Electrode Assembly Production Using Magazine Alignment
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current methods for manufacturing electrode assemblies, such as stack and folding types, face challenges in reducing size and weight while maintaining efficiency, and suffer from inaccurate alignment and increased productivity costs due to complex processes and misalignment of electrodes and separators.
Innovation Solution
A method involving the manufacturing of radical units with alternately stacked electrodes and separators, followed by alignment and dimension inspection in a magazine, allowing for precise stacking and assembly without separate alignment and inspection processes for the entire assembly.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Quantity of substance
If stack and folding type electrode assemblies are manufactured using sequential winding of full cells on a long separator sheet, then the structure can accommodate multiple full cells, but a temperature gradient is formed between central and outermost full cells, decreasing service life
Solution Approach 1:
The electrode assembly is divided into multiple independent battery cells, each with its own separator sheet and full cells arranged in a parallel configuration rather than sequential winding. This segmentation allows each cell to have uniform thermal characteristics, eliminating the temperature gradient problem that occurs in sequential winding structures where central and outermost full cells experience different temperatures.
2Ease of manufacture
If two lamination apparatuses and a separate folding apparatus are used to form electrode assemblies, then the structure can be created, but the process time cannot be reduced and alignment accuracy deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The lamination and folding functions are merged into a single apparatus that can perform both operations simultaneously or in an integrated sequence. The apparatus includes a lamination unit that stacks electrodes and separators, and a folding unit that folds the stacked structure, eliminating the need for separate folding apparatus and reducing total process time while maintaining alignment accuracy through integrated design.
Solution Approach 2:
Electrodes and separators are pre-cut to predetermined sizes and prepared in advance before the lamination and folding process. This preliminary preparation ensures that when the lamination apparatus stacks the components and the folding apparatus processes them, alignment is already optimized, reducing the need for complex real-time alignment mechanisms and decreasing overall process time.
3Ease of manufacture
If a separate folding apparatus is used to form stacked structures, then folding can be achieved, but accurate alignment of upper and lower electrode assemblies becomes difficult
Solution Approach 1:
A positioning mechanism or alignment fixture acts as an intermediary between the lamination apparatus and folding apparatus. This intermediary component ensures that when electrodes and separators are stacked and then folded, the upper and lower assemblies maintain precise alignment. The positioning mechanism may include guides, fixtures, or registration features that transfer alignment information through the folding process.
4Adaptability or versatility
If bi-cell structure is used with A type and C type bi-cells stacked on a long separator sheet, then cell diversity is achieved, but accurate maintenance of distance between bi-cells before folding becomes significantly difficult
Solution Approach 1:
Different sections of the separator sheet or electrode assembly are designed with locally optimized characteristics for different cell types. A type bi-cells and C type bi-cells can have different spacing, electrode dimensions, or separator lengths tailored to their specific requirements. This local quality approach allows each cell type to maintain its optimal dimensions and spacing independently, even when stacked together, without requiring complex global alignment mechanisms.
Data Source
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AI summary
Provided is a method of manufacturing an electrode assembly by using a magazine. The method includes manufacturing radical units in which electrodes and separators are alternately stacked (operation S10), loading and aligning the radical units in an aligning magazine for accommodating the radical units (operation S20), inspecting a dimension of the radical units aligned in operation S20 (operation S30), and transferring radical units considered to have a normal dimension in operation S30, to a stacking magazine to align and stack the radical units, thereby forming an electrode assembly (operation S40).