A low-energy block-shaped lithium manganese oxide crucible

Abstract

This utility model discloses a low-energy-consumption block-shaped lithium manganese oxide pellet crucible, relating to the technical field of battery production and processing. The utility model includes a main body assembly and a support assembly. The main body assembly includes an outer casing, with an inner casing fixed inside the outer casing. An upper cavity and a middle cavity are formed between the outer and inner casings. A venting groove is formed at the bottom of the middle cavity, and a heat equalization pipe is horizontally connected between the two side walls of the inner casing. Through the main body assembly, during use, external hot air enters the middle cavity through the venting groove and flows out from the other side through the heat equalization pipe. Multiple heat equalization pipes rapidly conduct heat within the middle cavity, evenly distributing heat to every area of ​​the inner casing, including the center of the material. This ensures a consistent overall temperature of the material, guaranteeing the formation of a regular and uniform spinel crystal structure and solving the problem of uneven heating in traditional crucibles where the edge material heats up first and the center material heats up later.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This utility model belongs to the technical field of battery production and processing, and in particular relates to a low-energy-consumption block-shaped lithium manganese oxide pellet crucible. Background Technology

[0002] In the preparation of the positive electrode in battery production, lithium manganese oxide and the crucible are key materials and equipment to ensure performance. Lithium manganese oxide is the mainstream positive electrode active material, mainly spinel-type LiMnO4. With its advantages of abundant raw materials, low cost, good safety and environmental protection, it is widely used in power, energy storage and consumer batteries. The core is to realize the storage and release of electrical energy through the reversible insertion and extraction of Li⁺. It has strict requirements on crystal structure, composition uniformity and micromorphology. The crucible is the supporting container for the high-temperature sintering of lithium manganese oxide. It needs to withstand high temperature of 800-1000℃, low coefficient of thermal expansion and chemical stability. Common materials are cordierite-based and alumina composite ceramics. They are mostly designed with square smooth inner walls. The heating uniformity of the crucible directly affects the quality of lithium manganese oxide. Uneven heating can easily lead to poor crystal development and the formation of impurity phases, which weakens the electrochemical performance.

[0003] However, it still has the following drawbacks in actual use: In the process of using existing lithium manganese oxide saggers, the lithium manganese oxide closest to the sagger will be heated first, while the central area will be heated more slowly. This will easily lead to the lithium manganese oxide being unable to form a regular and uniform spinel crystal structure, causing unbalanced grain growth. This will severely damage the efficiency of lithium ion insertion and extraction within the material, resulting in a significant decrease in the initial discharge capacity of the final lithium manganese oxide product, a significant reduction in cycle life, and a significant deterioration in rate performance. In addition, most existing lithium manganese oxide saggers are stacked and heated during use to improve overall production efficiency. However, the existing lithium manganese oxide saggers have ports at the bottom, which is not conducive to the accumulation of internal heat. Utility Model Content

[0004] The purpose of this invention is to provide a low-energy-consumption block-shaped lithium manganese oxide sagger, which solves the problem of uneven heating in traditional saggers where the material at the edge is heated first and the material in the center is heated later, through the design of the main components.

[0005] To solve the above-mentioned technical problems, this utility model is achieved through the following technical solution: This utility model is a low-energy-consumption block-shaped lithium manganese oxide crucible, including a main body assembly and a support assembly. The main body assembly includes an outer box body, an inner box body is fixed inside the outer box body, and an upper cavity and a middle cavity are opened between the outer box body and the inner box body. A ventilation slot 1 is provided at the bottom of the middle cavity, and a heat equalization pipe is horizontally connected between the two side walls of the inner box. A ventilation slot 2 is provided at the top of the middle cavity and communicates with the upper cavity. An air outlet slot is provided on the inner side wall of the upper cavity and communicates with the inner cavity of the inner box.

[0006] Furthermore, ventilation slot one and ventilation slot two are respectively opened on both sides of the middle cavity, and multiple sets of heat equalization tube arrays are provided.

[0007] Furthermore, the main component also includes side plates, which are fixed to the end plate walls at both ends of the middle cavity.

[0008] Furthermore, the air outlet has four ports, and a baffle plate is also installed at the outer port of the air outlet.

[0009] Furthermore, the bottom of the inner casing is designed with folds.

[0010] Furthermore, the support assembly includes a base fixed to the bottom of the outer casing, an air inlet slot is provided on the base, and a placement slot is provided at the top of the outer casing. A baffle adapted to the air inlet slot is also fixed on the wall of the placement slot.

[0011] Furthermore, the air intake slot and the ventilation slot are respectively located on both sides of the device.

[0012] This utility model has the following beneficial effects: 1. The present invention, through its main component, allows external hot airflow to enter the device through the air inlet groove on the base when using the sagger, and then enter the middle cavity through the air vent. It then flows out from the other side through the heat equalization pipe. Multiple sets of heat equalization pipes quickly conduct heat in the middle cavity, evenly distributing the heat to every area of ​​the inner sagger, including the center of the material, ensuring a consistent overall temperature of the material. This provides a guarantee for the formation of a regular and uniform spinel crystal structure and solves the problem of uneven heating in traditional saggers, where the material at the edges heats up first and the material in the center heats up later.

[0013] 2. The present invention, through the setting of the support component, ensures that when multiple saggers are stacked, the base at the bottom of the upper sagger and the placement groove at the top of the lower sagger are precisely matched. At this time, the baffle in the placement groove will automatically cover the air inlet groove on the lower base, preventing hot air from leaking from the air inlet groove after stacking, while ensuring the stability of the stacking structure. This solves the problem that heat is easy to flow out from the bottom port when the existing saggers are stacked and heated. Attached Figure Description

[0014] Figure 1 This is a structural schematic diagram of the overall appearance of this utility model; Figure 2 This is a structural schematic diagram of the overall appearance of this utility model from the bottom view; Figure 3 This is a schematic diagram of the main component of this utility model after the barrier plate has been removed; Figure 4 This is a structural schematic diagram of the cross-section of the outer casing of this utility model; Figure 5 This is a structural schematic diagram of the outer casing of this utility model from another perspective.

[0015] Figure label: 1. Main body assembly; 11. Outer casing; 12. Inner casing; 13. Upper cavity; 14. Middle cavity; 15. Ventilation slot one; 16. Heat equalization pipe; 17. Side plate; 18. Ventilation slot two; 19. Air outlet slot; 191. Baffle plate; 2. Support components; 21. Base; 22. Air inlet slot; 23. Placement slot; 24. Baffle. Detailed Implementation

[0016] The technical solutions of the present invention will be clearly and completely described below with reference to the accompanying drawings of the embodiments of the present invention.

[0017] Please see Figure 1-5 As shown, this utility model is a low-energy-consumption block-shaped lithium manganese oxide crucible, aiming to solve the technical problems of uneven heating in existing lithium manganese oxide crucibles, which leads to irregular lithium manganese oxide crystal structure, electrochemical performance degradation, and easy heat leakage at the bottom port during stacked heating, which is not conducive to heat accumulation. This crucible achieves uniform heat transfer and low-energy-consumption heat preservation through the design of "double-layer crucible body + multi-chamber flow guide + uniform heat structure". Specifically, it includes a main component 1 and a support component 2. Each component is integrally molded from cordierite-alumina composite ceramic material with a temperature resistance range of 800 to 1500 degrees Celsius. To meet the high-temperature sintering requirements of lithium manganese oxide, it includes a main component 1 and a support component 2. The main component 1 includes an outer casing 11, an inner casing 12 fixed inside the outer casing 11, an upper cavity 13 and a middle cavity 14 between the outer casing 11 and the inner casing 12; a ventilation groove 15 is provided at the bottom of the middle cavity 14, a heat equalization pipe 16 is horizontally connected between the two side walls of the inner casing 12, a second ventilation groove 18 communicating with the upper cavity 13 is provided at the top of the middle cavity 14, and an exhaust groove 19 communicating with the inner cavity of the inner casing 12 is provided on the inner side wall of the upper cavity 13.

[0018] The outer casing 11 serves as the external support frame of the device, protecting the internal structure on the one hand, and working together with the inner casing 12 to enclose the upper cavity 13 and the middle cavity 14, which are two key airflow and heat transfer channels. This provides the basic space for subsequent hot airflow circulation and uniform heat conduction. The inner casing 12 is the core component that directly carries the sintered block-shaped lithium manganese oxide material. Both the upper cavity 13 and the middle cavity 14 are key channels for hot airflow. The middle cavity 14 is mainly used to receive the initial hot airflow and complete the initial heat transfer, while the upper cavity 13 receives the hot airflow from the middle cavity 14 and supplements the heat of the upper part of the middle casing.

[0019] Ventilation slot 15 is located at the bottom of the middle cavity 14 and serves as the entrance for external hot airflow into the middle cavity 14. It can precisely guide the hot airflow introduced from the air inlet slot 22 into the middle cavity 14, providing a continuous heat source for the middle cavity 14. Ventilation slot 28 is located at the top of the middle cavity 14 and communicates with the upper cavity 13. Its function is to guide the hot airflow in the middle cavity 14 to the upper cavity 13, constructing a flow path for the hot airflow from the middle cavity 14 to the upper cavity 13, realizing the circulation of hot airflow and all-round heat coverage. The heat equalization pipe 16 is horizontally connected between the two side walls of the inner casing 12 and has high thermal conductivity. Yes, it can quickly conduct heat from the middle cavity 14 to all areas inside the inner casing 12, especially to the center of the material, solving the problem that materials close to the wall are heated first and materials in the center are heated slowly in traditional saggers, ensuring uniform heating of the material as a whole. The air outlet 19 is opened on the inner side wall of the upper cavity 13 and is connected to the inner cavity of the inner casing 12. It is mainly used for the discharge of hot air after the flow. It is opened above the inner cavity of the inner casing 12, which can improve the high-temperature heating quality of lithium manganese oxide on the upper surface of the inner casing 12, and can also allow hot air to further enter the upper sagger when multiple sets of saggers are stacked, increasing the utilization rate of thermal energy.

[0020] Furthermore, ventilation slot 15 and ventilation slot 2 18 are respectively opened on both sides of the middle cavity 14, and multiple sets of uniform heat pipes 16 are arranged in an array. Ventilation slot 15 and ventilation slot 2 18 are arranged on both sides of the device, which allows hot air to move along the path and pass through the middle cavity 14 and the uniform heat pipes 16. Multiple sets of uniform heat pipes 16 are arranged to heat lithium manganese oxide as evenly as possible.

[0021] Furthermore, the main component 1 also includes a side plate 17, which is fixed to the end plate walls at both ends of the middle cavity 14. The side plate 17 can close a certain area of ​​the channels at both ends of the middle cavity 14, but not completely close them, thereby reducing the flow speed of hot air at both ends and ensuring that a large amount of hot air can flow from the heat equalization tube 16 in the middle cavity 14, thereby improving the heat utilization rate and ensuring that the heat at both ends is heated.

[0022] Furthermore, the air outlet 19 has four ports, and a baffle plate 191 is provided at the outer port of the air outlet 19 to prevent lithium manganese oxide powder from falling into the upper cavity 13 when it is added.

[0023] Furthermore, the bottom of the inner casing 12 is pleated, which can effectively increase the contact area with the material and its own heating area, helping the material to receive heat more fully and evenly.

[0024] Furthermore, the support assembly 2 includes a base 21 fixed to the bottom of the outer casing 11, an air inlet groove 22 is provided on the base 21, and a placement groove 23 is provided at the top of the outer casing 11. A baffle 24 adapted to the air inlet groove 22 is fixed on the wall of the placement groove 23.

[0025] The base 21 is fixed to the bottom of the outer casing 11 and serves as the supporting foundation for the entire device, allowing it to be stably placed on the production equipment. It also provides a platform for the air inlet slot 22, ensuring the stability of the hot airflow input channel. The air inlet slot 22, located on the base 21, is the main inlet for external hot airflow into the device, introducing the hot airflow provided by the production equipment into the device to provide a continuous heat source for the entire sintering process. The placement slot 23, located at the top of the outer casing 11, is mainly used for positioning and coordination when multiple saggers are stacked. When the lower sagger is stacked with the upper sagger, the base 21 of the upper sagger can be embedded into the placement slot 23 of the lower sagger, improving stacking stability and increasing production space utilization. The baffle 24 is fixed to the wall of the placement slot 23 and is adapted to the air inlet slot 22. When multiple saggers are stacked, the baffle 24 will cover the air inlet slot 22 on the base 21 of the lower sagger, preventing hot airflow from leaking from the air inlet slot 22, ensuring the normal operation of the airflow channel inside each sagger, and guaranteeing the heating effect of each sagger in the stacked state.

[0026] Furthermore, the air inlet slot 22 and the ventilation slot 15 are respectively arranged on both sides of the device, so that when the gas enters from the air inlet slot 22, it is heated at the bottom and then enters the ventilation slot 15, thereby improving its heating efficiency.

[0027] The specific working principle of this utility model is as follows: When using this sagger, the block-shaped lithium manganese oxide material to be sintered at high temperature is first placed into the inner sagger 12 to complete the loading of the material. If it is necessary to improve production efficiency and make full use of space, multiple saggers can be stacked. When stacking, the base 21 at the bottom of the upper sagger is precisely matched with the placement groove 23 at the top of the lower sagger. At this time, the baffle 24 in the placement groove 23 will automatically cover the air inlet groove 22 on the lower base 21 to prevent hot air from leaking from the air inlet groove 22 after stacking, while ensuring the stability of the stacked structure.

[0028] Then, the production equipment is started, and the external hot airflow enters the device through the air inlet slot 22 on the base 21. Since the air inlet slot 22 and the ventilation slot 15 are located on the two sides of the device respectively, the hot airflow will naturally flow to the ventilation slot 15 at the bottom of the middle cavity 14 and enter the interior of the middle cavity 14 through the ventilation slot 15. Since the two ends of the middle cavity 14 are largely closed by the side plate 17, most of the hot air can only flow in the middle cavity 14 in a set direction, that is, it flows out from the other side through the heat equalization pipe 16. Multiple sets of heat equalization pipes 16 will quickly conduct the heat in the middle cavity 14 and evenly deliver the heat to every area of ​​the inner box 12, including the center of the material. This effectively avoids the problem of uneven heating in traditional saggers where the edge material is heated first and the center material is heated later, ensuring that the overall temperature of the material is consistent and providing a guarantee for the formation of a regular and uniform spinel crystal structure.

[0029] Next, the hot airflow will enter the upper cavity 13 through the ventilation slot 2 18 at the top of the middle cavity 14. The hot airflow entering the upper cavity 13 will further surround the upper area of ​​the inner box 12, supplementing the heat of the upper part of the inner box 12, so that the temperature of the upper and lower parts of the inner box 12 is kept even, further improving the uniformity of material heating, and avoiding the difference in sintering quality of the material due to the temperature difference between the upper and lower parts of the inner box 12. At the same time, the hot air will continue to rise in this process and enter the upper sagger to heat it until the lithium manganese oxide is heated.

[0030] The above are merely preferred embodiments of the present utility model and do not limit the present utility model. Any modifications, equivalent substitutions, or improvements made to the technical solutions described in the foregoing embodiments, or to some of the technical features, shall be protected by the present utility model.

Claims

1. A low-energy-consumption block-shaped lithium manganese oxide crucible, comprising a main body component (1) and a support component (2), characterized in that: The main component (1) includes an outer casing (11), an inner casing (12) is fixed inside the outer casing (11), and an upper cavity (13) and a middle cavity (14) are provided between the outer casing (11) and the inner casing (12). The bottom of the middle cavity (14) is provided with a ventilation groove (15), and a heat equalization pipe (16) is horizontally connected between the two side walls of the inner box (12). The top of the middle cavity (14) is provided with a ventilation groove (18) that communicates with the upper cavity (13), and an air outlet groove (19) that communicates with the inner cavity of the inner box (12) is provided on the inner side wall of the upper cavity (13).

2. The low-energy-consumption block-shaped lithium manganese oxide crucible according to claim 1, characterized in that: The first ventilation slot (15) and the second ventilation slot (18) are respectively opened on both sides of the middle cavity (14), and the heat equalization tube (16) array is provided in multiple sets.

3. The low-energy-consumption block-shaped lithium manganese oxide crucible according to claim 2, characterized in that: The main body component (1) also includes a side plate (17), which is fixed to the end plate walls at both ends of the middle cavity (14).

4. The low-energy-consumption block-shaped lithium manganese oxide crucible according to claim 1, characterized in that: The air outlet (19) has four ports, and a baffle plate (191) is also provided at the outer port of the air outlet (19).

5. A low-energy-consumption block-shaped lithium manganese oxide crucible according to claim 1, characterized in that: The bottom of the inner box (12) is folded.

6. The low-energy-consumption block-shaped lithium manganese oxide crucible according to claim 1, characterized in that: The support assembly (2) includes a base (21) fixed to the bottom of the outer casing (11), an air inlet groove (22) is provided on the base (21), and a placement groove (23) is provided at the top of the outer casing (11). A baffle (24) adapted to the air inlet groove (22) is also fixed on the wall of the placement groove (23).

7. A low-energy-consumption block-shaped lithium manganese oxide crucible according to claim 6, characterized in that: The air inlet slot (22) and the ventilation slot (15) are respectively located on both sides of the device.

Images