Process management equipment and its operating methods

Abstract

According to the embodiments disclosed herein, a process management device includes: an air supply unit and an exhaust unit, each operating at a rotational speed to form an airflow to a slurry; and a damper for adjusting the airflow. The process management device may also include: a sensor for measuring the pressure difference between at least some of a plurality of drying zones for drying the slurry; and a controller for adjusting at least one of the rotational speed of the air supply unit, the rotational speed of the exhaust unit, or the opening degree of the damper.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] Cross-references to related applications

[0002] This application claims priority to Korean Patent Application No. 10-2023-0143989, filed on October 25, 2023, the entire contents of which are incorporated herein by reference for all purposes. Technical Field

[0003] The embodiments disclosed herein relate to process management equipment and its operating methods. Background Technology

[0004] Recently, research and development of rechargeable batteries have been actively pursued. Here, rechargeable batteries refer to batteries that can be recharged, including traditional Ni / Cd batteries, Ni / MH batteries, and modern lithium-ion batteries. Among rechargeable batteries, lithium-ion batteries offer higher energy density compared to traditional Ni / Cd and Ni / MH batteries, and their smaller, lighter design makes them very useful as power sources for portable devices. Recently, their use has expanded to powering electric vehicles, attracting attention as a next-generation energy storage medium.

[0005] The manufacturing process of a secondary battery can include a positive electrode manufacturing process, and a key quality factor for the positive electrode of a secondary battery can include adhesion. A secondary battery positive electrode can be formed by applying a slurry containing active materials, conductive agents, and binders onto an electrode sheet and then drying it, wherein the adhesion of the positive electrode is determined by the quality of the slurry drying process. For example, over- or under-drying of the electrode slurry may impair the adhesion of the positive electrode. Summary of the Invention

[0006] Technical issues

[0007] The purpose of the embodiments disclosed herein is to provide a process management device and its operating method that can enhance electrode adhesion by controlling the pressure difference in the drying zone in a consistent and uniform manner.

[0008] The technical objectives of the embodiments disclosed herein are not limited to those described above, and other objectives not described herein will be clearly understood by those skilled in the art from the following description.

[0009] Technical solution

[0010] According to embodiments disclosed herein, a process management device may include: a sensor configured to measure pressure differentials in at least some of a plurality of drying zones for drying slurry, the drying zones having: an air supply unit and an exhaust unit, each operating at a rotational speed to form an airflow to the slurry; a damper for controlling the airflow; and a controller configured to adjust at least one of the rotational speed of the air supply unit, the rotational speed of the exhaust unit, and the opening of the damper based on the measured pressure differentials.

[0011] According to the embodiments disclosed herein, a method for operating a process management device may include: measuring the pressure difference of at least some of a plurality of drying zones for drying slurry, the plurality of drying zones having: an air supply unit and an exhaust unit, each of the air supply unit and the exhaust unit operating at a rotational speed to form an airflow to the slurry; and a damper for controlling the airflow; and adjusting at least one of the rotational speed of the air supply unit, the rotational speed of the exhaust unit, and the opening of the damper based on the measured pressure difference.

[0012] Beneficial effects

[0013] The process management equipment and its operating method according to the embodiments disclosed herein are advantageous in enhancing the adhesion of the produced electrodes by controlling the pressure difference in the drying zone during the process.

[0014] In addition, various effects that can be identified directly or indirectly through this article can be provided. Attached Figure Description

[0015] Figure 1 This is a diagram illustrating the coating process of a battery electrode according to an embodiment disclosed herein; Figure 2 This is a diagram illustrating the configuration of the drying area according to the embodiments disclosed herein; Figure 3 This is a diagram illustrating the configuration of a process management device according to an embodiment disclosed herein; Figure 4 This is a diagram illustrating adhesion based on pressure differential in a dry region according to an embodiment disclosed herein; Figure 5 This is a diagram illustrating adhesion based on pressure differential in a dry region according to an embodiment disclosed herein; Figure 6 This is a flowchart illustrating a method of operating a process management device according to an embodiment disclosed herein; Figure 7This is a flowchart illustrating the adjustment process of a process management apparatus according to embodiments disclosed herein; and Figure 8 This is a flowchart illustrating the adjustment process of a process management device according to an embodiment disclosed herein. Detailed Implementation

[0016] In the following description, various embodiments of the invention will be described with reference to the accompanying drawings. However, this description is not intended to limit the invention to the specific embodiments, and it should be construed as including various modifications, equivalents, and / or substitutions to the embodiments described herein.

[0017] In this document, the singular noun corresponding to an item may cover one or more instances of that item unless explicitly indicated otherwise in the context. In this document, phrases such as “A or B,” “at least one of A and B,” “at least one of A or B,” “A, B or C,” “at least one of A, B and C,” and “at least one of A, B or C” may each refer to any of the listed items or any combination of these items. Terms such as “first,” “second,” “first,” and “second” are used only to distinguish one component from another and do not limit these components in other respects (e.g., importance or order). In this document, when a component (e.g., the first component) is referred to as being “connected” or “linked” to another component (e.g., the second component) with or without the use of terms such as “functionally” or “communically”, it means that the first component may be connected to the second component directly (e.g., via a wired connection), wirelessly, or through a third component.

[0018] Each component (e.g., module or program) described herein may include one or more instances. According to various embodiments, one or more components or operations described herein may be omitted, or one or more other components or operations may be added. Alternatively or additionally, multiple components (e.g., modules or programs) may be integrated into a single component. In this case, the integrated component may perform one or more functions of each of the multiple components in the same or similar manner as the functions performed by corresponding components among the multiple components prior to integration. According to various embodiments, operations performed by modules, programs, or other components are performed sequentially, in parallel, iteratively, or heuristically, or one or more operations are performed in a different order, omitted, or one or more other operations may be added.

[0019] The terms “module” or “unit” as used herein may cover a unit implemented in hardware, software, or firmware, and may be used interchangeably with terms such as logic, logic block, component, or circuit. A module may be a component assembled as a whole or one or more units performing one or more functions, and may constitute the smallest unit of a component or a part thereof. For example, according to one implementation, a module may be implemented in the form of an application-specific integrated circuit (ASIC).

[0020] The various embodiments described herein can be implemented as software (e.g., a program or application) comprising one or more instructions stored on a machine-readable storage medium (e.g., memory). For example, a processor of the device can invoke and execute at least one instruction stored on the storage medium. This enables the device to operate to perform at least one function according to at least one invoked instruction. The one or more instructions may include code generated by a compiler or code executable by an interpreter. The machine-readable storage medium may be provided in the form of a non-transitory storage medium. Here, "non-transitory" means that the storage medium is a tangible device and does not include signals (e.g., electromagnetic waves), and the term is used regardless of whether the data is permanently or temporarily stored.

[0021] Figure 1 This is a diagram illustrating the coating process of a battery electrode according to an embodiment disclosed herein.

[0022] refer to Figure 1 The battery electrodes can be produced on the electrode current collector 10 of the coating apparatus 1 through a coating process. The coating apparatus 1 may include an unwinding machine 20, a drive roller 30, a coating mold 40, a dryer 50, a winding machine 60, and a supply tank 70.

[0023] The manufacturing process of the battery electrode includes forming an electrode active material layer on the electrode current collector 10, and the coating apparatus 1 can be used to form the active material layer on the electrode current collector 10. The process of forming the electrode active material layer includes applying an electrode active material in a slurry state to the electrode current collector 10, and then drying the slurry on the electrode current collector 10 to remove the solvent present in the slurry, thereby forming an electrode active material layer on the electrode current collector 10.

[0024] More specifically, the electrode current collector 10 in roll form can travel along a path, during which a slurry is applied, and then the applied slurry is dried to form an active material layer (i.e., complete the coating), after which the electrode current collector 10 can be rolled up again in roll form.

[0025] First, the unwinding machine 20 can unwind the electrode current collector 10 in roll form. The electrode current collector 10 unwound from the unwinding machine 20 can be conveyed along the travel path by the drive roller 30. That is, the drive roller 30 can move the electrode current collector 10 unwound from the unwinding machine 20 along the travel path. The drive roller 30 can continuously move the thin roll of electrode current collector 10 in a predetermined process direction.

[0026] While it is preferred that the drive roller 30 has a cylindrical shape to effectively drive the electrode current collector 10, this is not a strict limitation. Multiple drive rollers 30 can be arranged to move the electrode current collector 10.

[0027] The coating mold 40 can apply a slurry to at least one surface of the electrode current collector 10. For example, the coating mold 40 can be positioned facing one side of the electrode current collector 10, which is moved by the drive roller 30, and apply the electrode active material in slurry form to the electrode current collector 10. The coating mold 40 may include a coating pattern pad to allow the slurry-state electrode active material to be sprayed according to the coating pattern. The slurry-state electrode active material can be sprayed from the coating pattern pad onto the electrode current collector 10, thereby performing the coating process. To facilitate coating, coating areas can be pre-marked on the electrode current collector 10 at predetermined intervals.

[0028] The coating mold 40 can be mounted to face the coating surface of the electrode current collector 10, which moves continuously along a process direction driven by the drive roller 30. As the electrode current collector 10 moves, the electrode active material discharged from the coating mold 40 can be coated onto the surface of the electrode current collector 10.

[0029] Multiple coating molds can be provided. For example, multiple coating molds 40 can be mounted facing each side of the electrode current collector 10 to coat both sides of the electrode current collector 10. As an example, a top coating mold for coating the upper surface of the electrode current collector 10 and a back coating mold for coating the bottom surface can be included. The top coating mold and the back coating mold can be installed in a certain area of ​​the travel path of the electrode current collector 10, and as... Figure 1 As shown, top coating and back coating can be performed sequentially in different installation areas.

[0030] The dryer 50 can dry the slurry-state electrode active material applied to the electrode current collector 10 to remove the solvent present in the slurry-state electrode active material, thereby forming an electrode active material layer on the electrode current collector 10. Multiple dryers 50 can be provided, and when multiple coatings are performed using multiple coating molds 40 as described above, the drying of the dryers 50 can be performed sequentially after each coating.

[0031] The dryer 50 may consist of multiple drying zones. The multiple drying zones may be sequentially positioned along the travel path of the electrode current collector 10, allowing the electrode current collector 10 coated with slurry to pass through the drying zones sequentially, so that the solvent in the slurry-state electrode active material can be evaporated and removed.

[0032] Once the coating is complete, the winding machine 60 can rewind the electrode current collector 10.

[0033] The supply tank 70 can store slurry. The slurry stored in the supply tank 70 can be supplied to the coating mold 40 via the coating device 200. The slurry stored in the supply tank 70 is supplied to the coating mold 40 via the coating device 200 and discharged through the coating mold 40 to be applied to the electrode current collector 10.

[0034] In this way, an electrode active material layer can be formed on the electrode current collector 10 by the coating apparatus 1 through a series of processes.

[0035] Figure 2 This is a diagram illustrating the configuration of the drying area according to the embodiments disclosed herein.

[0036] Reference Figure 2 The dryer 50 may include multiple drying zones 50_1 to 50_N (N is a natural number greater than or equal to 2).

[0037] Multiple drying zones 50_1 to 50_N can be configured to dry the electrode current collector 10. According to an embodiment, the multiple drying zones 50_1 to 50_N may include a drying device for drying the electrode current collector 10 conveyed along a transport path.

[0038] According to one embodiment, each of the plurality of drying zones 50_1 to 50_N may include an air supply unit 51 for supplying external air, an exhaust unit 53 for discharging internal air, and a damper 55 for controlling the airflow into and out of the drying zone. The number of drying zones 50_1 to 50_N is not limited, but as an example, the plurality of drying zones may include ten drying zones connected in sequence.

[0039] Air supply unit 51 is configured to supply outside air to each drying zone. Air supply unit 51 can operate at a rotational speed to generate airflow. For example, air supply unit 51 may include ductwork and a supply fan connected to each drying zone, and the rotation of the supply fan can supply outside air through the ductwork. In another example, the ductwork of each air supply unit 51 may be combined into a single main duct, and the rotation of a main fan located in the main duct can supply outside air to air supply unit 51 in each drying zone.

[0040] Exhaust unit 53 is configured to allow internal air from each drying zone to be exhausted to the outside. Exhaust unit 53 can operate at a rotational speed to generate airflow within each drying zone. For example, exhaust unit 53 may include ducts and exhaust fans connected to each drying zone, and the rotation of the exhaust fans can exhaust internal air through the ducts. In another example, the ducts of each exhaust unit 53 may be combined into a single main duct, and the rotation of a main fan located in the main duct can allow internal air from each drying zone to be exhausted through exhaust unit 53.

[0041] The damper 55 can adjust the airflow through the air supply unit 51 and / or exhaust unit 53 of each drying zone. The damper 55 can be in the form of a valve, and the airflow in each drying zone can be adjusted by the opening degree of the valve.

[0042] The adhesion strength of the battery electrode can be determined by the adequacy of the drying process performed on the electrode current collector 10. For example, the adhesion strength of the battery electrode 130 may deteriorate when the drying process is excessive (resulting in over-drying of the electrode current collector 10) or insufficient (resulting in under-drying of the electrode current collector 10).

[0043] In particular, it has been found that the adhesion strength of the battery electrodes is closely related to the pressure difference in each drying zone during the drying process. Therefore, the adhesion strength of the battery electrodes can be improved by appropriately adjusting the pressure difference in the drying zone during the drying process of the electrode current collector 10. In addition, since the airflow entering and exiting each drying zone causes changes in the pressure difference, the pressure difference in each drying zone can be controlled by controlling the air supply unit 51, the exhaust unit 53, and the damper 55.

[0044] Figure 3 This is a diagram illustrating the configuration of a process management device according to an embodiment disclosed herein.

[0045] refer to Figure 3 The process management device 1000 may include a sensor 100 and a controller 200. However, this is not limiting, and some components may be omitted from the process management device 1000, or other common components may be further included in the process management device 1000.

[0046] According to the implementation, the sensor 100 and controller 200 in the process management equipment 1000 can be electrically connected to each other via an inter-device communication method. The inter-device communication method may include bus, general purpose input and output (GPIO), serial peripheral interface (SPI), and mobile industrial processor interface (MIPI).

[0047] Multiple drying zones can be configured to evaporate the solvent from the slurry-state electrode active material applied to the electrode current collector 10.

[0048] In an implementation, the multiple drying zones may include at least one preheating drying zone, multiple constant-speed drying zones, and at least one deceleration drying zone.

[0049] Here, the preheating and drying zone can refer to the section where strong heat is applied to the electrode current collector 10 coated with slurry for a short period of time, raising the temperature to a level sufficient to evaporate the slurry. Since the electrode current collector 10 passes through the preheating and drying zone quickly and the slurry has not yet fully evaporated, this section has almost no effect on the adhesion strength.

[0050] The preheating and drying zone can be located in front of multiple drying zones, and for example, when there are 10 zones, it corresponds to zone 1 and zone 2.

[0051] The constant-rate drying zone is the section where stable heat is applied to evaporate the solvent from the slurry. As the solvent in the slurry evaporates, an active material layer is allowed to form (adhere) onto the electrode current collector 10. In other words, the constant-rate drying zone is the section where an active material layer is formed on the electrode current collector 10 through the evaporation of the slurry, and differences in drying rate and other factors can affect the adhesion strength. Therefore, adjusting the drying conditions in the constant-rate drying zone is directly related to the adhesion of the battery electrode.

[0052] The constant-rate drying zone can be located in the middle of multiple drying zones, corresponding to zones 3 to 7.

[0053] The slow-drying zone is the section where residual solvent in the slurry is removed after adhesion occurs through slurry evaporation. Similar to the preheating drying zone, the electrode current collector 10 passes through this zone for a short period of time, and since there is no substantial adhesion due to the removal of residual solvent, this zone has minimal impact on the adhesion strength.

[0054] The slow-drying zone can be located at the end of multiple drying zones, corresponding to zones 9 and 10.

[0055] The process management equipment 1000 can enhance the adhesion strength of battery electrodes by maintaining a constant pressure difference across multiple drying zones, and in particular by stabilizing the solvent drying rate by maintaining a constant pressure difference in the constant-rate drying zone.

[0056] Sensor 100 can measure the pressure difference in at least some of a plurality of drying zones. When sensor 100 measures the pressure difference in multiple zones, there can be multiple sensors, each measuring the pressure difference in each drying zone. For example, sensor 100 can measure the pressure difference in several constant-rate drying zones.

[0057] Here, the pressure difference in a specific area refers to the negative pressure formed in that area and can be expressed as a relative value compared to the external pressure. For example, assuming an external pressure of 100 and an internal pressure of approximately 70, the pressure difference would be -30. Similarly, when the internal and external pressures are the same, the pressure difference would be 0. The larger the absolute value of the pressure difference (i.e., the lower the internal pressure compared to the external pressure), the stronger the airflow (exhaust) may be in the drying area.

[0058] The controller 200 may have a structure for executing commands to implement the operation of the process management device 1000. The controller 200 may be implemented as an array of various logic gates or a general-purpose microprocessor, and may include a single processor or multiple processors. For example, the controller 200 may be implemented as at least one of a microprocessor, a central processing unit (CPU), a graphics processing unit (GPU), or an application processor (AP).

[0059] The controller 200 can operate in conjunction with a memory configured to store various data, instructions, mobile applications, computer programs, etc. The memory can be configured separately from or integrated with the controller 200. The controller 200 can execute commands stored in the memory to perform various operations. For example, the memory can be implemented as a non-volatile device (such as read-only memory (ROM), programmable read-only memory (PROM), erasable programmable read-only memory (EPROM), electrically erasable programmable read-only memory (EEPROM), flash memory, phase-change RAM (PRAM), magnetoresistive RAM (MRAM), resistive RAM (RRAM), and ferroelectric RAM (FRAM)), and a volatile device (such as dynamic RAM (DRAM), static RAM (SRAM), synchronous DRAM (SDRAM), phase-change RAM (PRAM)), or in the form of a hard disk drive (HDD), solid-state drive (SSD), secure digital storage (SD), and microSD, or a combination thereof.

[0060] The controller 200 can adjust at least one of the rotational speed of the air supply unit 51, the rotational speed of the exhaust unit 53, and the opening of the damper 55 based on the pressure difference measured by the sensor 100. By adjusting at least one of these parameters, the controller 200 can maintain the pressure difference in each drying zone within an appropriate range, thereby enhancing drying performance and improving the adhesion strength of the battery electrodes.

[0061] According to the implementation, the controller 200 can correct at least one of the rotational speed of the air supply unit 51 and the rotational speed of the exhaust unit 53 based on the pressure difference between the first region and the second region measured by the sensor 100.

[0062] By adjusting the rotational speed of the air supply unit 51 and / or the exhaust unit 53, the controller 200 can adjust the airflow in the first and second zones. Therefore, the airflow entering and exiting the first and second zones can be adjusted, and the pressure difference in each zone can be corrected.

[0063] According to the implementation, for each of the first and second regions, when the pressure difference in each region is below a lower limit, the controller 200 can correct this by increasing the rotational speed of the air supply unit 51. When the pressure difference in a region is below the lower limit, indicating that the amount of air discharged from that region exceeds the amount of external air supplied to that region, the controller 200 can increase the rotational speed of the air supply unit 51 to increase the supply of external air to that region and correct the pressure difference. In some cases, the controller 200 can also decrease the rotational speed of the exhaust unit 53 while increasing the rotational speed of the air supply unit 51.

[0064] This allows the controller 200 to increase the amount of external air supplied to each drying zone and raise the internal pressure of each zone, thereby adjusting the pressure differential to an appropriate level.

[0065] According to an embodiment, when the pressure difference between the first and second regions exceeds an upper limit, the controller 200 can adjust the rotational speed of the exhaust unit 53 to correct it. When the pressure difference exceeds the upper limit, indicating that the amount of outside air supplied to that region exceeds the amount of air discharged from that region, the controller 200 can increase the rotational speed of the exhaust unit 53 to increase the air discharged from that region and correct the pressure difference. In some cases, the controller 200 can also decrease the rotational speed of the air supply unit 51 while increasing the rotational speed of the exhaust unit 53.

[0066] This allows the controller 200 to reduce the internal pressure of each drying zone by increasing the amount of air discharged, thereby reducing the internal pressure of each zone and adjusting the pressure differential to a level below a predetermined level.

[0067] By controlling the rotational speed of the air supply unit 51 and / or the exhaust unit 53, the controller 200 can maintain the pressure differential within a predetermined range for each zone.

[0068] In one implementation, the controller 200 can correct the rotational speeds of the air supply unit 51 and the exhaust unit 53 to a preset level and perform feedback control. For example, the controller 200 can adjust the rotational speeds of the air supply unit 51 and / or the exhaust unit 53 in increments of 10 RPM for each correction.

[0069] The upper and lower limits can be preset experimentally and statistically. For example, the upper and lower limits can be set based on statistical results of the pressure difference in the drying zone during the drying process of the battery electrode corresponding to the first 5% of the bond strength in the manufactured battery electrode. As an example, the upper limit of the pressure difference can be set to 0, and the lower limit can be set to -30.

[0070] When the pressure difference between the first and second zones falls within an acceptable range, particularly between the lower and upper limits, the controller 200 may not perform any adjustments.

[0071] According to the implementation, the controller 200 can adjust the opening of the damper 55 based on the pressure difference between the first zone and the second zone. By adjusting the opening of the damper 55, the controller 200 can adjust the amount of external air supplied to each zone and / or the amount of internal air discharged from each zone.

[0072] By adjusting the opening of the damper 55 to maintain a balanced pressure difference in each region, the controller 200 can consistently control the drying conditions of the electrode current collector 10, thereby improving the drying quality.

[0073] According to the implementation, when the pressure difference between the first and second zones exceeds a reference value, the controller 200 can adjust the opening of the damper 55 set in the zone with the larger absolute pressure difference downward. Since the pressure difference in each drying zone is negative, the zone with the larger absolute pressure difference corresponds to the zone with the smaller pressure difference.

[0074] By reducing the opening of the damper 55 set in the area with a large absolute pressure difference, the controller 200 can reduce the pressure difference level in that area, thereby adjusting the pressure difference between areas and maintaining a consistent pressure difference level in each area.

[0075] Reference values ​​can be preset through experiments and statistical methods. For example, a reference value can be set based on the statistical results of the differences (variations) in pressure differential during the drying process of the top 5% of battery electrodes in terms of adhesion strength. As an example, a reference value could be set to 15.

[0076] According to the implementation, the first region can be defined as the first drying region within the constant-rate drying region, and the second region can be defined as the last drying region within the constant-rate drying region. As described above, the constant-rate drying region is a segment directly related to the adhesion strength of the battery electrode, and the controller 200 can enhance the adhesion strength of the battery electrode by maintaining the pressure difference of the regions included in the constant-rate drying region within a predetermined range and by balancing the pressure difference of each region.

[0077] According to one embodiment, the sensor 100 can further measure the pressure difference in a third region. In this case, the third region can be located between the first and second regions. For example, when the first region is the first region of the constant-rate drying region and the second region is the last region of the constant-rate drying region, the third region can be an intermediate region of the constant-rate drying region. As an example, when the constant-rate drying region corresponds to the third to seventh drying regions among a plurality of drying regions, the first region can be the third drying region, the third region can be the fifth drying region, and the second region can be the seventh drying region.

[0078] According to the implementation, the controller 200 can adjust the rotational speed of the air supply unit 51 and / or the exhaust unit 53 based on the pressure difference between the first region and the third region.

[0079] According to the implementation, the controller 200 can perform a first adjustment of the opening of the damper 55 based on the pressure difference between the first region and the third region, and perform a second adjustment based on the pressure difference between the second region and the third region.

[0080] In the implementation, when the pressure difference between each region exceeds the reference value, the controller 200 can perform a first adjustment and a second adjustment by reducing the opening of the damper 55 set in the region with the larger absolute pressure difference.

[0081] By adjusting the opening of the damper 55 in this manner, the controller 200 can maintain the pressure difference between the first and third zones within a predetermined range. This allows the controller 200 to maintain the pressure difference in the zone corresponding to the constant-speed drying zone at a balanced level, thereby improving drying performance and enhancing the adhesion strength of the battery electrodes.

[0082] Figure 4 This is a graph showing the adhesive strength based on the pressure difference in the dry region according to the embodiments disclosed herein.

[0083] Figure 4 Box plots 410 and 420 show the pressure differences in the first region (region 3) of the constant-rate drying zone during the electrode manufacturing process, representing the latter 5% of the electrode's adhesive strength and the former 5% of the electrode's adhesive strength, respectively. In each of box plots 410 and 420, the y-axis represents the absolute value of the pressure difference.

[0084] Comparing box plots 410 and 420 reveals that electrodes manufactured under conditions where the absolute value of the pressure differential in the dry region exceeds a certain value (e.g., 30) exhibit lower adhesion. This can be confirmed by the average values ​​and box limits shown in the box plots 410 and 420 (corresponding to the range of 25% to 75% of the entire data).

[0085] Therefore, refer to Figure 4 This allows for examination of the relationship between pressure differential and bond strength in the dry zone, thereby confirming the need to adjust the pressure differential to improve bond strength.

[0086] Figure 5 This is a graph showing the adhesive strength based on the pressure difference in the dry area according to the embodiments disclosed herein.

[0087] Figure 5 Box plots 510 and 520 show the pressure difference representing the bonding strength of the manufactured electrodes in the last 5% and first 5%, respectively.

[0088] Comparative box plots reveal that electrodes with a pressure difference exceeding 15 exhibit lower adhesion strength, while most high-adhesion electrodes are dried under conditions with a pressure difference below 15.

[0089] Therefore, refer to Figure 5 This allows for the examination of the relationship between pressure differential differences in the dry area and bond strength, thereby identifying the need to adjust these pressure differential differences to improve bond strength.

[0090] Figure 6 This is a flowchart illustrating an operation method of a process management device according to an embodiment disclosed herein.

[0091] refer to Figure 6 The operation method of the process management equipment may include measuring the pressure difference in at least some of the multiple drying zones in operation S100, and adjusting at least one of the rotational speed of the air supply unit, the rotational speed of the exhaust unit, and the opening of the damper based on the measured pressure difference in operation S200.

[0092] In operation S100, sensor 100 can measure the pressure difference in at least some of the multiple drying zones. In one embodiment, sensor 100 can measure the pressure difference in the first drying zone (zone 1) and the last drying zone (zone 2) in the constant-rate drying zone. In another embodiment, sensor 100 can additionally measure the pressure difference in an intermediate drying zone (zone 3) in the constant-rate drying zone.

[0093] In operation S200, the controller 200 can adjust at least one of the rotational speed of the air supply unit, the rotational speed of the exhaust unit, and the opening of the damper to adjust the pressure difference in the drying zone based on the measured pressure difference. In an embodiment, the controller 200 can correct the rotational speed of the air supply unit 51 and / or the rotational speed of the exhaust unit 53 based on the pressure difference in each zone. Additionally, the controller 200 can adjust the opening of the damper 55 based on the pressure difference difference in each zone.

[0094] Figure 7This is a flowchart illustrating the adjustment process of a process management device according to an embodiment disclosed herein.

[0095] refer to Figure 7 The process management equipment 1000 can adjust the drying conditions in the drying zone to enhance the adhesion strength of the battery electrodes.

[0096] In operation S310, sensor 100 measures the pressure difference between the first region and the second region. In one embodiment, the first region can be defined as the first drying region in a constant-rate drying region, and the second region can be defined as the last drying region in a constant-rate drying region.

[0097] In operation S320, the controller 200 can determine whether the pressure difference between the first region and the second region is within a predetermined range. The predetermined range can be equal to or greater than a preset lower limit and equal to or less than a preset upper limit. When the pressure difference between the first region and the second region is within the predetermined range ("Yes" in operation S320), the controller 200 can proceed to operation S340. When at least one of the pressure differences between the first region and the second region is outside the predetermined range ("No" in operation S320), the controller 200 can proceed to step S330.

[0098] In operation S330, the controller 200 can adjust the rotational speed of the air supply unit 51 and / or the rotational speed of the exhaust unit 53. In this embodiment, for areas where the pressure difference is below the lower limit, the controller 200 can increase the rotational speed of the air supply unit 51. For areas where the pressure difference exceeds the upper limit, the controller 200 can increase the rotational speed of the exhaust unit 53.

[0099] In operation S340, the controller 200 can determine whether the difference between the pressure difference between the first region and the second region is equal to or less than a reference value.

[0100] In operation S350, the controller 200 can adjust the opening of the damper 55. In this embodiment, the controller 200 can reduce the opening of the damper 55 set in the region with a larger absolute value of pressure difference in the first and second regions.

[0101] Figure 8 This is a flowchart illustrating the adjustment process of a process management device according to an embodiment disclosed herein.

[0102] refer to Figure 8 ,and Figure 7 In contrast, sensor 100 can also measure the pressure difference in a third region.

[0103] In operation S410, sensor 100 measures the pressure difference in the first region, the second region, and the third region.

[0104] In operation S420, the controller 200 can determine whether the pressure difference between the first region and the third region is within a predetermined range. When the pressure difference between the first region and the third region is within the predetermined range ("Yes" in operation S420), the predetermined range can be equal to or greater than a preset lower limit and equal to or less than a preset upper limit, and the controller 200 can proceed to operation S440. When at least one of the pressure differences between the first region and the third region is outside the predetermined range ("No" in operation S420), the controller 200 can proceed to step S430.

[0105] In operation S430, the controller 200 can adjust the rotational speed of the air supply unit 51 and / or the rotational speed of the exhaust unit 53. In this embodiment, for areas where the pressure difference is below the lower limit, the controller 200 can increase the rotational speed of the air supply unit 51. For areas where the pressure difference exceeds the upper limit, the controller 200 can increase the rotational speed of the exhaust unit 53.

[0106] In operation S440, controller 200 can determine whether the difference between the pressure differentials of the first and third zones is equal to or less than a reference value.

[0107] In operation S450, the controller 200 can perform a first adjustment to the opening of the damper 55. In this embodiment, the controller 200 can reduce the opening of the damper 55 set in the region with a large absolute value of pressure difference in the first to third regions.

[0108] In operation S460, controller 200 can determine whether the difference between the pressure differentials of the second and third zones is equal to or less than a reference value.

[0109] In operation S470, the controller 200 can perform a second adjustment to the opening of the damper 55. In this embodiment, the controller 200 can reduce the opening of the damper 55 set in the areas with larger absolute values ​​of pressure difference in the second and third regions.

[0110] By performing a first adjustment and a second adjustment on the opening of the damper 55, the controller 200 can maintain a balanced pressure difference on the drying zone (e.g., from the first zone to the third zone).

[0111] Although all components are described as operating in combination or as a whole, the embodiments disclosed herein are not limited to these examples. That is, within the scope of the embodiments disclosed herein, all components may also be selectively combined in one or more ways to function.

[0112] Furthermore, unless otherwise specifically stated, terms such as “comprising,” “including,” or “having” as used above should be interpreted as implying the inclusion of specified components, rather than excluding other components, and may include additional components. Unless otherwise defined, all terms including technical or scientific terms as used herein have the same meaning as commonly understood by one of ordinary skill in the art to which the embodiments disclosed in this invention pertain. It will also be understood that terms such as those defined in common dictionaries should be interpreted as having meanings consistent with their meanings in the context of the relevant field and should not be interpreted in an idealized or overly formal sense unless expressly defined herein.

[0113] The above description is merely an illustrative example of the technical ideas disclosed herein, and those skilled in the art will be able to make various modifications and changes to the embodiments disclosed herein without departing from the subject matter. Therefore, the embodiments disclosed herein are not intended to limit the technical concepts disclosed herein, but are for illustrative purposes, and the scope of the technical concepts disclosed herein is not limited by these embodiments. The scope of protection of the technical concepts disclosed herein should be interpreted in accordance with the claims set forth below, and all equivalent technical concepts should be considered to be included within the scope of protection herein.

Claims

1. A process management apparatus comprising: a sensor configured to measure a differential pressure of at least some of a plurality of drying zones for drying a slurry, the drying zones having: a gas supply unit and a gas exhaust unit each operating at a rotational speed to form a gas flow to the slurry; and a damper for controlling the gas flow; and a controller configured to adjust at least one of the rotational speed of the gas supply unit, the rotational speed of the gas exhaust unit, and the opening degree of the damper based on the measured differential pressure. The sensor measures a differential pressure of a first zone and a differential pressure of a second zone of the plurality of drying zones, and the controller adjusts at least one of the rotational speed of the gas supply unit and the rotational speed of the gas exhaust unit based on the differential pressure of the first zone and the differential pressure of the second zone. The controller adjusts to increase the rotational speed of the gas supply unit when the differential pressure of each of the first zone and the second zone is below a lower limit, and to increase the rotational speed of the gas exhaust unit when the differential pressure exceeds an upper limit.

2. The process management apparatus according to claim 1, wherein, The controller adjusts the opening degree of the damper provided in the first zone and the second zone, respectively, based on a difference between the differential pressure of the first zone and the differential pressure of the second zone.

3. The process management apparatus according to claim 2, wherein, The controller decreases the opening degree of the damper provided in the zone having a larger absolute value of the differential pressure when the difference between the differential pressure of the first zone and the differential pressure of the second zone is equal to or greater than a reference value.

4. The process management apparatus according to claim 2, wherein, The plurality of drying zones includes at least one preheating drying zone, a plurality of constant-speed drying zones, and at least one reduced-speed drying zone, the first zone is defined as a first one of the constant-speed drying zones, and the second zone is defined as a last one of the constant-speed drying zones.

5. The process management apparatus according to claim 4, wherein, The sensor further measures a differential pressure of a third zone located between the first zone and the second zone, and the controller performs a first adjustment of the opening degree of the damper provided in the first zone and the third zone based on a difference between the differential pressure of the first zone and the differential pressure of the third zone, and performs a second adjustment of the opening degree of the damper provided in the second zone and the third zone based on a difference between the differential pressure of the second zone and the differential pressure of the third zone.

6. The process management apparatus according to claim 2, wherein The controller performs the first adjustment and the second adjustment to decrease the opening degree of the damper provided in the zone having a larger absolute value of the differential pressure when a difference between the differential pressure of the first zone, the differential pressure of the second zone, and the differential pressure of the third zone is equal to or greater than a reference value.

7. The process management apparatus according to claim 2, wherein 9. A method of operating a process management apparatus, the method comprising the steps of:

8. The process management apparatus according to claim 7, wherein measuring a differential pressure of at least some of a plurality of drying zones for drying a slurry, the plurality of drying zones having: a gas supply unit and a gas exhaust unit each operating at a rotational speed to form a gas flow to the slurry; and a dampers for controlling the gas flow; and ​ ​ ​ and adjusting at least one of a rotational speed of the air supply unit, a rotational speed of the air exhaust unit, and an opening degree of the damper based on the measured pressure difference.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein, The step of measuring the pressure difference includes measuring a pressure difference of a first region and a pressure difference of a second region of the plurality of drying regions, and the step of adjusting includes adjusting at least one of the rotational speed of the air supply unit and the rotational speed of the air exhaust unit based on the pressure difference of the first region and the pressure difference of the second region.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein, The step of adjusting includes: when the pressure difference of each of the first region and the second region is lower than a lower limit, adjusting to increase the rotational speed of the air supply unit; and when the pressure difference of each of the first region and the second region exceeds an upper limit, adjusting to increase the rotational speed of the air exhaust unit.

12. The method of claim 10, wherein, The step of adjusting includes adjusting an opening degree of a damper provided in each of the first region and the second region based on a difference between the pressure difference of the first region and the pressure difference of the second region.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein, The step of adjusting includes, when the difference between the pressure difference of the first region and the pressure difference of the second region is equal to or greater than a reference value, decreasing the opening degree of the damper provided in the region having a larger absolute value of the pressure difference of the first region and the pressure difference of the second region.

14. The method of claim 10, wherein, The step of measuring includes additionally measuring a pressure difference of a third region located between the first region and the second region, and the step of adjusting includes: performing a first adjustment of an opening degree of a damper provided in the first region and the third region based on a difference between the pressure difference of the first region and the pressure difference of the third region; and performing a second adjustment of an opening degree of a damper provided in the second region and the third region based on a difference between the pressure difference of the second region and the pressure difference of the third region.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein, The step of adjusting includes, when a difference between the pressure difference of the first region, the pressure difference of the second region, and the pressure difference of the third region is equal to or greater than a reference value, performing the first adjustment and the second adjustment to decrease the opening degree of the damper provided in the region having a larger absolute value of the pressure difference.

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