Lithium-Ion Battery Water-Jet Cutting Without Pre-Discharge
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Solution Overview
Problem
Lithium ion batteries collected for recycling often vary in state of charge, complicating discharging processes and increasing costs, and existing methods risk ignition during disassembly due to short circuits, requiring stringent safety measures.
Innovation Solution
A lithium ion battery processing method that collects batteries without discharging them first, using a water jet cutter to cut the electrode terminal connection, which reduces the risk of ignition and eliminates the need for additional safety measures by allowing for in-tank extinguishing of fires.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of manufacture
If conventional cutting tools or lasers are used to cut the lithium ion battery exterior body, then the battery can be disassembled for material recycling, but heat generation may cause short circuit between electrodes leading to ignition
Solution Approach 1:
The patent employs a water jet cutter to cut the battery exterior body, utilizing high-pressure water flow to eliminate heat generation during cutting. This hydraulic approach replaces conventional thermal cutting methods, preventing ignition while enabling effective disassembly for material recycling.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent submerges the battery in water during the cutting process, creating an inert aquatic environment that suppresses ignition risks. The water acts as both the cutting medium and a fire suppression system, eliminating the need for separate fire extinguishing measures.
2Reliability
If lithium ion batteries are discharged to 0 V before processing, then safety during disassembly is improved, but variations in SOC and voltage recovery make complete discharge difficult and increase processing complexity
Solution Approach 1:
The patent inverts the conventional approach by eliminating the pre-discharge step entirely. Instead of discharging batteries to ensure safety, the invention uses water jet cutting with fire suppression capabilities, making the cutting process itself safe regardless of battery charge state. This simplifies the workflow while maintaining safety.
3Object-affected harmful factors
If strict safety measures such as fire extinguishing systems are prepared in advance, then ignition risk during cutting is reduced, but the burden of advance preparations and operational complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges the cutting function and fire suppression function into a single integrated system. The water jet cutter serves dual purposes: cutting the battery exterior and providing fire suppression by submerging the battery in water. This eliminates the need for separate fire extinguishing systems and reduces operational complexity.
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
This method simplifies and safens the recycling process by avoiding the need for pre-discharge and reducing the burden of safety preparations, enabling easier and safer processing of lithium ion batteries.
Implementation Method 1
The water jet cutter pressurizes a fluid, such as water, and ejects the fluid at high pressure to a cutting target so as to cut the cutting target
Implementation Method 2
achieve cooling effect, which reduces or prevents the risk of ignition
Implementation Method 3
in the event that the lithium ion battery is ignited during the cutting step, the lithium ion battery is immersed in water in the water tank, which extinguishes a fire in the lithium ion battery
Data Source
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AI summary
An embodiment of the present application provides a processing method including a collecting step (S0) and a cutting step (S4). The collecting step (S0) involves collecting a lithium ion battery (100) including: an electrode body (10); a battery case (22) housing the electrode body (10); and an electrode terminal (30, 40) connected to the electrode body (10) inside the battery case (22) and partially exposed to outside of the battery case (22). The cutting step (S4) involves cutting a connection between the electrode terminal (30, 40) and the electrode body (10) of the collected lithium ion battery (100) by using a water jet cutter (300). The processing method includes no lithium ion battery discharging step between the collecting step (S0) and the cutting step (S4).