KR102113338B1 - Powder raw material drying apparatus for manufacturing cathode material of secondary battery - Google Patents

Abstract

The present invention relates to an apparatus for drying a raw material for an anode material of a secondary battery. The apparatus includes: a dryer having first and second ends on both longitudinal sides and a drying chamber therein; a dryer heating unit heating the dryer; and a raw material stirrer stirring a raw material for an anode material stored in the drying chamber. The raw material stirrer includes: a main shaft placed in the longitudinal direction of the dryer in the drying chamber; and a head shaft and a tail shaft each extending from both ends of the main shaft to penetrate the first and second ends respectively. Seal housings storing a sealing member are installed between the first end and the head shaft and the second end and the tail shaft, and a shaft cooling chamber into which a cooling medium is inserted is formed in each of the head and tail shafts. Therefore, the apparatus is capable of preventing damage to the sealing member at a high temperature.

Description

Powder raw material drying device for manufacturing cathode material of secondary battery {POWDER RAW MATERIAL DRYING APPARATUS FOR MANUFACTURING CATHODE MATERIAL OF SECONDARY BATTERY}

An embodiment of the present invention relates to a drying apparatus that mainly removes moisture contained in a powder raw material (a cathode material raw material) constituting a cathode material for manufacturing a cathode material of a secondary battery.

In recent years, as mobile devices such as notebook computers, tablet PCs, portable game machines, and mobile phones are widely spread, demand for secondary batteries capable of charging and discharging as power sources for these mobile devices is rapidly increasing.

In addition, in line with this, efforts are being made to improve the performance of the secondary battery and to improve manufacturability, and research and development are actively being made to commercially apply the secondary battery to an electric vehicle (EV), an energy storage system (ESS), and the like.

In general, a secondary battery includes a cathode material, a cathode material, an electrolyte, and a separator, and among these, the cathode material is an important factor that determines performance, such as capacity and output of the secondary battery to be.

In order to manufacture the positive electrode material, powder raw materials such as lithium (Li), nickel (Ni), cobalt (Co), manganese (Mn), and aluminum (Al) are required, and a drying process for removing moisture from these powder raw materials is performed. After performing the heat treatment process, it is possible to prevent the deterioration of the quality of the cathode material and to improve its properties.

Here, the drying process and the heat treatment process are individually performed in a dedicated device. Accordingly, since a dedicated device for a drying process and a dedicated device for a heat treatment process must be provided, it is inevitable that a high cost and a long period of time are required to complete drying and heat treatment of raw materials, and the processing process is cumbersome. In addition, in the process of transferring the raw material to the dedicated device for the heat treatment process after the drying process, the raw material may be damaged and contaminated by external air.

Therefore, there is an urgent need to prepare an improvement plan for this.

Republic of Korea Patent Publication No. 10-2013-0130292 (2013.12.02.) Republic of Korea Registered Patent Publication No. 10-1911490 (2018.10.24.)

An embodiment of the present invention has an object to provide a drying apparatus for a cathode material raw material or the like which is more advantageous in terms of improving stability and efficiency of a drying process or a drying process and a heat treatment process for a cathode material raw material.

The problem to be solved is not limited to this, and other problems not mentioned will be clearly understood by those skilled in the art from the following description.

According to an embodiment of the present invention, a support base; A dryer arranged in the horizontal direction on the support base and having a drying chamber accommodating a raw material of a cathode material of a secondary battery formed in a longitudinal direction therein; At least one heating jacket that forms a heating chamber outside the dryer to heat the dryer with a heating medium (oil, oil) introduced into the heating chamber; A fixed end support (fixed end frame) for fixing a position of a fixed end (first end) on one side in the longitudinal direction of the dryer to the support base; Mounted at the free end (second end, second end) on the other end of the dryer in the longitudinal direction and mounted on the support base so as to be linearly movable in the longitudinal direction of the dryer. (Freedom Frame); A main shaft disposed in the drying chamber in the longitudinal direction of the dryer; A plurality of stirring blades connected to the main shaft; A head shaft and a tail shaft respectively extending from both ends of the main shaft, penetrating through the fixed and free ends of the dryer, and supported to be rotatable by bearings; Shaft driving means for rotating the head shaft passing through a fixed end of the dryer; An exhaust unit that composes the drying chamber in a vacuum atmosphere by an exhaust action and discharges moisture (water vapor) from the drying chamber; A cathode material raw material drying apparatus for a secondary battery including a bag filter installed in an exhaust line of the exhaust unit may be provided.

A sliding guide member (Teflon plate) is interposed between the support base and the free end support, so that the free end support can be slidably moved. In addition, guide slots are formed in the free end support in the longitudinal direction of the dryer, and guide pins are inserted into each of the guide slots, and the guide pins have a lower portion penetrating the sliding guide member. It can be embedded in the support base.

The drying apparatus according to the embodiment of the present invention may further include a gas injection unit that injects gas into the cathode material accommodated in the drying chamber and injects gas through the bottom of the drying chamber to promote moisture discharge. .

A seal housing for receiving a sealing member may be mounted between the fixed end of the dryer and the head shaft, and between the free end of the dryer and the tail shaft. In addition, an axial cooling chamber in which a cooling medium is introduced may be formed in each of the interior of the head shaft and the interior of the tail shaft.

A sleeve that rotates with the head shaft and the tail shaft may be interposed between the head shaft and the head shaft side seal housing, and between the tail shaft and the tail shaft side seal housing. A sealing member cooling flow path through which gas for cooling the sealing member is introduced may be formed in each of the head shaft side seal housing and the tail shaft side seal housing.

The dryer has a raw material outlet opening in communication with the drying chamber at the bottom, and the raw material outlet may be opened and closed by an outlet opening and closing unit.

The outlet opening / closing unit includes a gate that is rotatably mounted on one side of the raw material outlet and opens and closes the raw material outlet according to a rotation direction; Gate driving means for rotating the gate; A clamp which is rotatably mounted on the other side of the raw material outlet and presses the closed gate according to the rotational direction or releases pressure on the closed gate; It may include a clamp driving means for rotating the clamp.

Here, a packing for maintaining airtightness when the gate is closed may be mounted on the raw material outlet, and an outlet cooling chamber in which a cooling medium is introduced may be formed around the raw material outlet.

The drying apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention may further include a bearing cooling unit that cools and lubricates the bearing by supplying cooling oil to the head shaft side bearing and the tail shaft side bearing.

According to an embodiment of the present invention, a dryer having a first end in one longitudinal direction, a second end in the other longitudinal direction, and a drying chamber therein; A dryer heating unit for heating the dryer; And a raw material stirrer for stirring the cathode material raw material accommodated in the drying chamber, wherein the raw material stirrer comprises: a main shaft disposed in the drying chamber in the longitudinal direction of the dryer; And a head shaft and a tail shaft extending from each end of the main shaft and penetrating through the first end and the second end and rotatably supported by bearings, respectively, between the first end and the head shaft, and A positive electrode material for a secondary battery is formed between each of the second end and the tail shaft, wherein a seal housing for receiving a sealing member is mounted, and an axial cooling chamber through which a cooling medium is introduced is formed in each of the head shaft and the tail shaft. A drying device can be provided.

According to an embodiment of the present invention, the step of cleaning the raw material for the cathode material; Performing dehydration on the washed cathode material; Drying and heat-treating the dehydration-completed cathode material using a drying device as described above; A method of treating a raw material for a cathode material of a secondary battery may be provided, including the step of cooling the dried and heat-treated cathode material, or cooling and mixing with other cathode material.

According to an embodiment of the present invention, the step of mixing two or more types of cathode material; Drying the mixed cathode material using a drying device as described above; A method of treating a raw material for a cathode material of a secondary battery may be provided, including the step of cooling the dried cathode material.

Means for solving the problems will be more specific and clear through examples, drawings, and the like described below. In addition, in the following, various solutions other than the solutions mentioned can be further suggested.

According to an embodiment of the present invention, since the damage to the drying apparatus due to the drying process temperature and the heat treatment process temperature higher than that is prevented, it is possible to perform the heat treatment process together with the drying process for the raw material of the cathode material. Of course, since the drying and heat treatment processes are performed together in the drying device, there is no need to transfer the dried cathode material to heat treatment (improve productivity and yield), thereby preventing the cathode material from reacting with a specific gas in the atmosphere. By doing so, it is possible to improve the performance of the cathode material.

Specifically, the dryer is set on the support base by a fixed end support and a free end support that respectively mount a fixed end and a free end of the dryer to the support base, and when thermal expansion occurs in the dryer, the free end support moves relative to the fixed end support ( That is, since it is flexible to cope with linear expansion among the thermal expansion of the dryer), it is possible to prevent damage of the support base and the dryer due to thermal expansion of the dryer.

In addition, since the cooling action of the sealing member and the packing prevents thermal damage, it is possible to stably maintain the airtightness during the drying process or the heat treatment process.

According to the above effects, long-term usability of the drying device may be ensured, and maintenance and management of the drying device may be performed at low cost.

According to an embodiment of the present invention, gas is injected into the positive electrode material raw material pile through the bottom of the drying chamber and discharges moisture in the positive electrode material raw material pile out of the positive electrode material raw material pile as the injected gas passes through the positive electrode material raw material pile. In addition, since it is directed toward the exhaust port, it is possible to accelerate the discharge of water, thereby shortening the time required for the drying process, and also reducing energy required for the drying process.

1 is a block diagram showing a drying apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention.
2 is a block diagram mainly showing a drying apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention.
Figure 3 is a perspective view showing the free end support and its peripheral configuration of the drying apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention.
Figure 4 is a cross-sectional view showing a head shaft and its surrounding configuration of the drying apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention.
5 is a cross-sectional view showing a tail shaft and its surrounding configuration of a drying apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention.
6 is a cross-sectional view showing the outlet opening and closing unit of the drying apparatus according to the embodiment of the present invention.

Hereinafter, preferred embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the accompanying drawings. For reference, in the drawings referred to describe an embodiment of the present invention, the size of components or the thickness of lines may be exaggerated for convenience of understanding. In addition, the terms used to describe the embodiments of the present invention are mainly defined in consideration of functions in the present invention, and thus may vary according to a user's, operator's intention, and customs. Therefore, the terms should be interpreted based on the contents of the present specification.

Drying apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention may be used to dry or heat-treat the anode material raw material at a high temperature, mainly for manufacturing a cathode material of a secondary battery.

1 to 6 shows the configuration, operation, and the like of the drying apparatus according to the embodiment of the present invention.

1 and 2, the drying apparatus according to the embodiment of the present invention includes a support base 5 and a dryer 10. The dryer 10 is installed on the support base 5 and a drying chamber 101 is provided therein. In the drying chamber 101, a powdered positive electrode material used for manufacturing a secondary battery is accommodated. The cathode material may be lithium (Li), nickel (Ni), cobalt (Co), manganese (Mn), aluminum (Al), or the like.

Drying apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention, a dryer heating unit 30 for heating the dryer 10 to a high temperature (up to 350 ℃), a raw material stirrer 40 for stirring the raw material of the cathode material accommodated in the drying chamber 101, In addition, the drying chamber 101 is further composed of a vacuum atmosphere, and further includes an exhaust unit 50 that discharges moisture (water vapor) from the drying chamber 101.

The drying apparatus according to the embodiment of the present invention may perform a drying process for a raw material of a cathode material in a vacuum atmosphere. In addition, moisture may be discharged during the drying process, and the positive electrode material raw material may be heat treated at a suitable temperature according to characteristics.

The dryer 10 has a constant length. The dryer 10 is arranged in a horizontal direction, and the drying chamber 101 is formed in the longitudinal direction of the dryer 10. The drying chamber 101 is made of a corrosion-resistant material. According to the corrosion-resistant material, it is possible to prevent impurities from being mixed into the cathode material due to corrosion of the drying chamber 101. For example, the material of the drying chamber 101 may be stainless steel.

The dryer 10 includes two side covers (120A, 120B) that respectively cover the dryer body 110 with both ends of the longitudinal direction open, and the open ends of the dryer body 110, respectively. 4, 5). Of course, the drying chamber 101 is an interior space defined by the dryer body 110 and the two side covers 120A, 120B.

The dryer body 110 is formed to have a circular cross section with a constant size. A raw material inlet 102 and an exhaust port 104 communicating with the drying chamber 101 are formed at an upper portion of the dryer body 110, and a raw material outlet 103 communicating with the drying chamber 101 is formed below the dryer body 110, respectively. Is formed. The raw material for the cathode material to be dried is introduced into the drying chamber 101 through the raw material inlet 102, and the dried cathode material is discharged from the drying chamber 101 through the raw material outlet 103. Exhaust and discharge of water by the exhaust unit 50 is made through the exhaust port 104.

Although not shown, ribs that structurally reinforce the dryer body 110 and suppress the expansion of the volume of the dryer body 110 according to temperature rise are welded to the outer periphery of the dryer body 110 by welding. The ribs may be formed in the outer circumferential direction of the dryer body 110 and spaced apart from each other in the longitudinal direction of the dryer 10.

The dryer 10 is supported by a dryer base 20. The dryer base 20 is fixed to the support base 5 mounted on one of the two side covers 120A, 120B, and the other of the two side covers 120A, 120B. In the mounted state, the support base 5 has a free end support 220 mounted to be movable linearly in the longitudinal direction of the dryer 10.

According to such a dryer support 20, the dryer 10 has a fixed end (10A) and a free end (10B). In addition, the fixed end 10A and the free end 10B of the dryer 10 are supported by a fixed end support 210 and a free end support 220, respectively. In addition, the free end support 220 is moved relative to the fixed end support 210 when thermal expansion occurs due to a temperature rise in the dryer 10.

Therefore, the drying apparatus according to the embodiment of the present invention, of course, as well as stably setting the dryer 10 on the support base (5), the support base 5 and the dryer 10 is a dryer ( It can be prevented from being damaged due to the thermal expansion (especially, linear expansion) phenomenon of 10).

The fixed end support 210 can be fixed to the support base 5 by fastening bolts.

Referring to FIG. 3, for the linear movement of the free end support 220, a sliding guide member 230 is interposed between the support base 5 and the free end support 220. The sliding induction member 230 provides a sliding surface in contact with the free end support 220, and is formed to have a flat upper surface and uses a flat upper surface as a sliding surface. The free end support 220 is moved along the sliding surface of the sliding guide member 230.

The sliding guide member 230 may include a material having a small friction coefficient. For example, the sliding guide member 230 may be a plate made of Teflon or a plate coated with a certain thickness of Teflon on the top.

Guide slots 221 are passed through the free end support 220. The guide slots 221 are elongated in the longitudinal direction of the dryer 10. The guide slots 221 may be arranged in a horizontal direction at regular intervals to be parallel to each other.

A guide pin 240 is inserted into each of the guide slots 221. Each of the guide pins 240 is embedded in the support base 5 in a state where the lower part penetrates the sliding guide member 230 to limit the horizontal movement of the sliding guide member 230 and the free end support 220 is a dryer 10 ) To guide the movement in the longitudinal direction. For example, the guide pins 240 are bolts having a male screw, and screw holes coupled to these bolts may be formed on the support base 5.

According to the guide action of the guide slots 221 and the guide pin 240, as the free end support 220 is moved in a direction deviated from the longitudinal direction of the dryer 10, the dryer 10 and the like can be prevented from being damaged. Can be.

The dryer heating unit 30 is provided with at least one heating jacket (310, 320) forming the heating chamber 301 on the outside of the dryer 10, and a heating medium supply source for introducing a heating medium into the heating chamber 301. By including, the dryer 10 is heated with a heating medium introduced into the heating chamber 301.

It is preferable that the heating jackets 310 and 320 are provided in plural and arranged to uniformly heat the dryer 10. For example, the heating jackets 310 and 320 may be divided into at least one body heating jacket 310 surrounding the dryer body 110 and a cover heating jacket 320 surrounding the two side covers 120A and 120B, respectively. The body heating jacket 310 may be provided in plural and arranged in the longitudinal direction of the dryer 10.

The dryer heating unit 30 is provided with a heating medium inlet and a heating medium outlet communicating with the heating chamber 301 in the heating jackets 310 and 320, respectively, and the heating medium is supplied from the heating medium supply source through the heating medium inlet. It may be configured to circulate in a manner that is supplied to the 301 and is recovered from the heating chamber 301 through the heating medium outlet to the heating medium source. The heating medium may be oil, and the heating medium source may be a boiler.

According to such a dryer heating unit 30, the drying chamber 101 can be uniformly maintained at a temperature required for drying or heat treatment of the raw material of the cathode material.

The raw material stirrer 40 includes the rotating shafts 410, 420, and 430, the stirring blades 440 mounted on the rotating shaft, and the shaft driving means 450 for rotating the rotating shaft, thereby to the shaft driving means 450. When the rotating shaft is rotated by, the raw material of the cathode material is stirred by the stirring blades 440, and moisture in the pile of cathode material is discharged out of the cathode material raw material pile and then discharged to the outside of the drying chamber 101 through the exhaust port 104. do.

The rotating shaft includes a main shaft 410 disposed in the drying chamber 101 in the longitudinal direction of the dryer 10, and a head shaft 420 and a tail shaft 430 connected to both ends of the main shaft 410, respectively. A hollow shaft may be applied to the main shaft 410 for weight reduction. The head shaft 420 and the tail shaft 430 extend from the both ends of the main shaft 410 toward the fixed end 10A and the free end 10B of the dryer 10, respectively, and the two side covers 120A, 120B on both sides. ), Respectively.

Such a rotating shaft is coated with an abrasion-resistant material as a whole or the rest of the dryer 10 except for a portion located outside. According to the wear-resistant material coating, it is possible to prevent impurities from entering the cathode material due to wear of the rotating shaft. For example, the rotating shaft may be coated with tungsten carbide (WC) having excellent wear resistance.

The stirring blades 440 are connected to the outer circumference of the main shaft 410 and rotated together with the rotating shaft. In order to prevent impurities from being mixed due to abrasion of the stirring blades 440 on the raw material of the cathode material, abrasion-resistant materials are coated on the stirring blades 440. In one example, the coating on the stirring blades 440 may be made of tungsten carbide.

As described above, in the drying apparatus according to the embodiment of the present invention, the drying chamber 101 is formed in a horizontal direction, and the rotating shafts 410, 420, and 430 are also arranged in a horizontal direction parallel to the drying chamber 101, and a stirring blade ( 440) are mounted on the outer circumference of the rotating shaft. That is, it has a horizontal structure. This horizontal structure has an advantage in that the drying chamber is formed in the vertical direction and the rotational axis equipped with the stirring blades on the outer periphery is more advantageous in terms of large capacity compared to the vertical structure arranged in the vertical direction.

In more detail, in the case of the vertical structure, in order to increase the capacity, the drying chamber must be expanded in the horizontal direction. This is because the process efficiency is greatly reduced when the drying chamber is enlarged in the vertical direction to accumulate the cathode material and perform a drying (or heat treatment) process. However, if the drying chamber is enlarged in the horizontal direction, the problem of having to enlarge the stirring blades or apply a plurality of rotating shafts equipped with stirring blades in order to uniformly stir the raw material of the cathode material must be taken.

On the other hand, the horizontal structure of the drying apparatus according to the embodiment of the present invention can be configured with a large capacity while solving the problem of the vertical structure.

The shaft driving means 450 is connected to the head shaft 420 penetrated through the fixed end 10A side side cover 120A. According to this, since the thermal expansion (especially, linear expansion) phenomenon of the dryer 10 does not affect the shaft driving means 450, the shaft driving means 450 can be safely protected.

The shaft driving means 450 may include a driving motor 451 and a power transmission mechanism. The power transmission mechanism may be a chain transmission mechanism. Specifically, the power transmission mechanism is mounted on the shaft and head shaft 420 of the driving motor 451, respectively, and sprocket wheels 452 and 453, which are paired with each other, and two sprocket wheels 452 and 453. By including the chain (chain) caught in, it is possible to transmit the rotational force of the drive motor 451 to the head shaft (420).

The head shaft 420 and the tail shaft 430 penetrated through the two side covers 120A and 120B, respectively, are rotatably supported by a bearing assembly including bearings 460A and 460B.

Between the fixed end 10A side side cover 120A and the head shaft 420, a seal housing 470A for maintaining airtightness between the fixed end 10A side side cover 120A and the head shaft 420 is mounted. do. A seal housing 470B for maintaining airtightness between the free end 10B side side cover 120B and the tail shaft 430 is mounted between the free end 10B side side cover 120B and the tail shaft 430. do.

The head shaft 420 side seal housing 470A forms a sealing space in which at least one sealing member 471 is accommodated between the fixed end 10A side side cover 120A and the head shaft 420, and the tail shaft The 430 side seal housing 470B forms a sealing space in which at least one sealing member 471 is accommodated between the free end 10B side side cover 120B and the tail shaft 430.

4 and 5, the sealing member cooling passage 472 for cooling the sealing member 471 is respectively provided in the head shaft 420 side seal housing 470A and the tail shaft 430 side seal housing 470B. Can be formed. Gas may be forcibly introduced into each of the sealing member cooling passages 472. The gas introduced into each of the sealing member cooling passages 472 to cool the sealing member 471 in the seal housing 470A on the head shaft 420 side and in the seal housing 470B on the tail shaft 430 is external air. When is used, when the airtightness of the sealing member 471 is lowered, external air may be introduced into the drying chamber 101 to react with the raw material of the cathode material, so a gas of a kind that does not react with the raw material of the cathode material processed in the drying chamber 101 It is preferable to select and use it in view of preventing deterioration of the quality of the cathode material.

Between the head shaft 420 side seal housing 470A and the head shaft 420, a sleeve 480A rotating with the head shaft 420 is interposed. The head shaft 420 side sleeve 480A may be coupled to the head shaft 420 with a fastening bolt. Between the tail shaft 430 side seal housing 470B and the tail shaft 430, a sleeve 480B rotating together with the tail shaft 430 is interposed. The tail shaft 430 side sleeve 480B may be coupled to the tail shaft 430 with a fastening bolt.

The sleeves 480A and 480B block the head shaft 420 and the tail shaft 430 from directly contacting the sealing member 471 in the seal housings 470A and 470B, thereby preventing the head shaft 420 and the tail shaft. 430 is protected (prevents abrasion).

Referring to Figure 1, the exhaust unit 50 includes a vacuum pump (vacuum pump, 510) to perform the exhaust operation. The vacuum pump 510 is connected to the exhaust port 104 through the exhaust line. The bag filter 55 collects the cathode material raw material discharged with moisture through the exhaust port 104. The bag filter 55 may be disposed vertically on the exhaust port 104 so that the collected cathode material can be dropped into the drying chamber 101 through the exhaust port 104.

6, the raw material outlet 103 is opened and closed by the outlet opening and closing unit. The outlet opening / closing unit includes a gate 610, a gate driving means 620, a clamp 630, and a clamp driving means 640.

Two hinge shafts are disposed on both sides of the raw material outlet 103 based on the raw material outlet 103 in the longitudinal direction of the dryer 10.

The gate 610 is mounted on either one of the two hinge shafts, rotates with the hinge shaft, and opens or closes the raw material outlet 103 according to the rotation direction. The clamp 630 is mounted on the other of the two hinge shafts and is rotated together with the hinge shaft, and presses the closed gate 610 according to the rotation direction to keep it closed or presses against the closed gate 610 Release it. The gate driving means 620 rotates the hinge axis on the gate 610 side, and the clamp driving means 640 rotates the hinge axis on the clamp 630 side.

Gate driving means 620, the cylinder housing (cylinder housing) is a cylinder 621 rotatable about an axis parallel to the hinge axis on the side of the gate 610, and the piston rod of the cylinder 621 has one end It includes a link (link 622) having the other end mounted to the hinge axis of the gate 610 side in a rotatable connection around an axis parallel to the hinge axis of the gate 610 side. The cylinder 621 may be rotatably supported around an axis parallel to the hinge axis on the side of the gate 610 by a bracket mounted on a peripheral structure (for example, a dryer or a support base).

According to the gate driving means 620, the link 622 is rotated according to the moving direction of the piston rod, the hinge shaft on the side of the gate 610 is rotated in the same direction as the link 622, the gate 610 is opened or Closes.

The clamp driving means 640 is also composed of a cylinder 641 and a link 642. Since the cylinder 641 and the link 642 of the clamp driving means 640 are configured and operate the same or similar to the cylinder 621 and the link 622 of the gate driving means 620, detailed description thereof will be omitted. do.

The drying apparatus according to the embodiment of the present invention further includes a gas injection unit for injecting gas into the cathode material through the bottom of the drying chamber 101.

Referring to FIG. 6, the gas injection unit includes nozzles 710 uniformly distributed on the bottom of the drying chamber 101, and a gas supply source connected to the nozzles 710. The nozzles 710 are preferably provided without protruding from the bottom of the drying chamber 101. As the gas injected from the gas injection unit into the drying chamber 101, it is preferable from the viewpoint of improving the performance of the cathode material to select and use a gas that does not react with the raw material of the cathode material processed in the drying chamber 101.

According to the gas injection unit, the gas ejected upward from the nozzles 710 is injected into the positive electrode material raw material pile and passes through the positive electrode material raw material pile. At this time, moisture in the positive electrode material raw material pile is forcibly discharged out of the positive electrode material raw material pile by gas passing through the positive electrode material raw material pile.

Therefore, the drying apparatus according to the embodiment of the present invention can promote the discharge of moisture during the drying process, and can save time and energy required for the drying process.

Referring to FIGS. 4 and 5, axial cooling chambers 421 and 431 are formed inside the head shaft 420 and inside the tail shaft 430. The cooling medium is introduced into each of the axial cooling chambers 421 and 431 by an axial cooling unit 80 including a cooling medium supply source. The cooling medium introduced into each of the axial cooling chambers 421 and 431 may be recovered and re-supplied.

According to the axial cooling unit 80, the head shaft 420 and the tail shaft 430 are cooled to seal the members 471 in the seal housing 470 on the side of the head shaft 420 and the seal housing on the side of the tail shaft 430 ( The sealing member 471 in 470B) can be prevented from being damaged due to high temperature, whereby airtightness by the sealing member 471 during the drying process can be stably maintained.

Referring to FIG. 6, the dryer body 110 is formed in a shape in which the circumference of the raw material outlet 103 protrudes a certain height, and the protruding raw material outlet 103 has a packing that maintains airtightness when the gate 610 is closed ( 130) is mounted. In addition, an outlet cooling chamber 105 is formed around the protruding raw material outlet 103. A cooling medium is introduced into the outlet cooling chamber 105 by an outlet cooling unit 90 including a cooling medium source including a cooling medium source. The cooling medium introduced into the outlet cooling chamber 105 may be recovered and re-supplied.

According to the outlet cooling unit 90, it is possible to cool the periphery of the raw material outlet 103 during the drying process, whereby the packing 130 can be safely protected from high heat. Thus, the safety of the packing 130 can be secured, and a decrease in airtightness due to thermal damage of the packing 130 can be prevented.

On the other hand, referring to Figures 4 and 5, the drying apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention, the head shaft 420 side bearing 460A and the tail shaft 430 side bearing 460B by supplying cooling oil Cooling and lubrication may further include a bearing cooling unit 85.

According to the bearing cooling unit 85, it is possible to ensure smooth operation of the bearings 460A and 460B at high temperatures.

Looking at the raw material processing method of the positive electrode material using a drying apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention.

For example, after washing the positive electrode material raw material, and dewatering the washed positive electrode material raw material, drying and heat treatment are performed on the dehydrated positive electrode material using the drying apparatus according to the embodiment of the present invention, and then the positive electrode material raw material It can be processed in the order of cooling to a temperature capable of handling.

According to this treatment method, the raw material of the positive electrode material, after removing unnecessary components through a washing process (for example, washing with water), removes moisture through a dehydration process and a drying process, and has characteristics of demand. It can be heat treated to a suitable temperature. If necessary, characteristics may be supplemented by mixing the positive electrode material raw material with other positive electrode material raw materials during the cooling process.

Here, the cooling process may be performed using a separate dedicated device, or may be performed using a drying device according to an embodiment of the present invention. In the case of processing a large amount of the cathode raw material, it may be advantageous in terms of shortening the cooling time to transfer and perform the cooling process to a separate dedicated device. When the cathode raw material is processed in a small amount, the heating medium provided by the dryer heating unit 30 of the drying apparatus according to the embodiment of the present invention is cooled and cooled to a low temperature (for example, about 30 ° C.) to be supplied. Can be.

As another example, after mixing two or more types of positive electrode material raw materials, and drying the mixed positive electrode material using a drying apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention, the dried positive electrode material raw material may be cooled to a temperature capable of handling. . If necessary, the cooled cathode material may be fired.

Here, each of the cooling process and the firing process may be performed using a separate dedicated device, or may be performed by a drying device according to an embodiment of the present invention. That is, after performing the firing process together with the drying process by using the drying device according to the embodiment of the present invention, the cooling process may be performed by a separate dedicated device, or by using the drying device according to the embodiment of the present invention It is also possible to process the cathode material in the order of the drying process, the predetermined process and the cooling process.

Although the present invention has been described above, the present invention is not limited by the disclosed embodiments and the accompanying drawings, and can be variously modified by those skilled in the art without departing from the technical spirit of the present invention. In addition, the technical idea described in the embodiments of the present invention may be implemented independently of each other, or two or more may be performed in combination with each other.

10: dryer
10A: Fixed end (first end)
10B: Free end (second end)
20: dryer support
210: fixed end support
220: free end support
230: sliding guide member
30: dryer heating unit
40: raw material stirrer
410: main shaft
420: head shaft
430: tail shaft
440: stirring blade
450: shaft driving means
50: exhaust unit
55: bag filter
60: outlet opening and closing unit

Claims (6)

A dryer having a first end in the longitudinal direction, a second end in the longitudinal direction, and an internal drying chamber accommodating the positive electrode material of the secondary battery; A dryer heating unit for heating the dryer; A raw material stirrer for stirring the raw material of the cathode material accommodated in the drying chamber; It comprises an exhaust unit for forming the drying chamber in a vacuum atmosphere by the exhaust action and discharges moisture from the drying chamber,
The raw material stirrer includes a main shaft disposed in the drying chamber in the longitudinal direction of the dryer; It includes a head shaft and a tail shaft extending from each of both ends of the main shaft, penetrating the first end and the second end, respectively, and rotatably supported by bearings,
A shaft housing for receiving a sealing member is mounted between the first end and the head shaft, and between the second end and the tail shaft, and axial cooling in which a cooling medium is introduced into each of the head shaft and the tail shaft. Threaded,
Drying device for cathode material of secondary battery. The method according to claim 1,
The head shaft side seal housing and the tail shaft side seal housing are respectively formed with a sealing member cooling flow path through which a gas for cooling the sealing member is introduced,
Drying device for cathode material of secondary battery. The method according to claim 1,
Between the head shaft and the seal housing on the head shaft side and between the tail shaft and the seal housing on the tail shaft side, there is interposed a sleeve that rotates with the head shaft and the tail shaft,
Drying device for cathode material of secondary battery. The method according to claim 1,
The dryer has a raw material outlet that communicates with the bottom of the drying chamber, the raw material outlet is opened and closed by a gate, and the raw material outlet is equipped with a packing that maintains airtightness when the gate is closed, and is cooled around the raw material outlet. The outlet cooling chamber where the medium is introduced is formed,
Drying device for cathode material of secondary battery. The method according to claim 1,
Further comprising a gas injection unit for injecting gas into the drying chamber through the bottom of the drying chamber,
Drying device for cathode material of secondary battery. The method according to claim 1,
Further comprising a support base, the dryer is disposed in the horizontal direction on the support base,
Drying device for cathode material of secondary battery.

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