FURNACE SINTERING SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR LITHIUM-ION BATTERY POSITIVE ELECTRODE MATERIAL

Abstract

Provided are a furnace sintering system and method for lithium-ion battery positive electrode material. The furnace sintering system for lithium-ion battery positive electrode material comprises a furnace body, cassettes, an external circulation conveying line, a cassette loading device, a lifting combination device, and a cassette separating and discharging device. A material conveying inlet and a material conveying outlet are formed in the furnace body; the furnace body is provided with a conveying mechanism, and two ends of the conveying mechanism extend at least to the material conveying inlet and the material conveying outlet, respectively. Each cassette is formed with a filling groove.The external circulation conveying line is arranged in an upper part of the furnace body and is used for conveying cassettes; the external circulation conveying line is sequentially provided with a loading area and a vibration and dividing area along a conveying direction; and the cassette loading device is used for loading a material to be sintered into the filling groove in the loading area, thereby realizing a furnace sintering process of the positive electrode material, circulating the cassettes in a three-dimensional space, reducing the number of cassettes, further reducing the use cost of the cassettes, and reducing the processing capacity of the cassettes in each section of the circulation process. (to be published with Figure 1).

Description

Title of the invention: FURNACE SINTERING SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR POSITIVE ELECTRODE MATERIAL LITHIUM-ION BATTERY Technical field

[0001] The present invention relates to the field of material sintering technologies for positive electrodes of lithium-ion batteries and, more particularly, to a furnace sintering system and method for lithium-ion battery positive electrode material. CONTEXT

[0002] Lithium-ion batteries are widely used in the fields of 3C batteries, power batteries and energy storage due to their characteristics of energy storage, fast charging and discharging, long cycle life and environmental friendliness. Positive electrode materials play an important role in the performance of lithium-ion batteries, such as lithium cobaltate, lithium manganate, lithium iron phosphate and ternary positive electrode materials. The production process of positive electrode material mainly adopts high-temperature solid-phase process for manufacturing. In the high-temperature solid-phase process, the sintering procedure is the core and most important procedure.In the sintering process, cassettes are used as carriers of a mixed material consisting of a positive electrode material precursor and a lithium source.

[0003] For the design of the furnace of the lithium-ion battery positive electrode material, in order to effectively increase the energy utilization rate in the sintering process, the number of cassettes in the available space in the furnace should be increased, so that the utilization cost of the cassettes is higher, the processing capacity of the cassettes in each section of the cassette cycle process is larger, and the floor area of ​​the furnace sintering system is larger. ABSTRACT

[0004] The object of the present invention includes solving the problems of a traditional furnace sintering system, namely the high cost of using cassettes, the large processing capacity of cassettes of each section in a cassette circulation process and the large floor area, and providing a furnace sintering system and method for lithium-ion battery positive electrode material.

[0005] The object of the present invention is achieved by the following technical solutions.

[0006] A furnace sintering system for lithium-ion battery positive electrode material comprises:

[0007] a furnace body formed with a material conveying inlet and a material conveying outlet, wherein the furnace body is provided with a conveying mechanism, and two ends of the conveying mechanism extend at least to the material conveying inlet and the material conveying outlet, respectively;

[0008] cassettes, each formed with a filling groove;

[0009] an external circulation conveying line provided in an upper portion of the furnace body, wherein the external circulation conveying line is used for conveying cassettes to be moved; and the external circulation conveying line is sequentially provided with a loading area and a vibration and division area along a conveying direction;

[0010] a cassette loading device disposed above the loading area, wherein the cassette loading device is used to load a material to be sintered into the filling groove of the loading area;

[0011] a lifting combination device disposed adjacent to the external circulation conveying line, wherein the lifting combination device is used to transport the cassettes from the external circulation conveying line to the conveying mechanism for stacking them to form a stacked cassette set; and the conveying mechanism is used to convey the stacked cassette set from the material conveying inlet to the furnace body for sintering, and to convey the sintered stacked cassette set from the furnace body to the material conveying outlet; and

[0012] a cassette separation and unloading device, disposed adjacent to the external circulation conveying line, wherein the cassette separation and unloading device is used to unload the cassettes from the stacked cassette set onto the conveying mechanism and to transport the cassettes to the external circulation conveying line, respectively.

[0013] In one embodiment, the material conveying inlet and the material conveying outlet are respectively formed at both ends of the furnace body, and both ends of the conveying mechanism extend to the material conveying inlet and the material conveying outlet respectively.

[0014] In one embodiment, the conveying mechanism comprises a plurality of rotating furnace bars arranged at certain intervals.

[0015] In one embodiment, an outer peripheral wall of each bar The rotary kiln is convex and provided with a limiting ring bulge, and a lower part of the cassette is formed with a limiting groove, and the limiting ring bulge is located in the limiting groove and is connected to the cassette in a rolling manner.

[0016] In one embodiment, the upper part of the furnace body is provided with a mounting frame, and the external circulation conveying line comprises a drive motor, a conveying belt, a first roller wheel and a second roller wheel, the drive motor is arranged on the mounting frame, the first roller wheel and the second roller wheel are both rotatably connected to the mounting frame, and the conveying belt is sheathed on the first roller wheel and the second roller wheel, respectively, a power transmission shaft of the drive motor is connected to the first roller wheel, and the conveying belt is used for conveying the cassette to be moved.

[0017] In one embodiment, the lifting combination device comprises a first lifting and conveying mechanism and a gripping and releasing mechanism, the first lifting and conveying mechanism is respectively placed adjacent to the external circulation conveying line and the furnace body, the gripping and releasing mechanism is placed at a power transmission end of the first lifting and conveying mechanism, and the gripping and releasing mechanism is used for gripping or releasing the cassette to transport the cassette from the external circulation conveying line to the conveying mechanism.

[0018] In one embodiment, the first lifting and conveying mechanism comprises a first set of lifting and supporting frames, a second set of lifting and supporting frames and a first translation mechanism, the first set of lifting and supporting frames and the second set of lifting and supporting frames are arranged in parallel on both sides of the external circulation conveying line, and the first translation mechanism is respectively installed at a power transmission end of the first set of lifting and supporting frames and a power transmission end of the second set of lifting and supporting frames, so that the first set of lifting and supporting frames and the second set of lifting and supporting frames together drive the first translation mechanism for lifting and moving;and the gripping and releasing mechanism is mounted at a power transmission end of the first translation mechanism. ;

[0019] In one embodiment, the cassette separation and unloading device comprises a second lifting and conveying mechanism and a rotary clamping mechanism, the second lifting and conveying mechanism being respectively arranged adjacent to the external circulation conveying line and the furnace body, the rotary clamping mechanism being arranged at a power transmission end of the second lifting and conveying mechanism, and the rotary clamping mechanism being used for clamping and rotating the cassettes, so as to respectively unload and convey the cassettes of the cassette set stacked on the conveying mechanism to the external circulation conveying line.

[0020] In one embodiment, the external circulation routing line is also provided with a vibration and division area, and the loading area and the vibration and division area are sequentially arranged along a routing direction of the external circulation routing line; and

[0021] The furnace sintering system for positive electrode material further comprises a vibration and cutting device disposed above the vibration and cutting area, and the vibration and cutting device is used for vibrating and cutting into blocks the material contained in the cassette.

[0022] A furnace sintering method for lithium-ion battery positive electrode material using the furnace sintering system for lithium-ion battery positive electrode material according to any sintering embodiment, wherein the furnace sintering method for positive electrode material comprises the following steps:

[0023] loading the material to be sintered into the filling groove of the cassette on the external circulation conveying line via the cassette loading device in the loading area;

[0024] conveying the loaded cassette to a corresponding position of the vibration and cutting device via the external circulation conveying line;

[0025] conveying the cassettes from the external circulation conveying line to the conveying mechanism for stacking them to form the stacked cassette set via the lifting combination device;

[0026] conveying the stacked cassette assembly from the material conveying inlet to the furnace body for sintering via the conveying mechanism, and conveying the sintered stacked cassette assembly from the furnace body to the material conveying outlet;

[0027] unloading the cassettes from the stacked cassette set onto the conveying mechanism and transporting the cassettes to the external circulation conveying line, respectively, via the cassette separating and unloading device; and

[0028] returning the cassettes subjected to separation and unloading to the loading area via the external circulation routing line.

[0029] Compared to the prior art, the present application has at least the following advantages:

[0030] 1. In the above-mentioned furnace sintering system for electrode material lithium-ion battery positive, during operation, firstly, the cassettes move to the loading area with the external circulation conveying line, and the cassette loading device loads the materials to be sintered into the filling groove of the loading area; then, the lifting combination device transports the cassettes from the external circulation conveying line to the conveying mechanism for stacking to form the stacked cassette set; then, the conveying mechanism conveys the stacked cassette set from the material conveying inlet to the furnace body for sintering, and conveys the sintered stacked cassette set from the furnace body to the material conveying outlet;finally, the cassette separation and unloading device unloads the cassettes from the stacked cassette set onto the conveying mechanism and transports the cassettes to the external circulation conveying line, respectively. ;

[0031] 2. Since both ends of the conveying mechanism extend to the less to the material conveying inlet and the material conveying outlet, respectively, the external circulation conveying line is arranged in the upper part of the furnace body, and the external circulation conveying line is provided with the loading area, the external circulation conveying line respectively conveys the cassettes to the corresponding positions of the cassette loading device and the lifting combination device, the lifting combination device transports the cassettes from the external circulation conveying line to the conveying mechanism for stacking to form the stacked cassette set, while the cassette separating and unloading device unloads the cassettes from the stacked cassette set onto the conveying mechanism, and transports the cassettes to the external circulation conveying line;in this way, the furnace sintering process of the positive electrode material is carried out and, meanwhile, the cassettes circulate in the three-dimensional space, and, at the same time, the number of cassettes is reduced, thereby reducing the cost of using the cassettes and decreasing the processing capacity of the cassettes in each section of the circulation process. ;

[0032] 3. According to the furnace sintering system of a battery positive electrode material lithium-ion battery, when the cassettes circulate on the external circulation conveying line, the lifting combination device, the conveying mechanism and the unloading and separating device, the cassettes circulate in the three-dimensional space, thus reducing the floor area of ​​the system furnace sintering. Brief description of the drawings

[0033] In order to more clearly illustrate the technical solutions of the embodiments of the present invention, the drawings necessary for describing the embodiments will be briefly presented below. It should be understood that the drawings below only illustrate some embodiments of the present invention and should not be construed as limiting the scope thereof. Persons having ordinary skill in the art can obtain other related drawings relating to these drawings without incurring any creation work costs.

[0034] [Fig. 1][Fig. 1] is a schematic diagram of a furnace sintering system for lithium ion battery positive electrode material according to one embodiment;

[0035] [Fig.2][Fig.2] is a sectional view of the furnace sintering system for positive electrode material shown in [Fig.l];

[0036] [Fig.3] [Fig.3] is a partial schematic diagram of the furnace sintering system for positive electrode material shown in [Fig.l] from another viewpoint;

[0037] [Fig.4][Fig.4] is a partial schematic diagram of the furnace sintering system for positive electrode material shown in [Fig.l] from yet another viewpoint;

[0038] [Fig.5][Fig.5] is a partial schematic diagram of the furnace sintering system for positive electrode material shown in [Fig.2] from yet another viewpoint;

[0039] [Fig.6][Fig.6] is a schematic diagram of a cassette of the furnace sintering system for positive electrode material shown in [Fig.5];

[0040] [Fig.7][Fig.7] is a partial schematic diagram of the furnace sintering system for positive electrode material shown in [Fig.2];

[0041] [Fig.8][Fig.8] is a schematic diagram of a cutting device of a vibration and cutting device of the furnace sintering system for positive electrode material shown in [Fig.7];

[0042] [Fig.9][Fig.9] is a partial schematic diagram of the furnace sintering system for positive electrode material shown in [Fig.2] from yet another viewpoint;

[0043] [Fig. 10][Fig. 10] is a schematic diagram of a lifting combination device of the furnace sintering system for positive electrode material shown in [Fig.9]; and

[0044] [Fig. 11][Fig. 11] is a partial schematic diagram of a cassette separation and unloading device of the furnace sintering system for material positive electrode shown in [Fig.9]. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0045] In order to facilitate understanding of the present invention, the present invention will be described in more detail below with reference to the corresponding drawings. Preferred embodiments of the present invention are illustrated in the drawings. However, the present invention may be implemented in many different forms and is not limited to the embodiments described herein. Rather, these embodiments are provided for a more thorough and complete understanding of the contents disclosed by the present invention.

[0046] It should be noted that when an element is said to be "attached" to another element, it may be directly disposed on another element or there may be an intermediate element. When an element is considered to be "connected" to another element, it may be directly connected to another element or there may, at the same time, be an intermediate element. Terms such as "vertical", "horizontal", "left", "right" and other similar expressions used herein are for illustrative purposes only and do not imply that these are the only means of implementation.

[0047] Unless otherwise defined, all technical and scientific terms used herein have the same meaning as commonly understood by those skilled in the art of the present invention. The terms used herein in the specification of the present invention are for the purpose of describing specific embodiments only and are not intended to limit the present invention. The term "and / or" as used herein includes any and all combinations of one or more of the related elements listed.

[0048] As shown in FIGS. 1 to 3, a furnace sintering system 10 for lithium-ion battery positive electrode material according to one embodiment comprises a furnace body 100, cassettes 200, an external circulation conveying line 300, a cassette loading device 400, a vibration and cutting device 500, a lifting combination device 600, and a cassette separating and discharging device 700. A material conveying inlet 102 and a material conveying outlet 104 are formed in the furnace body 100; the furnace body 100 is equipped with a conveying mechanism 110, and two ends of the conveying mechanism 110 extend at least to the material conveying inlet 102 and the material conveying outlet 104, respectively.

[0049] Further, each cassette 200 is formed with a filling groove 202, and the filling groove 202 is used for filling a material to be sintered. A An external circulation conveying line 300 is arranged in an upper portion of the furnace body 100, and the external circulation conveying line 300 is used for conveying the cassettes 200 to be moved. The cassettes 200 circulate sequentially on the external circulation conveying line 300, the lifting combination device 600, the conveying mechanism 110, and the cassette separating and unloading device 700.

[0050] Furthermore, the external circulation conveying line 300 is sequentially provided with a loading area and a vibration and dividing area along a conveying direction; the cassette loading device 400 is disposed above the loading area, and the cassette loading device 400 is used for loading a material to be sintered into the filling groove 202 in the loading area; the vibration and cutting device 500 is disposed above the vibration and dividing area, and the vibration and cutting device 500 is used for vibrating and cutting the material in the cassettes 200 into blocks, that is, the vibration and cutting device 500 vibrates the material in the cassettes 200 and cuts the material in the cassettes 200 to form a plurality of material blocks side by side.The vibration and cutting device 500 vibrates the material in the cassettes 200, so that the material is evenly distributed on the cassettes 200. Since the plurality of material blocks side by side in the cassettes 200 are sintered to form a plurality of positive electrode material blocks at the same time, compared with the traditional method where one cassette 200 is correspondingly sintered to form one positive electrode material block, the number of cassettes 200 is greatly reduced, the space for invalid loading of materials is greatly reduced, and the weight of the furnace body 100 is reduced. For the same sintering demand of positive electrode material blocks, the energy consumption of the furnace body 100 is reduced.

[0051] Furthermore, the lifting combination device 600 is disposed adjacent to the external circulation conveying line 300, and the lifting combination device 600 is used to transport the cassettes 200 from the external circulation conveying line 300 to the conveying mechanism 110 for stacking to form a stacked cassette set.The conveying mechanism 110 is used to convey the stacked cassette set from the material conveying inlet 102 to the furnace body 100 for sintering, and to convey the sintered stacked cassette set from the furnace body 100 to the material conveying outlet 104, so that the material blocks in the cassettes 200 are sintered and shaped, and the cassettes 200 are transported by the conveying mechanism 110 in the form of a stacked cassette set, so that the furnace body 100 can simultaneously sinter at least more than two . cassettes 200, thereby improving the energy utilization rate of the furnace body 100. The cassette separation and unloading device 700 is arranged adjacent to the external circulation conveying line 300, and the cassette separation and unloading device is used for unloading and conveying the cassettes 200 of the cassette set stacked on the conveying mechanism 110 to the external circulation conveying line 300, that is, the cassette separation and unloading device 700 unloads the sintered material blocks in the cassettes 200 of the cassette set stacked on the conveying mechanism 110, and conveys the empty cassettes 200 after unloading to the external circulation conveying line 300.The external circulation conveying line 300 circulates the empty cassettes 200 to the loading area for recycling, without adding a storage station for the empty cassettes 200 in the middle of the route, and at the same time, the continuous sintering process is carried out.

[0052] In the above-mentioned furnace sintering system 10 for lithium-ion battery positive electrode material, during operation, firstly, the cassettes 200 move to the loading area along the external circulation conveying line 300, and the cassette loading device 400 loads the materials to be sintered into the filling groove 202 in the loading area; then, the cassettes 200 move along the external circulation conveying line 300 to the vibration and dividing area, and the vibration and cutting device 500 vibrates and cuts into blocks the materials in the cassette 200; then, the lifting combination device 600 transports the cassettes 200 from the external circulation conveying line 300 to the conveying mechanism 110 for stacking them to form the stacked cassette assembly;then, the conveying mechanism 110 transports the stacked cassette set from the material conveying inlet 102 to the furnace body 100 for sintering, and transports the sintered stacked cassette set from the furnace body 100 to the material conveying outlet 104;finally, the cassette separation and unloading device 700 unloads the cassettes 200 from the stacked cassette set onto the conveying mechanism 110 and conveys the cassettes to the external circulation conveying line 300, respectively. 2. Since both ends of the conveying mechanism 110 extend at least to the material conveying inlet 102 and the material conveying outlet 104, respectively, the external circulation conveying line 300 is arranged in the upper part of the furnace body 100, and the external circulation conveying line 300 is sequentially provided with the loading area and the vibration and division area along the conveying direction, the line; external circulation conveying line 300 respectively conveys the cassettes 200 to the corresponding positions of the cassette loading device 500 and the lifting combination device 600, the lifting combination device 600 transports the cassettes 200 from the external circulation conveying line 300 to the conveying mechanism 110 for stacking them to form the stacked cassette set, while the cassette separating and unloading device 700 respectively unloads the cassettes 200 from the stacked cassette set onto the conveying mechanism 110 and transports the cassettes 200 to the external circulation conveying line 300;in this way, the furnace sintering process of positive electrode material is realized, and at the same time, the cassettes 200 circulate in the three-dimensional space, that is, the cassettes 200 are transported and circulate in the three-dimensional space in a closed loop, and the number of cassettes 200 is at the same time reduced, thereby reducing the use cost of the cassettes 200 and decreasing the processing capacity of the cassettes 200 in each section of the circulation process. According to the furnace sintering system 10 for the lithium-ion battery positive electrode material, when the cassettes 200 circulate in the external circulation conveying line 300, the lifting combination device 600, the conveying mechanism 110 and the cassette separating and discharging device 700, the cassettes 200 circulate in the three-dimensional space, thereby reducing the floor area of ​​the furnace sintering system 10. ;

[0053] It is understood that, in other embodiments, the vibration and cutting device 500 can be omitted. The loading device 400 can uniformly fill the materials to be sintered into the filling groove 202 in the loading area, and at least there is no need to carry out a vibration operation again.

[0054] As shown in [Fig.l], it will be understood that the number of cassettes 200 of the stacked cassette set is multiple, i.e., the number of cassettes 200 of the stacked cassette set may be two, three or four, or the like. In this embodiment, three stacked cassette sets are arranged. A plurality of cassettes 200 are stacked to form the stacked cassette set.

[0055] As shown in [Fig.2] to [Fig.4], in one embodiment, the material conveying inlet 102 and the material conveying outlet 104 are respectively formed at both ends of the furnace body 100, both ends of the conveying mechanism 110 extend to the material conveying inlet 102 and the material conveying outlet 104 respectively, and one end of the conveying mechanism 110 extends to the material conveying inlet 102, so that the lifting combination device 600 directly stacks the cassettes 200 on the conveying mechanism 110 at the inlet material conveying mechanism 102 to form the stacked cassette set; further, the other end of the conveying mechanism 110 extends to the material conveying outlet 104, so that the cassette separating and unloading device 700 directly unloads the cassettes 200 of the stacked cassette set on the conveying mechanism 110, one by one, to the material conveying outlet 104, and transports the cassettes to the external circulation conveying line 300.

[0056] As shown in [Fig.l] and [Fig.4], in one embodiment, the conveying mechanism 110 comprises a plurality of furnace rotating bars 112 arranged at certain intervals, so that the plurality of furnace rotating bars 112 are arranged side by side at certain intervals so as to convey the plurality of stacked cassette sets at certain intervals, which is beneficial for the sequential sintering of the plurality of stacked cassette sets in batch. Furthermore, with the cooperation of the external circulation conveying line 300, the lifting combination device 600 and the cassette separating and discharging device 700, the furnace sintering system 10 for positive electrode material can meet the requirement of circular batch sintering.

[0057] As shown in [Fig.l] and [Fig.4], the conveying mechanism 110 also comprises a drive source 114, a drive gear 116 and a plurality of driven gears 118, wherein the drive source 114 is disposed on the furnace body 100, the drive gear 116 is disposed on a power transmission shaft of the drive source 114, the plurality of driven gears 118 are respectively sleeved on the corresponding furnace rotating bars 112, and the plurality of driven gears 118 are meshed and driven in turn. The drive gear 116 is meshed with one of the driven gears 118, so that the conveying mechanism 110 can drive the plurality of furnace rotating bars 112 to rotate synchronously relative to the furnace body 100, thereby realizing the simultaneous rotation of the furnace rotating bars 112.It can be understood that, in this embodiment, the drive source 114, the drive gear 116 and the plurality of driven gears 118 are all located at the periphery of the furnace body 100. The drive source 114 may be a drive motor or a drive cylinder, or the like.

[0058] As shown in [Fig.l] and [Fig.5], in one embodiment, the outer peripheral wall of each furnace rotary bar 112 is convexly provided with a limiting ring bulge 112a, and a lower portion of the cassette 200 is formed with a limiting groove 204, and the limiting ring bulge 112a is located in the limiting groove 204 and is connected to the cassette 200 in a rolling manner, so that the limiting groove 204 of the cassette 200 of the stacked cassette set can be conveyed in a limited manner by the limiting ring bulge 112a, and a rolling track of the stacked cassette set is further limited in the furnace body, and the problems of furnace jamming and even roller collapse caused by deviation are avoided. In this embodiment, the limiting ring bulge 112a surrounds the outer peripheral wall of the furnace rotating bar 112 in a circle, so that the furnace rotating bar 112 can limit the cassettes 200 of the stacked cassette set when the furnace rotating bar rotates relative to the furnace body 100.In one embodiment, the height of the limiting ring bulge 112a is slightly less than the depth of the limiting groove 204 of the cassette 200, and the width of the limiting ring bulge 112a is slightly less than the width of the limiting groove 204, which facilitates engagement of the limiting groove 204 with the furnace rotating bar 112 when the cassette 200 rolls on the furnace rotating bar 112, and prevents the cassette 200 from being tilted laterally or longitudinally during operation.

[0059] In addition, the furnace body 100 is provided with a heat insulation layer, so that the furnace body plays a heat insulation role. As shown in [Fig.4], the inner wall of the furnace body 100 is provided with an upper heating bar 103 and a lower heating bar 105. The upper heating bar 103 and the lower heating bar 105 are respectively located on either side of the conveying mechanism 110. The upper heating bar 103 and the lower heating bar 105 simultaneously heat and sinter the stacked cassette assembly, so as to better diffuse heat evenly to the cassette materials 200 in the upper and lower layers.In this embodiment, a plurality of upper heating bars 103 and a plurality of lower heating bars 105 are both provided, the plurality of upper heating bars 103 are arranged side by side, and the plurality of lower heating bars 105 are arranged side by side.

[0060] In one embodiment, the furnace body 100 is further provided with an air intake system and an exhaust system, the air intake system comprising a fan and an air intake pipe, and the air inlets are arranged in the bottom and sides of the furnace body. The air inlets on the sides are parallel to the cassette 200, to better ensure the sufficiency and consistency of sintering. The exhaust system comprises an exhaust fan and an exhaust pipe, and the exhaust pipe is arranged in a heating section and a cooling section of the furnace body, and discharges residual gas and residual heat generated during the sintering process by reaction of the positive electrode material.

[0061] Furthermore, separation zones are provided in the furnace body, so that the temperatures and atmospheres in the different temperature zones are relatively uniform and the consistency of sintering of the material is ensured. In this embodiment, several separation zones are provided in the furnace body to divide the furnace body into a heating section, a heat preservation section and a cooling section along the conveying mechanism 110 in turn. Furthermore, the heating rate of the heating section is 1°C / min to 2°C / min, the temperature is increased to 800°C to 850°C, and then to 900°C to 950°C to better sinter the materials. In this embodiment, the temperature is increased to 800°C to 850°C during the first time and increased to 900°C to 950°C during the second time.In addition, heat retention lasts for 11 to 13 hours; and, in addition, heating lasts for 8 to 16 hours to better sinter the materials.

[0062] Furthermore, a surplus collection box (not shown in the figure) is disposed under a conveying end of the external circulation conveying line 300. It is used to collect surplus materials deposited on the external circulation conveying line 300 from outside the cassette 200, so that the furnace sintering system 10 is kept clean.

[0063] It will be understood that in the process of conveying the stacked cassette set by the conveying mechanism 110, it is necessary to take into account both the residence time during which the cassettes are stacked, the residence time during which sintering takes place, and the residence time during which the cassettes are discharged. In order to enable the lifting combination device 600 to convey the cassettes 200 from the external circulation conveying line 300 to the conveying mechanism 110 for stacking and forming the stacked cassette set, reliably sinter the materials to be sintered in the cassettes 200 of the stacked cassette set, and reliably discharge and transfer the sintered blocks in the cassettes 200 of the sintered stacked cassette set to the external circulation conveying line 300.Furthermore, the residence time for sintering is greater than or equal to the residence time for which the cassette is stacked, and the residence time for sintering is greater than or equal to the residence time for which the cassette is discharged, so that the lifting combination device 600 transports the cassettes 200 from the external circulation conveying line 300 to the conveying mechanism 110 for stacking and forming the stacked cassette set, the materials to be sintered in the cassettes 200 of the stacked cassette set are reliably sintered, and the sintered blocks in the cassettes 200 of the sintered stacked cassette set are reliably discharged and transferred to the external circulation conveying line 300.

[0064] As shown in [Fig. 3], in one embodiment, an upper portion of the furnace body 100 is provided with a mounting frame (not shown in the figure), and the external circulation conveying line 300 comprises a drive motor (not shown in the figure), a conveying belt 320, a first roller wheel 330 and a second roller wheel 340. The drive motor is placed on the mounting frame, the first roller wheel and the second roller wheel are rotatably connected to the mounting frame, and the conveying belt is wound on the first roller and the second roller respectively. A power transmission shaft of the drive motor is connected to one end of the first roller wheel, and the conveying belt is used to convey the cassettes 200, so that the cassettes 200 move respectively to the loading area, the vibration and dividing area and other positions.

[0065] It is understood that the required residence times in the loading area, the vibration and division area and the other positions are not equal. Furthermore, several external circulation conveying lines 300 are provided, and these external circulation conveying lines are arranged side by side and adjacent to each other. In this embodiment, four external circulation conveying lines 300 are provided, namely a first external circulation conveying line, a second external circulation conveying line, a third external circulation conveying line and a fourth external circulation conveying line.The first external circulation routing line, the second external circulation routing line, the third external circulation routing line, and the fourth external circulation routing line are all arranged in the upper portion of the furnace body 100. The first external circulation routing line is arranged adjacent to the lifting combination device 600, and the second external circulation routing line is adjacent to the vibration and cutting device 500. The third external circulation routing line is adjacent to the cassette loading device 400, and the fourth external circulation routing line is adjacent to the cassette separating and unloading device 700.The loading area is located in the third external circulation conveying line, and the vibration and division area is located in the second external circulation conveying line. The lifting combination device 600 is used for transporting the cassettes 200 from the first external circulation conveying line to the conveying mechanism 110 for stacking, and the cassette separating and unloading device 700 is used for unloading and transporting the cassettes 200 from the cassette set stacked on the conveying mechanism 110 to the fourth line. external traffic routing.

[0066] As shown in [Fig.3], the furnace sintering system 10 for lithium-ion battery positive electrode material comprises a plurality of inductors 800, the plurality of inductors 800 are arranged in one-to-one correspondence with the plurality of external circulation conveying lines 300, and each inductor is electrically connected to a control end of the driving motor of the corresponding external circulation conveying line 300. When the inductor corresponding to each external circulation conveying line 300 detects the cassette 200, the external circulation conveying line 300 stops working for a period of time, so as to fill, vibrate and divide the materials, convey the cassettes 200 and place the cassettes 200 reliably.More specifically, when the first external circulation conveying line stops, the lifting combination device 600 is used to transport the cassettes 200 of the first external circulation conveying line to the conveying mechanism 110 for stacking, i.e., the lifting combination device 600 is used to move the cassettes 200 away from the first external circulation conveying line. When the second external circulation conveying line stops, the vibration and cutting device 500 is used to vibrate and cut into blocks the materials contained in the cassettes 200 of the second external circulation conveying line, i.e., the vibration and cutting device 500 vibrates and cuts the materials contained in the cassettes 200.When the third external circulation conveying line stops, the cassette loading device 400 loads the materials to be sintered into the filling groove 202 in the loading area. When the fourth external circulation conveying line stops, the cassette separating and unloading device 700 unloads the sintered material blocks into the cassettes 200 of the cassette set stacked on the conveying mechanism 110, and transports the empty and unloaded cassettes 200 to the fourth external circulation conveying line. The inductor may be a photoelectric sensor or another sensor.

[0067] Furthermore, the furnace sintering system 10 for positive electrode material comprises a plurality of clamping and positioning devices, the plurality of clamping and positioning devices being arranged in one-to-one correspondence with the plurality of inductors, and the plurality of clamping and positioning devices being arranged in one-to-one correspondence with the plurality of external circulation conveying lines 300. When the sensor detects the cassettes 200 of the external circulation conveying line 300, the external circulation conveying line 300 stops its movement and the clamping and positioning device corresponding operation clamps and positions the cassettes 200 so as to perform operations such as filling materials, vibrating and cutting, removing the cassettes 200, placing the empty cassettes 200, and the like. In this embodiment, each clamping and positioning device comprises two clamping assemblies arranged relative to each other, and the two clamping assemblies are respectively located on either side of the external circulation conveying line 300 of the conveying mechanism 110. In this embodiment, the clamping assembly comprises a clamping cylinder and a clamping plate, and the clamping plate is connected to a drive shaft of the clamping cylinder.

[0068] Furthermore, as shown in [Fig. 2], the vibration and cutting device 500 comprises a vibration device 510 and a cutting device 520, and the vibration device 510 and the cutting device 520 are arranged sequentially along the conveying direction of the external circulation conveying line 300. The vibration and dividing area on the external circulation conveying line 300 comprises a vibration area and a dividing area, the vibration area and the vibration device 510 are arranged correspondingly, and the dividing area and the cutting device 520 are arranged correspondingly. In this embodiment, the vibration device 510 is used to vibrate the materials in the cassettes 200, and the cutting device 520 is used to divide the vibrated materials in the cassettes 200 to form a plurality of material blocks side by side.In this embodiment, both the vibration area and the dividing area are provided with corresponding clamping and positioning devices, so as to clamp and position the cassettes 200, and then perform the vibration or dividing operation.

[0069] As shown in [Fig.l] and [Fig.7], further, the vibration device 510 comprises a swing mechanism 512 and a jack mechanism 514, the swing mechanism 512 is arranged above the external circulation routing line 300, and the jack mechanism 514 comprises a jack cylinder 5142 and a lifting assembly 5144, the lifting assembly is installed in the upper part of the furnace body 100, the lifting assembly is installed at a power transmission end of the jack cylinder, and the lifting assembly is used for supporting and lifting the cassettes 200 so that the cassettes 200 abut against a swing motor to vibrate the cassettes 200. In this embodiment, the lifting assembly comprises a lifting seat, the lifting seat is connected to a transmission shaft of the lifting cylinder, and the two clamp assemblies are installed oppositely on the lifting seat.The two clamp assemblies are used to clamp the two sides of the 200 cassette together, so that . the lifting assembly supports and lifts the cassette 200. In addition, the swing mechanism 512 comprises a fixed seat 5122, a swing motor 5124, and a swing cover plate 5126. The fixed seat is mounted on the furnace body 100 via a fixing frame, and the swing motor is mounted on the fixed seat. The swing cover plate is disposed above the vibrating area, and the swing cover plate is used to abut against the cassette 200 when the lifting assembly supports and lifts the cassette 200 to a predetermined height, so as to perform a vibration operation on the cassette 200.Furthermore, a stop surface of the swing cover plate 5126 is provided with a sealing convex ring 5127, which makes elastic contact with an opening of the filling groove 202 of the cassette 200, and plays a sealing role during swings to prevent dust leakage during the vibration process.

[0070] Furthermore, as shown in [Fig. 2], [Fig. 7] and [Fig. 8], the cutting device 520 comprises a cutting drive cylinder 522 and a cutting seat 524. The cutting drive cylinder 522 is disposed above the furnace body 100, and the cutting seat 524 is mounted on a drive shaft of the cutting drive cylinder 522. The cutting drive cylinder 522 drives the cutting seat 524 which moves up and down to divide the vibrated materials in the cassettes 200. In this embodiment, the cutting seat 524 comprises a knife fixing plate 5242 and a plurality of knives 5244. The knife fixing plate 5242 is mounted on the drive shaft of the cutting drive cylinder 522, and the plurality of knives 5244 are disposed on the fixing plate of 5242 knives at regular intervals.The cutting drive cylinder 522 drives the cutting seat 524 to move up and down to divide the vibrated materials in the cassettes 200.

[0071] As shown in [Fig. 9] and [Fig. 10], in one embodiment, the lifting combination device 600 comprises a first lifting and conveying mechanism 610 and a gripping and releasing mechanism 620. The first lifting and conveying mechanism 610 is respectively disposed adjacent to the external circulation conveying line 300 and the furnace body 100, the gripping and releasing mechanism 620 is disposed at a power transmission end of the first lifting and conveying mechanism 610, and the gripping and releasing mechanism 620 is used for gripping or releasing the cassette 200 to transport the cassette 200 from the external circulation conveying line 300 to the conveying mechanism 110.

[0072] As shown in [Fig.9] and [Fig.10], in one embodiment, the first lifting and conveying mechanism 610 comprises a first set of lifting and supporting frames 612, a second set of lifting and supporting frames 614 and a first translation mechanism 616, the first set of lifting and supporting frames 612 and the second set of lifting and supporting frames 614 are arranged in parallel on both sides of the external circulation routing line 300, and the first translation mechanism 616 is respectively installed at a power transmission end of the first set of lifting and supporting frames 612 and at a power transmission end of the second set of lifting and supporting frames 614, so that the first set of lifting and supporting frames 612 and the second set of lifting and supporting frames 614 together drive the first translation mechanism 616 to lift and move.The gripping and releasing mechanism 620 is mounted at a power transmission end of the first translation mechanism 616, so that the first translation mechanism 616 drives the gripping and releasing mechanism 620 to translate, and the first set of lifting and supporting frames 612 and the second set of lifting and supporting frames 614 together drive the first translation mechanism 616 to move up and down, so that the gripping and releasing mechanism 620 can better convey the cassettes 200 from the external circulation conveying line 300 to the conveying mechanism 110 for stacking.

[0073] As shown in [Fig. 9] and [Fig. 10], in one embodiment, the first set of lifting and supporting frames 612 comprises first supporting frames 6122, first lifting motors 6124, and a first carriage 6126. The number of first supporting frames 6122 and the number of first lifting motors 6124 are each two, the first two supporting frames 6122 are arranged in parallel, and the first two lifting motors 6124 are arranged in one-to-one correspondence with the first two supporting frames 6122. The first carriage 6126 is slidably connected to the first two supporting frames 6122, and the first two lifting motors 6124 simultaneously drive the first carriage 6126 to lift and slide relative to the first two supporting frames 6122.Furthermore, the second set of lifting and supporting frames 614 comprises second supporting frames 6142, second lifting motors 6144 and a second carriage 6146. The number of second supporting frames 6142 and the number of second lifting motors 6144 are each two, the two second supporting frames 6142 are arranged in parallel and the two second lifting motors 6144 are arranged in one-to-one correspondence with the two second supporting frames 6142. The second carriage 6146 is slidably connected to the two second supporting frames 6142, and the two second lifting motors 6144 simultaneously drive the second carriage 6146. to lift and slide it relative to the two second support frames 6142. The first translation mechanism 616 is mounted respectively on the first carriage 6126 and the second carriage 6146.

[0074] Furthermore, as shown in [Fig. 9] and [Fig. 10], the first translation mechanism 616 further comprises a first translation drive motor 6162, a second translation drive motor 6164, and a translation plate 6166. The first translation motor 6162 is disposed on the first carriage 6126, the second translation motor 6164 is disposed on the second carriage 6146, and the translation plate 6166 is respectively mounted on a power transmission seat of the first translation motor 6162 and a power transmission seat of the second translation motor 6164. The gripping and releasing mechanism 620 is mounted on the translation plate 6166 such that the first translation mechanism 616 drives the gripping and releasing mechanism 620 to translate.In this embodiment, a plurality of gripping and releasing mechanisms 620 are provided, and the plurality of gripping and releasing mechanisms 620 are arranged at certain intervals along a length direction of the translation plate 6166, so that the plurality of gripping and releasing mechanisms 620 can jointly grip or release the cassette 200, thereby making the movement of the cassette 200 smoother with the gripping and releasing mechanisms 620.

[0075] Furthermore, as shown in [Fig. 10], the gripping and releasing mechanism 620 comprises a clamping cylinder 622 and two clamping jaws 624, the two clamping jaws 624 are respectively arranged at two power transmission ends of the clamping cylinder 622, and the clamping cylinder 622 drives the two clamping jaws 624 to approach or move away at the same time, so as to grip or release the cassette 200. Furthermore, each clamping jaw 624 comprises a clamping jaw seat 6242 and a curved jaw portion 6244, the clamping jaw seat 6242 is fixedly connected to a power transmission end of the clamping cylinder 622, and the curved jaw portion 6244 is connected to an end portion of the clamping jaw seat 6242.The curved portion of the jaw 6244 is curved, and the two curved portions of the jaw 6244 are curved toward each other, so that the two clamping jaws 624 of each gripping and releasing mechanism 620 can better grip or release the cassette 200.

[0076] Furthermore, as shown in [Fig.10] and [Fig.6], each curved jaw portion 6244 is L-shaped, so that each curved jaw portion 6244 can better move from a side wall of the cassette 200, then the curved jaw portions 6244 of the two curved jaw portions 6244 can better grip the cassette 200. In addition, the lower portion of the cassette 200 is provided with two clamping and fixing grooves 206, so that the curved jaw portions 6244 of the two curved jaw portions 6244 can grip the cassette 200 by the corresponding clamping and fixing grooves, and the curved jaw portions 6244 of the two curved jaw portions 6244 can better grip the cassette 200. In addition, the two clamping and fixing grooves communicate with each other, so as to facilitate the processing of each clamping and fixing groove and reduce the weight of the cassette 200. In this embodiment, the two clamping and fixing grooves communicate with each other to form a plurality of through grooves for clamping.When the cassette 200 is gripped, the plurality of gripping and releasing mechanisms 620 are clamped into the through grooves for clamping with a one-to-one correspondence.

[0077] As shown in [Fig. 9] and [Fig. 11], in one embodiment, the cassette separation and unloading device 700 comprises a second lifting and conveying mechanism 710 and a rotary clamping mechanism 720, the second lifting and conveying mechanism 710 is respectively arranged adjacent to the external circulation conveying line 300 and the furnace body 100, the rotary clamping mechanism 720 is arranged at a power transmission end of the second lifting and conveying mechanism 710, and the rotary clamping mechanism 720 is used for clamping and rotating the cassettes 200, so as to respectively unload and convey the cassettes 200 from the cassette set stacked on the conveying mechanism 110 to the external circulation conveying line 300.In this embodiment, when the cassette 200 of the stacked cassette set on the conveying mechanism 110 is unloaded, the rotary clamping mechanism 720 clamps the cassette 200, the second lifting conveying mechanism 710 drives the rotary clamping mechanism 720 to move above the unloading area, and the rotary clamping mechanism 720 clamps and rotates the cassette 200 180 degrees clockwise to unload the sintered blocks located in the cassette 200 into the unloading area.When the cassette 200 of the stacked cassette set on the conveying mechanism 110 is transported to the external circulation conveying line 300, the rotary clamping mechanism 720 clamps and rotates the cassette 200 180 degrees counterclockwise, and the second lifting conveying mechanism 710 drives the rotary clamping mechanism 720 to move to the external circulation conveying line 300.

[0078] Further, as shown in [Fig.9] and [Fig.1 1], the second lifting and conveying mechanism 710 includes two third sets of lifting and supporting frames 712 and a second translation mechanism 714. The two third sets of lifting and supporting frames 712 are arranged parallel to both sides of the external circulation routing line, and the second translation mechanism 714 is respectively mounted on the power transmission ends of the two third sets of lifting and supporting frames 712, so that the two third sets of lifting and supporting frames 712 together drive the corresponding mounting plate 7265 to lift and move. The rotary clamping mechanisms 720 are two in number, and the two rotary clamping mechanisms 720 are respectively mounted and fixed at one power transmission end of the second translation mechanism 714, so that the second translation mechanism 714 simultaneously drives the two rotary clamping mechanisms 720 to move. The two rotary clamping mechanisms 720 together clamp and rotate the cassette 200.

[0079] Furthermore, as shown in [Fig.9] and [Fig.1 1], the second translation mechanism 714 comprises two translation cylinder assemblies, the two translation cylinder assemblies are respectively mounted at the power transmission ends of the two third lifting support frame assemblies 712, and the two rotary clamping mechanisms 720 are respectively mounted and fixed on the power transmission seats of the corresponding translation cylinder assemblies. In this embodiment, each rotary clamping mechanism 720 comprises a fixing plate 722, a rotary cylinder 724 and a clamping assembly 726.The fixing plate 722 of each rotary clamping mechanism 720 is mounted on the power transmission seat of the corresponding translation cylinder assembly, the rotary cylinder 724 is mounted on the fixing plate 722, and the clamping assembly 726 is mounted on a rotary drive shaft of the rotary cylinder 724. The clamping power directions of the clamping assemblies 726 of the two rotary clamping mechanisms 720 are opposite, so that the two rotary clamping mechanisms 720 clamp the cassette 200 together and rotate synchronously. In addition, the clamping assembly 726 of each rotary clamping mechanism 720 comprises a push cylinder 7262, a plug-in plate 7264, and a lifting clamping piece 7266.The power transmission directions of the clamping assemblies 726 of the two rotary clamping mechanisms 720 are opposite, the plug-in plate 7264 is installed on a drive shaft of the thrust cylinder 7262, and the lifting clamping piece 7266 is installed on the plug-in plate 7264. A clamping portion of the lifting clamping piece 7266 moves toward or away from the plug-in plate 7264, so that the clamping portion acts on the upper portion of the cassette 200 in a vertical direction to press the cassette 200 onto the plug-in plate 7264, and ... 720 rotating clamping mechanisms can better clamp the 200 cassette and rotate it.

[0080] Furthermore, as shown in [Fig.9] and [Fig.11], the plug-in plate 7264 comprises a mounting plate 7265 and a support extension plate 7267 which are connected. The mounting plate 7265 is mounted on the drive shaft of the thrust cylinder 7262, the lifting clamping part 7266 is mounted on the mounting plate 7265, and the support extension plate 7267 is connected to one end of the mounting plate 7265 away from the clamping part. When the cassette 200 is clamped by the rotary clamping mechanism 720, the pushing cylinder 7262 drives the mounting plate 7265 to move, so that the mounting plate 7265 drives the support extension plate 7267 to fit into the lower portion of the cassette 200, and the clamping portion of the lifting clamping piece 7266 acts on the upper portion of the cassette 200 to press the cassette 200 onto the plug-in plate 7264.In this embodiment, the mounting plate 7265 and the support extension plate 7267 are integrally formed structures, so that the structure of the plug-in plate 7264 is simple and the mounting plate 7265 and the support extension plate 7267 are firmly connected. Furthermore, at the same time, with reference to [Fig. 6], the lower parts of both sides of the cassette 200 are respectively provided with a slot 208, and the support extension plate 7267 is inserted into the slot, so that the support extension plate 7267 can be better inserted into the lower part of the cassette 200. In addition, the lifting clamping part 7266 comprises a clamping cylinder for lifting 7267 and a pressing part 7269.The clamping cylinder for lifting 622 is mounted on the mounting plate 7265, and the pressing part is fixedly connected to a drive shaft of the clamping cylinder for lifting 622, so that the pressing part moves towards or away from the plug-in plate 7264. Preferably, the pressing part is a pressing column structure.

[0081] Furthermore, as shown in [Fig. 5] and [Fig. 9], the material conveying outlet 104 is provided with a correlated photoelectric sensor set 1042, and the correlated photoelectric sensor set is communicatively connected to a control end of the cassette separating and discharging device 700. When the stacked cassette set is transported to a position corresponding to the correlated photoelectric sensor set with the conveying mechanism 110, the correlated photoelectric sensor set generates an induction signal, and the cassette separating and discharging device 700 starts to operate, so as to discharge the sintered material blocks in the cassettes 200 of the stacked cassette set to the mechanism conveying device 110 and conveying the discharged empty cassettes 200 to the external circulation conveying line 300, thereby realizing rapid and accurate unloading and circulation of the cassettes 200. In this embodiment, the correlated photoelectric sensor set comprises at least one group of correlated photoelectric sensors. It is understood that the number of groups of the correlated photoelectric sensors may be one or more than two groups, and the specific number may be selected according to the number of cassettes or the number of layers of cassettes 200 of the stacked cassette set, so that the cassette separating and unloading device 700 can unload the cassettes 200 of the stacked cassette set one by one and convey the cassettes to the external circulation conveying line 300.

[0082] The present application further provides a furnace sintering method for lithium-ion battery positive electrode material employing the lithium-ion battery positive electrode material furnace sintering system according to any embodiment above for sintering, wherein the furnace sintering method for positive electrode material comprises some or all of the following steps:

[0083] S101: loading the material to be sintered into the filling groove 202 of the cassette 200 on the external circulation conveying line 300 via the cassette loading device 400 in the loading area;

[0084] S103: conveying the loaded cassette 200 to a corresponding position of the vibration and cutting device 500 via the external circulation conveying line 300;

[0085] S105: vibrating and cutting into blocks the material contained in the cassette 200 by means of the vibration and cutting device 500;

[0086] S107: conveying the cassettes 200 from the external circulation conveying line 300 to the conveying mechanism 110 for stacking them to form the stacked cassette set via the lifting combination device 600;

[0087] S109: conveying the stacked cassette set from the material conveying inlet 102 to the furnace body 100, for sintering, via the conveying mechanism 110, and conveying the sintered stacked cassette set from the furnace body 100 to the material conveying outlet 104;

[0088] SI 11: unloading the cassettes 200 from the stacked cassette set onto the conveying mechanism 110 and conveying the cassettes to the external circulation conveying line 300, respectively, via the cassette separating and unloading device 700; and

[0089] SI 13: return the cassettes 200 subjected to separation and unloading to the loading area via the external circulation routing line 300.

[0090] The above-mentioned furnace sintering method for lithium-ion battery adopts the furnace sintering system 10 for lithium-ion battery positive electrode material for sintering. In operation, firstly, the cassettes 200 move to the loading area along the external circulation conveying line 300, and the cassette loading device 400 loads the material to be sintered into the filling groove 202 in the loading area; then, the cassettes 200 move along the external circulation conveying line 300 to the vibration and dividing area, and the vibration and cutting device 500 vibrates and cuts into blocks the materials in the cassette 200; then,the lifting combination device 600 transports the cassettes 200 from the external circulation conveying line 300 to the conveying mechanism 110 for stacking to form the stacked cassette set; then, the conveying mechanism 110 conveys the stacked cassette set from the material conveying inlet 102 to the furnace body 100 for sintering, and conveys the sintered stacked cassette set from the furnace body 100 to the material conveying outlet 104; finally, the cassette separating and unloading device 700 unloads the cassettes 200 from the stacked cassette set onto the conveying mechanism 110 and transports the cassettes to the external circulation conveying line 300, respectively. Because both ends of the conveying mechanism 110 extend at least as far as the material conveying inlet 102 and the material conveying outlet 104, respectively,the external circulation conveying line 300 is arranged in the upper part of the furnace body 100, and the external circulation conveying line 300 is sequentially provided with the loading area and the vibration and dividing area along the conveying direction, the external circulation conveying line 300 respectively conveys the cassettes 200 to the corresponding positions of the cassette loading device 500 and the lifting combination device 600, the lifting combination device 600 transports the cassettes 200 from the external circulation conveying line 300 to the conveying mechanism 110 for stacking them to form the stacked cassette set,while the cassette separation and unloading device 700 respectively unloads the cassettes 200 from the stacked cassette set onto the conveying mechanism 110 and transports the cassettes 200 to the external circulation conveying line 300; in this way, the positive electrode material furnace sintering process is carried out and, meanwhile, the cassettes 200 circulate in the three-dimensional space, that is, the cassettes 200 are conveyed and circulate in the three-dimensional space in a closed loop, and, at the same time, the number of cassettes 200 is reduced, thereby reducing the use cost, cassettes 200 and can decrease the processing capacity of the cassettes 200 in each section of the circulation process. According to the furnace sintering system 10 for lithium-ion battery positive electrode material, when the cassettes 200 circulate in the external circulation conveying line 300, the lifting combination device 600, the conveying mechanism 110 and the cassette unloading and separating device 700, the cassettes 200 circulate in the three-dimensional space, thereby reducing the floor area of ​​the furnace sintering system 10.

[0091] In one embodiment, the step of vibrating and cutting into blocks the material contained in the cassette 200 using the vibration and cutting device 500 comprises the following steps: S105: first, vibrating the material in the cassette 200 to evenly distribute the material in the cassette 200; second, cutting into blocks the material in the cassette 200 after the vibration operation.

[0092] To better understand the furnace sintering process for the lithium-ion battery positive electrode material, the furnace sintering process for the lithium-ion battery positive electrode material is specifically introduced as follows.

[0093] Embodiment 1:

[0094] Firstly, the materials were loaded into cassettes, where unsintered positive electrode materials were loaded into long groove cassettes 200 (330 mm length * 2000 mm width * 100 mm height), the amount of which was 108% that of six rows of conventional cassettes 200 (330 mm length * 330 mm width * 100 mm height) (the same furnace space), and a thickness of the material layer after loading into the cassettes was the same as that of the conventional cassette 200.

[0095] Next, the materials were vibrated and cut into blocks, and the materials contained in the cassettes 200 were homogenized, tiled and divided into blocks to ensure uniformity and sufficiency of sintering.

[0096] Then, the cassettes 200 of the upper and lower layers were combined and stacked, and the cassettes 200 which were vibrated and cut into blocks were stacked by a lifting device.

[0097] Then, the cassette 200 was placed in a furnace for sintering, and a lower groove of the cassette 200 was engaged with a limiting ring of a rotating bar 112 of the roller furnace. The temperature of the sintering heat insulation zone was between 700°C and 1000°C (depending on the sintering process of different positive electrode materials), and the sintering lasted between 20 hours and 36 hours (including a heating time, a heat preservation time and a cooling time, which were determined according to the sintering process of different positive electrode materials). In this embodiment, a heating rate was 1°C / min to 2°C / min, the temperature was increased to 800°C to 850°C, then increased to a temperature of 900°C to 950°C for 11 hours to 13 hours. In a second step, after unloading the cassette 200 from the furnace, the upper and lower cassettes 200 were separated by a cassette separation and unloading device 700, and the separated cassettes 200 were lifted to an unloading station for unloading.

[0098] Then, after the cassette 200 was discharged from the furnace, the cassettes 200 of the upper and lower layers were separated by a cassette separation and discharge device 700, and the separated cassettes 200 were lifted to an unloading station for unloading.

[0099] Finally, the empty cassette 200 after its unloading circulated on an external circulation line, and photoelectric sensors located at the first and last ends of a belt transport group and the cassette clamping and positioning device 200 were used to start and stop the belt transport and to position the cassette 200.

[0100] Embodiment 2:

[0101] Firstly, the materials were loaded into a cassette, and an unsintered positive electrode material was loaded into a long groove cassette 200 (660 mm length * 2000 mm width * 100 mm height), the amount of which was 113% that of six rows of conventional cassettes 200 (330 mm length * 330 mm width * 100 mm height) (X was a filling amount of six conventional cassettes 200), and a thickness of the material layer after loading into the cassettes was the same as that of the conventional cassette 200.

[0102] Next, the materials were vibrated and cut into blocks, and the materials contained in the cassettes 200 were homogenized, tiled and divided into blocks to ensure uniformity and sufficiency of sintering.

[0103] Then, the cassettes 200 of the upper and lower layers were combined and stacked, and the cassettes 200 which were vibrated and cut into blocks were stacked by a lifting device.

[0104] Then, the cassette 200 was placed in a furnace for sintering, and a lower groove of the cassette 200 was engaged with a limiting ring of a rotating bar 112 of the roller furnace. The temperature of the sintering heat insulation zone was between 700°C and 1000°C (depending on the sintering process of different positive electrode materials), and the sintering lasted between 20 hours and 36 hours (including a heating time, a heat preservation time and a cooling time, which were determined according to the sintering process of different positive electrode materials). In this embodiment, a heating rate was 1°C / min to 2°C / min, the temperature was increased to 800°C to 850°C, then increased to a temperature of 900°C to 950°C for 11 hours to 13 hours. In a second step, after unloading the cassette 200 from the furnace, the upper and lower cassettes 200 were separated by a cassette separation and unloading device 700, and the separated cassettes 200 were lifted to an unloading station for unloading.

[0105] Then, after the cassette 200 was discharged from the furnace, the cassettes 200 of the upper and lower layers were separated by a cassette separation and discharge device 700, and the separated cassettes 200 were lifted to an unloading station for unloading.

[0106] Then, the empty cassette 200 after its unloading circulated on an external circulation line, and photoelectric sensors located at the first and last ends of a belt conveying group and the cassette clamping and positioning device 200 were used to start and stop the belt conveying and to position the cassette 200.

[0107] The following table shows the comparisons between Embodiment 1, Embodiment 2 and the comparative example before and after implementation:

[0108] [Tableauxl] Item Production capacity (%) Cassette weight 200%. Number of cassettes / piece Comparative example (double layer and six rows) 100 100 24 Embodiment 1 108.3 90 2 Embodiment 2 113.3 83 1

[0109] Compared with the prior art, the present invention has the following advantages:

[0110] 1. In the above-mentioned furnace sintering system 10 for electrode material lithium-ion battery positive, during operation, firstly, the cassettes 200 move to the loading area along the external circulation conveying line 300, and the cassette loading device 400 loads the material to be sintered into the filling groove 202 in the loading area; then, the cassettes 200 move along the external circulation conveying line 300 to the vibration and division area, and the vibration and cutting device 500 vibrates and cuts into blocks the materials in the cassette 200; then, the lifting combination device 600 transports the cassettes 200 from the external circulation conveying line 300 to the conveying mechanism 110 for stacking them to form the stacked cassette set; then, the conveying mechanism 110 conveys the stacked cassette set from the material conveying inlet 102 to the furnace body 100 for sintering, and conveys the sintered stacked cassette set from the furnace body 100 to the material conveying outlet 104; finally, the cassette separation and unloading device 700 unloads the cassettes 200 from the stacked cassette set onto the conveying mechanism 110 and transports the cassettes to the external circulation conveying line 300, respectively.

[0111] 2. Since both ends of the conveying mechanism 110 extend to the less to the material conveying inlet 102 and the material conveying outlet 104, respectively, the external circulation conveying line 300 is arranged in the upper part of the furnace body 100, and the external circulation conveying line 300 is provided, sequentially, with the loading area and the vibration and dividing area along the conveying direction, the external circulation conveying line 300 conveys the cassettes 200 to the corresponding positions of the cassette loading device 500 and the lifting combination device 600, respectively, the lifting combination device 600 conveys the cassettes 200 from the external circulation conveying line 300 to the conveying mechanism 110 for stacking them to form the stacked cassette set,while the cassette separation and unloading device 700 respectively unloads the cassettes 200 from the stacked cassette set onto the conveying mechanism 110 and transports the cassettes 200 to the external circulation conveying line 300; in this way, the positive electrode material furnace sintering process is carried out, and at the same time, the cassettes 200 circulate in the three-dimensional space, that is, the cassettes 200 are conveyed and circulate in the three-dimensional space in a closed loop, and the number of cassettes 200 is at the same time reduced, thereby reducing the use cost of the cassettes 200 and decreasing the processing capacity of the cassettes 200 in each section of the circulation process.

[0112] 3. According to the furnace sintering system 10 for positive electrode material of lithium-ion battery, when the cassettes 200 circulate on the external circulation conveying line 300, the lifting combination device 600, the conveying mechanism 110 and the unloading and separating device 700, the cassettes 200 circulate in the three-dimensional space, thereby reducing the floor area from the sintering system to the furnace 10.

[0113] 4. The furnace sintering system 10 for battery positive electrode material lithium-ion improves the utilization rate of the furnace sintering space. Compared with the traditional multi-row 200 cassette, the production capacity is increased, and at the same production capacity, the weight of the 200 cassette is reduced, the cost of the 200 cassette is reduced, the weight of the furnace is reduced, and the energy absorption of the 200 cassette is reduced.

[0114] 5. The furnace sintering system 10 for battery positive electrode material lithium-ion has fewer 200 cassettes, which reduces the frequency of processing 200 cassettes in various working procedures and increases the possibility of increasing furnace speed and production capacity.

[0115] 6. According to the furnace sintering system 10 for positive electrode material of lithium-ion battery, the use of the limiting ring bulge of the rotating bar 112a and the lower groove of the cassette 200 reduces the skew anomalies in the routing of the cassette 200.

[0116] 7. According to the sintering system 10 for battery positive electrode material at lithium-ion, the external circulation routing line 300 is arranged above the roller furnace body, which reduces the floor space of a sintering area.

[0117] 8. According to the furnace sintering system 10 for positive electrode material of lithium-ion battery, the external circulation conveying line 300 is a belt conveying group, that is, the external circulation conveying line 300 adopts static conveying. Compared with traditional double-speed chain conveying, the frictional vibration between the cassette 200 and the conveying line body is reduced, the damage to the cassette 200 due to stress caused by the conveying process is reduced, the recycling times of the cassette 200 are increased to a certain extent, and the risk of metal foreign matter caused by friction is reduced.

[0118] 9. According to the furnace sintering system 10 for positive electrode material of lithium-ion battery, the lifting combination device 600 is combined with the cassette separation and unloading device 700, and the cassettes 200 are combined and separated in the lifting process, so that no separate device or apparatus is needed, which reduces the design cost of the entire assembly line.

[0119] The above embodiments merely express several embodiments of the present invention, and their descriptions are more specific and detailed, but they should not be understood as limiting the scope of the present invention. It should be noted that persons having ordinary skill in the art can make a plurality of embellishments and improvements without departing from the concept of the present invention, and that these embellishments and improvements will all fall within the scope of protection of the present invention. Thus, the scope of protection of the invention patent should be subject to the appended claims.

Claims

Claims

1. A furnace sintering system for a lithium-ion battery positive electrode material, comprising: a furnace body formed with a material conveying inlet and a material conveying outlet, wherein the furnace body is provided with a conveying mechanism, and two ends of the conveying mechanism extend at least to the material conveying inlet and the material conveying outlet, respectively; cassettes, each formed with a filling groove; an external circulation conveying line provided in an upper portion of the furnace body, wherein the external circulation conveying line is used for conveying the cassettes to be moved; and the external circulation conveying line is provided with a loading area; a cassette loading device disposed above the loading area, wherein the cassette loading device is used to load a material to be sintered into the filling groove in the loading area; a lifting combination device disposed adjacent to the external circulation conveying line, wherein the lifting combination device is used to transport the cassettes from the external circulation conveying line to the conveying mechanism for stacking them to form a stacked cassette set; and the conveying mechanism is used to convey the stacked cassette set from the material conveying inlet to the furnace body for sintering, and convey the sintered stacked cassette set from the furnace body to the material conveying outlet; and a cassette unloading separation device, disposed adjacent to the external circulation conveying line, wherein the cassette unloading separation device is used to unload the cassettes from the stacked cassette set onto the conveying mechanism and to transport the cassettes to the external circulation conveying line, respectively.

2. A furnace sintering system for the lithium-ion battery positive electrode material according to claim 1, wherein the material conveying inlet and the material conveying outlet are respectively formed at two ends of the furnace body, and the two ends of the conveying mechanism extend to the material conveying inlet and the material conveying outlet respectively.

3. A furnace sintering system for lithium ion battery positive electrode material according to claim 1, wherein the conveying mechanism comprises a plurality of furnace rotating bars arranged at intervals.

4. A furnace sintering system for the lithium-ion battery positive electrode material according to claim 3, wherein an outer peripheral wall of each rotating bar of the furnace is convexly provided with a limiting ring bulge, and a lower portion of the cassette is formed with a limiting groove, and the limiting ring bulge is located in the limiting groove and is connected to the cassette in a rolling manner.

5. The furnace sintering system for the lithium-ion battery positive electrode material according to claim 1, wherein the upper part of the furnace body is provided with a mounting frame, and the external circulation conveying line comprises a drive motor, a conveying belt, a first roller wheel and a second roller wheel, the drive motor is arranged on the mounting frame, the first roller wheel and the second roller wheel are both rotatably connected to the mounting frame, and the conveying belt is sheathed on the first roller wheel and the second roller wheel, respectively, a power transmission shaft of the drive motor is connected to the first roller wheel, and the conveying belt is used for conveying the cassette.

6. The furnace sintering system for the lithium-ion battery positive electrode material according to claim 1, wherein the lifting combination device comprises a first lifting and conveying mechanism and a gripping and releasing mechanism, the first lifting and conveying mechanism being respectively arranged adjacent to the external circulation conveying line and the furnace body, the gripping and releasing mechanism being arranged at a power transmission end of the first lifting and conveying mechanism, and the gripping and releasing mechanism being used for gripping or releasing the cassette to convey the cassette of the external circulation routing line to the routing mechanism.

7. The furnace sintering system for the lithium-ion battery positive electrode material according to claim 6, wherein the first lifting and conveying mechanism comprises a first set of lifting and supporting frames, a second set of lifting and supporting frames and a first translation mechanism, the first set of lifting and supporting frames and the second set of lifting and supporting frames are arranged in parallel on both sides of the external circulation conveying line, and the first translation mechanism is respectively installed at a power transmission end of the first set of lifting and supporting frames and at a power transmission end of the second set of lifting and supporting frames,such that the first set of lifting and supporting frames and the second set of lifting and supporting frames together drive the first translation mechanism to lift and move them; and the gripping and releasing mechanism is mounted at a power transmission end of the first translation mechanism.

8. The furnace sintering system for the lithium-ion battery positive electrode material according to claim 1, wherein the cassette separation and unloading device comprises a second lifting and conveying mechanism and a rotary clamping mechanism, the second lifting and conveying mechanism being respectively arranged adjacent to the external circulation conveying line and the furnace body, the rotary clamping mechanism being arranged at a power transmission end of the second lifting and conveying mechanism, and the rotary clamping mechanism being used for clamping and rotating the cassettes, so as to respectively unload and convey the cassettes from the cassette set stacked on the conveying mechanism to the external circulation conveying line.

9. A sintering system for the lithium-ion battery positive electrode material according to claim 1, wherein the external circulation routing line is further provided with a vibration and division area, and the loading area and the vibration and division area are sequentially arranged along a routing direction of the circulation routing line. external; and the furnace sintering system for positive electrode material further comprises a vibration and cutting device arranged above the vibration and cutting area, and the vibration and cutting device is used for vibrating and cutting into blocks the material in the cassette.

10. A furnace sintering method for the lithium-ion battery positive electrode material using the furnace sintering system for lithium-ion battery positive electrode material according to one of claims 1 to 9 for sintering, wherein the furnace sintering method for positive electrode material comprises the following steps: loading the material to be sintered into the filling groove of the cassette on the external circulation conveying line via the cassette loading device in the loading area; conveying the loaded cassette to a corresponding position of the vibration and cutting device via the external circulation conveying line; transporting the cassettes from the external circulation conveying line to the conveying mechanism for stacking and forming the stacked cassette set via the lifting combination device;conveying the stacked cassette set from the material conveying inlet to the furnace body for sintering via the conveying mechanism, and conveying the sintered stacked cassette set from the furnace body to the material conveying outlet; discharging the cassettes from the stacked cassette set onto the conveying mechanism and transporting the cassettes to the external circulation conveying line, respectively, via the cassette separating and discharging device; and returning the cassettes subjected to separation and discharging to the loading area via the external circulation conveying line.;

Images