A battery baking apparatus and method of use thereof

Abstract

This invention discloses a battery baking device and its usage method, relating to the field of battery production technology. It includes a frame, an oven, a vacuum pump, and a control module. The oven is mounted on the frame, and the vacuum pump is fixed to the frame via a fixing plate and communicates with the oven. The control module is electrically connected to the oven and the vacuum pump. The oven comprises a chamber, a temperature control component, a support component, and a drying rack assembly. The temperature control component is located on the inner wall of the chamber, the support component is fixed to the bottom of the chamber, and the drying rack assembly is mounted on the support component. The overall structure is a modular design, allowing for layered stacking at different heights, with each layer further divided into areas of different sizes. The temperature control component is controlled by the control module, enabling layered temperature control, ensuring drying quality while reducing heat waste and saving cooling time.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to the field of battery production technology, specifically to a battery baking apparatus and its usage method. Background Technology

[0002] Lithium-ion batteries are favored by researchers and governments around the world due to their advantages such as high energy density, high specific power, good cycle performance, no memory effect, and no pollution, as well as their good economic, social and strategic significance.

[0003] Baking is required in many steps of the lithium-ion battery manufacturing process and in laboratory studies of battery performance. These include electrode baking, cell baking, and baking of the positive electrode active material, conductive agent, and binder. Ovens are generally used for drying, and the quality of drying affects the battery's capacity and lifespan. A vacuum oven, also known as a vacuum drying chamber, is a box-type drying device that dries materials under negative pressure. Its working principle involves using a vacuum pump to remove air and moisture, creating a vacuum within the chamber, lowering the boiling point of water, and accelerating the drying process.

[0004] Existing vacuum ovens can automatically operate after setting the heating temperature and time. For efficiency, multiple battery packs are placed in the oven at once, layered into the drying zone. As the moisture on the batteries evaporates, the water vapor concentrates in the upper area, causing the lower battery packs to dry first. To prevent the dried batteries from re-adhering moisture upon contact with the outside environment, they must be completely cooled before removal. If all heating elements maintain the same power during the drying process, it not only wastes heat but also prolongs the cooling time. Furthermore, to ensure the drying effect of each battery, they cannot be stacked and must be placed in contact with air as much as possible to ensure complete drying. However, typical drying racks are either single platforms or have slots for uniform sizes, which have low applicability and restrict the contact area of ​​the batteries. In addition, in the laboratory, it is often necessary to dry batteries of different sizes. If they are all placed on one drying rack, subsequent sorting will also consume time. Summary of the Invention

[0005] The purpose of this invention is to provide a battery baking device and its usage method to solve the problems mentioned in the background art.

[0006] To solve the above-mentioned technical problems, the present invention provides the following technical solution: a battery baking device and its usage method, comprising a frame, an oven, a vacuum pump, and a control module, wherein the oven is mounted on the frame, the vacuum pump is fixed to the frame via a fixing plate and communicates with the oven, and the control module is electrically connected to the oven and the vacuum pump; the oven comprises a chamber, a temperature control component, a support component, and a drying rack component, wherein the temperature control component is disposed on the inner wall of the chamber, the support component is fixed to the bottom of the chamber, and the drying rack component is mounted on the support component, the whole being a spliced ​​structure, which can be stacked in layers at different heights and each layer can be further divided into areas of different sizes, the temperature control component is controlled by the control module, and the temperature can be controlled in layers, thereby reducing heat waste and saving cooling time while ensuring drying quality.

[0007] Furthermore, the drying rack assembly includes several drying racks, four fixing screws, a partition grid assembly, and fixing components. The fixing screws are inserted at the four corners of the drying racks, and the drying racks can slide along the fixing screws. After adjusting the height of each drying rack, the drying racks are fixed to the fixing screws by the fixing components. The fixing components can be fixing threads or clamps. The partition grid assembly cooperates with the drying racks to divide the surface into sections to divide a suitable drying range as needed.

[0008] Furthermore, the drying rack consists of a placement layer and partitions symmetrically arranged on the upper and lower sides of the placement layer. The placement layer is suitable for placing batteries to be dried, and its surface is provided with several through holes to reduce the overall weight and increase the internal air circulation passage to assist in drying. The partitions are suitable for preventing batteries from falling out, and each of the four sides is provided with two rows of adjusting teeth that cooperate with the partition grid.

[0009] Furthermore, the dividing grid assembly includes a general dividing strip, an adjusting strip, and a dividing rod. The general dividing strip is a rectangular strip with a cross-sectional size that matches the adjusting teeth. The adjusting strip has an adjusting hole arranged at intervals on the basis of the general dividing strip, and the dividing rod passes through each adjusting hole.

[0010] Furthermore, the enclosure consists of a shell, a door, and several sets of locking handles, wherein the door is hinged to the front opening of the shell, and the locking handles are arranged around the door to lock it.

[0011] Furthermore, the temperature control component consists of a heat insulation screen, four lamp mounting strips, and an array of heating lamps. The heat insulation screen is located inside the housing and is separated from the inner wall of the housing by a certain distance. The lamp mounting strips are symmetrically fixed on both sides of the heat insulation screen in pairs, and the heating lamps are spaced apart on the lamp mounting strips.

[0012] Furthermore, the support assembly includes several support columns and load-bearing bars, wherein one end of the support column is fixed to the bottom of the housing, and the other end passes through the heat insulation screen and is fixed with a load-bearing bar, and the upper side of the load-bearing bar is suitable for mounting the drying rack assembly.

[0013] Furthermore, the vacuum pump consists of a molecular pump body, gas valves, and connecting pipes, wherein the gas valves are connected to the molecular pump body and the connecting pipes, and the connecting pipes are connected to the interior of the housing.

[0014] The specific method is as follows:

[0015] S1. Place the items to be dried: Assemble the drying rack components according to actual needs, assemble the partition grid group, and place the items to be dried into the compartments enclosed by the partition grid group in sequence.

[0016] S2. Sealing: Close the box door, tighten the locking handle, and seal the outlet;

[0017] S3. Vacuuming: The control module starts the vacuum pump, extracts the specified vacuum level into the chamber, and then shuts it off.

[0018] S4. Heating: The control module starts each heating lamp tube, first preheating at 80 degrees for 1 hour, then baking at 100 degrees for 2 hours, and finally baking at 110 degrees for 4 hours.

[0019] S5. Secondary vacuuming: The vacuum level inside the chamber is monitored at all times during the heating process. If the vacuum level drops to a certain set value at any time, the vacuum pump is restarted to pump the vacuum level back to the specified level.

[0020] S6. Transition: Near the end of drying, adjust the heating power of the heating lamps at different heights to change the heating temperature.

[0021] S7. Cooling: The control module turns off the heating lamp and allows it to stand for several hours;

[0022] S8. Remove: Once the contents of the chamber have cooled to a suitable temperature, remove the dried items.

[0023] Specifically, the vacuum setting in S3 is as follows: The vacuum value represents the actual system pressure being lower than atmospheric pressure, and can be measured by a vacuum gauge. That is: Vacuum degree = Atmospheric pressure - Absolute pressure, Absolute pressure = Atmospheric pressure + Gauge pressure (-Vacuum degree). Due to differences in local atmospheric pressure, the vacuum setting may vary in different regions. For example, a vacuum gauge may have a red mark at -0.085, but in Zhengzhou, vacuum levels are often reduced to -0.1. The vacuum value for reduced pressure drying should not exceed the -0.1 mark; otherwise, the gauge will be damaged. Prolonged exposure to the red mark will shorten its lifespan.

[0024] In S5, the heating process will decrease as water vapor evaporates. Assuming the set vacuum level is A (MPa), and the vacuum level detected by the vacuum gauge inside chamber 4 is B (MPa), if... If the value is -0.1, a second vacuum pumping is required.

[0025] The transition process in S6 is as follows: The heating lamps are divided into three groups according to height: high, medium, and low. One hour before the end of baking, the control module reduces the heating power of the low-level heating lamps to 80 degrees Celsius. Half an hour before the end of baking, the control module reduces the heating power of the low-level heating lamps to 40 degrees Celsius and the heating power of the medium-level heating lamps to 80 degrees Celsius. After baking, all heating lamps are turned off. The cooling transition one hour before the end of baking is performed because water vapor, after evaporation and rising, mostly concentrates at the top, allowing for appropriate cooling of the bottom before moving to the middle layer. To ensure drying quality, the top layer of heating lamps must maintain the specified drying temperature, thus reducing energy loss. Additionally, because the cooling transition is performed first, the subsequent cooling time is relatively reduced, saving operation time.

[0026] Compared with the prior art, the beneficial effects achieved by the present invention are as follows: by setting an adjustable drying rack assembly, it can be used to dry batteries of various specifications at one time, especially for drying laboratory samples. By splicing the dividing grid group, different sizes of drying ranges can be freely divided, which is highly flexible. By setting a temperature control component and control module, the heating power of heating lamps at different heights is gradually reduced before the drying time ends, which ensures the drying quality while reducing energy loss and shortening the cooling time. Attached Figure Description

[0027] The accompanying drawings are provided to further illustrate the invention and form part of the specification. They are used in conjunction with embodiments of the invention to explain the invention and do not constitute a limitation thereof. In the drawings:

[0028] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the overall structure of the present invention;

[0029] Figure 2 This is a partial schematic diagram of the present invention;

[0030] Figure 3 This is a cross-sectional view of the present invention;

[0031] Figure 4 This is a schematic diagram of the drying rack assembly of the present invention;

[0032] Figure 5 This is a schematic diagram of the separator strip of the present invention;

[0033] Figure 6 This is a schematic diagram of the adjusting strip and dividing rod of the present invention;

[0034] In the diagram: 1. Frame; 2. Vacuum pump; 21. Molecular pump body; 22. Gas valve; 23. Connecting pipe; 3. Fixing plate; 4. Box body; 41. Shell; 42. Box door; 43. Locking handle; 5. Temperature control component; 51. Heat insulation screen; 52. Lamp mounting strip; 53. Heating lamp; 6. Support component; 61. Support column; 62. Load-bearing strip; 7. Drying rack assembly; 71. Drying rack; 711. Placement layer; 7111. Through hole; 712. Divider rack; 7121. Adjusting gear; 72. Fixing screw; 73. Divider grid assembly; 731. General divider strip; 732. Adjusting strip; 7321. Adjusting hole; 733. Divider roller. Detailed Implementation

[0035] The following detailed, non-limiting description of the technical solution of the present invention, in conjunction with preferred embodiments and accompanying drawings, is provided. Obviously, the described embodiments are merely some, not all, of the embodiments of the present invention. All other embodiments obtained by those skilled in the art based on the embodiments of the present invention without inventive effort are within the scope of protection of the present invention.

[0036] As shown in the figure, the present invention provides a technical solution: a battery baking device and its usage method, including a frame 1, an oven, a vacuum pump 2, and a control module. The oven is mounted on the frame 1, and the vacuum pump 2 is fixed to the frame 1 via a fixing plate 3 and is connected to the oven. The control module is electrically connected to the oven and the vacuum pump 2. The oven consists of a box body 4, a temperature control component 5, a support component 6, and a drying rack assembly 7. The temperature control component 5 is located on the inner wall of the box body 4, the support component 6 is fixed to the bottom of the box body 4, and the drying rack assembly 7 is mounted on the support component 6. The overall structure is a modular design, which can be stacked in layers at different heights, and each layer can be further divided into areas of different sizes. The temperature control component 5 is controlled by the control module, and the temperature can be controlled in layers, which reduces heat waste and saves cooling time while ensuring drying quality.

[0037] The drying rack assembly 7 includes several drying racks 71, four fixing screws 72, a partition grid assembly 73, and fasteners. The fixing screws 72 are inserted at the four corners of the drying racks 71, and the drying racks 71 can slide along the fixing screws 72. After adjusting the height of each drying rack 71, the fasteners fix the drying racks 71 to the fixing screws 72. The fasteners can be fixing threads or clamps. The partition grid assembly 73 cooperates with the drying racks 71 to divide the surface into sections to divide the drying area as needed.

[0038] The drying rack 71 consists of a placement layer 711 and symmetrically arranged partitions 712 on the upper and lower sides of the placement layer 711. The placement layer 711 is suitable for placing batteries to be dried, and its surface is provided with several through holes 7111 to reduce the overall weight and increase internal air circulation to assist in drying. The partitions 712 are designed to prevent batteries from falling out, and each of its four sides is provided with two rows of adjusting teeth 7121 that cooperate with the partition grid assembly 73. It should be noted that the symmetrical arrangement of the drying rack 71 allows both the upper and lower surfaces to serve as sample placement surfaces, avoiding the need for reassembly due to errors during the overlapping process.

[0039] The dividing strip group 73 includes a general dividing strip 731, an adjusting strip 732, and a dividing rod 733. The general dividing strip 731 is a rectangular strip with a cross-sectional size that matches the adjusting teeth 7121. The adjusting strip 732 is provided with an adjusting hole 7321 arranged at intervals on the basis of the general dividing strip 731. The dividing rod 733 passes through each adjusting hole 7321.

[0040] In practice, the separator 731 can be threaded onto the appropriate adjusting teeth 7121 according to the size of the batteries to be dried. For example, if the batteries are placed horizontally and a row is filled, the maximum height that the upper surface can reach is not full of the upper adjusting teeth 7121, then the separator 731 is threaded onto the lower adjusting teeth 7121. If a row of smaller batteries is placed next to a larger battery, two rows of separators 731 can be threaded on both sides for separation. The adjusting strips 732 and the separating rods 733 are more for laboratory needs. When there are many battery samples to be dried at one time, the adjusting strips 732 and the separating rods 733 can be used to divide the placement layer 711 into smaller areas, making it more flexible to use.

[0041] The box body 4 consists of a shell 41, a door 42 and several sets of locking handles 43. The door 42 is hinged to the front opening of the shell 41, and the locking handles 43 are arranged around the door 42 to lock the door 42.

[0042] The temperature control component 5 consists of a heat insulation screen 51, four lamp mounting strips 52 and an array of heating lamps 53. The heat insulation screen 51 is located inside the housing 41 and is separated from the inner wall of the housing 41 by a certain distance. The lamp mounting strips 52 are symmetrically fixed on both sides of the heat insulation screen 51 in pairs, and the heating lamps 53 are spaced apart on the lamp mounting strips 52.

[0043] The support assembly 6 includes several support columns 61 and load-bearing bars 62. One end of the support column 61 is fixed to the bottom of the housing 41, and the other end passes through the heat insulation screen 51 and is fixed with the load-bearing bar 62. The upper side of the load-bearing bar 62 is suitable for mounting the drying rack assembly 7.

[0044] The vacuum pump 2 consists of a molecular pump body 21, a gas valve 22, and a connecting pipe 23. The gas valve 22 is connected to the molecular pump body 21 and the connecting pipe 23, and the connecting pipe 23 is connected to the inside of the housing 41.

[0045] The specific implementation method is as follows:

[0046] S1. Place the items to be dried: Assemble the drying rack assembly 7 according to actual needs, assemble the partition grid group 73, and place the items to be dried into the compartments enclosed by the partition grid group 73 in sequence.

[0047] S2. Sealing: Close the box door 42, tighten the locking handle 43, and seal the outlet;

[0048] S3. Vacuuming: The control module starts vacuum pump 2, draws the vacuum inside the chamber 4 to the specified vacuum level, and then shuts it off.

[0049] S4. Heating: The control module starts each heating lamp 53, first preheating at 80 degrees for 1 hour, then baking at 100 degrees for 2 hours, and finally baking at 110 degrees for 4 hours.

[0050] S5. Secondary vacuuming: The vacuum level inside chamber 4 is monitored during the heating process. If the vacuum level drops to a certain set value at any time, the vacuum pump 2 is restarted to pump to the specified vacuum level again.

[0051] S6. Transition: Near the end of drying, adjust the heating power of the heating lamps 53 at different heights to change the heating temperature.

[0052] S7. Cooling: The control module turns off the heating lamp 53 and lets it stand for several hours;

[0053] S8. Remove: After the contents of chamber 4 have cooled to a suitable temperature, remove the dried items.

[0054] Specifically, the vacuum setting in S3 is as follows: The vacuum value represents the actual system pressure being lower than atmospheric pressure, and can be measured by a vacuum gauge. That is: Vacuum degree = Atmospheric pressure - Absolute pressure, Absolute pressure = Atmospheric pressure + Gauge pressure (-Vacuum degree). Due to differences in local atmospheric pressure, the vacuum setting may vary in different regions. For example, a vacuum gauge may have a red mark at -0.085, but in Zhengzhou, vacuum levels are often reduced to -0.1. The vacuum value for reduced pressure drying should not exceed the -0.1 mark; otherwise, the gauge will be damaged. Prolonged exposure to the red mark will shorten its lifespan.

[0055] In S5, the heating process will decrease as water vapor evaporates. Assuming the set vacuum level is A (MPa), and the vacuum level detected by the vacuum gauge inside chamber 4 is B (MPa), if... If the value is -0.1, a second vacuum pumping is required.

[0056] The transition process in S6 is as follows: The heating lamps 53 are divided into three groups according to height: high, medium, and low. One hour before the end of baking, the control module reduces the heating power of the lower-layer heating lamps 53 to 80 degrees Celsius. Half an hour before the end of baking, the control module reduces the heating power of the lower-layer heating lamps 53 to 40 degrees Celsius and the heating power of the middle-layer heating lamps 53 to 80 degrees Celsius. After baking, all heating lamps 53 are turned off. The cooling transition one hour before the end of baking is performed because water vapor, after evaporation and rising, mostly concentrates at the top, allowing for appropriate cooling of the bottom layer before proceeding to the middle layer. To ensure drying quality, the uppermost heating lamps 53 must maintain the specified drying temperature, thus reducing energy loss. Furthermore, because the cooling transition is performed first, the subsequent cooling time is relatively reduced, saving operation time.

[0057] In the description of this invention, it should be understood that the terms "upper", "lower", "front", "rear", "left", "right", etc., indicate the orientation or positional relationship based on the orientation or positional relationship shown in the accompanying drawings, and are only for the convenience of describing this invention, and do not indicate or imply that the device or element referred to must have a specific orientation, or be constructed and operated in a specific orientation, and therefore should not be construed as a limitation of this invention.

[0058] Finally, it should be noted that the above embodiments are only used to illustrate the technical solutions of the present invention, and not to limit them. 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 of the technical features, and these modifications or substitutions do not cause the essence of the corresponding technical solutions to deviate from the spirit and scope of the technical solutions of the embodiments of the present invention.

Claims

1. A battery baking device, characterized in that: include: The oven consists of a frame (1), an oven, a vacuum pump (2), and a control module. The oven is mounted on the frame (1), and the vacuum pump (2) is fixed on the frame (1) via a fixing plate (3) and connected to the oven. The control module is electrically connected to the oven and the vacuum pump (2). The oven consists of a box body (4), a temperature control component (5), a support component (6), and a drying rack component (7). The temperature control component (5) is located on the inner wall of the box body (4), the support component (6) is fixed to the bottom of the box body (4), and the drying rack component (7) is mounted on the support component (6). The overall structure is a spliced ​​structure, which can be stacked in layers at different heights and each layer can be further divided into areas of different sizes. The temperature control component (5) is controlled by the control module and can control the temperature in layers. While ensuring the drying quality, it reduces heat waste and saves cooling time. The drying rack assembly (7) includes several drying racks (71), four fixing screws (72), a partition grid assembly (73), and a fixing member. The fixing screws (72) are inserted at the four corners of the drying racks (71). The drying racks (71) can slide along the fixing screws (72). After adjusting the height of each drying rack (71), the fixing member fixes the drying racks (71) to the fixing screws (72). The fixing member is a fixing thread and a clamp. The partition grid assembly (73) cooperates with the drying racks (71) to divide the surface into sections to divide the drying range as needed. The drying rack (71) consists of a placement layer (711) and partition racks (712) symmetrically arranged on the upper and lower sides of the placement layer (711). The placement layer (711) is suitable for placing batteries to be dried, and has several through holes (7111) on its surface to reduce the overall weight and increase the internal air circulation passage to assist in drying. The partition rack (712) is suitable for preventing batteries from falling out, and has two rows of adjusting teeth (7121) on all four sides that cooperate with the partition grid group (73). The dividing grid group (73) includes a general dividing strip (731), an adjusting strip (732), and a dividing rod (733). The general dividing strip (731) is a rectangular strip with a cross-sectional size that can match the adjusting teeth (7121). The adjusting strip (732) is provided with an adjusting hole (7321) arranged at intervals on the basis of the general dividing strip (731). The dividing rod (733) passes through each adjusting hole (7321). The box (4) consists of a shell (41), a door (42) and several sets of locking handles (43), wherein the door (42) is hinged to the front opening of the shell (41), and the locking handles (43) are arranged around the door (42) to lock the door (42). The temperature control component (5) consists of a heat insulation screen (51), four lamp mounting strips (52) and an array of heating lamps (53). The heat insulation screen (51) is located inside the housing (41) and is separated from the inner wall of the housing (41) by a certain distance. The lamp mounting strips (52) are symmetrically fixed on both sides of the heat insulation screen (51) in pairs. The heating lamps (53) are spaced apart on the lamp mounting strips (52). The support assembly (6) includes several support columns (61) and load-bearing bars (62), wherein one end of the support column (61) is fixed to the bottom of the housing (41), and the other end passes through the heat insulation screen (51) and is fixed with the load-bearing bar (62). The upper side of the load-bearing bar (62) is suitable for mounting the drying rack assembly (7).

2. The battery baking device according to claim 1, characterized in that: The vacuum pump (2) consists of a molecular pump body (21), a gas valve (22) and a connecting pipe (23), wherein the gas valve (22) is connected to the molecular pump body (21) and the connecting pipe (23), and the connecting pipe (23) is connected to the inside of the housing (41).

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