Device for vacuum pressure testing at multiple angles

Abstract

A device for vacuum pressure testing at multiple angles, comprising: a winding and unwinding device; a device for hot pressing testing at an angle of inclination; a conveyor belt designed to transport at least one battery cell to be tested for hot pressing tests at various angles of inclination from the winding and unwinding device to the device for hot pressing testing at an angle of inclination, and to transport a tested battery cell to be tested back to the winding and unwinding device for collection; a drive device by which the conveyor belt is driven in such a way that it carries out transport at an angle between the winding and unwinding device and the hot press testing device; and a first vacuum chamber, which serves to accommodate the device for hot press testing at an angle of inclination.

Description

Field of invention

[0001] The present invention relates to a testing device for the compression testing of batteries and in particular a device for vacuum compression testing at several angles, which enables position-dependent testing at different angles. State of the art

[0002] Given the rapid development of the new energy vehicle market, the power battery is considered one of the three core technologies of new energy electric vehicles. The structural protection and thermal management of power batteries are regarded as extremely important components of new energy electric vehicles. Before assembly, the power battery must undergo a formation process to activate the battery cells that comprise it. The most common formation process is pressure-based formation. In this process, the battery cell is held under a specific pressure during formation. This pressure-based formation process effectively prevents gases generated during formation from causing spacing differences between the cathode, separator, and anode, which could impede lithium-ion transfer from the cathode to the anode.Furthermore, the complete wetting of the active material with electrolytes during the formation process is supported, thereby optimizing the battery's performance.

[0003] In existing hot pressing processes, such as the aforementioned pressure-based forming or the thermal pressing of separately arranged connecting materials, the battery cells are always processed in a horizontal position. This does not take into account that the liquids contained within the battery cells can have varying effects on the electrochemical performance of the battery cell under the influence of their own gravity, the externally applied pressure, and the gases produced during heating. This affects, for example, the wetting of the active material, the interfaces between electrode layers and separators, and the ionic conductivity of the separator. These liquids can be, for example, liquid or gel-like electrolytes.

[0004] To remedy the aforementioned shortcomings of the prior art, the present invention proposes a device for vacuum pressure testing at several angles, which effectively solves the described problems. Object of the invention

[0005] The main object of the present invention is to provide a device for vacuum press testing at several angles, in which a rotary module is integrated into the device for hot press testing at an angle of inclination, whereby the electrical properties of a battery cell can be recorded during hot pressing at different angular positions and thus optimized process parameters for the battery cell can be determined.

[0006] The present invention provides a device for vacuum compression testing at multiple angles, comprising a winding and unwinding device, a drive device, a device for hot compression testing at an angle of inclination, a conveyor belt, and a first vacuum chamber. The winding and unwinding device serves to position the battery cells to be tested, and the conveyor belt is driven by the drive device such that it transports the cells between the winding and unwinding device and the device for hot compression testing at an angle of inclination. This allows at least one battery cell to be transported to the device for hot compression testing at an angle of inclination to perform hot compression tests at various angles of inclination. Subsequently, the tested battery cell is transported back to the winding and unwinding device for collection.

[0007] To better understand the tasks, technical content, features and advantageous effects of the present invention, specific embodiments are described in detail below. Brief description of the drawings Fig. Figure 1 shows a schematic view of the device according to the invention for vacuum pressure testing from several angles; Fig. 2A and Fig. Figure 2B shows schematic views of the transport of the battery cell to be tested through the vacuum compression testing device at several angles according to the present invention; Fig. 3A and Fig. Figure 3B shows schematic views of the hot press testing apparatus at the tilt angle of the vacuum press testing apparatus at several angles according to the present invention; Fig. Figures 4A to 4E show schematic views of the rotary movement of the device for hot pressing testing under the tilt angle of the device for vacuum pressing testing at several angles according to the present invention; Fig. 5A and Fig. Figure 5B shows schematic views of different embodiments of the vacuum chamber of the device for vacuum pressure testing at several angles according to the present invention. Detailed description of the exemplary implementations

[0008] To make the advantages, spirit, and features of the present invention more understandable, exemplary embodiments are described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings. The present invention is described with reference to certain exemplary embodiments and drawings; however, the invention is not limited to these, but only to the claims. These exemplary embodiments are provided solely to make the present disclosure more comprehensive and easier to understand.

[0009] The terminology used herein serves only to describe certain embodiments and is not intended to limit the general concept of the invention. As used herein, the singular forms "a," "an," "an," and "the" are to include the plural forms as well, unless the context clearly indicates otherwise. Unless otherwise defined, all terms used herein (including technical and scientific terms) have the same meaning that a person skilled in the art in the field to which the embodiments belong would ascribe to them. Furthermore, it should be clarified that expressions, e.g.,Those terms that are defined in commonly used dictionaries are to be interpreted as having the meaning consistent with their meaning in the context of the relevant technology, and are not to be interpreted in an idealized or overly formal sense, unless expressly defined herein.

[0010] It will be on Fig. 1. Reference is made to the inventive device for vacuum press testing at multiple angles. The device according to the invention primarily comprises a winding and unwinding unit 10, a drive unit 20, a device for hot press testing at an angle of inclination 30°, a conveyor belt 60, and a vacuum chamber 50. Under the traction of the drive unit 20, the conveyor belt 60 transports a test piece from the winding and unwinding unit 10 to the device for hot press testing at an angle of inclination 30°, where it is hot pressed at various predetermined angles. The test piece is then returned to the winding and unwinding unit 10 for collection. The vacuum chamber 50 serves to house the aforementioned devices (winding and unwinding unit 10, drive unit 20, device for hot press testing at an angle of inclination 30°, angle-of-inclination rotary module 40) as well as the conveyor belt 60.

[0011] Regarding the configuration of the aforementioned devices, the drive unit 20 can be located on one side of the winding and unwinding device 10, while the device for hot pressing at an angle of inclination 30 is subsequently arranged on the side of the drive unit 20 facing away from the winding and unwinding device 10. The conveyor belt 60 is guided successively through the winding and unwinding device 10, the drive unit 20, and the device for hot pressing at an angle of inclination 30, and then back through the drive unit 20 and the winding and unwinding device 10, thus creating a closed loop.The drive unit 20 primarily serves to drive the conveyor belt 60, so that it carries out the transport between the winding and unwinding unit 10 and the hot press testing unit at an angle of inclination 30, in order to transport a test piece placed on the winding and unwinding unit 10 to the hot press testing unit at an angle of inclination 30.

[0012] The winding and unwinding device 10 comprises at least two conveyor rollers through which the conveyor belt 60 is guided. As shown in the figure, the winding and unwinding device 10 has three conveyor rollers: a first conveyor roller 11, a second conveyor roller 12, and a third conveyor roller 13. The first conveyor roller 11 and the third conveyor roller 13 form a flat surface for the conveyor belt 60 onto which a test piece (e.g., a battery cell) can be placed (see details below). The conveyor belt 60, located on the first conveyor roller 11, then continues to the drive unit 20. The drive unit 20 has a drive source 21 and a fourth conveyor roller 22. The drive source 21 provides the main drive energy for operating the conveyor belt 60.The conveyor belt 60, which comes from the first conveyor roller 11 of the winding and unwinding device 10, is guided through the drive source 21 of the drive unit 20 and coupled to it in order to drive the conveyor belt 60 into motion. It is then guided via the fourth conveyor roller 22 of the drive unit 20 to the hot press testing device at an angle of inclination 30°.

[0013] The device for hot press testing at an angle of inclination 30° comprises a fifth conveyor roller 32 and a sixth conveyor roller 33. The conveyor belt 60, which originates from the fourth conveyor roller 22 of the drive unit 20, is successively connected to the fifth conveyor roller 32 and the sixth conveyor roller 33, and then guided back to the winding and unwinding unit 10 via the seventh conveyor roller 23 of the drive unit 20. The winding and unwinding unit 10 receives the conveyor belt 60 via the second conveyor roller 12 and guides it back to the third conveyor roller 13, thus creating a closed loop.The conveyor belt 60 is held under a certain tension by the first conveyor roller 11 of the winding and unwinding device 10, the fourth conveyor roller 22 of the drive device 20, the fifth conveyor roller 32 and the sixth conveyor roller 33 of the device for hot pressing testing at an angle of inclination 30, the seventh conveyor roller 23 of the drive device 20, as well as the second conveyor roller 12 and the third conveyor roller 13 of the winding and unwinding device 10, in order to enable the product transport.

[0014] It will then go to Fig. 2A is referenced. The battery cell 70 to be tested is positioned and fixed on the conveyor belt 60 between the first conveyor roller 11 and the third conveyor roller 13 of the winding and unwinding device 10. Subsequently, the conveyor belt 60 is driven by the drive source 21 of the drive unit 20, thereby setting the battery cell 70 to be tested on it into motion (see Fig. 2B). After the battery cell has passed the fourth conveyor roller 22 of the drive unit 20, it enters the hot press testing unit at an angle of inclination 30.

[0015] It will be directed to the Fig. 3A and Fig. Reference is made to Figure 3B. The device for hot pressing at an angle of inclination 30 comprises an air cushion holder 31 and an angle-of-inclination rotary module 40. The air cushion holder 31 comprises a movable upper pressure plate 311, a fixed, heat-conducting lower pressure plate 312, an air cushion 313 for applying pressure, and a heating module 314. The fixed, heat-conducting lower pressure plate 312 corresponds to the upper pressure plate 311, with a gap 315 between the upper pressure plate 311 and the lower pressure plate 312, through which the conveyor belt 60, carrying the battery cell 70 to be tested, passes. The air cushion 313, which serves to exert pressure, is located on the upper side of the upper press plate 311 facing away from the lower press plate 312 and can, by expansion, move the upper press plate 311 towards the lower press plate 312 in order to compress the battery cell 70 to be tested.The heating module 314 is arranged on the underside of the lower press plate 312 to heat the battery cell 70 under test by heating the lower press plate 312. The tilt angle rotary module 40 can rotate the air cushion holder 31 to a predetermined tilt angle. As shown in the figure, the fifth conveyor roller 32 and the sixth conveyor roller 33 can be arranged at opposite ends of the lower press plate 312 and each serve as the inlet end of the conveyor belt 60 located near the gap 315 and as the outlet end of the conveyor belt 60 located away from the gap, respectively.

[0016] After the battery cell 70 to be tested is inserted into and positioned in the air cushion holder 31, the air cushion 313 expands under pressure and moves the upper pressure plate 311 towards the lower pressure plate 312. Since the upper pressure plate 311 is movable, the battery cell 70 to be tested is compressed. The lower pressure plate 312 is located below the battery cell 70 to be tested and the conveyor belt 60. Consequently, as the air cushion 313 expands, the upper pressure plate 311 presses the battery cell 70 to be tested and the conveyor belt 60 between the upper pressure plate 311 and the lower pressure plate 312. As soon as the predetermined test pressure is reached, the pressing process is stopped, at which point the air cushion 313 ceases its expansion. The specified test pressure is the test pressure intended for the battery cell 70 to be tested, which can be varied depending on the battery type and specification, which will not be discussed further here.

[0017] It will be directed to the Fig. 1 and Fig. Reference is made to 3B. The tilt angle rotary module 40 of the hot press testing device at a tilt angle of 30 can rotate and position the air cushion holder 31 in various angular positions, namely in a vertical position ( Fig. 4A), a tilt of 30° ( Fig. 4B), 45° ( Fig. 4C), 60° ( Fig. 4D) or a horizontal position ( Fig. 4E). This allows the electrical properties of the battery cell 70 under test to be checked at these different angles. The electrical properties can include, but are not limited to, current, voltage, and impedance. Naturally, the electrical test can also be performed dynamically, i.e., the tilt-angle rotation module 40 is continuously rotated to monitor and test the electrical properties in real time.

[0018] The tilt-angle rotary module 40 can be operated by a conventional motor in combination with a gear drive. However, considering the weight of the hot press testing device at an angle of inclination 30, it is advantageous if the tilt-angle rotary module 40 is designed as a reduction gear, for example, a worm gear or planetary gear. Furthermore, it must be taken into account that gas bubbles can form in the battery cell 70 under test during the press testing process. Therefore, the winding and unwinding device 10, the drive device 20, and the hot press testing device at an angle of inclination 30 are arranged within a vacuum chamber 50 (see Figure 1). Fig. 1) so that the entire press testing process can be carried out in a vacuum. Furthermore, it should be taken into account that the entire testing device can be designed for continuous testing. In other words, continuous testing can be achieved by inserting the battery cells 70 to be tested at specific intervals. However, since this would require the winding and unwinding device 10 to constantly open the vacuum chamber 50 in order to insert or remove the battery cells 70 to be tested, this would entail a considerable additional expenditure of time and money to maintain the vacuum condition. Therefore, as in Fig. As shown in Figure 5A, the vacuum chamber 50 is designed to comprise a first vacuum chamber 51, a second vacuum chamber 52, and a bridging vacuum chamber 53. The first vacuum chamber 51 accommodates the winding and unwinding device 10, while the second vacuum chamber 52 accommodates the drive unit 20, the device for hot pressing at an angle of inclination 30, and the tilt-angle rotary module 40. The bridging vacuum chamber 53 bridges the gap between the first vacuum chamber 51 and the second vacuum chamber 52 and accommodates the conveyor belt 60 located between the winding and unwinding device 10 and the drive unit 20. Thus, when inserting or removing the battery cells 70 to be tested, the vacuum is only interrupted in the first vacuum chamber 51, thereby significantly reducing the time and costs required to maintain the vacuum.If, however, the main purpose of the vacuum chamber is to prevent the formation of gas bubbles during the compression testing process in the battery cells 70 to be tested, then according to . Fig. 5B also only provides a test vacuum chamber 54, which exclusively accommodates the device for hot pressing testing at an inclination angle of 30.

[0019] It will be referred to again as... Fig. 1, Fig. 3A and Fig.Reference is made to section 3B. After completion of the test, the pressure in the air cushion 313 is released and the heating module 314 stops heating. Subsequently, the battery cell 70 to be tested is conveyed by the conveyor belt 60 over the seventh conveyor roller 23 of the drive unit 20 into the winding and unwinding unit 10 and, for removal, returns to the starting position via the second conveyor roller 12 and the third conveyor roller 13 of the winding and unwinding unit 10.Furthermore, taking into account the fact that the rotational movement of the hot press testing device at an angle of inclination 30 could affect the tension of the conveyor belt 60, an elastic adjusting element 131 can be arranged on one side of the third conveyor roller 13 of the winding and unwinding device 10, by means of which the tension of the entire conveyor belt 60 can be adjusted and at the same time a downward force can be permanently exerted on the third conveyor roller 13, so that the tension of the conveyor belt 60 is kept in a suitable range without being affected by the rotational movement of the hot press testing device at an angle of inclination 30.

[0020] In summary, the present invention provides a device for vacuum press testing at multiple angles, which includes a device for hot press testing at an angle of inclination, by which a battery cell to be tested can be rotated into a predetermined angular position and subjected to a hot press test, whereby the electrical properties of the battery cell can be recorded in different angular positions and thus optimized process parameters for the battery cell can be determined.

[0021] In summary, the present invention provides a device for vacuum compression testing at multiple angles, comprising a winding and unwinding unit, a hot compression testing unit at an angle of inclination, a conveyor belt, a drive unit, and a first vacuum chamber housed in the hot compression testing unit at an angle of inclination. The conveyor belt is designed to transport at least one battery cell to be tested from the winding and unwinding unit to the hot compression testing unit at an angle of inclination in order to perform hot compression tests at various angles of inclination, thereby enabling the determination of optimized process parameters for the battery cell. After completion of the test, the battery cell to be tested is transported back to the winding and unwinding unit and collected there.The conveyor belt is driven by the drive unit and carries out the transport at an angle between the winding and unwinding unit and the hot press testing unit.

[0022] The foregoing description presents only preferred embodiments of the invention and is not intended to limit the scope of the claims. All equivalent changes and modifications that can be made by a person skilled in the art in this field according to the description and drawings of the invention are within the scope of protection of the present invention. Reference symbol list 10 Winding and unwinding device 11 first funding role 12 second conveyor belt 13 third funding role 131 elastic adjusting element 20 Drive unit 21 Drive source 22 fourth funding role 23 seventh conveyor roller 30 Device for hot press testing at an angle of inclination 31 air cushion holders 311 upper press plate 312 lower press plate 313 air cushions 314 Heating module 32 fifth conveyor roller 33 sixth conveyor roller 40 tilt angle rotation module 50 vacuum chamber 51 first vacuum chamber 52 second vacuum chamber 53 Bridging vacuum chamber 54 Test vacuum chamber 60 conveyor belt 70 battery cells to be tested

Claims

[1] A device for vacuum pressure testing at multiple angles, comprising: a winding and unwinding device; a device for hot pressing testing at an angle of inclination; a conveyor belt designed to transport at least one battery cell to be tested for hot pressing tests at various angles of inclination from the winding and unwinding device to the device for hot pressing testing at an angle of inclination, and to transport a tested battery cell to be tested back to the winding and unwinding device for collection; a drive device by which the conveyor belt is driven in such a way that it carries out transport at an angle between the winding and unwinding device and the hot press testing device; and a first vacuum chamber, which serves to accommodate the device for hot press testing at an angle of inclination. [2] Device for vacuum press testing at several angles according to claim 1, wherein the device for hot press testing at an angle of inclination comprises: an air cushion holder, including: a movable upper pressure plate; a fixed, heat-conducting lower pressure plate that corresponds to the upper pressure plate, wherein there is a gap between the upper pressure plate and the lower pressure plate through which the conveyor belt with the battery cell to be tested carried on it is passed; an air cushion used to exert pressure, located on the upper side of the upper pressure plate facing away from the lower pressure plate, wherein the air cushion, by expansion, can move the upper pressure plate towards the lower pressure plate in order to compress the battery cell to be tested located in the gap; and a heating module located on the underside of the lower press plate to heat the battery cell under test by heating the lower press plate; and a tilt angle rotation module, by which the air cushion holder can be rotated to a predetermined tilt angle. [3] Device for vacuum pressure testing at several angles according to claim 2, wherein the tilt angle rotation module is a reduction gear. [4] Device for vacuum pressure testing at several angles according to claim 3, wherein the reduction gear is a worm gear. [5] Device for vacuum pressure testing at several angles according to claim 3, wherein the reduction gear is a planetary gear. [6] Device for vacuum press testing at several angles according to claim 2, wherein the winding and unwinding device, the device for hot press testing at an angle of inclination and the drive device are each equipped with at least two conveyor rollers which enable the conveyor belt to carry out the transport. [7] Device for vacuum press testing at several angles according to claim 6, wherein the two conveyor rollers of the device for hot press testing are arranged at an angle of inclination at two ends of the lower press plate and each serve as the inlet end of the conveyor belt located near the gap and as the outlet end of the conveyor belt located away from the gap. [8] Device for vacuum pressure testing at several angles according to claim 1, wherein the first vacuum chamber further serves to accommodate the winding and unwinding device, the conveyor belt and the drive device. [9] Device for vacuum pressure testing at several angles according to claim 1, wherein the first vacuum chamber further serves to accommodate the drive device. [10] Device for vacuum pressure testing at several angles according to claim 1, further comprising a second vacuum chamber and a bridging vacuum chamber, wherein the second vacuum chamber serves to accommodate the winding and unwinding device and the bridging vacuum chamber forms a bridge between the first vacuum chamber and the second vacuum chamber.

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