Vertical type cathode material baking equipment for secondary batteries

Abstract

The vertical type cathode material sintering apparatus according to the present invention includes a plurality of refractory boxes, each of which has an open top and a through slit for gas flow on its bottom surface, in which the cathode material is loaded, and a plurality of unit sintering furnaces, each of which has an open top and is stacked vertically to receive each of the refractory boxes.

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a vertical type positive electrode material baking apparatus for secondary batteries. [Background technology]

[0002] Currently, the Roller Hearth Kiln (hereinafter referred to as "RHK") method is favored in the firing process of cathode materials, as it is suitable for small-lot production of a wide variety of products under various operating conditions based on its high temperature precision and internal gas atmosphere control capabilities.

[0003] In the manufacturing process of cathode active materials using the RHK method, a sagger containing raw material powder is sintered in a sintering furnace at a temperature set according to the characteristics of the raw materials.

[0004] In the firing process for producing a positive electrode of a lithium secondary battery, water vapor, carbon dioxide, etc. are generated. In particular, carbon dioxide has a larger molecular weight than oxygen or air used to adjust the atmosphere in the firing furnace, and is therefore less likely to be released to the outside.

[0005] In this way, the carbon dioxide remaining in the fireproof case undergoes a chemical reaction with the lithium oxide on the surface of the positive electrode active material during the temperature drop process to generate lithium carbonate. This residual lithium carbonate can reduce the dispersibility of the slurry in the positive electrode active material coating process, or can cause a decrease in battery capacity when the battery is finally manufactured.

[0006] Therefore, in the firing process, a method that can facilitate the discharge of carbon dioxide and reduce the amount of residual lithium carbonate acts as an important factor in improving the final battery characteristics.

[0007] For this reason, in the firing furnace for lithium-ion secondary battery cathode materials, in order to effectively exhaust the gases (CO2 or H2O) generated during the firing process, air is supplied from the side in addition to the bottom or top of the furnace.

[0008] In particular, when refractory boxes are stacked in multiple layers and pass through the kiln, carbon dioxide (CO2) gas generated from the lower layers is not sufficiently discharged and remains in the middle between the upper layers, increasing the partial pressure of carbon dioxide, which results in an increase in the amount of residual lithium carbonate in the final product.

[0009] To prevent this, in addition to supplying air from the bottom or top of the kiln, air is supplied from the side into the space between the refractory boxes to forcibly expel or diffuse the stagnant carbon dioxide.

[0010] However, in conventional RHK, the fluid flowing inside the firing furnace flows into the refractory case to supply the reactive gas (O2) required by the cathode material during the firing process, and the gas generated from the firing reaction (H2O or CO2) is more likely to flow into the empty space around the refractory case than to be discharged to the outside.

[0011] This space is inevitably created not only by the rollers for moving the refractory box, but also by the heater structures installed at the top and bottom inside the kiln in order to fully utilize the radiant heat transfer to the refractory box.

[0012] Meanwhile, in the firing furnace, partition walls are installed at regular intervals to separate zones for temperature control in the heating section and the cooling section. In this case, the cross-sectional area passing through the firing furnace is smaller than the internal cross-sectional area, and the cross-sectional area ratio of the side window of the refractory casing is relatively large. As a result, a larger flow rate flows into the refractory casing, accelerating the firing reaction.

[0013] However, in the case of the temperature maintaining section where the gas concentration inside the refractory box has an important effect on the firing reaction, a partition is usually not provided for the sake of thermal efficiency, and as a result, the ratio of the amount of oil contributing to the firing reaction to the amount of supply air becomes very low, and the amount of gas supplied and the energy cost for heating the gas become large. Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0014] The present invention provides a vertical cathode material sintering apparatus for secondary batteries that can solve the structural stability problem that occurs in high-layer refractory sacks and the loss of gas supplied to the inside of the sintering furnace.

[0015] The present invention provides a vertical-type cathode material baking device for secondary batteries, which has one unit baking furnace per refractory sack, and stacks the refractory sacks and cathode materials vertically inside the unit baking furnace, and then moves the unit baking furnace itself from top to bottom (or bottom to top), repeating the cycle of heating, maintaining temperature, cooling, and moving. [Means for solving the problem]

[0016] A vertical-type cathode material baking apparatus for a secondary battery according to an embodiment of the present invention may include a plurality of refractory boxes, each of which has an open top and a through-type slit for gas flow on a bottom surface, in which the cathode material is loaded, for baking the cathode material by moving it vertically.

[0017] The vertical cathode material sintering apparatus may include a plurality of unit sintering furnaces each having an open top, stacked vertically, receiving the respective refractory cases, and moving in the opposite direction to the gas flow.

[0018] The unit kiln may include a body made of refractory material, with an opening for gas flow on the lower surface and a storage space for receiving each refractory box, and a heater provided on one surface of or inside the body for heating the refractory box.

[0019] A heat insulating material for retaining heat generated by the heater may be installed on the outer surface of the main body.

[0020] A case for covering the outer surface of the thermal insulation material may be installed on the outer surface of the thermal insulation material.

[0021] A support structure for supporting the main body and the thermal insulation material may be provided on the outer surface of the case.

[0022] A sealant may be installed on the upper surface of the case to prevent gas leakage between the unit kiln and the adjacent unit kiln.

[0023] The main body may be provided with a temperature sensor for measuring the internal temperature of the main body, and a transmission device for transmitting the measured value measured by the temperature sensor to the outside.

[0024] A lower stopper structure for supporting a unit kiln located at an upper stage of a lowermost unit kiln among the plurality of unit kilns may be installed on the outer side of the unit kiln.

[0025] A lower support structure for supporting the entire lower part of the plurality of unit kilns may be installed at a lower part of the lowest unit kiln among the plurality of unit kilns.

[0026] A gas exhaust structure for collecting exhaust gas and discharging it to the outside may be installed on an upper portion of the uppermost unit kiln among the plurality of unit kilns.

[0027] A gas supply structure for supplying gas may be installed at a lower portion of the lowest unit kiln among the plurality of unit kilns.

[0028] A cathode material to be sintered is placed in a refractory box housed in a topmost unit sintering furnace among a plurality of unit sintering furnaces;

[0029] The fired positive electrode material can be discharged from a refractory sack housed in the unit firing furnace at the lowest stage among a plurality of unit firing furnaces.

[0030] The unit firing furnace may include a positive electrode material extracting and charging device for extracting the fired positive electrode material loaded in the refractory box inside the lowest unit firing furnace among the plurality of unit firing furnaces and charging new positive electrode material to be fired.

[0031] The bottom surface of the body may be provided with a step on which the fireproof box is received and placed.

[0032] A hook groove can be disposed on the upper stage of the main body, and a hook protrusion for hooking into the hook groove can be disposed on the outside of the upper stage of the fireproof box. Effect of the Invention

[0033] According to an embodiment of the present invention, the cathode material is charged and discharged in a vertical direction, and gas is supplied in a direction opposite to the direction of movement of the cathode material, so that the temperature profile and gas atmosphere required for firing can be formed more efficiently.

[0034] This not only enables a dramatic reduction in the amount of gas used compared to the same amount of sintered cathode material, but also allows the sintering reaction to proceed more effectively, overcoming the limitations on increasing RHK production volume (temperature, air intake and exhaust) and ensuring price competitiveness through innovative improvements in sintering productivity (assuming quality is ensured, including residual lithium control).

[0035] In particular, a sufficient amount of gas is supplied to the cathode material inside the refractory casing to promote the firing reaction, and the reaction gas generated during the firing reaction is sufficiently discharged to promote the firing reaction.

[0036] In the case of the vertical firing furnace of the present invention, most of the gas that passes through the slits on the bottom of the fireproof casing and flows into the fireproof casing passes around the cathode material and participates in the firing reaction. The reactive gas generated by the cathode material can also be sufficiently discharged, making the window in the fireproof casing unnecessary. Ultimately, a much larger amount of cathode material can be charged than in the RHK, which is effective in increasing production volume.

[0037] In the case of the vertical firing furnace of the present invention, the fireproof sack and the cathode material are directly heated by the heater inside the unit firing furnace surrounding the fireproof sack, so that the power ratio can be reduced by reducing unnecessary fireproof materials and heat insulating materials.

[0038] Furthermore, the amount of gas supplied to the vertical firing furnace of the present invention is reduced, so the power ratio for heating it is also reduced, which contributes to a reduction in the overall power ratio. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0039] [Figure 1] 1 is a schematic partial perspective view of a unit firing furnace of a vertical type positive electrode material firing apparatus for a secondary battery according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Diagram 2] 1 is a schematic partial cross-sectional view of a unit firing furnace of a vertical type positive electrode material firing apparatus for a secondary battery according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Diagram 3] 1 is a schematic partial cross-sectional view showing a stacking structure of a unit firing furnace of a vertical type positive electrode material firing apparatus for a secondary battery according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 4] 2 is a schematic partial cross-sectional view illustrating an internal gas passage state of a unit firing furnace of a vertical type cathode material firing apparatus for a secondary battery according to an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. [Diagram 5] FIG. 1 is a schematic cross-sectional view for explaining an operating process of a vertical cathode material baking apparatus for a secondary battery according to one embodiment of the present invention, in which (a) is an operating state, (b) is a moving state of a lower support structure, (c) is a state of collecting and loading cathode material, (d) is a moving state of an upper gas exhaust structure and a lower structure, and (e) is a state of returning to an operating state. [Figure 6] 1A and 1B show a fixing form of a unit firing furnace and a refractory casing of a vertical type cathode material firing apparatus for a secondary battery according to one embodiment of the present invention, in which (a) shows a case where a hanging step is provided in the unit firing furnace, and (b) shows a case where a hanging groove is provided in the unit firing furnace and a hanging protrusion is provided on the refractory casing. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0040] Hereinafter, the present invention will be described with reference to the accompanying drawings so that those skilled in the art can easily carry out the present invention. As will be easily understood by those skilled in the art, the following embodiments may be modified in various ways without departing from the concept and scope of the present invention. Wherever possible, the same or similar parts are indicated by the same reference numerals in the drawings.

[0041] The terminology used below is merely for the purpose of referring to specific embodiments and is not intended to limit the present invention. As used herein, the singular forms include the plural forms unless the phrases clearly indicate otherwise. The meaning of "comprising" as used in the specification embodies certain properties, regions, integers, steps, operations, elements, components and / or components, and does not exclude the presence or addition of other specific properties, regions, integers, steps, operations, elements, components and / or groups.

[0042] All terms, including technical and scientific terms, used below have the same meaning as commonly understood by a person of ordinary skill in the art to which the present invention belongs. Dictionary-defined terms are to be interpreted in addition to having a meaning consistent with the relevant technical literature and the present disclosure, and are not to be interpreted as ideal or very formal meanings unless otherwise defined.

[0043] FIG. 1 is a schematic partial perspective view of a unit furnace of a vertical-type positive electrode material firing apparatus for a secondary battery according to one embodiment of the present invention, and FIG. 2 is a schematic partial cross-sectional view of a unit furnace of a vertical-type positive electrode material firing apparatus for a secondary battery according to one embodiment of the present invention.

[0044] FIG. 3 is a schematic partial cross-sectional view showing a stacking structure of a unit firing furnace of a vertical-type cathode material firing apparatus for a secondary battery according to one embodiment of the present invention, and FIG. 4 is a schematic partial cross-sectional view for explaining an internal gas passage state of the unit firing furnace of a vertical-type cathode material firing apparatus for a secondary battery according to one embodiment of the present invention.

[0045] FIG. 5 is a schematic cross-sectional view illustrating an operation process of a vertical type secondary battery positive electrode material sintering apparatus according to one embodiment of the present invention.

[0046] 1 to 5, a vertical-type secondary battery positive electrode material baking apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention vertically moves and bakes a positive electrode material (20) of a secondary battery, and includes one unit baking furnace (100) for each refractory box (10) on which the positive electrode material (20) is loaded.

[0047] Then, after the refractory box (10) and the cathode material (20) are received inside the unit firing furnace (100), multiple units are stacked vertically, and each unit firing furnace (10) itself moves from top to bottom or bottom to top, repeating the process of heating-maintaining temperature-cooling-moving to fire the cathode material (20).

[0048] The unit kiln (100) may be configured such that materials are input from the top, moved to the bottom, and discharged to the bottom, or materials are input from the bottom, moved to the top, and discharged to the top.

[0049] The vertical type positive electrode material sintering apparatus for secondary batteries may include a plurality of refractory boxes (10) and a plurality of unit sintering furnaces (100).

[0050] The plurality of fireproof boxes (10) each have an open top and a through slit (11) for gas flow on the bottom surface, and the positive electrode material (20) can be loaded inside.

[0051] In addition, the multiple unit kilns (100) are each open at the top, stacked vertically (Y direction in Figure 3), and each refractory box (10) is received therein and can be moved in the opposite direction to the gas flow.

[0052] The unit kiln (100) is made of refractory material and has an opening (101) for gas flow at the center of the lower surface, a main body (110) having a storage space for receiving each refractory box (10), and a heater (120) installed on the surface or inside the main body (110) for heating the refractory box (10) to a set temperature so as to supply heat to the periphery of the refractory box (10).

[0053] The form in which the fireproof box (10) is received and fixed in the storage space of the main body (110) may include a step (111) that is disposed outside the opening (101) of the main body (110) and on which the fireproof box (10) is received and placed on the main body, as shown in FIG. 6(a).

[0054] Also, as shown in FIG. 6(b), a hook groove (113) may be provided on the upper portion of the main body (110), and a hook protrusion (13) may be provided on the upper portion of the fireproof box (10) extending outward to hook into the hook groove (113).

[0055] Depending on the manner in which the body (110) and the refractory box (10) are stored and fixed, the sealing position may vary depending on the weight of the body (110) and the refractory box (10).

[0056] Although the heater (120) is shown in Figures 2 and 3 as being built into the inside of the body (110), this is not limited to this and it is of course possible for the heater (120) to be installed on one side of the body (110).

[0057] The unit kiln (100) may include a heat insulating material (130) installed on the outer surface of the body (110) for retaining heat generated by the heater (120).

[0058] In addition, the unit kiln (100) may include a case (140) that is installed on the outer surface of the heat insulating material (130) and encloses and covers the outer surface of the heat insulating material (130).

[0059] In this case, the case (140) may be formed in a U-shape so as to enclose the upper surface, the lower surface and the outer surface of the heat insulating material (130).

[0060] A support structure (not shown) for supporting the body (110) and the heat insulating material (130) may be installed on the outer surface of the case (140) so as to protrude outward from the case (140).

[0061] In addition, a sealant (160) for preventing gas leakage between one unit kiln (100) and another unit kiln (100) adjacent thereto may be installed on the upper surface of the case (140).

[0062] A power controller (not shown) for controlling the power of the heater 120 may be built into the body 110 .

[0063] The main body (110) may be provided with a temperature sensor (not shown) for measuring the internal temperature of the main body (110) and a transmission device (not shown) for transmitting the measured value measured by the temperature sensor to the outside.

[0064] A lower stopper structure (200) for supporting the unit kiln (100) located at the upper part of the lowermost unit kiln (100) among the plurality of unit kilns (100) may be installed on the outside of the unit kiln (100).

[0065] In addition, a lower support structure (300) for supporting the entirety of the plurality of unit furnaces (100) of the vertical type cathode material firing apparatus during normal operation may be installed under the lower part of the lowest unit furnace (100) among the plurality of unit furnaces (100).

[0066] That is, the lower support structure (300) may be provided with a lower drive unit (not shown) capable of supporting the weight of a single unit kiln (100) to be stacked in total and moving up and down by a height set by the upper loading and lower unloading of the unit kiln (100).

[0067] A lower sealant (161) for preventing gas leakage may be installed between the upper part of the lower support structure (300) and the lower part of the lowest unit kiln (100) among the plurality of unit kilns (100).

[0068] An upper gas exhaust structure (400) may be installed at the top of the uppermost unit kiln (100) among the plurality of unit kilns (100) to collect exhaust gas discharged to the top of the uppermost unit kiln (100) and discharge it to the outside.

[0069] In addition, the upper gas exhaust structure (400) may be provided with an upper drive unit (not shown) for opening the upper gas exhaust structure (400) while a new unit kiln (100) is being inserted above the topmost unit kiln (100) from above the topmost unit kiln (100) among the plurality of unit kilns (100).

[0070] A lower gas supply structure (500) for supplying gas to the lowermost unit kiln (100) may be installed under the lowermost unit kiln (100) among the plurality of unit kilns (100).

[0071] Also, the lower gas supply structure (500) may be integrally formed with the lower support structure (300).

[0072] That is, the lower gas supply structure may be connected to one side of the lower support structure (300) so as to be in communication with the lower support structure (300).

[0073] The lower stopper structure (200) is a structure for supporting the remaining unit kilns (100) while the lowest unit kiln (100) among the plurality of unit kilns (100) is being discharged downward, and may be installed to be connected to a lower support structure (300) provided at the bottom of the lowest unit kiln (100).

[0074] The vertical-type cathode material sintering apparatus may include a unit sintering furnace transfer structure (not shown) for discharging the lowest unit sintering furnace (100) among the plurality of unit sintering furnaces (100) to the lower part and transferring it to the upper part, and for loading the unit sintering furnace (100) onto the uppermost unit sintering furnace (100) among the plurality of unit sintering furnaces (100).

[0075] In addition, the vertical type cathode material firing apparatus may include a cathode material extracting and charging device (600) for extracting the fired cathode material (20) loaded in the refractory box (10) inside the lowest unit firing furnace (100) among the plurality of unit firing furnaces (100) and charging new cathode material (20) to be fired.

[0076] Hereinafter, the operation of the vertical type secondary battery positive electrode material sintering apparatus according to one embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to FIGS.

[0077] First, a plurality of unit firing furnaces (100) are provided and stacked in multiple stages in the vertical direction (Y direction in FIG. 3). A refractory box (10) containing a cathode material (20) is placed inside each unit firing furnace (100).

[0078] In addition, the unit kiln (100) may be inserted from the top, moved to the bottom, and discharged from the bottom, or inserted from the bottom, moved up, and discharged from the top.

[0079] For ease of explanation, the unit kiln (100) will be described as an example in which material is loaded from the top, moved to the bottom, and discharged from the bottom. However, the same method (principle) can be applied to the case in which material is loaded from the bottom, moved to the top, and discharged from the top.

[0080] The case where the unit firing furnace (100) is input from the top and moves to the bottom and discharges from the bottom means that the cathode material (20) is input to the top of the vertical cathode material firing apparatus and discharged from the bottom, and gas is supplied to the bottom of the vertical cathode material firing apparatus to form a gas atmosphere in the unit firing furnace (100) and discharged from the top.

[0081] In addition, the uppermost unit kiln (100) among the plurality of unit kilns (100) may be divided into a temperature-raising section, the lowermost unit kiln (100) among the plurality of unit kilns (100) may be divided into a cooling section, and the unit kiln (100) between the uppermost unit kiln (100) and the lowermost unit kiln (100) may be divided into a temperature-maintenance section.

[0082] While the unit firing furnace (100) is loaded from the top, moved to the bottom, and discharged from the bottom, the temperature is adjusted through the heater (120) installed inside the unit firing furnace (100) according to a set temperature profile, so that the cathode material (20) loaded in the refractory box (10) undergoes a firing reaction according to the set temperature profile.

[0083] The temperature control of the unit kiln (100) will be described below.

[0084] Once the set temperature is determined from the temperature profile according to the vertical position of the unit kiln (100), the heater (120) attached inside the unit kiln (10) (more precisely, inside or on the surface of the refractory material of the main body (110) surrounding the refractory box (10)) is heated to supply the amount of heat required to reach the set temperature.

[0085] Whether the set temperature is reached or not is detected by a temperature sensor (not shown) installed inside the unit kiln (100).

[0086] At this time, power for the heater (120) is supplied from outside the unit firing furnace (100) through a power supply booth bar (not shown) positioned vertically on the side of the vertical type cathode material firing apparatus and a current collector (not shown) installed on the side of the body (110) of the unit firing furnace (100) in a contact or non-contact manner.

[0087] The internal temperature of the unit kiln (100) sensed by the temperature sensor is monitored wirelessly or by wire, and the operation of the heater (120) and the required power amount are calculated to control the unit kiln (100).

[0088] Depending on the overall scale of the vertical cathode material sintering apparatus and the size of the unit sintering furnace (100), the controller of the heater (120) may be installed inside the body (110) of the unit sintering furnace (100) to control the amount of power from outside the unit sintering furnace (100), or the controller of the heater (120) may be installed outside the unit sintering furnace (100) to supply only the necessary power to the heater (120).

[0089] The flow control of the unit kiln (100) will be described below.

[0090] Gas (air or oxygen or other gases determined depending on the type of cathode material) supplied to the vertical cathode material firing apparatus is basically supplied through a lower gas supply structure (500) below the lowest unit firing furnace (100) and through a slit (11) in the bottom of the refractory box (10) of the lowest unit firing furnace (100).

[0091] The gas supplied to the inside of the fireproof box (10) passes around the cathode material (20) inserted inside the fireproof box (10), supplying gas (oxygen) necessary for the firing reaction of the cathode material (20) and expelling exhaust gas generated during the reaction upward, thereby ensuring that the firing reaction proceeds smoothly.

[0092] The gas passing through the inside of the refractory box (10) passes through the lower part of the unit firing furnace (10) located immediately above the unit firing furnace (100) that received the refractory box (10), and through the slits (11) of the refractory box (10) contained in the unit firing furnace (100), and moves continuously upward, supplying gas necessary for the reaction of the vertically stacked positive electrode materials (20) and discharging gas generated by the reaction to the upper part.

[0093] The unit kilns (100) stacked vertically are sealed by a seal (160) installed on the outer periphery of the upper surface of the unit kiln (10), which is pressed by the weight of the unit kiln (100), refractory box (10) and cathode material (20) located at the upper part of the seal (160).

[0094] In the conventional integrated vertical firing furnace, flow loss occurs due to the window of the fireproof casing for inserting a stopper in the space between the fireproof casing and the inner wall, but when the unit firing furnace (100) of the present invention is used, the fireproof casing (10) and the positive electrode material (20) are in close contact with the unit firing furnace (100) due to their own weight, thereby performing a basic flow blocking function.

[0095] Therefore, most of the gas flows through the slits (11) on the bottom surface of the refractory casing (10) and passes through the interior of the refractory casing (10), i.e., around the positive electrode material (20) inserted in the refractory casing (10), thereby facilitating the firing reaction of the positive electrode material (20).

[0096] Hereinafter, an operation process of the vertical type secondary battery positive electrode material sintering apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to FIG.

[0097] In the operating state (stopped state) of the vertical type cathode material firing apparatus of FIG. 5(a), the upper gas exhaust structure (40) covers the upper part of the uppermost unit firing furnace (100) of the plurality of unit firing furnaces (100), and a lower support structure (300) is in close contact with the lower part of the lowermost unit firing furnace (100) of the plurality of unit firing furnaces (100).

[0098] At this time, gas is supplied from the lower gas supply structure (500) to the slits (11) on the bottom surface of the refractory box (10) housed in the lowest unit kiln (100), and the gas discharged from the topmost unit kiln (100) is discharged to the outside of the unit kiln (100) through the upper gas exhaust structure (400).

[0099] In order to extract the sintered positive electrode material from the refractory box (10) of the lowest unit sintering furnace (100) and load new positive electrode material before sintering, the unit sintering furnace (100) located directly above the lowest unit sintering furnace (100) is supported using a lower stopper structure (200) as shown in FIG. 5(b).

[0100] In this state, the lower support structure (300) supporting the lowest unit kiln (100) moves downward by a set distance as shown by the arrow.

[0101] Next, as shown in FIG. 5(c), the lowest unit firing furnace (100) supported by the lower support structure (300) is pushed to the right (X direction in FIG. 5) by a lower pusher (not shown) as shown by the arrow on the lower right side, and the fired positive electrode material (20) in the refractory box (10) housed in the lowest unit firing furnace (100) is then extracted.

[0102] At this time, the upper gas exhaust structure (400) is moved to the upper position for loading the unit firing furnace (100) containing the cathode material (20) to be fired.

[0103] Then, after the fired positive electrode material (20) is collected from the refractory casing (10), the positive electrode material (20) to be fired is placed in the refractory casing (10).

[0104] In this manner, once the cathode material (20) to be sintered is loaded into the refractory box (10), the unit kiln (100) containing the cathode material (20) to be sintered is moved vertically upward as indicated by the arrow in FIG. 5(c) to the right side of the top row of the plurality of unit kilns (100) using a moving device (not shown).

[0105] In addition, the unit firing furnace (100) containing the cathode material (20) to be fired is pushed leftward (in the -X direction in FIG. 5) by an upper pusher (not shown) as shown by the arrow on the upper left side, and positioned as the topmost unit firing furnace (100) among the multiple unit firing furnaces (100) as shown in FIG. 5(d).

[0106] In this manner, when the unit calcination furnace (100) into which the positive electrode material (20) to be calcined is charged is positioned at the topmost level among the plurality of unit calcination furnaces (100), the unit calcination furnace (100) positioned at the upper part of the unit calcination furnace (10) at the bottommost level among the plurality of unit calcination furnaces (100) before the positive electrode material (20) is extracted becomes the unit calcination furnace (100) at the bottommost level among the plurality of unit calcination furnaces (100).

[0107] In addition, when the unit firing furnace (100) containing the cathode material (20) to be fired is positioned at the topmost unit firing furnace (100) among the plurality of unit firing furnaces (100), the upper gas exhaust structure (400) is moved downward toward the upper part of the topmost unit firing furnace (100).

[0108] In addition, the lower support structure (300) is moved upward to the lower part of the lowest unit firing furnace (100) among the plurality of unit firing furnaces (100), and the lower support structure (300) is brought into close contact with the lower part of the lowest unit firing furnace (100) among the plurality of unit firing furnaces (100) as shown in Figure 5 (d).

[0109] In this state, when the lower stopper structure (200) located in the lowest unit kiln (100) among the plurality of unit kilns (100) is moved to its original position as shown in FIG. 5(e), the entire plurality of unit kilns (100) is supported by the lower support structure (300).

[0110] At this time, when the lower support structure (300) is moved downward from its original position, the entirety of the plurality of unit kilns (100) is moved downward and restored to its original operating state.

[0111] Although the present disclosure has been described through preferred embodiments as described above, it will be readily understood by those skilled in the art to which the present invention pertains that the present invention is not limited thereto, and various modifications and variations are possible without departing from the scope of the following claims. [Explanation of symbols]

[0112] 10: Fireproof box 20: Cathode material 100: Unit kiln 110: Main unit 120:Heater 130: Insulation material 200: Lower stopper structure 300: Lower support structure 400: Upper gas exhaust structure 500: Lower gas supply structure

Claims

1. A vertical type positive electrode material baking apparatus for a secondary battery in which a positive electrode material is moved vertically and baked, a plurality of fireproof boxes each having an open top and a through-type slit for gas flow on a bottom surface thereof, the positive electrode material being loaded therein; A plurality of unit kilns, each of which has an open top, are stacked vertically, each of which receives the refractory box, and moves in the opposite direction to the gas flow. A vertical type positive electrode material baking apparatus for a secondary battery comprising:

2. The unit firing furnace comprises: a main body made of a fireproof material, the main body having an opening for gas flow on a lower surface thereof and a storage space for receiving each of the fireproof cases; 2. The vertical type positive electrode material baking apparatus for a secondary battery according to claim 1, further comprising a heater provided on one surface of or inside the body for heating the refractory box.

3. 3. The vertical type positive electrode material baking apparatus for a secondary battery according to claim 2, wherein an insulating material is provided on an outer surface of the main body for retaining heat generated by the heater.

4. 4. The vertical cathode material baking apparatus for a secondary battery according to claim 3, wherein a case for covering an outer surface of the heat insulating material is provided on an outer surface of the heat insulating material.

5. 5. The vertical cathode material sintering apparatus according to claim 4, wherein a support structure for supporting the body and the heat insulating material is provided on an outer surface of the case.

6. 5. The vertical type cathode material sintering apparatus for secondary batteries according to claim 4, wherein a sealant is provided on an upper surface of the case to prevent gas leakage between the unit sintering furnace and an adjacent unit sintering furnace.

7. 3. The vertical cathode material firing apparatus for a secondary battery according to claim 2, wherein the body is provided with a temperature sensor for measuring an internal temperature of the body, and a transmission device for transmitting a measurement value measured by the temperature sensor to an outside.

8. 8. The vertical cathode material sintering apparatus for a secondary battery according to claim 1, wherein a lower stopper structure for supporting the unit sintering furnace located at an upper part of a lowermost unit sintering furnace among the plurality of unit sintering furnaces is provided on an outer side of the unit sintering furnace.

9. 9. The vertical type cathode material sintering apparatus for a secondary battery according to claim 8, wherein a lower support structure for supporting a lower portion of the unit sintering furnaces is provided at a lower portion of the lowermost unit sintering furnace among the plurality of unit sintering furnaces.

10. 9. The vertical type cathode material sintering apparatus for a secondary battery according to claim 8, wherein a gas exhaust structure for collecting exhaust gas and discharging it to the outside is installed on an upper portion of the uppermost unit furnace among the plurality of unit furnaces.

11. 11. The vertical type cathode material sintering apparatus for a secondary battery according to claim 10, wherein a gas supply structure for supplying gas is provided at a lower portion of a lowermost unit furnace among the plurality of unit furnaces.

12. A positive electrode material to be sintered is charged into the refractory box housed in the uppermost unit sintering furnace among the plurality of unit sintering furnaces; 12. The vertical type positive electrode material sintering apparatus for a secondary battery according to claim 11, wherein the sintered positive electrode material is discharged from the refractory sack housed in a unit sintering furnace at a lowermost stage among the plurality of unit sintering furnaces.

13. 13. The vertical type cathode material firing apparatus for a secondary battery according to claim 12, further comprising a cathode material extracting and charging device for extracting the fired cathode material loaded in a refractory box inside a unit firing furnace at a lowermost stage among the plurality of unit firing furnaces and charging a new cathode material to be fired.

14. 3. The vertical type positive electrode material baking apparatus for secondary batteries according to claim 2, wherein a step is provided on a bottom surface of the body for receiving and placing the refractory box.

15. A hook groove is disposed on the upper portion of the main body, 3. The vertical type positive electrode material baking apparatus for a secondary battery according to claim 2, wherein a hook protrusion for hooking into the hook groove is disposed on an outer side of the upper part of the refractory box.

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