A rotary cooling furnace and a temperature control method thereof

Abstract

This invention discloses a rotary cooling furnace and its temperature control method, comprising an outer furnace cylinder and a coaxially rotatable inner furnace cylinder, forming an annular cooling cavity. The outer furnace cylinder has inlet and outlet ports, and multiple sets of cooling water jackets and temperature sensors are axially spaced on its outer wall. The water inlet pipe extending axially into the inner furnace cylinder is equipped with a spray structure. The equipment adopts a dual-path closed-loop cooling system with cooling water jackets and built-in spray pipes, providing sandwich heat exchange between the inner and outer sides of the annular cavity battery material. This results in a large heat exchange area, high cooling efficiency, a shorter furnace length, and eliminates the need for rotating water joints, reducing the number of rotating sealing pairs in the furnace cylinder and significantly improving the equipment's sealing reliability and operational stability. A two-stage gradient temperature control strategy is employed: the first stage uniformly adjusts the total cooling water flow rate based on the discharge temperature to ensure the discharge temperature meets requirements; the second stage maintains a constant total flow rate while individually adjusting the corresponding water jacket valves based on temperature sensors in each zone, achieving precise temperature control in different zones along the material conveying path.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to the field of waste lithium battery recycling technology, specifically a rotary cooling furnace and its temperature control method. Background Technology

[0002] In the pre-processing of waste lithium batteries, the shredded battery material needs to be pyrolyzed at approximately 600°C to remove organic binders. The discharge temperature is extremely high, necessitating rapid cooling in a rotary cooling furnace. Currently, rotary cooling furnaces primarily employ water cooling methods, and are divided into spray-type and immersion-type furnaces.

[0003] Spray cooling relies on spraying cooling water onto the outer wall of the furnace tubes, indirectly cooling the material through heat conduction. Its water system eliminates the need for dynamic seals on the rotary furnace body, simplifying the sealing process. However, due to the limited contact area and short duration of material tumbling within the furnace, heat transfer efficiency is low, resulting in a long furnace length, long residence time, bulky equipment, and limited processing capacity. Immersion cooling, on the other hand, uses a cooling jacket or partially immerses the furnace body in water, allowing the cooling water to directly force convection heat exchange onto the outer wall of the furnace tubes, significantly improving cooling efficiency. However, the entry and exit of cooling water into and from the rotary furnace body requires a rotary joint for dynamic and static connection. Long-term continuous operation of the rotary furnace can easily cause wear and aging of the seals, leading to leaks in the rotary joint and severely affecting operational stability. Furthermore, existing rotary cooling furnaces have relatively simple temperature control methods, typically adjusting the total cooling water volume based solely on the outlet temperature feedback. They cannot independently adjust the cooling intensity of different sections within the furnace, making it difficult to achieve graded gradient cooling along the material's direction of travel. Therefore, existing solutions struggle to simultaneously achieve efficient cooling, reliable sealing, and precise control of the cooling process in different zones. In view of this, the present invention provides a rotary cooling furnace and its temperature control method. By using a sleeve-type structure of a fixed outer furnace cylinder and a rotating inner furnace cylinder, combined with a dual-path cooling system of an outer wall water jacket and an internal spray, and a two-stage gradient temperature control method of first adjusting the total amount and then fine-tuning the temperature in different zones, the problems of easy leakage of the rotary seal and uncontrollable cooling process of the rotary cooling furnace are solved simultaneously.

[0004] To achieve the above objectives, the technical solution adopted by the present invention is as follows: In a first aspect, the present invention discloses a rotary cooling furnace, comprising: External furnace cylinder; An inner furnace cylinder is located inside the outer furnace cylinder; an annular cooling cavity is formed between the inner and outer furnace cylinders; the inner furnace cylinder can rotate coaxially with respect to the outer furnace cylinder. The feed inlet and discharge outlet are located on the outer furnace cylinder; Multiple cooling water jackets are arranged at intervals along the axial direction of the outer furnace cylinder on the outer wall of the outer furnace cylinder; Multiple temperature sensors are mounted on the outer furnace cylinder; A water inlet pipe extends axially into the inner cavity of the inner furnace cylinder; the water inlet pipe is equipped with a spray structure.

[0005] An annular cooling cavity is formed between the outer and inner furnace cylinders, allowing the battery material to simultaneously contact and exchange heat with both inner and outer walls, significantly increasing the effective cooling area. The outer wall cooling water jacket and the internal spray water inlet pipe form a dual independent cooling circuit, achieving sandwich cooling of the battery material inside the annular cavity, significantly improving cooling efficiency. Multiple cooling water jackets are arranged at intervals along the axial direction in conjunction with temperature sensors, providing a structural basis for temperature monitoring along the process and zoned cooling control.

[0006] As a further aspect of the present invention: the closed end of the inner furnace cylinder is housed inside the furnace head of the outer furnace cylinder, and the open end of the inner furnace cylinder extends outward from the furnace tail of the outer furnace cylinder; a rotary sealing pair is provided between the furnace tail of the outer furnace cylinder and the open end of the inner furnace cylinder, wherein the dynamic sealing ring of the rotary sealing pair is fixed to the inner furnace cylinder and the static sealing ring is fixed to the outer furnace cylinder. The fact that the rotating closed end of the inner furnace cylinder is housed inside the furnace head of the outer furnace cylinder eliminates the need for a dynamic sealing structure in the furnace head portion, simplifying the two rotary seals in the traditional solution into one; the dynamic ring of the rotary sealing pair rotates with the inner furnace cylinder, while the static ring is fixed to the outer furnace cylinder, ensuring that the inner furnace cylinder rotates independently while effectively isolating external air from entering the annular cavity, reducing the risk of leakage due to seal failure.

[0007] As a further aspect of the present invention: a first retaining ring is provided on the inner wall of the outer furnace cylinder, and a second retaining ring is fixedly provided on the outer wall of the inner furnace cylinder. The first retaining ring and the second retaining ring are arranged alternately along the axial direction. The inner ring of the first retaining ring is in clearance fit with the outer wall of the inner furnace cylinder, and the outer ring of the second retaining ring is in clearance fit with the inner wall of the outer furnace cylinder. The first retaining ring and the second retaining ring are arranged alternately along the axial direction to form a labyrinth-type material blocking structure, and both are in clearance fit with the outer wall of the inner furnace cylinder and the inner wall of the outer furnace cylinder, respectively. This not only prevents battery material particles from moving into the rotational mating area between the first roller support and the first roller ring, preventing high-temperature powder from entering the gaps between moving parts and causing jamming or wear, but also does not affect the free rotation of the inner furnace cylinder relative to the outer furnace cylinder.

[0008] As a further aspect of the present invention: the outer wall of the inner furnace cylinder is further provided with a feeding spiral plate located below the feeding port and a discharging spiral plate located above the discharging port; multiple lifting plates are provided between the feeding spiral plate and the discharging spiral plate. The feeding spiral plate receives the high-temperature material falling into the feeding port and quickly pushes it away from the feeding area to prevent material accumulation and blockage; the multiple lifting plates continuously scoop up and scatter the material, so that the material is in a dispersed material curtain state and fully alternately contacts the outer wall of the inner furnace cylinder and the inner wall of the outer furnace cylinder, avoiding material accumulation at the bottom of the cavity and causing uneven heat exchange; the discharging spiral plate forcibly pushes the cooled material towards the discharging port to prevent material retention. The three work together to achieve smooth material transportation and uniform cooling.

[0009] As a further aspect of the present invention: the inner cavity of the inner furnace cylinder is provided with a plurality of support ring plates axially, the outer ring of the support ring plates is provided with a plurality of semi-circular overflow ports, and the inner ring of the support ring plates is rotatably engaged with the water inlet pipe.

[0010] As a further aspect of the present invention: the outer furnace cylinder is also provided with a plurality of temperature sensors, which are disposed between adjacent cooling water jackets.

[0011] As a further aspect of the present invention, a control terminal is also included, which is connected to the flow control valves of each of the temperature sensors and each cooling water jacket. The control terminal, together with the temperature sensors and the flow control valves of the cooling water jackets, forms a closed-loop feedback control system. Based on the temperature signals fed back by each temperature sensor, the cooling water flow rate of each cooling water jacket is independently adjusted, achieving independent and precise control of the cooling intensity in each temperature zone. This avoids excessively rapid local cooling, which could lead to the thermal stress-induced breakage and pulverization of battery material particles, reducing the recovery rate of valuable metals. Simultaneously, it prevents insufficient local cooling from affecting the overall cooling efficiency.

[0012] As a further aspect of the present invention: the spray structure comprises multiple spray holes formed on the wall of the water inlet pipe.

[0013] As a further aspect of the present invention, it also includes a liquid collection chamber, the open end of the inner furnace cylinder is inserted into the liquid collection chamber, the water inlet pipe passes through the liquid collection chamber, and the liquid collection chamber is connected to an external water circuit.

[0014] As a further embodiment of the present invention: the inner furnace cylinder is rotatably supported on the outer furnace cylinder and the working platform by roller ring one, roller ring two and corresponding roller support one and roller support two, and the inner furnace cylinder is connected to the driving device through a transmission ring.

[0015] Secondly, the present invention discloses a temperature control method for the rotary cooling furnace as described above, comprising the following steps: Along the material travel direction, the area between two adjacent temperature sensors is defined as a temperature zone, and each temperature zone corresponds to a cooling water jacket; Detect the temperature T of the battery material at the outlet. out and the temperature T of each temperature sensor i The temperature drop ΔT in the corresponding temperature zone is obtained based on the temperature difference detected by adjacent temperature sensors. j , where 1≤j≤N, 1≤i≤N+1, and N is the total number of temperature zones; T out With the preset target temperature T at the discharge port target out Compare the results and adjust the total cooling water flow rate accordingly. After the total cooling water flow rate is adjusted, each ΔT j Each is compared with the target temperature drop ΔT in the corresponding temperature zone. target jThe flow rates of each cooling water jacket are adjusted based on the comparison results.

[0016] Furthermore, the adjustment of the total cooling water flow rate based on the comparison results specifically refers to: If T out >T target out This will increase the total cooling water flow rate; If T out <T target out This reduces the total cooling water flow rate; The specific steps of adjusting the flow rate of each cooling water jacket according to the comparison results are as follows: If ΔT j >T target j If so, then reduce the flow rate of the cooling water jacket corresponding to the j-th temperature zone; If ΔT j <T target j If the flow rate of the cooling water jacket corresponding to the j-th temperature zone is increased, then the flow rate of the cooling water jacket corresponding to the j-th temperature zone will be increased.

[0017] Furthermore, when adjusting the total flow rate of cooling water, the valves of each cooling water jacket maintain the same opening degree; when adjusting the flow rate of each cooling water jacket separately, the total flow rate of cooling water remains unchanged.

[0018] As a further aspect of the present invention, the total flow rate of cooling water is adjusted by controlling the flow rate of cooling water in the inlet pipe through an electronic valve of the inlet pipe, and / or controlling the flow rate of cooling water in each cooling water jacket through an electronic valve of each cooling water jacket.

[0019] As a further aspect of the present invention: in the step of adjusting the total flow rate of cooling water, the valves of each cooling water jacket maintain the same opening degree, and the valve of the water inlet pipe is adjusted synchronously with the valves of each cooling water jacket.

[0020] Thirdly, this invention discloses the application of the aforementioned rotary cooling furnace in cooling waste lithium battery pyrolysis materials.

[0021] Compared with the prior art, the beneficial effects of the present invention are: The cooling water jacket of the outer furnace cylinder and the internal fixed spray pipe of this invention form a dual-path closed-loop cooling system, which achieves forced heat exchange between the inner and outer sides of the battery material in the annular cavity. This results in a large effective cooling area and high efficiency. While shortening the furnace length, it eliminates all rotating water joints, significantly improving the sealing reliability and stability of the equipment during long-term operation. Using a sleeve-type structure of a fixed outer furnace cylinder and a rotating inner furnace cylinder, only one rotating seal is retained at the discharge end, simplifying the traditional double rotating seal to a single rotating seal. This greatly reduces the risk of material leakage or furnace atmosphere disruption caused by dynamic seal failure.

[0022] Meanwhile, this invention proposes a two-stage gradient temperature control strategy: first, adjust the total cooling water flow rate uniformly based on the outlet temperature feedback to ensure the final outlet temperature meets the standard; then, under the monitoring of temperature sensors in each temperature zone, keep the total flow rate constant while independently adjusting the valve opening of each cooling water jacket to achieve precise cooling in each zone along the material's direction of travel. This method avoids the premature cooling at the front end, which could cause the battery material particles to break and pulverize due to thermal stress, resulting in the loss of valuable metals, and also prevents insufficient cooling at the back end from affecting subsequent processes, thus balancing product quality and cooling efficiency. Attached Figure Description

[0023] Figure 1 This is an overall sectional view of the cooling rotary kiln of the present invention; Figure 2 This is a schematic diagram of the inner furnace cylinder structure of the cooling rotary kiln of the present invention; Figure 3 This is a schematic diagram of the internal structure of the cooling rotary furnace of the present invention; Figure 4 This is a partially enlarged view of the cooling rotary kiln of the present invention; Figure 5 This is a schematic diagram of the temperature control method for cooling rotary furnace according to the present invention; Figure 6 This is a schematic diagram of the material and medium flow path in this invention; In the diagram: 1-Outer furnace cylinder, 101-Roller support 1, 102-Baffle ring 1, 103-Feed inlet, 104-Cooling water jacket, 1041-Water inlet, 1042-Water outlet, 105-Discharge outlet, 2-Inner furnace cylinder, 201-Roller ring 1, 202-Baffle ring 2, 203-Feeding spiral plate, 204-Lifting plate, 205-Discharge spiral plate, 206-Transmission ring, 207-Roller ring 2, 208-Support ring plate, 3-Temperature sensor, 4-Water inlet pipe, 5-Sealing end cap, 6-Rotary sealing pair, 7-Drive mechanism, 8-Roller support 2, 9-Support frame, 10-Collection chamber, 11-Control terminal, 12-Cooling water jacket electronic valve, 13-Water inlet pipe electronic valve. Detailed Implementation

[0024] To facilitate understanding of the present invention, a more comprehensive description will be given below with reference to specific embodiments. However, the present invention can be implemented in many different forms and is not limited to the embodiments described herein. Rather, these embodiments are provided to provide a more thorough and complete understanding of the disclosure of the present invention.

[0025] Unless otherwise defined, all technical and scientific terms used herein have the same meaning as commonly understood by one of ordinary skill in the art to which this invention pertains. The terminology used herein in the description of the invention is for the purpose of describing particular embodiments only and is not intended to be limiting of the invention.

[0026] Please see Figure 1-4 A rotary cooling furnace includes an outer furnace cylinder 1 and a rotating inner furnace cylinder 2. The closed end of the inner furnace cylinder 2 is housed inside the furnace head of the outer furnace cylinder 1, and the open end of the inner furnace cylinder 2 extends outward from the furnace tail of the outer furnace cylinder 1, thereby forming an annular cavity between the inner furnace cylinder 2 and the outer furnace cylinder 1. This annular cavity constitutes the cooling area for battery materials.

[0027] From the furnace head to the furnace tail of the outer furnace cylinder 1, roller support 101, retaining ring 102, feed inlet 103, cooling water jacket 104, and discharge outlet 105 are sequentially arranged. Roller support 101 and retaining ring 102 are fixedly installed inside the outer furnace cylinder 2. A rotation gap is left between the inner ring of retaining ring 102 and the outer wall of the inner furnace cylinder 2. A rotation gap is also left between the outer furnace cylinder 1 and retaining ring 202. Retaining ring 102 and retaining ring 202 together form a labyrinth seal structure to prevent material from entering and contaminating the support structure inside the furnace head. Feed inlet 103 is opened on the upper side of outer furnace cylinder 1, and discharge outlet 105 is opened on the lower side of outer furnace cylinder 1. There are multiple cooling water jackets 104, which are arranged at equal intervals. The width of the temperature zone is slightly wider than the width of the cooling water jacket 104. The cooling water jackets 104 are arranged in the center of the temperature zone, and temperature sensors 3 are arranged in the gaps between adjacent water jackets.

[0028] The cooling water jacket 104 has a water inlet hole 1041 on the lower side and a water outlet hole 1042 on the upper side.

[0029] A temperature sensor 3 is installed on the outer wall of the outer furnace cylinder 1 between adjacent cooling water jackets 104. The temperature sensor 3 is located on the lower side of the outer furnace cylinder 1. Its advantages are as follows: Firstly, in the annular cavity between the outer furnace cylinder 1 and the inner furnace cylinder 2, the battery material mainly accumulates in the bottom area of ​​the cavity under the action of gravity. Placing the temperature sensor 3 on the lower side of the outer furnace cylinder 1 allows the sensor to directly contact or be closest to the material accumulation area, thereby more accurately reflecting the actual temperature of the battery material, improving the accuracy and response speed of temperature measurement, and providing a reliable data basis for zoned temperature control. Secondly, the outer furnace cylinder 1 is fixed, and its lower space is relatively open and without the obstruction of auxiliary components such as feed inlets and outlets, which facilitates the installation, wiring, and daily inspection and maintenance of the temperature sensor 3. At the same time, this arrangement avoids the direct impact and friction of the sensor when the high-temperature material falls at the feed inlet, which helps to extend the service life of the sensor and ensure the long-term stability and reliability of the cooling furnace.

[0030] On the outer wall of the inner furnace cylinder 2, roller ring 1 201, retaining ring 202, feeding spiral plate 203, lifting plate 204, discharge spiral plate 205, transmission ring 206, and roller ring 207 are sequentially arranged. Roller ring 1 201 is rotatably connected to roller support 101. The outer ring of retaining ring 202 is clearance-fitted with the inner wall of the outer furnace cylinder 1. Feeding spiral plate 203 is axially aligned with feed inlet 103, and discharge spiral plate 105 is axially aligned with discharge outlet 105. Multiple lifting plates 204 are positioned between the feeding spiral plate 203 and the discharge spiral plate 205. The rotating plates 205 are evenly arranged. Roller ring 1 201, retaining ring 202, feeding spiral plate 203, lifting plate 204 and discharge spiral plate 205 are all located inside the outer furnace cylinder 1. The transmission ring 206 and roller ring 207 are located outside the outer furnace cylinder 1. The inner cavity of the inner furnace cylinder 2 is also provided with multiple support ring plates 208. Multiple semi-circular overflow ports are opened on the outer ring of the support ring plate 208. The inner ring of the support ring plate 208 is inserted into the water inlet pipe 4. Multiple water spray holes are opened on the pipe wall of the water inlet pipe 4. These water spray holes are the spray structure.

[0031] The rotatable connection between roller ring 201 and roller support 101 provides rotational support for the inner furnace cylinder 2 and constrains its radial position. At the same time, it transfers the gravity of the inner furnace cylinder 2 to the outer furnace cylinder 1 and the working platform, ensuring that the inner furnace cylinder 2 rotates smoothly and with low resistance inside the outer furnace cylinder 1.

[0032] The support ring plate 208 ensures that the axis of the water inlet pipe 4 coincides with the axis of the inner furnace cylinder 2, thereby ensuring that the circumferential distance between each water spray hole and the inner wall of the inner furnace cylinder 2 is uniform and consistent, so that the sprayed water can evenly cover the entire circumferential area of ​​the inner wall of the inner furnace cylinder 2. The cooling water after spraying heat exchange is collected downward along the inner wall of the inner furnace cylinder 2 under the action of gravity and gathers at the bottom of the inner cavity. Multiple overflow ports are connected in the circumferential direction to form a bottom drainage channel, so that the collected cooling water can flow continuously along the axial direction to the opening end of the inner furnace cylinder 2 and be discharged into the liquid collection chamber 10, avoiding the support ring plate 208 from obstructing drainage and ensuring the smooth circulation of internal cooling water.

[0033] During equipment operation, the outer furnace cylinder 1 and the water inlet pipe 4 remain stationary, while the inner furnace cylinder 2 rotates, and the supporting ring plate 208 rotates synchronously with the inner furnace cylinder 2. There is relative rotation between the water inlet pipe 4 and the inner furnace cylinder 2. The water inlet pipe 4 passes through the liquid collection chamber 10 and extends into the inner furnace cylinder 2, directly resting on the supporting ring plate 208. The water inlet pipe 4 is fixed to the right wall of the liquid collection chamber 10 in the figure, and its sealing and fixing requirements can be achieved through a flange structure. Since the cooling water circulation area and material cooling area of ​​the liquid collection chamber 10 and the inner furnace cylinder 2 are separated, the main function of the liquid collection chamber 10 is to collect the cooling water after circulation in the inner cavity and some of the water vapor generated during the cooling process. Its sealing requirements are relatively low; therefore, a sufficient gap is left between the open end of the inner furnace cylinder 2 and the liquid collection chamber 10 to compensate for fluctuations such as deformation of the inner furnace cylinder 2 during rotation.

[0034] The furnace head of the outer furnace cylinder 1 is sealed by the sealing end cover 5. The gap between the furnace tail of the outer furnace cylinder 1 and the opening end of the inner furnace cylinder 2 is sealed by the rotary sealing pair 6. The rotary sealing pair 5 is located between the discharge spiral plate 205 and the transmission ring 206. The dynamic sealing ring of the rotary sealing pair 6 is fixed on the inner furnace cylinder 2, and the static sealing ring of the rotary sealing pair 6 is fixed on the outer furnace cylinder 1.

[0035] The transmission ring 206 is connected to the drive mechanism 7, and the roller ring 207 is rotatably connected to the roller support 8 (the roller ring 2 rotates). The drive mechanism 7 provides rotational power to the inner furnace cylinder 2 through the rotation of the transmission ring 206. The drive mechanism 7 and the roller support 8 are fixedly installed on the working platform.

[0036] The rotary cooling furnace also includes a support frame 9 and a liquid collection chamber 10. The outer furnace cylinder 1 is fixedly installed on the working platform through the support frame 9. The open end of the inner furnace cylinder 2 is inserted into the liquid collection chamber 10. The water inlet pipe 4 passes through the liquid collection chamber 10, and the liquid collection chamber 10 is connected to the external water system.

[0037] like Figure 5 As shown, this embodiment also proposes a temperature control method suitable for the rotary cooling furnace used for cooling waste lithium battery pyrolysis materials, which includes the following steps: From the furnace head to the furnace tail, multiple temperature sensors 3 are numbered from 1 to N+1. The area between two adjacent temperature sensors 3 is set as a temperature zone, and each temperature zone contains a cooling water jacket 104. Temperature T of 105 battery material at the discharge port was detected. out Temperature sensor 3 temperature T i The temperature drop ΔT in the corresponding temperature zone is obtained based on the temperature difference detected by adjacent temperature sensors 3. j , 1≤j≤N, 1≤i≤N+1, where N is the total number of temperature zones; The temperature T of the battery material at the outlet of 105 was measured. out The target T of 105 battery material at the preset outlet. target_out Compare the temperature drop ΔT in each measured temperature zone. j The target temperature drop ΔT between the preset temperature range and the target temperature range target j Compare; Based on the comparison results, the control terminal 11 controls the flow rates of the cooling water jacket 104 and the inlet pipe 4 through the cooling water jacket electronic valve 12 and the inlet pipe electronic valve 13, respectively, thereby achieving T out With ΔT j The adjustment is as follows: First, regarding T out Adjustments are needed: The valve opening degrees of cooling water jacket electronic valve 12 and inlet pipe electronic valve 13 are fixed at 50%, based on T. out With T target_out The temperature difference regulates the flow rate of cooling water. If Tout >T target_out If T out <T target_out This reduces the flow rate of cooling water; Second, regarding ΔT j Adjustments are needed: Keep the cooling water flow rate constant, based on ΔT j With ΔT target j The difference in valve opening of the cooling water jacket electronic valve 12 is adjusted if ΔT j >ΔT target j If the valve opening of the cooling water jacket electronic valve 12 is reduced, and ΔT j <ΔT target j This will increase the valve opening of the cooling water jacket electronic valve 12.

[0038] During the cooling process described above, the movement path of the battery material and the circulation path of the cooling water are as follows: The route of battery materials: Specifically, such as Figure 1-4 As shown, the rotary cooling furnace is divided into three functional sections along the material travel direction: a feeding zone, a cooling zone, and a discharging zone. Specifically, the area between the retaining ring 102 and the lifting plate 204 is the feeding zone, and the lifting plate 204 corresponds to the cooling zone. Figure 6 The area between the rotary sealing pair 6 at the gap between the inner and outer furnace cylinders on the right is the discharge zone. The feed inlet 103 of the rotary cooling furnace is connected to the upstream pyrolysis furnace, and the discharge outlet 105 is connected to the downstream sorting device. During the cooling operation, the inner furnace cylinder 2 rotates continuously under the drive mechanism 7. The high-temperature battery material after pyrolysis falls from the feed inlet 103 into the annular inner cavity feed area formed between the outer furnace cylinder 1 and the inner furnace cylinder 2, and is then quickly pushed to the cooling zone by the spiral feed plate 203 set in this area. After entering the cooling zone, the battery material is propelled forward along the annular cooling cavity in a spiral trajectory under the combined action of its own gravity and the lifting plate 204. During the forward movement, the battery material continuously contacts and exchanges heat with the inner wall of the outer furnace cylinder 1 and the outer wall of the inner furnace cylinder 2 alternately. The heat it carries is carried away by the cooling water circulating in the external cooling water jacket 104 and the internal cooling water that is sprayed and circulated, thereby achieving rapid cooling of the battery material. After being fully cooled, the battery material then enters the discharge area and is quickly pushed to the discharge port 105 by the discharge spiral plate. After falling out of the discharge port, it enters the next sorting process for sorting.

[0039] Cooling water circulation route for outer furnace cylinder 1: Please continue reading. Figure 5 and 6Multiple independent cooling water jackets 104 are segmented along the axial direction on the outer wall of the outer furnace cylinder 1. Each cooling water jacket 104 has an inlet 1041 on its lower side connected to an external circulation pipeline, and a corresponding outlet 1042 on its upper side connected to the external circulation pipeline. During cooling operation, low-temperature cooling water is pumped into the internal chamber of the cooling water jacket 104 through the lower inlet 1041. Upon encountering the high-temperature wall of the outer furnace cylinder 1, the water is obstructed and diffuses to both sides, flowing circumferentially along the outer wall of the outer furnace cylinder 1 and finally converging at the upper outlet 1042 before being discharged. Throughout the flow process, the cooling water maintains full contact with the outer wall of the outer furnace cylinder 1, performing forced convection heat transfer and continuously removing heat from the wall of the outer furnace cylinder 1, thus achieving effective cooling of the outer furnace cylinder 1. The high-temperature cooling water discharged from the outlet 1042 is cooled by an external cooling device and then transported back into the cooling water jacket 104 through the circulation pipeline from the inlet 1041, forming a closed circulation loop of external cooling water.

[0040] Cooling water circulation route for inner furnace cylinder 2: Please continue reading. Figure 5 and 6 The inlet pipe 4 passes horizontally through the liquid collection chamber 10 and extends axially into the inner cavity of the inner furnace cylinder 2. Multiple spray holes are evenly distributed along the axial and circumferential directions on its pipe wall. During cooling, low-temperature cooling water enters the inlet pipe 4 through the external circulation pipeline and, driven by water pressure, is sprayed out from the spray holes in multiple directions, directly impacting and contacting the inner wall of the inner furnace cylinder 2 for heat exchange, thus achieving rapid cooling of the inner furnace cylinder 2. After heat exchange, the cooling water slides down the inner wall of the inner furnace cylinder 2 under gravity, converging at the bottom of the inner cavity to form a water flow. Because the end of the inner furnace cylinder 2 near the feed inlet 103 is a closed structure, the water flow can only flow from the bottom of the inner cavity towards the opening near the discharge outlet 105. The open end of the inner furnace cylinder 2 is covered by the liquid collection chamber 10, and the high-temperature cooling water flowing out from the open end, along with the water vapor generated during heat exchange, enters the liquid collection chamber 10 for unified collection. The collection chamber 10 is connected to the external circulation pipeline. The collected high-temperature cooling water is cooled by the external cooling device and then transported back to the inlet pipe 4 for recycling, forming a closed-loop circulation loop for the internal cooling water.

[0041] To ensure the airtightness of the annular cooling chamber, the present invention employs different sealing schemes at the inlet and outlet ends, specifically through the sealing end cap 5 and the rotary sealing pair 6.

[0042] Specifically, such as Figure 1As shown, in the feeding area, the closed end of the inner furnace cylinder 2 is located inside the outer furnace cylinder 1, and its supporting rollers are installed in the inner cavity of the outer furnace cylinder 1 at the furnace head position. The sealing end cap 5 is fixedly installed at the end of the outer furnace cylinder 1, completely covering and sealing the closed end of the inner furnace cylinder 2 within the inner cavity of the outer furnace cylinder 1, thereby achieving a static seal at the feeding end and effectively preventing external air from entering the annular cooling chamber. In the discharging area, the open end of the inner furnace cylinder 2 extends outward and protrudes from the outer furnace cylinder 1, and its supporting rollers are installed on the working platform to accommodate the movement requirements of the inner furnace cylinder 2 rotating independently. Since there is relative rotation between the inner and outer furnace cylinders at this location, a rotary sealing pair 6 is provided at the annular gap between the inner furnace cylinder 2 and the outer furnace cylinder 1 to form a reliable dynamic sealing structure, preventing external air from entering the annular cooling chamber from the discharging end. Therefore, by combining the static seal at the feed end with the dynamic seal at the discharge end, the overall sealing performance of the annular cooling chamber is effectively guaranteed while satisfying the independent rotation function of the inner furnace cylinder.

[0043] In addition, such as Figure 4 As shown, to prevent battery material from intruding into and interfering with the rotational connection between roller support 101 and roller ring 201 inside the furnace head of the outer furnace cylinder 1, the present invention provides a retaining ring 102 and a retaining ring 202 between roller support 101 and the feed inlet 103. Retaining ring 102 is fixedly installed on the inner wall of the outer furnace cylinder 1, and retaining ring 202 is fixedly installed on the outer wall of the inner furnace cylinder. The two are arranged alternately along the axial direction, forming a labyrinthine material-blocking structure, thereby effectively preventing battery material from moving into the mating area of ​​the roller support and roller ring, ensuring reliable operation of the rotational connection.

[0044] It should be noted that this cooling furnace is not limited to the application of battery pyrolysis materials. Its core design principle is based on the need for controlled cooling and atmosphere protection of high-temperature solid particles. Any material that is substantially similar to battery pyrolysis materials in terms of particle size distribution, bulk density, thermal conductivity, and high-temperature flowability, and whose process temperature, cooling rate, and furnace atmosphere (such as inert, reducing, or micro-oxidizing environment) can be adapted and adjusted through the parameters of this equipment, can be considered for this cooling furnace. However, different materials may cause problems such as wall slagging, dust generation, or differences in thermal stress during the cooling process. In practical applications, key process conditions such as cooling medium flow rate, cylinder rotation speed, and discharge temperature need to be specifically optimized according to the material characteristics. Therefore, the protection scope of this cooling furnace should not be understood as limited to battery pyrolysis materials, but should cover all material handling solutions based on the same concept and which can achieve similar cooling functions through conventional adjustments.

[0045] Finally, the following points should be noted: First, in the description of this application, it should be noted that, unless otherwise specified and limited, the terms "installation", "connection", and "linkage" should be interpreted broadly, and can be mechanical or electrical connections, or internal connections between two components, or direct connections. "Up", "down", "left", "right", etc. are only used to indicate relative positional relationships. When the absolute position of the described object changes, the relative positional relationship may change. Secondly: The accompanying drawings of the embodiments disclosed in this invention only involve the structures involved in the embodiments disclosed in this invention. Other structures can refer to the general design. In the absence of conflict, the same embodiment and different embodiments of this invention can be combined with each other. In conclusion, the above are merely preferred embodiments of the present invention and are not intended to limit the present invention. Any modifications, equivalent substitutions, improvements, etc., made within the spirit and principles of the present invention should be included within the protection scope of the present invention.

Claims

1. A rotary cooling furnace, characterized in that, include: Outer furnace cylinder (1); The inner furnace cylinder (2) is located inside the outer furnace cylinder (1); An annular cooling cavity is formed between the inner furnace cylinder (2) and the outer furnace cylinder (1); the inner furnace cylinder (2) can rotate coaxially with respect to the outer furnace cylinder (1); The feed inlet (103) and the discharge outlet (105) are located on the outer furnace cylinder (1); Multiple cooling water jackets (104) are arranged at intervals along the axial direction of the outer furnace cylinder (1) on the outer wall of the outer furnace cylinder (1); Multiple temperature sensors (3) are mounted on the outer furnace cylinder (1); The water inlet pipe (4) extends axially into the inner cavity of the inner furnace cylinder (2); the water inlet pipe (4) is provided with a spray structure.

2. The rotary cooling furnace according to claim 2, characterized in that, The closed end of the inner furnace cylinder (2) is housed inside the furnace head of the outer furnace cylinder (1), and the open end of the inner furnace cylinder (2) extends outward from the furnace tail of the outer furnace cylinder (1); a rotary sealing pair (6) is provided between the furnace tail of the outer furnace cylinder (1) and the open end of the inner furnace cylinder (2), and the dynamic sealing ring of the rotary sealing pair (6) is fixed on the inner furnace cylinder and the static sealing ring is fixed on the outer furnace cylinder (1).

3. The rotary cooling furnace according to claim 3, characterized in that, The inner wall of the outer furnace cylinder (1) is provided with a first retaining ring (102), and the outer wall of the inner furnace cylinder (2) is fixedly provided with a second retaining ring (202). The first retaining ring (102) and the second retaining ring (202) are arranged alternately along the axial direction. The inner ring of the first retaining ring (102) is in clearance fit with the outer wall of the inner furnace cylinder (2), and the outer ring of the second retaining ring (202) is in clearance fit with the inner wall of the outer furnace cylinder (1).

4. The rotary cooling furnace according to claim 1, characterized in that, The outer wall of the inner furnace cylinder (2) also has a feeding spiral plate (203) located below the feeding port (103) and a discharging spiral plate (205) located above the discharging port (105); a plurality of lifting plates (204) are provided between the feeding spiral plate (203) and the discharging spiral plate (205).

5. The rotary cooling furnace according to claim 1, characterized in that, The inner cavity of the inner furnace cylinder (2) is provided with multiple support ring plates (208) axially. The outer ring of the support ring plate (208) is provided with multiple semi-circular overflow ports. The inner ring of the support ring plate (208) is rotatably engaged with the water inlet pipe (4).

6. The rotary cooling furnace according to claim 1, characterized in that, The outer furnace cylinder (1) is also provided with a plurality of temperature sensors (3), which are located between adjacent cooling water jackets (104).

7. The rotary cooling furnace according to claim 1, characterized in that, It also includes a control terminal (11), which is connected to the flow control valves of each of the temperature sensors (3) and each cooling water jacket (104).

8. The temperature control method for the rotary cooling furnace as described in any one of claims 1-7, characterized in that, Includes the following steps: Along the material travel direction, the area between two adjacent temperature sensors (3) is defined as a temperature zone, and each temperature zone corresponds to a cooling water jacket (104). The temperature T of the battery material at the discharge port (105) is detected. out and the temperature T of each temperature sensor (3) i The temperature drop ΔT in the corresponding temperature zone is obtained based on the temperature difference detected by adjacent temperature sensors (3). j , where 1≤j≤N, 1≤i≤N+1, and N is the total number of temperature zones; T out With the preset target temperature T at the discharge port target out Compare the results and adjust the total cooling water flow rate accordingly. After the total cooling water flow rate is adjusted, each ΔT j Each is compared with the target temperature drop ΔT in the corresponding temperature zone. target j The flow rate of each cooling water jacket (104) is adjusted according to the comparison results.

9. The temperature control method according to claim 8, characterized in that, The adjustment of the total cooling water flow rate based on the comparison results specifically refers to: If T out >T target out This will increase the total cooling water flow rate; If T out <T target out This reduces the total cooling water flow rate; The specific steps for adjusting the flow rate of each cooling water jacket (104) according to the comparison results are as follows: If ΔT j >ΔT target j If the flow rate of the cooling water jacket (104) corresponding to the i-th temperature zone is reduced, then the flow rate of the cooling water jacket (104) corresponding to the i-th temperature zone will be reduced. If ΔT j <ΔT target j If the flow rate of the cooling water jacket (104) corresponding to the i-th temperature zone is increased, then the flow rate of the cooling water jacket (104) corresponding to the i-th temperature zone will be increased.

10. The temperature control method according to claim 8, characterized in that, When adjusting the total flow rate of cooling water, the valves of each cooling water jacket (104) maintain the same opening degree; when adjusting the flow rate of each cooling water jacket (104) separately, the total flow rate of cooling water remains unchanged.

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