Electrode Coating Oscillation for Faster Ion Transport
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing methods for manufacturing electrodes in lithium-ion batteries, such as magnetic particle alignment, result in impurities, accelerated material aging, and increased complexity, while techniques like laser treatment create debris and are costly, limiting energy capacity and efficiency.
Innovation Solution
Applying an oscillating movement, such as vibrations or sound waves, to the coating layer of electrodes while it is still in a liquid state to reposition the electrode coating material, creating an uneven and locally concentrated distribution that forms cavities and ion transport pathways without debris or impurities.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Speed
If magnetic particle alignment is used to enhance ion movement, then ion transport is improved, but impurities are generated and material aging accelerates
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces magnetic field-based particle alignment with a mechanical/physical process involving controlled drying and cracking of the electrode coating. The slurry is applied to the substrate and then dried to form a crust, which is subsequently cracked to create ion transport pathways without requiring magnetic particles or external magnetic fields, thereby avoiding impurity generation and material aging.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent creates a porous structure through controlled mud-cracking of the dried electrode coating. The cracking process generates an interconnected network of channels and pores that facilitate ion transport throughout the electrode thickness, providing the desired ion movement enhancement through structural design rather than particle alignment.
2Speed
If laser treatment is applied to create micropores, then ion movement is enhanced, but debris is created and manufacturing costs increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces laser-based micropore creation with a low-cost mechanical drying and cracking process. The electrode slurry is dried to form a crust that naturally cracks under controlled conditions, creating ion transport pathways without requiring expensive laser equipment or generating laser-induced debris.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent performs preliminary drying to form a crust structure before inducing cracking. This sequential approach allows the formation of a stable base layer that can be subsequently cracked to create the desired porous network, achieving ion transport enhancement through a multi-step low-cost process rather than expensive laser treatment.
3Quantity of substance
If electrode thickness is increased to improve energy capacity, then energy density increases, but ion transport slows down
Solution Approach 1:
The patent creates an interconnected porous network through controlled cracking that penetrates throughout the electrode thickness. This porous structure provides multiple parallel pathways for ion transport, allowing ions to reach deeper regions of thick electrodes more efficiently, thereby maintaining high ion transport speed even as electrode thickness and energy capacity increase.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent transforms the electrode structure from a dense 3D mass to a hierarchical porous structure with channels extending in multiple dimensions. The cracking process creates a network of pathways that reduce the effective diffusion distance for ions, enabling fast ion transport across thick electrodes by providing direct routes through the coating rather than requiring ions to traverse the entire thickness through dense material.
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 enhances ion transport and energy capacity by minimizing impurities and debris, potentially reducing manufacturing steps and costs, while improving conductivity and electrochemical performance.
Implementation Method 1
Applying an oscillating movement, such as vibrations or sound waves, to the coating layer of electrodes while it is still in a liquid state to reposition the electrode coating material
Implementation Method 2
creating an uneven and locally concentrated distribution that forms cavities and ion transport pathways
Data Source
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AI summary
The invention relates to a method of treating a coating layer (140) of an electrode (120), the electrode comprising a substrate foil (130), on which the coating layer (140) is arranged, the coating layer (140) comprising an electrode coating material and being in an at least partially liquid state, the method comprising conveying the electrode (120) in a conveying direction (150) onto a base plate (110), and applying an oscillating movement to the coating layer (140) configured to reposition the electrode coating material.