Battery module having pad composite having swelling absorption and heat shielding function, battery pack comprising same and vehicle

1 . A battery module, comprising:

a cell stack including a plurality of battery cells;

at least one pad composite interposed between neighboring battery cells of the plurality of battery cells; and

a module case configured to accommodate the cell stack,

wherein the pad composite includes:

a pair of swelling absorption pads compressed by a volume expansion of the plurality of battery cells caused by swelling; and

a heat shielding pad interposed between and directly contacting the pair of swelling absorption pads to block heat transfer between the neighboring battery cells and configured to expand at a reference temperature ranging from about 100° C. to 300° C.,

wherein the heat shielding pad has a thickness direction between the pair of swelling absorption pads,

wherein the heat shielding pad expands only in the thickness direction,

wherein in a first state, a thickness of the heat shielding pad is less than a thickness of each of the pair of swelling absorption pads and, in a second state above the reference temperature ranging from about 100° C. to 300° C., the thickness of the heat shielding pad is greater than a combined thickness of the pair of swelling absorption pads,

wherein the heat shielding pad is configured, when expanded above the reference temperature, to fill a space formed by shrinkage due to damage of the swelling absorption pad, preventing a distance between neighboring battery cells from decreasing, and thus preventing heat transfer between the neighboring battery cells from being facilitated,

wherein the pair of swelling absorption pads includes expanded polypropylene (EPP),

wherein the heat shielding pad includes at least one of epoxy-based resin, butyl-based resin, and vinyl chloride-based resin,

wherein the pad composite is provided in single, and the single pad composite is disposed at a center of the cell stack in a stacking direction, and

wherein the battery module further comprising a plurality of swelling absorption pads respectively disposed between cell groups, each including a plurality of battery cells.

2 . The battery module according to claim 1 , wherein the heat shielding pad has an expansion rate of 5 to 40 times in the thickness direction at the reference temperature or above.

3 . The battery module according to claim 1 , wherein each of the plurality of battery cells is a pouch-type battery cell.

4 . A battery pack, comprising the battery module according to claim 1 .

5 . A vehicle, comprising the battery module according to claim 1 .