Industrial powder material mixing and distribution system and method

Abstract

The present application provides an industrial powder material mixing and distribution system and method. The system comprises: a feeding and mixing unit, used for feeding and mixing an industrial powder main material and an industrial powder auxiliary material; at least one distribution unit, connected to the feeding and mixing unit and used for quantitatively distributing the mixed material provided by the feeding and mixing unit; a conveying unit, connected to the at least one distribution unit and used for conveying the quantitatively distributed mixed material to set reaction devices; a plurality of reaction devices, separately connected to the conveying unit and used for performing modification reaction treatment on the mixed material; and a programmable logic controller, used for controlling the operation of the feeding and mixing unit, the at least one distribution unit, the conveying unit, and the plurality of reaction devices. The technical solution of the present application can reduce the number of weighing buffer bins and the number of mixing devices, shorten mixing time, and reduce the batching time of each reaction device.

Description

An industrial powder material mixing and distribution system and method Technical Field

[0001] This application relates to the field of lithium battery manufacturing, and in particular to an industrial powder material mixing and distribution system and method. Background Technology

[0002] Currently, mechanical mixing devices are commonly used in the lithium battery industry for powder mixing. However, these devices are time-consuming and energy-intensive, significantly impacting production efficiency and operating costs. The mixing processes used in heat treatment reaction units are mainly divided into two types: 1) a one-to-one configuration of mechanical mixing devices and reaction units, and 2) a mixing process where one mechanical mixing device corresponds to multiple reaction units. The first type significantly increases the number of mixing and conveying equipment, resulting in a substantial increase in both investment costs and operating energy consumption. The second type significantly increases the number of weighing buffer silos. Furthermore, due to the long mixing time, if the number of mechanical mixing devices is insufficient, the number of reaction units corresponding to each device will increase, affecting the production efficiency of the reaction units. Therefore, current mixing processes used in heat treatment reaction units generally suffer from high investment costs, high operating energy consumption, or low production efficiency.

[0003] Therefore, it is necessary to provide a more efficient, economical, and reliable technical solution to reduce the number of mixing devices and weighing buffers, while reducing the mixing time of materials and the batching time of each reaction unit, thereby achieving cost reduction and efficiency improvement in the mixing process. Summary of the Invention

[0004] The technical problem this application aims to solve is that the current mixing and distribution process for lithium battery industrial powders suffers from problems such as long mixing time, high operating energy consumption, low production efficiency, and high input costs.

[0005] One aspect of this application provides an industrial powder material mixing and distribution system, comprising: a feeding and mixing unit for feeding and mixing main and auxiliary industrial powder materials to form a mixture; at least one distribution unit connected to the feeding and mixing unit for quantitatively distributing the mixture provided by the feeding and mixing unit; a conveying unit connected to the at least one distribution unit for conveying the quantitatively distributed mixture to a designated reaction device; a plurality of reaction devices, each connected to the conveying unit, for performing modification reaction treatment on the mixture; and a programmable logic controller for controlling the operation of the feeding and mixing unit, the at least one distribution unit, the conveying unit, and the plurality of reaction devices.

[0006] In some embodiments of this application, the feeding and mixing unit includes: a feeding unit for providing main and auxiliary materials of industrial powder; a mixing unit connected to the feeding unit for uniformly mixing the main and auxiliary materials of industrial powder provided by the feeding unit; and a power unit connected to the mixing unit for providing power to transport the main and auxiliary materials of industrial powder from the feeding unit to the mixing unit.

[0007] In some embodiments of this application, the mixing unit includes: a mixing silo for containing the main and auxiliary materials of the industrial powder; an airflow mixer located at the bottom of the mixing silo for spraying gas into the mixing silo to mix the main and auxiliary materials of the industrial powder in the mixing silo; and a dust collector located at the top of the mixing silo for filtering the main and auxiliary materials of the industrial powder and discharging the filtered gas entering the mixing silo.

[0008] In some embodiments of this application, the airflow mixer includes a discharge cone valve and a valve seat. The discharge cone valve and the valve seat form a sealing pair and are coaxially and fixedly sealed at the bottom of the mixing hopper. The discharge cone valve is located inside the mixing hopper with its cone end facing upward. The valve seat includes an orifice plate that supports the discharge cone valve. The orifice plate is inclined toward the outlet of the valve seat.

[0009] In some embodiments of this application, the mixing unit further includes: a first spraying device surrounding the side wall of the mixing hopper for spraying air onto the inner wall of the mixing hopper; and a second spraying device surrounding the side wall of the mixing hopper and located below the first spraying device for spraying air onto the inner wall of the mixing hopper and the orifice plate.

[0010] In some embodiments of this application, the programmable logic controller controls the airflow mixer to operate alternately with the first and second jetting devices.

[0011] In some embodiments of this application, each of the distribution units includes at least two weighing buffer bins, each of the weighing buffer bins having a weighing device for weighing the mixture in the weighing buffer bin.

[0012] In some embodiments of this application, the programmable logic controller controls the at least two weighing buffer bins to work continuously and alternately.

[0013] In some embodiments of this application, the number of distribution units is one, and the conveying unit includes a main pipeline connected to the distribution unit and several branch pipelines connected to the main pipeline.

[0014] In some embodiments of this application, the number of distribution units is at least two, and the conveying unit includes a plurality of main pipelines respectively connected to the distribution units.

[0015] Another aspect of this application provides a method for mixing and distributing industrial powder materials, comprising: executing the following steps via a programmable logic controller: controlling a feeding and mixing unit to supply and mix industrial powder main materials and auxiliary materials to form a mixture; controlling at least one distribution unit to quantitatively distribute the mixture supplied by the feeding and mixing unit; controlling a conveying unit to convey the quantitatively distributed mixture to a designated reaction device; and controlling the reaction device to perform a modification reaction treatment on the mixture.

[0016] In some embodiments of this application, the step of controlling the feeding and mixing unit to supply industrial powder main materials and auxiliary materials and mixing them to form a mixture includes: controlling the feeding unit to supply the industrial powder main materials and auxiliary materials; controlling the power unit to transport the industrial powder main materials and auxiliary materials from the feeding unit to the mixing unit; and controlling the mixing unit to mix the industrial powder main materials and auxiliary materials supplied by the feeding unit.

[0017] In some embodiments of this application, the mixing unit includes: a mixing silo for containing the main and auxiliary materials of the industrial powder; an airflow mixer located at the bottom of the mixing silo for spraying gas into the mixing silo to mix the main and auxiliary materials of the industrial powder in the mixing silo; and a dust collector located at the top of the mixing silo for filtering the main and auxiliary materials of the industrial powder and discharging the filtered gas entering the mixing silo.

[0018] In some embodiments of this application, the airflow mixer includes a discharge cone valve and a valve seat. The discharge cone valve and the valve seat form a sealing pair and are coaxially and fixedly sealed at the bottom of the mixing hopper. The discharge cone valve is located inside the mixing hopper with its cone end facing upward. The valve seat includes an orifice plate that supports the discharge cone valve. The orifice plate is inclined toward the outlet of the valve seat.

[0019] In some embodiments of this application, the mixing unit further includes: a first spraying device surrounding the side wall of the mixing hopper for spraying air onto the inner wall of the mixing hopper; and a second spraying device surrounding the side wall of the mixing hopper and located below the first spraying device for spraying air onto the inner wall of the mixing hopper and the orifice plate.

[0020] In some embodiments of this application, the programmable logic controller controls the airflow mixer to operate alternately with the first and second jetting devices.

[0021] In some embodiments of this application, each of the distribution units includes at least two weighing buffer bins, each of the weighing buffer bins having a weighing device for weighing the mixture in the weighing buffer bin.

[0022] In some embodiments of this application, the programmable logic controller controls the at least two weighing buffer bins to work continuously and alternately.

[0023] In some embodiments of this application, the number of distribution units is one, and the conveying unit includes a main pipeline connected to the distribution unit and several branch pipelines connected to the main pipeline.

[0024] In some embodiments of this application, the number of distribution units is at least two, and the conveying unit includes a plurality of main pipelines respectively connected to the distribution units.

[0025] Compared with the prior art, the beneficial effects of the technical solution of this application include:

[0026] The technical solution of this application quantitatively distributes the mixed materials through at least one distribution unit and then delivers them to the corresponding reaction devices. One distribution unit corresponds to multiple reaction devices. Compared with the existing process where a separate distribution unit is arranged for each reaction device, the number of distribution units can be reduced, thus saving costs.

[0027] The material feeding and mixing unit of this application integrates the material feeding function and the mixing function, realizing integrated mixing and feeding, thereby reducing the investment cost of auxiliary equipment for airflow mixers;

[0028] The technical solution of this application uses an airflow mixer to replace the mechanical mixer in the existing process for industrial powder mixing. The airflow mixer has a short mixing time, low energy consumption, and improves mixing efficiency while reducing the operating cost of the equipment.

[0029] The orifice plate in this application is designed to be inclined. Compared with the horizontal design in the existing process, it eliminates the design dead corners where material is easy to accumulate, thereby greatly reducing the material residue at the orifice plate.

[0030] The technical solution of this application provides the first jetting device, the second jetting device and the vibrating air hammer on the side wall of the mixing silo, which can prevent the industrial powder materials in the mixing silo from bridging, arching, material sticking to the wall and residue.

[0031] In the technical solution of this application, each of the distribution units includes at least two weighing buffer bins. The at least two weighing buffer bins work alternately, with one feeding while the other discharges, and vice versa. This enables the distribution unit to work continuously, increasing the number of reaction devices that a mixing unit can supply. It not only reduces the number of weighing buffer bins but also the number of airflow mixers, while reducing the batching time for each reaction device, thereby achieving cost reduction and efficiency improvement in the process. Attached Figure Description

[0032] The following accompanying drawings describe in detail the exemplary embodiments disclosed in this application. The same reference numerals denote similar structures in several views of the drawings. Those skilled in the art will understand that these embodiments are non-limiting and exemplary, and the drawings are for illustrative purposes only and are not intended to limit the scope of this application. Other embodiments may similarly fulfill the inventive intent of this application. It should be understood that the drawings are not drawn to scale. Wherein:

[0033] Figure 1 is a schematic diagram of the structure of an industrial powder material mixing and distribution system according to some embodiments of this application;

[0034] Figure 2 is a structural schematic diagram of an industrial powder material mixing and distribution system according to some other embodiments of this application;

[0035] Figure 3 is a schematic diagram of the material supply and mixing unit in the industrial powder material mixing and distribution system described in the embodiment of this application.

[0036] Figure 4 is a schematic diagram of the structure of the feeding and mixing unit in the industrial powder material mixing and distribution system described in some embodiments of this application;

[0037] Figure 5 is a schematic diagram of the structure of the feeding and mixing unit in the industrial powder material mixing and distribution system described in some other embodiments of this application;

[0038] Figure 6 is a schematic diagram of the structure of the mixing unit in the industrial powder material mixing and distribution system described in the embodiment of this application;

[0039] Figure 7 is a schematic diagram of the airflow mixer in the industrial powder material mixing and distribution system described in the embodiment of this application;

[0040] Figure 8 is a schematic diagram of the structure of the distribution unit in the industrial powder material mixing and distribution system described in the embodiment of this application;

[0041] Figure 9 is a schematic diagram of the reaction device in the industrial powder material mixing and distribution system described in the embodiment of this application;

[0042] Figure 10 is a flowchart of the industrial powder material delivery method described in the embodiments of this application. Detailed Implementation

[0043] The following description provides specific application scenarios and requirements for this application, intended to enable those skilled in the art to make and use the content of this application. Various partial modifications to the disclosed embodiments will be apparent to those skilled in the art, and the general principles defined herein can be applied to other embodiments and applications without departing from the spirit and scope of this application. Therefore, this application is not limited to the embodiments shown, but rather to the widest scope consistent with the claims.

[0044] The technical solution of this application will be described in detail below with reference to the embodiments and accompanying drawings.

[0045] Figure 1 is a schematic diagram of the structure of an industrial powder material mixing and distribution system according to some embodiments of this application. Figure 2 is a schematic diagram of the structure of an industrial powder material mixing and distribution system according to other embodiments of this application.

[0046] Referring to Figures 1 and 2, an embodiment of this application provides an industrial powder material mixing and distribution system 10, comprising: a feeding and mixing unit 1100 for feeding and mixing main and auxiliary industrial powder materials to form a mixture; at least one distribution unit 1200 connected to the feeding and mixing unit 1100 for quantitatively distributing the mixture provided by the feeding and mixing unit 1100; a conveying unit 1300 connected to the at least one distribution unit 1200 for conveying the quantitatively distributed mixture to a designated reaction device 1300; a plurality of reaction devices 1300, each connected to the conveying unit 1300, for performing modification reaction treatment on the mixture; and a programmable logic controller (PLC) for controlling the operation of the feeding and mixing unit 1100, the at least one distribution unit 1200, the conveying unit 1300, and the plurality of reaction devices 1400. The industrial powder materials described in this embodiment include, but are not limited to, lithium battery anode materials.

[0047] The working process of the industrial powder material mixing and distribution system 10 described in the embodiments of this application includes: the feeding and mixing unit 1100 mixes the main and auxiliary materials of the required industrial powder material into a mixture and then transports it to the at least one distribution unit 1200; the at least one distribution unit 1200 quantitatively distributes the mixture (e.g., weighing 1 ton of the mixture); the conveying unit 1300 conveys the quantitatively distributed mixture (e.g., the 1 ton of the mixture) to a designated reaction device 1300 (i.e., the reaction device 1300 among the plurality of reaction devices 1300 that requires the 1 ton of the mixture). The technical solution of this application first quantitatively distributes the mixed industrial powder material through the at least one distribution unit 1200 and then conveys it to the corresponding reaction device 1400. Compared with the existing process where a separate distribution unit is arranged for each reaction device, this reduces the number of distribution units and saves costs.

[0048] Referring to Figure 1, in some embodiments of this application, the number of distribution units 1200 is one, and the conveying unit 1300 includes a main pipeline 1301 connected to the distribution unit 1200 and several branch pipelines 1302 connected to the main pipeline 1301. In some embodiments of this application, one distribution unit 1200 is set up to perform all quantitative distribution work, one main pipeline 1301 is set up to receive the output of the distribution unit 1200, and then the output of the distribution unit 1200 is conveyed to different reaction devices 1400 by several branch pipelines 1302. The number of several branch pipelines 1302 can be arbitrarily set as needed (this application only uses two branch pipelines 1302 as an example). The several branch pipelines 1302 can have multiple levels of branches, that is, secondary branch pipelines are set up on the basis of the branch pipelines 1302.

[0049] In some embodiments of this application, the conveying unit 1300 further includes a plurality of conveying fans 1303 corresponding to the plurality of branch pipes 1302. Specifically, a conveying fan 1303 is provided at the end of each branch pipe 1302. The conveying fan 1303 is used to provide a negative pressure environment in the branch pipe 1302 to convey the industrial powder material by means of negative pressure conveying.

[0050] Referring to Figure 2, in some embodiments of this application, the number of distribution units 1200 is at least two (this application only uses two distribution units 1200 as an example), and the conveying unit 1300 includes a plurality of main pipelines 1301 respectively connected to the distribution units 1200. Specifically, the number of the plurality of main pipelines 1301 is the same as the number of distribution units 1200, that is, each main pipeline 1301 corresponds to one distribution unit. In some embodiments of this application, a plurality of distribution units 1200 are set up to perform quantitative distribution, and the output of the corresponding distribution unit 1200 is conveyed to different reaction devices 1400 by setting up a plurality of corresponding main pipelines 1301.

[0051] In some other embodiments of this application, the conveying unit 1300 further includes a plurality of conveying fans 1303 corresponding to the plurality of main pipelines 1301. Specifically, a conveying fan 1303 is provided at the end of each main pipeline 1301. The conveying fan 1303 is used to provide a negative pressure environment in the main pipeline 1301 to convey the industrial powder material by means of negative pressure conveying.

[0052] Referring to Figures 1 and 2, multiple pressure transmitters 1304 and pipeline switching valves 1305 are installed on the main pipeline 1301 and branch pipeline 1302 of the conveying unit 1300 as needed.

[0053] The above schematic diagram of the overall process flow of the industrial powder material mixing and distribution system 10 described in conjunction with the embodiments of this application illustrates the overall structure and operation of the industrial powder material mixing and distribution system 10 described in the embodiments of this application. The detailed structure and operation of each unit of the industrial powder material mixing and distribution system 10 described in the embodiments of this application will be described below with reference to the structural schematic diagrams of each unit.

[0054] Figure 3 is a schematic diagram of the feeding and mixing unit in the industrial powder material mixing and distribution system according to an embodiment of this application. Figure 4 is a schematic diagram of the feeding and mixing unit in the industrial powder material mixing and distribution system according to some embodiments of this application. Figure 5 is a schematic diagram of the feeding and mixing unit in the industrial powder material mixing and distribution system according to other embodiments of this application.

[0055] Referring to Figures 3, 4, and 5, the feeding and mixing unit 1100 includes: a feeding unit 1110 for providing main and auxiliary materials of industrial powder; a mixing unit 1120 connected to the feeding unit 1110 for mixing the main and auxiliary materials of the industrial powder provided by the feeding unit 1110 to form a mixture; and a power unit 1130 connected to the mixing unit 1120 for providing power to transport the main and auxiliary materials of the industrial powder from the feeding unit 1110 to the mixing unit 1120.

[0056] Referring to Figure 3, the embodiments of this application do not limit the manner in which the feeding unit 1110 supplies industrial powder materials. The feeding unit 1110 can supply industrial powder materials in any suitable manner in the art. For example, referring to Figure 4, in some embodiments of this application, the feeding unit 1110 can supply industrial powder materials via a feeding station, the feeding unit 1110 including a ton bag 1111 containing industrial powder materials and a ton bag feeding hopper 1112 for unloading. As another example, referring to Figure 5, in some other embodiments of this application, the feeding unit 1110 can supply industrial powder materials via a storage silo, the feeding unit 1110 including a main material buffer silo 1113 and an auxiliary material buffer silo 1114, the main material buffer silo 1113 and the auxiliary material buffer silo 1114 respectively containing the main material and auxiliary material of the industrial powder materials to be mixed.

[0057] In some embodiments of this application, the feeding unit 1110 and the mixing unit 1120 are connected by a conveying pipe 1116, and the conveying pipe 1116 is also provided with a feeding switching valve 1115.

[0058] In some embodiments of this application, the power unit 1130 includes, but is not limited to, a negative pressure fan. The power unit 1130 draws industrial powder materials supplied by the feeding unit 1110 to the mixing unit 1120 by means of air extraction.

[0059] In some embodiments of this application, the power unit 1130 is connected to the mixing unit 1120 via a conveying pipe 1131.

[0060] The feeding and mixing unit 1100 in this application adopts a large-capacity (20 cubic meters or more) mixing unit 1120 to draw the main and auxiliary industrial powder materials to be mixed from the corresponding buffer bins to the mixing unit 1120 according to the set ratio. Then, the materials are mixed by an airflow mixer. After mixing, the mixed materials are quantitatively distributed by the pre-conveying distribution unit and then alternately conveyed to the reaction device through multiple weighing buffer bins. This can achieve the feeding of six or eight or more reaction devices per hour.

[0061] Figure 6 is a schematic diagram of the mixing unit in the industrial powder material mixing and distribution system described in the embodiment of this application.

[0062] Referring to Figure 6, in some embodiments of this application, the mixing unit 1120 includes: a mixing silo 1121 for containing the main and auxiliary materials of the industrial powder; a dust collector 1122 located at the top of the mixing silo 1121 for filtering the main and auxiliary materials of the industrial powder and discharging filtered gas entering the mixing silo 1121; and an airflow mixer 1140 located at the bottom of the mixing silo 1121 for spraying air into the mixing silo 1121 to mix the main and auxiliary materials of the industrial powder in the mixing silo 1121.

[0063] In some embodiments of this application, the mixing hopper 1121 includes an integrally connected cylindrical first portion and a conical second portion. The conical second portion facilitates the discharge of the mixture.

[0064] In some embodiments of this application, the dust collector 1122 is used to filter the industrial powder material into the mixing silo 1121 when the power unit 1130 extracts the industrial powder material, and to filter and discharge the compressed air entering the mixing silo to the outside of the silo.

[0065] In some embodiments of this application, the dust collector 1122 has two exhaust ports, one of which is connected to the conveying pipe 1131, and the other exhaust port is equipped with a pneumatic switching valve 1132. The pneumatic switching valve 1132 is closed when the mixing silo 1121 is being fed, and opened when the mixing silo 1121 is being mixed. After the power unit 1130 (negative pressure fan) is turned on, the mixing silo 1121 is drawn to a certain negative pressure through the conveying pipe 1131 and the dust collector 1122. Under negative pressure, industrial powder materials are drawn from the feeding unit 1110 into the mixing silo 1121, thereby realizing the automatic feeding function of the mixing unit 1120 and eliminating the need for a separate feeding device. The mixing and feeding functions are seamlessly switched through PLC control.

[0066] Referring again to Figure 6, in some embodiments of this application, the mixing unit 1120 further includes: a first blowing device 1123 surrounding the sidewall of the second part of the mixing silo 1121. The first blowing device 1123 has a first air ring 1124 surrounding the second part of the mixing silo 1121 and a plurality of first nozzles 1125 evenly distributed on the first air ring 1124. The first blowing device 1123 receives air through the first air ring 1124 and blows air through the first nozzles 1125 onto the mixing silo 1121. The first spray device 1123 sprays air onto the inner wall of the mixing silo 1121. A second spray device 1126 surrounds the side wall of the second portion of the mixing silo 1121 and is located below the first spray device 1123. The second spray device 1126 has a second air ring 1127 surrounding the second portion of the mixing silo 1121 and a plurality of second nozzles 1128 evenly distributed on the second air ring 1127. The second spray device 1126 intakes air through the second air ring 1127 and sprays compressed air onto the inner wall of the mixing silo 1121 through the second nozzles 1128. The first spray device 1123 assists in mixing industrial powder materials in the mixing silo 1121 during the operation of the airflow mixer 1140, preventing the industrial powder materials from caking and adhering to the side wall of the mixing silo 1121 due to poor flowability. The second spray device 1126 assists in unloading the mixing silo 1121, preventing industrial powder material residue.

[0067] In some embodiments of this application, the first nozzle 1125 is directed toward the bottom of the mixing hopper 1121. The jet direction of the first nozzle 1125 is adjusted according to the angle of the hopper cone to ensure that the hopper wall can be purged. Generally, the angle with the horizontal plane is 50-70 degrees and can be adjusted by a PLC. The number of the first nozzle 1125 can be set as needed, typically six or more.

[0068] In some embodiments of this application, the second nozzle 1128 is directed toward the bottom of the mixing hopper 1121. The jet direction of the second nozzle 1128 is adjusted according to the angle of the hopper cone to ensure that the hopper wall and the orifice plate can be purged. Generally, the angle with the horizontal plane is 50-70 degrees and can be adjusted by a PLC. The number of the second nozzle 1128 can be set as needed, typically six or more.

[0069] In some embodiments of this application, the programmable logic controller controls the airflow mixer 1140 to work alternately with the first jetting device 1123 and the second jetting device 1126.

[0070] Referring again to Figure 6, in some embodiments of this application, the mixing unit 1120 further includes a plurality of vibrating hammers 1129 disposed on the sidewall of the second part of the mixing silo 1121, and evenly distributed circumferentially along the sidewall of the second part of the mixing silo 1121. The plurality of vibrating hammers 1129 are used to pound the sidewall of the mixing silo 1121 to prevent bridging or arching of materials during discharge, thus facilitating the smooth discharge of materials and residual materials. The number of vibrating hammers 1129 is, for example, three or more.

[0071] In the technical solution of this application, the cooperation of the first blowing device 1123, the second blowing device 1126 and the vibrating hammer 1129 can prevent the industrial powder material in the mixing silo 1121 from bridging, arching, sticking to the wall and leaving residue.

[0072] Figure 7 is a schematic diagram of the structure of the airflow mixer in the industrial powder material mixing and distribution system described in the embodiment of this application.

[0073] Referring to Figure 7, in some embodiments of this application, the airflow mixer 1140 includes a discharge cone valve 1141 and a valve seat 1142. The discharge cone valve 1141 and the valve seat 1142 form a sealing pair and are coaxially and fixedly sealed at the bottom of the mixing hopper 1121. The discharge cone valve 1141 is located inside the mixing hopper 1121 with its cone end facing upward. The valve seat 1142 includes an orifice plate 1143 that supports the discharge cone valve 1141. The orifice plate 1143 is inclined toward the outlet 1144 of the valve seat 1142. The orifice plate is fixedly welded to a flange and is inclined downward toward the outlet of the valve seat 1142 to prevent the mixture from remaining at the orifice plate during the discharge process.

[0074] In some embodiments of this application, the angle between the perforated plate 1143 and the horizontal plane is not less than 20 degrees, for example, 20-30 degrees. In the technical solution of this application, since the perforated plate 1143 is designed with an inclination, compared with the horizontal design in the existing process, the design dead corner that is easy to accumulate material is eliminated, thereby greatly reducing the material residue at the perforated plate 1143.

[0075] Referring again to Figure 7, the airflow mixer 1140 further includes: an inlet control valve 1145; an air chamber 1146 connected to the inlet control valve 1145; a nozzle 1148 disposed on the orifice plate 1143 and connected to the air chamber 1146 via an inlet branch pipe 1147; and a cylinder 1149 disposed at the bottom of the valve seat 142. Compressed gas enters the air chamber 1146 through the inlet control valve 1145 and is then expelled upwards through the inlet branch pipe 1147 and the nozzle 1148. The high-pressure airflow causes the industrial powder material in the mixing hopper 1121 to tumble and mix. The cylinders 1149 serve as power units, and the programmable logic controller controls the number of cylinders 1149 that are open, thereby controlling the number of nozzles 1148 that are open. Each cylinder controls the opening and closing time of its corresponding nozzle to achieve uniform mixing of the main and auxiliary materials of the industrial powder.

[0076] In some embodiments of this application, the orifice plate 1143 is provided with countersunk holes corresponding to the nozzle 1148 for mounting the nozzle 1148, which is fixed by countersunk bolts. The spray angle and nozzle orifice diameter of the nozzle 1148 can be changed according to the characteristics of different industrial powders, which is very convenient for industrial powders that are frequently mixed with multiple materials.

[0077] The technical solution of this application uses an airflow mixer to replace the mechanical mixer in the existing process for material mixing. The airflow mixer has a short mixing time, low energy consumption, and improves mixing efficiency while reducing equipment operating costs. The airflow mixer mainly utilizes the kinetic energy generated by the rapid expansion of compressed air when it releases pressure to mix materials in the mixing hopper. Compressed air is injected into the mixing hopper in a pulse manner through the nozzle of the airflow mixer with a set pulse width and interval time. This causes the materials to spiral upward, move, tumble, and fall with the airflow, thereby achieving rapid and uniform mixing of materials. It not only has a short mixing time and low energy consumption, but can also adapt to the mixing of large quantities of materials. During the mixing process, the incoming compressed air is filtered by a dust collector at the top of the mixing hopper and then discharged from the mixing hopper. The mixed materials are filtered by the dust collector and then recycled back into the mixing hopper.

[0078] Lithium-ion battery industrial powders require high cleanliness control. There are many types of industrial powders, and the types of materials to be mixed often need to be changed. Therefore, reducing the amount of residual material in the mixing silo and airflow mixer is crucial for lithium-ion battery industrial powders. The technical solution of this application, through optimized structural and configuration designs (the first blowing device 1123, the second blowing device 1126, the vibrating hammer 1129, and the inclined perforated plate 1143), allows the mixed material to be automatically discharged from the airflow mixer while simultaneously achieving maximum automatic cleaning of residual material. This eliminates the need for manual cleaning or hydraulic washing, thereby not only improving the working efficiency of the airflow mixer but also significantly reducing maintenance costs.

[0079] For the feeding process of airflow mixers, existing airflow mixers or mechanical mixers generally require separate feeding equipment. However, the technical solution of this application sets up a pneumatic switching valve 1132 and a feeding switching valve 1115. By switching the pneumatic switching valve 1132 and the feeding switching valve 1115, the dust collector 1122 can have both the function of dust removal and exhaust during mixing and the function of exhaust during feeding. Therefore, the mixing and feeding unit 1100 of the technical solution of this application integrates the feeding function and the mixing function into one, realizing the integration of mixing and feeding, thereby reducing the investment cost of auxiliary equipment for airflow mixers.

[0080] Figure 8 is a schematic diagram of the structure of a distribution unit in an industrial powder material mixing and distribution system according to an embodiment of this application. Specifically, Figure 8 is a partially enlarged view of the embodiment shown in Figure 2, which includes multiple distribution units 1200.

[0081] Referring to Figure 8, in some embodiments of this application, each of the distribution units 1200 includes at least two weighing buffer bins 1201, and each of the weighing buffer bins 1201 has a weighing device 1202 for weighing the industrial powder material in the weighing buffer bin 1201.

[0082] In some embodiments of this application, when there are multiple distribution units 1200, they are connected to the outlet 1144 of the airflow mixer 1140 of the feeding and mixing unit 1100 through multiple screw feeders 1203 with two outlets discharging material simultaneously.

[0083] In some embodiments of this application, the programmable logic controller (PLC) controls the at least two weighing buffer bins 1201 to operate alternately. Taking two weighing buffer bins 1201 as an example, when the first weighing buffer bin 1201 reaches the weighing requirement, the feed valve is closed, and the rotary valve and discharge valve are opened. The corresponding conveying unit begins to convey material to the corresponding reaction device. At this time, the other weighing buffer bin 1201 begins to feed and weigh through the switching of the feed valve. After the first weighing buffer bin 1201 reaches the weighing requirement through discharge, the discharge valve and rotary valve are closed. At this time, the other weighing buffer bin 1201 has reached the weighing requirement, so the corresponding feed valve is closed, and the rotary valve and discharge valve are opened. The conveying unit continues to convey material to the corresponding reaction device. Then the first weighing buffer bin 1201 can start feeding and weighing again. In the technical solution of this application, each of the distribution units 1200 includes at least two weighing buffer bins 1201. The at least two weighing buffer bins 1201 work alternately, which can realize the continuous operation of the distribution unit 1200. The number of reaction devices that one feeding and mixing unit 1100 can supply can be increased. This not only reduces the number of weighing buffer bins, but also reduces the number of airflow mixers. At the same time, it can reduce the feeding time of each reaction device, thereby achieving cost reduction and efficiency improvement in the process.

[0084] Figure 9 is a schematic diagram of the reaction device in the industrial powder material mixing and distribution system described in the embodiment of this application. Specifically, Figure 9 is a partial enlarged view of the reaction device 1400 shown in Figures 1 and 2.

[0085] Referring to Figure 9, each of the reaction devices 1400 is connected to the conveying unit 1300 via a corresponding cyclone feeder 1401.

[0086] The technical solution of this application simultaneously implements multiple monitoring of the direction and trend of materials in the conveying unit through the pipeline switching valve, pressure transmitter, and high and low level gauges of the cyclone feeder, ensuring that the materials accurately enter each reaction device according to the batching requirements and ensuring that the conveying unit is not blocked. Furthermore, through the weighing device in the buffer bin before conveying, the weight error of the materials entering each reaction device is no more than 2%, which meets the batching accuracy requirements of the lithium battery industry powder reaction device.

[0087] In summary, the technical solution of this application not only saves the number of mixing devices and weighing buffer bins, reducing investment costs, but also reduces mixing and batching time by using an airflow mixer and a high-capacity negative pressure conveying system, thereby improving mixing and distribution efficiency.

[0088] In one specific embodiment, a 30-cubic-meter capacity mixing unit is set up. The main and auxiliary materials of lithium battery industrial powder to be mixed are drawn from the corresponding buffer silos into the mixing silo according to a set ratio. Then, compressed air is injected through the nozzles of the airflow mixer to mix the materials. After mixing, the materials are weighed and metered before being conveyed through four weighing buffer silos in two distribution units. The conveying is carried out continuously and alternately multiple times to achieve simultaneous feeding of materials to two reaction devices each time. Each reaction device is equipped with a cyclone feeder. Under the airflow mixer, there is a screw feeder with dual outlets that discharge materials simultaneously and four 2-cubic-meter capacity weighing buffer silos. Every two weighing buffer silos form a distribution unit. Each distribution unit is connected to the four cyclone feeders through a main pipeline and a corresponding pipeline switching valve to feed materials to the corresponding reaction device. A total of two main pipelines are set up. The airflow mixer mixes approximately 12 tons of material per cycle, with a mixing time of approximately 30 minutes. The feed rate for each reaction unit is approximately 1.5 t / h, and the average feed time for each reaction unit is approximately 12 minutes. The total feed time for 8 reaction units is approximately 48 minutes.

[0089] Figure 10 is a flowchart of the industrial powder material delivery method described in the embodiments of this application.

[0090] This application also provides an industrial powder material delivery method, which can employ the industrial powder material mixing and delivery system 10 described above. Referring to Figure 10, the industrial powder material delivery method includes: executing the following steps via a programmable logic controller:

[0091] Step S1: Control the feeding and mixing unit to supply industrial powder main materials and auxiliary materials and mix them to form a mixture;

[0092] Step S2: Control at least one distribution unit to quantitatively distribute the mixture supplied by the feeding and mixing unit;

[0093] Step S3: Control the conveying unit to deliver the quantitatively dispensed mixture to the designated reaction device;

[0094] Step S4: Control the reaction device to perform a modification reaction on the mixture.

[0095] In some embodiments of this application, step S1, which involves controlling the feeding and mixing unit 1100 to supply industrial powder main materials and auxiliary materials and mixing them to form a mixture, includes: controlling the feeding unit 1110 to supply industrial powder materials; controlling the power unit 1130 to transport the industrial powder materials from the feeding unit 1110 to the mixing unit 1120; and controlling the mixing unit 1120 to mix the industrial powder materials supplied by the feeding unit 1110.

[0096] This application does not limit the manner in which the feeding unit 1110 supplies the industrial powder material in the step of controlling the feeding unit 1110 to supply the industrial powder material. The feeding unit 1110 can supply the industrial powder material in any suitable manner in the art. In some embodiments of this application, referring to FIG4, the feeding unit 1110 supplies the industrial powder material by supplying raw materials through a feeding station, and the step of controlling the feeding unit 1110 to supply the industrial powder material includes transporting the ton bag 1111 containing the industrial powder material to above the ton bag feeding hopper 1112 for unloading, and then unloading the industrial powder material from the ton bag 1111 into the ton bag feeding station 1112. In other embodiments of this application, referring to FIG5, the feeding unit 1110 supplies the industrial powder material by supplying raw materials through a storage silo, and the step of controlling the feeding unit 1110 to supply the industrial powder material includes supplying the industrial powder material through the main material buffer hopper 1113 and the auxiliary material buffer hopper 1114.

[0097] The step of controlling the power unit 1130 to transport the industrial powder material from the feeding unit 1110 to the mixing unit 1120 includes: when the mixing silo 1121 is being fed, the discharge cone valve 1141, the airflow mixer 1140, the vibrating hammer 1129, the first jet blowing device 1123, and the second jet blowing device 1126 are all in the closed state. At this time, the pneumatic switching valve 1132 is closed, and the air inlet control valve of the airflow mixer 1140 is opened, so that the air chamber 1146 of the airflow mixer 1140 is filled with compressed air. The feeding switching valve 1115 is opened, and the dust collector 1122, the power unit 1130, the main material rotary valve of the main material buffer silo 1113, the main material discharge valve, and the main material accelerator are opened in sequence. The power unit 1130 first draws the mixing silo 1121 to a certain negative pressure through the conveying air duct 1131 and the dust collector 1122, creating a certain negative pressure difference between the front and rear ends of the conveying pipe 1116. Through this negative pressure difference, the main material in the main material buffer silo 1113 and the conveying air are mixed and then drawn together along the conveying pipe 1116 into the mixing silo 1121. After the main material and the conveying air entering the mixing silo 1121 are separated and filtered by the dust collector 1122, the main material is collected in the mixing silo 1121, and the conveying air is discharged into the atmosphere by the dust collector 1122. Similarly, the auxiliary material is drawn from the auxiliary material buffer silo 1114 into the mixing silo 1121 through the auxiliary material discharge valve, auxiliary material rotary valve, and auxiliary material accelerator of the auxiliary material buffer silo 1114 via the conveying pipe 1115. Different main and auxiliary materials can be simultaneously conveyed to the mixing silo 1121 according to the mixing process requirements, or they can be conveyed to the mixing silo 1121 in sequence by switching between the main material discharge valve and the auxiliary material discharge valve; they can be conveyed through a single conveying pipe 1116, or separately through individual conveying pipes 1116. The total feed rate of the mixing silo 1121 should not exceed 60%-70% of the silo's capacity. After the mixing silo 1121 is fully fed, the valves of the main material buffer silo and the auxiliary material buffer silo, as well as the power unit 1130, are closed sequentially. The feeding process is automatically controlled by a PLC.

[0098] The steps of controlling the mixing unit 1120 to mix the industrial powder material provided by the feeding unit 1110 include: after the mixing silo 1121 is fed, the pneumatic switching valve 1132 is opened and the feeding switching valve 1115 is closed. At this time, the dust collector 1122 is still in operation. The airflow mixer 1140 under the mixing silo 1121 starts to work. Several nozzles of the airflow mixer 1140 are opened in turn according to the set pulse width (1-3 seconds) and pulse interval time (5-9 seconds). (1-4 nozzles can be started at the same time according to the material characteristics and mixing time requirements. Compressed air enters the mixing silo 1121 through the air chamber 1146 and nozzle 1148 of the airflow mixer 1140 at the set pressure (2-5 bar). The material at the bottom of the mixing silo 1121 rises, tumbles and falls with the compressed airflow, so that the material can be quickly and evenly mixed. The mixing process is automatically controlled by PLC and no manual intervention is required after it is started.

[0099] During the mixing process, the first spraying device 1123 can provide assistance. Specifically, for example, when the industrial powder material has poor flowability, such as when the main material has a high surface moisture content (above 5%), or when the proportion of asphalt mixed in the main material exceeds 15%, the first spraying device 1123 is activated for approximately 2-3 seconds after the airflow mixer 1140 finishes spraying. One to three first nozzles 1125 can be activated at a time. Compressed air passes through the first air ring 1124 and enters the first nozzles 1125 within a set time, then sprays downwards along the side wall of the mixing hopper 1121 onto the industrial powder material with poor flowability. This accelerates the material's circulation and prevents the material's descent speed from slowing down, thus affecting the mixing uniformity. The activation time of the first spraying device 1123 during the mixing process does not exceed the pulse interval time of the airflow mixer 1140. When the industrial powder material has good flowability, it is not necessary to activate the first spraying device 1123. The auxiliary function of the first blowing device 1123 is determined by the process engineer based on the material's flowability. The engineer decides whether to activate the flow-aiding function of the first blowing device 1123. Once activated, the function module will participate in the mixing process through automatic control via the PLC.

[0100] After mixing is complete, the nozzles of the airflow mixer 1140 are closed, the dust collector 1122 stops working, the discharge cone valve 1141 is opened, and the mixed material is discharged from the discharge port 1144. At the same time, the first jet blowing device 1123 and the second jet blowing device 1126 are turned on according to the set pulse time (the turning time and interval can be adjusted according to actual needs), and the three vibrating hammers 1129 are turned on at set times to pound, fluidize and vibrate the material, so as to prevent the material from bridging or arching at the cone part during the discharge process, which helps the material and residual material to be discharged smoothly.

[0101] In the final stage of unloading, the first blowing device 1123, the second blowing device 1126, and the vibrating hammer 1129 primarily clean and discharge residual materials. The second blowing device 1126 further agitates and blows away any material accumulation at the orifice plate, ensuring automatic removal of residual material. The first blowing device 1123 primarily cleans any material remaining on the inner wall of the mixing silo 1121. Combined with the hammering action of the vibrating hammer 1129 on the side wall of the mixing silo, the automatic removal capability of residual materials on the walls and orifice plate of the mixing silo 1121 is further enhanced, thus meeting the cleanliness requirements for changing different types of mixed materials in the lithium battery industry. After discharge, the vibrating hammer 1129, the first blowing device 1123, the second blowing device 1126, and the discharge cone valve 1141 are shut off. If the next mixing requires a different material, the vibrating hammer 1129, the first blowing device 1123, and the second blowing device 1126 can continue to work for a period of time (1-5 minutes) to thoroughly blow away and clean the residual material in the hopper, thereby ensuring the cleanliness of the material to be mixed next time.

[0102] The steps of controlling at least one distribution unit 1200 to quantitatively distribute the mixture provided by the feeding and mixing unit 1100 in step S2 and controlling the conveying unit 1300 to convey the quantitatively distributed mixture to the designated reaction device 1400 in step S3 include: after the airflow mixer 1140 has finished mixing, it opens the discharge valve, and the material is simultaneously discharged to two discharge ports by the screw feeder 1203. Each discharge port corresponds to a distribution unit 1200, and each distribution unit 1200 is equipped with two 2-cubic-meter capacity weighing buffer silos 1201, which are connected to the discharge port of the screw feeder 1203 through a three-way pipe and a feed valve. The two weighing buffer silos 1201 in each distribution unit 1200 work alternately and continuously to transport the material to the corresponding reaction device through the corresponding main pipeline 1301. Since the weight of the material mixed by the airflow mixer 1140 is matched with the feed amount of the entire reaction device, when the entire reaction device has completed the feeding, the material in the airflow mixer 1140 has also been completely discharged. At this point, the first batch of materials mixed by the airflow mixer 1140 has been fully distributed to the eight reaction units. Therefore, when there are a large number of reaction units, the feeding, mixing, and dispensing functions of the airflow mixer 1140 can greatly reduce the number of airflow mixers, while also significantly reducing the energy consumption and time for mixing and dispensing, thereby achieving the goal of cost reduction and efficiency improvement.

[0103] In some embodiments of this application, when a blockage occurs in the main pipeline 1301 or branch pipeline 1302 during the batching process, the pressure transmitter 1304 on the corresponding pipeline will generate a high pressure alarm signal, and the air supply and blowing device on the corresponding pipeline will automatically start. When the pressure returns to normal, the air supply and blowing device will stop.

[0104] In some embodiments of this application, if a high-level alarm occurs in the cyclone feeder during the feeding process from the distribution unit 1200 to the reaction device 1400, it can be determined that the material in the cone hopper of the cyclone feeder is not being discharged smoothly. At this time, the corresponding pipeline stops working, and feeding resumes after the fault is eliminated.

[0105] The technical solution of this application achieves the connection between the mixing and feeding unit and the heat treatment process of the reaction device through the reasonable configuration of the mixing and feeding unit and the distribution unit, so as to realize the continuous and uninterrupted production of the equipment and achieve the best working efficiency at the lowest cost.

[0106] Finally, it should be understood that the embodiments disclosed herein are illustrative of the principles of the embodiments of this application. Other modified embodiments are also within the scope of this application. Therefore, the embodiments disclosed herein are merely examples and not limitations. Those skilled in the art can implement the applications in this application by adopting alternative configurations based on the embodiments in this application. Therefore, the embodiments of this application are not limited to those embodiments precisely described in the application.

Claims

1. An industrial powder material mixing and distribution system, characterized in that, include: The feeding and mixing unit is used for feeding and mixing industrial powder main materials and auxiliary materials to form a mixture. At least one dispensing unit is connected to the feeding and mixing unit and is used to quantitatively dispense the mixture provided by the feeding and mixing unit; A conveying unit, connected to the at least one dispensing unit, is used to convey the quantitatively dispensed mixture to a designated reaction device; Several reaction devices are connected to the conveying unit respectively, and are used to perform modification reaction treatment on the mixture; A programmable logic controller (PLC) is used to control the operation of the feeding and mixing unit, the at least one dispensing unit, the conveying unit, and the plurality of reaction devices.

2. The industrial powder material mixing and distribution system according to claim 1, characterized in that, The feeding and mixing unit includes: The feeding unit is used to provide the main and auxiliary materials for industrial powder materials; A mixing unit, connected to the feeding unit, mixes the main and auxiliary industrial powder materials provided by the feeding unit evenly. A power unit, connected to the mixing unit, is used to provide power to transport the main and auxiliary materials of the industrial powder from the feeding unit to the mixing unit.

3. The industrial powder material mixing and distribution system according to claim 2, characterized in that, The mixing unit includes: A mixing silo is used to contain the main and auxiliary materials of the industrial powder material; An airflow mixer, located at the bottom of the mixing silo, is used to spray gas into the mixing silo to mix the main and auxiliary industrial powder materials in the mixing silo; A dust collector, located at the top of the mixing silo, is used to filter the main and auxiliary materials of the industrial powder and to filter and discharge the gas entering the mixing silo.

4. The industrial powder material mixing and distribution system according to claim 3, characterized in that, The airflow mixer includes a discharge cone valve and a valve seat. The discharge cone valve and the valve seat form a sealing pair and are coaxially and fixedly sealed at the bottom of the mixing hopper. The discharge cone valve is located inside the mixing hopper with its cone end facing upward. The valve seat includes an orifice plate that supports the discharge cone valve. The orifice plate is inclined toward the discharge port of the valve seat.

5. The industrial powder material mixing and distribution system according to claim 4, characterized in that, The mixing unit further includes: The first jetting device surrounds the side wall of the mixing silo and is used to jet air onto the inner wall of the mixing silo. The second jetting device surrounds the side wall of the mixing silo and is located below the first jetting device, and is used to jet air onto the inner wall of the mixing silo and the orifice plate.

6. The industrial powder material mixing and distribution system according to claim 5, characterized in that, The programmable logic controller controls the airflow mixer to work alternately with the first and second jetting devices.

7. The industrial powder material mixing and distribution system according to claim 1, characterized in that, Each of the distribution units includes at least two weighing buffer bins, each of the weighing buffer bins having a weighing device for weighing the mixture in the weighing buffer bin.

8. The industrial powder material mixing and distribution system according to claim 7, characterized in that, The programmable logic controller controls the at least two weighing buffer bins to work continuously and alternately.

9. The industrial powder material mixing and distribution system according to claim 1, characterized in that, The number of distribution units is one, and the conveying unit includes a main pipeline connected to the distribution unit and several branch pipelines connected to the main pipeline.

10. The industrial powder material mixing and distribution system according to claim 1, characterized in that, The number of distribution units is at least two, and the conveying unit includes a plurality of main pipelines respectively connected to the distribution units.

11. A method for mixing and distributing industrial powder materials, characterized in that, include: The following steps are performed using a programmable logic controller: The feeding and mixing unit controls the supply of industrial powder main materials and auxiliary materials and mixes them to form a mixture. Control at least one distribution unit to quantitatively distribute the mixture supplied by the feeding and mixing unit; The control and conveying unit delivers the quantitatively dispensed mixture to the designated reaction device; The reaction apparatus is controlled to perform a modification reaction on the mixture.

12. The industrial powder material mixing and distribution method according to claim 11, characterized in that, The steps of controlling the feeding and mixing unit to supply industrial powder main materials and auxiliary materials and mix them to form a mixture include: The control feeding unit provides the main and auxiliary materials of the industrial powder; The control power unit transports the main and auxiliary materials of the industrial powder from the feeding unit to the mixing unit; The mixing unit controls the mixing of the main and auxiliary industrial powder materials provided by the feeding unit.

13. The method for mixing and distributing industrial powder materials according to claim 12, characterized in that, The mixing unit includes: A mixing silo is used to contain the main and auxiliary materials of the industrial powder material; An airflow mixer, located at the bottom of the mixing silo, is used to spray gas into the mixing silo to mix the main and auxiliary industrial powder materials in the mixing silo; A dust collector, located at the top of the mixing silo, is used to filter the main and auxiliary materials of the industrial powder and to filter and discharge the gas entering the mixing silo.

14. The industrial powder material mixing and distribution method according to claim 13, characterized in that, The airflow mixer includes a discharge cone valve and a valve seat. The discharge cone valve and the valve seat form a sealing pair and are coaxially and fixedly sealed at the bottom of the mixing hopper. The discharge cone valve is located inside the mixing hopper with its cone end facing upward. The valve seat includes an orifice plate that supports the discharge cone valve. The orifice plate is inclined toward the discharge port of the valve seat.

15. The method for mixing and distributing industrial powder materials according to claim 13, characterized in that, The mixing unit further includes: The first jetting device surrounds the side wall of the mixing silo and is used to jet air onto the inner wall of the mixing silo. The second jetting device surrounds the side wall of the mixing silo and is located below the first jetting device, and is used to jet air onto the inner wall of the mixing silo and the orifice plate.

16. The method for mixing and distributing industrial powder materials according to claim 14, characterized in that, The programmable logic controller controls the airflow mixer to work alternately with the first and second jetting devices.

17. The method for mixing and distributing industrial powder materials according to claim 11, characterized in that, Each of the distribution units includes at least two weighing buffer bins, each of the weighing buffer bins having a weighing device for weighing the mixture in the weighing buffer bin.

18. The method for mixing and distributing industrial powder materials according to claim 17, characterized in that, The programmable logic controller controls the at least two weighing buffer bins to work continuously and alternately.

19. The method for mixing and distributing industrial powder materials according to claim 11, characterized in that, The number of distribution units is one, and the conveying unit includes a main pipeline connected to the distribution unit and several branch pipelines connected to the main pipeline.

20. The method for mixing and distributing industrial powder materials according to claim 11, characterized in that, The number of distribution units is at least two, and the conveying unit includes a plurality of main pipelines respectively connected to the distribution units.

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