Cell Lamination Heating for Thick Electrode-Separator Bonding
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Solution Overview
Problem
The challenge is to enhance the bonding force between electrodes and separators in thick laminates during the manufacturing of secondary batteries, while preventing the electrodes and separators from shifting out of their regular positions during laminate movement.
Innovation Solution
The proposed solution involves an apparatus and method that includes radiant heat application to preheat electrodes before lamination, using a system with heaters and temperature sensors to control the heating process, ensuring quick temporary bonding and maintaining electrode and separator alignment.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Quantity of substance
If the laminate thickness is increased to manufacture large-sized secondary batteries, then the battery capacity is improved, but the heat transfer to the inside of the laminate becomes insufficient and bonding force deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The electrodes are preheated by radiant heaters before lamination with the separator. This preliminary heating action ensures that when the thick laminate is formed, the electrode active material already has sufficient temperature to maintain bonding force, overcoming the insufficient heat transfer problem in thick laminates
Solution Approach 2:
The patent replaces the conventional convection-based heating system with a radiant heating system. The radiant heaters directly irradiate heat to the electrodes using electromagnetic radiation, substituting the indirect thermal conduction method and achieving rapid, uniform heating even in thick laminates
2Volume of moving object
If the laminate thickness is increased, then the battery size is enlarged, but the temporary bonding process becomes very slow and electrodes and separators separate from regular positions
Solution Approach 1:
The radiant heating system replaces conventional slow convection heating, providing rapid heat delivery to the electrode active material. This enables quick temporary bonding even in thick laminates, preventing separation of electrodes and separators during movement while maintaining high productivity
Solution Approach 2:
The patent changes the heating parameters by using radiant heaters that provide high intensity thermal radiation. This parameter change enables the bonding process to occur rapidly at the required temperature, solving the contradiction between bonding speed and laminate thickness
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 approach improves the bonding force between electrodes and separators even in thick laminates, ensures quick temporary bonding, and prevents electrodes and separators from shifting during laminate movement, thereby enhancing the manufacturing efficiency and energy efficiency of secondary batteries.
Implementation Method 1
a heater that applies radiant heat to the unwound electrode
Data Source
AI summary
Discussed is an apparatus for manufacturing a cell, the apparatus including: a center electrode reel from which a center electrode is to be unwound; a first heater configured to apply radiant heat to the unwound center electrode; an upper separator reel from which an upper separator to be laminated on a top surface of the center electrode is to be unwound; a lower separator reel from which a lower separator to be laminated on a bottom surface of the center electrode is to be unwound; an upper electrode reel from which an upper electrode to be laminated on a top surface of the upper separator is to be unwound; and a second heater configured to apply radiant heat to the unwound upper electrode.