Assembly for a Traction Battery With a Protective Unit, Traction Battery and Motor Vehicle

Abstract

An assembly for a traction battery of a motor vehicle includes a battery module having a cell composite formed by a plurality of battery cells, wherein degassing regions of the battery cells are located on an upper side of the cell composite for letting out a hot gas from a cell housing of the battery cells; a battery component arranged in a vertical direction above the battery module, such that the upper side of the cell composite is facing an underside of the battery component; and a protective unit having a sheet-metal-type protective region for protecting the battery component from the hot gas and a frame-type support region connected to the protective region. The battery component is secured to the support region and the protective region is arranged between the underside of the battery component and the upper side of the cell composite.

Claims

1-10. (canceled)

11. An assembly for a traction battery of a motor vehicle, the assembly comprising: at least one battery module having a cell composite formed of a plurality of battery cells, wherein degassing regions of the battery cells are located on an upper side of the cell composite, for release of a hot gas from a cell housing of the battery cells; at least one battery component arranged in a vertical direction above the at least one battery module, such that the upper side of the cell composite faces an underside of the at least one battery component; and a protective unit comprising: a sheet metal-type protective region for protecting the at least one battery component from the hot gas of the at least one battery module, and a frame-type support region which is connected to the protective region, wherein: the at least one battery component is secured to the support region, and the protective region is arranged between the underside of the at least one battery component and the upper side of the cell composite of the at least one battery module.

12. The assembly according to claim 11, wherein: the protective region, on a side facing the upper surface of the cell composite, comprises a groove-type guide structure which is configured to capture and divert the hot gas.

13. The assembly according to claim 11, wherein: the protective region comprises a reinforcement structure in order to increase a rigidity of the protective unit.

14. The assembly according to claim 11, wherein: at least some areas of the protective region comprise a heat-resistant and/or electrically insulating material.

15. The assembly according to claim 11, wherein: the at least one battery component is a control device of the traction battery and/or a further battery module.

16. The assembly according to claim 11, wherein: the protective region, in order to reduce a transfer of heat between the first battery module and the at least one battery component, is arranged with a first spacing from the upper side of the cell composite to form a first air gap, and/or is arranged with a second spacing from the underside of the at least one battery component to form a second air gap.

17. The assembly according to claim 16, wherein: the at least one battery component is secured to the support region in a suspended arrangement to form the second air gap.

18. The assembly according to claim 17, wherein: the at least one battery component is configured in a form of at least one further battery module having a cell module frame for retention of a cell composite of the further battery module, the support region at least extends along tie-rods of the cell module frame, and retaining elements are arranged on the tie-rods, by way of which the at least one further battery module is secured to the support region.

19. A traction battery for a motor vehicle, the traction battery comprising: the assembly according to claim 11, and a battery housing in which the assembly is arranged.

20. A motor vehicle comprising the traction battery according to claim 19.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0020] FIG. 1 shows a schematic representation of a first embodiment of an assembly for a traction battery of a motor vehicle, in an overhead view.

[0021] FIG. 2 shows a schematic representation of a second embodiment of the assembly, in an overhead view.

[0022] FIG. 3 shows a schematic representation of a third embodiment of the assembly, in a front view.

[0023] FIG. 4 shows a schematic representation of a first embodiment of a protective unit of the assembly.

[0024] FIG. 5 shows a schematic representation of a second embodiment of the protective unit.

[0025] FIG. 6 shows a schematic representation of a third embodiment of the protective unit.

[0026] FIG. 7 shows a schematic representation of a fourth embodiment of the protective unit.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0027] In the figures, identical and functionally equivalent elements are identified by the same reference symbols.

[0028] FIG. 1 and FIG. 2 show different embodiments of an assembly 1 for a traction battery of a motor vehicle, in an overhead view. The assembly 1 is arranged in an interior space of a battery housing of the traction battery, and comprises at least a first battery module 2, having a cell composite 3 formed of battery cells 4. In this case, the battery cells 4 are prismatic cells, which are stacked along a stacking direction S to form the cell composite 3. The stacking direction S also corresponds here to a longitudinal direction, along which the battery module 2 extends. According to FIG. 1, the assembly comprises two battery modules 2, which are arranged next to one another in a transverse direction Q, perpendicularly to the stacking direction S. The assembly moreover comprises a battery component 5, which is arranged in a vertical direction H (perpendicular to the drawing plane) above the at least one battery module 2. According to FIG. 1, the battery component 5 extends along the transverse direction Q, and thus partially overlaps the two underlying battery modules 2. According to FIG. 2, the battery component 5 extends along the stacking direction S, and thus partially overlaps the underlying battery module 2.

[0029] FIG. 3 shows an assembly 1, in a front view. In this case, the battery component 5 is configured in the form of a second battery module 6, which comprises a cell composite 7 formed of battery cells 8. On an upper side 9 of the cell composite 3 of the first battery module 2, degassing regions 10 of the battery cells 4 are located, by way of which, in the event of a malfunction, hot gas 11 can be evacuated from the battery cells 4. As the battery component 5 is arranged in a vertical direction H above the first battery module 2, an underside 12 of the battery component 5 is located in a flow path of the hot gas 11. In order to prevent the generation by the hot gas 11 of any thermal or mechanical overloading in the battery component 5, the assembly 1 further comprises a protective unit 14. The protective unit 14 comprises a sheet metal-type protective region 15 which, in this case, comprises a metallic protection plate 16, for example of sheet aluminum or sheet steel. The protective region 15 is arranged between the upper side 9 of the cell composite 3 and the underside 12 of the battery component 5, and forms a barrier for the hot gas 11. Rather than the underside 12 of the battery component 5, in the event of a malfunction, hot gas is thus applied to the protective region 15. In this case, the protection plate 16, on a side facing the upper side 9, is coated with a heat-resistant and/or electrically insulating material 17, for example mica. In order to reduce an input of heat from the first battery module 2 to the battery component 5, the protective region 15 is arranged here with a spacing from the upper side 9 of the cell composite 3 to form a first air gap L1.

[0030] The protective unit 14 further comprises a frame-type support region 18 which, in this case, is oriented along the vertical direction H and projects upwards from the protective region 15. The battery module 5 is secured to the support region 18. In this case, the second battery module 6 comprises a cell module frame 19 for tensioning the battery cells 8. The cell module frame 19 comprises tie rods 20, which extend along the stacking direction S, above lateral regions of the cell composite 7. Wing-shaped retaining elements 21 are arranged to project outwardly from the tie-rods 20, by way of which the second battery module 6 can be secured to the support region 18. For example, the retaining elements 21 can be fitted to the support region 18, and screwed in place, such that the battery module 6 can be secured to the protective unit 14 in a suspended arrangement. As a result, the underside 12 is also arranged with a spacing from the protective region 15 to form a second air gap L2. Accordingly, neither the first battery module 2 nor the second battery module 6 is engaged in direct contact with the protective region 15, such that the thermal resistance of the heat transfer path between the first battery module 2 and the second battery module 6 is increased.

[0031] Different embodiments of the protective unit 14 are represented in FIG. 4 to FIG. 7. According to FIG. 4, the protective unit 14 is configured, for example, in the form of a one-piece steel component. To this end, the support region 18 is configured as a steel structure and the protective region 15 comprises a steel protection plate 16, wherein the support region 18 and the protective region 15 are bonded by welding. In this case, the protective region 15 moreover comprises a structure 22, which can be configured, for example, in the form of a reinforcement structure and/or a guide structure. The guide structure is comprised, for example, of groove-type recesses in a side of the protective region 15 facing the upper side 9 of the first battery module 2, which can capture and laterally divert the hot gas 11. In this case, the support region 18 comprises two guide rails 23, to which a plurality of second battery modules 6 can be secured. The guide rails 23 can extend along the tie-rods 20, and can be mechanically bonded to the retaining elements 21 of the cell module frame 19, in order to secure the second battery module to the protective unit 14. As the support region 18, in this case, is formed of steel, it is particularly stable and, in the interests of reducing the weight of the protective unit 14, can incorporate cut-outs 24, which are arranged, for example, in the region of the guide rails 23.

[0032] According to FIG. 5, the protective unit 14 is likewise configured in one piece, wherein the support region 18 is formed, for example, of aluminum, and the protective region 15 is constituted by a steel protection plate 16 which is welded to the support region 18. In this case, the protective region 15 comprises a structure 22 having stiffening beads 25 for the enhancement of the mechanical stability of the protective unit 14. According to FIG. 6, the protective unit 14 is configured with a multi-piece construction, wherein the support region 18 is screwed to the protective region 15. The support region 18 can be configured, for example, as a cast component. In this case, the protective region 15 can comprise recesses 26, in which the battery components 5 can be arranged. FIG. 7 shows a protective unit 14 from below. The side facing the upper side 12 of the first battery module 2 is thus represented to which, in this case, the heat-resistant and/or electrically insulating material 17 is applied.