Electrode Slurry Coating for Stable Double Active Material Layers
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing methods for forming a double-layer active material structure on a current collector in secondary batteries fail to maintain the integrity of the layers due to mixing of lower and upper active materials, leading to inefficiencies and defects in the coating process.
Innovation Solution
An electrode slurry coating apparatus with a specific configuration of plates and discharge ports, along with controlled movement and valve operations, ensures the formation of distinct lower and upper slurry layers by adjusting the distance and timing of slurry discharge and movement relative to the current collector.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If slurry for lower and upper active material layers is discharged at the same time, then the coating process is simple and fast, but the lower and upper active materials mix with each other and the desired double-layer structure cannot be formed
Solution Approach 1:
The coating apparatus is divided into multiple discharge ports (first discharge port for lower layer, second discharge port for upper layer) positioned at different locations. The coating process is segmented into sequential steps where each port discharges slurry at different times, preventing mixing while maintaining efficient production
Solution Approach 2:
The lower slurry layer is formed first by discharging slurry through the first discharge port. After the lower layer is established, the apparatus then discharges upper slurry through the second discharge port. This preliminary action of forming the lower layer prevents mixing when the upper layer is added
2Manufacturing precision
If the coating apparatus is moved in the opposite direction to the discharge direction, then the upper slurry layer can be formed on the lower slurry layer without mixing, but the process complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The coating apparatus incorporates a movement controller that dynamically adjusts the position of the apparatus in the opposite direction to the discharge direction. This dynamic movement allows precise control over where the upper slurry layer is deposited on the lower layer, achieving the desired double-layer structure without excessive complexity
3Manufacturing precision
If the distance between discharge ports is increased, then the upper slurry layer can be discharged onto the lower layer without mixing, but the apparatus size increases
Solution Approach 1:
Instead of increasing the distance between discharge ports along the discharge direction (one dimension), the invention moves the entire apparatus in the opposite direction (another dimension). This allows the discharge ports to be positioned closer together while still achieving proper layer separation through the apparatus movement
Data Source
AI summary
The present invention relates to electrode slurry coating apparatus and method, the present invention ultimately allowing the process efficiency to be increased and rate of errors to be reduced when double-layer structured active material layers are formed by temporally adjusting the height of first and second discharge outlets through which active material is discharged.