System and method for gas blade mixing of battery electrode slurry

Abstract

The mixing device includes a source of pressurized gas and a mixing chamber. A gas vane nozzle is disposed within the mixing chamber and connected to a source of pressurized gas.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present disclosure relates to systems and methods for gas blade mixing of battery electrode slurries. Background Art

[0002] The information provided in this section is for the purpose of generally introducing the background of the present disclosure. To the extent described in this section, the work of the presently named inventors and aspects of the description that may not constitute prior art at the time of filing are neither explicitly nor implicitly admitted as prior art against the present disclosure.

[0003] Mixing of battery electrode slurries is an integral part of the battery manufacturing process. It is a time-consuming process that typically includes multiple slurry mixing steps to produce the final electrode slurry. It also requires extensive equipment cleaning processes between batches or if chemical composition changes occur. This generates a large amount of waste, including excess raw material / slurry consumption. Current mixing processes use mechanical mixing blades of fixed geometry. These are inflexible and take a long time to clean. Therefore, there is a need for an improved system and method for mixing battery electrode slurries. Summary of the invention

[0004] According to one aspect of the present disclosure, a mixing device includes a pressurized gas source and a mixing chamber. A gas blade nozzle is disposed in the mixing chamber and connected to the pressurized gas source.

[0005] According to another aspect, the direction adjustment mechanism movably supports at least one gas vane nozzle.

[0006] According to another aspect, the direction adjustment mechanism rotatably supports at least one gas vane nozzle.

[0007] According to another aspect, a gas vane nozzle includes a plurality of gas vane nozzles.

[0008] According to another aspect, at least one of the plurality of gas blade nozzles is directed toward a side wall of the mixing chamber.

[0009] According to another aspect, at least one of the plurality of gas blade nozzles is directed toward a bottom of the mixing chamber.

[0010] According to another aspect, a mixing blade is located within the mixing chamber and is drivingly connected to the drive system.

[0011] According to another aspect, at least one gas vane nozzle is directed toward the mixing vane for cleaning the mixing vane.

[0012] According to another aspect, at least one gas blade nozzle is formed in the mixing blade.

[0013] According to another aspect, the outlet of at least one of the gas vane nozzles includes a plug for filling the outlet when the nozzle is closed.

[0014] According to another aspect, a vacuum line is in communication with the mixing chamber.

[0015] According to another aspect, the vacuum line includes a liquid separator to collect the solvent and drain it back into the mixing chamber.

[0016] According to another aspect, the source of pressurized gas includes one of air and an inert gas.

[0017] According to another aspect, the source of pressurized gas has a temperature control system for heating the pressurized gas.

[0018] According to another aspect, the source of pressurized gas has a temperature control system for cooling the pressurized gas.

[0019] According to another aspect, at least one of the gas vane nozzles is a variable area nozzle.

[0020] According to another aspect, at least one gas vane nozzle is mounted to the flexible tube.

[0021] According to another aspect, a mixing device includes a pressurized gas source and a mixing chamber. A plurality of gas blade nozzles are disposed in the mixing chamber and connected to the pressurized gas source.

[0022] According to another aspect, at least one of the plurality of gas blade nozzles is directed toward a side wall of the mixing chamber.

[0023] According to another aspect, a direction adjustment mechanism movably supports the plurality of gas vane nozzles.

[0024] The disclosed system and method for gas blade mixing of battery electrode slurry can eliminate the complexity of fixed geometry blades and enable more flexible mixing schemes using gas blades. In addition, it can be used in conjunction with existing technologies to reduce mixing time and reduce cleaning / waste generation. The mixing system also increases the flexibility of the mixing process by utilizing nozzle flow control and novel nozzle design to further optimize the shear force within the mixer, thereby achieving a more customized mixing scheme.

[0025] The present invention provides the following technical solutions:

[0026] 1. A mixing device comprising:

[0027] a source of pressurized gas;

[0028] Mixing chamber; and

[0029] At least one gas blade nozzle is disposed within the mixing chamber and connected to the pressurized gas source.

[0030] 2. The mixing device according to Option 1 also includes a direction adjustment mechanism that movably supports the at least one gas blade nozzle.

[0031] 3. The mixing device according to Option 1 also includes a direction adjustment mechanism that rotatably supports the at least one gas blade nozzle.

[0032] 4. A mixing device according to Option 1, wherein the gas blade nozzle includes a plurality of gas blade nozzles.

[0033] 5. A mixing device according to Option 4, wherein at least one of the multiple gas blade nozzles is directed toward the side wall of the mixing chamber.

[0034] 6. A mixing device according to Option 4, wherein at least one of the multiple gas blade nozzles is directed toward the bottom of the mixing chamber.

[0035] 7. The mixing device according to Option 1 further includes a mixing blade, which is located in the mixing chamber and is drivingly connected to the drive system.

[0036] 8. A mixing device according to Option 7, wherein the at least one gas blade nozzle is directed toward the mixing blade to clean the mixing blade.

[0037] 9. A mixing device according to Option 7, wherein the at least one gas blade nozzle is formed within the mixing blade.

[0038] 10. A mixing device according to embodiment 1, wherein the outlet of at least one gas blade nozzle includes a plug for filling the outlet when the nozzle is closed.

[0039] 11. The mixing device according to Option 1 further includes a vacuum line connected to the mixing chamber.

[0040] 12. A mixing device according to embodiment 11, wherein the vacuum line includes a liquid separator for collecting the solvent and draining it back into the mixing chamber.

[0041] 13. A mixing device according to Option 1, wherein the pressurized gas source includes one of dry air, argon and nitrogen.

[0042] 14. The mixing device according to claim 1, wherein the pressurized gas source has a temperature control system for heating the pressurized gas.

[0043] 15. The mixing device of claim 1, wherein the pressurized gas source has a temperature control system for cooling the pressurized gas.

[0044] 16. A mixing device according to Option 1, wherein the at least one gas blade nozzle is a variable area nozzle.

[0045] 17. The mixing device according to claim 1, wherein the at least one gas blade nozzle is mounted to a flexible pipe.

[0046] 18. A mixing device comprising:

[0047] a pressurized gas source, wherein the pressurized gas source comprises one of dry air, argon, and nitrogen;

[0048] Mixing chamber; and

[0049] A plurality of gas blade nozzles are disposed within the mixing chamber and connected to a source of pressurized gas.

[0050] 19. A mixing device according to Option 18, wherein at least one of the plurality of gas blade nozzles is directed toward a side wall of the mixing chamber.

[0051] 20. The mixing device according to Option 18 further includes a direction adjustment mechanism that movably supports the plurality of gas blade nozzles.

[0052] Further areas of applicability of the present disclosure will become apparent from the detailed description, the claims and the accompanying drawings.The detailed description and specific examples are intended for purposes of illustration only and are not intended to limit the scope of the present disclosure. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0053] The present disclosure will be more fully understood from the detailed description and accompanying drawings, in which:

[0054] Figure 1 is a schematic diagram of a gas blade mixer according to the principles of the present disclosure;

[0055] Figure 2 is a schematic diagram of a mixed gas blade / mechanical mixer according to the principles of the present disclosure;

[0056] Figure 3 is a schematic diagram of a vacuum pump system for exhausting air from a mixing vessel during use of a gas blade system;

[0057] Figure 4A is a schematic diagram of a self-cleaning gas vane nozzle design shown in an open position;

[0058] Figure 4B is a schematic diagram of a self-cleaning gas vane nozzle design shown in a closed position;

[0059] Figure 5A is a schematic diagram of a self-cleaning gas vane nozzle design shown in an open position;

[0060] Figure 5B is a schematic diagram of a self-cleaning gas vane nozzle design shown in a closed position;

[0061] Figure 6 is a schematic diagram of a drive mechanism for moving a gas vane nozzle in accordance with the principles of the present disclosure; and

[0062] Figure 7 is a schematic diagram of a mixing blade including a gas blade nozzle.

[0063] Among the drawings, reference numerals may be repeated to identify similar and / or identical elements. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0064] refer to Figure 1 , a mixing device 10 according to the principles of the present disclosure will now be described. The mixing device 10 includes a mixing chamber 12 and a pressurized gas source 14. A plurality of gas blade nozzles 16 are disposed within the mixing chamber 12 and connected to the pressurized gas source 14. The pressurized gas source 14 may include air or an inert gas. The pressurized gas source 14 may optionally include a temperature control system 18. Depending on the slurry being mixed, the temperature control system 18 may heat or cool the pressurized gas. The gas blade nozzles 16 are used to mix two or more components 20, 22 of the mixture. The gas blade nozzles 16 may direct an air flow that may have various forms selected for mixing the slurry components. For example, the air flow may have a linear shape, an arcuate shape, and a point shape.

[0065] refer to Figure 3 , the mixing device may include a vacuum line 24 in communication with the mixing chamber 12 and connected to the vacuum source 26 . The vacuum line 24 may be operated with the gas blade nozzle 16 to extract the air introduced into the mixing chamber 12 . The vacuum line 24 may further include a liquid separator 28 that may separate the liquid from the vacuum line 24 and return to the mixing chamber 12 via the liquid return line 30 .

[0066] refer to Figure 2 The gas blade nozzle 16 may be used in combination with one or more conventional mixing blades 32a, 32b. Figure 2 As shown, one or more gas blade nozzles 16a may be directed toward the sidewalls of the mixing chamber 12 to purge slurry away from the mixing chamber sidewalls. Additional gas blade nozzles 16b may extend through the sidewalls to introduce pressurized gas directly into the slurry. Additionally, additional gas blade nozzles 16c may be mounted to a flexible hose 34 that randomly directs pressurized gas within the mixing chamber 12. Additional gas blade nozzles 16d may be directed toward the mixing blades 32a and may be used to purge slurry away from the mixing blades 32a.

[0067] refer to Figure 4A and 4B, the gas vane nozzle 16 may include a self-cleaning design, where the nozzle opening 36 is blocked by a plug 38 that may have a pointed tip. Alternatively, as Figure 5A and 5B shown, the plug 38 may have a blunt tip. The plug 38 can fill the hole when the nozzle is closed, so that debris in the gas vane nozzle 16 can be mechanically removed when the nozzle 16 is closed. By controlling the position of the plug 38 relative to the opening, the gas vane nozzle 16 can be varied to provide alternative strengths and directions.

[0068] Referring Figure 6 , the gas vane nozzle 16 is shown mounted to a drive mechanism 40 that rotates a spindle 42 that rotatably supports the nozzle 16. The rotational speed of the spindle 42 can be controlled to provide optimal mixing.

[0069] Referring Figure 7 , the gas vane nozzle 56 can be directly incorporated into the mixing vane 50. The spindle 52 and the vane 54 can each have internal air channels 58 leading to a plurality of gas vane nozzles 56. The mixing vane can be made by 3D printing or formed from multiple pieces.

[0070] The present disclosure includes a novel mixer design that uses air nozzles that create and control gas vanes in a mixing vessel to reduce equipment complexity. The present disclosure also includes process improvements that can replace or enhance current processes with gas vanes. By using gas vanes for wet and dry mixing, this can completely eliminate the mechanical mixing step, or can be used in conjunction with existing processes. These improvements can speed up the slurry mixing rate, reduce cleaning time, and inhibit the generation of slurry material waste. The present disclosure can reduce the complexity of the mixing equipment, reduce the time to clean components between mixing batches, reduce the overall mixing time, and improve the uniformity of the slurry after mixing. Depending on the nozzle and process design, the gas vanes can be used for high-shear mixing or low-shear mixing.

[0071] The foregoing description is merely illustrative in nature and is in no way intended to limit the present disclosure, its application or use. The broad teachings of the present disclosure can be implemented in a variety of forms. Therefore, although the present disclosure includes specific examples, the true scope of the present disclosure should not be so limited, because after studying the drawings, the specification and the appended claims, other modifications will become apparent. It should be understood that one or more steps in the method can be performed in different orders (or simultaneously) without changing the principles of the present disclosure. In addition, although each embodiment is described as having certain features above, any one or more of those features described with respect to any embodiment of the present disclosure can be implemented in any other embodiment and / or combined with the features of any other embodiment, even if the combination is not explicitly described. In other words, the described embodiments are not mutually exclusive, and the replacement of one or more embodiments with each other is still within the scope of the present disclosure.

[0072] Various terms are used, including "connected," "engaged," "coupled," "adjacent," "next to," "on," "above," "below," and "disposed," to describe the spatial and functional relationships between elements (e.g., between modules, circuit elements, semiconductor layers, etc.). Unless explicitly described as "direct," when a relationship between a first element and a second element is described in the above disclosure, the relationship can be a direct relationship in which there are no other intermediate elements between the first element and the second element, but can also be an indirect relationship in which there are one or more intermediate elements (spatially or functionally) between the first element and the second element. As used herein, the phrase at least one of A, B, and C should be interpreted to mean a logical (A or B or C) using a non-exclusive logical "or", and should not be interpreted to mean "at least one of A, at least one of B, and at least one of C."

Claims

1. A mixing device comprising: a source of pressurized gas; Mixing chamber; and At least one gas blade nozzle is disposed within the mixing chamber and connected to the pressurized gas source.

2. The mixing device of claim 1, further comprising a direction adjustment mechanism that movably supports the at least one gas blade nozzle.

3. The mixing device of claim 1, further comprising a direction adjustment mechanism rotatably supporting the at least one gas blade nozzle.

4. The mixing device according to claim 1, wherein: The gas vane nozzle includes a plurality of gas vane nozzles.

5. The mixing device of claim 1 further comprising a mixing blade positioned within the mixing chamber and drivingly connected to a drive system.

6. The mixing device according to claim 1, wherein: The outlet of the at least one gas vane nozzle comprises a plug for filling the outlet when the nozzle is closed.

7. The mixing device of claim 1 further comprising a vacuum line in communication with the mixing chamber.

8. The mixing device of claim 1, wherein the pressurized gas source comprises one of dry air, argon, and nitrogen.

9. The mixing device according to claim 1, wherein: The pressurized gas source has a temperature control system for heating the pressurized gas.

10. The mixing device according to claim 1, wherein: The pressurized gas source has a temperature control system for cooling the pressurized gas.

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