Electrode Drying Measurement Using Optical Brightness Feedback
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional methods lack a device for quantifying the degree of drying of the active material layer on lithium secondary battery electrodes, leading to contamination of rollers and reduced production quality due to improper drying.
Innovation Solution
An electrode drying degree measuring device is positioned downstream of the top surface drying device to measure the brightness of the active material layer, enabling quantification of drying levels and preventing roller contamination by transmitting defect signals.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Measurement precision
If no drying degree measurement device is installed, then the production process is simple, but the degree of drying cannot be quantified and rollers become contaminated
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces complex mechanical measurement systems with an optical measurement system. The optical sensor non-contactly measures the drying degree of the active material layer by detecting light reflection properties, eliminating the need for physical contact or complex mechanical apparatus while achieving precise quantification of drying state.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces an optical sensor as an intermediary device between the drying process and the control system. This intermediary non-invasively measures the drying degree by detecting optical properties of the active material layer, enabling indirect but accurate measurement without disrupting the production process.
2Productivity
If drying degree is not monitored, then the production process is fast, but roller contamination occurs and quality deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements a feedback mechanism where the optical sensor continuously measures the drying degree of the active material layer, and this information is fed back to the control system. The controller adjusts drying parameters in real-time based on the measured values, ensuring consistent drying quality while maintaining high production speed through automated closed-loop control.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent performs preliminary measurement of the drying degree immediately after the drying process, allowing for early detection of improper drying before the electrode proceeds to subsequent processing stages. This enables timely corrective action to prevent roller contamination and quality issues downstream.
3Measurement precision
If conventional loading level measurement is used, then the measurement is simple, but no correlation with drying process variables can be derived
Solution Approach 1:
The patent measures changes in optical parameters (light reflection properties) of the active material layer as the drying progresses. By tracking these parameter changes and correlating them with drying process variables such as temperature, humidity, and drying time, the system establishes quantitative relationships that enable optimization of the drying process.
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 device allows for rapid response to improper drying, preventing roller contamination and improving production yield by deriving correlations between process variables and drying degrees.
Implementation Method 1
an optical sensor configured to irradiate light onto the active material layer, analyze the light reflected from the active material layer, and calculate the brightness of the center portion and side portions of the active material layer, respectively
Data Source
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AI summary
Disclosed herein relates to an electrode drying degree measuring device that may be configured to be positioned further downstream, with respect to the machine direction (MD) of the current collector, compared a top surface drying device configured to dry a slurry coated on a top surface of the current collector, and to respectively measure the drying degree of the center and side portions of the active material layer dried by the top surface drying device. Some embodiments of the present disclosure enable the degree of drying of the active material layer of the top surface coating electrode to be quantified, thereby deriving a correlation between the process variables of the top surface coating device and the top surface drying device and the degree of drying of the active material layer of the top surface coating electrode. Some embodiments of the present disclosure enable rapid response in cases where the drying of the active material layer of the top surface coating electrode is not properly performed, thereby preventing contamination of the rollers located in front of the top drying device relative to the machine direction MD of the current collector and/or the rollers facing the back surface coating device.