Battery activation process facility

Abstract

A battery activation process facility according to the present invention includes: multiple charging / discharging devices for charging or discharging battery cells; a container rack configured to enable the multiple charging / discharging devices to be stacked in multiple stages; a catwalk, as a passage through which workers pass, installed at the upmost end of the container rack; a booth duct positioned at a predetermined height from the uppermost end of the container rack; and a duct support unit which is mounted to the container rack or the catwalk and supports the booth duct.

Description

Battery activation process equipment

[0001] The present invention relates to a battery activation process facility, and more particularly, to a battery activation process facility in which the installation and maintenance of a catwalk and a bus duct are easy.

[0002] This application claims priority to Korean Patent Application No. 10-2024-0009018, filed on January 19, 2024, and all contents disclosed in the specification and drawings of that application are incorporated herein by reference.

[0003] Secondary battery production is broadly divided into "pre-process" and "post-process." The electrode process, which creates the positive and negative electrode plates, and the assembly process, which processes and assembles the electrodes and raw materials to create the finished product, are considered pre-processes. The activation process, which activates the battery's polarity through alternating charging and discharging, and the life testing, which calculates the battery's lifespan, capacity, and efficiency, are considered post-processes.

[0004] Immediately after assembly, batteries are essentially inert, possessing only a form. Activation involves charging and discharging the battery to impart electrical properties. An aging process allows the positive and negative electrodes to be fully impregnated with electrolyte. After repeated cycles, degassing, which removes internal gases if necessary (but only for pouch batteries), is performed. After completing these processes, the batteries are tested for internal resistance and open-circuit voltage, and a final grade is assigned before the cells are shipped.

[0005] Meanwhile, conventional battery activation process equipment includes charging and discharging devices, a device housing capable of loading the charging and discharging devices in multiple stages, and a bus duct for transmitting power from an external power system to the charging and discharging devices.

[0006] As an example, the above bus ducts are installed on the ceiling of a factory or warehouse where an activation process facility is built. For example, the bus ducts are constructed by installing supports on the factory ceiling along the bus duct tracks and hanging the bus ducts on the supports.

[0007] However, as battery activation process equipment grows in size, the weight of the bus duct increases significantly, placing excessive load on the factory ceiling, making ceiling installation impossible for safety reasons. Furthermore, calculating the ceiling load before ceiling installation is difficult. If the factory ceiling height is significantly higher than the top of the equipment housing, wiring between the bus duct and the charging and discharging devices becomes difficult. Furthermore, because the bus duct is suspended high from the ceiling, access to the bus duct for maintenance is difficult and work is not easy.

[0008] The present invention was created to solve the above problems, and its primary purpose is to provide a battery activation process facility that does not require the construction of a bus duct and catwalk on the ceiling of a factory or building as in the past.

[0009] In addition, the purpose is to provide a battery activation process facility that facilitates inspection and maintenance of bus duct lines and enables work to be performed more safely than before.

[0010] The technical problems to be solved by the present invention are not limited to the problems described above, and other problems not mentioned will be clearly understood by those skilled in the art from the description of the invention described below.

[0011] A battery activation process facility according to one aspect of the present invention may include: a plurality of charging and discharging devices for charging and discharging battery cells; a container rack configured to stack the plurality of charging and discharging devices in multiple stages; a catwalk installed at the top of the container rack as a passage for workers to pass through; a bus duct positioned at a certain height from the top of the container rack; and a duct support unit mounted on the container rack or the catwalk and supporting the bus duct.

[0012] The above container rack may be arranged in a plurality of layers, and each layer may include a device receiving portion for receiving the charging and discharging devices; and a passage portion through which the workers can pass.

[0013] The above device receiving portion and the above passage portion are continuous in a first direction in parallel, and the catwalk and the above bus duct can be installed on the upper part of the device receiving portion and the upper part of the passage portion of the container rack located on the top floor, respectively.

[0014] The passage section may include a pair of upper beam frames spaced apart from each other along a second direction intersecting the first direction and extending parallel to each other along the first direction, and the duct support unit may be fixedly connected to the pair of upper beam frames at predetermined intervals along the pair of upper beam frames and provided to support the bus duct at a lower portion of the bus duct.

[0015] The above duct support unit may include a first beam connecting portion and a second beam connecting portion that are detachably attached to one side and the other side of the pair of upper beam frames, respectively; a first vertical portion extending vertically from the first beam connecting portion and a second vertical portion extending vertically from the second beam connecting portion; and a duct mounting portion that is connected to the upper end of the first vertical portion and the upper end of the second vertical portion and is provided to secure and mount the bus duct.

[0016] The above bus duct includes a body having an internal space capable of accommodating a metal conductor; and connection beams provided at both lower edge regions of the body along the width direction of the body, and the connection beams may include a mounting groove provided at predetermined intervals along the extension direction of the body and fitted into the duct mounting portion.

[0017] It may further include a plurality of distribution boxes coupled to the bus duct at predetermined intervals along the extension direction of the bus duct.

[0018] The catwalk and the bus duct are arranged adjacently in the width direction of the container rack, and the plurality of distribution boxes can be attached to one side of the bus duct facing the catwalk.

[0019] The catwalk may include a floor plate fixedly connected to the top of the container rack; and a first railing frame and a second railing frame each standing upright at both widthwise edges of the floor plate.

[0020] The above-mentioned bus duct can be fixedly connected to the upper part of either the first railing frame or the second railing frame.

[0021] The above plurality of distribution boxes can be attached to the upper surface of the bus duct.

[0022] The above bus duct may be arranged in the upper space of the floor plate of the cat walk, and the duct support unit may include a first support unit having one side coupled to the first railing frame and the other side coupled to the bus duct; and a second support unit having one side coupled to the second railing frame and the other side coupled to the bus duct.

[0023] The above plurality of distribution boxes can be attached to the lower surface of the bus duct.

[0024] According to the present invention, a battery activation process facility can be provided that does not require constructing a bus duct on the ceiling of a factory or building as in the past.

[0025] Therefore, there is no need to calculate the ceiling load when constructing the bus duct, and since the catwalk is provided at the top of the container rack like the bus duct, inspection and maintenance of the bus duct track is easy and work can be performed more safely than before.

[0026] In addition, the technical effects that can be obtained through the present invention are not limited to the effects described above, and other effects that are not mentioned will be clearly understood by those skilled in the art from the description of the invention described below.

[0027] FIG. 1 is a schematic perspective view of a battery activation process facility to which a bus duct and a cat walk are applied according to one embodiment of the present invention.

[0028] Figure 2 is a schematic plan view of a battery activation process facility according to one embodiment of the present invention.

[0029] FIG. 3 is a schematic side view of a battery activation process facility according to one embodiment of the present invention.

[0030] Figure 4 is an enlarged view of a portion of a battery activation process facility according to one embodiment of the present invention.

[0031] Figure 5 is a drawing showing the bus duct unit and duct support unit separated from Figure 4.

[0032] Figure 6 is a drawing showing the configuration of a duct support unit according to one embodiment of the present invention.

[0033] FIG. 7 is a drawing schematically illustrating a bus duct installation configuration of a battery activation process facility according to another embodiment of the present invention.

[0034] FIG. 8 is a drawing schematically illustrating a bus duct installation configuration of a battery activation process facility according to another embodiment of the present invention.

[0035] Hereinafter, preferred embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the attached drawings. Terms or words used in this specification and claims should not be interpreted as limited to their conventional or dictionary meanings, but should be interpreted with meanings and concepts that conform to the technical idea of ​​the present invention based on the principle that the inventor can appropriately define the concept of the term to best explain his or her own invention. Therefore, it should be understood that the embodiments described in this specification and the configurations illustrated in the drawings are only the most preferred embodiments of the present invention and do not represent all of the technical idea of ​​the present invention, and various equivalents and modifications may exist as of the time of this application.

[0036] In the drawings, the sizes of each component or specific parts of that component are exaggerated, omitted, or schematically illustrated for convenience and clarity of explanation. Therefore, the size of each component does not entirely reflect its actual size. If a detailed description of a related known function or configuration is deemed to unnecessarily obscure the gist of the present invention, such description will be omitted.

[0037] The term 'joint' or 'connection' as used herein includes not only cases where one member is directly joined or directly connected to another member, but also cases where one member is indirectly joined or indirectly connected to another member through a connecting member.

[0038] FIG. 1 is a schematic perspective view of a battery activation process equipment to which a bus duct and a cat walk are applied according to one embodiment of the present invention, FIG. 2 is a schematic plan view of a battery activation process equipment according to one embodiment of the present invention, and FIG. 3 is a schematic side view of a battery activation process equipment according to one embodiment of the present invention.

[0039] Referring to FIGS. 1 to 3, a battery activation process equipment according to one embodiment of the present invention includes a plurality of charging and discharging devices (100), a container rack (200), a cat walk (300), a bus duct (400), and a duct support unit (500).

[0040] The above charging / discharging device (100) may be composed of a power supply unit (110), a jig unit (120), and an outer case that accommodates the power supply unit (110) and the jig unit (120).

[0041] Although not illustrated in detail for convenience of drawing, the power supply unit (110) may include an AC / DC converter that receives AC power from an external power system and primarily generates DC power, and a DC / DC converter that supplies precise charging current to each battery cell from the DC power.

[0042] The above jig unit (120) may include a charging / discharging jig (not shown) that receives power from a plurality of battery cells and a power supply unit (110) and applies voltage or current to the battery cells. The jig unit (120) and the power supply unit (110) may be connected, for example, by a plurality of power cables (not shown).

[0043] The above outer case can be provided in a box or frame structure that can accommodate the jig unit (120) and the power unit (110), and can be formed in a form that is easy to stack.

[0044] The above container rack (200) refers to a structure for storing and loading the plurality of charging and discharging devices (100) in multiple stages. For example, the container rack (200) can be constructed in a roughly rectangular shape by assembling materials such as rack shelves, angles, and bars.

[0045] The above container rack (200) may be arranged in multiple layers. For reference, in order to move between the layers of the container rack (200), stairs (S1, S2) and a deck (K2) may be arranged at at least one end of the container rack (200).

[0046] The container rack (200) may include, for each floor, a device receiving section (210) for receiving the charging and discharging devices (100) and a passage section (220) through which workers may pass. For example, as illustrated in FIG. 1, the container rack (200) according to the present embodiment may include a first container rack (200A), a second container rack (200B), and a third container rack (200C) sequentially stacked from the ground in a three-layer structure. A plurality of charging and discharging devices (100) may be stacked in multiple tiers in the internal space of the container rack (200).

[0047] The container rack (200) may be provided with the device receiving portion (210) and the passage portion (220) on each floor. The device receiving portion (210) and the passage portion (220) may be configured to be adjacent to each other and parallel to each other and to be continuous along the first direction (Y direction). The charging and discharging devices (100) are arranged in the device receiving portion (210), and the passage portion is utilized as a space in which a worker can walk. Accordingly, the worker can easily access the charging and discharging devices arranged in the device receiving portion (210) and inspect and maintain the charging and discharging devices (100) when necessary.

[0048] The above catwalk (300) can be installed at the top of the container rack (200), as shown in FIGS. 1 and 2. The catwalk (300) is a component that serves as a passageway for workers to climb to the top of the container rack (200) and move safely.

[0049] The above catwalk (300), as shown in FIG. 4, includes a floor plate (310) fixedly connected to the top of the container rack (200), and a first railing frame (320) and a second railing frame (330) that are respectively arranged to stand at both edges in the width direction (X direction) of the floor plate (310), and can extend along the length direction (Y direction) of the container rack (200).

[0050] The above bus duct (400) refers to a component that serves as a line for transmitting power from an external power system to the charging and discharging devices (100). The bus duct (400) includes a housing (410) that houses a metal conductor (bus bar) for allowing current to flow therein. The housing (410) may be provided in a tubular shape made of a metal material. These housings (410) may be manufactured in units of a predetermined length and then configured to be connected to each other.

[0051] The above bus duct (400), referring to FIGS. 1 to 3, may be installed at the top of the container rack (200) so as to be positioned at a certain height from the top of the container rack (200). This bus duct (400) may extend in the same direction (Y direction) as the extension direction of the container rack (200).

[0052] The above duct support unit (500) is a means for positioning the bus duct (400) at a certain height from the top of the container rack (200). As shown in FIG. 4, the duct support unit (500) is provided at a certain interval along the extension direction of the bus duct (400), and can be configured such that one side is mounted on the container rack (200) and the other side supports the bus duct (400).

[0053] In this embodiment, the cat walk (300) and the bus duct (400) may be installed on the upper part of the device receiving part (210) and the upper part of the passage part (220) of the topmost three-story container rack (200), respectively. In this case, the cat walk (300) and the bus duct (400) may be arranged adjacent to each other in the width direction of the container rack (200).

[0054] Hereinafter, with reference mainly to FIGS. 1, 4 to 6, an installation example of a duct support unit (500) and a bus duct (400) according to the present embodiment will be described in more detail.

[0055] The passageway (220) of the container rack (200) according to the present embodiment includes a pair of upper beam frames (221) spaced apart from each other along a second direction (X direction) intersecting the first direction (Y direction), as shown in FIG. 5, and extending parallel to each other along the first direction (Y direction).

[0056] The above duct support unit (500) may be fixedly connected to the pair of upper beam frames (221) at predetermined intervals along the pair of upper beam frames (221) and may be provided to support the bus duct (400) from the lower portion of the bus duct (400).

[0057] For example, as illustrated in FIG. 6, the duct support unit (500) may include a first beam connection portion (510) and a second beam connection portion (520) that are respectively detachably attached to one side and the other side of the pair of upper beam frames (221), a first vertical portion (530) that extends vertically from the first beam connection portion (510), a second vertical portion (540) that extends vertically from the second beam connection portion (520), and a duct mounting portion (550) that is connected to the upper end of the first vertical portion (530) and the upper end of the second vertical portion (540) and is provided to secure and mount the bus duct (400). The duct support unit (500) may preferably be made of a metal material having high rigidity so as to stably support the heavy bus duct (400).

[0058] The first beam connecting portion (510) and the second beam connecting portion (520) may be provided in a form that surrounds the perimeter of the upper beam frame (221). The first beam connecting portion (510) and the second beam connecting portion (520) may be fixedly connected to the upper beam frame (221) using a connecting member such as a bolt (not shown).

[0059] Although not shown, the first vertical portion (530) and the second vertical portion (540) may be configured to be height-adjustable so that the height of the bus duct (400) can be appropriately changed. The first beam connection portion (510), the second beam connection portion (520), the first vertical portion (530), the second vertical portion (540), and the duct mounting portion (550) may be formed as an integral body or configured to be assembled with each other.

[0060] The bus duct (400) according to the present embodiment may further include a connection beam (420) so that it can be stably installed on the duct mounting portion (550). Specifically, referring to FIG. 5, the connection beam (420) may be provided at the lower edge regions on both sides of the housing (410) along the width direction of the housing (410). In addition, the connection beam (420) may include a mounting groove (421) that is provided at predetermined intervals along the extension direction of the housing (410) and is fitted into the duct mounting portion (550).

[0061] According to the configuration of the above-described embodiment, the bus duct (400) can be positioned at a certain height from the top of the container rack (200) in a state where the mounting groove (421) is fitted into the duct mounting portion (550) and supported by the duct support unit (500).

[0062] Meanwhile, the battery activation process equipment according to the present embodiment may further include a plurality of distribution boxes (600) coupled to the bus duct (400) at predetermined intervals along the extension direction of the bus duct (400). The distribution boxes (600) may refer to a device that distributes power received through the bus duct (400).

[0063] The above distribution box (600) includes a main circuit breaker, multiple bus bars, branch circuit breakers, etc. inside, and for example, current may flow primarily toward the main circuit breaker and be electrically connected to the bus bars inside the bus duct (400). Although not illustrated in detail, the distribution box (600) may be provided with a connection terminal protruding outward, and the connection terminal may be provided so as to be connected to the bus duct (400) in a plug-in manner. In addition, the distribution box (600) and the power supply unit (110) of the charging / discharging device (100) may be connected using a power cable (not illustrated), etc.

[0064] Referring to Fig. 4, the bus duct (400) is arranged adjacent to the cat walk (300) in the width direction of the container rack (200). The plurality of distribution boxes (600) can be attached to one side of the bus duct (400). Here, one side of the bus duct (400) is a side facing the cat walk (300). In this case, a worker can easily inspect the lines inside the bus duct (400) from the cat walk (300) and inspect or replace the power cable connecting the distribution box (600) and the charging / discharging device (100).

[0065] Next, with reference to FIGS. 7 and 8, a battery activation process facility according to other embodiments of the present invention will be briefly described. The same reference numerals as in the aforementioned embodiments indicate the same components, and redundant descriptions of the same components will be omitted, with the focus on differences from the aforementioned embodiments.

[0066] FIG. 7 is a drawing schematically illustrating the installation configuration of a bus duct (400) of a battery activation process facility according to another embodiment of the present invention.

[0067] First, referring to FIG. 7, a battery activation process facility according to another embodiment of the present invention may be configured such that, compared to the aforementioned embodiment, a bus duct (400) is fixed to the upper end of either the first railing frame (320) or the second railing frame (330) of the cat walk (300). That is, in another embodiment of the present invention, either the first railing frame or the second railing frame (330) functions as a duct support unit (500).

[0068] For example, the bus duct (400) may be installed on the upper side of the second railing frame (330) of the cat walk (300). Although it is schematically illustrated for convenience of drawing, a structure that is inserted and connected to the upper side of the second railing frame (330) may be applied to the lower side of the bus duct (400), or a bracket or the like may be additionally mounted on the upper side of the second railing frame (330) and the bus duct (400) and the bracket may be bolted together so that the bus duct (400) is more stably fixed to the upper side of the second railing frame (330).

[0069] In another embodiment of the present invention, the plurality of distribution boxes (600) can be attached to the upper surface of the bus duct (400) so that the distribution boxes (600) do not interfere with the worker when he or she passes through the cat walk (300).

[0070] According to the implementation configuration as shown in Fig. 7, the configuration of the duct support unit (500) can be simplified compared to the above-described embodiment, and the distance between the cat walk (300) and the bus duct (400) can be made closer. Accordingly, it can be easier for a worker to maintain and replace the bus duct (400) or the distribution box (600) on the cat walk (300).

[0071] FIG. 8 is a drawing schematically illustrating the installation configuration of a bus duct (400) of a battery activation process facility according to another embodiment of the present invention.

[0072] Referring to FIG. 8, a battery activation process equipment according to another embodiment of the present invention may be configured such that, compared to the above-described embodiments, a bus duct (400) is disposed in the upper space of a cat walk (300). Preferably, the bus duct (400) may be disposed in the vertical upper space of the floor plate (310) of the cat walk (300). For accessibility of workers, it may be desirable to configure the bus duct (400) to be positioned approximately 10 cm to 30 cm higher than the height of an average adult from the floor plate (310) of the cat walk (300).

[0073] To this end, a duct support unit (500A) according to another embodiment of the present invention may include a first support unit (560) having one side coupled to the first railing frame (320) and the other side coupled to the bus duct (400), and a second support unit (570) having one side coupled to the second railing frame (330) and the other side coupled to the bus duct (400). The first support unit (560) and the second support unit (570) may be configured to be, for example, made of a metal beam, and may be configured to be welded to the upper end of the first railing frame (320) and the upper end of the second railing frame (330), respectively, and to be coupled to the bus duct (400) using a bolt or the like.

[0074] Meanwhile, if the first support unit (560) and the second support unit (570) support the bus duct (400) and are fixedly connected to the first railing frame (320) and the second railing frame (330), any mechanical connection structure may be applied.

[0075] In another embodiment of the present invention, the plurality of distribution boxes (600) may be attached to the lower surface of the bus duct (400).

[0076] According to the implementation configuration as shown in Fig. 8, the configuration of the duct support unit (500A) can be simplified compared to the first embodiment described above, and the distance between the cat walk (300) and the bus duct (400) can be made closer. Accordingly, it can be easier for a worker to maintain and replace the bus duct (400) or the distribution box (600) on the cat walk (300). In addition, the bus duct (400) can be supported more stably than in the second embodiment described above.

[0077] As described above, the battery activation process equipment according to the present invention eliminates the loss associated with conventional bus duct installation on the ceiling of a factory or building. Furthermore, the battery activation process equipment according to the present invention provides a catwalk at the top of the container rack, similar to the bus duct, making it easier for workers to inspect and maintain the bus duct rails and perform work more safely than before.

[0078] Although the present invention has been described by limited embodiments and drawings, the present invention is not limited thereto, and it is obvious that various modifications and variations are possible within the scope of the technical idea of ​​the present invention and the equivalent scope of the patent claims to be described below by a person having ordinary skill in the art to which the present invention pertains.

[0079] Meanwhile, although terms indicating directions such as up, down, left, right, front, and back are used in the present invention, it is obvious to those skilled in the art that these terms are only for the convenience of explanation and may vary depending on the location of the target object or the location of the observer.

Claims

1. A plurality of charging and discharging devices for charging and discharging battery cells; A container rack configured to be able to stack the above-mentioned plurality of charging and discharging devices in multiple stages; A catwalk installed at the top of the container rack as a passage for workers to pass through; A bus duct positioned at a certain height from the top of the container rack; and A battery activation process facility characterized by including a duct support unit mounted on the container rack or the cat walk and supporting the bus duct.

2. In paragraph 1, A battery activation process facility characterized in that the container rack is arranged in a plurality of layers, and each layer includes a device receiving section for receiving the charging and discharging devices; and a passage section through which the workers can pass.

3. In paragraph 2, The above device receiving portion and the above passage portion are continuous along the first direction in parallel, A battery activation process facility characterized in that the catwalk and the bus duct are installed on the upper part of the device receiving section and the upper part of the passage section of the container rack located on the top floor, respectively.

4. In paragraph 3, The above passageway, It comprises a pair of upper beam frames spaced apart along a second direction intersecting the first direction and extending parallel to each other along the first direction, The above duct support unit, A battery activation process facility characterized in that the bus duct is fixedly connected to the pair of upper beam frames at predetermined intervals along the pair of upper beam frames and is arranged to support the bus duct from the lower portion of the bus duct.

5. In paragraph 4, The above duct support unit, A first beam connecting portion and a second beam connecting portion, which are respectively detachable from one side and the other side of the pair of upper beam frames; A first vertical portion extending vertically from the first beam connecting portion and a second vertical portion extending vertically from the second beam connecting portion; A battery activation process facility characterized by including a duct mounting portion connected to the upper end of the first vertical portion and the upper end of the second vertical portion and configured to secure and mount the bus duct.

6. In paragraph 5, The above bus duct is, A body having an internal space capable of accommodating a metal conductor; and Including a connection beam provided on the lower edge area on both sides of the hull along the width direction of the hull, A battery activation process facility characterized in that the above connection beam is provided at predetermined intervals along the extension direction of the body and includes a mounting groove that is fitted into the duct mounting portion.

7. In paragraph 1, A battery activation process facility characterized by further including a plurality of distribution boxes coupled to the bus duct at predetermined intervals along the extension direction of the bus duct.

8. In paragraph 7, The above catwalk and the above bus duct are arranged adjacently in the width direction of the container rack, A battery activation process facility characterized in that the plurality of distribution boxes are attached to one side of the bus duct facing the catwalk.

9. In paragraph 7, The above catwalk is, A floor plate fixedly connected to the top of the container rack; and A battery activation process facility characterized by including a first railing frame and a second railing frame each of which are arranged upright at each of the widthwise corners of the floor plate.

10. In paragraph 9, A battery activation process facility, characterized in that the above-mentioned bus duct is fixedly connected to the upper end of one of the first railing frame and the second railing frame.

11. In paragraph 10, A battery activation process facility characterized in that the plurality of distribution boxes are attached to the upper surface of the bus duct.

12. In paragraph 9, The above bus duct is, It is placed in the upper space of the floor plate of the above catwalk, The above duct support unit, A first support unit having one end connected to the first railing frame and the other end connected to the bus duct; A battery activation process facility characterized by including a second support unit having one side coupled to the second railing frame and the other side coupled to the bus duct.

13. In paragraph 12, A battery activation process facility characterized in that the plurality of distribution boxes are attached to the lower surface of the bus duct.

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