Testing device and method for testing segments for the energy cell manufacturing industry

Abstract

A testing device (1) for testing segments (2) that are suitable for forming a cell stack for the energy cell manufacturing industry, wherein a conveying device (3) with a number of receiving sections (4) is provided, each receiving and transporting one segment (2), wherein the receiving sections (4) can be moved by a movement of the conveying device (3) relative to a stationary part (5) of the testing device (1), wherein the receiving sections (4) each comprise at least two contact surfaces (6, 7) for electrical and / or signalling contact of a segment (2) received in the respective receiving section (4).

Description

[0001] Test device and method for testing segments for the energy cell manufacturing industry

[0002] The present invention relates to a testing device having the features of the preamble of claim 1 and a corresponding method having the features of the preamble of claim 12.

[0003] Energy cells or energy storage cells, such as battery cells, are used for galvanic accumulators, for example in motor vehicles, other land vehicles, ships, and aircraft, where a significant amount of energy must be stored and available for long periods of time. For this purpose, such energy cells have a structure consisting of a large number of segments stacked together, referred to as cell stacks. These segments are formed, for example, by monocells. Monocells consist of alternating anode sheets and cathode sheets, also known as electrodes, which are separated from one another by separator sheets. A monocell therefore typically has the layer sequence: separator – anode – separator – cathode.

[0004] The segments are pre-cut during the manufacturing process and then placed on top of each other to form cell stacks in the predetermined order and bonded together by lamination.

[0005] Devices for producing battery cells are known, for example, from WO 2016 / 041713 A1 and DE 10 2017 216 213 A1. It can happen that the segments become damaged during the manufacturing process. For example, with segments in the form of monocells, the separator can be damaged during production. If a monocell with a damaged separator is used to form the cell stack, this can negatively impact its functionality and service life.

[0006] Energy cells can also be fuel cells or solar cells, for example, where segments can also be damaged during production.

[0007] It is therefore known in principle from the state of the art to check segments before the stacking process and, if necessary, to remove them from the production process so that only flawless segments are used to form a cell stack.

[0008] Such testing procedures must be carried out taking into account the production output and conveyor speed of today's production systems. Therefore, it is generally known from the state of the art to provide test equipment that travels with the segments during the production process and tests the segments alternately. To do this, the test equipment actively contacts so-called conductor flags, which are part of the electrodes. However, with such testing procedures, the machine's performance is limited due to the discontinuous movements. Furthermore, the segments can be damaged when contacting the conductor flags.

[0009] The object of the present application is to provide an improved testing device for testing segments and a corresponding method. This object is achieved by the features of the independent claims. Further preferred embodiments of the invention can be found in the dependent claims, the figures, and the associated description.

[0010] Accordingly, to achieve the object, a testing device for testing segments which are suitable for forming a cell stack for the energy cell producing industry is proposed, wherein a conveyor device with a plurality of receiving sections is provided for receiving and transporting one segment each, wherein the receiving sections are movable by a movement of the conveyor device relative to a stationary part of the testing device, wherein the receiving sections each comprise at least two contact surfaces for electrically and / or signal-technically contacting a segment received in the respective receiving section.

[0011] The segments positioned in the receiving sections can be transported by means of the conveyor device, whereby the segments can be tested during the transport process using the contact surfaces. For example, conclusions can be drawn about the system state of the respective segment based on a measurement of the ohmic resistance between the at least two, preferably exactly two, contact surfaces. If, for example, the segment is formed by a monocell as described above, the ohmic resistance between two electrodes can decrease if the separator arranged between these electrodes is damaged. Furthermore, the contact surfaces, as part of the receiving sections, offer the advantage of enabling extremely gentle electrical contacting of the segment.If, for example, a segment in the form of a monocell is used, the segment to be tested rests with a separator on a contact surface of the respective receiving section, followed by an electrode, for example an anode, another separator, and another electrode, for example a cathode. To enable electrical contact between the electrodes, they usually have the aforementioned conductor tabs that protrude beyond the base surface of the separators. Furthermore, the conductor tabs have a very thin layer and are therefore extremely sensitive. The contact surfaces, which are preferably aligned parallel to the contact surface of the receiving sections, allow for particularly gentle contact with the conductor tabs.In order to improve the contact between the arrester lugs and the contact surfaces, the contact surfaces can also protrude from the plane of the contact surface so that the contact surfaces press against the arrester lugs.

[0012] The conveyor device is preferably formed by a drum mounted so as to rotate about an axle element, the receiving sections being arranged on the radially outer surface of said drum. This allows the segments to be tested to be conveyed by a rotational movement, which is particularly simple and efficient. Alternatively, the conveyor device can also be formed by a linear conveyor system, for example a belt system. In this case, for example, the surface of the belt has receiving sections with the respective contact surfaces. According to a further preferred embodiment, it is proposed that the receiving sections each comprise a contact surface for supporting a segment, which is electrically insulated from the contact surfaces. This allows the cell stack to be reliably supported by the contact surface, while the conductor lugs rest against the contact surfaces for the purpose of electrical and / or signaling contact.This ensures that the measurement of electrical parameters via the contact surfaces is not negatively affected. This can preferably be achieved by making the contact surface of an electrically non-conductive material and the contact surfaces electrically conductive.

[0013] Preferably, the contact surfaces of the receiving sections are signal- and / or electrically connectable to at least one measuring device. Further preferably, the contact surfaces of each receiving section are selectively connectable to the at least one measuring device. In this way, a separate measuring device does not have to be provided for each receiving section; instead, the contact surfaces of the receiving sections can be connected separately to the at least one measuring device.

[0014] Preferably, the signaling and / or electrical connection of one or more contact surfaces of a specific receiving section to the at least one measuring device can be established and / or interrupted depending on the position of the conveyor device relative to the stationary part. Furthermore, for example, multiple measuring devices can be provided for measuring different parameters, which can be connected sequentially or in parallel to the contact surfaces of a receiving section. Thus, by connecting the contact surfaces to different measuring devices, different measurements can be taken one after the other without the segment having to be removed from the contact surfaces of a receiving section.

[0015] Preferably, the at least one measuring device is part of the stationary part. Thus, the measuring device does not need to be moved with the conveyor.

[0016] Preferably, the signaling and / or electrical connection of one or more of the contact surfaces of each of the receiving sections to the at least one measuring device can be established by means of at least one sliding contact device. The sliding contact device can, for example, comprise contact runners and contact brushes that can be contacted with one another. For this purpose, the contact runners can, for example, be arranged on the radially outer surface of the axle element and can be connected to the contact brushes on the radially inner surface of the drum. The contact runners preferably do not extend over the entire circumference of the axle element, but only over a circumferential section, so that targeted contacting of the contact surfaces of a receiving section is possible for the period in which the respective contact brushes contact the contact runners.In principle, a reversed arrangement of the contact skids and the contact brushes is also possible, in which the contact brushes are arranged on the radially outer surface of the axle element and the contact skids on the radially inner surface of the drum.

[0017] In principle, the signaling and / or electrical connection of one or more of the contact surfaces of a receiving section with the at least one measuring device can also be made by contactless transmission systems.

[0018] According to a further preferred embodiment, it is proposed that a plurality of measuring devices be provided, wherein the signaling and / or electrical connection of the contact surfaces of two or more receiving sections, each with a different measuring device, can be established with a temporal overlap. Only a limited section of the movement device is available for the measuring process. Due to the temporal overlap when connecting, for example, adjacent receiving sections with different measuring devices, the measuring process can be at least partially parallelized. This means that a longer measuring interval is available overall for the measurements with each of the measuring devices, whereby higher quality measurement results can be generated. The design of the parallel connection provides a parameter with which the available measuring time can be adjusted independently of the production speed.

[0019] The receiving sections preferably each comprise a first and a second contact surface, which are arranged in the respective receiving section so as to be electrically insulated from one another. Further preferably, the first and second contact surfaces are arranged in the respective receiving section such that a segment positioned therein rests with its first electrode on the first contact surface and with its second electrode on the second contact surface. It has been shown that with such an arrangement of the contact surfaces, an efficient testing of the respective segment can be carried out. The segment is preferably a monocell with the four-layer structure described above. The disclosure content of this application is also intended to explicitly include the proposed device together with one or more segments, for example in the form of the monocell, which is or are mounted in the receiving sections.

[0020] According to a further preferred embodiment, the receiving sections each have openings that can be subjected to a vacuum to hold the segments. Holding the segments, in particular the conductor lugs, can be achieved particularly gently using vacuum because grippers or clamps, which could damage the conductor lugs, can be dispensed with. The openings can be arranged on the bearing surface and / or on the contact surfaces. Furthermore, the openings can be formed, for example, by retaining holes or by the pores of an air-permeable material.

[0021] In principle, however, mechanical holders, such as grippers or levers, are also conceivable to contact the segments with the contact surfaces.

[0022] The object mentioned above is further achieved by a method for testing segments intended to form a cell stack for the energy cell production industry, wherein the segments are tested by the testing device according to one of the preceding claims, wherein the segments to be tested are each positioned in one of the receiving sections. Preferably, the testing of the segments takes place while the conveyor device is moving relative to the stationary part. The detection of a defective segment can then lead to the segment being removed from the production process; this can be done by means of the testing device itself or by means of a separate device, for example an ejection drum. With regard to the technical effects and advantages associated with the proposed method, reference is made to the preceding explanations in connection with the testing device.

[0023] The invention will be explained below using preferred embodiments with reference to the attached figures.

[0024] Fig. 1 is a perspective view of a testing device;

[0025] Fig. 2 an axle element and two measuring devices;

[0026] Fig. 3 a conveyor device; and

[0027] Fig. 4 a sectional view of a testing device.

[0028] Figure 1 shows a perspective view of a testing device 1 for testing segments 2, wherein the segments 2 are suitable for forming cell stacks for the energy cell production industry. Battery cells can be formed by stacking such segments 2 on top of one another to form a cell stack (not shown). The segment 2 shown in Figure 1 has a four-layer structure with the layer sequence separator - electrode (for example anode) - separator - electrode (for example cathode). The segment 2 is therefore a so-called monocell. The testing device 1 of Figure 1 can, for example, be arranged between a device (not shown) for producing the segments 2 and a cell stacking device (likewise not shown) for forming cell stacks.

[0029] The testing device 1 comprises a conveyor device 3 in the form of a drum, which is rotatably mounted on an axle element 8 so that it rotates about a rotation axis 14 during operation. The testing device 1 further comprises a plurality of measuring devices 10a, 10b, two of which are shown schematically. The measuring devices 10a, 10b can, for example, be configured to measure an ohmic resistance. Of course, measuring devices 10a, 10b with which other parameters can be measured are also conceivable. The axle element 8 and the measuring devices 10a, 10b are part of a stationary part 5 of the testing device 1, which therefore does not rotate with the conveyor device 8.

[0030] Figure 1 further shows that a plurality of receiving sections 4 are arranged on the radially outer surface of the drum-shaped conveyor device 3, each of which is designed to receive a segment 2. The individual receiving sections 4 are each structurally separated from one another by a groove 15, wherein the grooves 15 are aligned parallel to a rotation axis 14 of the conveyor device 3. By rotating the conveyor device 3 about the axis element 8, the segments 2 can be moved on a circular path. The conveyor device 2 can be rotated continuously or discontinuously by means of a drive unit (not shown). In Figure 1, only one of the receiving sections 4 is occupied by a segment 2. In principle, however, several of the receiving sections 4 can also be occupied by a segment 2 in parallel during operation.Each receiving section 4 comprises a first contact surface 6 and a second contact surface 7 with which the electrodes of the segment 2 mounted in the receiving section 4 can be contacted. The contact surfaces 6, 7 are arranged such that they contact so-called conductor tabs 16, 17, which are each a component of one of the electrodes of the segment 2. In the receiving section 4, the segment 2 is in electrically conductive contact with the first contact surface 6 by means of a first conductor tab 11, which in this case is a component of an anode. Furthermore, a second conductor tab 12, which in this case is a component of a cathode, is in electrically conductive contact with the second contact surface 7.

[0031] In the receiving sections 4, the segments 2 rest on contact surfaces 9, which in this embodiment are electrically non-conductive. To ensure that the respective segment 2 can be held reliably and gently in the receiving section 4, openings (not shown) are provided on the contact surface 9 and the contact surfaces 6 and 7, which can be subjected to a negative pressure. Thus, the pressure difference created compared to the ambient pressure allows the segments 2 to be held gently in the receiving section 4.

[0032] An electrically conductive connection between the measuring devices 10a, 10b and the contact surfaces 6, 7 is established by means of a sliding contact device 13 comprising a contact runner 20a, 20b and a contact brush 21a, 21b, which is explained in more detail with reference to Figures 2, 3 and 4. Figure 2 shows an axle element 8 comprising a cylindrical outer surface 19 and a flange 18 at one end, which forms a stop for the drum-shaped conveyor device 3 (see Figure 1) rotatably mounted on the axle element 8.

[0033] Furthermore, Figure 2 shows that the contact runners 20a, 20b, as part of the sliding contact devices 13, are arranged radially outwardly on a cylindrical surface 19 of the axle element 8 and extend over a partial section of the circumference. Furthermore, it can be seen that the contact runners 20a, 20b are arranged in pairs. Although the individual contact runners 20a, 20b of a contact runner pair 23, 24 have the same length and arrangement in the circumferential direction with respect to the rotation axis 14, they are arranged one behind the other in the direction of the rotation axis 14. A first contact runner pair 23 is assigned to the first contact surfaces 6, and a second contact runner pair 24 is assigned to the second contact surfaces 7.The two contact runners 20a of the first and second contact runner pairs 23 and 24 are electrically connected to a first measuring device 10a, while the two contact runners 20b of the first and second contact runner pairs 23 and 24 are electrically connected to a second measuring device 10b. The paired arrangement of the contact runners 20a and 20b allows the contact surfaces 6, 7 of adjacent receiving sections 4 to be connected to the measuring devices 10a and 10b in a temporally overlapping manner, i.e., connected in parallel.

[0034] Figure 3 shows the contact brushes 21a, 21b arranged on the radially inner surface 22 of the drum-shaped conveyor device 3, which can be contacted with the contact runners 20a, 20b shown in Figure 2 depending on the rotational position of the conveyor device 3 relative to the axle element 8. The contact brushes 21a and 21b of adjacent receiving sections 4 are offset in the direction of the rotation axis 14, so that the contact brush 21a can be contacted with the contact runner 20a and the contact brush 21b with the contact runner 20b. This applies both to the sliding contact devices 13 assigned to the first contact surfaces 6 and to those assigned to the second contact surfaces 7. In this way, the contact runners 20a, 20b of a contact runner pair 23, 24 (see Figure 2) can be contacted alternately by the corresponding contact brushes 21a and 21b of adjacent receiving sections 4.

[0035] Depending on the length of the contact skids 20a, 20b along the circumference of the axle element 8 and the rotational speed of the conveyor device 3 relative to the axle element 8, the duration of the electrically conductive connection of the contact surfaces 6, 7 of a receiving segment 4 with the stationary part 5 can be determined. In this embodiment, each of the contact surfaces 6, 7 is assigned its own contact brush 21a, 21b.

[0036] Figure 4 shows the test device 1 in a sectional view with a section orthogonal to the rotation axis 14 in the plane of the first contact surfaces 6. It can be seen that a segment 2 is mounted in a receiving section 4b, which is adjacent to the receiving section 4a. Furthermore, a contact surface 6b of the receiving section 4b is shown, against which the conductor lug 11 of the segment 2 rests in an electrically conductive manner. By means of a contact brush 21b, the contact surface 6b comes into contact with a contact runner 20b (cf. Figure 2), which is not visible in this sectional plane and is arranged behind the contact runner 20a shown here. The contact runner 20b is concealed by the contact runner 20a in this illustration. The receiving section 4a, which is adjacent to the receiving section 4b, comprises a contact surface 6a, which, by means of the contact brush 21a, is in electrically conductive contact with the contact skid 20a visible in this sectional plane.The contact brushes 21a and 21b of adjacent receiving sections 4a and 4b thus simultaneously contact different contact runners 20a and 20b of one and the same contact runner pair 23. If the drum-like conveyor device 3 continues to rotate in the rotation direction 25 relative to the axle element 8, the contact between the contact brush 21a and the contact runner 20a is removed, while the contact between the contact brush 21b and the contact runner 20b remains for a defined further rotational movement. The same applies to the contact runners 20a and 20b of the contact runner pair 24.

[0037] The measuring devices 10a and 10b (see Figures 1 and 2) can thus be electrically connected separately, but with temporal overlap, to the contact surfaces 6, 7 of adjacent receiving sections 4a, 4b via the sliding contact devices 13. Each of the measuring devices 10a, 10b is thus always connected only to the contact surfaces 6, 7 of one receiving section 4a or 4b.

[0038] In principle, the assignment of the contact brushes 21a, 21b and contact skids 20a, 20b to the conveyor device 3 and the axle element 8 is also interchangeable, so that the contact brushes 21 can also be assigned to the axle element 8 and the contact skids 20 can also be assigned to the conveyor device 3.

Claims

Claims:

1. Test device (1) for testing segments (2) suitable for forming a cell stack for the energy cell manufacturing industry, wherein - a conveying device (3) with several receiving sections (4) for receiving and transporting one segment (2) at a time is provided, wherein - the receiving sections (4) are movable by a movement of the conveying device (3) relative to a stationary part (5) of the test device (1), characterized in that - the recording sections (4) each comprise at least two contact surfaces (6, 7) for electrical and / or signal-related contacting of a segment (2) recorded in the respective recording section (4).

2. Test device (1) according to claim 1 , characterized in that the conveying device (3) is formed by a drum rotatably mounted about an axle element (8), on the radially outer surface of which the receiving sections (4) are arranged.

3. Test device (1) according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the receiving sections (4) each comprise a support surface (9) for holding a segment (2) which is electrically insulated from the contact surfaces (6, 7).

4. Test device (1) according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the contact surfaces (6, 7) of the Recording sections (4) with at least one measuring device (10a, 10b) can be connected via signal technology and / or electrically. Test device (1) according to claim 4, characterized in that the signal technology and / or electrical connection of one or more contact surfaces (6, 7) of a specific recording section (4) with the at least one measuring device (10a, 10b) can be established and / or interrupted depending on the position of the conveying device (3) relative to the stationary part (5). Test device (1) according to claim 4 or 5, characterized in that the at least one measuring device (10a, 10b) is a component of the stationary part (5).Test device (1) according to claim 6, characterized in that the signal-technical and / or electrical connection of one or more of the contact surfaces (6, 7) of each of the receiving sections (4) with the at least one measuring device (10a, 10b) can be established by means of at least one sliding contact device (13). Test device (1) according to any one of claims 5 to 7, characterized in that. - a plurality of measuring devices (10a, 10b) is provided, wherein - the signal-technical and / or electrical connection of the contact surfaces (6, 7) of two or more recording sections (4a, 4b) with each different measuring device (10a, 10b) can be established in a temporally overlapping manner. Test device (1) according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the receiving sections (4) each comprise a first and a second contact surface (6, 7) which are electrically insulated from one another in the respective receiving section (4). Test device (1) according to claim 9, characterized in that the first and second contact surfaces (6, 7) are arranged in the respective receiving section (4) such that a segment (2) positioned therein is placed with its first electrode (11) on the first contact surface (6) and with its second electrode (12) on the second contact surface (7). Test device (1) according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the receiving sections (4) each have openings which can be subjected to a vacuum to hold the segments (2).Method for testing segments intended for the formation of a cell stack for the energy cell manufacturing industry, characterized in that the segments are tested by the testing device according to one of the preceding claims, wherein the segments to be tested are each positioned in one of the receiving sections.

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