FR3137166A1 - OVEN SINTERING SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR LITHIUM-ION BATTERY POSITIVE ELECTRODE MATERIAL - Google Patents

Abstract

The invention provides a furnace sintering system and method for lithium-ion battery positive electrode material. The furnace sintering system for lithium ion battery positive electrode material includes a furnace body, cassettes, an external circulation conveying line, a cassette loading device, a lifting combination device and a cassette separation and unloading device. A material conveying inlet and a material conveying outlet are formed in the furnace body; the furnace body is provided with a conveying mechanism, and two ends of the conveying mechanism extend at least to the material conveying inlet and the material conveying outlet, respectively. each cassette is formed with a filling groove. The external circulation conveying line is provided in an upper part of the furnace body and is used for conveying cassettes; the external circulation conveyance line is sequentially provided with a loading zone and a vibration and division zone along a conveyance direction; and the cassette loading device is used for loading a material to be sintered into the filling groove in the loading area, thereby realizing a furnace sintering process of the positive electrode material, circulating the cassettes in three-dimensional space, reducing the number of cassettes, further reducing the cost of using cassettes, and reducing the processing capacity of cassettes in each section of the circulation process. (to be published with figure 1)

Description

OVEN SINTERING SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR LITHIUM-ION BATTERY POSITIVE ELECTRODE MATERIAL

The present invention relates to the field of sintering technologies for material for positive electrodes of lithium-ion batteries and, more particularly, to an oven sintering system and method for positive electrode material of lithium-ion batteries.

CONTEXT

Lithium ion batteries are widely used in the fields of 3C batteries, power batteries and energy storage due to their characteristics of energy storage, fast charging and discharging, long service life. life and respect for the environment. Positive electrode materials play an important role in the performance of lithium-ion batteries, such as lithium cobaltate, lithium manganate, lithium iron phosphate and ternary positive electrode materials. The production process of positive electrode material mainly adopts high temperature solid phase process for manufacturing. In the high temperature solid phase process, the sintering procedure is the central and most important procedure. In the sintering process, cassettes are used as carriers of a mixed material composed of a positive electrode material precursor and a lithium source.

For the furnace design of lithium ion battery positive electrode material, to effectively increase the energy utilization rate in the sintering process, the number of cassettes in the available space in the furnace needs to be increased, so that the cost of using cassettes is higher, the processing capacity of cassettes in each section of the cassette cycle process is larger, and the floor area of the furnace sintering system is bigger.

SUMMARY

The object of the present invention includes solving the problems posed by a traditional furnace sintering system, namely the high cost of using cassettes, the large processing capacity of the cassettes of each section in a circulation process of cassettes and the large floor area, and to provide an oven sintering system and method for lithium ion battery positive electrode material.

The object of the present invention is achieved by the following technical solutions.

A furnace sintering system for lithium-ion battery positive electrode material includes:

a furnace body formed with a material conveying inlet and a material conveying outlet, wherein the furnace body is provided with a conveying mechanism, and two ends of the conveying mechanism extend at least to the material conveyance inlet and the material conveyance outlet, respectively;

cassettes, each formed with a filling groove;

an external circulation conveying line provided in an upper part of the oven body, where the external circulation conveying line is used for conveying the cassettes to be moved; and the external circulation conveyance line is sequentially provided with a loading zone and a vibration and division zone along a conveyance direction;

a cassette loading device provided above the loading area, where the cassette loading device is used for loading a material to be sintered into the filling groove of the loading area;

a lifting combining device disposed adjacent to the external circulation conveying line, wherein the lifting combining device is used to transport the cassettes from the external circulating conveying line to the conveying mechanism for the stack to form a set of stacked cassettes; and the conveying mechanism is used for conveying the set of stacked cassettes from the material supply inlet to the furnace body for sintering, and for conveying the set of sintered stacked cassettes from the furnace body to the material delivery outlet; And

a cassette separation and unloading device, disposed adjacent to the external circulation conveying line, where the cassette separation and unloading device is used to unload the cassettes from the set of stacked cassettes onto the mechanism routing and to transport the cassettes to the external circulation routing line, respectively.

In one embodiment, the material conveying inlet and the material conveying outlet are respectively formed at both ends of the furnace body, and the two ends of the conveying mechanism respectively extend to the inlet material delivery and at the material delivery outlet.

In one embodiment, the conveying mechanism includes a plurality of rotating oven bars arranged at certain intervals.

In one embodiment, an outer peripheral wall of each rotating furnace bar is convex and provided with a limiting ring bulge, and a lower part of the cassette is formed with a limiting groove, and the bulge of Limiting ring is located in the limiting groove and is connected to the cassette so as to roll.

In one embodiment, the upper part of the furnace body is provided with a mounting frame, and the external circulation conveying line includes a drive motor, a conveyor belt, a first roller wheel and a second roller wheel, the drive motor is provided on the mounting frame, the first roller wheel and the second roller wheel are both rotatably connected to the mounting frame, and the conveyor belt is sheathed on the first roller wheel and the second roller wheel, respectively, a power transmission shaft of the driving motor is connected to the first roller wheel, and the conveyor belt is used to convey the cassette to be moved.

In one embodiment, the lifting combination device includes a first lifting and conveying mechanism and a gripping and releasing mechanism, the first lifting and conveying mechanism is respectively placed adjacent to the line of external circulation routing and to the furnace body, the gripping and releasing mechanism is provided at a power transmission end of the first lifting and conveying mechanism, and the gripping and releasing mechanism is used for gripping or release the cassette to transport the cassette from the external circulation delivery line to the delivery mechanism.

In one embodiment, the first lifting and conveying mechanism includes a first set of lifting and supporting frames, a second set of lifting and supporting frames and a first translation mechanism, the first set of lifting and supporting frames lifting and supporting frame and the second set of lifting and supporting frames are arranged in parallel on both sides of the external circulation routing line, and the first translation mechanism is respectively installed at a power transmission end of the first set of lifting and supporting frames and at a power transmission end of the second set of lifting and supporting frames, so that the first set of lifting and supporting frames and the second set of lifting and supporting frames support together drive the first translation mechanism for lifting and moving; and the gripping and releasing mechanism is mounted at a power transmission end of the first translation mechanism.

In one embodiment, the cassette separation and unloading device includes a second lifting and feeding mechanism and a rotary clamping mechanism, the second lifting and feeding mechanism being respectively disposed adjacent to the line external circulation routing and to the furnace body, the rotating clamping mechanism being provided at a power transmission end of the second lifting and conveying mechanism, and the rotating clamping mechanism being used for clamping and rotating the cassettes, so as to respectively unload and transport the cassettes from the set of cassettes stacked on the conveying mechanism to the external circulation conveying line.

In one embodiment, the external circulation delivery line is also provided with a vibration and division zone, and the loading zone and the vibration and division zone are arranged sequentially along a direction d routing of the external circulation routing line; And

the furnace sintering system for positive electrode material further comprises a vibration and cutting device provided above the vibration and cutting area, and the vibration and cutting device is used for vibrating and cutting the material contained in the cassette into blocks.

Furnace sintering method for lithium ion battery positive electrode material using the furnace sintering system for lithium ion battery positive electrode material according to any sintering embodiment, wherein the method Furnace sintering for positive electrode material includes the following steps:

loading the material to be sintered into the filling groove of the cassette on the external circulation conveying line through the cassette loading device in the loading area;

feeding the loaded cassette to a corresponding position of the vibration and cutting device through the external circulation conveying line;

transporting the cassettes from the external circulation conveying line to the conveying mechanism for stacking them to form the stacked cassette set via the lifting combination device;

feeding the set of stacked cassettes from the material delivery inlet to the furnace body for sintering through the conveying mechanism, and feeding the set of sintered stacked cassettes from the furnace body to the outlet material transport;

unloading the cassettes from the set of stacked cassettes on the conveying mechanism and transporting the cassettes to the external circulation conveying line, respectively, through the cassette separation and unloading device; And

return the cassettes subject to separation and unloading to the loading area through the external circulation conveyance line.

Compared to the prior art, the present application has at least the following advantages:

1. In the above-mentioned furnace sintering system for lithium ion battery positive electrode material, during operation, firstly, the cassettes move to the loading area with the external circulation conveying line , and the cassette loading device loads the materials to be sintered into the filling groove of the loading area; then, the lifting combination device transports the cassettes from the external circulation conveying line to the conveying mechanism to stack them to form the stacked cassette set; then, the conveying mechanism conveys the set of stacked cassettes from the material delivery inlet to the furnace body for sintering, and conveys the set of sintered stacked cassettes from the furnace body to the outlet of the furnace material delivery; finally, the cassette separation and unloading device unloads the cassettes from the stacked cassette set on the conveying mechanism and conveys the cassettes to the external circulation conveying line, respectively.

2. Since both ends of the conveying mechanism extend at least to the material conveying inlet and the material conveying outlet, respectively, the external circulation conveying line is provided in the upper part of the oven body, and the external circulation conveying line is provided with the loading area, the external circulation conveying line respectively routes the cassettes to the corresponding positions of the cassette loading device and the lifting combining device, the lifting combining device conveys the cassettes from the external circulation conveying line to the conveying mechanism for stacking them to form the stacked cassette set, while the separating device and cassette unloading unloads the cassettes from the set of stacked cassettes on the conveying mechanism, and conveys the cassettes to the external circulation conveying line; in this way, the furnace sintering process of the positive electrode material is carried out, and during this time, the cassettes circulate in the three-dimensional space, and, at the same time, the number of cassettes is reduced, thereby reducing the cost of using the cassettes and which decreases the processing capacity of the cassettes in each section of the circulation process.

3. According to the furnace sintering system of lithium ion battery positive electrode material, when the cassettes flow on the external circulation conveying line, the lifting combination device, the conveying mechanism and the unloading and separation device, the cassettes circulate in the three-dimensional space, thereby reducing the floor space of the furnace sintering system.

In order to more clearly illustrate the technical solutions of the embodiments of the present invention, the drawings necessary for the description of the embodiments will be briefly presented below. It should be understood that the drawings below illustrate only certain embodiments of the present invention and should not be construed as limiting its scope. Persons of ordinary skill in the art may obtain other related drawings relating to these drawings without incurring creative labor costs.

There is a schematic diagram of a furnace sintering system for lithium ion battery positive electrode material according to one embodiment;

There is a cross-sectional view of the furnace sintering system for positive electrode material shown in ;

There is a partial schematic diagram of the furnace sintering system for positive electrode material shown in from another point of view;

There is a partial schematic diagram of the furnace sintering system for positive electrode material shown in according to yet another point of view;

There is a partial schematic diagram of the furnace sintering system for positive electrode material shown in according to yet another point of view;

There is a schematic diagram of a cassette of the furnace sintering system for positive electrode material shown in ;

There is a partial schematic diagram of the furnace sintering system for positive electrode material shown in ;

There is a schematic diagram of a cutting device of a vibration and cutting device of the furnace sintering system for positive electrode material shown in ;

There is a partial schematic diagram of the furnace sintering system for positive electrode material shown in according to yet another point of view;

There is a schematic diagram of a lifting combination device of the furnace sintering system for positive electrode material shown in ; And

There is a partial schematic diagram of a cassette separation and discharge device of the furnace sintering system for positive electrode material shown in .

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

In order to facilitate understanding of the present invention, the present invention will be described in more detail below with reference to the corresponding drawings. Preferred embodiments of the present invention are illustrated in the drawings. However, the present invention can be implemented in many different forms and is not limited to the embodiments described herein. Rather, these embodiments are provided for a deeper and more complete understanding of the content disclosed by the present invention.

It should be noted that when an element is said to be "attached" to another element, it may be directly placed on another element or there may be an intermediate element. When an element is considered "connected" to another element, it may be directly connected to another element or there may, at the same time, be an intermediate element. Terms such as "vertical", "horizontal", "left", "right" and similar expressions used herein are for illustrative purposes only and do not imply that they are the only means of implementation.

Unless otherwise defined, all technical and scientific terms used herein have the same meaning as that commonly understood by those skilled in the art of the present invention. The terms used herein in specifying the present invention are intended only to describe specific embodiments and are not intended to limit the present invention. The term “and/or,” as used herein, includes any and all combinations of one or more of the associated elements listed.

As shown in Figures 1 to 3, a furnace sintering system 10 for lithium-ion battery positive electrode material according to one embodiment comprises a furnace body 100, cassettes 200, a conveying line of external circulation 300, a cassette loading device 400, a vibration and cutting device 500, a lifting combination device 600 and a cassette separation and unloading device 700. A material conveying inlet 102 and a material delivery outlet 104 are formed in the furnace body 100; the furnace body 100 is equipped with a conveying mechanism 110, and two ends of the conveying mechanism 110 extend at least to the material conveying inlet 102 and the material conveying outlet 104, respectively.

In addition, each cassette 200 is formed with a filling groove 202, and the filling groove 202 is used for filling a material to be sintered. An external circulation conveyance line 300 is provided in an upper part of the oven body 100, and the external circulation conveyance line 300 is used for conveying the cassettes 200 to be moved. The cassettes 200 flow sequentially on the external circulation conveying line 300, the lifting combining device 600, the conveying mechanism 110 and the cassette separating and unloading device 700.

Further, the external circulation conveyance line 300 is sequentially provided with a loading zone and a vibration and division zone along a conveyance direction; the cassette loading device 400 is provided above the loading area, and the cassette loading device 400 is used for loading a material to be sintered into the filling groove 202 in the loading area; the vibration and cutting device 500 is disposed above the vibration and dividing zone, and the vibration and cutting device 500 is used to vibrate and cut the material located in the cassettes 200 into blocks, that is, that is, the vibration and cutting device 500 vibrates the material located in the cassettes 200 and cuts the material in the cassettes 200 to form a plurality of blocks of material side by side. The vibration and cutting device 500 vibrates the material in the cassettes 200, so that the material is evenly distributed on the cassettes 200. Since the plurality of side-by-side material blocks in the cassettes 200 are sintered to form a plurality of positive electrode material blocks at the same time, compared with the traditional method where a cassette 200 is correspondingly sintered to form a positive electrode material block, the number of cassettes 200 is greatly reduced, the space for invalid loading of materials is greatly reduced, and the weight of the furnace body 100 is reduced. For the same request for sintering blocks of positive electrode material, the energy consumption of the furnace body 100 is reduced.

Further, the lifting combination device 600 is disposed adjacent to the external circulation conveyance line 300, and the lifting combination device 600 is used for transporting the cassettes 200 of the external circulation conveyance line 300 to the conveying mechanism 110 to stack them to form a set of stacked cassettes. The conveying mechanism 110 is used to convey the set of stacked cassettes from the material delivery inlet 102 to the furnace body 100 for sintering, and to convey the set of sintered stacked cassettes from the furnace body 100 to the material conveying outlet 104, so that the material blocks in the cassettes 200 are sintered and shaped, and the cassettes 200 are conveyed by the conveying mechanism 110 as a set stacked cassettes, so that the furnace body 100 can simultaneously sinter at least more than two cassettes 200, thereby improving the energy utilization rate of the furnace body 100. The cassette separation and unloading device 700 is disposed adjacent to the external circulation conveying line 300, and the cassette separation and unloading device is used to unload and transport the cassettes 200 from the set of cassettes stacked on the conveying mechanism 110 to the external circulation conveying line 300, that is, the cassette separation and unloading device 700 discharges the sintered material blocks into the cassettes 200 from the set of cassettes stacked on the mechanism routing 110, and transports the empty cassettes 200 after unloading to the external circulation conveyance line 300. The external circulation conveyance line 300 circulates the empty cassettes 200 to the loading area for recycling, without adding storage station for 200 empty cassettes in the middle of the route and, at the same time, the continuous sintering process is carried out.

In the above-mentioned furnace sintering system 10 for lithium-ion battery positive electrode material, during operation, firstly, the cassettes 200 move to the loading area along the supply line of external circulation 300, and the cassette loading device 400 loads the materials to be sintered into the filling groove 202 in the loading area; then, the cassettes 200 move along the external circulation conveying line 300 to the vibration and division zone, and the vibration and cutting device 500 vibrates and cuts the materials in the cassette 200 into blocks; then, the lifting combination device 600 transports the cassettes 200 from the external circulation conveying line 300 to the conveying mechanism 110 to stack them to form the stacked cassette set; then, the conveying mechanism 110 transports the set of stacked cassettes from the material delivery inlet 102 to the furnace body 100 for sintering, and conveys the set of stacked sintered cassettes from the furnace body 100 to the material delivery outlet 104; finally, the cassette separation and unloading device 700 unloads the cassettes 200 from the stacked cassette set on the conveying mechanism 110 and transports the cassettes to the external circulation conveying line 300, respectively. 2. Since both ends of the conveying mechanism 110 extend at least to the material conveying inlet 102 and the material conveying outlet 104, respectively, the circulation conveying line external circulation 300 is provided in the upper part of the furnace body 100, and the external circulation conveying line 300 is sequentially provided with the loading area and the vibration and division area along the transport direction , the external circulation conveying line 300 respectively conveys the cassettes 200 to the corresponding positions of the cassette loading device 500 and the lifting combination device 600, the lifting combination device 600 transports the cassettes 200 from the circulation line external circulation routing 300 to the conveying mechanism 110 to stack them to form the set of stacked cassettes, while the cassette separation and unloading device 700 respectively discharges the cassettes 200 from the set of stacked cassettes onto the conveying mechanism 110 and transports the cassettes 200 to the external circulation conveying line 300; in this way, the furnace sintering process of positive electrode material is carried out, and at the same time, the cassettes 200 circulate in the three-dimensional space, that is, the cassettes 200 are transported and circulate in the closed-loop three-dimensional space, and the number of cassettes 200 is reduced at the same time, thereby reducing the cost of using the cassettes 200 and decreasing the processing capacity of the cassettes 200 in each section of the circulation process. According to the furnace sintering system 10 for the positive electrode material of lithium ion battery, when the cassettes 200 circulate in the external circulation conveying line 300, the lifting combination device 600, the lifting mechanism conveying 110 and the cassette separation and unloading device 700, the cassettes 200 circulate in three-dimensional space, thus reducing the floor area of the furnace sintering system 10.

It is understood that, in other embodiments, the vibration and cutting device 500 may be omitted. The loading device 400 can evenly fill the materials to be sintered into the filling groove 202 in the loading area, and it is at least not necessary to carry out vibration operation again.

As shown in the , it will be understood that the number of cassettes 200 of the set of stacked cassettes is multiple, that is to say that the number of cassettes 200 of the set of stacked cassettes can be two, three or four, or the like . In this embodiment, three sets of stacked cassettes are arranged. A plurality of cassettes 200 are stacked to form the set of stacked cassettes.

As shown in the has , in one embodiment, the material conveying inlet 102 and the material conveying outlet 104 are respectively formed at the two ends of the furnace body 100, the two ends of the conveying mechanism 110 extend respectively at the material conveying inlet 102 and the material conveying outlet 104, and one end of the conveying mechanism 110 extends to the material conveying inlet 102, so that the material conveying device lifting combination 600 directly stacks the cassettes 200 on the conveying mechanism 110 at the material conveying inlet 102 to form the set of stacked cassettes; further, the other end of the conveying mechanism 110 extends to the material conveying outlet 104, so that the cassette separation and discharge device 700 directly discharges the cassettes 200 from the assembly of cassettes stacked on the conveying mechanism 110, one by one, at the material conveying outlet 104, and transports the cassettes to the external circulation conveying line 300.

As shown in the and the , in one embodiment, the conveying mechanism 110 includes a plurality of rotating oven bars 112 arranged at certain intervals, such that the plurality of rotating oven bars 112 are arranged side by side at certain intervals so as to transport the plurality of cassette sets stacked at certain intervals, which is beneficial for sequential sintering of the plurality of cassette sets stacked in batch. Furthermore, with the cooperation of the external circulation conveying line 300, the lifting combining device 600 and the cassette separation and unloading device 700, the furnace sintering system 10 for positive electrode material can meet the requirement of circular batch sintering.

As shown in the And , the conveying mechanism 110 also includes a drive source 114, a drive gear 116 and a plurality of driven gears 118, where the drive source 114 is disposed on the furnace body 100, the gear drive gear 116 is provided on a power transmission shaft of the drive source 114, the plurality of driven gears 118 are respectively sleeved on the corresponding furnace rotating bars 112, and the plurality of driven gears 118 are meshed and trained in turn. The drive gear 116 is meshed with one of the driven gears 118, so that the conveying mechanism 110 can drive the plurality of furnace rotating bars 112 to rotate synchronously with respect to the furnace body 100, thereby achieving the simultaneous rotation of the rotating oven bars 112. It can be understood that, in this embodiment, the drive source 114, the drive gear 116 and the plurality of driven gears 118 are all located at the periphery of the furnace body 100. The drive source 114 may be a drive motor or a drive cylinder, or the like.

As shown in the And , in one embodiment, the outer peripheral wall of each furnace rotating bar 112 is convexly provided with a limiting ring bulge 112a, and a lower part of the cassette 200 is formed with a limiting groove 204 , and the limiting ring bulge 112a is located in the limiting groove 204 and is connected to the cassette 200 so as to roll, so that the limiting groove 204 of the cassette 200 of the stacked cassette set can be transported in a limited manner by the limiting ring bulge 112a, and a rolling track of the stacked cassette assembly is still limited in the furnace body, and the problems of furnace blocking and even roller collapse caused by deviation are avoided. In this embodiment, the limiting ring bulge 112a surrounds the outer peripheral wall of the oven rotating bar 112 in a circle, so that the oven rotating bar 112 can limit the cassettes 200 of the cassette set stacked when the rotating bar of the oven rotates relative to the body of the oven 100. In one embodiment, the height of the limiting ring bulge 112a is slightly less than the depth of the limiting groove 204 of the cassette 200, and the width of the limiting ring bulge 112a is slightly less than the width of the limiting groove 204, which facilitates engagement of the limiting groove 204 with the rotating oven bar 112 when the cassette 200 rolls on the bar rotary of the oven 112, and prevents the cassette 200 from being tilted laterally or longitudinally during operation.

In addition, the furnace body 100 is provided with a thermal insulation layer, so that the furnace body plays a thermal insulation role. As shown in the , the inner wall of the oven body 100 is provided with an upper heating bar 103 and a lower heating bar 105. The upper heating bar 103 and the lower heating bar 105 are respectively located on either side of the mechanism routing 110. The upper heating bar 103 and the lower heating bar 105 simultaneously heat and sinter the set of stacked cassettes, so as to better distribute heat evenly to the materials of the cassettes 200 in the upper and lower layers. In this embodiment, a plurality of upper heating bars 103 and a plurality of lower heating bars 105 are both provided, the plurality of upper heating bars 103 are arranged side by side, and the plurality of lower heating bars 105 are arranged side by side next to.

In one embodiment, the body of the oven 100 is further equipped with an air intake system and an exhaust system, the air intake system comprising a fan and an exhaust pipe. air intake, and the air inlets are arranged at the bottom and sides of the oven body. The air inlets on the sides are parallel to the 200 cassette, to better guarantee sufficiency and consistency of sintering. The exhaust system includes an exhaust fan and an exhaust pipe, and the exhaust pipe is provided in a heating section and a cooling section of the furnace body, and exhausts waste gas and waste heat generated during the sintering process by reaction of the positive electrode material.

In addition, separation zones are provided in the furnace body, so that the temperatures and atmospheres in different temperature zones are relatively uniform and the consistency of material sintering is ensured. In this embodiment, several separation zones are provided in the furnace body to divide the furnace body into a heating section, a heat preservation section and a cooling section along the conveying mechanism 110 to Alternatively. In addition, the heating speed of the heating section is 1℃/min to 2℃/min, the temperature is increased to 800℃ to 850℃, then to 900℃ to 950℃ to sinter the materials better. In this embodiment, the temperature is increased to 800℃ to 850℃ during the first time and increased to 900℃ to 950℃ during the second time. Besides, heat preservation lasts 11-13 hours; and, in addition, the heating lasts from 8 to 16 hours to better sinter the materials.

In addition, a surplus collection box (not shown in the figure) is provided under a conveying end of the external circulation conveying line 300. It is used to collect excess materials deposited on the conveying line of external circulation 300 from the outside of the cassette 200, so that the oven sintering system 10 is very clean.

It will be understood that in the process of transporting the set of stacked cassettes by the conveying mechanism 110, it is necessary to take into account both the residence time during which the cassettes are stacked, the residence time that the sintering and the residence time during which the cassettes are unloaded. In order to enable the lifting combination device 600 to convey the cassettes 200 from the external circulation conveying line 300 to the conveying mechanism 110 for stacking and forming the stacked cassette set, to sinter reliably the materials to be sintered into the cassettes 200 of the stacked cassette set, and reliably unloading and transferring the sintered blocks in the cassettes 200 of the stacked sintered cassette set to the external circulation conveying line 300. In addition, the residence time that the sintering lasts is greater than or equal to the residence time during which the cassette is stacked, and the residence time that the sintering lasts is greater than or equal to the residence time during which the cassette is unloaded, so that the lifting combination device 600 transports the cassettes 200 from the external circulation conveying line 300 to the conveying mechanism 110 to stack and form the stacked cassette set, that the materials to be sintered in the cassettes 200 of the stacked cassette set are reliably sintered, and the sintered blocks in the cassettes 200 of the sintered stacked cassette set are reliably discharged and transferred to the external circulation conveying line 300.

As shown in the , in one embodiment, an upper part of the furnace body 100 is provided with a mounting frame (not shown in the figure), and the external circulation routing line 300 includes a drive motor (not shown in the figure), a conveyor belt 320, a first roller wheel 330 and a second roller wheel 340. The drive motor is placed on the mounting frame, the first roller wheel and the second roller wheel are rotatably connected to the mounting frame, and the conveyor belt is wound on the first roller and the second roller respectively. A power transmission shaft of the drive motor is connected to one end of the first roller wheel, and the conveyor belt is used to transport the cassettes 200, so that the cassettes 200 respectively move to the loading area , the vibration and division zone and other positions.

It is understood that the required residence times in the loading zone, vibration and division zone and other positions are not equal. Furthermore, several external circulation transmission lines 300 are provided, and these external circulation transmission lines are arranged side by side and adjacent to each other. In this embodiment, four external circulation conveyance lines 300 are provided, namely a first external circulation conveyance line, a second external circulation conveyance line, a third external circulation conveyance line and a fourth external circulation routing line. The first external circulation routing line, the second external circulation routing line, the third external circulation routing line, and the fourth external circulation routing line are all provided in the upper part of the furnace body 100. The first external circulation routing line is disposed adjacent to the lifting combination device 600, and the second external circulation routing line is adjacent to the vibration and cutting device 500. The third external circulation routing line external circulation routing is adjacent to the cassette loading device 400, and the fourth external circulation routing line is adjacent to the cassette separation and unloading device 700. The loading area is located in the third routing line external circulation, and the vibration and division zone is located in the second external circulation routing line. The lifting combination device 600 is used to transport the cassettes 200 from the first external circulation conveying line to the conveying mechanism 110 for stacking, and the cassette separation and unloading device 700 is used to unload and transporting the cassettes 200 of the set of cassettes stacked on the conveying mechanism 110 to the fourth external circulation conveying line.

As shown in the , the furnace sintering system 10 for lithium-ion battery positive electrode material comprises a plurality of inductors 800, the plurality of inductors 800 are arranged in one-to-one correspondence with the plurality of external circulation transmission lines 300, and each inductor is electrically connected to a control end of the drive motor of the corresponding external circulation routing line 300. When the inductor corresponding to each external circulation conveyance line 300 detects the cassette 200, the external circulation conveyance line 300 stops operating for a certain time, so as to fill, vibrate and divide the materials , transport the cassettes 200 and place the cassettes 200 reliably. More specifically, when the first external circulation delivery line stops, the lifting combination device 600 is used to transport the cassettes 200 from the first external circulation delivery line to the conveying mechanism 110 for the stack, that is, the lifting combination device 600 is used to move the cassettes 200 away from the first external circulation delivery line. When the second external circulation conveyance line stops, the vibration and cutting device 500 is used to vibrate and cut into blocks the materials contained in the cassettes 200 of the second external circulation conveyance line, c that is, the vibrating and cutting device 500 vibrates and cuts the materials contained in the cassettes 200. When the third external circulation delivery line stops, the cassette loading device 400 loads the materials materials to be sintered in the filling groove 202 in the loading area. When the fourth external circulation conveying line stops, the cassette separation and unloading device 700 discharges the sintered material blocks in the cassettes 200 from the set of stacked cassettes on the conveying mechanism 110, and transports the empty and unloaded 200 cassettes to the fourth external circulation delivery line. The inductor may be a photoelectric sensor or another sensor.

Further, the furnace sintering system 10 for positive electrode material comprises a plurality of clamping and positioning devices, the plurality of clamping and positioning devices being arranged in one-to-one correspondence with the plurality of inductors, and the a plurality of clamping and positioning devices being arranged in one-to-one correspondence with the plurality of external circulation conveyance lines 300. When the sensor detects the cassettes 200 of the external circulation conveyance line 300, the circulation conveyance line external 300 stops its movement and the corresponding clamping and positioning device clamps and positions the cassettes 200 so as to carry out operations such as filling the materials, vibrating and cutting, removing the cassettes 200, placing the 200 empty cassettes, and other operations of this type. In this embodiment, each clamping and positioning device comprises two clamping assemblies arranged relative to each other, and the two clamping assemblies are respectively located on either side of the conveying line external circulation 300 of the conveying mechanism 110. In this embodiment, the clamping assembly comprises a clamping cylinder and a clamping plate, and the clamping plate is connected to a drive shaft of the clamping cylinder .

Furthermore, as shown in , the vibration and cutting device 500 includes a vibration device 510 and a cutting device 520, and the vibration device 510 and the cutting device 520 are arranged sequentially along the transport direction of the line d external circulation route 300. The vibration and division zone on the external circulation route 300 includes a vibration zone and a division zone, the vibration zone and the vibration device 510 are arranged correspondingly , and the dividing area and the cutting device 520 are arranged correspondingly. In this embodiment, the vibration device 510 is used to vibrate the materials in the cassettes 200, and the cutting device 520 is used to divide the vibrated materials in the cassettes 200 to form a plurality of side material blocks. next to. In this embodiment, both the vibration zone and the division zone are provided with corresponding clamping and positioning devices, so as to clamp and position the cassettes 200, and then carry out the vibration or division operation .

As shown in the And , further, the vibration device 510 includes a swing mechanism 512 and a jack mechanism 514, the swing mechanism 512 is disposed above the external circulation routing line 300, and the jack mechanism 514 includes a cylinder cylinder 5142 and a lifting assembly 5144, the lifting assembly is installed in the upper part of the furnace body 100, the lifting assembly is installed at a power transmission end of the cylinder cylinder, and the assembly lifting is used to support and lift the cassettes 200 so that the cassettes 200 abut against an oscillation motor to vibrate the cassettes 200. In this embodiment, the lifting assembly includes a lifting seat, the lifting seat is connected to a transmission shaft of the lifting cylinder, and the two clamp assemblies are installed oppositely on the lifting seat. The two clamp assemblies are used to clamp the two sides of the cassette 200 together, such that the lifting assembly supports and lifts the cassette 200. Additionally, the swing mechanism 512 includes a fixed seat 5122, a motor swing 5124 and a swing cover plate 5126. The fixed seat is mounted on the oven body 100 via a fixing frame, and the swing motor is mounted on the fixed seat. The swinging cover plate is disposed above the vibrating area, and the swinging cover plate is used to abut the cassette 200 when the lifting assembly supports and lifts the cassette 200 to a predetermined height, so as to performing a vibration operation on the cassette 200. Furthermore, a stop surface of the oscillating cover plate 5126 is provided with a convex sealing ring 5127, which makes elastic contact with an opening of the filling groove 202 of cassette 200, and plays a sealing role during oscillations to prevent dust leakage during the vibration process.

Furthermore, as shown by , And , the cutting device 520 comprises a cutting drive cylinder 522 and a cutting seat 524. The cutting drive cylinder 522 is provided above the furnace body 100, and the cutting seat 524 is mounted on a drive shaft of the cutting drive cylinder 522. The cutting drive cylinder 522 drives the cutting seat 524 which moves up and down to divide the vibrated materials into the cassettes 200. In this embodiment, the cutting seat 524 includes a knife fixing plate 5242 and a plurality of knives 5244. The knife fixing plate 5242 is mounted on the drive shaft of the cutting drive cylinder 522, and the plurality of knives 5244 are arranged on the knife fixing plate 5242 at regular intervals. The cutting drive cylinder 522 drives the cutting seat 524 to move up and down to divide the vibrated materials into the cassettes 200.

As shown in the And , in one embodiment, the lifting combination device 600 comprises a first lifting and conveying mechanism 610 and a gripping and releasing mechanism 620. The first lifting and conveying mechanism 610 is respectively arranged so adjacent to the external circulation conveying line 300 and the furnace body 100, the gripping and releasing mechanism 620 is provided at a power transmission end of the first lifting and conveying mechanism 610, and the lifting and conveying mechanism grab and release 620 is used to grab or release the cassette 200 to transport the cassette 200 from the external circulation delivery line 300 to the delivery mechanism 110.

As shown in the And , in one embodiment, the first lifting and conveying mechanism 610 includes a first set of lifting and supporting frames 612, a second set of lifting and supporting frames 614 and a first translation mechanism 616, the first set of lifting and supporting frames 612 and the second set of lifting and supporting frames 614 are arranged in parallel on both sides of the external circulation conveying line 300, and the first translation mechanism 616 is installed respectively at a power transmission end of the first set of lifting and supporting frames 612 and at a power transmission end of the second set of lifting and supporting frames 614, so that the first set of lifting and supporting frames support frame 612 and the second set of lifting and support frames 614 together drive the first translation mechanism 616 to lift and move. The grab and release mechanism 620 is mounted to a power transmission end of the first translation mechanism 616, such that the first translation mechanism 616 drives the grab and release mechanism 620 in translation, and the first set of lifting and supporting frames 612 and the second set of lifting and supporting frames 614 together drive the first translation mechanism 616 to move up and down, so that the gripping and releasing mechanism 620 can better transport the cassettes 200 from the external circulation conveying line 300 to the conveying mechanism 110 for stacking.

As shown in the And , in one embodiment, the first set of lifting and support frames 612 includes first support frames 6122, first lifting motors 6124 and a first carriage 6126. The number of first support frames 6122 and the number of first lifting motors 6124 are each two, the first two supporting frames 6122 are arranged in parallel, and the first two lifting motors 6124 are arranged in one-to-one correspondence with the first two supporting frames 6122. The first carriage 6126 is connected slidingly to the first two support frames 6122, and the first two lifting motors 6124 simultaneously drive the first carriage 6126 to lift and slide relative to the first two support frames 6122. Furthermore, the second set of lifting and support frames 614 includes second support frames 6142, second lifting motors 6144 and a second carriage 6146. The number of second support frames 6142 and the number of second lifting motors 6144 are each two, the two second support frames 6142 are arranged in parallel and the two second lifting motors 6144 are arranged in one-to-one correspondence with the two second support frames 6142. The second carriage 6146 is slidably connected to the two second support frames 6142, and the two second lifting motors 6144 simultaneously drive the second carriage 6146 to lift and slide it relative to the two second support frames 6142. The first translation mechanism 616 is mounted respectively on the first carriage 6126 and the second trolley 6146.

Furthermore, as shown by And , the first translation mechanism 616 further comprises a first translation drive motor 6162, a second translation drive motor 6164 and a translation plate 6166. The first translation motor 6162 is arranged on the first carriage 6126, the second translation motor 6164 is arranged on the second carriage 6146, and the translation plate 6166 is respectively mounted on a power transmission seat of the first translation motor 6162 and a power transmission seat of the second translation motor 6164. The grab and release mechanism 620 is mounted on the translation plate 6166 such that the first translation mechanism 616 drives the grab and release mechanism 620 in translation. In this embodiment, a plurality of gripping and releasing mechanisms 620 are provided, and the plurality of gripping and releasing mechanisms 620 are arranged at certain intervals along a length direction of the translation plate 6166, so that the plurality of gripping and releasing mechanisms 620 can jointly grip or release the cassette 200, thereby making the movement of the cassette 200 smoother with the gripping and releasing mechanisms 620.

Furthermore, as shown in , the gripping and releasing mechanism 620 includes a clamping cylinder 622 and two clamping jaws 624, the two clamping jaws 624 are respectively provided at two power transmission ends of the clamping cylinder 622, and the clamping cylinder 622 causes the two clamping jaws 624 to approach or move away at the same time, so as to grip or release the cassette 200. Additionally, each clamping jaw 624 includes a clamping jaw seat 6242 and a curved jaw part 6244, the clamp jaw seat 6242 is fixedly connected to a power transmission end of the clamp cylinder 622, and the curved jaw part 6244 is connected to an end part of the clamp seat clamping jaw 6242. The curved part of the jaw 6244 is curved, and the two curved parts of the jaw 6244 are curved toward each other, so that the two clamping jaws 624 of each gripping and gripping mechanism release 620 can better grip or release the cassette 200.

Furthermore, as shown by and the , each curved jaw portion 6244 is L-shaped, so that each curved jaw portion 6244 can move better from a side wall of the cassette 200, then the curved jaw portions 6244 of the two jaw portions curved jaw 6244 can better grip the cassette 200. In addition, the lower part of the cassette 200 is provided with two clamping and fixing grooves 206, so that the curved jaw portions 6244 of the two curved jaw portions 6244 can grip the cassette 200 by the corresponding clamping and fixing grooves, and the curved jaw portions 6244 of the two curved jaw portions 6244 can better grip the cassette 200. In addition, the two clamping and fixing grooves communicate with each other, so to facilitate the processing of each clamping and fixing groove and to reduce the weight of the cassette 200. In this embodiment, the two clamping and fixing grooves communicate with each other to form a plurality of through grooves for tightening. When the cassette 200 is gripped, the plurality of gripping and releasing mechanisms 620 are clamped in the through grooves for clamping with one-to-one correspondence.

As shown in the and the , in one embodiment, the cassette separation and unloading device 700 comprises a second lifting and feeding mechanism 710 and a rotary clamping mechanism 720, the second lifting and feeding mechanism 710 is respectively arranged adjacent to the external circulation conveying line 300 and the furnace body 100, the rotary clamping mechanism 720 is provided at a power transmission end of the second lifting and conveying mechanism 710, and the clamping mechanism rotary 720 is used for clamping and rotating the cassettes 200, so as to respectively unload and transport the cassettes 200 from the set of cassettes stacked on the conveying mechanism 110 to the external circulation conveying line 300. In this embodiment, when the cassette 200 of the set of cassettes stacked on the conveying mechanism 110 is unloaded, the rotating clamping mechanism 720 clamps the cassette 200, the second lifting conveying mechanism 710 drives the clamping mechanism rotary 720 to move above the unloading area, and the rotary clamping mechanism 720 clamps and rotates the cassette 200 180 degrees clockwise to unload the sintered blocks located in the cassette 200 in the unloading area. When the cassette 200 of the set of cassettes stacked on the conveying mechanism 110 is transported to the external circulation conveying line 300, the rotary clamping mechanism 720 clamps and rotates the cassette 200 180 degrees in the direction counterclockwise, and the second lifting routing mechanism 710 drives the rotary clamping mechanism 720 to move toward the external circulation routing line 300.

Furthermore, as shown by and the , the second lifting and conveying mechanism 710 comprises two third sets of lifting and supporting frames 712 and a second translation mechanism 714. The two third sets of lifting and supporting frames 712 are arranged parallel to both sides of the external circulation routing line, and the second translation mechanism 714 is respectively mounted on the power transmission ends of the two third sets of lifting and supporting frames 712, so that the two third sets of lifting frames and support 712 together cause the corresponding mounting plate 7265 to lift and move. The rotating clamping mechanisms 720 are two in number, and the two rotating clamping mechanisms 720 are respectively mounted and fixed at one power transmission end of the second translation mechanism 714, so that the second translation mechanism 714 simultaneously drives the two rotary clamping mechanisms 720 so that they move. The two rotary clamping mechanisms 720 clamp and rotate the cassette 200 together.

Furthermore, as shown in and the , the second translation mechanism 714 includes two translation cylinder assemblies, the two translation cylinder assemblies are respectively mounted on the power transmission ends of the two third sets of lifting support frames 712, and the two rotary clamping mechanisms 720 are respectively mounted and fixed on the power transmission seats of the corresponding translation cylinder assemblies. In this embodiment, each rotary clamping mechanism 720 comprises a fixing plate 722, a rotating cylinder 724 and a clamping assembly 726. The fixing plate 722 of each rotary clamping mechanism 720 is mounted on the transmission seat of power of the corresponding translation cylinder assembly, the rotating cylinder 724 is mounted on the fixing plate 722, and the clamping assembly 726 is mounted on a rotating drive shaft of the rotating cylinder 724. The power directions of tightening of the clamping assemblies 726 of the two rotating clamping mechanisms 720 are opposed, so that the two rotating clamping mechanisms 720 clamp the cassette 200 together and rotate in a synchronized manner. In addition, the clamp assembly 726 of each rotary clamp mechanism 720 includes a pushing cylinder 7262, a plug-in plate 7264 and a lifting clamp part 7266. The power transmission directions of the clamp assemblies 726 of the two mechanisms rotary clamps 720 are opposed, the plug-in plate 7264 is installed on a drive shaft of the pushing cylinder 7262, and the lifting clamp part 7266 is installed on the plug-in plate 7264. A clamping part of the clamp part lifting part 7266 moves towards or away from the plug-in plate 7264, so that the clamping part acts on the upper part of the cassette 200 in a vertical direction to press the cassette 200 on the plug-in plate 7264, and the assemblies of tightening 726 of the two rotary clamping mechanisms 720 can better tighten the cassette 200 and rotate it.

Furthermore, as shown by and the , the plug-in plate 7264 includes a mounting plate 7265 and a bracket expansion plate 7267 which are connected. The 7265 mounting plate is mounted on the 7262 thrust cylinder drive shaft, the 7266 lifting clamp part is mounted on the 7265 mounting plate, and the 7267 support extension plate is connected at one end of the 7265 mounting plate away from the clamping part. When the cassette 200 is clamped by the rotary clamping mechanism 720, the pushing cylinder 7262 causes the mounting plate 7265 to move, so that the mounting plate 7265 drives the support extension plate 7267 so that it fits into the lower part of the cassette 200, and the clamping part of the lifting clamp part 7266 acts on the upper part of the cassette 200 to press the cassette 200 onto the plug-in plate 7264. In this embodiment , the mounting plate 7265 and the support extension plate 7267 are integrally formed structures, so that the structure of the plug-in plate 7264 is simple and the mounting plate 7265 and the extension plate support 7267 are firmly connected. Furthermore, at the same time, with reference to the , the lower parts of both sides of the cassette 200 are respectively provided with a slot 208, and the media expansion plate 7267 is inserted into the slot, so that the media expansion plate 7267 can be better inserted in the lower part of the cassette 200. In addition, the lifting clamp part 7266 comprises a lifting clamp cylinder 7267 and a pressing part 7269. The lifting clamp cylinder 622 is mounted on the mounting plate 7265, and the pressing part is fixedly connected to a drive shaft of the lifting clamp cylinder 622, so that the pressing part moves towards or away from the plug-in plate 7264. Preferably, the pressing part is a pressing column structure.

Furthermore, as shown by and the , the material delivery outlet 104 is provided with a set of correlated photoelectric sensors 1042, and the set of correlated photoelectric sensors is communicatively connected to a control end of the cassette separation and unloading device 700. When the set of stacked cassettes is transported to a position corresponding to the set of photoelectric sensors correlated with the conveying mechanism 110, the set of correlated photoelectric sensors generates an induction signal and the separation device and cassette discharger 700 begins to operate, so as to discharge the blocks of sintered material in the cassettes 200 from the set of stacked cassettes to the conveying mechanism 110 and to transport the unloaded empty cassettes 200 to the conveying line external circulation 300, thus achieving rapid and precise unloading and circulation of the cassettes 200. In this embodiment, the set of correlated photoelectric sensors comprises at least one group of correlated photoelectric sensors. It is understood that the number of groups of the correlated photoelectric sensors may be one or more than two groups, and the specific number may be selected according to the number of cassettes or the number of layers of cassettes 200 of the assembly. of stacked cassettes, so that the cassette separation and unloading device 700 can unload the cassettes 200 from the set of stacked cassettes one by one and transport the cassettes to the external circulation conveying line 300.

The present application further provides a furnace sintering method for lithium-ion battery positive electrode material employing the system for furnace sintering of lithium-ion battery positive electrode material in any mode of above embodiment for sintering, where the furnace sintering process for positive electrode material comprises some or all of the following steps:

S101: loading the material to be sintered into the filling groove 202 of the cassette 200 on the external circulation conveying line 300 via the cassette loading device 400 in the loading area;

S103: conveying the loaded cassette 200 to a corresponding position of the vibration and cutting device 500 via the external circulation conveying line 300;

S105: vibrating and cutting the material contained in the cassette 200 into blocks by means of the vibration and cutting device 500;

S107: transporting the cassettes 200 from the external circulation conveying line 300 to the conveying mechanism 110 for stacking to form the stacked cassette set via the lifting combination device 600;

S109: conveying the stacked cassette set from the material delivery inlet 102 to the furnace body 100, for sintering, through the conveying mechanism 110, and conveying the sintered stacked cassette set from the furnace body 100 towards the material delivery outlet 104;

S111: unloading the cassettes 200 from the set of stacked cassettes on the conveying mechanism 110 and transporting the cassettes to the external circulation conveying line 300, respectively, through the cassette separation and unloading device 700; And

S113: Return the cassettes 200 subject to separation and unloading to the loading area through the external circulation conveying line 300.

The above-mentioned furnace sintering process for lithium ion battery adopts 10 furnace sintering system for lithium ion battery positive electrode material for sintering. During operation, firstly, the cassettes 200 move to the loading area along the external circulation conveying line 300, and the cassette loading device 400 loads the material to be sintered into the groove of filling 202 in the loading area; then, the cassettes 200 move along the external circulation conveying line 300 to the vibration and division zone, and the vibration and cutting device 500 vibrates and cuts the materials in the cassette 200 into blocks; then, the lifting combination device 600 transports the cassettes 200 from the external circulation conveying line 300 to the conveying mechanism 110 to stack them to form the stacked cassette set; then, the conveying mechanism 110 conveys the stacked cassette set from the material supply inlet 102 to the furnace body 100 for sintering, and conveys the sintered stacked cassette set from the furnace body 100 towards the material delivery outlet 104; finally, the cassette separation and unloading device 700 unloads the cassettes 200 from the stacked cassette set on the conveying mechanism 110 and transports the cassettes to the external circulation conveying line 300, respectively. Since both ends of the conveying mechanism 110 extend at least to the material conveying inlet 102 and the material conveying outlet 104, respectively, the external circulation conveying line 300 is provided in the upper part of the furnace body 100, and the external circulation conveying line 300 is sequentially provided with the loading area and the vibration and division area along the conveying direction, the line external circulation routing 300 respectively routes the cassettes 200 to the corresponding positions of the cassette loading device 500 and the lifting combining device 600, the lifting combining device 600 transports the cassettes 200 from the conveying line of external circulation 300 to the conveying mechanism 110 to stack them to form the set of stacked cassettes, while the cassette separation and unloading device 700 respectively discharges the cassettes 200 from the set of stacked cassettes onto the mechanism routing 110 and transports the cassettes 200 to the external circulation routing line 300; in this way, the furnace sintering process of positive electrode material is carried out, and during this time, the cassettes 200 circulate in the three-dimensional space, that is, the cassettes 200 are conveyed and circulate in closed-loop three-dimensional space, and, at the same time, the number of cassettes 200 is reduced, which reduces the cost of using the cassettes 200 and makes it possible to reduce the processing capacity of the cassettes 200 in each section of the process of circulation. According to the furnace sintering system 10 for lithium ion battery positive electrode material, when the cassettes 200 flow in the external circulation conveying line 300, the lifting combination device 600, the conveying mechanism 110 and the cassette unloading and separation device 700, the cassettes 200 circulate in the three-dimensional space, thereby reducing the floor space of the furnace sintering system 10.

In one embodiment, the step of vibrating and cutting into blocks the material contained in the cassette 200 using the vibration and cutting device 500 comprises the following steps: S105: firstly, vibrate the material in the cassette 200 to evenly distribute the material in the cassette 200; secondly, cut the material in the cassette 200 into blocks after the vibration operation.

To better understand the furnace sintering process for lithium-ion battery positive electrode material, the furnace sintering process for lithium-ion battery positive electrode material is specifically introduced as follows.

Embodiment 1:

Firstly, the materials were loaded into cassettes, where unsintered positive electrode materials were loaded into 200 long groove cassettes (330mm length * 2000mm width * 100mm height) , the quantity of which was 108% that of six rows of conventional cassettes 200 (330 mm length * 330 mm width * 100 mm height) (the same furnace space), and a thickness of the material layer after the loading in the cassettes was the same as that of the conventional cassette 200.

Then the materials were vibrated and cut into blocks, and the materials in the 200 cassettes were homogenized, tiled and divided into blocks to ensure the uniformity and sufficiency of sintering.

Then, the 200 cassettes of the upper and lower layers were combined and stacked, and the 200 cassettes that were vibrated and cut into blocks were stacked by a lifting device.

Then, the cassette 200 was placed in a furnace for sintering, and a lower groove of the cassette 200 was engaged with a limiting ring of a rotating bar 112 of the roller furnace. The temperature of the sintering thermal insulation zone was between 700℃ and 1000℃ (depending on the sintering process of different positive electrode materials), and the sintering lasted between 20 hours and 36 hours (including a heating time, a heat preservation time and a cooling time, which were determined according to the sintering process of different positive electrode materials). In this embodiment, a heating rate was 1℃/min to 2℃/min, the temperature was increased to 800℃ to 850℃, and then increased to a temperature of 900℃ to 950℃ for 11 hours to 13 hours. Secondly, after the cassette 200 was unloaded from the oven, the upper and lower cassettes 200 were separated by a cassette separation and unloading device 700, and the separated cassettes 200 were lifted to an unloading station for unloading.

Then, after the cassette 200 was discharged from the oven, the upper and lower layer cassettes 200 were separated by a cassette separation and unloading device 700, and the separated cassettes 200 were lifted to a cassette separation station. unloading to be unloaded.

Finally, the empty cassette 200 after its unloading circulated on an external circulation line, and photoelectric sensors located at the first and last ends of a belt transport group and the device for clamping and positioning the cassettes 200 were used to start and stop the belt transport and to position the cassette 200.

Embodiment 2:

First, the materials were loaded into a cassette, and unsintered positive electrode material was loaded into a 200 long groove cassette (660mm length * 2000mm width * 100mm height) , the quantity of which was 113% that of six rows of conventional cassettes 200 (330 mm length * 330 mm width * 100 mm height) (X was a filling quantity of six conventional cassettes 200), and a thickness of the material layer after loading into the cassettes was the same as that of the conventional cassette 200.

Then the materials were vibrated and cut into blocks, and the materials in the 200 cassettes were homogenized, tiled and divided into blocks to ensure the uniformity and sufficiency of sintering.

Then, the 200 cassettes of the upper and lower layers were combined and stacked, and the 200 cassettes that were vibrated and cut into blocks were stacked by a lifting device.

Then, the cassette 200 was placed in a furnace for sintering, and a lower groove of the cassette 200 was engaged with a limiting ring of a rotating bar 112 of the roller furnace. The temperature of the sintering thermal insulation zone was between 700℃ and 1000℃ (depending on the sintering process of different positive electrode materials), and the sintering lasted between 20 hours and 36 hours (including a heating time, a heat preservation time and a cooling time, which were determined according to the sintering process of different positive electrode materials). In this embodiment, a heating rate was 1℃/min to 2℃/min, the temperature was increased to 800℃ to 850℃, and then increased to a temperature of 900℃ to 950℃ for 11 hours to 13 hours. Secondly, after the cassette 200 was unloaded from the oven, the upper and lower cassettes 200 were separated by a cassette separation and unloading device 700, and the separated cassettes 200 were lifted to an unloading station for unloading.

Then, after the cassette 200 was discharged from the oven, the upper and lower layer cassettes 200 were separated by a cassette separation and unloading device 700, and the separated cassettes 200 were lifted to a cassette separation station. unloading to be unloaded.

Then, the empty cassette 200 after its unloading circulated on an external circulation line, and photoelectric sensors located at the first and last ends of a belt transport group and the clamping and positioning device of the cassettes 200 were used to start and stop the belt transport and to position the cassette 200.

The following table shows the comparisons between Embodiment 1, Embodiment 2 and the comparative example before and after implementation:

Object Production capacity (%) Cassette weight 200%. Number of cassettes/piece Comparative example (double layer and six rows) 100 100 24 Embodiment 1 108.3 90 2 Embodiment 2 113.3 83 1

Compared to the prior art, the present invention has the following advantages:

1. In the above-mentioned furnace sintering system 10 for lithium-ion battery positive electrode material, during operation, firstly, the cassettes 200 move to the loading area along the line of external circulation route 300, and the cassette loading device 400 loads the material to be sintered into the filling groove 202 in the loading area; then, the cassettes 200 move along the external circulation conveying line 300 to the vibration and division zone, and the vibration and cutting device 500 vibrates and cuts the materials in the cassette 200 into blocks; then, the lifting combination device 600 transports the cassettes 200 from the external circulation conveying line 300 to the conveying mechanism 110 to stack them to form the stacked cassette set; then, the conveying mechanism 110 conveys the stacked cassette set from the material supply inlet 102 to the furnace body 100 for sintering, and conveys the sintered stacked cassette set from the furnace body 100 towards the material delivery outlet 104; finally, the cassette separation and unloading device 700 unloads the cassettes 200 from the stacked cassette set on the conveying mechanism 110 and transports the cassettes to the external circulation conveying line 300, respectively.

2. Since both ends of the conveying mechanism 110 extend at least to the material conveying inlet 102 and the material conveying outlet 104, respectively, the circulation conveying line external circulation 300 is provided in the upper part of the furnace body 100, and the external circulation conveying line 300 is sequentially provided with the loading area and the vibration and division area along the transport direction , the external circulation conveying line 300 respectively conveys the cassettes 200 to the corresponding positions of the cassette loading device 500 and the lifting combination device 600, the lifting combination device 600 transports the cassettes 200 from the circulation line external circulation routing 300 to the conveying mechanism 110 to stack them to form the set of stacked cassettes, while the cassette separation and unloading device 700 respectively discharges the cassettes 200 from the set of stacked cassettes onto the conveying mechanism 110 and transports the cassettes 200 to the external circulation conveying line 300; in this way, the furnace sintering process of positive electrode material is carried out, and at the same time, the cassettes 200 circulate in the three-dimensional space, that is, the cassettes 200 are conveyed and circulate in the closed-loop three-dimensional space, and the number of cassettes 200 is reduced at the same time, thereby reducing the cost of using the cassettes 200 and decreasing the processing capacity of the cassettes 200 in each section of the processing process. traffic.

3. According to the furnace sintering system 10 for lithium ion battery positive electrode material, when the cassettes 200 circulate on the external circulation conveying line 300, the lifting combination device 600, the mechanism routing 110 and the unloading and separation device 700, the cassettes 200 circulate in three-dimensional space, thus reducing the floor area of the furnace sintering system 10.

4. Furnace sintering system 10 for lithium ion battery positive electrode material improves the utilization rate of furnace sintering space. Compared with the traditional multi-row cassette 200, the production capacity is increased and, at the same production capacity, the weight of the cassette 200 is reduced, the cost of the cassette 200 is reduced, the weight of the oven is reduced and the energy absorption of the cassette 200 is reduced.

5. The furnace sintering system 10 for lithium-ion battery positive electrode material has fewer cassettes 200, which reduces the processing frequency of the cassettes 200 in various working procedures and increases the possibility to increase furnace speed and production capacity.

6. According to the furnace sintering system 10 for lithium ion battery positive electrode material, the use of the limiting ring bulge of the rotating bar 112a and the lower groove of the cassette 200 reduces anomalies of obliquity in the routing of the cassette 200.

7. According to the sintering system 10 for lithium ion battery positive electrode material, the external circulation routing line 300 is arranged above the roller furnace body, which reduces the floor area of 'a sintering zone.

8. According to the furnace sintering system 10 for lithium ion battery positive electrode material, the external circulation conveying line 300 is a belt conveying group, that is, the line external circulation routing 300 adopts static routing. Compared with traditional double-speed chain conveying, frictional vibrations between the cassette 200 and the body of the conveyor line are reduced, damage to the cassette 200 due to stress caused by the conveying process is reduced. reduced, the recycling times of the cassette 200 are increased to a certain extent, and the risk of the presence of metallic foreign bodies caused by friction is reduced.

9. According to the furnace sintering system 10 for lithium-ion battery positive electrode material, the lifting combination device 600 is combined with the cassette separation and unloading device 700, and the cassettes 200 are combined and separated in the lifting process, so that no separate devices or appliances are needed, reducing the design cost of the entire assembly line.

The above embodiments merely express several embodiments of the present invention, and their descriptions are more specific and detailed, but they should not be understood as a limitation of the scope of the present invention. It should be noted that persons of ordinary skill in the art can make a plurality of embellishments and improvements without departing from the concept of the present invention, and that such embellishments and improvements will all fall within the scope of protection of the present invention. Thus, the scope of protection of the patent of invention must be subject to the appended claims.

Claims (10)

Furnace sintering system for lithium ion battery positive electrode material, comprising:
a furnace body formed with a material conveying inlet and a material conveying outlet, wherein the furnace body is provided with a conveying mechanism, and two ends of the conveying mechanism extend at least to the material conveyance inlet and the material conveyance outlet, respectively;
cassettes, each formed with a filling groove;
an external circulation conveying line provided in an upper part of the oven body, where the external circulation conveying line is used for conveying the cassettes to be moved; and the external circulation conveyance line is provided with a loading area;
a cassette loading device provided above the loading area, where the cassette loading device is used for loading a material to be sintered into the filling groove in the loading area;
a lifting combining device disposed adjacent to the external circulation conveying line, wherein the lifting combining device is used to transport the cassettes from the external circulating conveying line to the conveying mechanism for the stack to form a set of stacked cassettes; and the conveying mechanism is used for conveying the set of stacked cassettes from the material conveying inlet to the furnace body for sintering, and conveying the set of stacked sintered cassettes from the furnace body to the outlet of the furnace material delivery; And
a cassette unloading separation device, disposed adjacent to the external circulation conveying line, where the cassette separation and unloading device is used to unload the cassettes from the set of stacked cassettes onto the cassette discharging mechanism routing and to transport the cassettes to the external circulation routing line, respectively. A furnace sintering system for the lithium ion battery positive electrode material according to claim 1, wherein the material feeding inlet and the material feeding outlet are respectively formed at two ends of the furnace body, and the two ends of the conveying mechanism respectively extend to the material conveying inlet and the material conveying outlet. A furnace sintering system for lithium ion battery positive electrode material according to claim 1, wherein the conveying mechanism comprises a plurality of rotating furnace bars arranged at intervals. A furnace sintering system for the lithium ion battery positive electrode material according to claim 3, wherein an outer peripheral wall of each rotating bar of the furnace is convexly provided with a limiting ring bulge, and a lower part of the cassette is formed with a limiting groove, and the limiting ring bulge is located in the limiting groove and is connected to the cassette so as to roll. Furnace sintering system for the lithium ion battery positive electrode material according to claim 1, wherein the upper part of the furnace body is provided with a mounting frame, and the external circulation routing line comprises a drive motor, a conveyor belt, a first roller wheel and a second roller wheel, the drive motor is provided on the mounting frame, the first roller wheel and the second roller wheel are all two rotatably connected to the mounting frame, and the conveyor belt is sheathed on the first roller wheel and the second roller wheel, respectively, a power transmission shaft of the drive motor is connected to the first roller wheel roller, and the conveyor belt is used for conveying the cassette. A furnace sintering system for the lithium ion battery positive electrode material according to claim 1, wherein the lifting combination device comprises a first lifting and feeding mechanism and a gripping and releasing mechanism, the first lifting and conveying mechanism being respectively disposed adjacent to the external circulation conveying line and the furnace body, the gripping and releasing mechanism being disposed at a power transmission end of the first lifting mechanism lifting and conveying, and the grip and release mechanism being used for gripping or releasing the cassette to transport the cassette from the external circulation conveying line to the conveying mechanism. A furnace sintering system for the lithium ion battery positive electrode material according to claim 6, wherein the first lifting and conveying mechanism comprises a first set of lifting and supporting frames, a second set of lifting and supporting frames and a first translation mechanism, the first set of lifting and supporting frames and the second set of lifting and supporting frames are arranged in parallel on both sides of the traffic conveyance line external, and the first translation mechanism is installed respectively at a power transmission end of the first set of lifting and supporting frames and at a power transmission end of the second set of lifting and supporting frames, so that the first set of lifting and supporting frames and the second set of lifting and supporting frames together drive the first translation mechanism to lift and move them; and the gripping and releasing mechanism is mounted at a power transmission end of the first translation mechanism. A furnace sintering system for the lithium ion battery positive electrode material according to claim 1, wherein the cassette separating and unloading device comprises a second lifting and feeding mechanism and a rotary clamping mechanism , the second lifting and conveying mechanism is respectively provided adjacent to the external circulation conveying line and the furnace body, the rotary clamping mechanism is provided at a power transmission end of the second lifting mechanism and conveying, and the rotary clamping mechanism being used for clamping and rotating the cassettes, so as to respectively unload and transport the cassettes from the set of cassettes stacked on the conveying mechanism to the conveying line of external circulation. A sintering system for the lithium ion battery positive electrode material according to claim 1, wherein the external circulation routing line is further provided with a vibration and division zone, and the loading zone and the vibration and division area are sequentially arranged along a conveyance direction of the external circulation conveyance line; And
the furnace sintering system for positive electrode material further comprises a vibration and cutting device provided above the vibration and cutting area, and the vibration and cutting device is used for vibrating and cutting blocks the material in the cassette. Furnace sintering method for lithium-ion battery positive electrode material using the furnace sintering system for lithium-ion battery positive electrode material according to one of claims 1 to 9 for sintering, where the furnace sintering process for positive electrode material comprises the following steps:
loading the material to be sintered into the filling groove of the cassette on the external circulation conveying line through the cassette loading device in the loading area;
conveying the loaded cassette to a corresponding position of the vibration and cutting device via the external circulation conveying line;
transporting the cassettes from the external circulation conveying line to the conveying mechanism to stack them and form the stacked cassette set through the lifting combination device;
feeding the set of stacked cassettes from the material delivery inlet to the furnace body for sintering through the conveying mechanism, and feeding the set of sintered stacked cassettes from the furnace body to the material delivery outlet;
unloading the cassettes from the set of stacked cassettes on the conveying mechanism and transporting the cassettes to the external circulation conveying line, respectively, through the cassette separation and unloading device; And
return the cassettes subject to separation and unloading to the loading area via the external circulation conveyance line.