Pouch Battery Degassing with Electrolyte Cooling to Limit Loss
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Solution Overview
Problem
During the degassing process of lithium secondary batteries, a portion of the electrolyte is inadvertently discharged along with the gas, which can lead to reduced battery lifespan and potential swelling due to residual gas.
Innovation Solution
A degassing apparatus and method that involves cooling the pouch body part before the degassing process to increase the viscosity of the electrolyte, thereby minimizing its movement and discharge during gas suction.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If the pouch is pressed to discharge gas during degassing, then gas is effectively removed from the battery, but electrolyte is discharged together with the gas
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies parameter changes by cooling the pouch body part to change the temperature parameter of the electrolyte. This temperature change increases the electrolyte's viscosity, which prevents it from being discharged together with the gas during the pressing operation, thus resolving the contradiction between effective gas removal and electrolyte retention
Solution Approach 2:
The patent implements preliminary action by performing the cooling step before the pressing operation. The pouch body part is cooled in advance to increase electrolyte viscosity, so that when pressing occurs subsequently, the electrolyte is already in a high-viscosity state that prevents its discharge with the gas
2Loss of substance
If the electrolyte viscosity is increased by cooling, then electrolyte discharge is prevented, but the degassing process becomes more complex
Solution Approach 1:
The pressing operation serves multiple functions: it both discharges the gas from the battery and maintains the pouch structure during cooling. By making the pressing device multi-functional, the patent avoids adding separate complex equipment, thus achieving electrolyte retention through cooling without proportionally increasing device complexity
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 cooling of the electrolyte effectively suppresses its movement and discharge, preventing unnecessary electrolyte loss and enhancing the degassing efficiency, which contributes to improved battery performance and lifespan.
Implementation Method 1
at least one more of a lower mold and an upper mold, which press a pouch, are cooled to increase in viscosity of an electrolyte
Data Source
AI summary
Disclose herein is a degassing apparatus for a pouch including a body part. The degassing apparatus can include a lower mold placed on a bottom surface of the body part, an upper mold configured to press a top surface of the body part placed on the lower mold, and a cooling member. At least one of the lower mold or the upper mold is cooled by the cooling member to cool an electrolyte injected into the body part when the body part contacts the lower or upper molds. A method for degassing a pouch can include seating a body part of the pouch on a lower mold, pressing the pouch with an upper mold, cooling a body part to lower the temperature of an electrolyte in an electrode assembly of the pouch, and suctioning a gas by inserting a gas inhaler into a gas pocket part.