Electrode mixer cleaning system

Abstract

According to an embodiment of the present disclosure, there is provided an electrode mixer cleaning system comprising: a tank storing a solvent; the flow meter is used for measuring the solvent; a pressure tank storing the measured solvent; a mixer for mixing the electrode material and the solvent; a first pump that conveys only the amount of solvent measured by the flow meter to the pressure tank via a first pipe; a second pump conveying the solvent from the pressure tank to the mixer via a second pipe under increased pressure conditions; and a high pressure nozzle (HPSN) disposed in the mixer and introducing the solvent into the mixer.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] Cross-references to related applications

[0002] This application claims priority and benefit to Korean Patent Application No. 10-2024-0091780, filed on July 11, 2024, the disclosure of which is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety.

[0003] This disclosure relates to an electrode mixer cleaning system. Background Technology

[0004] In modern society, portable devices such as mobile phones, laptops, camcorders, and digital cameras, as well as energy storage systems (ESS), are used daily, leading to very active technological development in related fields. Furthermore, rechargeable / dischargeable secondary batteries are used as power sources for electric vehicles (EVs), hybrid electric vehicles (HEVs), and plug-in hybrid electric vehicles (P-HEVs) in an attempt to address issues such as air pollution caused by existing gasoline vehicles using fossil fuels. Therefore, the demand for secondary battery development is increasing.

[0005] Currently, commercially available rechargeable batteries include nickel-cadmium (NiCd), nickel-metal hydride (NiMH), nickel-zinc (NiZn), and lithium-ion batteries. Among these, lithium-ion batteries have gained attention due to their advantages, such as free charging and discharging, and their very low self-discharge rate and high energy density.

[0006] Lithium-ion batteries primarily use lithium-based oxides and carbon materials as positive and negative electrode active materials, respectively. A lithium-ion battery includes an electrode assembly and an external material (i.e., the battery casing). The electrode assembly contains positive and negative electrode plates coated with positive and negative electrode active materials, respectively, as well as a separator between the positive and negative electrode plates. The external material hermetically houses the electrode assembly and the electrolyte solution.

[0007] These rechargeable batteries are widely used not only in small devices such as portable electronic devices, but also in medium and large devices such as vehicles and energy storage systems (ESS), and their use is rapidly expanding. Furthermore, there is a growing trend recently to utilize residential battery packs for electricity storage purposes.

[0008] The manufacturing process of this type of lithium secondary battery can be broadly divided into electrode process, assembly process, and formation process. The electrode process can be further divided into active material mixing process, electrode coating process, rolling process, cutting process, winding process, etc. Among them, the active material mixing process is the process of preparing electrode slurry, and specifically refers to the process of stirring and mixing electrode materials (e.g., active materials) and solvents in a mixer.

[0009] Figure 1 A schematic layout of this type of hybrid process 10 is shown.

[0010] refer to Figure 1 Once the flow meter 12 has completed its measurement of the solvent, the solvent stored in the tank 11 is introduced into the mixer 13 via the pipe 16 by the operation of the pump 14. At this time, the nozzle 15 is a typical liquid injection nozzle without pressure.

[0011] At this point, the amount of solvent measured by flow meter 12 is determined by taking into account the solid content of the electrode slurry obtained during the production of the electrode slurry.

[0012] Furthermore, when the solvent is introduced by the operation of pump 14 as described above, air is injected from the air inlet portion 17 connected to pipe 16, and the remaining solvent is introduced into pipe 16 through air purification.

[0013] However, in such mixing processes, there is a problem of electrode material (e.g., active material) accumulating in the slurry inside the mixer and above the agitator. Therefore, if the mixing process is continuously performed without cleaning the inside of the mixer, not only does the electrode material accumulate for a long time, making cleaning difficult, but there is also a problem of the solids content, a key indicator of slurry quality, changing and failing to meet specifications. That is, some electrode material accumulates inside the mixer and agitator, resulting in insufficient solids content in the slurry, or the solids content increases as the accumulated material falls.

[0014] Therefore, there is an urgent need to develop a technology for cleaning electrode mixers that can solve these problems. Summary of the Invention

[0015] Technical issues

[0016] The purpose of this disclosure is to clean the interior of the mixer by introducing solvent under high pressure, thereby significantly reducing the electrode material load inside the mixer and reducing the mixer cleaning time, extending the additional cleaning cycle, and thus reducing the time and manpower required for cleaning.

[0017] However, the technical objectives to be addressed by the embodiments of this disclosure are not limited to the above objectives, and various extensions can be made within the scope of the technical ideas included in this disclosure.

[0018] Technical solution

[0019] According to one aspect of this disclosure, an electrode mixer cleaning system is provided, comprising:

[0020] Storage tanks for storing solvents;

[0021] A flow meter for measuring solvents;

[0022] A pressure vessel for storing the measured solvent;

[0023] A mixer for mixing electrode materials and solvents;

[0024] Only the amount of solvent measured by the flow meter is delivered through the first pipe to the first pump of the pressure tank;

[0025] Under increased pressure, the solvent is delivered from the pressure tank to the mixer via a second pipe by a second pump; and

[0026] A high-pressure nozzle (HPSN) is installed in the mixer and introduces the solvent into the mixer.

[0027] In addition, the electrode mixer cleaning system also includes a third tube, one end of which is connected to the first tube and the other end of which is connected to the first air inlet portion, through which air can be injected into the pressure tank.

[0028] In addition, the electrode mixer cleaning system also includes a fourth tube, one end of which is connected to the pressure tank and the other end to the second air inlet section, wherein the fourth tube can be connected to the second tube in the middle.

[0029] The first pipe can form a first valve, and the second pipe can form a second valve.

[0030] High-pressure nozzles (HPSN) can include 3 to 6 nozzles.

[0031] The electrode mixer cleaning system may also include a pressure gauge for measuring the pressure of the solvent in the second tube and a level switch for measuring the current.

[0032] Therefore, if the pressure of the solvent measured by the pressure gauge is 10 bar or less and the current measured by the level switch is 5 mA or less, the operation of the second pump can be stopped.

[0033] The solvent can be distilled water (DI water).

[0034] On the other hand, if the flow meter has completed measuring the solvent, the first valve is opened and the solvent is stored in the pressure tank. Then, if the first valve is closed and the second valve is opened, the solvent can be introduced into the mixer by operating the second pump.

[0035] Here, the second pump can introduce solvent into the mixer at a pressure of 90 bar to 120 bar.

[0036] After the solvent is introduced into the mixer via the second pump, air purification can be performed by injecting air into the first air inlet section and introducing the remaining solvent in the pressure tank and the second tube into the mixer.

[0037] In this configuration, air purification is performed with the first valve open, and after air purification is complete, the pressure tank's ventilation valve can be opened, and the first and second valves can be closed.

[0038] Furthermore, when the solvent is introduced from the pressure tank into the mixer via the second pump, the difference between the flow rate of the second pump and the flow rate of the high-pressure nozzle may result in unintroduced solvent, which can then flow back into the pressure tank via the fourth tube.

[0039] Here, the unintroduced solvent can be mixed with the solvent present in the pressure tank and reintroduced into the mixer via a second pump and a second pipe. Attached Figure Description

[0040] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram showing the layout of a part of a conventional electrode slurry preparation process system that combines electrode materials and solvents.

[0041] Figure 2 This is a schematic diagram showing the layout of an electrode mixer cleaning system according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. Detailed Implementation

[0042] Various embodiments of this disclosure will be described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings, enabling those skilled in the art to readily implement these embodiments. This disclosure can be modified in various ways and is not limited to the embodiments set forth herein.

[0043] To clearly describe the concept of the invention, parts irrelevant to the description have been omitted, and throughout the description, the same reference numerals denote the same or similar elements.

[0044] On the other hand, since the dimensions and thicknesses of each element shown in the accompanying drawings are arbitrarily given for better understanding and ease of description, the concept of the present invention is not limited to the dimensions and thicknesses shown.

[0045] Furthermore, throughout the specification, when a section is referred to as "including" or "contains" a component, it means that the section may also include other components, without excluding other components, unless otherwise stated.

[0046] Furthermore, throughout the specification, "one end" refers to one side of the length formed by the component, and "the other end" refers to the other side of the length formed by the component.

[0047] Figure 2 This is a schematic diagram showing the layout of an electrode mixer cleaning system according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0048] refer to Figure 2The electrode mixer cleaning system according to this disclosure is configured to include: a storage tank 110 for storing solvent; a flow meter 111 for measuring solvent; a pressure tank 120 for storing the measured solvent; a mixer 130 for mixing electrode materials and solvent; a first pump 113 for delivering only the amount of solvent measured by the flow meter 111 to the pressure tank 120 via a first pipe 112; a second pump 122 for delivering solvent from the pressure tank 120 to the mixer 130 via a second pipe 121 under increased pressure; and a high-pressure nozzle (HPSN) 140 disposed in the mixer 130 for introducing solvent into the mixer 130.

[0049] Here, the storage tank 110 stores the solvent and is connected to the first pipe 112, which is formed with a first valve 114, a first pump 113 and a flow meter 111.

[0050] The solvent used in the electrode mixer cleaning system can be an organic solvent or an aqueous solvent, and in particular, the solvent is affected by the electrode material being mixed in the mixer. Specifically, when the electrode material is a positive electrode material, the solvent can be an organic solvent, and when the electrode material is a negative electrode material, the solvent can be an organic solvent or an aqueous solvent, especially distilled water (DI water).

[0051] The solvent is transferred from the storage tank 110 to the pressure tank 120 via the first pipe 112. At this time, after the flow meter 111 has completed measuring the solvent, the solvent is delivered to the pressure tank 120.

[0052] In this case, according to the embodiments of this disclosure, the cleaning of the mixer 130 can be performed simultaneously with the production of the electrode slurry. In this situation, the solvent content (i.e., solids content, viscosity, etc.) of the electrode slurry can be taken into account when determining the measured value of the solvent.

[0053] As another example, if the cleaning of mixer 130 is not performed simultaneously with the production of electrode slurry, the amount of solvent measured and transferred can be calculated as the same amount required only for cleaning mixer 130.

[0054] However, in any case, those solvents that are the same as those used for the electrode slurry can be used as solvents, thereby enhancing the cleaning ability of the mixer 130, preventing residual solvents from acting as impurities in the subsequent production of the electrode slurry, and preventing the deterioration of the electrode slurry quality.

[0055] The transfer is performed by the first pump 113, and the first pump 113 operates until the amount of solvent supplied to the pressure tank 120 is the amount measured by the flow meter 111. The operation begins with the first valve 114 open and the second valve 123 closed, the second valve 123 being formed in the second pipe 121 connecting the pressure tank 120 and the mixer 130.

[0056] Subsequently, when the measurement of the solvent entering the pressure tank 120 is completed, the first pump 113 stops operating and the first valve 114 closes. The pressure tank 120 stores the measured solvent and is connected to the second pipe 121, wherein the second pipe 121 forms the second valve 123 and the second pump 122.

[0057] After the measurement of the solvent entering the pressure tank 120 is completed and the first valve 114 is closed, the second valve 123 is opened and the second pump 122 is operated to introduce the measured solvent into the mixer 130.

[0058] At this point, the measured solvent is introduced into the mixer 130 through a high-pressure spray nozzle (HPSN) 140. The high-pressure nozzle (HPSN) 140 can introduce solvent into the mixer 130 under high pressure, and solvent can be introduced simultaneously in all directions, making it easier to thoroughly clean the interior of the mixer compared to conventional liquid injection nozzles.

[0059] In addition, the high-pressure nozzle 140 is capable of fine spraying and can be used when the introduced pressure is very high.

[0060] Therefore, the interior of the mixer 130 can be completely cleaned by the high-pressure nozzle 140.

[0061] Furthermore, the high-pressure nozzle 140 may specifically include 3 to 6 nozzles within the mixer, and more specifically, the high-pressure nozzle 140 may be formed by 4 nozzles. Additionally, the high-pressure nozzles 140 may be formed at equal intervals in the circumferential direction of the inner wall of the mixer to facilitate cleaning and overall cleaning of the mixer 130.

[0062] If the number of high-pressure nozzles is outside the above range and less than 3, the inside of the mixer cannot be thoroughly cleaned; if the number of high-pressure nozzles is more than 6, the efficiency is low.

[0063] Meanwhile, the solvent used to clean the interior of the mixer 130 can be introduced by the second pump 122 at a pressure of 90 bar to 120 bar, and more specifically, the solvent can be introduced at a pressure of 100 bar to 110 bar, and more specifically, the solvent can be introduced at a pressure of 100 bar to 105 bar.

[0064] At this point, if cleaning is performed under lower pressure than the above range, the desired effect of this disclosure cannot be achieved, while performing cleaning under higher pressure will lead to operational difficulties and increased equipment costs.

[0065] Therefore, according to this disclosure, the second pump 122 may further include a pressure gauge 124 for measuring the pressure of the solvent and a level switch 125 for measuring the current.

[0066] When no solvent is introduced into the mixer 130, the pressure gauge 124 and the level switch 125 are used to stop the operation of the second pump 122. If the second pump 122 is operated even when no solvent is introduced, there is a possibility of equipment failure, so the pressure gauge 124 and the level switch 125 can be used to regulate the operation of the second pump 122.

[0067] Specifically, the operation of the second pump 122 stops when both the pressure gauge 124 and the level switch 125 are equal to or less than a specified condition, which is used to resolve the situation where one of them fails.

[0068] Specifically, the operation of the second pump 122 can be stopped when the pressure of the solvent measured by the pressure gauge 124 is 10 bar or less and the current measured by the level switch 125 is 5 mA or less.

[0069] When high-pressure solvents are introduced in this way, it is not only easy to perform cleaning inside the mixer 130, which increases the cleaning cycle for individual operators, thus improving process efficiency and reducing operator workload, but also has the effect of being applicable to various locations, which significantly reduces the variation in solid content in the electrode slurry and improves the quality of the electrode slurry.

[0070] Meanwhile, during the process of introducing solvent from pressure tank 130 into mixer 130 via second pump 122, unintroduced solvent may be generated due to the difference between the flow rate of second pump 122 and the flow rate of high pressure nozzle 140.

[0071] Therefore, according to this disclosure, the electrode mixer cleaning system may further include a fourth tube 162, one end of which is connected to the pressure tank 120 and the other end of which is connected to the second air inlet portion 161, wherein the fourth tube 162 is connected to the second tube 121 such that any unintroduced solvent is transferred to the pressure tank 120 via the return line of the fourth tube 162.

[0072] The unintroduced solvent returned to pressure tank 120 in this manner is mixed with the solvent present in pressure tank 120 and can be introduced into mixer 130 by second pump 122 via second pipe 121, so that all the measured solvent can be introduced into mixer 130 without any solvent loss.

[0073] When the unintroduced solvent is introduced into the mixer via the return line, the operation of the second pump 122 stops, air is injected through the second air inlet portion 161 connected to the fourth tube 162, and even the small amount of solvent remaining in the fourth tube 162 is transferred to the pressure tank 120.

[0074] Subsequently, as described above, since the solvent introduced in measured amounts cleans the mixer while being used to produce the electrode slurry or only for cleaning the mixer 130, it is important that the full amount is introduced without solvent loss, so air purging can be performed after the solvent is introduced via the second pump 122.

[0075] Through air purification, the solvent remaining in the pressure tank 120, as well as the residual solvent in the first tube 112 and the second tube 121, can be further introduced into the mixer 130.

[0076] Therefore, during air purification, the first valve 114 is opened, and air is injected from the first air inlet portion 151 and then injected into the first pipe 112 via the third pipe 152. One end of the third pipe 152 is connected to the first pipe 112 and the other end is connected to the first air inlet portion 151. Even if the solvent remaining in the pressure tank 120, the first pipe 112 and the second pipe 121 can be introduced into the mixer 130.

[0077] At this point, air purification can be performed for 30 seconds to 2 minutes, specifically 1 minute to 2 minutes, at a pressure of 1 bar to 10 bar, specifically 2 bar to 8 bar, or more specifically 2 bar to 5 bar.

[0078] The entire measured amount of solvent can be introduced into mixer 130.

[0079] When air purification is complete, the ventilation valve 126 of the pressure tank 120 opens, and the first valve 114 and the second valve 123 close, thus completing the cleaning of the mixer 130.

[0080] In the electrode mixer cleaning system according to this disclosure, since the entire solvent can be measured in this way, the cleaning of the mixer 130 can be carried out simultaneously with the production of the electrode slurry, in which the adjustment of the solvent content is important.

[0081] In other words, when the content of solvent used in the electrode slurry is measured and the solvent is introduced into the mixer 130, if the solvent is introduced through the high-pressure nozzle 140 under pressure within the above range, electrode material that may accumulate in the upper part of the mixer 130 and the agitator (not shown) can be removed at the same time.

[0082] Therefore, the electrode mixer cleaning system according to this disclosure can perform cleaning simultaneously with electrode slurry production. This not only significantly reduces non-operational losses of the mixer equipment and shortens cleaning time to improve process efficiency, but also improves the quality of the electrode slurry. Furthermore, cleaning can be performed at various locations, thereby enhancing the quality of the electrode slurry.

[0083] Although preferred embodiments of the present disclosure have been shown and described above, the scope of the present disclosure is not limited thereto. Those skilled in the art can make many other changes and modifications to the embodiments using the basic principles of the invention as defined in the appended claims, which also fall within the spirit and scope of the invention.

[0084] Industrial applicability

[0085] According to this disclosure, the mixer is cleaned by introducing solvent into it under high pressure through a high-pressure nozzle (HPSN), thereby reducing the time and manpower required for cleaning.

[0086] Furthermore, when measuring and applying the amount of solvent contained in the electrode slurry, electrode slurry production and mixer cleaning can be carried out simultaneously, and cleaning can be performed at various locations, thereby enabling continuous cleaning without causing non-operational losses to the equipment and increasing the operator's cleaning cycle.

Claims

1. An electrode mixer cleaning system, comprising: Storage tanks for storing solvents; A flow meter for measuring the solvent; A pressure vessel for storing the measured solvent; A mixer for mixing electrode materials and the solvent; The first pump delivers only the amount of solvent measured by the flow meter to the pressure tank via the first pipe; Under increased pressure, the solvent is delivered from the pressure tank to the second pump of the mixer via a second pipe; and A high-pressure nozzle (HPSN) is installed in the mixer and introduces the solvent into the mixer.

2. The electrode mixer cleaning system according to claim 1, wherein: The electrode mixer cleaning system also includes a third tube, one end of which is connected to the first tube and the other end of which is connected to the first air inlet portion, wherein air is injected into the pressure tank via the third tube.

3. The electrode mixer cleaning system according to claim 1, wherein: The electrode mixer cleaning system also includes a fourth tube, one end of which is connected to the pressure tank and the other end of which is connected to the second air inlet portion, wherein the fourth tube is connected to the second tube in the middle.

4. The electrode mixer cleaning system according to claim 1, wherein: The first pipe has a first valve, and the second pipe has a second valve.

5. The electrode mixer cleaning system according to claim 1, wherein: The high-pressure nozzle (HPSN) comprises 3 to 6 nozzles.

6. The electrode mixer cleaning system according to claim 1, wherein: The electrode mixer cleaning system also includes a pressure gauge for measuring the pressure of the solvent in the second tube and a level switch for measuring the current.

7. The electrode mixer cleaning system according to claim 6, wherein: If the pressure of the solvent measured by the pressure gauge is 10 bar or less and the current measured by the level switch is 5 mA or less, then the operation of the second pump is stopped.

8. The electrode mixer cleaning system according to claim 1, wherein: The solvent is distilled water (DI water).

9. The electrode mixer cleaning system according to any one of claims 1 to 8, wherein: If the flow meter completes its measurement of the solvent, the first valve is opened and the solvent is stored in the pressure tank. Then, if the first valve is closed and the second valve is opened, the solvent is introduced into the mixer by the operation of the second pump.

10. The electrode mixer cleaning system according to any one of claims 1 to 8, wherein: After the solvent is introduced into the mixer via the second pump, air purification is performed by injecting air into the first air inlet portion and introducing the remaining solvent in the pressure tank and the second tube into the mixer.

11. The electrode mixer cleaning system according to claim 10, wherein: The air purification is performed with the first valve open, and after the air purification is completed, the vent valve of the pressure tank opens, and the first valve and the second valve close.

12. The electrode mixer cleaning system according to any one of claims 1 to 8, wherein: When the solvent is introduced from the pressure tank into the mixer via the second pump, unintroduced solvent is generated due to the difference between the flow rate of the second pump and the flow rate of the high-pressure nozzle, and the unintroduced solvent flows back into the pressure tank via the fourth tube.

13. The electrode mixer cleaning system according to claim 12, wherein: The unintroduced solvent is mixed with the solvent present in the pressure tank and then reintroduced into the mixer via the second pump and the second pipe.

14. The electrode mixer cleaning system according to any one of claims 1 to 8, wherein: The second pump introduces the solvent into the mixer at a pressure of 90 bar to 120 bar.

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