A slurry coating amount measuring device using terahertz waves, a coating system, and a measuring method

By using terahertz wave measurement devices and calculation methods, the problem of measuring the amount of slurry coating was solved, enabling real-time monitoring and control of electrode thickness, and improving the manufacturing efficiency and quality of fuel cell electrodes.

CN112945896BActive Publication Date: 2025-12-05HYUNDAI MOTOR CO LTD +1
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Patent Information

Application Number
CN202011406405.7
Authority / Receiving Office
CN · China
Patent Type
Patents(China)
Current Assignee / Owner
Priority Date
2019-12-10
Filing Date
2020-12-02
Publication Date
2025-12-05
Estimated Expiration
2040-12-02

AI Technical Summary

Technical Problem

In existing technologies, it is difficult to accurately measure the amount of slurry coating during the manufacture of fuel cell electrodes, resulting in uneven electrode thickness, which affects electrode performance and component bonding.

Method used

A terahertz wave measurement device is used to measure the power of the terahertz wave through a light emitter and a light receiver. The electrode thickness is calculated by combining the calculation component, and the platinum content is obtained by using a drying oven and a content acquisition device, so as to realize the real-time monitoring and control of the slurry coating amount.

Benefits of technology

This enables real-time and accurate measurement of electrode thickness, reducing material waste, improving the efficiency and quality of electrode manufacturing, and ensuring the effective integration of electrodes with other components.

✦ Generated by Eureka AI based on patent content.

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Abstract

A measuring device for measuring a slurry coating amount according to the present disclosure includes a light emitter configured to radiate terahertz waves onto a release paper coated with a slurry, a light receiver configured to receive the terahertz waves radiated from the light emitter and passing through the release paper coated with the slurry to obtain a power of the terahertz waves, and a calculation part configured to calculate a thickness of an electrode formed by the slurry coated onto the release paper based on the power of the terahertz waves received by the light receiver.
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Description

[0001] Cross-reference to related applications

[0002] This application claims the benefit of priority to Korean Patent Application No. 10-2019-0164172, filed with the Korean Intellectual Property Office on December 10, 2019, the entire contents of which are incorporated herein by reference. Technical Field

[0003] This disclosure relates to a measuring device, a coating system, and a measuring method for measuring the amount of slurry coated. Background Technology

[0004] To manufacture electrodes for fuel cells, a method is used to form electrodes on release paper using a slurry composed of a liquid electrode solution. In this method, the slurry is coated onto the release paper, and a drying process is used to fabricate the liquid slurry into a solid electrode.

[0005] The thickness of the electrode needs to be kept constant. If the electrode is too thin or too thick, it may not be able to perform its original intended function smoothly and may be difficult to integrate with other components of a product whose dimensions are already determined. Therefore, a technology is needed to determine whether the electrode thickness is suitable for application in a product. Summary of the Invention

[0006] This disclosure is made to address the problems existing in the prior art while retaining the advantages obtained by the prior art.

[0007] One aspect of this disclosure provides a measuring device, coating system, and measuring method for measuring the thickness of electrodes during the production process, as well as a method for measuring the amount of slurry coating.

[0008] The technical problems to be solved by the concepts of the present invention are not limited to those described above, and any other technical problems not mentioned herein will be clearly understood by those skilled in the art to which this disclosure pertains based on the following description.

[0009] According to an embodiment of the present invention, a measuring device for measuring the amount of paste coating includes: a light emitter that radiates terahertz waves onto release paper coated with paste; a light receiver configured to receive the terahertz waves radiated from the light emitter and passing through the release paper coated with paste to obtain the power of the terahertz waves; and a calculation unit configured to calculate the thickness of an electrode formed by the paste coated on the release paper based on the power of the terahertz waves received by the light receiver.

[0010] According to an embodiment of the present disclosure, a coating system for slurry includes a coater configured to coat slurry onto a release paper, a light emitter configured to radiate terahertz waves onto the release paper coated with the slurry, a light receiver configured to obtain a power of the terahertz waves passing through the release paper coated with the slurry, a drying oven configured to heat and dry the slurry coated onto the release paper to form an electrode, a content acquirer configured to acquire a platinum content of the electrode, and a computing part configured to calculate a thickness of the electrode based on the power of the terahertz waves obtained by the light receiver.

[0011] According to an embodiment of the present disclosure, a method of measuring a coated slurry amount includes radiating terahertz waves onto a release paper coated with slurry, obtaining a power of the terahertz waves passing through the release paper coated with the slurry, and calculating a thickness of an electrode formed by the slurry coated onto the release paper based on the obtained power of the terahertz waves. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS

[0012] The above and other objects, features and advantages of the present disclosure will be more apparent from the following detailed description taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, in which:

[0013] Figure 1 is a conceptual view of an exemplary measuring device and a coating system 100 using the measuring device;

[0014] Figure 2 is a conceptual view of a measuring device and a coating system using the same according to an embodiment of the present disclosure;

[0015] Figure 3 is a conceptual view showing a configuration of a computing part of a coating system and other specific configurations of the coating system according to an embodiment of the present disclosure;

[0016] Figure 4 is a conceptual view specifically showing a case where a light emitter of a measuring device radiates terahertz waves and a light receiver receives the terahertz waves according to an embodiment of the present disclosure;

[0017] Figure 5 is a conceptual view showing a position where a measurement is to be made on a release paper F using a measuring device 10 according to an embodiment of the present disclosure;

[0018] Figure 6 is a view showing a propagation direction of terahertz waves radiated on a release paper not coated with slurry by a measuring device according to an embodiment of the present disclosure;

[0019] Figure 7 is a view showing a propagation direction of terahertz waves radiated on a release paper coated with slurry by a measuring device according to an embodiment of the present disclosure;

[0020] Figure 8is a flowchart showing a method of generating a calibration reference and correcting a current release paper power based on the calibration reference according to an embodiment of the disclosure;

[0021] Figure 9 is a sectional view showing a calibration target for obtaining a relationship between a platinum content of a slurry and a power of a terahertz wave according to an embodiment of the disclosure;

[0022] Figure 10 is a view showing a case where a calibration target is measured using a content acquirer Figure 9

[0023] Figure 11 is a graph showing a curve of a platinum content obtained from a calibration target by a content acquirer on a vertical axis and a power intensity calculated from a power of a terahertz wave obtained by a measuring device on a horizontal axis according to an embodiment of the disclosure;

[0024] Figure 12 is a graph showing a trend line of data included in the graph of Figure 11

[0025] List of reference numerals

[0026] 100: coating system

[0027] 10: measuring device

[0028] 11: light emitter

[0029] 12: light receiver

[0030] 13: calculation component

[0031] 21: unwinder

[0032] 22: winder

[0033] 30: drying furnace

[0034] 40: coater

[0035] 41: slurry provider

[0036] 42: coating roll

[0037] 50: content acquirer

[0038] 51: X-ray light emitter

[0039] 52: X-ray light receiver

[0040] 131: terahertz wave generator

[0041] 132: data collector

[0042] 133: data monitor​​

[0043] C: Trend line

[0044] F: Release paper

[0045] L: Radiation line

[0046] S: Slurry

[0047] T: Multi-stage electrode

[0048] W: Terahertz wave DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0049] Hereinafter, example embodiments will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. In regard to reference numerals assigned to elements in the drawings, it should be noted that like elements will be referred to with like reference numerals wherever they appear in the drawings and that the detailed description is omitted when it is deemed that detailed description of well-known related structures or functions would result in obscuring an appreciation of the present disclosure.

[0050] Also, when describing components of the present disclosure, terms such as first, second, A, B, (a), (b), etc. can be used herein. Each of these terms is not used to define the nature, order or sequence of the corresponding component, but is used only to distinguish the corresponding component from other components. It should be noted that if one component is described as being "connected", "coupled", or "joined" to another component in the specification, a third component can be "connected", "coupled", or "joined" between the first component and the second component, although the first component can be directly connected, coupled, or joined to the second component.

[0051] Figure 1 is a conceptual view of example measurement devices 101 and 102 and a coating system 100 using the measurement devices 101 and 102.

[0052] It can be considered that, as Figure 1An exemplary measurement device 101 and 102 and a coating system 100 using the measurement device 101 and 102 are shown. Referring to the drawings, in a coating system 100 in which a slurry S is coated to one surface of a release paper F using a coater 103 and dried by a drying furnace 104, the measurement device 101 and 102 measures before and after the slurry S is coated and dried. Before the slurry S is coated to the release paper F, the release paper F is measured by the substrate measurement device 101. After drying is completed, the electrode is measured by the electrode measurement device 102. The substrate measurement device 101 can measure the characteristics of the release paper F to which the slurry S is not coated by measuring the release paper F using an ultrasonic wave. The electrode measurement device 102 can radiate an ultrasonic wave to the release paper F in which the slurry S is coated and dried to form an electrode shape, thereby measuring the characteristics of the release paper F and the slurry S.

[0053] However, in the case of using the above-described measurement device 101 and 102, after the slurry S is coated to the release paper F, the thickness of the electrode formed cannot be immediately measured, and the thickness can be measured only after passing through the drying furnace 104. In addition, the characteristics of the release paper F can change before and after passing through the drying furnace 104, and thus the reliability of the measurement data of the measurement device 102 can be problematic. Furthermore, when a defect is found near the electrode measurement device 102, there is a problem that the release paper F of the length 105 from the coater 103 to which the slurry S is coated to the electrode measurement device 102 is discarded. When an ultrasonic wave is used for the electrode measurement device, the ultrasonic wave used to measure the liquid slurry S cannot pass through the slurry S coated to the release paper F, and thus it is not possible to measure the amount of the coated slurry S.

[0054] Figure 2 is a conceptual diagram of a measurement device 10 according to an embodiment of the disclosure and a coating system 1 using the measurement device 10. Figure 3 is a conceptual diagram showing a configuration of a computing part 13 of the coating system 1 according to an embodiment of the disclosure and other specific configurations of the coating system 1. Figure 4 is a conceptual diagram specifically showing a case in which a light emitter 11 emits a terahertz wave W and a light receiver 12 receives the terahertz wave W in the measurement device 10 according to an embodiment of the disclosure. Figure 4 is a conceptual diagram showing a configuration of a computing part 13 of the coating system 1 according to an embodiment of the disclosure and other specific configurations of the coating system 1. Figure 3 is an enlarged view of a portion indicated by A in FIG. 1.

[0055] Referring to the drawings, the measurement device 10 according to an embodiment of the disclosure can include a light emitter 11, a light receiver 12, and a computing part 13. In addition, a coating system 1 including the above-described measurement device 10 can include a coater 40 and a drying furnace 30, and can further include an unwinder 21 and a winder 22.

[0056] Unwinder 21 and winder 22

[0057] The unwinding machine 21 is an assembly for unwinding the release paper F in a roll shape, and the winding machine 22 is an assembly for winding the release paper F, to which the slurry S composed of an electrode solution including platinum is applied after being unwound by the unwinding machine 21. The unwinding machine 21 and the winding machine 22 can each include a cylindrical roller that winds the release paper F along an outer peripheral surface thereof. As the roller is rotated, the unwinding machine 21 can unwind the release paper F from the outer peripheral surface thereof and provide the release paper F to the applicator 40 and the measuring device 10, and the winding machine 22 can include a winding shaft for carrying the unwound release paper F on which the slurry S is applied and dried to form an electrode. However, the method by which the unwinding machine 21 and the winding machine 22 unwind and wind the release paper F is not limited thereto.

[0058] The unwinding machine 21 and the winding machine 22 are arranged to be spaced apart from each other. Accordingly, between the unwinding machine 21 and the winding machine 22, the applicator 40 and the measuring device 10 can be arranged. In addition, a plurality of rollers can be provided between the unwinding machine 21 and the winding machine 22. In order to transfer the release paper F unwound by the unwinding machine 21 to the winding machine 22 in a state in which a certain tension is maintained, the rollers are in contact with the release paper F and are rotated to convey the release paper F in a certain direction by friction.

[0059] Applicator 40

[0060] The applicator 40 is an assembly for applying the slurry S to the release paper F. The applicator 40 can include a slurry provider 41 having a nozzle disposed adjacent to one side surface of the release paper F, through which the slurry S is delivered to the release paper F to apply the slurry S to the one side surface of the release paper F.

[0061] In order to well supply the slurry S to the release paper F, the applicator 40 can further include an application roller 42 for disposing the release paper F in a position very close to the slurry provider 41. The application roller 42 can be disposed in contact with the other side of the release paper F opposite to the one side of the release paper F adjacent to the slurry provider 41. Since the application roller 42 supports the release paper F from the other side of the release paper F, the slurry provider 41 can easily apply the slurry S to the one side of the release paper F.

[0062] The applicator 40 is not to continuously discharge the slurry S to form the electrode without interruption, but can be to apply the slurry S to the release paper F according to a certain pattern to form the electrode.

[0063] Measuring device 10

[0064] The measuring device 10 is a component for obtaining desired information from the release paper F coated with the slurry S using the terahertz wave W. The measuring device 10 includes a light emitter 11, a light receiver 12, and a computing component 13. The measuring device 10 can be disposed before the drying oven 30, after the coater 40, based on a conveying direction D of the release paper F.

[0065] The light emitter 11 is a component that radiates the terahertz wave W to the release paper F coated with the slurry S. Accordingly, the light emitter 11 can include a light emitting member capable of emitting an electromagnetic wave, and can be a light emitting member including a light emitting element that emits a continuous wave laser. The terahertz wave W emitted by the light emitting member can be a terahertz wave W having a frequency of 0.1 THz or more and 10 THz or less.

[0066] The light emitter 11 can be disposed adjacent to one side surface of the release paper F coated with the slurry S, can be spaced apart from the release paper F, and can be disposed to face the release paper F. Accordingly, when the light emitter 11 radiates the terahertz wave W on the release paper F coated with the slurry S, a portion of the radiated terahertz wave W can be incident on the slurry S and exit after passing through the release paper F, others can be absorbed, and the remaining terahertz wave R can be reflected. The terahertz wave W that exits through the release paper F is transmitted to the light receiver 12, and the light receiver 12 receives the terahertz wave W. The terahertz wave W radiated by the light emitter 11 can also be radiated to a portion of the release paper F that is not coated with the slurry S, and can be transmitted to the light receiver 12 by passing through the release paper F.

[0067] The light receiver 12 is a component that receives the terahertz wave W radiated from the light emitter 11 and passing through the release paper F coated with the slurry S and obtains power. Accordingly, the light receiver 12 can be disposed at a side opposite to a side on which the light emitter 11 is disposed with the release paper F as a reference, to enable the light receiver 12 to receive the terahertz wave W passing through the release paper F coated with the slurry S.

[0068] The light receiver 12 and the light emitter 11 can be aligned on one straight line to enable the light receiver 12 to well receive the terahertz wave W. The straight line on which the light receiver 12 and the light emitter 11 are disposed can form a certain angle with the release paper F transmitted between the light receiver 12 and the light emitter 11, and the angle can be less than a total reflection critical angle.

[0069] The light receiver 12 can obtain power of the terahertz wave W per unit of time from the received terahertz wave W. The computing component 13 is electrically connected to the light emitter 11 and the light receiver 12 to receive the obtained power of the terahertz wave W, and calculates a thickness of an electrode formed by the slurry S coated onto the release paper based on the obtained power of the terahertz wave W.

[0070] The computing part 13 can include a terahertz wave generator 131, a data collector 132, and a data monitor 133 electrically connected to each other. The terahertz wave generator 131 can be optically connected to the light emitter 11 and can determine a waveform of the terahertz wave W radiated from the light emitter 11 to transmit the radiated light to the light emitter 11 through an optical fiber or the like. The data collector 132 can include a data acquisition (DAQ) interface and can be electrically connected to the light receiver 12 to amplify a signal corresponding to the power of the terahertz wave W obtained by the light receiver 12 and transmit the amplified signal to the data monitor 133. A user can check the current state of the terahertz wave generator 131 and the data collector 132 through the data monitor 133. The data monitor 133 can calculate information including the platinum content of the slurry S and the thickness of the electrode formed by the slurry S using the obtained power of the terahertz wave W and display the calculated information, information about the emitted terahertz wave W, and information of the obtained power of the terahertz wave W using a display device (not shown).

[0071] The terahertz wave generator 131 can be electrically connected to the data collector 132, so that a reference waveform can be further transmitted to enable the data collector 132 to extract a desired signal from among the signals received from the light receiver 12.

[0072] The data monitor 133 can include at least one processor composed of an element capable of logical operation, such as a central processing unit (CPU). In addition, the data monitor 133 can be connected to the at least one processor and can include a storage medium capable of storing a plurality of control instructions and the power of the terahertz wave W obtained from the light receiver 12. The at least one processor can be connected to the terahertz wave generator 131 and the data collector 132 to control. When the control instructions are executed, the processor performs the calculation or control as described below.

[0073] The measuring device 10 according to the embodiment of the disclosure can further include a notifier (not shown) that transmits a notification to a user when the thickness of the electrode calculated by the computing part 13 is outside a predetermined normal thickness range. The notifier can include a display device or a speaker to visually or aurally transmit a notification indicating that a defect occurs in the current electrode production process to the user. Alternatively, the notifier can include a communication module to transmit an electrical signal corresponding to the notification to a device possessed by the user.

[0074] The data monitor 133 of the computing component 13 can calculate the platinum content of the slurry S based on the obtained power of the terahertz wave W, and can calculate the thickness of the electrode based on the calculated platinum content of the slurry S. The storage medium can store a table that corresponds the platinum content of the slurry S and the thickness of the electrode generated based on the platinum content, or a relational expression between the two variables, and the data monitor 133 substitutes the calculated platinum content of the slurry S into the table or the relational expression to obtain the corresponding thickness of the electrode. In general, the platinum content in the slurry S is proportional to the thickness of the electrode formed by the slurry S.

[0075] The thickness of the electrode can be calculated from the platinum content calculated by the data monitor 133, and when the calculated thickness of the electrode is outside a predetermined normal thickness range, the computing component 13 can notify the user of the occurrence of a defect through the notifier described above, and the user can take appropriate measures, such as reducing or increasing the amount of the slurry S applied by controlling the applicator 40.

[0076] When judging whether the thickness of the electrode measured after the slurry S is applied and dried is within the normal thickness range, although the entire application system 1 is stopped at the point in time when the defect is judged, the release paper F of the distance from the position where the slurry S is applied to the position where the thickness of the electrode is measured and the slurry S applied to the release paper F are still wasted. However, according to the embodiment of the disclosure, immediately after the slurry S is applied by the applicator 40, the platinum content of the slurry S is obtained by the measurement device 10, and the thickness of the electrode that can be obtained from the platinum content is calculated, and it is confirmed whether the thickness is within the normal thickness range, so only a small amount of the release paper F and the slurry S applied to the release paper F need to be removed to perform the process again, thereby reducing the waste of the release paper F and the slurry S. Because the terahertz wave W having high transmittance is used to obtain the thickness of the generated electrode, the liquid slurry S can also be measured, so that the measurement device 10 and the application system 1 having the above structure can be configured.

[0077] The computing component 13 can use a frequency domain spectrum (FDS) method instead of a time point domain spectrum (TDS).

[0078] Hereinafter, a calibration process of the measurement device 10 according to the embodiment of the disclosure will be described with reference to the accompanying drawings.

[0079] Figure 5 is a conceptual view showing a position where measurement is performed on the release paper F using the measurement device 10 according to the embodiment of the disclosure. Figure 6 is a view showing a propagation direction of the terahertz wave W radiated on the release paper F on which the slurry S is not applied by the measurement device 10 according to the embodiment of the disclosure. Figure 7 is a view showing a propagation direction of the terahertz wave W radiated on the release paper F on which the slurry S is applied by the measurement device 10 according to the embodiment of the disclosure.Figure 8 is a flowchart showing a method including generating a calibration reference and correcting a current power of the release paper F based on the calibration reference according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0080] During use of the measuring device 10, different measurement data can be obtained in the same environment as changes in the characteristics of the light emitter 11 or the light receiver 12. Certain correction needs to be made in the calculation process of the calculation part 13 to obtain the same data while continuing to use the light emitter 11 or the light receiver 12 whose characteristics have changed. The above certain correction is referred to as calibration. The calibration can be performed by the calculation part 13, and the processor can make the following control when executing the control instructions stored in the above storage medium.

[0081] In S10, in the measuring device 10, the light emitter 11 radiates the terahertz wave W onto the release paper F coated with the paste S, and the light receiver 12 receives the terahertz wave W passing through the release paper F to obtain the power of the terahertz wave W. In S20, the calculation part 13 judges whether the time point of radiating and receiving the terahertz wave W is the time point when the measuring device 10 is first installed. When the time point is the first installation time point of the measuring device 10, the obtained terahertz wave W will become a reference power, which is the power obtained by the position of the release paper F where the paste S is not coated. That is, in S30, the reference power can be stored in the storage medium of the calculation part 13. The above reference power serves as a calibration reference.

[0082] Referring to Figure 5 , the dashed line represents a radiation line L that can radiate the terahertz wave W by the light emitter 11 to the release paper F coated with the paste S. At position P1, the terahertz wave W passes through the release paper F where the paste S is not coated, and at another position P2, the terahertz wave W passes through the release paper F coated with the paste S. The power of the terahertz wave at each position can be obtained for calibration. That is, when the measuring device 10 is first installed, the power of the terahertz wave obtained by the position P1 becomes the reference power.

[0083] In S40, when measuring at a certain time point after installing the measuring device 10, which is not the first time, the power of the terahertz wave W measured at the current release paper F at the certain time point is compared with the reference power. The current power obtained at the certain point can include the power measured at the current area coated with the paste S and the power measured at the current release paper F area, and can be stored in the storage medium, the power measured at the current area coated with the paste S is the power obtained from the terahertz wave W passing through the area coated with the paste S among the release paper F coated with the paste S at the certain time point, and the power measured at the current release paper F area is the power obtained from the terahertz wave W passing through the area where the paste is not coated at the certain time point.

[0084] When the power of the terahertz wave measured in the current release paper F region is the same as the reference power, since the characteristics of the light emitter 11 and the light receiver 12 do not change, calibration does not need to be performed. However, when the power of the terahertz wave measured in the current release paper F region is different from the reference power, since the characteristics of the light emitter 11 and the light receiver 12 have changed, calibration should be performed.

[0085] Using the power of the terahertz wave measured in the current release paper F region and the reference power, the power of the terahertz wave measured in the region where the paste S is currently coated can be corrected by calibration. The calculated correction power can be used as a basis for calculating the thickness of the electrode formed at a certain point in time. When the reference power and the power of the terahertz wave measured in the current release paper F region are different, in S50, a calibration coefficient is calculated from the current release paper F power and the reference power, and in S60, the calculated calibration coefficient is reflected to the power of the terahertz wave measured in the region where the paste S is currently coated to obtain a correction power. The platinum content of the paste S is judged by the calculation section 13 to use the correction power as a basis for calculating the thickness of the electrode obtained at a certain point in time.

[0086] The reference Figure 6 and Figure 7 A method of obtaining a correction factor is described. Referring to Figure 6 , the reference power X0, that is, the power of the terahertz wave W obtained from the light receiver 12 as the terahertz wave W passes through the region of the release paper F where the paste S is not coated, can be expressed as Equation 1 below, and the power X1 measured in the region of the release paper F at the present time can be expressed as Equation 2 below. The measured power expressed in the following equations is expressed in units of voltage. This is because when the terahertz wave W is measured in the light receiver 12, the voltage generated by the received terahertz wave is measured.

[0087]

[0088]

[0089] Here, E0 and E1 represent the power of the terahertz wave W radiated from the light emitter 11 at the time of initial installation and the power of the terahertz wave W radiated from the light emitter 11 at a certain point in time, respectively. When the terahertz wave W is incident from an i medium to a j medium, t ij represents the transmittance of the terahertz wave W at the boundary between the media, a i represents the absorption of the terahertz wave W in the i medium, and R0 and R1 represent the sensitivity of the light receiver 12 at the time of initial installation and at a certain point in time, respectively.d ieffrepresents the propagation distance of the terahertz wave W in the medium i. Air as a medium is represented by the number 4, and the release paper F as a medium is represented by the number 3.

[0090] Here, when X1 is divided by X0, the following Equation 3 is obtained.

[0091]

[0092] Next, referring to Figure 7 , the terahertz wave W passes through the region of the release paper F coated with the slurry S, and the power Y of the terahertz wave W obtained from the light receiver 12 at the time point of the initial installation THz0 can be represented as the following Equation 4, and the power Y measured at the present time in the region of the release paper F coated with the slurry S THz1 can be represented as the following Equation 5. The slurry S as a medium is represented by the number 2.

[0093]

[0094]

[0095] Here, when Y THz1 is divided by Y THz0 , the following Equation 6 is obtained.

[0096]

[0097] Therefore, the corrected power can be represented as the following Equation 7, which is a correction value of the power measured in the region of the release paper F coated with the slurry S.

[0098]

[0099] According to the above equation, by multiplying the power measured in the region of the release paper F coated with the slurry S by the reference power, and then dividing by the power measured at the present time in the region of the release paper F, the corrected power can be obtained. From this, it can be seen that X0 / X1 is a correction factor for obtaining a correction value of the measured value by multiplying the power measured at the present time in the region of the release paper F coated with the slurry S.

[0100] Drying oven (30)

[0101] The drying furnace 30 is an assembly that heats and dries the slurry S coated onto the release paper F to form an electrode. The release paper F coated with the slurry S is introduced into the inside of the drying furnace 30 from one end of the drying furnace 30, and the release paper F with the electrode is discharged from the other end of the drying furnace 30. The release paper F discharged from the drying furnace 30 can be wound in the winding machine 22.

[0102] Content acquirer 50

[0103] The content acquisition device 50 is a component for acquiring the platinum content of the electrode produced by the drying furnace 30. The content acquisition device 50 may be installed independently of other components. Figure 2 Instead of being installed in the coating system 1 shown, it can be installed in a separate space to measure a sample of the release paper F collected from the winding machine 22.

[0104] The content acquisition device 50 may include: an X-ray light emitter 51 for radiating X-rays to the electrode; an X-ray light receiver 52 for sensing the fluorescent X-rays generated by the electrode; and a content calculation unit (not shown) for calculating the platinum content of the electrode based on the electrical signal generated by the fluorescent X-rays sensed by the X-ray light receiver 52. The content calculation unit may calculate the platinum content at the measurement location using X-ray fluorescence analysis (XRF). The content calculation unit may be included in the calculation unit 13 of the measuring device 10.

[0105] The content acquisition device 50 can radiate X-rays onto the electrode to sense the fluorescent X-rays emitted from the electrode, thereby calculating the platinum content of the electrode. Therefore, the platinum content calculated by the measuring device 10 can be verified more reliably.

[0106] Simultaneously, using the content acquisition unit 50, the calculation unit 13 can obtain a table or relational expression, which is the basis for calculating the platinum content of the slurry S based on the power of the terahertz wave W. The storage medium can store the aforementioned table or relational expression.

[0107] Figure 9 This is a cross-sectional view illustrating a calibration target provided according to an embodiment of the present disclosure for obtaining the relationship between the platinum content of slurry S and the power of the terahertz wave W. Figure 10 This shows the measurement using the content acquisition device 50. Figure 9 A view of the calibration target's status.

[0108] Reference Figure 9 to Figure 10 The method of obtaining a table or relational expression using the content extractor 50 is further described. Figure 9 This illustrates electrodes of varying thicknesses formed on release paper F as calibration targets. Therefore, in the calibration target, the electrodes can be formed as a multi-level structure.

[0109] To form the above-described calibration target, the slurry S can be coated onto the release paper F in different coating amounts using the coating system 1, the power of the terahertz wave W passing through each position of the coating amount can be measured using the measuring device 10, and the slurry S can be dried by the drying oven 30 to form the multi-stage structure electrode. The multi-stage structure electrode is discharged from the drying oven 30, and the platinum content at each position of the multi-stage structure electrode is acquired by the content acquirer 50. Thus, for each position of the multi-stage structure electrode, the calculating part 13 can have the power of the terahertz wave W and the platinum content.

[0110] Figure 11 is a graph in which the vertical axis represents the platinum content acquired from the calibration target by the content acquirer 50 and the horizontal axis represents the power intensity calculated from the power of the terahertz wave W acquired by the measuring device 10 according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. Figure 12 is a graph showing a trend line C of the data included in the graph of Figure 11 .

[0111] The calculating part 13 can generate a table in which the platinum content of the electrode acquired by the content acquirer 50 and the power of the terahertz wave W acquired by the light receiver 12 correspond to each other, and can generate a relational expression between the power of the terahertz wave W and the platinum content of the electrode from the generated table. The above-described relational expression can serve as a basis for calculating the platinum content of the electrode from the power of the terahertz wave W acquired by the light receiver 12.

[0112] Referring to Figure 11 , the horizontal axis can be the power intensity calculated from the power of the terahertz wave W and the vertical axis can be the platinum content to display the data of the table on a two-dimensional graph. The power intensity can be proportional to the power of the terahertz wave W. As shown in Figure 12 , the relationship between these data can be represented by a trend line C of the data. An equation representing the trend line C can be a relational expression of the power intensity calculated from the power of the terahertz wave W and the platinum content of the electrode.

[0113] Referring to Equations 4 and 5, it can be seen that the thickness of the slurry S coated onto the release paper F is proportional to the logarithm of the value of the denominator as the power of the terahertz wave W increases, and it can be easily seen that the platinum content contained in the slurry S is proportional to the thickness of the coated slurry S. Thus, it can be seen that the platinum content is proportional to the logarithm of the value of the denominator with the power of the terahertz wave W, and it can be formed that the relational expression between the power of the terahertz wave W and the platinum content of the electrode includes the above-described proportional relationship. The storage medium can store the table and the relational expression formed as described above, and the measuring device 10 can use the table and the relational expression as a basis for determining whether the coating of the slurry S is defective when the coating of the slurry S is performed.

[0114] Accordingly, the amount of waste of the release paper and the slurry can be reduced, and the platinum content of the slurry can be obtained to determine the thickness of the electrode.

[0115] Although the characteristics of the light emitter and the light receiver change, the obtained power can be calibrated to correctly obtain the platinum content of the slurry.

[0116] In the above description, although all components of the embodiments of the disclosure can have been explained as assembled or operatively connected as one unit, the disclosure is not intended to be limited to these embodiments. Rather, within the objective scope of the disclosure, respective components can be selectively and operatively combined in any number. In addition, since terms such as "include", "comprise", and "have" mean that one or more corresponding components can be present, unless specifically described to the contrary, they should be interpreted as being capable of including one or more other components. Unless otherwise defined, all terms including one or more technical or scientific terms have the same meaning as commonly understood by one of ordinary skill in the art. Unless specifically defined in the specification, terms generally used as commonly defined by dictionaries should be interpreted as having the same meaning as the meaning in the context of the relevant description, and should not be interpreted as ideal or overly formal meanings.

[0117] Although preferred embodiments of the disclosure have been described for illustrative purposes, those skilled in the art will understand that various modifications, additions and substitutions can be made without departing from the scope and spirit of the disclosure disclosed in the appended claims. Accordingly, the embodiments disclosed in the disclosure are intended to illustrate the scope of the technical idea of the disclosure, and the scope of the disclosure is not limited by the embodiments. The scope of the disclosure should be interpreted based on the appended claims, such that all technical ideas included within the scope of the equivalents of the claims belong to the disclosure.

Claims

1. A measurement device comprising: a light emitter that radiates terahertz waves to a release paper coated with slurry; a light receiver that receives terahertz waves radiated from the light emitter and passing through the release paper coated with slurry to obtain a power of the terahertz waves; and a calculation component that calculates a thickness of an electrode formed by the slurry coated onto the release paper based on the power of the terahertz waves received by the light receiver, wherein the calculation component further calculates a platinum content of the slurry based on the power of the terahertz waves received by the light receiver, and calculates the thickness of the electrode based on the platinum content of the slurry calculated by the calculation component.

2. The measuring device of claim 1, wherein, The light emitter includes a light emitting member that radiates continuous wave laser light.

3. The measuring device of claim 2, wherein, The light emitting member emits terahertz waves having a frequency of 0.1 THz or more and 10 THz or less. 4.The measurement device according to claim 1, further comprising: a notifier that sends a notification to a user when the thickness of the electrode calculated by the calculation component is outside a predetermined thickness range.

5. The measuring device of claim 1, wherein, The calculation component includes a storage medium for storing a reference power that is a power of the terahertz waves initially passing through the release paper coated with slurry, and The calculation component corrects the power of the terahertz waves obtained at a predetermined time point using the reference power as a basis for calculating the thickness of the electrode formed at the predetermined time point.

6. The measuring device of claim 5, wherein, The reference power is a power of the terahertz waves first obtained passing through the release paper on which no slurry is coated, The power of the terahertz waves obtained at the predetermined time point includes a current slurry power that is a power obtained at the predetermined time point from the terahertz waves passing through a region of the release paper coated with slurry, and a current release paper power that is a power obtained at the predetermined time point from the terahertz waves passing through a region of the release paper on which no slurry is coated, and The calculation component corrects the current slurry power based on the reference power and the current release paper power to obtain a corrected power that is used as a basis for calculating the thickness of the electrode formed at the predetermined time point.

7. The measuring device of claim 6, wherein, The corrected power is a value obtained by multiplying the current slurry power by the reference power and dividing the above result by the current release paper power.

8. The measuring device of claim 1, wherein, The light receiver and the light emitter are aligned on a predetermined straight line, and The predetermined straight line is arranged to form an angle with the release paper passing between the light receiver and the light emitter that is smaller than a total reflection critical angle. 9.A coating system comprising: a coater that coats slurry onto a release paper; a light emitter that radiates terahertz waves to the release paper coated with slurry; a light receiver that receives a power of the terahertz waves passing through the release paper coated with slurry; a drying furnace that heats and dries the slurry coated onto the release paper to form an electrode; a content acquirer that acquires a platinum content of the electrode; and a calculation component that calculates a thickness of the electrode based on the power of the terahertz waves received by the light receiver, ​ The calculation means further calculates the platinum content of the slurry based on the power of the terahertz wave received by the light receiver, and calculates the thickness of the electrode based on the platinum content of the slurry calculated by the calculation means.

10. The coating system of claim 9, wherein, The calculation means generates a table in which the platinum content of the electrode obtained by the content obtainer and the power of the terahertz wave obtained by the light receiver correspond to each other, and generates a relational expression of the power of the terahertz wave and the platinum content of the electrode based on the generated table, to be used as a basis for calculating the platinum content of the electrode from the power of the terahertz wave obtained by the light receiver.

11. The coating system of claim 9, wherein the content obtainer comprises: An X-ray light emitter that radiates X-rays to the electrode; An X-ray light receiver that senses fluorescent X-rays generated by the electrode; and a content calculation means that calculates the platinum content of the electrode from an electric signal generated by the fluorescent X-rays sensed by the X-ray light receiver.

12. A measurement method comprising the steps of: radiating a terahertz wave to a release paper coated with a slurry; obtaining the power of the terahertz wave that has passed through the release paper coated with the slurry; and based on the obtained power of the terahertz wave, calculating the thickness of an electrode formed by the slurry coated to the release paper, wherein the calculating the thickness of the electrode includes: calculating the platinum content of the slurry based on the obtained power of the terahertz wave; and calculating the thickness of the electrode based on the calculated platinum content of the slurry.

13. The measurement method according to claim 12, wherein the step of calculating the thickness of the electrode includes: obtaining a correction power by correcting a current slurry power based on a reference power and a current release paper power, the current slurry power being the power obtained from the terahertz wave that has passed through a region of the release paper coated with the slurry at a predetermined point of time, the reference power being the power obtained from the terahertz wave that has passed through a region of the release paper not coated with the slurry at a first time, and the current release paper power being the power obtained from the terahertz wave that has passed through a region of the release paper not coated with the slurry at the predetermined point of time, and using the correction power as a basis for calculating the thickness of the electrode formed at the predetermined point of time.

14. The measurement method according to claim 12, further comprising: when the thickness of the electrode calculated in the step of calculating the thickness of the electrode is outside a predetermined thickness range, sending a notification to a user.

Citation Information

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