Battery conductive post cleaning apparatus and cleaning method

Abstract

The application discloses a battery conductive column cleaning device and a cleaning method, which comprise a cleaning mechanism and a driving mechanism; the cleaning mechanism comprises a cleaning tank and an ultrasonic transmitter, the cleaning tank is in a closed cylindrical structure, and a tank door is arranged on the outer wall of the cleaning tank; the cleaning tank is rotatably arranged; and the ultrasonic transmitter is arranged on the inner wall of the cleaning tank; the driving mechanism comprises a driving motor and a driven gear; the driving motor is connected with the driven gear through a transmission gear set; and the driven gear is arranged at the end of the cleaning tank. The battery conductive column cleaning device can drive the conductive column in the cleaning tank to tumble, change the position of the conductive column, expose the overlapped surface and clean the overlapped surface, so that the cleaning is more comprehensive and the cleaning effect is better compared with the case that the conductive column is placed in the cleaning tank.

Description

Battery conductive column cleaning equipment and cleaning methods Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to the field of battery recycling technology, specifically to a battery conductive column cleaning device and cleaning method. Background Technology

[0002] With the rapid development of my country's new energy vehicle industry, the issue of disposing of vehicle-mounted power batteries upon reaching the end of their service life is inevitable. Recycling and reusing power batteries can not only effectively reduce battery costs and significantly reduce resource waste, but also has significant environmental value and helps reduce carbon emissions. The positive and negative conductive posts are components used to transfer energy in a battery. They can be obtained through mechanical disassembly during battery recycling. Due to the accumulation of oil and impurities on the surface of the conductive posts during long-term use, they need to be cleaned before reuse.

[0003] The cleaning of conductive columns includes processes such as oxalic acid soaking, ultrasonic cleaning, rinsing, and baking. After removing dirt and oil from the surface of the conductive columns, they are rinsed with pure water and then dried to complete the finished product. In existing technologies, ultrasonic cleaning involves multiple cleaning tanks, in which the conductive columns are sequentially placed for ultrasonic cleaning. However, the cleaning method is the same each time, only the conductive columns are changed to different cleaning tanks. Therefore, multiple ultrasonic cleanings do not significantly improve the cleaning effect. Furthermore, since the daily cleaning volume of conductive columns ranges from hundreds of thousands to millions, a large number of conductive columns accumulate in the cleaning tanks. This results in many overlapping areas that cannot be cleaned thoroughly, especially for sheet-like conductive columns, where large overlapping areas cannot form cavitation. Even after changing the cleaning tank, the problem of incomplete cleaning persists, leading to poor cleaning results. Summary of the Invention

[0004] To address the shortcomings of existing technologies, this invention proposes a battery conductive column cleaning device and cleaning method, which can improve the cleaning effect.

[0005] To achieve the above objectives, the present invention provides the following technical solution: a battery conductive column cleaning device, comprising a cleaning mechanism and a driving mechanism;

[0006] The cleaning mechanism includes a cleaning tank and an ultrasonic transmitter. The cleaning tank has a closed cylindrical structure and a door on its outer wall. The cleaning tank is rotatably mounted, and the ultrasonic transmitter is mounted on the inner wall of the cleaning tank.

[0007] The drive mechanism includes a drive motor and a driven gear. The drive motor is connected to the driven gear through a transmission gear set, and the driven gear is located at the end of the cleaning tank.

[0008] Add the conductive columns and clean water into the cylindrical cleaning tank, close the tank door, and start the ultrasonic transmitter to begin ultrasonic cleaning. During the cleaning process, the drive motor can be started, which drives the driven gear and the cleaning tank to rotate through the transmission gear set, so that the conductive columns inside can be continuously lifted and rolled up, opening up the overlapping parts and allowing the surface of the conductive columns to be cleaned.

[0009] The beneficial effects of the above-mentioned battery conductive column cleaning equipment are: the rotation of the cleaning tank can cause the conductive columns inside to tumble, causing the position of the conductive columns to change and exposing the overlapping surfaces for cleaning. Compared with keeping the conductive columns still in the cleaning tank, the cleaning is more comprehensive and the cleaning effect is better.

[0010] Furthermore, the inner wall of the cleaning tank is provided with anti-slip protrusions.

[0011] The anti-slip protrusions increase the friction with the conductive pillars, preventing them from sliding in the cleaning tank and being lifted upwards.

[0012] Furthermore, multiple cleaning tanks are provided in the vertical direction, and adjacent cleaning tanks are connected by a drive belt.

[0013] Multiple cleaning tanks arranged vertically allow the doors of the upper cleaning tank to be opened directly, allowing the conductive column to fall into the next cleaning tank for multiple rounds of ultrasonic cleaning.

[0014] Furthermore, the cleaning mechanism also includes a solid-liquid separation tank, with a solid-liquid separation tank provided between adjacent cleaning tanks. The inner wall of the solid-liquid separation tank is provided with multiple inclined platforms in a staggered manner along the vertical direction. The end of the inclined platform away from the inner wall of the solid-liquid separation tank is inclined downward. The surface of the inclined platform is provided with multiple sieve holes, and a drain tank is provided inside.

[0015] The solid-liquid separation tank is equipped with hoppers at both the top and bottom. The inlet of the top hopper is larger than the gate of the cleaning tank, and the outlet of the bottom hopper is smaller than the gate of the cleaning tank.

[0016] After the upper cleaning tank is opened, the conductive column and clean water fall together into the solid-liquid separation tank. The conductive column slides down the inclined platform, and the clean water flows into the drain tank through the sieve holes, thus completing the solid-liquid separation. The conductive column falls from the bottom of the solid-liquid separation tank into the lower cleaning tank for the next cycle, and the used clean water can be discharged.

[0017] Furthermore, the edges of the sieve holes are all rounded with inwardly recessed corners.

[0018] The edges of the sieve holes are recessed inward and rounded to prevent scratching the conductive posts that slide on the inclined platform.

[0019] Furthermore, it also includes a stirring mechanism, including a stirring shaft and stirring rods. The stirring shaft is rotatably disposed in the cleaning tank and rotates in the opposite direction to the cleaning tank. Multiple stirring rods are arranged along the axial direction of the stirring shaft and one end is rotatably connected to the stirring shaft. The inner wall of the cleaning tank is provided with multiple limiting grooves in a circumferential direction. The limiting grooves are all S-shaped. The other end of the stirring rod is slidably connected to the limiting groove.

[0020] The rotating agitator shaft inside the cleaning tank drives the agitator rod to rotate, agitating the conductive columns and exposing their surfaces for thorough cleaning. As the agitator rod rotates, it is controlled by an S-shaped limiting groove, causing it to rotate relative to the agitator shaft. This allows for both circumferential and lateral oscillations, further enhancing the agitation effect.

[0021] Furthermore, the stirring mechanism also includes a stirring rod two. The outer wall of the stirring shaft is provided with two spiral grooves in opposite directions along the axial direction, and the two ends of the spiral grooves are connected to each other. The inner wall of the cleaning tank is provided with a spirally arranged limiting groove two along the axial direction. The two ends of the stirring rod two are slidably connected to the spiral groove and the limiting groove two, respectively.

[0022] When the stirring shaft rotates, the second stirring shaft can reciprocate along the axial direction of the stirring shaft under the limiting action of the spiral slide groove and the second limiting slide groove, and is offset from the stirring rod. By moving the second stirring rod axially, the stirring effect on the conductive column in the cleaning tank can be further improved.

[0023] Furthermore, both the stirring rod and the second stirring rod are fitted with anti-collision sleeves.

[0024] The anti-collision sleeve is used to prevent damage to the conductive post.

[0025] A method for cleaning battery conductive pillars, using any of the aforementioned battery conductive pillar cleaning equipment, includes the following steps:

[0026] The conductive column was soaked in oxalic acid.

[0027] The conductive column is placed into the cleaning mechanism for ultrasonic cleaning;

[0028] After a single cleaning cycle, the conductive column is transferred to another cleaning tank. As the number of cleaning cycles of the conductive column increases, the single ultrasonic cleaning time gradually increases and then gradually decreases.

[0029] Rinse the conductive column with pure water;

[0030] Baking the conductive pillars.

[0031] Furthermore, it also includes the following steps:

[0032] After completing the ultrasonic cleaning step, the conductive column is immersed in the passivation solution for passivation treatment.

[0033] The passivated conductive column was rinsed with pure water and then ultrasonically cleaned again.

[0034] The conductive column is immersed in a sealing agent for sealing treatment;

[0035] The conductive column after sealing is rinsed with pure water. Attached Figure Description

[0036] To more clearly illustrate the specific embodiments of the present invention, the accompanying drawings used in the specific embodiments will be briefly described below. In all the drawings, the elements or parts are not necessarily drawn to scale.

[0037] Figure 1 is a front view of a battery conductive column cleaning device provided in an embodiment of the present invention;

[0038] Figure 2 is a cross-sectional view of the solid-liquid separation tank of the battery conductive column cleaning equipment shown in Figure 1;

[0039] Figure 3 is a cross-sectional view of the cleaning tank of the battery conductive column cleaning equipment shown in Figure 1;

[0040] Figure 4 is a schematic diagram of a battery conductive post cleaning method provided in an embodiment of the present invention;

[0041] Figure 5 shows the experimental data of passivation treatment for the battery conductive pillar cleaning method shown in Figure 4.

[0042] Figure 6 shows the experimental data of passivation treatment for the battery conductive pillar cleaning method shown in Figure 4;

[0043] Figure 7 shows the experimental data of passivation treatment for the battery conductive pillar cleaning method shown in Figure 4;

[0044] Figure label:

[0045] 10-Cleaning mechanism, 11-Cleaning tank, 12-Ultrasonic transmitter, 13-Solid-liquid separation tank, 131-Inclined platform, 132-Sieve hole, 133-Drainage tank, 134-Hopper;

[0046] 20-Drive mechanism, 21-Drive motor, 22-Driven gear, 23-Transmission belt;

[0047] 30-Stirring mechanism, 31-Stirring shaft, 311-Drive motor II, 312-Spiral chute, 32-Stirring rod, 33-Limiting chute, 34-Stirring rod II, 35-Limiting chute II. Detailed Implementation

[0048] The embodiments of the technical solution of the present invention will now be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. These embodiments are merely illustrative of the technical solution of the present invention and are therefore intended to limit the scope of protection of the present invention.

[0049] Please refer to Figures 1 to 3. The present invention provides a battery conductive column cleaning device, including a cleaning mechanism 10 and a driving mechanism 20. The conductive column is placed into the cleaning mechanism 10 for ultrasonic cleaning. The driving mechanism 20 can drive the cleaning mechanism 10 to rotate, thereby driving the conductive column to rotate and move, thus improving the cleaning range.

[0050] Specifically, the cleaning mechanism 10 includes a cleaning tank 11 and an ultrasonic transmitter 12. The cleaning tank 11 is a closed cylindrical structure with a door on its outer wall, which can be opened to add conductive columns and clean water. The cleaning tank 11 is rotatably mounted, and the ultrasonic transmitter 12 is mounted on the inner wall of the cleaning tank 11. The drive mechanism 20 includes a drive motor 21 and a driven gear 22. The drive motor 21 is connected to the driven gear 22 through a transmission gear set, and the driven gear 22 is located at the end of the cleaning tank 11.

[0051] After adding the conductive columns and clean water into the cleaning tank 11, close the tank door and start the ultrasonic transmitter 12 to begin ultrasonic cleaning. Once cleaning begins, start the drive motor 21, which drives the driven gear 22 and the cleaning tank 11 to rotate slowly through the transmission gear set. This continuously lifts the conductive columns upwards, and after reaching a certain height, they tumble downwards, causing movement and rotation. This unfolds the overlapping surfaces of the conductive columns, ensuring that all surfaces are cleaned. Compared to leaving the conductive columns stationary in the cleaning tank, this method provides a more thorough cleaning and better cleaning results.

[0052] Furthermore, the inner wall of the cleaning tank 11 is provided with anti-slip protrusions, which can increase the friction between the anti-slip protrusions and the conductive column to prevent the conductive column from sliding on the relatively smooth inner wall and not moving upward.

[0053] Furthermore, multiple cleaning tanks 11 are arranged vertically to allow for multiple rounds of ultrasonic cleaning and simultaneous operation, thus improving production efficiency. After opening the door of the upper cleaning tank 11, the conductive column falls into the next cleaning tank, enabling rapid transfer. In this embodiment, adjacent cleaning tanks are connected by a drive belt 23.

[0054] Each adjacent cleaning tank 11 is provided with a solid-liquid separation tank 13. The inner wall of each solid-liquid separation tank 13 has multiple staggered ramps 131 arranged vertically, forming a channel between the ramps 131 and the tank. The ramps 131, away from the inner wall of the tank, slope downwards. Each ramp 131 has multiple sieve holes 132 on its surface and a drain trough 133 inside. Both the top and bottom of each solid-liquid separation tank 13 are provided with hoppers 134. The inlet of the top hopper 134 is larger than the gate of the cleaning tank, while the outlet of the bottom hopper 134 is smaller than the gate of the cleaning tank.

[0055] After opening the upper cleaning tank 11, the conductive column and clean water fall together into the hopper 134 and enter the solid-liquid separation tank 13. The conductive column slides down from the inclined platform 131, while the clean water flows from the sieve holes 132 into the drain tank 133, thus completing the solid-liquid separation. The conductive column falls from the bottom of the solid-liquid separation tank 13 into the lower cleaning tank 11 for the next cycle, and the used clean water can be discharged. In this embodiment, the edges of the sieve holes 132 are all chamfered with inwardly recessed rounded corners to avoid scratching the surface of the conductive column.

[0056] Specifically, it also includes a stirring mechanism 30, which includes a stirring shaft 31 and a stirring rod 32. The stirring shaft 31 is rotatably disposed in the cleaning tank 11 and is arranged along its axial direction. The stirring rod 32 is driven by a drive motor 311 and rotates in the opposite direction to the cleaning tank. Multiple stirring rods 32 are arranged in a spiral shape along the axial direction of the stirring shaft 31, and one end is rotatably connected to the stirring shaft 31. Multiple limiting grooves 33 are provided circumferentially on the inner wall of the cleaning tank 11. The limiting grooves 33 are all S-shaped. The other end of the stirring rod 32 is slidably connected to the limiting groove 33.

[0057] By driving the stirring shaft 31 to rotate and causing the stirring rod 32 to revolve, the conductive columns in the cleaning tank 11 can be agitated, allowing them to further displace and expose their surfaces for thorough cleaning. Furthermore, as the stirring rod 32 rotates, it is controlled by the S-shaped limiting groove 33, causing it to rotate relative to the stirring shaft 31. This allows it to oscillate laterally while rotating circumferentially, further enhancing the stirring effect. The stirring rod 32 and the limiting groove 33 can be slidably connected using a T-shaped structure. The middle of the T-shaped groove is wider than the stirring rod 32, allowing it to oscillate left and right, and the bottom is thicker than the stirring rod 32, enabling it to move back and forth while oscillating.

[0058] The stirring mechanism 30 also includes a stirring rod 34. The outer wall of the stirring shaft 31 has two axially oriented spiral grooves 312, which are offset from the stirring rod 32. The two ends of the spiral grooves 312 are interconnected. The inner wall of the cleaning tank 11 has a spirally oriented limiting groove 35. The two ends of the stirring rod 34 are slidably connected to the spiral grooves 312 and the limiting grooves 35, respectively. When the stirring shaft 31 rotates, the stirring shaft 312, under the limiting action of the spiral grooves 312 and the limiting grooves 35, can reciprocate along the axial direction of the stirring shaft 31 and be offset from the stirring rod 32. By axially moving the stirring rod 34, the stirring effect on the conductive column in the cleaning tank can be further enhanced.

[0059] In this embodiment, both stirring rod 32 and stirring rod 34 are fitted with anti-collision sleeves made of elastic material to prevent damage to the conductive column.

[0060] The working principle of the battery conductive column cleaning equipment is as follows: the conductive column and clean water are added into the cleaning tank 11, the ultrasonic transmitter 12 is started to start ultrasonic cleaning, and the drive motor 21 and drive motor 311 are started at the same time. The driven gear 22 drives the cleaning tank 11 to rotate, which continuously lifts and tumbles the conductive column inside. The rotating shaft drives the stirring rod 32 to revolve, and the stirring rod 34 moves back and forth along the axial direction to further stir the conductive column, so that the overlapping surface part of the conductive column can be exposed to achieve thorough cleaning.

[0061] Using the aforementioned battery conductive column cleaning equipment, the internal conductive columns can be tumbled and stirred, causing their positions to change and exposing overlapping surfaces for cleaning. Compared to keeping the conductive columns still in the cleaning tank, this method provides a more thorough cleaning and better cleaning results.

[0062] Referring to Figure 4, the present invention also provides a method for cleaning battery conductive pillars, using the aforementioned battery conductive pillar cleaning equipment, including the following steps:

[0063] The conductive column is soaked in oxalic acid. The first soaking is in an oxalic acid bath with a pH value of less than 2 for 120-150 minutes, and the second soaking is for 30-32 minutes.

[0064] The conductive column is then placed into the cleaning mechanism for ultrasonic cleaning. After each cleaning cycle, the conductive column is transferred to another cleaning tank. As the number of cleaning cycles increases, the duration of each ultrasonic cleaning cycle gradually increases and then gradually decreases. In this embodiment, the first ultrasonic cleaning lasts 5 minutes, the second 15 minutes per tank, the third 10 minutes per tank, and the fourth 5-6 minutes, with the ultrasonic frequency set to 25-30 kHz. Because the cleaning time varies between cycles, the cleaning mechanism of the aforementioned battery conductive column cleaning equipment can include more cleaning tanks for cycles with longer cleaning times.

[0065] After ultrasonic cleaning, the conductive pillars are immersed in a passivation solution for 3-5 minutes for passivation. The surface of the conductive pillars is highly activated after ultrasonic cleaning, so passivation forms a protective film on the surface to improve corrosion resistance.

[0066] The passivated conductive pillars are rinsed with pure water to remove surface impurities, followed by ultrasonic cleaning to remove stubborn surface impurities formed after passivation. In this embodiment, the conductive pillar material is a lead alloy. Figure 5 shows the effect of ultrasonic frequency on corrosion resistance; Figure 6 shows the effect of temperature on corrosion resistance at an ultrasonic frequency of 59 kHz and a cleaning time of 10 seconds; and Figure 7 shows the effect of time on corrosion resistance at an ultrasonic frequency of 59 kHz and a temperature of 25°C. Therefore, in this embodiment, an ultrasonic frequency of 40 kHz, a cleaning time of 15 seconds, and a temperature of 35°C are used to effectively remove surface impurities without damaging the film's performance, thus improving the corrosion resistance of the conductive pillars.

[0067] Next, immerse the conductive column in the sealant for 10-12 minutes to seal it.

[0068] Finally, rinse the sealed conductive column with pure water for 4-6 seconds each time, and repeat multiple times. After rinsing, bake at 110±10℃ for 17-18 minutes to complete the shipment.

[0069] The aforementioned battery conductive post cleaning method, compared to existing cleaning methods, adds passivation and sealing treatment after ultrasonic cleaning. After a passivation film is formed on the surface of the conductive post through oxidation, the micropores of the oxide film are filled, significantly improving the corrosion resistance and wear resistance of the conductive post. Furthermore, ultrasonic cleaning is performed again after passivation treatment, which can improve the performance of the passivation film, thereby further enhancing the corrosion resistance of the conductive post.

[0070] The above embodiments are only used to illustrate the technical solutions of the present invention, and are not intended to limit it. Although the present invention has been described in detail with reference to the foregoing embodiments, those skilled in the art should understand that modifications can still be made to the technical solutions described in the foregoing embodiments, or equivalent substitutions can be made to some or all of the technical features therein. Such modifications or substitutions do not cause the essence of the corresponding technical solutions to deviate from the scope of the technical solutions of the embodiments of the present invention, and they should all be covered within the scope of the claims and specification of the present invention.

Claims

1. A battery conductive column cleaning device, characterized in that: The system includes a cleaning mechanism and a driving mechanism. The cleaning mechanism includes a cleaning tank and an ultrasonic transmitter. The cleaning tank has a closed cylindrical structure with a door on its outer wall and is rotatably mounted. The ultrasonic transmitter is mounted on the inner wall of the cleaning tank. The driving mechanism includes a drive motor and a driven gear. The drive motor is connected to the driven gear via a transmission gear set, and the driven gear is located at the end of the cleaning tank. Multiple cleaning tanks are arranged vertically, and adjacent cleaning tanks are connected by a transmission belt. The cleaning mechanism also includes a solid-liquid separation tank, with a solid-liquid separation tank between adjacent cleaning tanks. The inner wall of each solid-liquid separation tank has multiple inclined plates arranged alternately in a vertical direction. The system includes a platform with one end inclined downwards away from the inner wall of the solid-liquid separation tank. The platform surface has multiple sieve holes, and an internal drainage trough is provided. The solid-liquid separation tank has hoppers at both the top and bottom. The inlet of the top hopper is larger than the gate of the cleaning tank, and the outlet of the bottom hopper is smaller than the gate. The system also includes a stirring mechanism, comprising a stirring shaft and stirring rods. The stirring shaft is rotatably mounted inside the cleaning tank, rotating in the opposite direction to the cleaning tank. Multiple stirring rods are arranged axially along the stirring shaft, with one end rotatably connected to the stirring shaft. The inner wall of the cleaning tank has multiple circumferentially arranged limiting grooves, all of which are S-shaped. The other end of each stirring rod is slidably connected to a limiting groove.

2. The battery conductive column cleaning equipment according to claim 1, characterized in that: The inner wall of the cleaning tank is provided with anti-slip protrusions.

3. The battery conductive column cleaning equipment according to claim 1, characterized in that: The edges of the sieve holes are all rounded with inwardly recessed corners.

4. The battery conductive column cleaning equipment according to claim 1, characterized in that: The stirring mechanism also includes a stirring rod two. The outer wall of the stirring shaft is provided with two spiral grooves in opposite directions along the axial direction, and the two ends of the spiral grooves are connected to each other. The inner wall of the cleaning tank is provided with a spirally arranged limiting groove two along the axial direction. The two ends of the stirring rod two are slidably connected to the spiral groove and the limiting groove two, respectively.

5. The battery conductive column cleaning equipment according to claim 4, characterized in that: Both the stirring rod and the second stirring rod are fitted with anti-collision sleeves.

6. A method for cleaning battery conductive posts, characterized in that: The battery conductive column cleaning equipment according to any one of claims 1-5 includes the following steps: soaking the conductive column in oxalic acid; placing the conductive column in the cleaning mechanism for ultrasonic cleaning; after completing a single cleaning, transferring the conductive column to another cleaning tank, gradually increasing and then gradually shortening the single ultrasonic cleaning time as the number of cleaning cycles of the conductive column increases; rinsing the conductive column with pure water; and baking the conductive column.

7. The battery conductive post cleaning method according to claim 6, characterized in that: It also includes the following steps: After completing the ultrasonic cleaning step, the conductive column is immersed in the passivation solution for passivation treatment; the passivated conductive column is rinsed with pure water and then ultrasonically cleaned again; the conductive column is immersed in the sealing agent for sealing treatment; and the sealed conductive column is rinsed with pure water.

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