passages 310 and 320 may have a groove G shape formed on one side of the first and second passage plates 351 and 352, respectively.

In this case, the sides of the first and second passage plates 351 and 352 opposite to the side on which the groove G is formed may be coupled to the inner side of the cover plate 340. According to this embodiment of the present disclosure, since the groove is formed without installing a separate member for forming the side exhaust passage on the inner side of the battery pack cover or plate, it is possible to increase space efficiency in the secondary battery in which energy density is important. In addition, in this case, since the groove can be more easily implemented as compared with coupling a separate member for forming the side exhaust passage with the battery pack cover or the plate, production is easy.

The grooves G may be provided in plurality. In this case, the plurality of grooves G may be spaced apart from each other along a direction substantially perpendicular to the extending direction of the first and second exhaust passages 310 and 320 (i.e., along a direction substantially parallel to the extending direction of the central exhaust passage 330). Accordingly, the first side exhaust passage 310 and the second side exhaust passage 320 may be provided in plurality in a direction substantially parallel to the extending direction of the central exhaust passage 330. The plurality of first side exhaust passages 310 and the second side exhaust passage 320 may be spaced apart from each other along a direction substantially parallel to the extending direction of the central exhaust passage 330. The exhaust gas generated from the battery module 200 may move through the first side exhaust passage 310 and the second side exhaust passage 320 having the shape of the groove G formed between the battery module 200 and the inner side of the battery pack cover 300.

Fig. 12 is a diagram illustrating a flow path of gas in a battery pack according to another embodiment of the present disclosure. Fig. 13 is a sectional view illustrating a battery pack cover according to another embodiment of the present disclosure.

In the battery pack, referring to fig. 12 and 13, the central exhaust passage 330 may include a first central exhaust passage 331 communicating with the first side exhaust passage 310 and a second central exhaust passage 332 communicating with the second side exhaust passage 320.

In this case, the exhaust gas generated from the first battery module 210 is collected in the central space 130 along the first side exhaust passage 310 and then moves along the first central exhaust passage 331, and independently, the exhaust gas generated from the second battery module 220 is collected in the central space 130 along the second side exhaust passage 320 and then moves along the second central exhaust passage 332.

The third passage plate 353 may include a first passage forming portion 353a forming a first central exhaust passage 331 communicating with the first side exhaust passage 310, a second passage forming portion 353b forming a second central exhaust passage 332, and a coupling portion 353c connecting the first passage forming portion 353a and the second passage forming portion 353b and coupling with the inner side of the cover plate 340. The third channel plate 353 may be elongated along the extension direction of the central exhaust channel 330. The first passage forming portion 353a may be spaced apart from the inner side of the cap plate 340 by a predetermined distance. Accordingly, the first central exhaust passage 331 may be formed in a space surrounded by the first passage forming portion 353a, the cover plate 340, and the coupling portion 353c. Similarly, the second channel forming portion 353b may be spaced apart from the inner side of the cap plate 340 by a predetermined distance. Accordingly, the second central exhaust passage 332 may be formed in a space surrounded by the second passage forming portion 353b, the cover plate 340, and the coupling portion 353c. In order to smooth the communication between the first side exhaust passage 310 and the first central exhaust passage 331, the first passage forming portion 353a may be located at a height corresponding to the height (length extending in a direction parallel to the Z-axis) of the battery cell 201 standing upright in the battery pack case 100. Similarly, in order to smooth the communication between the second side exhaust passage 320 and the second central exhaust passage 332, the second passage forming portion 353b may be located at a height corresponding to the height (length extending in a direction parallel to the Z-axis) of the battery cell 201 standing upright in the battery pack case 100.

According to this embodiment of the present disclosure, the exhaust gas generated in the first receiving space 110 does not affect the second battery module 220 received in the second receiving space 120, and similarly, the exhaust gas generated in the second receiving space 120 does not affect the first battery module 210 received in the first receiving space 110. Therefore, according to this embodiment, the diffusion of events within the battery pack can be effectively prevented. That is, since the high-temperature flame and the exhaust gas generated in the first battery module 210 within the first receiving space 110 move only through the first central exhaust passage 331, the second battery module 220 in the second receiving space 120 is not affected. Similarly, since the high-temperature flame and the exhaust gas generated in the second battery module 220 within the second receiving space 120 move only through the second central exhaust passage 332, they do not affect the first battery module 210 within the first receiving space 110. In addition, since the exhaust passage is formed only at the top of the central space 130, an empty space within the additional barrier 141 occupying a large volume of the central space 130 may be used as a passage through which the wiring connecting the battery modules passes. In addition, the wiring may be protected from physical impact by an additional barrier 141.

The battery pack according to the present disclosure may be applied to a vehicle such as an electric vehicle or a hybrid vehicle. That is, a vehicle according to the present disclosure may include a battery module according to the present disclosure or a battery pack according to the present disclosure. In addition, the vehicle according to the present disclosure may include various other components included in the vehicle in addition to the battery module or the battery pack. For example, a vehicle according to the present disclosure may include a vehicle body, a motor, and a control device such as an Electronic Control Unit (ECU) in addition to a battery pack according to the present disclosure.

Claims (14)

1. A battery pack, the battery pack comprising:

a battery pack case having a first receiving space, a second receiving space spaced apart from the first receiving space, and a central space formed between the first receiving space and the second receiving space;

at least one first battery module disposed within the first receiving space;

at least one second battery module disposed within the second receiving space; and

a battery pack cover having: a first side exhaust passage configured to guide exhaust gas generated from the first battery module to the central space at a position corresponding to the first battery module; a second side exhaust passage configured to guide exhaust gas generated from the second battery module to the central space at a position corresponding to the second battery module; and a central exhaust passage configured to guide exhaust gas collected toward the central space to an outside of the battery pack case at a position corresponding to the central space, the battery pack cover being configured to cover the battery module by being coupled with the battery pack case.

2. The battery pack according to claim 1, wherein the battery pack case includes barriers respectively provided at corresponding positions between the first battery modules adjacent to each other and between the second battery modules adjacent to each other.

3. The battery pack of claim 2, wherein the barrier is coupled with the battery pack cover to prevent movement of exhaust gas between the receiving spaces of the first battery modules adjacent to each other and movement of exhaust gas between the receiving spaces of the second battery modules adjacent to each other.

4. The battery pack of claim 3, wherein a sealing member is disposed between the barrier and the battery pack cover.

5. The battery pack of claim 1, wherein the battery pack cover comprises:

a cover plate covering the receiving space of the battery pack case; and

a channel plate coupled to an inner side of the cover plate and having the first side exhaust channel, the second side exhaust channel, and the central exhaust channel.

6. The battery pack of claim 5, wherein the channel plate comprises:

a first passage plate coupled to an inner side of the cover plate at a position corresponding to the first battery module and having the first side exhaust passage;

a second channel plate coupled to an inner side of the cover plate at a position corresponding to the second battery module and having the second side exhaust channel; and

a third passage plate coupled to an inner side of the cover plate at a position corresponding to the central space and having the central exhaust passage.

7. The battery pack according to claim 1, wherein the battery pack case has a gas collection space formed in at least one of one side and the other side along the extending direction of the central exhaust passage.

8. The battery pack according to claim 7, wherein the battery pack case has a vent hole configured to allow the exhaust gas in the gas collection space to be discharged to the outside of the battery pack case.

9. The battery pack according to claim 1, wherein the first side exhaust passage and the second side exhaust passage have a groove shape formed on an inner side of the battery pack cover.

10. The battery pack according to claim 6, wherein the first side exhaust passage and the second side exhaust passage have groove shapes formed on one side surface of the first passage plate and the second passage plate, respectively, and

wherein the sides of the first and second channel plates opposite to the sides on which the grooves are formed are coupled on the inner side of the cover plate.

11. The battery pack according to claim 1, wherein the first side exhaust passage and the second side exhaust passage are provided in plurality, respectively, along a longitudinal direction of the battery pack.

12. The battery pack of claim 6, wherein the central exhaust passage comprises:

a first central exhaust passage in communication with the first side exhaust passage; and

a second central exhaust passage in communication with the second side exhaust passage.

13. The battery pack of claim 12, wherein the third channel plate comprises:

a first passage forming portion that forms the first central exhaust passage communicating with the first side exhaust passage;

a second passage forming portion that forms the second central exhaust passage that communicates with the second side exhaust passage and that does not communicate with the first central exhaust passage; and

and a coupling portion connecting and coupling the first and second channel forming portions on an inner side of the cover plate.

14. A vehicle comprising the battery pack according to any one of claims 1 to 13.