Slurry conveying device

Abstract

This application provides a slurry conveying device, including a first storage tank, a second storage tank, a conveying pipeline, a conveying drive, and a residual material cleaning component. The first storage tank is used to store slurry. The second storage tank is spaced apart from the first storage tank. The conveying pipeline connects the first and second storage tanks, defining a conveying path for the slurry. The conveying drive is located on the conveying pipeline and is used to convey the slurry within the pipeline from the first storage tank to the second storage tank. The residual material cleaning component is located on the conveying pipeline, along the conveying path, and is closer to the second storage tank than the conveying drive. The residual material cleaning component is used to draw residual slurry within the conveying pipeline into the second storage tank.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This application relates to the field of lithium battery manufacturing equipment technology, specifically to a slurry conveying device. Background Technology

[0002] In key processes of lithium battery manufacturing (such as precursor synthesis, high-nickel cathode washing, and positive and negative electrode slurry coating), high-solids content storage tanks generally adopt an intermittent (batch) production and transportation mode. The downtime between batches can cause the storage tanks to stagnate in the pipeline, which can easily lead to solid particle sedimentation, stratification, or even pipeline blockage, seriously threatening the continuity of production.

[0003] While the currently widely used post-batch pipeline flushing solution can alleviate blockages, the introduced flushing fluid significantly dilutes the solid content of subsequent batches of storage tanks and disrupts their uniformity, directly affecting the final electrode coating quality and battery performance. Utility Model Content

[0004] To address the shortcomings of existing technologies, it is necessary to provide a slurry conveying device that reduces batch-to-batch pipeline stagnation, settling, and blockage in storage tanks, while ensuring that the solid content and uniformity of the storage tanks remain unaffected.

[0005] A slurry conveying device includes a first storage tank, a second storage tank, a conveying pipe, a conveying drive, and a residual material cleaning component. The first storage tank stores slurry. The second storage tank is spaced apart from the first storage tank. The conveying pipe connects the first and second storage tanks, defining a conveying path for the slurry. The conveying drive is located on the conveying pipe and is used to convey the slurry within the conveying pipe from the first storage tank to the second storage tank. The residual material cleaning component is located on the conveying pipe, along the conveying path, and is closer to the second storage tank than the conveying drive. The residual material cleaning component is used to draw any remaining slurry within the conveying pipe into the second storage tank.

[0006] This application installs a residual material cleaning component on the conveying pipeline and positions it closer to the second storage tank than the conveying drive component. This allows the residual material cleaning component to actively push the residual slurry remaining in the pipeline into the second storage tank after the batch conveying is completed, thereby effectively avoiding pipeline blockage caused by slurry settling during the downtime. At the same time, since this process does not require the introduction of external rinsing fluid, the residual slurry directly enters the second storage tank for use in subsequent batches, which helps to ensure that the solid content and uniformity of the slurry are not diluted or damaged, thus ensuring production continuity and the final quality of electrode coating.

[0007] In some possible implementations, the conveying drive includes a conveying pump and a discharge valve, the conveying pump and the discharge valve being installed in series in the conveying pipeline, and the discharge valve being closer to the first storage tank than the conveying pump along the conveying path.

[0008] In some possible implementations, the residue cleaning component includes an air inlet pipe, an air inlet valve, and a compressed air source, with one end of the air inlet pipe connected to a delivery pipeline and the other end connected to the compressed air source.

[0009] In some possible implementations, the compressed air source pressure is greater than 0.1 MPa, and the inner diameter of each of the empty connecting pipes is not less than one-tenth of the inner diameter of the delivery pipe.

[0010] In some possible implementations, multiple empty pipes are respectively located on opposite sides of the conveying pipeline, with adjacent empty pipes staggered.

[0011] In some possible implementations, the axis of each empty connector forms an angle with the axis of the delivery pipe, the angle being less than 45°.

[0012] In some possible implementations, each of the empty pipes is defined as having one end connected to the conveying pipe as a connection end, and the distance between two adjacent connection ends is greater than 1 meter along the extension direction of the conveying pipe.

[0013] In some possible implementations, the residue cleaning component includes a magnetic piston and a magnetic traction component. The magnetic piston is placed inside the conveying pipe and its edge is sealed against the inner wall of the conveying pipe. The magnetic traction component is located outside the conveying pipe. The magnetic traction component attracts and drives the magnetic piston to move along the conveying pipe by magnetic force. The magnetic piston is equipped with a one-way valve, which opens in the direction of conveying the slurry.

[0014] In some possible implementations, the residue cleaning component includes an air inlet pipe, an air inlet valve, and a suction machine. One end of the air inlet pipe is connected to the conveying pipeline, and the other end is connected to the external environment. The air inlet valve is located on the air inlet pipe, and the suction machine is connected to the end of the conveying pipeline near the second storage tank. Attached Figure Description

[0015] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of a slurry conveying device according to one embodiment of this application.

[0016] Figure 2 yes Figure 1 An enlarged schematic diagram of the conveying pipeline and the residue cleaning components shown.

[0017] Figure 3This is an enlarged schematic diagram of a conveying pipe and a residue cleaning component provided in another embodiment of this application.

[0018] Figure 4 An enlarged schematic diagram of a conveying pipe and a residue cleaning component provided in another embodiment of this application.

[0019] Figure 5 A flowchart illustrating the method of using the slurry conveying device provided in this application.

[0020] Explanation of key component symbols: Slurry conveying device: 100; First storage tank: 1; Second storage tank: 2; Conveying pipe: 3; Observation window: 31; Conveying drive: 4; Conveying pump: 41; Discharge valve: 42; Residual material cleaning device: 5; Empty pipe: 51; Air inlet valve: 52; Magnetic piston: 54; One-way valve: 541; Magnetic traction device: 55; Suction machine: 56; Angle: α; Distance: L.

[0021] The following detailed description, in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, will further illustrate this application. Detailed Implementation

[0022] The technical solutions in the embodiments of this application will be clearly and completely described below with reference to the accompanying drawings. Obviously, the described embodiments are only some embodiments of this application, and not all embodiments.

[0023] It should be noted that when a component is considered to be "connected" to another component, it can be directly connected to the other component or may also have a component that is centrally located. When a component is considered to be "located" on another component, it can be directly located on the other component or may also have a component that is centrally located.

[0024] 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 application belongs. The terminology used herein in the specification of this application is for the purpose of describing particular embodiments only and is not intended to be limiting of the application. The term "and / or" as used herein includes any and all combinations of one or more of the associated listed items.

[0025] Please see Figure 1 and Figure 2 This application provides a slurry conveying device 100 for conveying slurry. Specifically, the slurry includes positive and negative electrode slurry, ternary precursor synthesis slurry, or high-nickel positive electrode washing slurry.

[0026] The slurry conveying device 100 includes a first storage tank 1, a second storage tank 2, a conveying pipe 3, a conveying drive 4, and a residual material cleaning component 5. The conveying pipe 3 connects the first storage tank 1 and the second storage tank 2. The conveying drive 4 is located on the conveying pipe 3 and is used to drive the slurry within the conveying pipe 3 from the first storage tank 1 to the second storage tank 2. The residual material cleaning component 5 is located on the conveying pipe 3 and is used to drive residual slurry within the conveying pipe 3 into the second storage tank 2. The conveying pipe 3 defines the conveying path of the slurry, and along the material conveying path, the residual material cleaning component 5 is closer to the second storage tank 2 than the conveying drive 4.

[0027] In operation, the conveying drive unit 4 starts and continuously transports the slurry from the first storage tank 1 through the conveying pipe 3 to the second storage tank 2. After the preset amount of slurry has been transported, the conveying drive unit 4 stops working, leaving some slurry remaining in the conveying pipe 3. The residual material cleaning unit 5 then activates, using the localized negative pressure or mechanical thrust it generates to push the remaining slurry undiluted to the second storage tank 2. Once the slurry in the pipe is completely emptied, the residual material cleaning unit 5 stops, completing the batch transport. At this point, the conveying pipe 3 achieves low slurry residue.

[0028] In this embodiment, the conveying drive unit 4 includes a conveying pump 41 and a discharge valve 42, which are connected in series on the conveying pipeline 3. Along the material conveying path, the discharge valve 42 is located upstream of the conveying pump 41, i.e., closer to the first storage tank 1. The conveying pump 41 is one of a screw pump, a diaphragm pump, or a peristaltic pump. The discharge valve 42 is one of a gate valve, a ball valve, or a pinch valve. In use, the discharge valve 42 is opened first, and then the conveying pump 41 is started, allowing the slurry to be stably conveyed from the first storage tank 1 through the valve and pump body to the pipeline. After conveying is completed, the discharge valve 42 is closed first to cut off the material source, and then the conveying pump 41 is stopped.

[0029] In this embodiment, the residue cleaning component 5 empties the conveying pipe 3 by injecting high-pressure gas into the conveying pipe 3. The residue cleaning component 5 includes an empty pipe 51, an inlet valve 52, and a compressed air source (not shown). One end of the empty pipe 51 is connected to the conveying pipe 3, and the other end is connected to the compressed air source. The compressed air source is a high-pressure gas storage tank with a pressure greater than 0.1 MPa. The inlet valve 52 is located on the empty pipe 51 and is used to control the flow of high-pressure gas.

[0030] During operation, after the conveying pump 41 stops and the discharge valve 42 closes, the air inlet valve 52 is opened to inject dry, high-pressure gas with a pressure greater than 0.1 MPa into the conveying pipeline 3. This forms a high-speed air plug that pushes the residual slurry in the valve-pump section of the pipeline completely into the second storage tank 2, while simultaneously blowing away particles adhering to the pipe wall. After the air inlet valve 52 is closed, only dry gas remains in the pipeline, achieving low slurry residue, no liquid dilution, and low sedimentation risk, providing a clean environment for the next batch of conveying.

[0031] In this embodiment, there are multiple residual material cleaning components 5, with multiple empty connecting pipes 51 respectively disposed on opposite sides of the conveying pipe 3 along the direction perpendicular to the conveying pipe 3. Adjacent empty connecting pipes 51 are staggered. An angle α is formed between the axis of each empty connecting pipe 51 and the axis of the conveying pipe 3, and this angle α is less than 45°. Along the extension direction of the conveying pipe 3, the end of each empty connecting pipe 51 that connects to the conveying pipe 3 is defined as the connecting end, and the distance L between two adjacent connecting ends is greater than 1 meter. The inner diameter of each empty connecting pipe 51 is not less than one-tenth of the inner diameter of the conveying pipe 3.

[0032] During operation, after the delivery pump 41 stops and the discharge valve 42 closes, the multiple air inlet valves 52 can operate in two modes as needed: simultaneously opening all air inlet valves 52 to instantly remove large particles of settled slurry through the superimposed thrust of high-pressure gas from multiple angles; or sequentially opening and closing the air inlet valves 52 at intervals of 0.1-0.3 seconds to form gas pulse waves that progressively advance residual slurry and peel off microparticles from the pipe wall, ultimately achieving the goal of low residue and no dilution, reducing the risk of sedimentation and blockage between batches.

[0033] Please see Figure 3 In some embodiments, the residue cleaning component 5 is propelled by a mechanical piston to empty the conveying pipe 3. The residue cleaning component 5 includes a magnetic piston 54 and a magnetic traction component 55. The magnetic piston 54 is placed inside the conveying pipe 3 and its edges are sealed against the inner wall of the conveying pipe 3. The magnetic traction component 55 is located outside the conveying pipe 3 and attracts and drives the magnetic piston 54 to move along the pipe by magnetic force. The magnetic piston 54 integrates a one-way valve 541, which opens only in the direction of slurry conveying.

[0034] During operation, the magnetic piston 54 is initially located downstream of the delivery pump 41 (near the first storage tank 1). After the delivery pump 41 starts, the slurry pressure pushes the one-way valve 541 to open, and the slurry is delivered normally. When the batch delivery is completed and the delivery pump 41 stops, the slurry pressure disappears, and the one-way valve 541 automatically closes to form a seal. At this time, the magnetic traction component 55 starts, driving the magnetic piston 54 towards the second storage tank 2, pushing the undiluted slurry remaining in the delivery pipe 3 between the delivery pump 41 and the second storage tank 2 into the second storage tank 2, while simultaneously scraping the pipe wall to achieve low residue. After the magnetic piston 54 reaches the end of the pipe, the magnetic traction component 55 moves in the opposite direction to reset it to the initial position, completing the emptying process.

[0035] Please see Figure 1 and Figure 4In some embodiments, the residue cleaning component 5 empties the conveying pipe 3 using negative pressure suction. The residue cleaning component 5 includes an empty pipe 51, an air inlet valve 52, and a suction machine 56. One end of the empty pipe 51 is connected to the conveying pipe 3, and the other end is connected to the external environment. The air inlet valve 52 is located on the empty pipe 51. The suction machine 56 is connected to one end of the conveying pipe 3 near the second storage tank 2. Specifically, the suction machine 56 is located outside the second storage tank 2 and is connected to the interior of the second storage tank 2 via a pipe. The interior of the second storage tank 2 is connected to the conveying pipe 3. The suction machine 56 includes either a rotary vane pump or a Roots pump.

[0036] During normal slurry transport, the transport pump 41 runs while the air inlet valve 52 is closed and the suction machine 56 is not started. After the batch transport is completed and the transport pump 41 stops, the air inlet valve 52 and the suction machine 56 are opened. Air enters the pipeline through the air inlet pipe 51 to break down the adhesion of the slurry. Simultaneously, the suction machine 56 generates a strong negative pressure at the end of the pipeline, directly drawing the remaining slurry into the second storage tank 2. The suction machine 56 is then turned off, dry nitrogen is injected into the pipeline to replace the air, and finally the air inlet valve 52 is closed, completing the residue-free emptying process.

[0037] In this embodiment, the conveying pipe 3 is provided with an observation window 31. The observation window 31 is located in the part of the conveying pipe 3 between the second storage tank 2 and the conveying drive 4. Through the observation window 31, the amount or presence of residual slurry in the conveying pipe 3 can be seen, thereby confirming the opening time of the air inlet valve 52 to achieve the best purging effect with the minimum air consumption. At the same time, it helps to judge and confirm whether the conveying pipe 3 is blocked and the location of the blockage.

[0038] The slurry conveying device 100 provided in this application conveys slurry from the first storage tank 1 to the second storage tank 2 by providing a conveying drive 4 upstream of the conveying pipe 3. By providing a residual material cleaning component 5 downstream of the conveying pipe 3, the remaining slurry in the conveying pipe 3 can be emptied, which helps to reduce blockage and waste.

[0039] Please see Figure 5 This application also provides a method of using the slurry conveying device 100, including the following steps: Step S1: Turn on the conveying drive unit 4 and turn off the residual material cleaning unit 5. That is, open the discharge valve 42, start the conveying pump 41, and at the same time keep the air inlet valve 52 closed and the compressed air source cut off. The slurry is stably conveyed from the first storage tank 1 to the second storage tank 2 through the conveying pipeline 3.

[0040] Step S2: Turn off the conveying drive unit 4 and turn on the residual material cleaning unit 5. That is, when the batch of slurry is conveyed, turn off the discharge valve 42 and stop the conveying pump 41 in sequence. Simultaneously turn on the compressed air source and the air inlet valve 52 to inject dry high-pressure gas with a pressure >0.1Mpa into the valve-pump pipeline section, and use the high-speed air plug to push the residual slurry completely into the second storage tank 2.

[0041] Step S3: Turn off the conveying drive unit 4 and the residual material cleaning unit 5. That is, turn off the air inlet valve 52 and the compressed air source. At this time, dry gas remains in the conveying pipeline 3 to achieve low slurry residue and no liquid dilution. The slurry conveying device 100 enters the standby state for the next batch.

[0042] The above embodiments are only used to illustrate the technical solutions of this application and are not intended to limit it. Although this application has been described in detail with reference to preferred embodiments, those skilled in the art should understand that modifications or equivalent substitutions can be made to the technical solutions of this application without departing from the spirit and substance of the technical solutions of this application.

Claims

1. A slurry conveying device, characterized in that, include: The first storage tank is used to store slurry; The second storage tank is disposed at an interval from the first storage tank; A conveying pipeline connecting the first storage tank and the second storage tank, the conveying pipeline defining the conveying path of the slurry; A conveying drive is provided in the conveying pipeline, and the conveying drive is used to drive the slurry in the conveying pipeline to be conveyed from the first storage tank to the second storage tank; A residue cleaning component is provided on the conveying pipe along the conveying path. The residue cleaning component is closer to the second storage tank than the conveying drive component. The residue cleaning component is used to drive the slurry remaining in the conveying pipe into the second storage tank. The residual material cleaning component includes a magnetic piston and a magnetic traction component. The magnetic piston is placed inside the conveying pipe with its edge sealed against the inner wall of the conveying pipe. The magnetic traction component is located outside the conveying pipe and attracts and drives the magnetic piston to move along the conveying pipe using magnetic force. The magnetic piston is equipped with a one-way valve, which opens in the conveying direction of the slurry, from the first storage tank to the second storage tank; or The residual material cleaning component includes an air inlet pipe, an air inlet valve, and a suction machine. One end of the air inlet pipe is connected to the conveying pipeline, and the other end is connected to the external environment. The air inlet valve is located on the air inlet pipe, and the suction machine is connected to the end of the conveying pipeline near the second storage tank.

2. The slurry conveying device as described in claim 1, characterized in that, The conveying drive includes a conveying pump and a discharge valve. The conveying pump and the discharge valve are installed in series in the conveying pipeline. Along the conveying path, the discharge valve is closer to the first storage tank than the conveying pump.

3. The slurry conveying device as described in claim 1, characterized in that, The residual material cleaning component includes an air inlet pipe, an air inlet valve, and a compressed air source. The air inlet valve is located on the air inlet pipe, one end of which is connected to a conveying pipeline, and the other end is connected to the compressed air source.

4. The slurry conveying device as described in claim 3, characterized in that, The compressed air source pressure is greater than 0.1 MPa, and the inner diameter of each of the empty connecting pipes is not less than one-tenth of the inner diameter of the conveying pipe.

5. The slurry conveying device as described in claim 3, characterized in that, Multiple empty pipes are respectively located on opposite sides of the conveying pipeline, with adjacent empty pipes staggered.

6. The slurry conveying device as described in claim 3, characterized in that, The axis of each of the empty pipes forms an angle with the axis of the conveying pipe, the angle being less than 45°.

7. The slurry conveying device as described in claim 3, characterized in that, Each of the empty pipes is defined as having one end connected to the conveying pipeline as a connection end, and the distance between two adjacent connection ends is greater than 1 meter along the extension direction of the conveying pipeline.

8. The slurry conveying device as described in claim 1, characterized in that, The conveying pipeline is provided with an observation window, which is located in the portion of the conveying pipeline between the second storage tank and the conveying drive component.

Images