Electrode dehydration device and battery production line

Abstract

This invention discloses an electrode dehydration device, characterized by comprising: an electrode roll unwinding section, including an unwinding wheel and a winding wheel, wherein the unwinding wheel is used to unwind and unfold the electrode roll, and the flattened electrode is conveyed to the winding wheel for rewinding; a laser baking section, arranged between the unwinding wheel and the winding wheel, wherein the laser baking section removes moisture from the flattened electrode by laser heating; and a cooling section, arranged downstream of the laser baking section along the electrode conveying direction, wherein the cooling section is used to cool the baked electrode. The baking component in the electrode dehydration device provided by this invention uses laser heating, which has higher energy density, faster heating speed, and better energy efficiency compared to other heating methods. Furthermore, the overall structure is compact, occupies less space, and improves the space utilization rate of the production workshop. It achieves both low overall production costs and high production efficiency. This invention also discloses a battery production line.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to the field of battery manufacturing technology, and in particular to an electrode dehydration device and a battery production line. Background Technology

[0002] During battery cell production, the electrode sheets produced through pulping and rolling contain moisture. Furthermore, as the electrodes move between different processes, they absorb moisture from the environment. This increasing moisture content leads to higher internal resistance in the battery, consequently shortening its lifespan. Therefore, it is crucial to strictly control the moisture content of the electrode sheets during battery production to meet process requirements.

[0003] Currently, in the production process, the electrode sheets, after being pulped and rolled, are dehydrated by baking. Existing technologies typically use tunnel furnaces for heating and baking. However, tunnel furnaces not only occupy a large space but also have relatively poor energy efficiency, resulting in high overall costs and low production efficiency.

[0004] Therefore, how to improve production efficiency while ensuring that the moisture content of the electrode is within the range required by the process is a technical problem that needs to be solved by those skilled in the art. Summary of the Invention

[0005] In view of this, the purpose of the present invention is to provide an electrode dehydration device that can improve production efficiency while ensuring that the moisture content of the electrode is within the range required by the process.

[0006] Another object of the present invention is to provide a battery production line having the above-mentioned electrode dehydration device.

[0007] To achieve the above objectives, the present invention provides the following technical solution:

[0008] An electrode dewatering device, comprising:

[0009] The electrode roll unwinding section includes an unwinding wheel and a winding wheel. The unwinding wheel is used to unwind and unfold the electrode roll, and the flattened electrode sheet is conveyed to the winding wheel for rewinding.

[0010] The laser baking section is arranged between the unwinding roller and the winding roller, and the laser baking section uses laser heating to bake the flattened electrode sheet to remove moisture.

[0011] A cooling section is arranged downstream of the laser baking section along the conveying direction of the electrode sheet, and the cooling section is used to cool the baked electrode sheet.

[0012] Optionally, in the above-mentioned electrode dehydration device, multiple laser baking sections are provided, and each laser baking section is arranged alternately on both sides of the unfolded plane of the electrode.

[0013] Optionally, in the above-mentioned electrode dehydration device, multiple cooling sections are provided, and each cooling section is distributed sequentially at intervals along the conveying direction of the electrode.

[0014] Optionally, in the above-mentioned electrode dehydration device, the cooling section includes an air-cooling mechanism and a driven wheel, the electrode is located between the air-cooling mechanism and the driven wheel, the electrode is attached to the driven wheel, and the air outlet of the air-cooling mechanism faces the unfolded plane of the electrode.

[0015] Optionally, in the above-mentioned electrode dehydration device, the air-cooling mechanism is further provided with an air inlet for extracting gas, and the air outlet and the air inlet of the air-cooling mechanism are spaced around the driven wheel.

[0016] Optionally, in the above-mentioned electrode dewatering device, the electrode winding and unwinding section further includes a main drive unit and a tensioning unit. The main drive unit drives the electrode to move, and the tensioning unit adjusts the tension of the electrode during the electrode conveying process.

[0017] Optionally, in the above-mentioned electrode dewatering device, the electrode winding and unwinding section is further provided with a correction unit, and the correction unit is close to the winding wheel relative to the unwinding wheel.

[0018] Optionally, the above-mentioned electrode dehydration device further includes a housing with a receiving space, wherein the electrode winding and unwinding part, the laser baking part and the cooling part are all placed in the cavity of the housing, and the outer wall of the housing is provided with a cleaning device to filter and clean the air in the cavity of the housing.

[0019] Optionally, in the above-mentioned electrode dehydration device, the laser baking section further includes a temperature control feedback system, which is used to monitor the baking temperature and adjust the laser heating power of the laser baking section according to the actual temperature.

[0020] The electrode dehydration device provided by this invention, during battery production, involves transferring electrode rolls from the material warehouse via a material trolley and mounting them onto an unwinding reel, which then unwinds the rolls. Simultaneously, a laser baking section located between the unwinding and rewinding reels heats the unfolded surface of the electrode using a laser to remove some of the moisture, ensuring the electrode moisture content meets production process requirements. This significantly reduces electrode powder shedding and brittleness during subsequent sheet forming and stacking processes, thus minimizing electrode and cell waste and improving product yield. It also drastically shortens subsequent resting and baking time, reducing production time and costs. The baked electrode continues to be conveyed and rapidly cooled by a cooling section. Finally, the cooled electrode, meeting the moisture content requirements, is rewound by the rewinding reel and removed for transport to the next process. Compared to existing technologies, the baking component in the electrode dehydration device of this invention uses laser heating, which offers higher energy density and better energy efficiency compared to other heating methods. Furthermore, it eliminates the need for a medium, enabling timely heating at a faster rate. Laser heating also allows for precise control of the heating zone, improving the accuracy of the electrode heating process and ensuring high efficiency in the electrode baking and moisture removal process. Simultaneously, the electrode dehydration device provided by this invention has a compact overall structure, occupies less space, and improves the space utilization rate of the production workshop. The electrode dehydration device provided by this invention achieves both low overall production costs and high production efficiency.

[0021] A battery production line includes an electrode dehydration device, wherein the electrode dehydration device is as described in any of the preceding claims.

[0022] The battery production line provided by this invention has all the technical effects of the aforementioned electrode dehydration device, which will not be elaborated further here. Attached Figure Description

[0023] To more clearly illustrate the technical solutions in the embodiments of the present invention or the prior art, the drawings used in the description of the embodiments or the prior art will be briefly introduced below. Obviously, the drawings described below are only some embodiments of the present invention. For those skilled in the art, other drawings can be obtained based on these drawings without creative effort.

[0024] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the electrode dewatering device disclosed in an embodiment of the present invention;

[0025] Figure 2 This is a schematic diagram of the cooling section disclosed in an embodiment of the present invention.

[0026] Among them, 100 is the polar roll take-up and unwinding section, 110 is the unwinding wheel, 120 is the take-up wheel, 130 is the main drive unit, 140 is the tensioning unit, 141 is the tensioning wheel, and 150 is the correction unit.

[0027] 200 is the laser baking section;

[0028] 300 is the cooling section, 310 is the air-cooling mechanism, and 320 is the driven wheel;

[0029] 400 is the casing.

[0030] 500 is the control unit. Detailed Implementation

[0031] The core of this invention lies in providing an electrode dehydration device, which can improve production efficiency while ensuring that the moisture content of the electrode is within the range required by the process.

[0032] Another core aspect of this invention is to provide a battery production line having the aforementioned electrode dehydration device.

[0033] The technical solutions of the embodiments of the present invention will be clearly and completely described below with reference to the accompanying drawings. Obviously, the described embodiments are only some embodiments of the present invention, and not all embodiments. Based on the embodiments of the present invention, all other embodiments obtained by those skilled in the art without creative effort are within the scope of protection of the present invention.

[0034] like Figure 1As shown in the figure, an embodiment of the present invention discloses an electrode dehydration device, including an electrode roll unwinding section 100, a laser baking section 200, and a cooling section 300. The electrode roll unwinding section 100 is provided with an unwinding roller 110 and a winding roller 120 arranged at intervals, while the laser baking section 200 is arranged between the unwinding roller 110 and the winding roller 120. When electrode processing is required, the electrode is placed on the unwinding roller 110 around the rolled electrode roll. The unwinding roller 110 unwinds and unfolds the electrode roll, and the flattened electrode continues to be conveyed towards the winding roller 120. During the conveying process, the laser baking section 200 heats and bakes the flattened surface of the electrode using a laser to remove moisture from the electrode. The heated electrode continues to be conveyed, while the cooling section 300, arranged downstream of the laser baking section 200 along the electrode conveying direction, rapidly dissipates heat and cools the electrode with its high temperature, causing the electrode temperature to drop rapidly. After cooling and meeting the required moisture content, the electrode sheets continue to be conveyed and finally rewound by the winding wheel 120 for further transfer to the next process for electrode processing. Furthermore, in existing technologies, electrode rolls must follow a first-in, first-out (FIFO) rule, and after rolling and slitting, the electrode sheets must be stored in a low-temperature environment within 30 minutes. Additionally, electrode rolls not used immediately must be stored in a vacuum. These methods aim to minimize the adsorption of moisture from the environment onto the electrode sheets. However, the electrode dehydration device provided in this embodiment achieves timely baking to remove moisture before electrode processing. This means that only the required number of electrode sheets can be baked during production, significantly reducing the complexity of electrode storage and further saving production costs and improving production efficiency.

[0035] like Figure 1 As shown, multiple laser baking units 200 can be provided. In a specific embodiment, two laser baking units 200 are provided, and the two laser baking units 200 are arranged alternately on both sides of the unfolded plane of the electrode. Therefore, during the electrode conveying process, the two laser baking units 200 simultaneously heat and bake both sides of the unfolded plane of the electrode, which not only increases the amount of water removed during the electrode heating and baking process and further reduces the moisture content in the electrode, but also improves the efficiency of processing and baking to remove moisture, and can quickly complete the dehydration of the electrode.

[0036] Meanwhile, in the case of multiple laser baking sections 200, in order to improve the efficiency of rapid heat dissipation of the heated electrode, the electrode dehydration device provided in this embodiment also has multiple cooling sections 300, and each cooling section 300 is distributed sequentially and at intervals along the electrode conveying direction. Figure 1As shown, when two laser baking sections 200 are arranged, each laser baking section 200 corresponds to two cooling sections 300, and the two cooling sections 300 are arranged at intervals downstream of the corresponding laser baking section 200. Alternatively, those skilled in the art can set the number of cooling sections 300 according to actual needs, which will not be listed here.

[0037] like Figure 2 As shown, the cooling section 300 includes an air-cooling mechanism 310 and a driven wheel 320. The air-cooling mechanism 310 has an air outlet through which airflow passes, enabling the dehumidification device provided in this embodiment to dissipate heat and cool the heated electrode sheet using air cooling. When the electrode sheet passes through the cooling section 300, it is located between the air-cooling mechanism 310 and the driven wheel 320, and the electrode sheet is attached to the circumferential surface of the driven wheel 320. Then, when the air-cooling mechanism 310 blows a high-speed airflow onto the electrode sheet, the driven wheel 320 not only facilitates the unfolding of the electrode sheet but also provides support and fixation, preventing the electrode sheet from shaking violently and becoming unstable during the air-cooling process, thereby ensuring the stability and smoothness of the electrode sheet transport.

[0038] In addition, when the electrode is cooled and dissipated by air cooling mechanism 310, in order to reduce the amount of water vapor generated by heating and baking being blown into the surrounding air, the air cooling mechanism 310 provided in this embodiment is also provided with an air inlet for extracting gas. The air outlet and the air inlet of the air cooling mechanism 310 are spaced around the driven wheel 320. The air inlet of the air cooling mechanism 310 quickly extracts gas and moisture from the air, reducing the re-absorption of moisture from the surrounding gas by the dehydrated electrode. At the same time, it can also remove dust emitted into the air, improving the cleanliness of the electrode dehydration device provided in this embodiment and ensuring the operation and service life of the equipment.

[0039] like Figure 1 As shown, the electrode winding and unwinding section 100 also includes a main drive unit 130 and a tensioning unit 140 arranged between the unwinding roller 110 and the winding roller 120, with the main drive unit 130 arranged downstream of the tensioning unit 140 along the electrode conveying direction. The main drive unit 130 acts as the main drive to move the electrode from the unwinding roller 110 to the winding roller 120. During the conveying process, the electrode passes sequentially through each tensioning roller 141 of the tensioning unit 140. The tension of the electrode is adjusted in a timely manner by the tensioning rollers 141 to ensure that the electrode on the winding roller 120 can be tightly wound, avoiding the problem of the electrode becoming loose and falling off. Furthermore, during the winding process of the take-up reel 120, in order to avoid the problem of the electrode falling off due to winding deviation on the take-up reel 120, the electrode dehydration device provided in this embodiment is also equipped with a correction unit 150. The correction unit 150 is arranged between the main drive unit 130 and the take-up reel 120. The electrode passes through the correction wheel of the correction unit 150 in sequence to correct and position the electrode during the conveying process.

[0040] To ensure that all components in the electrode dehydration device provided in this embodiment can operate in a favorable working environment, the electrode winding and unwinding section 100, the laser baking section 200, and the cooling section 300 are protected and sealed by a housing. It is understood that the housing has an openable cover to facilitate the entry of the electrode winding into the housing space for installation on the unwinding reel 110, and the removal of the electrode from the winding reel 120 for transfer to the next process. Furthermore, a cleaning device is provided on the outer wall of the housing 400. This cleaning device exchanges air within the housing 400 with external air, preventing high temperatures from forming inside the housing 400 during operation. Simultaneously, the cleaning device filters and removes dust particles from the housing 400, further improving the cleanliness of the internal environment. The cleaning device also maintains a slightly low pressure within the housing 400 relative to the external atmosphere, facilitating rapid evaporation of moisture from the electrode and improving the efficiency of the baking and dehydration process.

[0041] Furthermore, the laser baking unit 200 also includes a temperature control feedback system. In this embodiment, the laser baking unit 200 irradiates the unfolded electrode sheet at a set temperature using an internally installed laser component. The laser radiates onto the electrode sheet in the form of electromagnetic waves, causing the electrode sheet's temperature to rise rapidly, thus heating and baking the electrode sheet to remove some of the moisture. The temperature control feedback system can detect the actual heating temperature in real time throughout the baking process and adjust the laser heating power of the laser baking unit 200 accordingly. This ensures that the heating temperature of the laser baking unit 200 matches the electrode sheet's conveying speed and maintains the baking temperature within a suitable range. Consequently, the uniformity of heating the electrode sheet by the laser baking unit 200 is improved throughout the entire heating process, ensuring the stability and pass rate of the electrode sheet's moisture content meeting process requirements throughout the entire electrode sheet processing and manufacturing process.

[0042] like Figure 1 As shown, the electrode dewatering device provided in this example is equipped with a control unit 500. The control unit 500 can control parameters such as the electrode conveying speed, the rotation direction of the unwinding wheel 110 and the winding wheel 120, and the electrode tension. It can also stop the equipment in an emergency, which is beneficial to improving the automation and control of the equipment.

[0043] This invention also discloses a battery production line, including an electrode dehydration device. Since this battery production line incorporates the aforementioned electrode dehydration device, it possesses all the technical effects of the device, which will not be elaborated upon further here.

[0044] It should be noted that the various embodiments in this specification are described in a progressive manner, with each embodiment focusing on the differences from other embodiments. The same or similar parts between the various embodiments can be referred to each other.

[0045] As indicated in this application and claims, unless the context clearly indicates otherwise, the words "a," "an," "a," and / or "the" are not specifically singular and may include the plural. Generally, the terms "comprising" and "including" only indicate the inclusion of expressly identified steps and elements, which do not constitute an exclusive list, and the method or apparatus may also include other steps or elements. An element defined by the phrase "comprising an..." does not exclude the presence of other identical elements in the process, method, product, or apparatus that includes the element.

[0046] In the description of the embodiments of this application, unless otherwise stated, " / " means "or", for example, A / B can mean A or B; "and / or" in this document is merely a description of the relationship between related objects, indicating that three relationships can exist. For example, A and / or B can represent: A existing alone, A and B existing simultaneously, and B existing alone. Furthermore, in the description of the embodiments of this application, "multiple" refers to two or more.

[0047] This article uses specific examples to illustrate the principles and implementation methods of the present invention. The descriptions of the above embodiments are only for the purpose of helping to understand the core ideas of the present invention. It should be noted that those skilled in the art can make several improvements and modifications to the present invention without departing from the principles of the present invention, and these improvements and modifications also fall within the protection scope of the claims of the present invention.

Claims

1. A dewatering device for electrodes, characterized in that, include: The electrode roll unwinding section (100) includes an unwinding wheel (110) and a winding wheel (120). The unwinding wheel (110) is used to unwind and unfold the electrode roll, and the flattened electrode sheet is conveyed to the winding wheel (120) for rewinding. The laser baking section (200) is arranged between the unwinding roller (110) and the winding roller (120), and the laser baking section (200) bakes the flattened electrode sheet to remove moisture by laser heating. A cooling section (300) is arranged downstream of the laser baking section (200) along the conveying direction of the electrode. The cooling section (300) includes a cooling mechanism (310) and a driven wheel (320). The electrode is located between the cooling mechanism (310) and the driven wheel (320), and the electrode is attached to the circumferential surface of the driven wheel (320). The air outlet of the cooling mechanism (310) faces the unfolded plane of the electrode and is used to blow airflow onto the baked electrode to cool it down. The air-cooling mechanism (310) is also provided with an air inlet for extracting gas, and the air outlet of the air-cooling mechanism (310) and the air inlet of the air-cooling mechanism (310) are spaced around the driven wheel (320). The air inlet is used to extract the gas and moisture in the air after being blown by the air outlet, so as to slow down the dehydrated electrode from re-absorbing moisture in the surrounding gas. The housing (400) has a receiving space. The electrode winding and unwinding part (100), the laser baking part (200) and the cooling part (300) are all disposed in the cavity of the housing (400). The outer wall of the housing (400) is provided with a cleaning device. The cleaning device is used to exchange the air in the cavity of the housing (400) with the outside air and to filter and remove dust particles in the housing (400) so that the internal space of the housing (400) is in a slightly low pressure state relative to the outside atmosphere.

2. The electrode dewatering device according to claim 1, characterized in that, Multiple laser baking sections (200) are provided, and each laser baking section (200) is staggered on both sides of the unfolded plane of the electrode.

3. The electrode dewatering device according to claim 2, characterized in that, Multiple cooling sections (300) are provided, and each cooling section (300) is distributed sequentially at intervals along the conveying direction of the electrode sheet.

4. The electrode dewatering device according to claim 1, characterized in that, The electrode winding and unwinding section (100) further includes a main drive unit (130) and a tensioning unit (140). The main drive unit (130) drives the electrode to move, and the tensioning unit (140) adjusts the tension of the electrode during the electrode conveying process.

5. The electrode dewatering device according to claim 1, characterized in that, The polar winding take-up and unwinding section (100) is also provided with a correction unit (150), and the correction unit (150) is close to the take-up wheel (120) relative to the unwinding wheel (110).

6. The electrode dewatering device according to claim 1, characterized in that, The laser baking unit (200) also includes a temperature control feedback system, which is used to monitor the baking temperature and adjust the laser heating power of the laser baking unit (200) according to the actual temperature.

7. A battery production line, characterized in that, Includes an electrode dewatering device, wherein the electrode dewatering device is the electrode dewatering device as described in any one of claims 1-6.

Images