Fluidized Bed Expansion Cooling for Fine Lithium Precursor Recovery
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing methods for recovering valuable metals from lithium secondary battery cathodes face challenges in flow control and environmental impact due to fine particle sizes, particularly in dry reactions, leading to inefficiencies and potential pollution.
Innovation Solution
A fluidized bed reactor with an expansion chamber and cooling units is used to manage the flow and temperature of cathode active material particles, ensuring efficient recovery of lithium and transition metal precursors through controlled cooling and expansion of the reaction space.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Object-affected harmful factors
If a dry reaction method is used to recover valuable metals, then environmental pollution is reduced, but flow control of fine particles becomes challenging
Solution Approach 1:
The patent uses a fluidized bed reactor that employs gas flow to control and transport fine particles during the dry reaction process. The gas stream fluidizes the particle bed, enabling effective flow control of fine cathode active material particles while maintaining the environmentally friendly dry reaction method.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent controls reaction conditions by adjusting gas flow rate, temperature, and particle size parameters to optimize both flow control and reaction efficiency. By carefully managing these parameters, the system achieves proper fluidization of fine particles without causing excessive dust or flow control issues.
2Productivity
If the reaction temperature is increased to improve reaction yield, then metal recovery efficiency increases, but particle loss due to excessive velocity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent employs a dynamic fluidized bed system where gas flow rate and temperature are adjusted during different stages of the reaction. This dynamic control allows the system to maintain optimal reaction conditions for high yield while preventing particle velocity from exceeding thresholds that would cause particle loss.
Solution Approach 2:
The system monitors reaction progress and particle behavior, adjusting gas flow and temperature in response to maintain optimal conditions. This feedback control ensures that reaction yield is maximized while particle loss is minimized by preventing excessive particle velocities.
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 reactor design minimizes losses and enhances recovery efficiency by maintaining controlled particle velocities and temperatures, improving the yield and purity of lithium and transition metal precursors while reducing environmental impact.
Implementation Method 1
cooling the fluidized bed portion that has entered an upper portion of the fluidized bed reactor may include reducing a moving velocity of particles included in the preliminary precursor mixture to a terminal velocity or less
Implementation Method 2
cooling the fluidized bed portion that has entered the upper portion of the fluidized bed reactor may include reducing a moving velocity of particles included in the preliminary precursor mixture to a terminal velocity or less
Implementation Method 3
A reaction gas may be introduced from a lower portion of the fluidized bed reactor to form a fluidized bed including a preliminary precursor mixture within the reactor body
Data Source
AI summary
A method for recovering active metals of a lithium secondary battery may supply a cathode active material mixture to a fluidized bed reactor including a reactor body. A reaction gas may be introduced from a lower portion of the fluidized bed reactor to form a fluidized bed including a preliminary precursor mixture within the reactor body. The fluidized bed portion that has entered the upper portion of the fluidized bed reactor may be cooled to descend it into the reactor body, and then a lithium precursor may be recovered from the preliminary precursor mixture. Accordingly, a terminal velocity of the preliminary precursor is reduced, such that even if the particle size of the preliminary precursor is fine, loss due to scattering may be prevented.