Low-Temperature Battery Crushing to Prevent Combustion
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing battery recycling methods face challenges such as environmental pollution, resource wastage, and safety hazards due to inadequate discharge of residual electrical energy before crushing, which can lead to heat generation, combustion, and explosion.
Innovation Solution
A battery crushing method and system that involves cooling the battery to an electric discharge temperature ranging from −60° C. to 0° C. in a gaseous environment, followed by crushing at a temperature not greater than −10° C. to 10° C., using a cryogenic electric discharge device, conveying device, and crushing device to ensure safe and efficient discharge and crushing.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If discarded batteries are crushed without discharging residual electrical energy, then processing efficiency is improved, but safety hazards such as combustion and explosion occur
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies preliminary action by cooling the battery to low temperature (−10°C to 10°C) before crushing. This pre-cooling step enables safe discharge of residual electrical energy by reducing the battery's thermal state, preventing combustion during subsequent crushing operations while maintaining processing efficiency
2Productivity
If batteries are immersed in salt-containing liquid bath for discharge, then discharge efficiency is improved, but environmental pollution and resource wastage increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces the chemical method (salt-containing liquid bath) with a physical method (cryogenic cooling). By using temperature control to achieve discharge, the system eliminates the need for chemical substances, thereby preventing environmental pollution and resource wastage while maintaining discharge efficiency
Solution Approach 2:
The patent changes the temperature parameter of the battery to a low range (−10°C to 10°C) to enable discharge. This parameter change achieves the discharge function without requiring salt-containing liquids, eliminating the associated environmental harm
3Productivity
If batteries are immersed in liquid nitrogen bath for discharge, then discharge efficiency is improved, but equipment storage space and processing cost increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts the essential function (cooling to enable discharge) from the liquid nitrogen bath system. By using a controlled cooling environment rather than bulk liquid nitrogen storage, the system maintains discharge efficiency while eliminating the need for large storage spaces and associated safety facilities
Solution Approach 2:
The patent replaces the expensive and space-consuming liquid nitrogen storage system with a more economical cooling approach. The cooling environment is maintained only when needed for discharge, avoiding continuous storage requirements and reducing both space and cost
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 method and system effectively prevent battery combustion and explosion during crushing, reduce environmental pollution and resource wastage, and lower processing costs by eliminating the need for hazardous chemicals and large storage spaces.
Implementation Method 1
cooling a battery, which is kept in a gaseous environment, to an electric discharge temperature ranging from −60° C. to 0° C.
Implementation Method 2
the discarded batteries are prone to producing heat due to short circuit
Data Source
AI summary
A battery crushing method includes cooling a battery, which is kept in a gaseous environment, to an electric discharge temperature ranging from −60° C. to 0° C.; and after cooling, crushing the battery at a crushing temperature to form a plurality of crushed particles. The crushing temperature is not greater than a temperature ranging from −10° C. to 10° C.