Accumulator Reconditioning via Laser Cell Separation and Sorting
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current recycling methods for lithium-ion and lithium-polymer batteries are inefficient, leading to resource loss and high costs, with limited automation and ineffective implementation of recycling directives, particularly in the context of electric vehicle energy transition.
Innovation Solution
A method involving the discharge, robotic disassembly, and laser-assisted separation of battery cells, with sorting based on capacity and health state, followed by reuse or recycling of individual cells, utilizing a flexible robot-assisted opening system and precise laser disassembly to detach busbars and remove welding points.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If manual disassembly is used to extract individual cells from accumulator packs, then safety and precision are improved, but processing time and labor costs increase significantly
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces manual mechanical disassembly with an automated laser-based system. The laser device precisely cuts through connection elements and housing materials to separate individual cells from accumulator packs, eliminating manual labor while maintaining safety through controlled, programmable cutting paths and parameters.
Solution Approach 2:
The invention extracts and removes connection elements (such as busbars and welding points) from the battery assembly using laser technology. This allows individual cells to be separated cleanly from the accumulator pack structure without manual intervention, directly addressing both safety and efficiency requirements.
2Productivity
If automated disassembly systems are implemented to increase processing speed, then productivity is improved, but device complexity and implementation difficulty increase
Solution Approach 1:
The laser device is designed as a multi-functional tool that can handle various connection elements (welding points, busbars, structural components) and work on different battery chemistries and formats. This universal approach simplifies the overall system architecture compared to specialized automated mechanisms for each disassembly task.
Solution Approach 2:
The system controls complexity by adjusting laser parameters (power, pulse duration, wavelength) rather than requiring complex mechanical mechanisms. Different connection elements are removed by changing laser processing parameters rather than changing the fundamental disassembly mechanism, simplifying system design and operation.
3Loss of substance
If traditional pyrometallurgical and hydrometallurgical recycling methods are used, then valuable materials like cobalt and nickel can be recovered, but other valuable components are lost through incineration and resource efficiency decreases
Solution Approach 1:
The invention segments the battery recycling process into distinct stages: first separating individual cells from the accumulator pack structure, then enabling further processing of cells and components. This segmentation allows different materials (cells, busbars, housing, electrolyte) to be recovered through appropriate methods, preventing loss of valuable components that would occur in conventional bulk incineration.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
Enables rapid, cost-effective, and sustainable reprocessing of accumulators by automating the disassembly process, optimizing resource recovery, and improving recycling efficiency while adhering to recycling standards.
Implementation Method 1
the laser removes welding points from the individual cells or the device connecting the individual cells
Data Source
Figure 1~2b
Figure 3
AI summary
The invention relates to a method for reconditioning accumulators. The object of the invention described here is to provide a method for reconditioning accumulators that enables rapid, resource-saving, cost-effective, and sustainable reconditioning of an accumulator. The method according to the invention achieves this by discharging the accumulator, opening the discharged accumulator, disassembling the opened accumulator into its individual cells, and testing the condition of the individual cells.