Waste battery electrolyte treatment system

Abstract

An electrolyte treatment system according to the present invention comprises: a first heat exchanger into which waste electrolyte generated during a process of treating waste batteries is introduced; a bag filter through which the waste electrolyte that has passed through the first heat exchanger passes; a second heat exchanger into which the waste electrolyte that has passed through the bag filter is introduced; and an electric furnace into which the waste electrolyte that has passed through the second heat exchanger is introduced, wherein the waste electrolyte that has passed through the electric furnace is reintroduced into the second heat exchanger, allowing for heat exchange with the waste electrolyte flowing thereinto after passing through the bag filter.

Description

Waste battery electrolyte treatment system

[0001] The present invention relates to an electrolyte treatment system, and more specifically, to a waste battery electrolyte treatment system for efficiently removing or recovering electrolyte generated in a waste battery recycling process.

[0002] Recently, the utilization of secondary batteries has been increasing not only in small energy storage devices such as drones, robots, and mobile devices, but also in medium-to-large energy devices such as electric vehicles, and the market for these medium-to-large storage devices is expected to grow even more significantly in the future.

[0003] With the increasing use of these secondary batteries, the volume of spent secondary batteries is also surging, and the recycling industry for medium and large-sized spent secondary batteries, which are relatively expensive and easy to recycle, is expected to grow significantly.

[0004] Lithium-ion batteries, which are the most widely used secondary batteries, consist of four core materials: anode material, cathode material, separator, and electrolyte. The anode material is a composite oxide of transition metals such as cobalt (Co) and nickel (Ni) and lithium (Li), the cathode material is graphite or metal oxide-based, the separator is mainly a polyolefin-based insulating polymer, and the electrolyte is a carbonate-based organic solvent.

[0005] Here, the four key materials are the core components that determine the performance of secondary batteries and account for 60 to 70 percent of the sales price, making them the part that has the greatest impact on the price.

[0006] In addition, since the dependency on imports for each material is very high—47% for cathode material, 80% for anode material, 69% for separator, and 66% for electrolyte—the development of raw material recycling technology through the recycling of waste batteries is actively underway.

[0007] However, among these, the electrolyte is relatively inexpensive and difficult to collect separately, so it was common practice to burn and discharge it during the recycling process of spent electric shocks.

[0008] However, pollutants are generated during the combustion and discharge of waste electrolyte, requiring additional processes to remove these pollutants through combustion, and there is also the problem that a large amount of energy is consumed for combustion.

[0009] Therefore, there is a need to develop technology that can effectively capture and recycle the electrolyte as well.

[0010] The present invention is an invention devised to solve the problems of the aforementioned prior art, and aims to provide an electrolyte treatment system capable of reducing energy consumption by utilizing waste heat.

[0011] In addition, the present invention can provide an electrolyte treatment system that can easily control the temperature of waste gas flowing into a bag filter and a scrubber, thereby reducing the possibility of equipment failure.

[0012] The problems of the present invention are not limited to those mentioned above, and other unmentioned problems will be clearly understood by those skilled in the art from the description below.

[0013] The electrolyte treatment system of the present invention for achieving the above-mentioned purpose comprises a first heat exchanger into which gaseous waste electrolyte generated during the process of treating waste batteries is introduced, a bag filter through which gaseous waste electrolyte passing through the first heat exchanger passes, a second heat exchanger into which gaseous waste electrolyte passing through the bag filter is introduced, and an electric furnace into which gaseous waste electrolyte passing through the second heat exchanger is introduced, wherein the combustion gas of the waste electrolyte passing through the electric furnace is re-introduced into the second heat exchanger and heat exchange can be performed with the gaseous waste electrolyte introduced through the bag filter.

[0014] In addition, the waste electrolyte combustion gas recirculated to the second heat exchanger is discharged from the second heat exchanger and recirculated to the first heat exchanger, and the waste electrolyte combustion gas recirculated to the first heat exchanger may be configured to be discharged after undergoing heat exchange with the gaseous waste electrolyte generated during the waste battery treatment process and introduced to the first heat exchanger.

[0015] In addition, it may include a condenser provided at the front end of the electric furnace to condense the gaseous waste electrolyte that has passed through the second heat exchanger.

[0016] In addition, some of the gaseous waste electrolyte that has passed through the condenser may be recovered before flowing into the electric furnace.

[0017] The waste battery electrolyte treatment system of the present invention for solving the above-mentioned problem has the following effects.

[0018] First, by not using fossil fuels and recycling waste heat, electricity consumption can be reduced, thereby increasing the energy saving effect.

[0019] Second, by condensing the waste gas passing through the bag filter, the amount of captured material can be increased, allowing for the recovery of a large amount of electrolyte and minimizing the heat consumption of the electric furnace.

[0020] Third, the temperature of the exhaust gas flowing into the bag filter and scrubber can be easily controlled, which can reduce the possibility of equipment failure.

[0021] The effects of the present invention are not limited to those mentioned above, and other unmentioned effects will be clearly understood by those skilled in the art from the description in the claims.

[0022] Figure 1 is a drawing of a conventional waste battery recycling system.

[0023] Figure 2 is a diagram showing a conventional waste battery electrolyte treatment process.

[0024] FIG. 3 is a drawing relating to a waste battery electrolyte treatment system according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0025] FIG. 4 is a drawing relating to a waste battery electrolyte treatment system including a condenser according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0026] Preferred embodiments of the present invention, in which the objectives of the present invention can be specifically realized, will be described below with reference to the attached drawings. In describing these embodiments, the same names and reference numerals are used for identical components, and additional explanations thereof will be omitted.

[0027] In addition, in describing the embodiments of the present invention, it is stated in advance that while the same names and symbols are used for components having the same function, they are not substantially identical to the prior art.

[0028] Furthermore, the terms used in the embodiments of the present invention are used merely to describe specific embodiments and are not intended to limit the invention. The singular expression includes the plural expression unless the context clearly indicates otherwise.

[0029] Furthermore, in the embodiments of the present invention, terms such as "comprising" or "having" are intended to specify the existence of the features, numbers, steps, actions, components, parts, or combinations thereof described in the specification, and should be understood as not excluding in advance the existence or addition of one or more other features, numbers, steps, actions, components, parts, or combinations thereof.

[0030] Meanwhile, the “gaseous waste electrolyte” described in the present invention may refer not only to a completely gaseous state but also to a state in which gas and liquid are mixed.

[0031] The present invention will be examined below using the drawings.

[0032] Referring to FIGS. 1 and 2, a waste battery recycling system for recovering high-quality raw materials may include a discharge process (S1000), a crushing process (S2000), a heat treatment process (S3000), and a crushing recovery process (S4000).

[0033] The waste battery recycling system of the present invention is intended to recover recyclable material from a waste battery in a discharged state. The discharge process (S1000) of the present invention is a step for completely eliminating the energy remaining in the waste battery in a discharged state, and is a process of discharging residual current by punching the discharged waste battery through a punching machine (1010), etc. This discharge process (S1000) may be performed underwater to prepare for the possibility of fire and explosion.

[0034] The waste battery that has been completely discharged through the above discharge process (S1000) undergoes a crushing process (S2000) in which the waste battery is crushed using a crusher (1020), and this crushing operation is performed in an inert gas such as nitrogen to suppress the oxidation of metals such as aluminum and prevent fire and explosion.

[0035] Meanwhile, the electrolyte, separator, positive electrode, and negative electrode constituting the waste battery can be separated through the crushing process (S2000) above.

[0036] Next, the heat treatment process (S3000) is a process of removing organic materials and impurities by heating the waste battery separated through the crushing process (S2000) in a heat treatment furnace (1030) within a preset temperature and time range.

[0037] In addition, waste batteries that have undergone a heat treatment process can be classified and recovered into fine products of a certain size or smaller through a crusher (1040) by undergoing a crushing recovery process (S4000).

[0038] As described above, while the waste battery undergoes the discharge process (S1000), crushing process (S2000), and heat treatment process (S3000), the vaporized waste electrolyte can be collected and introduced into the first heat exchange inlet line (110).

[0039] Referring to FIG. 2, the waste electrolyte introduced into the first heat exchange inlet line (110) of the waste battery recycling system is combusted through an RTO (Regenerative Thermal Oxidizer, thermal combustion oxidation facility) (70), and the combustion gas is air-cooled or water-cooled in the heat exchanger (10), then passes through a bag filter (20), and can be discharged after removing contaminants in a scrubber (60).

[0040] Conventional waste battery electrolyte treatment systems as described above remove waste electrolyte through combustion, which not only fails to recover the electrolyte but also has the problem of consuming a large amount of energy and simultaneously causing environmental pollution.

[0041] FIGS. 3 and FIGS. 4 are drawings illustrating an electrolyte treatment system according to the present invention.

[0042] According to one embodiment of the present invention, the waste battery electrolyte treatment system of the present invention utilizes waste heat from an electric furnace (50) to extend the life of the bag filter (20) and also effectively recover the electrolyte.

[0043] Referring to the drawing of FIG. 3, we will examine the embodiments of the present invention in detail.

[0044] The waste battery electrolyte treatment system of the present invention may include a first heat exchanger (10), a bag filter (20), a second heat exchanger (30), and an electric furnace (50).

[0045] The waste battery electrolyte treatment system of the present invention allows the waste electrolyte generated in the waste battery treatment process to sequentially pass through a first heat exchanger (10), a bag filter (20), a second heat exchanger (30), and an electric furnace (50), and furthermore, after passing through the second heat exchanger (30) and the first heat exchanger (10) again, it can be discharged to the outside via a scrubber (60).

[0046] Specifically, the waste electrolyte vaporized during the waste battery recycling process can be introduced into the first heat exchange inlet line (110).

[0047] Afterwards, it can be fed into the bag filter (20) via the first heat exchanger (10).

[0048] The gaseous waste electrolyte may have its temperature raised as it passes through the first heat exchanger (10). The process of the gaseous waste electrolyte being heated as it passes through the first heat exchanger (10) will be described later.

[0049] The gaseous waste electrolyte that has passed through the first heat exchanger (10) can pass through a bag filter (20) to remove contaminants.

[0050] The gaseous waste electrolyte that has passed through the above bag filter (20) can be introduced into the second heat exchanger (30).

[0051] Gaseous waste electrolyte flows into the electric furnace (50) via the second heat exchanger (30) and can be burned and discharged from the electric furnace (50).

[0052] The combustion gas of the waste electrolyte burned in the electric furnace (50) can be recirculated to the second heat exchanger (30).

[0053] The combustion gas of the waste electrolyte is introduced into the second heat exchanger (30), and heat exchange can be performed with the gaseous waste electrolyte introduced from the bag filter (20).

[0054] Since the combustion gas is at a high temperature, the temperature of the gaseous waste electrolyte introduced into the electric furnace (50) is increased through heat exchange with the gaseous waste electrolyte introduced from the bag filter (20) in the second heat exchanger (30), thereby reducing the energy used in the subsequent combustion process of the electric furnace (50).

[0055] Meanwhile, the burned waste electrolyte gas that has passed through the second heat exchanger (30) can be returned to the first heat exchanger (10).

[0056] At this time, the combusted waste electrolyte gas that has passed through the second heat exchanger (30) can raise the temperature of the gaseous waste electrolyte flowing into the bag filter (20) through heat exchange with the gaseous electrolyte flowing into the first heat exchange inlet line (110) from the first heat exchanger (10).

[0057] Since the waste electrolyte combustion gas that has passed through the second heat exchanger (30) is at a higher temperature than the electrolyte introduced into the first heat exchange inlet line (110), the combustion gas is cooled and the introduced gaseous electrolyte can be heated.

[0058] The bag filter (20) is a device for removing impurities from gaseous waste electrolyte. When low-temperature gas passes through, the electrolyte in the waste gas is liquefied and removed along with the dust, and there is a high possibility that the dust will clog the filter by aggregating together.

[0059] In the present invention, the temperature of the gaseous electrolyte is raised before it is introduced into the bag filter (20) from the first heat exchanger (10), so that the removal of contaminants by the bag filter (20) can be performed more effectively.

[0060] The waste electrolyte combustion gas that has passed through the first heat exchanger (10) can finally be discharged after passing through the scrubber (60) to remove contaminants.

[0061] Conventional electrolyte treatment systems are configured to undergo a cooling process before the combustion gas flows into the scrubber, but the waste electrolyte combustion gas discharged from the electric furnace (50) of the present invention can flow into the scrubber (60) without a separate cooling process after passing through the second heat exchanger (30) and the first heat exchanger (10) and being cooled.

[0062] Meanwhile, the first heat exchanger (10) may additionally be equipped with a heater (11).

[0063] This is because, at the initial start of the waste battery recycling process, the waste electrolyte in a gaseous state flows into the first heat exchanger (10) before combustion of the waste electrolyte occurs, so heating of the waste electrolyte by combustion gas cannot be performed. Accordingly, the gaseous waste electrolyte collected through the heater (11) can be heated and then flowed into the bag filter (20).

[0064] In addition, the heater (11) may additionally be equipped with a temperature sensor (not shown) to perform an additional heating process if it is determined that the gaseous waste electrolyte flowing into the bag filter (20) has not been sufficiently heated in the first heat exchanger (10).

[0065] In this way, a waste electrolyte treatment system according to one embodiment of the present invention can increase energy efficiency by utilizing the heat of the combusted waste electrolyte to further heat the waste electrolyte gas in a gaseous state before combustion and simultaneously cooling the combustion gas.

[0066] Next, with reference to FIG. 4, we will examine in detail another embodiment of the present invention.

[0067] Figure 4 is a diagram showing a waste battery electrolyte treatment system that enables the recovery of the electrolyte.

[0068] A waste battery electrolyte treatment system according to one embodiment of the present invention may further include a condenser (40) provided at the front end of an electric furnace (50) for condensing gaseous waste electrolyte that has passed through a second heat exchanger (30).

[0069] In this embodiment, the configuration in which the waste electrolyte vaporized during the waste battery recycling process flows into the first heat exchange inlet line (110), passes through the first heat exchanger (10) and the second heat exchanger (30), and utilizes the waste heat of the waste electrolyte combustion gas is the same as the embodiment of FIG. 3.

[0070] However, the second heat exchanger (30) may be provided at the front or rear end of the condenser (40), and may be provided at both the front and rear ends.

[0071] When the second heat exchanger (30) is provided at the downstream end of the condenser (40), it can be provided between the recovery line (151) and the electric furnace (50).

[0072] The second heat exchanger (30) provided at the rear end of the condenser (40) can have the effect of reducing the energy consumed by the electric furnace (50) by heating the waste electrolyte in a gaseous state before it flows into the electric furnace (50), just like the embodiment described above.

[0073] Meanwhile, the second heat exchanger (30) may be provided upstream of the condenser (40).

[0074] If the temperature of the gaseous waste electrolyte that has passed through the bag filter (20) is lower than the condensation temperature at which the waste electrolyte can be recovered, recovery cannot be properly performed. This is because the gaseous waste electrolyte contains impurities as well as various substances mixed in, and the condensation temperatures may differ.

[0075] Some impurities may be condensed at the temperature of the gaseous waste electrolyte that has passed through the bag filter (20). Therefore, by exchanging heat with the high-temperature waste electrolyte combustion gas that has been combusted through the electric furnace (50) in the second heat exchanger (30), the temperature of the gaseous waste electrolyte is raised, and by performing condensation to a preset temperature in the condenser (40), the recovery rate of the waste electrolyte can be increased.

[0076] The waste electrolyte condensed after passing through the condenser (40) is recovered and recycled through the recovery line (151), and impurities, etc., can be burned in the electric furnace (50) and flow into the second heat exchanger (30). Subsequently, the heat exchange and discharge process is the same as in the previous embodiment.

[0077] With the above configuration, not only can the electrolyte of the waste battery be recovered, but energy consumption during the recovery process can also be minimized.

[0078] As described above, preferred embodiments according to the present invention have been examined. It is obvious to those skilled in the art that, in addition to the embodiments described above, the present invention may be embodied in other specific forms without departing from the spirit or scope thereof. Therefore, the embodiments described above should be regarded as illustrative rather than restrictive, and accordingly, the present invention is not limited to the description above but may be modified within the scope of the appended claims and their equivalents.

Claims

1. A first heat exchanger into which gaseous waste electrolyte generated during the process of treating waste batteries flows; A bag filter through which gaseous waste electrolyte passing through the first heat exchanger above passes; A second heat exchanger into which gaseous waste electrolyte that has passed through the above bag filter flows; and An electric furnace into which gaseous waste electrolyte passing through the above-mentioned second heat exchanger flows; Includes, An electrolyte treatment system in which the waste electrolyte combustion gas passing through the above electric furnace is reintroduced into the above second heat exchanger and heat exchange is performed with the gaseous waste electrolyte entering through the above bag filter.

2. In Paragraph 1, An electrolyte treatment system characterized by the fact that the waste electrolyte combustion gas recirculated to the second heat exchanger is discharged from the second heat exchanger and recirculated to the first heat exchanger, and the waste electrolyte combustion gas recirculated to the first heat exchanger is configured to undergo heat exchange with the gaseous waste electrolyte generated during the waste battery treatment process and then discharged.

3. In Paragraph 2, A condenser provided at the front end of the electric furnace for condensing gaseous waste electrolyte that has passed through the second heat exchanger; Electrolyte treatment system including 4. In Paragraph 3, An electrolyte treatment system characterized in that a portion of the gaseous waste electrolyte passing through the condenser is recovered before being introduced into the electric furnace.

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