Air-Floating Electrode Drying to Prevent Wrinkles After High-Heat Drying
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing drying devices for electrode manufacturing face challenges in addressing thermal expansion deviations between coated and uncoated portions of electrode base materials, leading to wrinkles and folding issues during the manufacturing process.
Innovation Solution
A drying device equipped with a dryer and a transfer part that includes a floating part with an air floating plate, which uses air discharge ports to float and transfer the dried electrode base material, thereby minimizing thermal expansion deviations and preventing wrinkles and folding.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Manufacturing precision
If a cooling device is introduced to cool the electrode base material, then wrinkles and folding are reduced, but device complexity increases and processability is degraded
Solution Approach 1:
The cooling function is merged with the transfer roller that already exists in the system. The transfer roller performs both transfer and cooling functions by having a temperature lower than the dried electrode base material, eliminating the need for a separate cooling device and reducing structural complexity.
Solution Approach 2:
The transfer roller is given multiple functions: it transfers the electrode base material from the dryer and simultaneously cools it to prevent wrinkles and folding. This multi-functionality reduces the overall device complexity while maintaining manufacturing precision.
2Manufacturing precision
If a crease roller is applied to smooth wrinkles, then surface flatness is improved, but device complexity increases and adaptability is reduced
Solution Approach 1:
The smoothing function is merged with the transfer roller. The transfer roller not only transfers the electrode base material but also smooths wrinkles through its contact and cooling action, eliminating the need for a separate crease roller and improving adaptability to different electrode specifications.
Solution Approach 2:
The transfer roller performs multiple functions including transfer, cooling, and smoothing of the electrode base material. This multi-functionality enhances adaptability to different electrode specifications while maintaining surface flatness.
3Productivity
If high heat is used to remove solvent, then drying efficiency is improved, but thermal expansion deviation increases causing wrinkles
Solution Approach 1:
The transfer roller is positioned to immediately receive and cool the electrode base material as it exits the dryer, performing preliminary cooling action right after high-heat drying. This prevents thermal expansion deviation from causing wrinkles while maintaining high drying efficiency.
Solution Approach 2:
The transfer roller utilizes the phase transition from high temperature to lower temperature to control thermal expansion. By cooling the electrode base material after high-heat drying, the system manages thermal expansion effects while maintaining productivity.
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
The proposed solution effectively reduces thermal expansion deviations, prevents wrinkles and folding in the uncoated portions, and enhances processability by allowing for flexible adjustments in the air floating plate's design according to electrode specifications.
Implementation Method 1
a floating part configured to float the electrode base material using air and provided with an air floating plate
Implementation Method 2
configured to float the electrode base material using air
Implementation Method 3
the dryer removes a solvent in the slurry using high heat
Implementation Method 4
the electrode base material exiting the outlet of the dryer has a thermal expansion deviation between a coated portion and an uncoated portion
Data Source
Figure 1
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AI summary
Disclosed herein are a drying device for manufacturing an electrode and a method of manufacturing an electrode using the same. The drying device for manufacturing an electrode includes a floating part configured to float and move an electrode base material to a transfer part, which transfers the dried electrode base material, using air and cool a coated portion on which electrode slurry is applied and an uncoated portion on which the electrode slurry is not applied, thereby improving a thermal expansion deviation of the electrode base material dried so that wrinkles and/or a folding problem induced in the uncoated portion of the electrode base material can be prevented. In addition, in the floating part, since the air floating plate in which discharge ports are formed according to the specifications of an electrode to be manufactured can be replaced, there is an advantage of excellent processability.