A reduction furnace

Abstract

The embodiment of the present application discloses a reduction furnace, which comprises a rack, a reduction furnace body, a cooling furnace body and a conveying mechanism which are sequentially communicated along a first horizontal direction and arranged on the rack, the reduction furnace body comprises a body, an air inlet mechanism and an upper cover assembly, the conveying mechanism comprises a first conveying line, a first driver and a bearing plate, the first driver is used to drive the first conveying line to convey the bearing plate to sequentially pass through the reduction furnace body and the cooling furnace body, the air inlet mechanism is used to receive a reducing gas provided by a gas source device and fill the received reducing gas into the reduction furnace body, an air outlet mechanism is used to exhaust the gas in the body, and the cooling furnace body is used to cool the grid lines of the battery piece. Through the reduction furnace body and the cooling furnace body, the metal oxide in the grid lines of the battery piece can be reduced to metal elements, and the power generation efficiency of the battery piece is improved.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This application relates to the field of photovoltaic cell manufacturing technology, specifically to a reduction furnace. Background Technology

[0002] In the manufacturing process of photovoltaic cells, screen printing is a common technique for preparing electrodes, where silver or aluminum-containing pastes are printed onto the cell surface to form grid lines. Because silver or aluminum-containing pastes are expensive, the industry uses base metal-containing pastes (such as copper) or pastes containing base metal oxides (such as copper oxide) as substitutes. However, even after drying and curing, some metal oxides remain in the grid lines, leading to a decrease in the cell's power generation efficiency.

[0003] Therefore, a device is needed that can reduce the metal oxides in the gate lines. Utility Model Content

[0004] This application aims to solve at least one technical problem existing in the prior art. Specifically, the embodiments of this application provide a reduction furnace to at least solve the problem that metal oxides still exist in the grid lines after the slurry containing base metals or base metal oxides is made into grid lines.

[0005] The objective of this application can be achieved through the following technical solutions: This application provides a reduction furnace, which includes at least a frame and a reduction furnace body and a cooling furnace body that are sequentially connected and disposed on the frame along a first horizontal direction, and a conveying mechanism that extends along the first horizontal direction and passes through the reduction furnace body and the cooling furnace body at least sequentially. The reduction furnace body includes a main body, an air inlet mechanism, and an upper cover assembly disposed on the upper part of the main body. The conveying mechanism includes a first conveying line, a first driver, and a support plate. The first driver is used to drive the first conveying line to convey the support plate through the internal channels of the reduction furnace body and the cooling furnace body at least sequentially. The support plate is used to carry multiple baskets containing battery cells. The air inlet mechanism is disposed on the side of the upper cover assembly facing the conveying mechanism. The air inlet mechanism is used to receive reducing gas provided by a gas source device and fill the reduction furnace body with the received reducing gas. The exhaust mechanism is used to remove gas from the main body. The cooling furnace body is used to blow nitrogen gas into the support plate located in the cooling furnace body and carrying multiple baskets and to remove gas from the cooling furnace body to cool the grid lines of the battery cells.

[0006] This application, by setting up a reduction furnace and a cooling furnace, can use reducing gas to reduce the metal oxides in the grid lines of the solar cell to metal, such as reducing copper oxide to copper, and ensure that after cooling, the metal grid lines will not continue to oxidize again due to high temperature, thereby improving the electrical performance of the grid lines and thus improving the power generation efficiency of the solar cell.

[0007] Optionally, the reduction furnace further includes a heating mechanism, which includes a first heating section. The first heating section is disposed on at least one of the upper cover assembly facing the conveying mechanism, the two opposite inner sidewalls of the body, and the bottom of the body. The first heating section is used to heat the process cavity of the reduction furnace body. The first heating section is an infrared lamp or a first heating plate. The first heating section has a built-in resistance wire for heating.

[0008] By setting a heating mechanism in the reduction furnace, suitable temperature conditions are provided for the reduction reaction, which is conducive to the full progress of the reduction reaction.

[0009] Optionally, the air intake mechanism includes a sealing plate, a first mesh plate, and a second mesh plate arranged sequentially in a vertical direction. The edges of the sealing plate and the first mesh plate form a sealing contact, and a first air cavity is formed between the sealing plate and the first mesh plate. The edges of the first mesh plate and the second mesh plate form a sealing contact, and a second air cavity is formed between the first mesh plate and the second mesh plate. Both the first mesh plate and the second mesh plate are provided with multiple through holes. The number of through holes in the second mesh plate is higher than the number of through holes in the first mesh plate. The sealing plate is provided with an air inlet communicating with the air intake mechanism. The air intake mechanism injects reducing gas into the first air cavity through the air inlet. The reducing gas entering the first air cavity will pass through the through holes of the first mesh plate and the second mesh plate sequentially under the action of air pressure.

[0010] By setting up three plates to form two gas chambers, the introduced reducing gas can be fully and evenly dispersed, ensuring the consistency of the reduction effect and preventing some metal oxides from failing to undergo the reduction reaction.

[0011] Optionally, the air intake mechanism includes a first air pipe, a second air pipe, a third air pipe, and a fourth air pipe. A first air pipe is disposed in the middle of the upper cover assembly. The second air pipe includes a first segment and two second segments. The middle of the first segment is connected to one end of the first air pipe. One end of each of the two second segments is connected to one end of the first segment. The other ends of each of the two second segments are connected to a third air pipe. Each third air pipe is connected to one end of multiple fourth air pipes. The other end of the fourth air pipe extends away from the third air pipe. The extension directions of the first air pipe, the second segment of the second air pipe, and the third air pipe are all parallel to the second horizontal direction. The second horizontal direction is perpendicular to the first horizontal direction. The extension direction of the second segment of the second air pipe is parallel to the first horizontal direction. The projections of the first air pipe, the second air pipe, and the fourth air pipe in the vertical direction do not coincide. The first air pipe is connected to the air source device. Multiple first air holes are evenly arranged on the side of the fourth air pipe facing the conveying mechanism.

[0012] By setting up a first gas pipe, a second gas pipe, a third gas pipe, and a fourth gas pipe, the reducing gas is gradually distributed along the pipeline to each gas pipe and finally enters the furnace through the first gas hole of the fourth gas pipe. The gas uniformity is good, the structure is simple, easy to install and maintain, and the cost is low.

[0013] Optionally, a plurality of second air holes are evenly arranged on the side of the second air pipe facing the conveying mechanism; and / or, The inner diameter of the fourth trachea is smaller than the inner diameter of any one of the first, second, or third trachea.

[0014] By providing a second air hole to the second air tube, the number of air holes for inflation is increased; by setting the inner diameter of the fourth air tube to be smaller than that of the other air tubes, the airflow can be accelerated to pass through the first air hole and blow onto the battery cell.

[0015] Optionally, the reduction furnace also includes a pretreatment furnace body, which is located in front of and connected to the reduction furnace body. The conveying mechanism passes through the pretreatment furnace body, the reduction furnace body, and the cooling furnace body in sequence. The pretreatment furnace body uses at least nitrogen or reducing gas to flush the passing solar cells.

[0016] By setting up a pretreatment furnace and flushing it with nitrogen or reducing gas, the gas near the solar cells is replaced with nitrogen or reducing gas, preventing oxygen from following the solar cells into the cavity of the reduction furnace.

[0017] Optionally, the heating mechanism further includes a second heating section, which is disposed on at least one of the upper part, opposite two inner side walls, and bottom of the pretreatment furnace body. The second heating section is an infrared lamp or a second heating plate, and the second heating plate has a built-in resistance wire for heating.

[0018] By setting up a second heating section, the heating rate of the battery cells and the temperature uniformity within the cavity are ensured to meet the process requirements, saving heating time and thus guaranteeing overall production capacity and reduction effect.

[0019] Optionally, a gate valve is provided at each end of the pretreatment furnace body, one end of the reduction furnace body is connected to the pretreatment furnace body through the gate valve, a gate valve is provided at each end of the cooling furnace body, and the other end of the reduction furnace body is connected to the cooling furnace body through the gate valve.

[0020] By setting up a gate valve, the cavities between each adjacent furnace body can be freely switched between connected or isolated states according to process requirements, thereby improving the efficiency of process treatment.

[0021] Optionally, the first conveyor line includes a plurality of magnetic fluid rollers that are at least rolled on opposite sides of the reduction furnace body and the cooling furnace body. The first end of the magnetic fluid rollers away from the furnace body is coaxially provided with two synchronous pulleys, and a synchronous belt is sleeved on two adjacent synchronous pulleys. The first driver is connected to the two magnetic fluid rollers located on both sides of the furnace body by synchronous belt drive. The second end of the magnetic fluid rollers is used to carry the bearing plate. The conveying mechanism also includes a second conveyor line and a second driver. The second conveyor line is set on the frame and is lower than the reduction furnace body and the cooling furnace body. The second driver drives the second conveyor line to convey the bearing plate in a direction opposite to the conveying direction of the first conveyor line.

[0022] The carrier plate is conveyed by a magnetic fluid roller, enabling the restoration of the cell grid lines in multiple baskets in a single process, ensuring production capacity. Simultaneously, the magnetic fluid roller ensures excellent airtightness, preventing gas from entering or exiting the furnace. Furthermore, a second conveyor line can be installed to return the carrier plate for reuse.

[0023] Optionally, the carrier plate is provided with multiple hollow areas, and each hollow area corresponds to a carrier area of ​​a flower basket.

[0024] The support plate has a perforated area, which facilitates the passage of gas from top to bottom, improving the processing effect, and also reduces the weight of the support plate, thus reducing the load on the conveying mechanism.

[0025] Optionally, the upper cover assembly includes a cover plate rotatably disposed on one side of the upper part of the body, the rotation axis of the cover plate being parallel to a first horizontal direction. The upper cover assembly also includes a pair of electric cylinders, the mounting end of the electric cylinders being rotatably connected to the frame, and the driving end of the electric cylinders being rotatably connected to the side of the cover plate away from the body. The electric cylinders drive the cover plate to engage with the opening in the upper part of the body to form a sealed space or drive the cover plate to rotate away from the opening in the upper part of the body.

[0026] By setting the cover plate switching state to be driven by an electric cylinder, manpower can be effectively saved and process handling and equipment maintenance can be facilitated.

[0027] At least one of the side of the cover plate facing the conveying mechanism, the side or the bottom of the body is provided with a mirror reflector or a mirror reflective coating.

[0028] By setting up mirror reflectors or mirror reflective coatings, heat can be reflected back to the battery cells, improving heating efficiency and increasing production capacity. Attached Figure Description

[0029] The present application will be further described below with reference to the accompanying drawings.

[0030] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the overall structure of the reduction furnace in this application; Figure 2This is a schematic diagram of the intake mechanism in this application; Figure 3 This is a partially enlarged structural schematic diagram of the reduction furnace body in this application; Figure 4 This is a structural schematic diagram of the upper cover component omitted in this application; Figure 5 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of the support plate with multiple flower baskets in this application; Figure 6 This is a schematic diagram of the reduction furnace body in this application from a certain perspective.

[0031] Explanation of reference numerals in the attached figures: 1. Rack; 2. Reduction furnace body; 21. Main body; 22. Intake mechanism; 221. Sealing plate; 222. First mesh plate; 223. Second mesh plate; 224. First trachea; 225. Second trachea; 226. Third trachea; 227. Fourth trachea; 23. Top cover assembly; 231. Cover plate; 232. Electric cylinder; 24. Heating mechanism; 241. First heating section; 3. Cool the furnace body; 4. Conveying mechanism; 41. First conveyor line; 411. Magnetohydrodynamic roller; 412. Synchronous pulley; 413. Synchronous belt; 42. First driver; 43. Bearing plate; 431. Hollowed-out area; 44. Second conveyor line; 5. Pretreatment furnace body; 6. Slide valve; Detailed Implementation

[0032] The technical solutions of 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. Based on the embodiments of this application, all other embodiments obtained by those skilled in the art without creative effort are within the scope of protection of this application.

[0033] Please see Figure 1As shown, in some embodiments, this application provides a reduction furnace, which includes at least a frame 1 and a reduction furnace body 2 and a cooling furnace body 3 that are sequentially connected and arranged on the frame 1 along a first horizontal direction, and a conveying mechanism 4 that extends along the first horizontal direction and passes through the reduction furnace body 2 and the cooling furnace body 3 at least sequentially. The reduction furnace body 2 includes a main body 21, an air inlet mechanism 22, and an upper cover assembly 23 arranged on the upper part of the main body 21. The conveying mechanism 4 includes a first conveying line 41, a first driver 42, and a support plate 43. The first driver 42 is used to drive the first conveying line 41 to rotate. The conveyor plate 43 passes through the internal channels of the reduction furnace body 2 and the cooling furnace body 3 in sequence. The conveyor plate 43 is used to carry multiple baskets containing battery cells. The air intake mechanism 22 is located on the side of the upper cover assembly 23 facing the conveyor mechanism 4. The air intake mechanism 22 is used to receive reducing gas provided by the gas source equipment and fill the reduction furnace body 2 with the received reducing gas. The exhaust mechanism is used to remove the gas in the main body 21. The cooling furnace body 3 is used to blow nitrogen gas into the conveyor plate 43 located in the cooling furnace body 3 and carrying multiple baskets and to remove the gas in the cooling furnace body 3 to cool the grid lines of the battery cells. The reduction furnace body 21 has openings at the top and both ends. The top cover assembly 23 is located at the opening at the top of the body 21, and the openings at both ends facilitate the passage of the support plate 43. The gas source equipment is a device that provides reducing gas and is located in the same place as the reduction furnace. The reducing gas can be, for example, but is not limited to, hydrogen. Other easily obtainable and low-cost reducing gases are also within the selection range. The exhaust mechanism can include multiple perforated plates, and a fan and a gas pipe are installed under the perforated plates. After the fan is started, the gas in the body 21 is drawn from the perforated plates to the gas pipe, which can be connected to the waste discharge pipeline of the workshop.

[0034] Due to the function of the exhaust mechanism, in order to meet process requirements, the exhaust mechanism can be used to pre-vacuum the furnace body, eliminate interference from various gases, and facilitate the creation of a suitable process environment.

[0035] exist Figure 1 In this context, the X direction is the first horizontal direction, and the Y direction is the second horizontal direction; both are located on a horizontal plane and are perpendicular to each other. Furthermore, the "flower basket" mentioned in this application is a conventional container used in the art for loading a predetermined number of battery cells.

[0036] As can be seen, the reduction furnace of this application can use reducing gas to reduce the metal oxides in the cell grid lines to metal, and ensure that the base metal grid lines will not continue to oxidize due to high temperature after cooling, thereby improving the electrical performance of the grid lines and ultimately improving the power generation efficiency of the cell. The base metals mentioned herein include, but are not limited to, copper. Copper has excellent electrical conductivity and is easily oxidized upon contact with oxygen at high temperatures. Other base metals with similar properties are also within the scope of base metals mentioned in this section and will not be listed exhaustively.

[0037] As a feasible embodiment, to ensure that the reduction reaction proceeds under suitable conditions, or to ensure that the reduction reaction proceeds rapidly, the reduction furnace body 2 may also include a heating mechanism 24. Please refer to... Figure 1-3 The heating mechanism 24 includes a first heating part 241, which is disposed on at least one of the upper cover assembly 23 facing the conveying mechanism 4, the two opposite inner sidewalls of the body 21, and the bottom of the body 21. The first heating part 241 is used to heat the process cavity of the reduction furnace body 2. The first heating part 241 is an infrared lamp or a first heating plate. The first heating part 241 has a built-in resistance wire for heating.

[0038] As another feasible embodiment, taking the posture of the upper cover assembly 23 when it is fastened to the reduction furnace body 2 as an example, the air intake mechanism 22 includes a sealing plate 221, a first mesh plate 222 and a second mesh plate 223 arranged sequentially in the vertical direction. The edges of the sealing plate 221 and the first mesh plate 222 form a sealing contact and a first air cavity is formed between the sealing plate 221 and the first mesh plate 222. The edges of the first mesh plate 222 and the second mesh plate 223 form a sealing contact and a second air cavity is formed between the first mesh plate 222 and the second mesh plate 223. Both the first mesh plate 222 and the second mesh plate 223 are provided with multiple through holes. The number of through holes in the second mesh plate 223 is higher than the number of through holes in the first mesh plate 222, that is, the through holes in the second mesh plate 223 are more dense. Alternatively, the inner diameter of the through holes in the second mesh plate 223 is smaller than the inner diameter of the through holes in the first mesh plate 222. The sealing plate 221 is provided with an air inlet communicating with the air inlet mechanism 22. The air inlet mechanism 22 injects reducing gas into the first gas chamber through the air inlet. The reducing gas entering the first gas chamber will pass through the through holes of the first mesh plate 222 and the second mesh plate 223 in sequence under the pressure of the gas source equipment, and finally enter the reduction furnace body 2. The three plates forming two gas chambers are conducive to the full and uniform dispersion of the introduced reducing gas, ensuring the consistency of the reduction effect and preventing some metal oxides from failing to undergo the reduction reaction.

[0039] In one embodiment, the air intake mechanism 22 may include a first air pipe 224, a second air pipe 225, a third air pipe 226, and a fourth air pipe 227. A first air pipe 224 is disposed in the middle of the upper cover assembly 23. The second air pipe 225 includes a first segment and two second segments. The middle of the first segment is connected to one end of the first air pipe 224, one end of each of the two second segments is connected to one end of the first segment, and the other ends of each of the two second segments are connected to a third air pipe 226. Each third air pipe 226 is connected to one end of a plurality of fourth air pipes 227. The other end of 227 extends away from the third gas pipe 226. The extension directions of the first gas pipe 224, the second section of the second gas pipe 225, and the third gas pipe 226 are all parallel to the second horizontal direction, which is perpendicular to the first horizontal direction. The extension direction of the second section of the second gas pipe 225 is parallel to the first horizontal direction. The projections of the first gas pipe 224, the second gas pipe 225, and the fourth gas pipe 227 in the vertical direction do not coincide. The first gas pipe 224 is connected to the gas source equipment. Multiple first gas holes are evenly arranged on the side of the fourth gas pipe 227 facing the conveying mechanism 4. The reducing gas is gradually homogenized along the sequentially connected pipes and finally enters the reduction furnace body 2 through the first gas holes of the fourth gas pipe 227. The top-down gas outlet has excellent effect, and the structure is simple, easy to install and maintain, and has low production and maintenance costs.

[0040] Alternatively, a plurality of second air holes are evenly arranged on the side of the second air pipe 225 facing the conveying mechanism 4. The second air holes can assist in injecting gas into the reduction furnace body 2, thereby increasing the number of air holes for gas output. Alternatively, the inner diameter of the fourth air pipe 227 can be set to be smaller than the inner diameter of any one of the first air pipe 224, the second air pipe 225, or the third air pipe 226, so that the gas flow rate can be increased, and the gas can be quickly ejected from the first air hole into the furnace and flow downward, blowing towards the battery cells below.

[0041] Reference Figure 1 As shown, considering the potential presence of oxygen near the support plate 43, basket, and solar cells entering the reduction furnace, the reduction furnace further includes a pretreatment furnace body 5. The pretreatment furnace body 5 is located in front of and communicates with the reduction furnace body 2. The conveying mechanism 4 passes sequentially through the pretreatment furnace body 5, the reduction furnace body 2, and the cooling furnace body 3. The pretreatment furnace body 5 uses at least nitrogen or reducing gas to flush away the passing solar cells, removing oxygen from the surface of the solar cell grid lines and around the cells, preventing oxygen from entering the reduction furnace body 2 with the solar cells and oxidizing the grid lines.

[0042] To ensure the smooth progress of pretreatment, the pretreatment furnace body 5 may include an air inlet located at the top and an exhaust section located at the bottom of the pretreatment furnace body 5. The air inlet may have the same structure as the air inlet mechanism 22, or a manifold block may be used to discharge the incoming gas through multiple through holes in the manifold block and into the furnace body. The exhaust section may refer to the structure of the exhaust mechanism, or be connected to the negative pressure workshop main exhaust pipe through an exhaust pipe.

[0043] To further improve the pretreatment effect, the heating mechanism 24 may also include a second heating section. The second heating section is located on at least one of the upper part, two opposite inner side walls, or the bottom of the pretreatment furnace body 5. The second heating section is an infrared lamp or a second heating plate, with a built-in resistance wire for heating. The second heating section ensures that the heating rate and temperature uniformity within the pretreatment furnace body 5 meet the process requirements, saving overall heating time and thus guaranteeing production capacity and reduction effect. The aforementioned air intake and heating configurations of the pretreatment furnace body 5 can be used selectively or in combination, and both have corresponding technical benefits.

[0044] To prevent gas from flowing between furnaces and into adjacent furnaces, thus compromising the processing effect, please continue to refer to... Figure 1 A slide gate valve 6 is provided at each end of the pretreatment furnace body 5. One end of the reduction furnace body 2 is connected to the pretreatment furnace body 5 through the slide gate valve 6. A slide gate valve 6 is provided at each end of the cooling furnace body 3. The other end of the reduction furnace body 2 is connected to the cooling furnace body 3 through the slide gate valve 6.

[0045] Clearly, the pretreatment furnace body 5 is connected to the reduction furnace body 2 by a gate valve 6, and the reduction furnace body 2 and the cooling furnace body 3 are also connected by a gate valve 6. The gate valve 6 allows each furnace cavity to switch between connected and isolated states with adjacent furnace cavities or the outside environment according to process requirements, improving the processing efficiency. Optionally, a flap valve can be used instead of the gate valve 6 to achieve the same effect.

[0046] To prevent gas in the furnace body from leaking through the installation gap of the first conveyor line 41 or external gas from entering the furnace body through the installation gap of the first conveyor line 41, such as Figure 4 As shown, the first conveyor line 41 includes multiple magnetic fluid rollers 411 that are at least rolled on opposite sides of the reduction furnace body 2 and the cooling furnace body 3. Two synchronous pulleys 412 are coaxially mounted on the first end of each magnetic fluid roller 411 away from the furnace body. A synchronous belt 413 is fitted onto two adjacent synchronous pulleys 412. A first driver 42 is connected to the two magnetic fluid rollers 411 located on opposite sides of the furnace body via the synchronous belt 413. The second end of each magnetic fluid roller 411 is used to support a support plate 43. The magnetic fluid rollers 411 ensure excellent airtightness of the furnace body while maintaining normal conveying, preventing gas from entering or leaving the furnace body.

[0047] Furthermore, the number of carrier plates 4343 is limited, and they need to be reused repeatedly, so please refer to... Figure 4 The conveying mechanism 4 also includes a second conveying line 4444, which is mounted on the frame 11. Its conveying direction is opposite to that of the first conveying line 4141. It is used to return the used empty bearing plate 4343 to the previous work station, avoiding the waste of manpower to move the empty bearing plate 43 and improving the degree of automation.

[0048] The support plate 43 needs to support multiple baskets containing a large number of battery cells, hence its weight is relatively heavy. Furthermore, considering the permeability of reducing gases, [reference is needed]. Figure 5 The support plate 43, which carries multiple flower baskets, can be provided with multiple hollow areas 431, and each hollow area 431 corresponds to the carrier area of ​​one flower basket. This arrangement facilitates the flow of gas from top to bottom through the battery cells in the flower basket, improving the reduction treatment effect, and also reduces the weight of the support plate 43, thereby reducing the load on the conveying mechanism 4.

[0049] The reduction furnace body 2 has many internal components. For ease of maintenance, please refer to [the relevant documentation / reference]. Figure 6 The upper cover assembly 23 includes a cover plate 231 rotatably mounted on one side of the upper part of the main body 21. The rotation axis of the cover plate 231 is parallel to a first horizontal direction. The upper cover assembly 23 also includes a pair of electric cylinders 232. The driving end of the electric cylinders 232 is rotatably connected to the side of the cover plate 231 opposite to the main body, and the mounting end of the electric cylinders 232 is rotatably connected to the frame 1. The electric cylinders 232 drive the cover plate 231 to engage with the opening in the upper part of the main body 21 to form a sealed space or drive the cover plate 231 to rotate away from the opening in the upper part of the main body 21. This arrangement can effectively save manpower and facilitate process handling and equipment maintenance.

[0050] When the reduction furnace body 2 is equipped with a heating mechanism 24, heat will flow inside the main body 21. To improve heat utilization, at least one of the side of the cover plate 231 facing the conveying mechanism 4, the side surface or the bottom surface inside the main body 21 is provided with a mirror reflector or a mirror reflective coating. By providing a mirror reflector or a mirror reflective coating, heat can be reflected to the battery cells, improving heating efficiency, saving production costs, and increasing production capacity.

[0051] The foregoing has provided a detailed description of at least one embodiment of this application. However, the description is merely a preferred embodiment and should not be construed as limiting the scope of this application. The various embodiments described above can be arbitrarily combined without conflict to achieve corresponding technical effects. While not all combinations of embodiments have been exhaustively listed, they are still within the scope of the description. All equivalent changes and improvements made within the scope of this application should still fall within the patent coverage of this application.

[0052] It should be noted that the terms "first," "second," and similar terms used in this application do not indicate any order, quantity, or importance, but are merely used to distinguish different components. Descriptions in this application regarding directions such as "left," "right," "left side," "right side," "upper part," "lower part," "top," and "bottom" are defined based on the orientation or positional relationships shown in the accompanying drawings, and are only for the convenience of describing this application and simplifying the description, not to indicate or imply that the described structure must be constructed and operated in a specific orientation, and therefore should not be construed as limiting this application. In the description of this application, "multiple" means two or more, unless otherwise explicitly specified.

[0053] In the description of this application, unless otherwise expressly specified and limited, the terms "installation," "connection," and "linking" should be interpreted broadly. For example, they can refer to a fixed connection, a detachable connection, or an integral connection; they can refer to a direct connection or an indirect connection through an intermediate medium; and they can refer to the internal communication between two components. Those skilled in the art can understand the specific meaning of the above terms in this application according to the specific circumstances.

Claims

1. A reduction furnace, characterized in that, The reduction furnace includes at least a frame and a reduction furnace body and a cooling furnace body that are sequentially connected and arranged on the frame along a first horizontal direction, and a conveying mechanism that extends along the first horizontal direction and passes through the reduction furnace body and the cooling furnace body at least sequentially. The reduction furnace body includes a main body, an upper cover assembly and an air inlet mechanism arranged on the upper part of the main body, and an exhaust mechanism arranged at the bottom of the main body. The conveying mechanism includes a first conveying line, a first driver, and a support plate. The first driver is used to drive the first conveying line to convey the support plate through the internal channels of the reduction furnace body and the cooling furnace body at least sequentially. The support plate is used to carry multiple baskets containing battery cells. The air inlet mechanism is arranged on the side of the upper cover assembly facing the conveying mechanism. The air inlet mechanism is used to receive reducing gas provided by a gas source device and fill the reduction furnace body with the received reducing gas. The exhaust mechanism is used to remove gas from the main body. The cooling furnace body is used to blow nitrogen gas into the support plate located in the cooling furnace body and carrying multiple baskets and to remove gas from the cooling furnace body to cool the grid lines of the battery cells.

2. The reduction furnace according to claim 1, characterized in that, The reduction furnace also includes a heating mechanism, which includes a first heating part. The first heating part is disposed on at least one of the side of the upper cover assembly facing the conveying mechanism, the two opposite inner sidewalls of the body, and the bottom of the body. The first heating part is used to heat the process cavity of the reduction furnace body. The first heating part is an infrared lamp or a first heating plate. The first heating plate has a built-in resistance wire for heating.

3. The reduction furnace according to claim 1, characterized in that, The air intake mechanism includes a sealing plate, a first mesh plate, and a second mesh plate arranged sequentially in a vertical direction. The edges of the sealing plate and the first mesh plate form a sealing contact, and a first air cavity is formed between the sealing plate and the first mesh plate. The edges of the first mesh plate and the second mesh plate form a sealing contact, and a second air cavity is formed between the first mesh plate and the second mesh plate. Both the first mesh plate and the second mesh plate are provided with multiple through holes, and the number of through holes in the second mesh plate is higher than that in the first mesh plate. The sealing plate is provided with an air inlet communicating with the air intake mechanism. The air source device injects reducing gas into the first air cavity through the air inlet. The reducing gas entering the first air cavity passes through the through holes of the first mesh plate and the second mesh plate sequentially under air pressure.

4. The reduction furnace according to claim 1, characterized in that, The air intake mechanism includes a first air pipe, a second air pipe, a third air pipe, and a fourth air pipe. One first air pipe is disposed in the middle of the upper cover assembly. The second air pipe includes a first segment and two second segments. The middle of the first segment is connected to one end of the first air pipe. One end of each of the two second segments is connected to one end of the first segment. The other ends of each of the two second segments are connected to two of the third air pipes. Each third air pipe is connected to one end of multiple fourth air pipes. The other end of the fourth air pipe extends away from the third air pipe. The extension directions of the first air pipe, the second segment of the second air pipe, and the third air pipe are all parallel to a second horizontal direction, which is perpendicular to a first horizontal direction. The extension direction of the second segment of the second air pipe is parallel to the first horizontal direction. The vertical projections of the first air pipe, the second air pipe, and the fourth air pipe do not coincide. The first air pipe is connected to an air source device. Multiple first air holes are evenly arranged on the side of the fourth air pipe facing the conveying mechanism.

5. The reduction furnace according to claim 4, characterized in that, The second air tube has a plurality of second air holes evenly arranged on the side facing the conveying mechanism; and / or, The inner diameter of the fourth trachea is smaller than the inner diameter of any one of the first trachea, the second trachea, or the third trachea.

6. The reduction furnace according to claim 2, characterized in that, The reduction furnace also includes a pretreatment furnace body, which is located in front of the reduction furnace body and communicates with the reduction furnace body. The conveying mechanism passes through the pretreatment furnace body, the reduction furnace body, and the cooling furnace body in sequence. The pretreatment furnace body uses at least nitrogen or reducing gas to flush the passing battery cells.

7. The reduction furnace according to claim 6, characterized in that, The heating mechanism further includes a second heating part, which is disposed on at least one of the upper part, the two opposite inner side walls, and the bottom of the pretreatment furnace body. The second heating part is an infrared lamp or a second heating plate, and the second heating plate has a built-in resistance wire for heating.

8. The reduction furnace according to claim 6, characterized in that, A gate valve is provided at each end of the pretreatment furnace body. One end of the reduction furnace body is connected to the pretreatment furnace body through the gate valve. A gate valve is provided at each end of the cooling furnace body. The other end of the reduction furnace body is connected to the cooling furnace body through the gate valve.

9. The reduction furnace according to claim 1, characterized in that, The first conveyor line includes multiple pairs of magnetic fluid rollers that are rolled on opposite sides of the reduction furnace body and the cooling furnace body. Two synchronous pulleys are coaxially arranged at the first end of the magnetic fluid rollers away from the furnace body. A synchronous belt is sleeved on two adjacent synchronous pulleys. The first driver is connected to the two magnetic fluid rollers located on both sides of the furnace body by synchronous belt drive. The second end of the magnetic fluid roller is used to carry the support plate. The conveying mechanism also includes a second conveyor line and a second driver. The second conveyor line is arranged on the frame and is lower than the reduction furnace body and the cooling furnace body. The second driver drives the second conveyor line to convey the support plate in a direction opposite to the conveying direction of the first conveyor line.

10. The reduction furnace according to claim 1, characterized in that, The support plate has multiple hollow areas, and each hollow area corresponds to a carrier area of ​​a flower basket.

11. The reduction furnace according to claim 1, characterized in that, The upper cover assembly includes a cover plate rotatably disposed on one side of the upper part of the main body. The rotation axis of the cover plate is parallel to a first horizontal direction. The upper cover assembly also includes a pair of electric cylinders. The mounting end of the electric cylinder is rotatably connected to the frame, and the driving end of the electric cylinder is rotatably connected to the side of the cover plate opposite to the main body. The electric cylinder drives the cover plate to engage with the opening in the upper part of the main body to form a sealed space or drives the cover plate to rotate away from the opening in the upper part of the main body.

12. The reduction furnace according to claim 11, characterized in that, At least one of the side of the cover plate facing the conveying mechanism, the side or bottom surface inside the body, is provided with a mirror reflector or a mirror reflective coating.

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