Slurry Filtering Equipment

Abstract

The present invention provides a slurry filtering device having improved slurry filtering efficiency. The slurry filtering device according to an embodiment of the present invention includes a housing having a slurry receiving section therein to which a slurry is supplied, a plurality of filters each of which is received in a plurality of divided spaces of the slurry receiving section and configured to filter at least a portion of particles of the slurry, and a slurry transport line connecting the plurality of divided spaces and configured to sequentially supply the slurry to each divided space.

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a slurry filtering device, and more particularly to a slurry filtering device with improved filtering efficiency.

[0002] This application claims priority based on Korean Patent Application No. 10-2022-0043450, filed on April 7, 2022, the entire contents of which are incorporated herein by reference in their entirety in the specification and drawings thereof. [Background technology]

[0003] 2. Description of the Related Art As technological development and demand for mobile devices increases, the demand for secondary batteries as energy sources is rapidly increasing. Such secondary batteries essentially include an electrode assembly, which is a power generating element.

[0004] The electrode assembly may be formed into a predetermined shape by first coating a cathode current collector and an anode current collector with an electrode active material slurry to form a cathode and an anode, and then laminating these on both sides of a separator. The secondary battery may be formed by placing the electrode assembly in a battery case, injecting an electrolyte, and sealing the battery case.

[0005] Meanwhile, the separator constituting the electrode assembly may be formed by applying a coating slurry containing a polymer binder, a dispersant, a heat-resistant filler, etc., to one or both surfaces of a substrate.

[0006] The surface of such a separator can be coated with a coating material having adhesive properties. In this case, the coating material can be a mixture of inorganic particles and a binder polymer. Here, the inorganic particles can improve the thermal stability of the separator. That is, the inorganic particles can prevent the separator from shrinking at high temperatures. Furthermore, the binder polymer can fix the inorganic particles. The coating layer formed on the separator surface by the inorganic particles can have a predetermined pore structure. This pore structure allows ions to smoothly move from the positive electrode to the negative electrode even when the separator is coated with inorganic particles. Furthermore, the binder polymer can stably hold the inorganic particles on the separator and improve the mechanical stability of the separator. Furthermore, the binder polymer can more stably adhere the separator to the electrode (such a coating is called an SRS coating).

[0007] In order to stably produce such a separation membrane, a slurry filtering device is used to remove foreign matter or large particles from the slurry when producing the coating slurry.

[0008] The slurry filtering device requires one filter per housing, and when different types of filters are connected in series, the filter must be replaced and cleaned for each housing, which is inconvenient in terms of workability. Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0009] The present invention has been made to solve the above-mentioned problems, and relates to a slurry filtering device with improved slurry filtering efficiency.

[0010] However, the technical problems that the present invention aims to solve are not limited to the above problems, and other problems not mentioned will be clearly understood by those skilled in the art from the description of the invention provided below. [Means for solving the problem]

[0011] A slurry filtering device according to one embodiment of the present invention includes a housing having a slurry storage section therein to which slurry is supplied, a plurality of filters respectively accommodated in a plurality of partition spaces of the slurry storage section and configured to filter at least a portion of the particles of the slurry, and a slurry transfer line connecting the plurality of partition spaces and configured to sequentially supply the slurry to each partition space.

[0012] Preferably, the plurality of divided spaces can be configured to be sealed off from one another by a plurality of partition walls.

[0013] Preferably, the housing may further include a slurry transfer line receiving portion formed on one side of the slurry receiving portion and configured to receive the slurry transfer line in a space separated from the slurry receiving portion.

[0014] Preferably, the divided space of the slurry storage unit arranged on the outlet side of the slurry transfer line may be configured to be surrounded by another divided space of the slurry storage unit.

[0015] Preferably, the divided space of the slurry storage unit arranged on the outlet side of the slurry transfer line may be configured to be located at the center of the slurry storage unit.

[0016] Preferably, the plurality of filters may be configured to have pore sizes different from each other.

[0017] Preferably, the pore sizes of the plurality of filters may be configured to decrease from the inlet side of the slurry transfer line to the outlet side of the slurry transfer line.

[0018] Preferably, the slurry transfer line may include an inlet line configured to connect the partition spaces of the slurry supply unit and the slurry storage unit located on the inlet side of the slurry transfer line, an outlet line configured to connect the slurry discharge container and a filter located on the outlet side of the slurry transfer line, and a connecting line disposed in the slurry transfer line storage unit and configured to connect the plurality of partition spaces.

[0019] Preferably, the connecting line may be configured to connect a filter accommodated in one divided space to one side of another adjacent divided space.

[0020] Preferably, the slurry filtering device may further include a pressure adjusting unit configured to adjust the pressures in the plurality of divided spaces individually. [Effects of the Invention]

[0021] According to an embodiment of the present invention, by accommodating multiple filters in independent spaces within a limited space and connecting the filters in series to enable sequential filtering of the slurry, it is possible to not only increase the filtering time of the slurry but also improve the efficiency of filtering the slurry.

[0022] Furthermore, according to an embodiment of the present invention, the slurry transfer line and the filter can be located in spaces independent of each other, thereby preventing a reduction in the slurry filtering effect due to interference between the slurry transfer line and the filter.

[0023] Furthermore, embodiments of the present invention not only allow for a large number of filters to be applied within a limited space, but also allow for a more compact structure.

[0024] Furthermore, according to the embodiment of the present invention, by configuring the plurality of filters to have different pore sizes, the durability of the filters can be further improved.

[0025] Furthermore, according to an embodiment of the present invention, filtering of large particles of the slurry can be performed in the divided space of the slurry storage unit arranged on the inlet side of the slurry transfer line where the supply pressure of the slurry is the highest.

[0026] Furthermore, according to an embodiment of the present invention, the pore sizes of the remaining filters, excluding the filter located on the inlet side of the slurry transfer line, can be made relatively small, thereby improving the durability of the filters and reducing the need for filter replacement.

[0027] Furthermore, various other additional effects can be achieved by various embodiments of the present invention. Such various effects of the present invention will be described in detail in each embodiment, or a description of effects that can be easily understood by a person skilled in the art will be omitted.

[0028] The following drawings attached to this specification illustrate preferred embodiments of the present invention and, together with the detailed description of the invention, serve to further understand the technical concepts of the present invention. Therefore, the present invention should not be interpreted as being limited to only the matters described in the drawings. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0029] [Figure 1] 1 illustrates a slurry filtering apparatus according to one embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 2] FIG. 2 is a projection view showing the inside of the slurry filtering device of FIG. 1. [Figure 3] FIG. 3 shows the slurry filtering device of FIG. 2 from above. [Figure 4] FIG. 3 shows the underside of the slurry filtering device of FIG. 2. [Figure 5] 3 is a diagram illustrating an example of a filter provided in the slurry filtering device of FIG. 2. FIG. [Figure 6] FIG. 3 is a diagram simply illustrating a state of slurry filtering inside the slurry filtering device of FIG. 2. [Figure 7]FIG. 3 is a diagram showing a flow path of a slurry inside the slurry filtering device of FIG. 2. [Figure 8] FIG. 10 shows a slurry filtering apparatus according to another embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 9] FIG. 10 is a diagram showing a slurry filtering device according to yet another embodiment of the present invention. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0030] Hereinafter, preferred embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. Prior to this, the terms and phrases used in the specification and claims should not be construed as being limited to their ordinary and dictionary meanings, but should be construed as having meanings and concepts corresponding to the technical ideas of the present invention, in accordance with the principle that the inventors themselves can appropriately define the concepts of terms in order to best describe the invention.

[0031] Therefore, it should be understood that the configurations shown in the embodiments described in this specification are merely the most desirable embodiments of the present invention and do not represent the entire technical idea of ​​the present invention, and that there may be various equivalents and modifications that can be substituted therefor at the time of this application.

[0032] FIG. 1 is a diagram showing a slurry filtering apparatus 10 according to one embodiment of the present invention, FIG. 2 is a projected diagram showing the interior of the slurry filtering apparatus 10 of FIG. 1, FIG. 3 is a diagram showing the top side of the slurry filtering apparatus 10 of FIG. 2, and FIG. 4 is a diagram showing the bottom side of the slurry filtering apparatus 10 of FIG. 2.

[0033] 1-4, a slurry filtering apparatus 10 according to one embodiment of the present invention may include a housing 100, a filter 300, and a slurry transfer line 500.

[0034] The housing 100 may include a slurry receiving portion 110. For example, the housing 100 may be formed in a cylindrical shape, but is not limited thereto.

[0035] A slurry (not shown) may be supplied to the slurry container 110. The slurry may be a coating material to be applied to a substrate. For example, the substrate may be a separator that constitutes an electrode assembly of a secondary battery. However, the slurry is not limited to being applied to a separator.

[0036] Meanwhile, the slurry receiving unit 110 may have a plurality of divided spaces, into which the slurry may be sequentially supplied, and each of the divided spaces may be configured independently.

[0037] The filters 300 may be accommodated in the plurality of divided spaces, respectively, and configured to filter at least a portion of the particles of the slurry. In one embodiment, the filters 300 are cylindrical cartridge filters, but are not limited thereto.

[0038] At least one pore (H) may be formed on the surface of the filter 300. In addition, slurry may flow into the filter 300 through the pore (H).

[0039] Specifically, the slurry supplied to the divided space of the slurry receiving part 110 may flow into the filter 300 through the pores H. In addition, the slurry may contain foreign matter and large particles.

[0040] At this time, the filter 300 can remove foreign matter and large particles from the slurry. Specifically, the foreign matter and large particles in the slurry can pass through the pores H and remain inside the filter 300. For this purpose, a nanofiber filtering material (not shown) can be disposed inside the filter 300.

[0041] In addition, a discharge port (not shown) through which the filtered slurry is discharged may be formed in the filter 300. For example, the discharge port may be formed in at least one of the upper and lower portions of the filter 300.

[0042] Meanwhile, the filter 300 may be configured to filter all or only a portion of the particles of the slurry depending on the characteristics of the substrate. For example, if the coating of the substrate is required to contain foreign matter and large particles, the filter 300 may be configured to filter only a portion of the particles of the slurry.

[0043] The slurry transfer line 500 is connected to the slurry supply unit 30 to receive the slurry, and may discharge the filtered slurry through the slurry filtering device 10 to the slurry discharge vessel 50. At this time, the slurry may be supplied from the slurry supply unit 30 to the slurry transfer line 500 by the pumping force of the supply pump P. In addition, the slurry supply unit 30 and the slurry discharge vessel 50 may be provided in the form of a pressure tank.

[0044] The detailed configuration of the slurry transfer line 500 will be described in more detail in the related description below.

[0045] The slurry transfer line 500 may connect the plurality of partition spaces and may be configured to sequentially supply the slurry to each partition space.

[0046] Specifically, a filter 300 may be accommodated in each of the plurality of partition spaces, and the slurry transfer line 500 may be configured to sequentially supply the slurry to each partition space so that the slurry is filtered by the filter 300 located in each partition space.

[0047] That is, the filters 300 accommodated in the plurality of partition spaces may be connected in series by the slurry transfer line 500 to filter the slurry in sequence. In this case, the outlet of the filter 300 may be connected to the slurry transfer line 500.

[0048] According to this embodiment of the present invention, a plurality of filters 300 are housed in separate spaces within a limited space, and the filters 300 are connected in series to enable sequential filtering of the slurry, thereby increasing the filtering time of the slurry and improving the efficiency of the slurry filtering.

[0049] The housing 100, the filter 300 and the slurry transfer line 500 will be discussed in more detail below.

[0050] Referring again to FIGS. 1 to 4, the plurality of divided spaces may be configured to be sealed off from one another by a plurality of partition walls S.

[0051] This makes it possible to prevent slurry supplied to one partition space from flowing into another adjacent partition space without being filtered by the filter 300.

[0052] Furthermore, the plurality of partition walls S accommodate the filters 300 in independent spaces, thereby enabling the slurry to be filtered sequentially.

[0053] The housing 100 may further include a slurry transfer line receiving portion 130 .

[0054] The slurry transfer line receiving part 130 may be formed on one side (e.g., the bottom) of the slurry receiving part 110 and configured to receive the slurry transfer line 500 in a space separated from the slurry receiving part 110. In this case, the inside of the slurry transfer line receiving part 130 may be formed as an empty space to easily receive the slurry transfer line 500.

[0055] As a result, the slurry transfer line 500 and the filter 300 are located in spaces independent of each other, and it is possible to prevent a decrease in the slurry filtering effect due to interference between the slurry transfer line 500 and the filter 300.

[0056] Referring again to Figures 1 to 4, the divided space of the slurry receiving section 110 arranged on the outlet side of the slurry transfer line 500 may be configured to be surrounded by other divided spaces of the slurry receiving section 110.

[0057] According to this embodiment of the present invention, the slurry is sequentially supplied to each partition space containing the filter 300, and since the partition spaces of the slurry containing section 110 are arranged as described above, not only can a large number of filters 300 be applied within a limited space, but also a more compact structure can be realized.

[0058] In particular, the dividing space of the slurry receiving part 110 disposed on the outlet side of the slurry transfer line 500 may be configured to be located at the center of the slurry receiving part 110 .

[0059] 1 to 4, when the cross section of the housing 100 on the horizontal plane is circular, the divided space of the slurry receiving unit 110 disposed on the outlet side of the slurry transfer line 500 may be formed in a cylindrical shape. In this case, the divided space of the slurry receiving unit 110 formed in a cylindrical shape may be configured to be in close contact with and surrounded by other divided spaces of the slurry receiving unit 110.

[0060] According to this embodiment of the present invention, the outlet of the slurry receiving part 110 can be located at the center of the slurry receiving part 110, so that the size of the housing 100 can be made more compact.

[0061] Figure 5 is a diagram illustrating an example of a filter 300 provided in the slurry filtering device 10 of Figure 2. Here, Figure 5(a) is a diagram illustrating the filter 300 located on the outlet side of the slurry transfer line 500, and Figure 5(b) is a diagram illustrating the filter 300 located on the inlet side of the slurry transfer line 500.

[0062] 1 to 5, the above-mentioned slurry transfer line 500 may be configured to sequentially supply the slurry into each divided space of the slurry receiving part 110.

[0063] On the other hand, the larger the size of the pores H formed in the filter 300, the more effectively the large particles in the slurry can be removed. However, this can cause a problem in that the pores H of the filter 300 are frequently clogged by the large particles, shortening the replacement cycle of the filter 300.

[0064] In an embodiment of the present invention, the sizes of the pores H of the plurality of filters 300 may be configured to be different from each other.

[0065] As described above, since each filter 300 is connected in series and the slurry is supplied to each divided space and each filter 300 in sequence, even if the size of the pores H of each filter 300 is configured to be different, the time required for filtering the slurry and the efficiency of filtering the slurry are not significantly affected.

[0066] In this way, by configuring the pores H of the plurality of filters 300 to have different sizes, the durability of the filters 300 can be further improved.

[0067] Meanwhile, as described above, the slurry may be supplied to the slurry transfer line 500 by the pumping force of the supply pump P. Therefore, the supply pressure of the slurry supplied into each partition space may decrease from the partition space disposed on the inlet side of the slurry transfer line 500 to the partition space disposed on the outlet side of the slurry transfer line 500.

[0068] That is, the supply pressure of the slurry supplied into the partition space arranged on the inlet side of the slurry transfer line 500 may be the highest, and the supply pressure of the slurry supplied into the partition space arranged on the outlet side of the slurry transfer line 500 may be the lowest.

[0069] In an embodiment of the present invention, the size of the pores H of the plurality of filters 300 may be configured to vary from the inlet side of the slurry transfer line 500 to the outlet side of the slurry transfer line 500 .

[0070] More specifically, the size of the pores H of the plurality of filters 300 may be configured to decrease from the inlet side of the slurry transfer line 500 to the outlet side of the slurry transfer line 500 .

[0071] That is, as shown in Fig. 5(a), the size of the pores H of the filter 300 located at the outlet side of the slurry transfer line 500 may be formed to be the smallest, and as shown in Fig. 5(b), the size of the pores H of the filter 300 located at the inlet side of the slurry transfer line 500 may be formed to be the largest.

[0072] According to this embodiment of the present invention, large particles of the slurry can be filtered by the filter 300 in the divided space of the slurry storage unit 110 located on the inlet side of the slurry transfer line 500, where the supply pressure of the slurry is the highest. In addition, the filter 300 can be configured to filter smaller particles of the slurry as it moves toward the divided space of the slurry storage unit 110 located on the outlet side of the slurry transfer line 500.

[0073] In addition, by making the size of the pores H of the remaining filters 300, excluding the filter 300 arranged on the inlet side of the slurry transfer line 500, relatively small, the durability of the filters 300 can be improved and the need to replace the filters 300 can be reduced.

[0074] Fig. 6 is a diagram simply showing the state of slurry filtering inside the slurry filtering device 10 of Fig. 2 (specifically, Fig. 6 is a cross-sectional view taken along the line A-A' in Fig. 2), and Fig. 7 is a diagram showing the flow path of the slurry inside the slurry filtering device 10 of Fig. 2 (specifically, Fig. 7 is a projection of the inside of the slurry filtering device 10 at the bottom of Fig. 2). At this time, the particles of the slurry filtered through the filter 300 in Fig. 6 are indicated by "W" as an example in Fig. 6.

[0075] Referring to FIGS. 1 to 7, the slurry transfer line 500 may include an inlet line 510, an outlet line 530, and a connecting line 550.

[0076] The inlet line 510 may be configured to connect a partition space between the slurry supply unit 30 and the slurry receiving unit 110 located at the inlet side of the slurry transfer line 500 .

[0077] At this time, the above-mentioned supply pump P is connected to the inlet line 510, and the slurry can be supplied from the slurry supply unit 30 to the inlet line 510 by the pumping force of the supply pump P.

[0078] The outlet line 530 may be configured to connect the slurry discharge vessel 50 to the filter 300 located on the outlet side of the slurry transfer line 500 .

[0079] The connecting line 550 may be disposed in the slurry transfer line receiving portion 130 and configured to connect the plurality of divided spaces.

[0080] As shown in FIGS. 6 and 7, the connecting line 550 connecting each partition space is disposed in a space separated from the slurry receiving part 110, so that it is possible to prevent a decrease in the slurry filtering effect due to interference between the connecting line 550 and the filter 300.

[0081] Meanwhile, the connection line 550 may be configured to connect the filter 300 accommodated in one partition space to one side (e.g., the lower side) of another adjacent partition space, and in this case, the connection line 550 may be connected to the outlet of the filter 300 described above.

[0082] 6 and 7, the slurry flowing into the first partition space through the inlet line 510 can be filtered through the first filter 300 accommodated in the first partition space. At this time, particles in the slurry can be filtered by the filter 300 as shown in FIG.

[0083] Then, the slurry filtered through the first filter 300 can be supplied to one side of another adjacent partition space through a first connecting line 550 .

[0084] In this manner, the connection line 550 can connect the filter 300 accommodated in one partition space to one side of the adjacent partition space, thereby facilitating sequential filtering of the slurry through each filter 300 accommodated in the partition spaces.

[0085] FIG. 8 shows a slurry filtering apparatus 12 according to another embodiment of the present invention.

[0086] 8, a slurry filtering apparatus 12 according to another embodiment of the present invention is illustrated. The slurry filtering apparatus 12 according to this embodiment is similar to the slurry filtering apparatus 10 of the above-described embodiment, and therefore, a redundant description of the configuration that is substantially the same as or similar to the above-described embodiment will be omitted, and the following discussion will focus on the differences from the above-described embodiment.

[0087] Referring to FIG. 8, the slurry filtering device 12 may include a housing 100 .

[0088] The housing 100 of the slurry filtering device 12 according to this embodiment may have a cross-sectional shape on a horizontal plane that is not circular but is polygonal.

[0089] For example, the slurry filtering device 12 may have a rectangular cross section on a horizontal plane, as shown in FIG.

[0090] According to the slurry filtering device 12 of this embodiment, the housing 100 can be configured in a variety of shapes depending on the working environment. That is, if there is more space in the working environment, the cross-sectional shape on the horizontal plane can be configured in a variety of ways, and more filters 300 can be arranged inside the housing 100.

[0091] FIG. 9 shows a slurry filtering device 14 according to yet another embodiment of the present invention.

[0092] 9, a slurry filtering device 14 according to another embodiment of the present invention is illustrated. The slurry filtering device 14 according to this embodiment is similar to the slurry filtering device 10 of the above-described embodiment, and therefore, a redundant description of the configuration that is substantially the same as or similar to the above-described embodiment will be omitted, and the following discussion will focus on the differences from the above-described embodiment.

[0093] Referring to FIG. 9, the slurry filtering device 14 may include a pressure adjusting unit 700 .

[0094] In the slurry filtering device 14 according to the present embodiment, the pressure adjusting unit 700 may be configured to individually adjust the pressures in the plurality of divided spaces of the slurry receiving unit 110. As an example, the pressure adjusting unit 700 may be, but is not limited to, a vacuum pump.

[0095] The pressure adjusting unit 700 may be individually connected to each of the divided spaces, thereby changing the filtering efficiency of the filter 300 located in each of the divided spaces.

[0096] According to the slurry filtering device 14 of this embodiment, the filtering efficiency of the filters 300 located in each divided space can be easily adjusted according to the user's requirements.

[0097] As discussed above, according to an embodiment of the present invention, by accommodating multiple filters 300 in separate spaces within a limited space and connecting the filters 300 in series to enable sequential filtering of the slurry, it is possible to not only increase the filtering time of the slurry but also improve the efficiency of filtering the slurry.

[0098] As described above, the present invention has been described using limited embodiments and drawings, but the present invention is not limited thereto, and it goes without saying that various modifications and variations can be made by a person having ordinary knowledge in the technical field to which the present invention pertains within the technical spirit of the present invention and the equivalent scope of the claims described below.

[0099] Meanwhile, although terms indicating directions such as up, down, left, right, front, back, etc. are used in the present invention, it will be obvious to those skilled in the art that these terms are used for convenience of explanation and may change depending on the position of the target object, the position of the observer, etc. [Explanation of symbols]

[0100] 10, 12, 14: Slurry filtering device 30: Slurry supply section P: Supply pump 50: Slurry discharge container 100: Housing 110: Slurry storage section S: Bulkhead 130: Slurry transfer line housing 300: Filter H: Pore 500: Slurry transfer line 510: Entrance line 530: Exit Line 550: Connecting line 700: Pressure adjustment unit

Claims

1. a housing having a slurry storage section therein to which the slurry is supplied; a plurality of filters respectively accommodated in the plurality of divided spaces of the slurry accommodation portion and configured to filter at least a portion of the particles of the slurry; a slurry transfer line connecting the plurality of partition spaces and configured to sequentially supply the slurry to each partition space, A slurry filtering device, characterized in that the divided space of the slurry storage section arranged on the outlet side of the slurry transfer line is configured to be surrounded by other divided spaces of the slurry storage section.

2. The plurality of divided spaces are:

2. The slurry filtering device according to claim 1, wherein the slurry filtering device is configured to be sealed from one another by a plurality of partition walls.

3. The housing includes:

2. The slurry filtering apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising a slurry transfer line receiving unit formed on one side of the slurry receiving unit and configured to receive the slurry transfer line in a space separated from the slurry receiving unit.

4. The divided space of the slurry storage unit arranged on the outlet side of the slurry transfer line is The slurry filtering device according to claim 1, characterized in that it is configured to be located at the center of the slurry storage section.

5. The pore sizes of the plurality of filters are:

5. The slurry filtering device according to claim 1, wherein each of the slurry filtering devices is configured differently from the other.

6. The pore sizes of the plurality of filters are:

6. The slurry filtering device according to claim 5, wherein the slurry flow rate decreases from the inlet side of the slurry transfer line to the outlet side of the slurry transfer line.

7. The slurry transfer line comprises: an inlet line configured to connect a divided space between the slurry supply unit and the slurry storage unit located on the inlet side of the slurry transfer line; an outlet line configured to connect a slurry discharge vessel to a filter located on an outlet side of the slurry transfer line; The slurry filtering device according to claim 3, further comprising: a connecting line disposed in the slurry transfer line accommodating section and configured to connect the plurality of partition spaces.

8. The connecting line is 8. The slurry filtering device according to claim 7, wherein the filter accommodated in one partition space is connected to one side of another adjacent partition space.

9. The slurry filtering device according to claim 1 , further comprising a pressure adjusting unit configured to adjust the pressures in the plurality of divided spaces individually.

Images