# US 12,224,419 B2 · Battery module having structure into which cooling water can be introduced when thermal runaway phenomenon occurs, and battery pack and energy storage device comprising same > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 12,224,419 B2 - Document ID: US12224419B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 17/625,561 - Filed: 2020-07-03 - Published: 2022-09-15 - Granted: 2025-02-11 - Earliest claimed: 2019-07-08 - Assignees: LG Energy Solution, Ltd. - Applicants: LG Energy Solution, Ltd. - Inventors: Min-Ho Kwon; Jae-Uk Ryu; Jeong Bin Yu; Jin-Hak Kong - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US12224419B2 ## CPC - H01M 10/6561: Gases - H01M 10/6567: Liquids - A62C 2/06: Physical fire-barriers - A62C 3/16: in electrical installations, e.g. cableways - H01M 10/4257: {Smart batteries, e.g. electronic circuits inside the housing of the cells or batteries} - H01M 10/482: {for several batteries or cells simultaneously or sequentially} - H01M 10/486: {for measuring temperature} - H01M 10/613: Cooling or keeping cold - H01M 10/63: Control systems (charging or discharging in response to temperature H01M10/44 {, H01M10/443}; measurement of temperature H01M10/48 {, H01M10/486}) - H01M 10/6562: with free flow by convection only - H01M 10/6568: characterised by flow circuits, e.g. loops, located externally to the cells or cell casings - H01M 50/204: Racks, modules or packs for multiple batteries or multiple cells - H01M 50/502: Interconnectors for connecting terminals of adjacent batteries; Interconnectors for connecting cells outside a battery casing - H01M 2010/4271: {Battery management systems including electronic circuits, e.g. control of current or voltage to keep battery in healthy state, cell balancing} - H01M 2200/10: Temperature sensitive devices - Y02E 60/10: Energy storage using batteries - H01M: PROCESSES OR MEANS, e.g. BATTERIES, FOR THE DIRECT CONVERSION OF CHEMICAL ENERGY INTO ELECTRICAL ENERGY - A62C: FIRE-FIGHTING (fire-extinguishing compositions, use of chemical substances in extinguishing fires A62D1/00; spraying, applying liquids or other fluent materials to surfaces in general B05; alarm arrangements G08B, e.g. fire alarms actuated by smoke or gases G08B17/10) - Y02E: REDUCTION OF GREENHOUSE GAS [GHG] EMISSIONS, RELATED TO ENERGY GENERATION, TRANSMISSION OR DISTRIBUTION ## Abstract A battery module includes a plurality of battery cells, a module housing in which a cell stack is received, the cell stack being formed by stacking the plurality of battery cells, an air inlet passing through the module housing on one side of a stack direction of the cell stack, an air outlet passing through the module housing on the other side in the stack direction of the cell stack, and an expandable pad disposed inside of the air inlet and the air outlet to close the air inlet and the air outlet by expansion upon contact with cooling water introduced into the battery module. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A battery module comprising: a cell stack comprising a plurality of battery cells; a module housing in which the cell stack is received; an air inlet passing through the module housing on a first side of a stack direction of the cell stack; an air outlet passing through the module housing on a second side in the stack direction of the cell stack; and at least one expandable pad disposed inside of the air inlet and the air outlet to close the air inlet and the air outlet, by expansion upon contact with cooling water introduced into the module housing thereby preventing the cooling water introduced into the module housing from leaking out of the module housing. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The battery module according to claim 1, wherein the at least one expandable pad is attached to an inner surface of the air inlet. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The battery module according to claim 1, wherein the at least one expandable pad is a pair of expandable pads are provided, and wherein the pair of expandable pads are attached to an inner surface of an upper wall and an inner surface of a lower wall, respectively. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The battery module according to claim 1, wherein at least part of the at least one expandable pad is inserted into a receiving groove formed in an inner surface of the module housing. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) The battery module according to claim 1, wherein the battery module includes a pair of mesh plates fixed to the air inlet, the pair of mesh plates respectively disposed on each of two sides of the at least one expandable pad to guide movement for expansion of the at least one expandable pad. ### Claim 6 (depends on 1) The battery module according to claim 1, wherein the battery module includes a pair of busbar frames coupled to a first side and a second side in a widthwise direction of the cell stack respectively. ### Claim 7 (depends on 6) The battery module according to claim 6, wherein the air inlet and the air outlet are formed at locations corresponding to an empty space between the busbar frames and the module housing. ### Claim 8 (depends on 1) A battery pack comprising: a pack housing; a module stack comprising a plurality of battery modules according to claim 1, in the pack housing; a water tank disposed on the module stack to store cooling water; a cooling water pipe connecting the water tank to the battery modules; at least one sensor installed in the pack housing to detect thermal runaway occurring in a certain battery module among the plurality of battery modules; and a controller to output a control signal to introduce the cooling water into the certain battery module through the cooling water pipe when the thermal runaway is detected by the sensor. ### Claim 9 (depends on 8) The battery pack according to claim 8, wherein the battery pack includes a plurality of valves installed in the cooling water pipe, and wherein each of the plurality of valves is installed adjacent to a respective one of the plurality of battery modules to individually allow or block a flow of the cooling water introduced into the plurality of battery modules. ### Claim 10 (depends on 9) The battery pack according to claim 9, wherein the sensor is installed in each of the plurality of battery modules. ### Claim 11 (depends on 10) The battery pack according to claim 10, wherein the controller outputs a control signal to open a valve installed adjacent to the certain battery module in which the thermal runaway is detected by the sensor among the plurality of valves. ### Claim 12 (depends on 8) An energy storage system comprising a plurality of battery packs according to claim 8.