Rotary Kiln

Abstract

The present invention relates to a rotary kiln, comprising: a tube assembly having a rotating tube that rotates in a horizontally arranged state to rotate and heat raw material powder; and a temperature measurement unit provided on the rotating tube, wherein the temperature measurement unit includes a first temperature sensor, a first fixing member that fixes the first temperature sensor to the rotating tube, and an insulator that is provided between the first fixing member and the rotating tube and blocks heat from being conducted from the rotating tube to the first temperature sensor.

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] This application claims the benefit of priority based on Korean Patent Application No. 10-2022-0057237, filed May 10, 2022, Korean Patent Application No. 10-2022-0060126, filed May 17, 2022, Korean Patent Application No. 10-2022-0061554, filed May 19, 2022, Korean Patent Application No. 10-2022-0069410, filed June 8, 2022, and Korean Patent Application No. 10-2023-0059992, filed May 9, 2023, and all contents disclosed in the documents of said Korean patent applications are incorporated by reference herein as part of this specification.

[0002] The present invention relates to a rotary kiln that is capable of directly measuring the temperature of the tube assembly and the raw powder that is simultaneously rotated and heated by the tube assembly. [Background technology]

[0003] In general, a secondary battery refers to a battery that can be charged and discharged, unlike a primary battery that cannot be charged. Such secondary batteries are widely used in the field of advanced electronic devices such as mobile phones, laptops, and video cameras.

[0004] In particular, with the increasing technological development and demand for mobile devices, the demand for secondary batteries as energy sources is rapidly increasing. Among such secondary batteries, lithium secondary batteries, which have high energy density and voltage, long cycle life, and low self-discharge rate, have been commercialized and are widely used.

[0005] Lithium secondary batteries use lithium transition metal oxides as the positive electrode active material, including lithium cobalt oxide, which has a high operating voltage and excellent capacity characteristics, lithium nickel oxide, which has a high reversible capacity of about 200 mAh / g and is easy to realize as a large-capacity battery, lithium nickel cobalt oxide, in which part of the nickel is replaced with cobalt, lithium nickel cobalt metal oxide, in which part of the nickel is replaced with manganese, cobalt, or aluminum, lithium manganese oxide, which is excellent in thermal stability and inexpensive, and lithium iron phosphate, which is excellent in stability.

[0006] The positive electrode active material is produced by mixing a precursor for producing the positive electrode active material with a lithium raw material, and then putting the mixture into a heating device and baking it at a high temperature.

[0007] Here, a rotary kiln can be used as the heating device. The rotary kiln includes a rotating tube that accommodates a precursor for producing a positive electrode active material and a lithium raw material (hereinafter referred to as raw material powder) and rotates it horizontally to mix them, a heating element that is provided on the outside of the rotating tube and applies heat to the rotating tube to heat and react the raw material powder, a supply member that supplies the raw material powder to the rotating tube, and a recovery member that recovers the raw material powder discharged from the rotating tube.

[0008] The heating element heats the rotating tube, and the raw material powder is heated through the heated rotating tube. Since the heating temperature of the rotating tube and the heating temperature of the raw material powder cannot be known, accurate heat control is difficult, and in particular, there is no method for checking whether the raw material powder is heated to a uniform temperature. As a result, there is a problem that it is difficult to uniformly control the quality of the raw material powder. Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0009] The present invention aims to provide a rotary kiln that can directly measure the temperature of the tube assembly and the temperature of the raw material powder that is heated as it rotates through the tube assembly, thereby enabling more accurate and precise heat control during the firing process and, as a result, enabling quality control of the raw material powder. [Means for solving the problem]

[0010] The rotary kiln for firing raw material powder of the present invention includes a tube assembly having a rotating tube that rotates in a horizontally arranged state and rotates to rotate and heat the raw material powder, and a temperature measurement unit provided on the rotating tube, wherein the temperature measurement unit includes a first temperature sensor, a first fixing member that fixes the first temperature sensor to the rotating tube, and an insulator that is provided between the first fixing member and the rotating tube and blocks the heat of the rotating tube from being conducted to the first temperature sensor.

[0011] The first temperature sensor is provided inside the rotating tube and is capable of measuring the temperature of the raw material powder. The first temperature sensor is capable of measuring a temperature distribution in the inner radial direction of the rotating tube. The first fixing member may be provided in a form surrounding the first temperature sensor.

[0012] The first temperature sensor may be provided in plurality, and the first fixing member may include a pair of horizontal portions disposed inside the rotating tube and extending in a longitudinal direction of the rotating tube, and a vertical rod having both ends fixed to the pair of horizontal portions, respectively, with the plurality of first temperature sensors being provided at predetermined intervals in the radial direction of the inner circumference of the rotating tube. The temperature measuring unit may further include a first connecting member that fixes the first fixing member to the rotating tube.

[0013] The first connecting member may include a first connecting piece provided inside the rotating tube and connected to a tip portion of the first fixing member, a second connecting piece provided between the first fixing member and the insulator and having an outer portion provided outside the rotating tube and an inner portion whose tip is fastened to the first connecting piece, and a pressure piece disposed between the first connecting piece and the second connecting piece, which deforms when the first connecting piece and the second connecting piece are fastened to apply pressure to the first fixing member.

[0014] The rotary kiln may further include an auxiliary temperature measurement unit that directly measures a temperature of the rotating tube, and the auxiliary temperature measurement unit may include a second temperature sensor that is inserted on an outer surface of the rotating tube and is inserted without penetrating into an interior of the tube assembly to measure the temperature of the rotating tube, and a second fixing member that fixes the second temperature sensor to the rotating tube.

[0015] The rotary kiln may further include a receiving unit that receives the temperature measured by the temperature measuring unit and the temperature measured by the auxiliary temperature measuring unit, and an inspection unit that generates a failure signal when the temperature of the temperature measuring unit and the temperature of the auxiliary temperature measuring unit received by the receiving unit are lower or higher than a preset input value.

[0016] The rotary kiln may further include a control unit that controls a heating temperature of the rotating tube when a failure signal is generated by the inspection unit, and adjusts the temperature of the temperature measuring unit and the temperature of the auxiliary temperature measuring unit so that they are within a preset input value.

[0017] A plurality of first temperature sensors are arranged in the radial direction of the inner circumference of the rotating tube, and can detect temperature distribution by measuring the temperature of the raw material powder fed into the rotating tube and the temperature of the space where no raw material powder is present.

[0018] The temperature measurement unit further includes a detection member that detects a filling amount of raw material powder introduced into the rotating tube based on a temperature distribution in an inner radial direction of the rotating tube detected by a plurality of first temperature sensors, and the detection member can detect first temperature sensors that detect the temperature of the raw material powder while the plurality of first temperature sensors are positioned in the radial direction of the rotating tube, and select input filling amount data corresponding to the number of detected first temperature sensors to calculate the filling amount of the raw material powder.

[0019] The rotary kiln further includes an agitation assembly that agitates the raw material powder rotated by the rotating tube, and the agitation assembly includes a stirring section that agitates the raw material powder rotated by the rotating tube, and a connecting section that connects the stirring section to one end of the rotating tube, and the connecting section can include a ring-shaped support piece supported on one end of the rotating tube and to which the stirring section is connected, and a fixing means that detachably connects the support piece to one end of the rotating tube.

[0020] The stirring section includes one or more stirring pieces for stirring the raw material powder, and the stirring pieces can include two or more rotating bodies arranged at a predetermined interval, and stirring bars that connect the corresponding rotating bodies to each other and stir the raw material powder rotated by a rotating tube. Each of the rotating bodies may have a diameter smaller than the diameter of the inner circumferential surface of the rotating tube so as not to be supported by the inner circumferential surface of the rotating tube.

[0021] When two stirring pieces are provided, the stirring section may further include an auxiliary stirring bar that connects the corresponding stirring pieces and stirs the raw material powder located between the corresponding stirring pieces.

[0022] The rotating tube may be made of a clad metal, which is made by fusing different metals together. The different metallic materials may comprise a metallic material and a non-ferrous metallic material.

[0023] The dissimilar metals may include an inner metal material located inside the rotating tube and an outer metal material located outside the rotating tube, the inner metal material having a thinner thickness than the outer metal material.

[0024] The rotating tube may have an inlet through which raw material powder is introduced and a discharge part through which the raw material powder is discharged, and the inner metal material may be provided such that its thickness gradually increases from the inlet part to the discharge part of the rotating tube. Effect of the Invention

[0025] The rotary kiln according to the first embodiment of the present invention includes a temperature measuring unit provided on a rotating tube, the temperature measuring unit including a first temperature sensor and a first fixing member, and the first temperature sensor directly measures the temperature of the raw material powder. This feature allows the temperature of the raw material powder to be measured accurately, which makes it easier to control the quality of the raw material powder.

[0026] A rotary kiln according to a second embodiment of the present invention includes a temperature measurement unit provided on a rotating tube, the temperature measurement unit including a first temperature sensor and a first fixing member, and the first temperature sensor measures temperature distribution in the inner radial direction of the rotating tube. With this feature, the temperature distribution can be accurately detected by measuring the temperature of the raw material powder fed into the rotating tube and the temperature of the space where the raw material powder is not present. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0027] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing a rotary kiln according to a first embodiment of the present invention. [Diagram 2] FIG. 1 is a cross-sectional view showing a rotary kiln according to a first embodiment of the present invention. [Diagram 3] FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view showing a temperature measurement section of the rotary kiln according to the first embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 4] FIG. 4 is a partially enlarged view of FIG. [Diagram 5] FIG. 2 is a diagram showing a display unit of the rotary kiln according to the first embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 6] FIG. 1 is a cross-sectional view showing an insulation body for a rotary kiln according to a first embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 7] FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view showing a rotary kiln according to a second embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 8] FIG. 4 is a side cross-sectional view showing a schematic diagram of a rotary kiln according to a second embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 9] FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view showing a tube assembly and a temperature measurement unit of a rotary kiln according to a second embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 10] FIG. 10 is a partial cross-sectional perspective view of FIG. [Figure 11] FIG. 11 is a front view showing a connecting piece according to a second embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 12] FIG. 11 is a front view showing a fixing piece according to a second embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 13] 5 is a flowchart showing a method for detecting the filling level of a rotary kiln according to a second embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 14] FIG. 6 is a process diagram showing a method for detecting the filling level of a rotary kiln according to a second embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 15] FIG. 11 is a cross-sectional view showing another embodiment of the rotary kiln according to the second embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 16] FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view showing a rotary kiln according to a third embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 17] FIG. 11 is a partial cross-sectional view showing a connection structure between an agitator assembly and a tube assembly in a rotary kiln according to a third embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 18] FIG. 11 is a perspective view showing an agitator assembly of a rotary kiln according to a third embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 19] FIG. 11 is an assembly diagram showing a stirring assembly of a rotary kiln according to a third embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 20] 1 is a perspective view showing a first example of an agitator portion included in an agitator assembly. FIG. [Figure 21] FIG. 11 is a perspective view showing a second example of an agitator portion included in the agitator assembly. [Figure 22] FIG. 11 is a perspective view showing a third example of an agitator portion included in the agitator assembly. [Figure 23] FIG. 4 is an enlarged cross-sectional view showing the connection state of the tube assembly and the agitator assembly. [Figure 24] FIG. 11 is a cross-sectional view showing another embodiment of the rotary kiln according to the third embodiment of the present invention. [Diagram 25] 25 is a cross-sectional view taken along line AA shown in FIG. 24. [Figure 26] FIG. 26 is a cross-sectional view taken along line BB shown in FIG. 25. [Figure 27] FIG. 11 is a perspective view showing a rotary tube of a rotary kiln according to a fourth embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 28] FIG. 28 is a cross-sectional view of FIG. [Figure 29] 4A to 4C are process diagrams showing a fusion step in the manufacturing method of a rotating tube. [Diagram 30] 5A to 5C are process diagrams illustrating a bending step in the manufacturing method of the rotating tube. [Diagram 31] 10A to 10C are process diagrams showing another embodiment of the bending step in the manufacturing method of the rotating tube. [Diagram 32] FIG. 11 is a cross-sectional view showing another embodiment of the rotary kiln according to the fourth embodiment of the present invention. [Diagram 33] FIG. 11 is a cross-sectional view showing still another embodiment of the rotary kiln according to the fourth embodiment of the present invention. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0028] Hereinafter, the embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings so that those skilled in the art can easily carry out the present invention. However, the present invention may be realized in various different forms and is not limited to the embodiments described herein. In the drawings, parts that are not related to the description are omitted in order to clearly explain the present invention, and similar parts are designated by similar reference numerals throughout the specification.

[0029] [Rotary kiln according to the first embodiment of the present invention] FIG. 1 is an oblique view showing a rotary kiln according to a first embodiment of the present invention, FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view showing a rotary kiln according to a first embodiment of the present invention, FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view showing a temperature measurement section of a rotary kiln according to a first embodiment of the present invention, FIG. 4 is an enlarged partial view of FIG. 3, and FIG. 5 is a view showing a display section of a rotary kiln according to a first embodiment of the present invention.

[0030] A rotary kiln according to a first embodiment of the present invention is for firing raw material powder, as shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, and includes a tube assembly 100, a supply assembly 10, and a recovery assembly 20. On the other hand, the raw material powder may be a mixture of a precursor for producing a positive electrode active material and a lithium raw material.

[0031] Tube Assembly The tube assembly 100 has a structure for mixing and heating raw material powder while rotating in a horizontally disposed state. That is, the tube assembly 100 includes a rotating tube 110 for mixing raw material powder 1 while rotating the raw material powder 1 in a horizontally disposed state, and a heating element 120 for heating the rotating tube 110. Meanwhile, the rotating tube 110 may have a dual structure including an outer metal material and an inner metal material.

[0032] That is, in the tube assembly 100, the rotatable tube 110 is heated to a set temperature by the heating element 120, and while the heated rotatable tube 110 rotates, it mixes and heats the supplied raw material powder 1 at the same time.

[0033] The tube assembly 100 includes a support member that supports the tube assembly 100 so that the tube assembly 100 can rotate in a horizontal direction. The support member includes a rotary gear that is provided to surround the outer circumferential surface of the tube assembly 100, and a support portion that includes a support gear that is engaged with both sides of a bottom surface of the rotary gear, supports the rotary gear, and is rotated by the rotary gear.

[0034] The tube assembly 100 includes a rotating member that rotates the tube assembly in a horizontal direction. The rotating member includes a driving gear that is coupled to the outer circumferential surface of the tube assembly 100 in a manner that surrounds the outer circumferential surface of the tube assembly 100, and a driving motor that meshes with the driving gear and rotates the tube assembly 100 in a horizontal direction via the driving gear.

[0035] The heating element 120 includes a heating body provided to surround the outer surface of the rotating tube 110 , and a heating medium provided in the heating body corresponding to the rotating tube 110 to heat the rotating tube 110 .

[0036] Here, the heating medium may be any one of an electric heating element, SIC, Mo-Si, and a gas burner. And, the outer surface of the heating body may be made of a heat-resistant material so that the heat source of the heating medium is not discharged to the outside.

[0037] Supply Assembly The supply assembly 10 has a structure for supplying raw material powder to the rotating tube 110. That is, the supply assembly 10 includes an input member that is inserted into one end of the rotating tube 110 (the left end of the rotating tube 110 in FIG. 2) and inputs raw material powder into the rotating tube 110, a chamber that collects gas and water vapor generated when the raw material powder supplied into the rotating tube 110 is heated, and a protective member that seals the space between the rotating tube 110 and the chamber.

[0038] Recovery Assembly The collecting assembly 20 has a structure for collecting the raw material powder discharged from the rotating tube 110. That is, the collecting assembly 20 includes a collecting member into which the other end of the rotating tube 110 (the right end of the rotating tube 110 in FIG. 2) is inserted so as to be freely rotatable. The collecting member collects the raw material powder discharged from the rotating tube 110, and then moves it to a set location for storage.

[0039] Meanwhile, the rotary kiln according to the first embodiment of the present invention includes a temperature measuring unit 200 provided on the rotating tube, as shown in Figs. The temperature measuring unit 200 has a structure capable of directly measuring the temperature of the rotating tube 110 included in the tube assembly 100 and the temperature of the raw material powder which is heated while rotating by the tube assembly 100. As a result, the temperature of the rotating tube 110 and the temperature of the raw material powder can be accurately measured, and as a result, the quality of the raw material powder can be easily controlled. The temperature measuring unit will be described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings.

[0040] Temperature measurement part The temperature measuring unit 200 has a structure capable of directly measuring the temperature of the raw material powder that is heated while being rotated by the rotating tube 110. That is, the temperature measuring unit 200 includes a first fixing member 210, a first temperature sensor 220, and a first connecting member 230.

[0041] The first fixing member 210 is for fixing and protecting the first temperature sensor 220 to the rotatable tube 110. That is, the first fixing member 210 has a cylindrical shape and is inserted from the outside to the inside of the rotatable tube 110, with a tip portion located inside the rotatable tube 110. As a result, the first fixing member 210 comes into direct contact with the raw material powder supplied to the rotatable tube 110, and as a result, the temperature of the first fixing member 210 increases to a temperature corresponding to the raw material powder.

[0042] Meanwhile, the first fixing member 210 may be made of a metal material so that the heat source of the raw material powder can be rapidly conducted. In particular, the first fixing member 210 may be made of the same material as the rotating tube 110. For example, the first fixing member 210 may be made of a nickel material. This allows the first fixing member 210 to be rapidly heated to the temperature of the raw material powder, and increases the ease of manufacture.

[0043] Meanwhile, the tip of the first fixing member 210 (i.e., the tip of the first fixing member located inside the rotating tube) may have a hemispherical shape. This can significantly reduce the frictional force between the first fixing member 210 and the raw material powder, and can significantly increase the contact area between the first fixing member 210 and the raw material powder. Furthermore, damage to the first fixing member 210 can also be prevented. Here, the first fixing member 210 may have a conical shape.

[0044] The first temperature sensor 220 is built into the tip of the first fixing member 210 and detects the temperature of the raw material powder by measuring the temperature of the first fixing member 210. Here, a thermocouple can be provided as the first temperature sensor 220. A thermocouple is a device made of two types of metals to measure a wide range of temperatures using the Seebeck effect. That is, when two types of metals are combined in a thermocouple, if the temperatures at both ends of the junction are different, a current flows between the two metals. This current makes it possible to know the temperature difference between the two junctions.

[0045] The first connecting member 230 is connected to an end portion of the first fixing member 210 and has a structure for fixing the first fixing member 210 to the rotating tube 110 . That is, the first connecting member 230 includes a first connecting piece 231 that is provided inside the rotating tube 110 and connected to the tip of the first fixing member 210, a second connecting piece 232 that is provided outside the rotating tube 110 and has a tip that is fastened to the first connecting piece 231 through between the first fixing member 210 and the rotating tube 110, and a pressure piece 233 that is disposed between the first connecting piece 231 and the second connecting piece 232 and deforms when the first and second connecting pieces 231, 232 are fastened to apply pressure to and fix the first fixing member 210.

[0046] Here, the second connecting piece 232 has an outer portion 2321 that is provided on the outside of the rotating tube 110, and an inner portion 2322 that is provided between the first fixing member 210 and the insulator, and has a tip that is fastened to the first connecting piece. Meanwhile, each of the first connecting piece 231 and the second connecting piece 232 has a nut shape so that the first fixing member 210 can pass through.

[0047] As a result, when the first connecting piece 231 and the second connecting piece 232 of the first connecting member 230 are fastened, the pressure piece 233 deforms, thereby enabling the first fixing member 210 to be fixed, and when the fastening between the first connecting piece 231 and the second connecting piece 232 is released, the pressure piece 233 returns to its original shape, thereby enabling the fixation of the first fixing member 210 to be released. Meanwhile, the first connecting piece 231 may be welded to the inner circumferential surface of the rotating tube 110 for looseness and sealing.

[0048] Meanwhile, after releasing the fastening between the first connecting piece 231 and the second connecting piece 232, the first connecting member 230 can move the first fixing member 210 to protrude further into the rotating tube 110, or conversely, move it to the outside of the rotating tube 110. This allows the position of the temperature measuring unit 200 connected to the rotating tube 110 to be adjusted. This allows the position of the temperature measuring unit 200 connected to the rotating tube 110 to be easily adjusted according to the amount of raw material powder to be fed into the rotating tube 110, and as a result, the temperature of the raw material powder can be measured more accurately. Furthermore, interchangeability and non-processing time can be shortened.

[0049] The temperature measuring unit 200 having such a structure can directly measure the temperature of the raw material powder fed into the rotating tube 110, and as a result, can obtain an accurate temperature of the raw material powder. In particular, the temperature measuring unit 200 includes the first fixing member 210 and the first connecting member 230, and thus can stably protect and fix the first temperature sensor 220.

[0050] Meanwhile, an auxiliary temperature measuring unit 300 for directly measuring the temperature of the rotating tube 110 may be further included. The auxiliary temperature measuring unit 300 has a structure capable of accurately measuring the temperature of the rotating tube 110. That is, the auxiliary temperature measuring unit 300 includes a second fixing member 310, a second temperature sensor 320, and a second connecting member 330.

[0051] The second fixing member 310 is for protecting the second temperature sensor 320 from the rotatable tube 110. That is, the second fixing member 310 is inserted from the outside to the inside of the rotatable tube 110 so that the tip of the second fixing member 310 does not penetrate into the inside of the tube assembly 100, and the second fixing member 310 comes into contact with the rotatable tube 110 to increase in temperature to a level corresponding to that of the rotatable tube 110. Here, the second fixing member 310 can be made of the same material as the first fixing member 210, which can reduce the manufacturing cost.

[0052] The second temperature sensor 320 is built into the tip of the second fixing member 310 and detects the temperature of the rotating tube 110 by measuring the temperature of the second fixing member 310. Meanwhile, as the second temperature sensor 320, the same sensor as the first temperature sensor 220 can be provided.

[0053] The second coupling member 330 is coupled to an end portion of the second fixing member 310 to fix the second fixing member 310 to the rotatable tube 110. That is, the second coupling member has the second fixing member 310 inserted therein and is coupled to the rotatable tube 110 at its outer side to fix the second fixing member 310 to the rotatable tube 110. Meanwhile, the second coupling member 330 may be welded to the rotatable tube 110 for sealing and fixing force.

[0054] The auxiliary temperature measuring unit 300 having such a structure can directly measure the temperature of the rotatable tube 110, thereby obtaining an accurate temperature of the rotatable tube 110. In particular, the auxiliary temperature measuring unit 300 includes the second fixing member 310 and the second connecting member 330, thereby stably protecting and fixing the second temperature sensor 320.

[0055] A plurality of the temperature measuring units 200 and the auxiliary temperature measuring units 300 can be provided at set intervals in the longitudinal direction of the rotating tube 110. This makes it possible to directly measure the temperatures of the raw material powder and the rotating tube 110 at set intervals of the rotating tube 110, thereby making it possible to easily perform quality control.

[0056] Therefore, the rotary kiln of the first embodiment of the present invention, by including the temperature measurement unit 200 and the auxiliary temperature measurement unit 300, can accurately measure the temperature of the raw material powder and the rotating tube 110, thereby effectively controlling the temperature of the raw material powder, and as a result, the quality of the raw material powder can be easily controlled.

[0057] Meanwhile, the rotary kiln according to the first embodiment of the present invention may further include a receiving unit 400, an inspection unit 500, a control unit 600, and a display unit 700 for temperature control.

[0058] FIG. 5 is a diagram showing a display unit 700 that displays a state in which the temperature is controlled by the receiving unit 400, the inspection unit 500, and the control unit 600 of the rotary kiln according to the first embodiment of the present invention.

[0059] Receiving section The receiving unit 400 is provided at one end of the rotating tube 110 and receives the temperature of the raw material powder measured by the temperature measuring unit 200 and the temperature of the rotating tube 110 measured by the auxiliary temperature measuring unit 300 .

[0060] A temperature measurement assembly is configured that includes a temperature measurement portion and an auxiliary temperature measurement portion. That is, as shown in Fig. 5, a plurality of temperature measuring assemblies are provided in the longitudinal direction of the rotating tube 110, and the receiving unit 400 receives the temperatures of the raw material powder and the rotating tube 110 measured by the plurality of temperature measuring assemblies, respectively. This allows the temperatures of the raw material powder and the rotating tube 110 to be displayed in real time through a first display window 710 shown in Fig. 5.

[0061] Inspection Department The inspection unit 500 maintains a normal signal when the temperature of the raw powder and the temperature of the rotating tube 110 received by the receiving unit 400 are within a set input value, and generates a failure signal when the temperature is lower or higher than the set input value.

[0062] In particular, when any one of the temperatures of the plurality of raw material powders and the temperature of the rotating tube 110 is lower or higher than a set input value, the inspection unit 500 generates a failure signal at a corresponding position. This is done by lighting up or changing the color of the temperature measuring unit 200 or auxiliary temperature measuring unit 300 in which a failure signal is generated in the first display window 710 shown in FIG.

[0063] Control Unit When a failure signal is generated by the inspection unit 500, the control unit 600 adjusts the heating temperature of the rotating tube 110 so that the heating temperature of the raw material powder and the heating temperature of the rotating tube 110 are within the set values.

[0064] That is, referring to FIG. 5, the control unit 600 adjusts the temperature of the rotating tube 110 by raising or lowering the temperature of the heating element 120 arranged in the longitudinal direction of the rotating tube 110, and the raw material powder is heated by the temperature-adjusted rotating tube 110, thereby adjusting the temperature of the raw material powder. Meanwhile, the second display window 720 shown in FIG. 5 displays the current temperature of the heating element 120 and the corrected temperature of the heating element 120 controlled by the control unit 600 .

[0065] Display section As shown in FIG. 5, the display unit 700 includes a first display window 710 and a second display window 720 .

[0066] The first display window 710 displays the temperature (P) of the raw powder received by the receiving unit 400 and the temperature (T) of the rotating tube 110 . The second display window 720 displays the current temperature (F) of the heating element 120 that heats the rotating tube 110 and the corrected temperature (R) of the heating element 120 controlled by the control unit 600 .

[0067] This allows the display unit 700 to display the current temperature state of the rotary kiln in real time, so that the operator can easily check whether there is a defect or not, and in particular, the location where the defect has occurred can be accurately confirmed.

[0068] FIG. 6 is a cross-sectional view showing an insulation body for a rotary kiln according to the first embodiment of the present invention. Meanwhile, the rotary kiln according to the first embodiment of the present invention includes a heat insulator 240 having heat insulating properties between the temperature measuring unit 200 and the rotating tube 110 as shown in FIG.

[0069] That is, the heat insulator 240 has a structure for blocking heat conduction between the temperature measuring unit 200 and the rotating tube 110 . For example, the heat insulator 240 is provided between the first fixing member of the temperature measuring unit 200 and the rotating tube 110. More precisely, the heat insulator 240 may be provided in a form surrounding the outer circumferential surface of the first fixing member that contacts the rotating tube 110. Also, the heat insulator 240 may be provided in a hole and a surface of the rotating tube through which the temperature measuring unit 200 passes or contacts.

[0070] As a result, the insulator 240 can block thermal conduction between the temperature measurement unit 200 and the rotating tube 110, and as a result, the temperature measurement unit 200 can accurately measure the temperature of the raw material powder through the insulator 240. Alternatively, the insulation 240 may be made of fiberglass.

[0071] [Operation method of a rotary kiln according to the first embodiment of the present invention] Hereinafter, the operation of the rotary kiln according to the first embodiment of the present invention will be described.

[0072] First, the rotating tube 110 is heated to a set temperature via the heating element 120 of the tube assembly 100. At the same time, the rotating tube 110 is rotated.

[0073] When the rotating tube 110 reaches a set temperature, raw material powder is fed into the rotating tube 110 via the feeding assembly 10. The raw material powder is then rotated by the rotating tube 110 and simultaneously heated and sintered.

[0074] At this time, the temperature measuring unit directly measures the temperature of the raw material powder and the temperature of the rotating tube 110, and the measured temperatures of the raw material powder and the rotating tube 110 are displayed in real time in the first display window 710 of the display unit 700. Of course, the current temperature of the heating element 120 is displayed in real time in the second display window 720 of the display unit 700.

[0075] Here, the inspection unit 500 outputs a failure signal when the temperature of the raw material powder and the temperature of the rotating tube 110 received by the receiving unit 400 are lower or higher than the set input value. This can be displayed through the first display window 710 of the display unit 700.

[0076] Next, when a failure signal is output by the inspection unit 500, the control unit 600 adjusts the current temperature of the heating element 120 so that the temperature of the raw material powder and the temperature of the rotating tube 110 are within the set input values. At this time, the adjusted temperature of the heating element 120 is displayed in the second display window 720 of the display unit 700.

[0077] As described above, the temperature measurement assembly can maintain a uniform temperature of the raw powder mixed and heated by the rotating tube, so that the quality can be effectively controlled. After that, the raw powder that has completed the sintering process is collected through the collection assembly 20.

[0078] In the following description of other embodiments of the present invention, components having the same functions as those in the above-described embodiment are given the same reference numerals, and duplicated descriptions are omitted.

[0079] [Rotary kiln according to the second embodiment of the present invention] FIG. 7 is a cross-sectional view showing a rotary kiln according to a second embodiment of the present invention, FIG. 8 is a side cross-sectional view showing a schematic view of a rotary kiln according to a second embodiment of the present invention, FIG. 9 is a cross-sectional view showing a tube assembly and a temperature measuring unit of a rotary kiln according to a second embodiment of the present invention, FIG. 10 is a partially cross-sectional oblique view of FIG. 9, FIG. 11 is a front view of a connecting piece according to a second embodiment of the present invention, and FIG. 12 is a front view of a fixing piece according to a second embodiment of the present invention.

[0080] As shown in FIG. 7, a rotary kiln according to a second embodiment of the present invention is for firing raw material powder, and includes a tube assembly 100, a supply assembly 10 that supplies raw material powder 1 to the tube assembly, and a recovery assembly 20 that recovers the raw material powder 1 discharged from the tube assembly.

[0081] As shown in FIG. 7, the rotary kiln according to the second embodiment of the present invention further includes a temperature measuring unit 200′ that measures the temperature distribution in the inner radial direction of the rotating tube and detects the filling amount of the raw material powder 1 charged into the tube assembly 100. On the other hand, the raw material powder 1 may be a mixture of a precursor for producing a positive electrode active material and a lithium raw material.

[0082] Tube Assembly The tube assembly 100 is for rotating and heating the raw material powder 1 at the same time, and includes a rotating tube 110 and a heating element 120 . Here, since the rotating tube 110 and the heating element 120 have been described in detail in the first embodiment, a detailed description thereof will be omitted here.

[0083] Meanwhile, the tube assembly 100 further includes an agitating member 111 that is installed inside the rotating tube 110 and agitates the raw material powder 1 introduced into the rotating tube 110. The agitating member 111 includes a screw agitating piece 111a formed along the inner circumferential surface of the rotating tube 110 and a linear agitating piece 111b formed along the length direction of the rotating tube 110. That is, the rotating tube includes a stirring member.

[0084] Supply Assembly The feed assembly 10 is structured for feeding raw powder 1 into a rotating tube 110 .

[0085] Recovery Assembly The recovery assembly 20 has a structure for recovering the raw material powder 1 discharged from the rotating tube 110 . Here, since the supply assembly and the collection assembly have been described in detail in the first embodiment, detailed description thereof will be omitted here.

[0086] Meanwhile, the rotary kiln according to the second embodiment of the present invention includes a temperature measuring unit 200' for accurately detecting the amount of the raw material powder 1 charged inside the rotary tube 110.

[0087] Temperature measurement part The temperature measurement unit 200' includes a plurality of first temperature sensors 220' that detect the temperature distribution in the inner radial direction of the rotating tube 110. The plurality of first temperature sensors 220' are arranged in the inner radial direction of the rotating tube 110 and detect the temperature distribution by measuring the temperature of the raw material powder 1 introduced into the rotating tube 110 and the temperature of the space where the raw material powder 1 is not present.

[0088] That is, the plurality of first temperature sensors 220 ′ can detect the amount of the raw material powder 1 charged into the rotating tube 110 based on the temperature distribution in the radial direction of the inner circumference of the rotating tube 110 .

[0089] In particular, the plurality of first temperature sensors 220′ are configured as temperature assemblies, and a plurality of temperature assemblies may be provided in the longitudinal direction of the rotating tube 110. This allows the amount of raw material powder 1 charged into the entire rotating tube 110 to be accurately detected.

[0090] Meanwhile, the first temperature sensor 220' may be a thermocouple for detecting the temperature of the raw material powder 1. In the thermocouple, when two kinds of metals are combined and the temperatures at both ends of the junction are different from each other, a current flows between the two metals. The temperature difference between the two junctions can be known from this current. The temperature of the rotating tube 110 can be measured by using this thermoelectric phenomenon. Meanwhile, examples of the thermocouple include a platinum-platinum-rhodium thermocouple, a chromel-alumel thermocouple, an iron-constantan thermocouple, and a copper-constantan thermocouple.

[0091] In this manner, the plurality of first temperature sensors 220' can detect the temperature distribution in the radial direction of the inner circumference of the rotating tube 110, and detect the height to which the raw material powder 1 is filled.

[0092] Meanwhile, the temperature measuring unit 200 ′ includes a first fixing member 210 ′ that fixes a plurality of first temperature sensors 220 ′ to be disposed in the radial direction of the inner circumference of the rotating tube 110 .

[0093] The first fixing member 210 ′ is for fixing a plurality of first temperature sensors 220 ′, as shown in FIGS. 9 and 10, and includes a pair of horizontal portions 211 and a vertical bar 222 .

[0094] The pair of horizontal portions 211 have the same structure, are correspondingly disposed inside the rotating tube 110, and are provided to extend in the length direction of the rotating tube 110.

[0095] Here, the horizontal portion 211 is provided with a plurality of horizontal bars 2211 and one or more connecting pieces 2212 that connect the plurality of horizontal bars 2211 in the longitudinal direction, thereby making it possible to easily assemble the horizontal portion 211 to correspond to the length of the rotating tube 110.

[0096] That is, a pair of horizontal portions 211 can connect the corresponding horizontal rods 2211 in the longitudinal direction by fitting the corresponding horizontal rods 2211 into the sockets provided on both ends of the connecting piece 2212.

[0097] The vertical bar 222 is for disposing a plurality of first temperature sensors 220' in the radial direction of the inner circumference of the rotatable tube 110, and is disposed in the radial direction of the inner circumference of the rotatable tube 110 with both ends fixed to a pair of horizontal portions 211, and the plurality of first temperature sensors 220' are disposed at set intervals along the length direction. That is, the plurality of first temperature sensors 220' are disposed in the radial direction of the inner circumference of the rotatable tube 110 by the vertical bar 222.

[0098] 11, one end of the vertical bar 222 is connected and fixed to an inner socket 2212a of a connecting piece 2212 provided on one horizontal part 211, and the other end is connected to an outer socket 2212b of a connecting piece 2212 provided on the other horizontal part 211. This can improve the connection between the vertical bar 222 and the horizontal part 211.

[0099] 12, the vertical bar 222 may be provided with a fixing piece 2221 for fixing the plurality of first temperature sensors 220' so as not to move. For example, the fixing piece 2221 may be a metal band that is wound around the outer periphery of the first temperature sensors 220' arranged on the vertical bar 222 to fix the first temperature sensors 220'. In particular, the metal band can easily fix the first temperature sensors 220' to the vertical bar 222 and can also be easily separated. As a result, ease of maintenance is achieved.

[0100] The first fixing member 210' may further include an auxiliary vertical bar 223 provided between the outer circumferential surface of the connecting piece 2212 and the inner circumferential surface of the rotating tube 110. Here, the auxiliary vertical bar 223 is located on the same vertical line as the vertical bar 222. In particular, a first temperature sensor 220' for detecting the raw material powder 1 between the outer circumferential surface of the connecting piece 2212 and the inner circumferential surface of the rotating tube 110 may be further provided on the auxiliary vertical bar 223. As a result, the temperature of the raw material powder 1 filled on the outer circumferential surface of the connecting piece 2212 and the inner circumferential surface of the rotating tube 110 may be measured.

[0101] The auxiliary vertical bar 223 may be provided with a fixing piece 2221 for fixing the first temperature sensor 220' so as not to move. The fixing piece 2221 may be a metal band that is wrapped around the outer periphery of the first temperature sensor 220' disposed on the auxiliary vertical bar 223 and fixes the first temperature sensor 220'.

[0102] The first fixing member 210' may further include a bracket 225 that connects and fixes the pair of horizontal portions 211 to the agitating member 111 provided on the rotating tube 110. One end of the bracket 225 is connected to the agitating member 111 with a bolt, and the horizontal bar 2211 of the horizontal portion 211 is fitted into the other end. This allows the first fixing member 210' to be stably fixed inside the rotating tube 110.

[0103] A heat insulator 240 is included between the first fixing member 210′ ​​and the rotating tube 110. That is, the heat insulator 240 is provided between the first fixing member and the rotating tube, and blocks heat from being transferred from the rotating tube to the first fixing member.

[0104] In this manner, the first fixing member 210 ′ can fix the plurality of first temperature sensors 220 ′ so that they are stably arranged in the radial direction of the inner circumference of the rotatable tube 110 .

[0105] The temperature measuring unit 200′ may further include a detection member 250. The detection member 250 detects the amount of the raw material powder 1 charged into the rotating tube 110 based on the temperature distribution in the inner radial direction of the rotating tube 110 detected by a plurality of first temperature sensors 220′.

[0106] That is, referring to FIG. 14, the detection member 250 detects the first temperature sensors 220' that detect the temperature of the raw material powder 1 while the multiple first temperature sensors 220' are positioned in the radial direction of the rotating tube 110, selects the input filling amount data corresponding to the number of the detected first temperature sensors 220', and calculates the filling amount of the raw material powder 1. Meanwhile, the inputted filling amount data is a filling amount calculated by the operator according to the diameter of the rotatable tube 110 and the position of the first temperature sensor 220'.

[0107] The detection member 250 integrates the loading amounts calculated from the multiple temperature assemblies arranged along the length of the rotating tube 110 to calculate the loading amount of the raw material powder 1 in the entire rotating tube 110 .

[0108] For example, referring to FIG. 14, if the temperature detected by first temperature sensors 220' Nos. 1 to 3 is 450°C and the temperature detected by first temperature sensors 220' Nos. 4 to 5 is 300°C, the detection member 250 will select the filling amount of 10% corresponding to the three first temperature sensors 220' from the input filling amount data and calculate the filling amount.

[0109] The temperature measuring unit 200' may further include a control member 260. The control member 260 controls the amount of raw powder 1 fed into the rotating tube 110 to be adjusted when the amount of the powder raw material detected by the detection member 250 is less or more than a preset amount of the powder raw material.

[0110] That is, when the amount of raw powder 1 charged into the rotating tube 110 is less than the set amount of raw powder, the control member 260 controls the supply assembly 10 to increase the amount of raw powder 1 charged. Conversely, when the amount of raw powder 1 charged into the rotating tube 110 is more than the set amount of raw powder, the control member 260 controls the supply assembly 10 to decrease the amount of raw powder 1 charged. In this manner, the amount of raw powder 1 charged into the rotating tube 110 can be kept constant.

[0111] FIG. 15 is a cross-sectional view showing another embodiment of the rotary kiln according to the first embodiment of the present invention. As shown in FIG. 15, the vertical bar 222 is provided with a fixing piece 2221 for fixing a plurality of first temperature sensors 220', and the fixing piece 2221 has a coupling groove formed in the vertical bar 222 so that the first temperature sensors 220' are fitted into it.

[0112] That is, by fitting the first temperature sensor into the coupling groove formed in the vertical bar 222, it is possible to improve the work efficiency and simplify the structure. In particular, since the fixing force of the fixing pieces 2221 can be increased, the phenomenon in which the plurality of first temperature sensors disposed on the vertical bar 222 move when the rotating tube 110 rotates can be prevented.

[0113] Therefore, the rotary kiln according to the second embodiment of the present invention, by including a temperature measurement unit 200', can detect the temperature distribution in the inner radial direction of the rotating tube 110, thereby making it possible to accurately detect the amount of raw material powder 1 filled in the rotating tube 110 in real time, and as a result, it is possible to control the amount of raw material powder 1 filled in the rotating tube 110 to be constant. Hereinafter, a method for detecting a filling amount using a rotary kiln according to a first embodiment of the present invention will be described.

[0114] [Method for detecting the filling volume of a rotary kiln according to a second embodiment of the present invention] FIG. 13 is a flowchart showing a method for detecting the filling volume of a rotary kiln according to a second embodiment of the present invention, and FIG. 14 is a process diagram showing a method for detecting the filling volume of a rotary kiln according to the second embodiment of the present invention.

[0115] Referring to FIG. 13, a method for detecting the filling level of a rotary kiln according to a second embodiment of the present invention includes the steps of (a) rotating raw material powder 1 fed through a horizontally arranged rotating tube 110 and heating the raw material powder 1 rotated by the rotating tube 110, and (b) detecting a temperature distribution in the inner radial direction of the rotating tube 110 using a plurality of first temperature sensors 220' provided in a temperature measurement unit 200'.

[0116] Meanwhile, the method for detecting the filling volume of a rotary kiln according to the second embodiment of the present invention uses a tube assembly 100, a temperature measurement unit 200', a supply assembly 10, and a recovery assembly 20, and as the tube assembly 100, the temperature measurement unit 200', the supply assembly 10, and the recovery assembly 20 have been described above, detailed explanations will be omitted.

[0117] (a) Step In step (a), the rotatable tube 110 of the tube assembly 100 is rotated in a horizontal direction, and then the rotatable tube 110 is heated to a set temperature via the heating element 120 of the tube assembly 100. Next, when the rotatable tube 110 is heated to the set temperature, the raw material powder 1 is fed into the rotatable tube 110 using the supply assembly 10. Then, the raw material powder 1 is heated as it rotates due to the heated rotatable tube 110, and is stirred and mixed by the stirring member 111 provided inside the rotatable tube 110.

[0118] (b) Step Step (b) includes a process of detecting a temperature distribution in the inner radial direction of the rotating tube 110 using a plurality of first temperature sensors 220' provided in a temperature measurement unit 200'. That is, the plurality of first temperature sensors 220' are arranged in the inner radial direction of the rotating tube 110, and detect the temperature distribution by measuring the temperature of the raw material powder 1 introduced into the rotating tube 110 and the temperature of a space where the raw material powder 1 is not present.

[0119] 14, five first temperature sensors 220' are arranged in the radial direction of the inner circumference of the rotating tube 110. That is, the first, second, and third first temperature sensors 220' from the bottom end are arranged so as to be in contact with the raw material powder 1, and the fourth and fifth first temperature sensors 220' are arranged in a space where no raw material powder 1 exists. In this way, the five first temperature sensors 220' measure the temperature of the raw material powder 1 put into the rotating tube 110 (the first temperature sensors No. 1, No. 2, and No. 3 listed in the table of FIG. 14) and the temperature of the space where no raw material powder 1 exists (the first temperature sensors No. 4 and No. 5 listed in the table of FIG. 14), thereby detecting the temperature distribution.

[0120] Step (b) includes a process of calculating the filling amount of the raw material powder 1 filled in the rotating tube 110 based on the temperature distribution detected by the multiple first temperature sensors 220' using the detection member 250 of the temperature measurement unit 200'. That is, the detection member 250 detects the first temperature sensors 220' that detect the temperature of the raw material powder 1 while positioned in the radial direction of the rotating tube 110, selects the input filling amount data corresponding to the number of the detected first temperature sensors 220', and calculates the filling amount of the raw material powder 1.

[0121] 14, the detection member 250 selects the input filling amount data corresponding to the three first temperature sensors 220', i.e., the first temperature sensors 220' no. 1, 2, and 3, and calculates 10%, which is the filling amount of raw material powder 1. Here, the input filling amount data is input after being calculated by the operator.

[0122] Step (b) further includes a process of adjusting the amount of raw powder 1 fed into the rotating tube 110 using the control member 260 of the temperature measuring unit 200'. That is, the control member 260 controls the amount of raw powder 1 fed into the rotating tube 110 to be adjusted when the filling amount of the powder raw material calculated by the detection member 250 is less or more than the preset filling amount of the powder raw material.

[0123] Therefore, the method for detecting the filling volume of a rotary kiln according to the first embodiment of the present invention can detect the filling volume of the raw material powder 1 filled in the rotating tube 110 in real time, and can adjust the amount of raw material powder 1 being fed.

[0124] [Rotary kiln according to the third embodiment of the present invention] FIG. 16 is a cross-sectional view showing a rotary kiln according to a third embodiment of the present invention, FIG. 17 is a partial cross-sectional view showing the connection structure of an agitator assembly and a tube assembly in a rotary kiln according to a third embodiment of the present invention, FIG. 18 is an oblique view showing an agitator assembly of a rotary kiln according to a third embodiment of the present invention, FIG. 19 is an assembly diagram showing an agitator assembly of a rotary kiln according to a third embodiment of the present invention, FIG. 20 is an oblique view showing a first example of an agitator section included in the agitator assembly, FIG. 21 is an oblique view showing a second example of an agitator section included in the agitator assembly, FIG. 22 is an oblique view showing a third example of an agitator section included in the agitator assembly, and FIG. 23 is an enlarged cross-sectional view showing the connection state of the tube assembly and the agitator assembly.

[0125] As shown in FIG. 16, a rotary kiln according to a third embodiment of the present invention is for firing raw material powder, and includes a tube assembly 100 including a rotating tube 110 and a heating element 120, a supply assembly 10, and a recovery assembly 20.

[0126] Tube Assembly The tube assembly 100 is configured to rotate in a horizontally disposed state and mix raw material powders. That is, the tube assembly 100 includes a rotating tube 110, which has a dual structure including an outer metal material and an inner metal material provided inside the outer metal material. Meanwhile, since the tube assembly has been described in detail in the first embodiment, a detailed description thereof will be omitted here.

[0127] Supply Assembly The feed assembly 10 has a structure for feeding the feed powder to the tube assembly.

[0128] Recovery Assembly The recovery assembly 20 has a structure for recovering the raw material powder discharged from the tube assembly 100 . Here, since the supply assembly and the collection assembly have been described in detail in the first embodiment, detailed description thereof will be omitted here.

[0129] The rotary kiln according to the third embodiment of the present invention includes an agitator assembly 50 for agitating raw powder rotated by a rotating tube 110 of a tube assembly 100.

[0130] In particular, the agitator assembly 50 can be detachably mounted inside the rotating tube 110. In other words, the agitator assembly 50 can be fixedly coupled to the rotating tube 110, and can be released so as to be separated from the rotating tube 110. This allows agitator assemblies 50 of various sizes, shapes, and lengths to be replaced according to structural changes of the equipment, thereby greatly improving work efficiency and reducing downtime.

[0131] The agitator assembly will now be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. The stirring assembly is for stirring the raw material powder rotated by the tube assembly to diffuse heat well or to mix uniformly.

[0132] Mixing Assembly As shown in Figures 17 to 19, the stirring assembly 50 includes a stirring unit 510 that is provided inside the rotating tube and stirs the raw material powder rotated by the rotating tube, and a connecting unit 520 that is connected to the stirring unit 510 and is detachably connected to one end of the rotating tube 110 (the right end of the rotating tube in Figure 17).

[0133] The stirring unit 510 includes one or more stirring pieces 511 for stirring the raw material powder. The stirring pieces 511 include two or more rotors 5111 provided at a set interval, and stirring rods 5112 for connecting the corresponding rotors 5111 to each other and stirring the raw material powder rotated by the rotating tube 110.

[0134] The rotor 5111 has the same ring shape as the inner circumferential surface of the rotating tube, and is smaller than the inner circumferential surface of the rotating tube. That is, as shown in FIG. 17, when the coupling part 520 is coupled to the rotating tube, the rotor 5111 is disposed in a state of being suspended in the air inside the rotating tube. As a result, the outer circumferential surface of the rotor 5111 and the inner circumferential surface of the rotating tube 110 can be spaced apart at the same interval, and as a result, the stirring rod 5112 and the rotating tube 110 can be maintained at a constant interval, and uniform stirring can be maintained. In particular, contact between the rotor 5111 and the rotating tube 110 can be prevented.

[0135] The stirring rods 5112 have a rod shape and connect the corresponding rotors 5111 to each other. That is, both ends of the stirring rods 5112 can be coupled to the corresponding rotors 5111, respectively, to connect the corresponding rotors 5111 to each other. In particular, two or more stirring rods 5112 are provided, and the two or more stirring rods 5112 are arranged at equal intervals along the edge of the rotors 5111.

[0136] Stirring rod 5112 and rotor 5111 can be provided so as to be connectable or separable by connecting means 5113. For example, a bolt can be provided as connecting means 5113. That is, when the bolt is tightened, stirring rod 5112 and rotor 5111 can be connected, and when the bolt is loosened, stirring rod 5112 and rotor 5111 can be separated. As a result, maintenance is easy and stirring unit 510 can be assembled in various forms.

[0137] As a first example, as shown in Fig. 20, two rotors 5111 and two short stirring rods 5112 can be connected to assemble the stirring unit 510. That is, referring to Fig. 20, the stirring unit 510 can be assembled with a shorter length in the left-right direction. This is because, when there is not much space inside the rotating tube 110, the stirring unit 510 can be assembled with a shorter length.

[0138] As a second example, as shown in Fig. 21, two rotors 5111 and two long stirring rods 5112 can be connected to assemble the stirring unit 510. That is, referring to Fig. 21, it is possible to assemble the stirring unit 510 that is longer in the left-right direction. This allows the number of stirring units 510 arranged inside the rotating tube 110 to be significantly reduced.

[0139] 22, a stirring unit 510 can be assembled by connecting two rotors 5111 and four stirring rods 5112. When the stirring unit 510 assembled in this manner is applied to the rotating tube 110, the stirring performance of the raw material powder can be significantly improved.

[0140] The coupling part 520 is for coupling the stirring part 510 to the rotating tube. In particular, the coupling part 520 can detachably couple the stirring part 510 to the rotating tube 110 to increase efficiency.

[0141] That is, the connecting portion 520 includes a ring-shaped support piece 521 that is supported on one end of the rotating tube 110 and to which the stirring portion 510 is connected, and a fixing means 522 that can connect or detach the support piece 521 to one end of the rotating tube 110.

[0142] Here, by fixing the rotor 5111 arranged on the outermost side of the stirring section 510 to the connecting section 520, the stirring section 510 and the connecting section 520 can be fixed together.

[0143] The fixing means 522 may be a fixing bolt that passes through the support piece 521 and is fastened to one end of the rotating tube 110 . That is, when the fixing bolt is tightened, the connecting part 520 can fix the support piece 521 to the rotatable tube 110, and as a result, the stirring part 510 fixed to the connecting part 520 can be fixed so as not to move inside the rotatable tube 110. On the other hand, when the fixing bolt is loosened, the support piece 521 can be separated from the rotatable tube 110, and as a result, the stirring part 510 can be separated from the inside of the rotatable tube 110 together with the connecting part 520.

[0144] The agitator assembly having such a structure can be fixed to or separated from the rotating tube 110. In other words, agitator assemblies of various specifications can be used by connecting them to the rotating tube 110 in accordance with changes in the structure of the equipment. As a result, it is possible to easily change the structure and significantly reduce downtime.

[0145] When two or more stirring pieces 511 are provided, the stirring unit 510 may further include an auxiliary stirring bar 512 that connects the corresponding stirring pieces 511 and stirs the raw material powder located between the corresponding stirring pieces 511. Here, at least two or more auxiliary stirring bars 512 may be provided. Thus, the auxiliary stirring bar 512 can connect two or more, preferably three or more, stirring units 510 in the length direction, thereby improving usability.

[0146] The auxiliary stirring rod 512 can be provided so as to be connectable or detachable by a connecting means 5113. For example, a bolt can be provided as the connecting means 5113. That is, when the bolt is tightened or loosened, the auxiliary stirring rod 512 can be connected to the stirring part 510, or the auxiliary stirring rod 512 can be separated from the stirring part 510.

[0147] In particular, when viewed from one end of the rotating tube 110, the auxiliary stirring rod 512 may be disposed offset from the stirring rod 5112. That is, referring to Fig. 17, when the stirring rod 5112 is connected to the upper and lower parts of the rotor 5111, the auxiliary stirring rods may be connected to the left and right parts of the rotor 5111. This can increase the strength of the stirring assembly and can increase the stirring performance by generating a time difference when stirring the raw material powder.

[0148] The stirring rod 5112 and the auxiliary stirring rod 512 may have the same thickness, which allows them to be used interchangeably. Of course, the stirring rod 5112 and the auxiliary stirring rod 512 may have the same length. As a result, the auxiliary stirring rod 512 may be used instead of the stirring rod 5112, and the stirring rod 5112 may be used instead of the auxiliary stirring rod 512.

[0149] Therefore, since the rotary kiln according to the third embodiment of the present invention includes an agitator assembly that is detachably coupled to the inside of the rotating tube 110, when the process conditions change, the agitator assembly provided on the rotating tube 110 can be easily replaced, thereby facilitating changes to the structure of the equipment and, as a result, significantly reducing downtime.

[0150] FIG. 24 is a cross-sectional view showing another embodiment of a rotary kiln according to the third embodiment of the present invention, FIG. 25 is a cross-sectional view taken along line AA shown in FIG. 24, and FIG. 26 is a cross-sectional view taken along line BB shown in FIG. 25.

[0151] 24 to 26, the stirring part 510 includes a fixing piece 513, and when two or more stirring pieces 511 are provided, the fixing piece 513 fixes the stirring piece 511 arranged on the outermost side based on the support piece 521 to the inner circumferential surface of the rotating tube 110. This makes it possible to prevent the stirring part 510 from moving when the rotating tube 110 rotates.

[0152] That is, the fixed piece 513 fixes the stirring piece 511, which is positioned in a cantilever shape inside the rotating tube 110, to the inner surface of the rotating tube 110, thereby preventing the stirring assembly from moving freely when the rotating tube 110 rotates, and as a result, the raw material powder can be stirred stably.

[0153] As an example, the fixed piece 513 is disposed at least in two or more places between the stirring piece 511 and the inner circumferential surface of the rotating tube 110, and fixes the stirring piece 511 to the inner circumferential surface of the rotating tube 110. In particular, the fixed piece 513 can be disposed between the stirring piece 511 disposed at the outermost position based on the support piece 521 and the inner circumferential surface of the rotating tube 110.

[0154] One end of the fixed piece 513 may be coupled to the stirring piece 511 disposed at the outermost position based on the support piece 521, and the other end may be supported on the inner circumferential surface of the rotating tube 110. That is, the fixed piece 513 may be provided integrally with the calibration part, thereby improving the convenience of use.

[0155] The fixed piece 513 can be integrally connected to the stirring piece 511 via a bolt or adhesive. In particular, when the fixed piece 513 is connected via a bolt 513a as shown in Fig. 12, the fixed piece 513 can be easily replaced when damaged, thereby improving ease of maintenance. On the other hand, when the fixed piece is made of a metal material, the fixed piece can be connected to the stirring piece via welding.

[0156] [Rotary kiln according to the fourth embodiment of the present invention] A rotary kiln according to a fourth embodiment of the present invention is characterized in that it includes a rotating tube made of a composite metal. That is, the rotating tube is made of a composite metal in which different metals are fused and integrated, and thus the bonding strength of the different metals can be significantly improved. In particular, the use of a composite metal allows the thickness of the metal located inside or outside to be effectively adjusted and applied. For example, the thickness of the metal located inside the rotating tube can be minimized.

[0157] FIG. 27 is a perspective view showing a tube assembly of a rotary kiln according to a fourth embodiment of the present invention, and FIG. 28 is a cross-sectional view of FIG. A rotary kiln according to a fourth embodiment of the present invention includes a tube assembly 100 provided with a rotating tube 110 and a heating element 120, as shown in Figs.

[0158] The rotating tube 110 has a structure that rotates in a horizontal direction and mixes raw material powders. That is, the rotating tube 110 has a double structure including an outer metal material 1111 and an inner metal material 1112 provided inside the outer metal material 1111.

[0159] Here, the rotating tube 110 may have a clad metal structure in which different kinds of metal materials are fused together. That is, the conventional rotating tube has a structure in which two metal tubes are fitted together, but the rotating tube 110 of the present invention has a clad metal structure in which different metal materials are fused together, and as a result, the bonding strength can be significantly increased.

[0160] As an example, the rotating tube 110 of the present invention is manufactured by disposing two metal materials having a plate shape, fusing them together to manufacture a composite metal, and bending the composite metal into a tube shape.

[0161] In other words, the rotating tube 110 includes an internal metal material 1112 located on the inside and an external metal material 1111 located on the outside, and the internal metal material 1112 and the external metal material 1111 may have a clad metal structure integrated together by fusion.

[0162] On the other hand, composite metals are made by fusing dissimilar metals together by soldering or hot pressing, which can improve the bondability and durability of the fused dissimilar metals.

[0163] In particular, composite metals are made by pressing and fusing metals (non-ferrous metals) together, rather than plating or coating them, so that the metals can penetrate each other while destroying their structures and stabilizing the structures themselves, thereby significantly increasing the bonding strength between the metals.

[0164] Therefore, the rotary kiln according to the fourth embodiment of the present invention can improve the connectivity by including the rotary tube 110 made of a clad metal in which different kinds of metal materials are fused and integrated.

[0165] Meanwhile, the different metals for manufacturing the rotating tube 110 may be made of a metal material and a non-ferrous metal material, where the outer metal material may be made of a non-ferrous metal material.

[0166] In particular, the inner metal material 1112 located inside the rotating tube 110 may be made of a nickel (Ni) material, and the outer metal material 1111 located outside the rotating tube 110 may be made of a stainless steel material.

[0167] Thus, the rotating tube 110 includes an inner metal substance 1112 made of a nickel material and an outer metal substance 1111 made of a stainless steel material, thereby preventing contamination of the raw material powder and increasing the strength of the rotating tube.

[0168] The inner metal material may have a thickness thinner than that of the outer metal material. That is, since the inner metal material is a part that comes into contact with the raw powder and serves to prevent contamination of the raw powder, the thickness can be minimized to reduce costs. In addition, since the outer metal material rotates in contact with the rotating member and the supporting member, it is formed thicker than the inner metal material to prevent wear and damage.

[0169] The inner metal material 1112 may have a thickness of 1 to 3 mm. If the inner metal material 1112 has a thickness of 1 mm or less, deformation and damage of the inner metal material may occur when the inner metal material and the outer metal material are pressed together. If the inner metal material 1112 has a thickness of 3 mm or more, nickel (Ni) material is unnecessarily used in large amounts, which may significantly increase costs. Therefore, the inner metal material 1112 is set to a thickness of 1 to 3 mm to prevent problems and increases in costs.

[0170] Therefore, the rotary kiln according to the fourth embodiment of the present invention includes a rotary tube 110 made of a clad metal in which different metal materials are fused together to form an integrated structure, thereby improving connectivity and manufacturing efficiency.

[0171] A method for producing the rotating tube will be described below. FIG. 29 is a process diagram showing a fusion step, FIG. 30 is a process diagram showing a bending step, and FIG. 31 is a process diagram showing another embodiment of the bending step.

[0172] The manufacturing method of the rotary tube includes a welding process, a bending process, and a sealing process. In the fusion process, different kinds of metal materials are fused together by hot pressure to produce an integrated composite metal plate, as shown in Fig. 29. As an example, a metal material 112A and a non-ferrous metal material 111A are prepared as different kinds of metal materials.

[0173] Here, the metal material 112A may be made of a nickel material, and the non-ferrous metal material 111A may be made of a stainless steel material. The metal material 112A and the non-ferrous metal material 111A thus prepared are pressed together using a rolling roller 30. Then, the metal material 112A and the non-ferrous metal material 111A are fused together, and the composite metal plate 2 can be manufactured. Meanwhile, the metal material 112A and the non-ferrous metal material 111A penetrate each other while destroying their structures when fused together, and the structures themselves can be stabilized.

[0174] In the fusion process, the inner metal material of the rotating tube 110 has a thickness smaller than that of the outer metal material, and in particular, the inner metal material has a thickness of 1 to 3 mm. When the fusion process is completed in this manner, a composite metal plate 2 in which different types of metal materials are integrated can be manufactured.

[0175] In the bending process, the composite metal plate 2 is bent to manufacture a cylindrical rotating tube 110. At this time, the metal material is bent so as to be located inside and the non-ferrous metal material is located outside. That is, referring to Fig. 28, an inner metal material 1112 located inside the rotating tube may be made of nickel (Ni) material, and an outer metal material 1111, which is a non-ferrous metal material located outside the rotating tube, may be made of stainless steel material.

[0176] 30, an unfinished rotatable tube 110A is manufactured by bending a composite metal plate 2 into a spiral coil shape through trimming equipment 40. Next, the unfinished rotatable tube 110A is cut to a set size. As the second embodiment, as shown in FIG. 31, an unfinished rotatable tube 110A is manufactured by bending a composite metal plate 2 into an O-shape using a press (not shown).

[0177] In the sealing step, the portions where the ends of the unfinished rotatable tube 110A come into contact with each other or the corresponding portions are sealed by welding, etc. Then, the finished rotatable tube 110 as shown in FIG.

[0178] Therefore, the finished rotating tube 110 is made of a clad metal in which different metal materials are integrated, which results in improved bonding and minimizes the thickness of the inner metal material.

[0179] FIG. 32 is a cross-sectional view showing another embodiment of the rotary kiln according to the fourth embodiment of the present invention. As shown in Fig. 32, a rotary kiln according to a fourth embodiment of the present invention includes a rotary tube 110, which is made of a clad metal in which different metal materials are integrated. The different metal materials include an inner metal material 1112 and an outer metal material 1111. Here, the rotating tube 110 is formed with an inlet portion through which raw material powder is introduced and a discharge portion through which the raw material powder is discharged.

[0180] After being fed into the rotating tube 110, the density and weight of the raw material powder increase as the heat treatment temperature increases. That is, the raw material powder located at the discharge portion has a higher density and weight than the raw material powder located at the inlet portion, which causes a problem of deformation, wear, and damage to the internal metal material 1112 provided at the discharge portion of the rotating tube 110. In other words, the deformation, wear, and damage of the internal metal material occurs more at the discharge portion than at the inlet portion of the rotating tube.

[0181] In order to solve the above problem, the inner metal material 1112 may be provided so that its thickness gradually increases from the inlet portion (the left end portion of the rotating tube in FIG. 32) to the outlet portion (the right end portion of the rotating tube in FIG. 32) of the rotating tube 110. That is, the thickness (β) of the inner metal material 1112 located at the outlet portion of the rotating tube may be greater than the thickness (α) of the inner metal material 1112 located at the inlet portion of the rotating tube 110. As a result, even if the internal metal material located at the discharge portion of the rotating tube 110 is changed, worn, or broken, the shape can be stably maintained.

[0182] FIG. 33 is a cross-sectional view showing still another embodiment of the rotary kiln according to the fourth embodiment of the present invention. The inner metal material 1112 may be provided so that its thickness gradually increases from the inlet portion (the left end portion of the rotating tube in FIG. 22) to the outlet portion (the right end portion of the rotating tube in FIG. 22) of the rotating tube 110. That is, the thickness (β) of the inner metal material 1112 located at the outlet portion of the rotating tube 110 may be greater than the thickness (α) of the inner metal material 1112 located at the inlet portion of the rotating tube 110.

[0183] Here, the outer metal material 1111 may be provided so that its thickness gradually increases from the outlet of the rotating tube 110 (the right end of the rotating tube in FIG. 33) to the inlet of the rotating tube 110 (the left end of the rotating tube in FIG. 33). That is, the thickness (A) of the outer metal material located at the inlet of the rotating tube may be greater than the thickness (B) of the outer metal material located at the outlet of the rotating tube.

[0184] For example, in the outer metal material, the thickness of A is set to 4 mm, the thickness of B is set to 3 mm, and in the inner metal material, the thickness of β is set to 1 mm, and the thickness of α is set to 2 mm. The outer metal material and the inner metal material set in this way are fused to manufacture the rotating tube 110 made of a composite metal. As a result, the thickness of the inlet part of the rotating tube becomes 5 mm, and the thickness of the outlet part becomes 5 mm. This allows the inlet and outlet portions of the rotating tube to have the same thickness, and allows the thickness of the inner metal material located at the outlet portion to be increased.

[0185] The scope of the present invention is defined by the claims set forth below rather than the above detailed description, and various embodiments are possible within the meaning and scope of the claims and their equivalent concepts. [Explanation of symbols]

[0186] 1: Raw material powder 2: Composite metal plate 10: Supply assembly 20: Recovery Assembly 30: Roller 40: Trimming equipment 50: Stirring assembly 100: Tube assembly 110: Rotating tube 111: Stirring member 111a: Screw stirring piece 111b: Straight stirring piece 1111: External metallic substance 1112: Internal metallic substance 120: Heating element 200, 200': Temperature measurement section 210, 210': first fixing member 211:Horizontal part 2211: Horizontal bar 2212: Connecting piece 2212a: inner socket 2212b: Outer socket 222: Vertical bar 2221: Fixed piece 223: Auxiliary vertical bar 214: Fixed piece 215: Bracket 220, 220': first temperature sensor 230: First connecting member 231: 1st joint piece 232:Second connecting piece 2321:Outer part 2322: Inner part 233: Pressure piece 240: Insulation 250: Detection member 260: Control member 300: Auxiliary temperature measurement section 310: Second fixing member 320: Second temperature sensor 330: Second connecting member 400: Receiver 500: Inspection Department 510: Mixing section 511: Stirring piece 5111: Rotating body 5112: Stirring rod 5113:Coupling means 512: Auxiliary stirring rod 513: Fixed piece 520:Joining part 521: Support piece 522: Fixing means 600: Control unit 700: Display section 710: First display window 720: Second display window

Claims

1. a tube assembly including a rotating tube that rotates in a horizontally disposed state to rotate and heat the raw material powder; a temperature measuring unit provided on the rotating tube; Including, The temperature measuring unit is A first temperature sensor; a first fixing member that fixes the first temperature sensor to the rotating tube; a heat insulator provided between the first fixing member and the rotatable tube to insulate the heat of the rotatable tube from being conducted to the first temperature sensor; Including, rotary kilns.

2. The rotary kiln according to claim 1 , wherein the first temperature sensor is provided inside the rotating tube and measures a temperature of the raw material powder.

3. The rotary kiln according to claim 1 , wherein the first temperature sensor measures a temperature distribution in an inner radial direction of the rotating tube.

4. The rotary kiln according to claim 2 , wherein the first fixing member is provided in a form surrounding the first temperature sensor.

5. The first temperature sensor is provided in plurality, The first fixing member is a pair of horizontal portions disposed inside the rotating tube and extending in a longitudinal direction of the rotating tube; 4. The rotary kiln according to claim 3, further comprising: a vertical rod having both ends fixed to a pair of horizontal portions, and a plurality of first temperature sensors provided at predetermined intervals in the radial direction of the inner circumference of the rotating tube.

6. The temperature measuring unit is 3. The rotary kiln of claim 2, further comprising a first coupling member securing said first stationary member to said rotatable tube.

7. The first connecting member is a first connecting piece provided inside the rotating tube and connected to a tip end of the first fixing member; a second connecting piece having an outer portion provided on the outer side of the rotating tube and an inner portion provided between the first fixing member and the thermal insulator, the inner portion having a tip fastened to the first connecting piece; The rotary kiln of claim 6, further comprising a pressure piece disposed between the first connecting piece and the second connecting piece, the pressure piece deforming when the first connecting piece and the second connecting piece are fastened to apply pressure to the first fixing member.

8. The rotary kiln is further comprising an auxiliary temperature measuring unit for directly measuring the temperature of the rotating tube; The auxiliary temperature measuring unit is a second temperature sensor that is inserted into an outer surface of the rotating tube and does not penetrate into an interior of the tube assembly to measure a temperature of the rotating tube; The rotary kiln according to claim 1 , further comprising: a second fixing member for fixing the second temperature sensor to the rotating tube.

9. The rotary kiln is a receiving unit that receives the temperature measured by the temperature measuring unit and the temperature measured by the auxiliary temperature measuring unit; The rotary kiln according to claim 8, further comprising an inspection unit which generates a fault signal when the temperature of the temperature measuring unit and the temperature of the auxiliary temperature measuring unit received by the receiving unit are lower or higher than a preset input value.

10. The rotary kiln is The rotary kiln according to claim 9, further comprising a control unit that controls the heating temperature of the rotating tube when a failure signal is generated by the inspection unit, and adjusts the temperature of the temperature measuring unit and the temperature of the auxiliary temperature measuring unit so that they are within a preset input value.

11. 4. The rotary kiln according to claim 3, wherein a plurality of first temperature sensors are arranged in a radial direction of the inner circumference of the rotating tube and detect a temperature distribution by measuring the temperature of the raw material powder fed into the rotating tube and the temperature of a space where no raw material powder is present.

12. The temperature measuring unit is a detection member that detects a filling amount of the raw material powder introduced into the rotating tube based on a temperature distribution in an inner radial direction of the rotating tube detected by a plurality of first temperature sensors, The rotary kiln of claim 11, wherein the detection member detects first temperature sensors that detect the temperature of the raw material powder while a plurality of first temperature sensors are positioned in the radial direction of the rotating tube, and selects input filling amount data corresponding to the number of detected first temperature sensors to calculate the filling amount of the raw material powder.

13. The rotary kiln is The rotating tube further includes a stirring assembly for stirring the raw material powder rotated by the rotating tube, The stirring assembly includes: a stirring unit that stirs the raw material powder rotated by the rotating tube; a coupling portion for coupling the stirring portion to one end of the rotating tube, The coupling portion is a ring-shaped support piece supported at one end of the rotating tube and to which the stirring unit is connected; 2. The rotary kiln of claim 1, further comprising: fastening means for releasably connecting said support piece to one end of said rotating tube.

14. The stirring unit includes: The mixing device includes one or more stirring pieces for stirring the raw material powder, The stirring piece is Two or more rotating bodies provided at a preset interval; The rotary kiln according to claim 13, further comprising a stirring rod that connects the corresponding rotors to each other and stirs the raw material powder rotated by the rotating tube.

15. The rotary kiln according to claim 14, wherein the rotating body has a diameter smaller than a diameter of the inner peripheral surface of the rotating tube so as not to be supported by the inner peripheral surface of the rotating tube.

16. The rotary kiln according to claim 14, wherein when two stirring pieces are provided, the stirring section further includes an auxiliary stirring bar that connects the corresponding stirring pieces and stirs the raw material powder located between the corresponding stirring pieces.

17. 2. The rotary kiln according to claim 1, wherein the rotating tube is made of a clad metal in which different metals are fused together.

18. 18. The rotary kiln of claim 17, wherein the dissimilar metallic materials comprise a metallic material and a non-ferrous metallic material.

19. the dissimilar metals include an inner metal material located inside the rotating tube and an outer metal material located outside the rotating tube; 20. The rotary kiln of claim 17, wherein the inner metal material has a lesser thickness than the outer metal material.

20. The rotating tube is provided with an inlet through which raw material powder is introduced and a discharge portion through which the raw material powder is discharged, 20. The rotary kiln according to claim 19, wherein the inner metal material is provided so that the thickness gradually increases from the inlet portion to the discharge portion of the rotary tube.

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