KR102337139B1 - In-situ cell - Google Patents

Abstract

An in situ cell is disclosed. In the in situ cell, a first opening of a predetermined size is formed in the central region and a transparent upper case, an upper sealing glass sealing the first opening, a positive electrode tab formed with a predetermined width and connected to the positive electrode of the power supply device, a predetermined width A negative electrode tab formed of and connected to the negative electrode of the power supply device, a sample cell disposed between the positive electrode tab and the negative electrode tab, an inner support member supporting the sample cell and having a second opening formed in a central region, between the sample cell and the inner support member is disposed in the lower sealing glass for sealing the second opening, and a third opening having a predetermined size in the central region is formed and includes a transparent lower case, the sample cell includes a positive electrode connected to the positive electrode tab to receive power, and a negative electrode It includes a negative electrode connected to the tab to receive power, and a separator separating the positive electrode and the negative electrode.

Description

In-situ cell

The present invention relates to an in situ cell, and more particularly, to an in situ cell capable of confirming a reaction during charging and discharging through an analysis device.

Recently, as various mobile devices have been commercialized and interest in environmental pollution has increased, the development of electric vehicles is actively progressing. Since various mobile devices and electric vehicles are driven using electric power, the development of batteries having a large charging capacity and capable of fast charging is being actively conducted.

In order to develop high-efficiency batteries in various environments, research on various materials is being actively conducted. In particular, there is a need for electrochemical analysis and research on positive and negative electrode active materials that can have large capacity and are commercially available at low cost. However, although the positive active material and the negative active material can be easily analyzed before charging and discharging or after charging and discharging, there are many difficulties in observing changes in the positive active material and the negative active material during the charging and discharging process.

Accordingly, there is a need for a technology capable of easily confirming changes in the positive active material and the negative active material during the charging and discharging process.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The present invention is to solve the above-described problems, and an object of the present invention is to provide an in situ cell capable of easily checking a change in a reactant during a charging/discharging process.

According to an embodiment of the present invention for achieving the above object, the in situ cell includes a transparent upper case having a first opening of a preset size in the central region, an upper sealing glass sealing the first opening, and a group A positive tab formed with a set width and connected to the positive electrode of the power supply device, a negative electrode tab formed with a predetermined width and connected to the negative electrode of the power supply device, a sample battery disposed between the positive electrode tab and the negative electrode tab, the sample battery an inner support member supporting the inner support member and having a second opening in the central region, a lower sealing glass disposed between the sample cell and the inner support member and sealing the second opening, and a third opening having a preset size in the central region; and a transparent lower case, wherein the sample battery includes a positive electrode connected to the positive electrode tab to receive power, a negative electrode connected to the negative electrode tab to receive power, and a separator separating the positive electrode and the negative electrode may include

In addition, the in situ cell may further include a sealing material sealing between the upper case and the lower case.

In addition, the sealing material may be one of silicone, resin, or epoxy.

Meanwhile, the upper sealing glass and the lower sealing glass may have a thickness of 0.1 mm to 0.2 mm.

In addition, the upper case has an inclined surface formed along a corner of the first opening, the inclined surface is inclined toward the inner side of the first opening in an inner direction of the in situ cell, and the inner support member is provided with the second opening An inclined surface may be formed along an edge of , and the inclined surface may be inclined toward the inside of the second opening in an inner direction of the in situ cell.

In addition, the first opening and the second opening may have a width of 15 mm to 20 mm.

As described above, according to various embodiments of the present invention, the in situ cell can easily check the change in the reactant during the charging/discharging process.

Effects of the present invention are not limited to the effects mentioned above, and other effects not mentioned will be clearly understood by those skilled in the art from the following description.

1 is a view for explaining a system for analyzing a reactant using an in situ cell according to an embodiment of the present invention.
2 is an exploded view of an in situ cell according to an embodiment of the present invention.
3 is a view for explaining the structure of the cover according to an embodiment of the present invention.
4A is a diagram illustrating a state of an active material at a time point when discharge is started according to an embodiment of the present invention.
4B is a diagram illustrating a state of an active material at an arbitrary point in time during which discharge is in progress according to an embodiment of the present invention.
4C is a diagram illustrating a state of an active material at a time when discharge is terminated according to an embodiment of the present invention.

Hereinafter, various embodiments will be described in more detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. The embodiments described herein may be variously modified. Certain embodiments may be depicted in the drawings and described in detail in the detailed description. However, the specific embodiments disclosed in the accompanying drawings are only provided to facilitate understanding of the various embodiments. Accordingly, the technical spirit is not limited by the specific embodiments disclosed in the accompanying drawings, and it should be understood to include all equivalents or substitutes included in the spirit and scope of the invention.

Terms including an ordinal number such as 1st, 2nd, etc. may be used to describe various components, but these components are not limited by the above-mentioned terms. The above terminology is used only for the purpose of distinguishing one component from another component.

In this specification, terms such as "comprises" or "have" are intended to designate that the features, numbers, steps, operations, components, parts, or combinations thereof described in the specification exist, but one or more other features It should be understood that this does not preclude the existence or addition of numbers, steps, operations, components, parts, or combinations thereof. When an element is referred to as being “connected” or “connected” to another element, it is understood that it may be directly connected or connected to the other element, but other elements may exist in between. it should be On the other hand, when it is said that a certain element is "directly connected" or "directly connected" to another element, it should be understood that the other element does not exist in the middle.

In this specification, only essential components necessary for the description of the present invention are described, and components not related to the essence of the present invention are not mentioned. And it should not be construed in an exclusive meaning including only the mentioned components, but should be interpreted in a non-exclusive meaning that may also include other components.

In addition, in describing the present invention, if it is determined that a detailed description of a related known function or configuration may unnecessarily obscure the gist of the present invention, the detailed description thereof will be abbreviated or omitted. Meanwhile, each embodiment may be implemented or operated independently, but each embodiment may be implemented or operated in combination.

1 is a view for explaining a system for analyzing a reactant using an in situ cell according to an embodiment of the present invention.

Referring to FIG. 1 , the analysis system may include an in-situ cell 100 , a power supply device 10 , an optical analysis device 20 , and an optical observation device 30 .

The in situ cell 100 may include a reactive material constituting the battery, such as an active material, and may be formed in a closed structure. The outside of the in situ cell 100 may include a positive electrode tab and a negative electrode tab to which positive and negative power are supplied as reactive materials.

The power supply 10 may supply power through the positive tab and the negative tab of the in situ cell 100 . Meanwhile, the power supply device 10 may supply power to the optical analysis device 20 and the optical observation device 30 . Alternatively, the power supply 10 may supply power only to the in situ cell 100 , and the optical analysis device 20 and the optical observation device 30 may include separate power supplies.

The optical analysis apparatus 20 may analyze the change in the reaction material during the charging/discharging process by irradiating light to the reaction material included in the in situ cell 100 and detecting the reflected (or refracted) light. For example, the optical analysis apparatus 20 may include an X-ray diffraction (XRD) apparatus, a Raman spectroscopy apparatus, or the like. The X-ray diffraction device refers to a device that analyzes a reactant by detecting X-rays generated by high-speed electrons collide with a reactant. The Raman spectroscopy device refers to a device that analyzes a reactant material using a frequency of a material through a process of irradiating a laser on a reactant material and absorbing energy equal to the difference in energy levels of electrons of the reactant material. The above-described X-ray diffraction apparatus and Raman spectroscopy apparatus are examples, and the optical analysis apparatus 20 may include any apparatus for analyzing a material by irradiating light.

The optical observation device 30 refers to a device for observing the reaction material included in the in situ cell 100 by photographing it. For example, the optical observation device 30 may include an optical microscope. Since the outer cover of the in situ cell 100 may be formed of a transparent material, the optical observation device 30 may observe the change in the reactive material by photographing the changing reactive material in the charging/discharging process.

Meanwhile, although not shown in FIG. 1 , the system for analyzing the reactant controls the power supply 10 , the optical analysis device 20 , and the optical observation device 30 , and further includes a separate controller that receives the analyzed data. may include

Below, the structure of the in situ cell will be described in detail.

2 is an exploded view of an in situ cell according to an embodiment of the present invention.

Referring to FIG. 2 , the in situ cell 100 includes an upper case 105 , an upper sealing glass 110 , a positive electrode tab 115 , a negative electrode tab 120 , a lower sealing glass 125 , and an inner support member 130 . ), a lower case 135 and a sample cell 140 .

The upper case 105 may be located at the top of the in situ cell 100 . The upper case 105 may be formed of a transparent material having an opening of a predetermined size formed in the central region. For example, the upper case 105 may be implemented with glass or polycarbonates (PC). As an embodiment, the upper case 105 may be formed to a thickness of about 2 mm.

An upper sealing glass 110 may be disposed under the upper case 105 . The upper sealing glass 110 may serve to block the opening of the upper case 105 described above. That is, the upper sealing glass 110 may prevent the sample cell (or analyte) 140 positioned therein from leaking to the outside through the opening. The upper sealing glass 110 may also be implemented in a transparent state, and may have a thickness of about 0.1 mm to about 0.2 mm or less. The upper sealing glass 110 may be formed in a state in close contact with the upper case 105 , or may be formed in a state in which it is adhered through an adhesive member.

A positive electrode tab 115 may be disposed under the upper case 105 . The positive electrode tab 115 may be connected to the positive electrode of the power device to supply power to the sample cell. The positive electrode tab 115 may be formed to have a constant width (eg, about 1 cm). A sample cell 140 may be disposed under the positive electrode tab 115 . The negative electrode tab 120 may be disposed under the sample cell 140 . The negative electrode tab 120 may be connected to the negative electrode of the power device to supply power to the sample battery. The negative electrode tab 120 may also be formed with a constant width (eg, about 1 cm). An opening having a predetermined size may be formed in the central region of each of the positive electrode tab 115 and the negative electrode tab 120 . Since the positive electrode tab 115 and the negative electrode tab 120 are formed to have a constant width, resistance to power supplied to the sample cell may be reduced. Since the sample cell 140 is made of a certain amount of material for analysis under certain conditions, it may be sensitive to resistance to the supplied power. That is, since the positive electrode tab 115 and the negative electrode tab 120 of the present invention are formed to have a constant width, resistance to the supplied power can be reduced, so that the sample cell can be analyzed in the same environment as the actual environment.

Meanwhile, the sample battery 140 may include a positive electrode 140-1, a negative electrode 140-2, and a separator 140-3. Also, although not shown in FIG. 2 , the sample cell 140 may further include an electrolyte (not shown). The positive electrode 140 - 1 may include a positive electrode current collector including a conductive material and a positive electrode active material. The positive active material may be a material for observing a state change through the optical analysis device 20 according to a charge/discharge process. As an embodiment, the positive electrode active material may include aluminum, nickel, copper, sodium, sulfur, gold, an alloy thereof, or an oxide thereof. The negative electrode 140 - 2 may include an anode current collector including a conductive material and an anode active material. The negative active material may also be a material for observing a change in state through the optical analysis device 20 according to the charging/discharging process. As an embodiment, the negative active material may include copper, lead, nickel, carbon, silicon, tin, lithium, tin, alloys thereof, oxides thereof, or the like. The separator 140 - 3 may have porosity. The separator 140 - 3 may be made of a polymer material, and may serve to restrict movement of the positive active material and the negative active material between the positive electrode and the negative electrode, respectively.

An inner support member 130 may be positioned under the negative electrode tab 120 . The inner support member 130 may have an opening having a predetermined size in the central region and may be formed of a transparent material. For example, the inner support member 130 may be implemented with glass or polycarbonates (PC). In one embodiment, the inner support member 130 may be formed to a thickness of about 2mm. A surface of the inner support member 130 facing the sample cell may be sealed with a lower sealing glass 125 . The lower sealing glass 125 may serve to block the opening of the inner support member 130 . That is, the lower sealing glass 125 may prevent the sample cell (or analyte) 140 located therein from leaking to the outside through the opening. The lower sealing glass 125 may also be implemented in a transparent state, and may have a thickness of about 0.1 mm to about 0.2 mm or less. The lower sealing glass 125 may be formed in a state in close contact with the inner support member 130 or may be formed in a state in which it is adhered through an adhesive member.

A lower case 135 may be positioned under the inner support member 130 . The lower case 135 also has an opening of a certain size in the central region and may be formed of a transparent material. For example, the lower case 135 may be implemented with glass or polycarbonates (PC).

As described above, the in situ cell 100 may include a sample cell (or a reaction material) for analysis. In addition, a change in a reactant in the in situ cell 100 may be observed in the charging/discharging process through the optical analysis device 20 or the optical observation device 30 . As described above, the upper case 105 , the upper sealing glass 110 , the inner support member 130 , and the lower case 135 of the in situ cell 100 may be formed of a transparent material. In addition, an opening having a predetermined size may be formed in the central region of the positive electrode tab 115 and the negative electrode tab 120 . Accordingly, the user may observe the change in the positive active material or the negative active material in the cell in situ generated during the charging/discharging process through the optical observation device 30 .

In addition, the upper case 105 , the inner support member 130 , the lower case 135 , the positive electrode tab 115 , and the negative electrode tab 120 of the in situ cell 100 include openings, and the upper sealing glass 110 . ) and the lower sealing glass 125 has a very thin thickness of about 0.1 mm to 0.2 mm. Accordingly, the user may analyze the characteristics of the positive active material or the negative active material in the in situ cell generated during the charging/discharging process through the optical analysis device 20 .

Meanwhile, the in situ cell may be sealed so that the analyte (or the sample cell) does not leak out. The present invention may include sealing materials 150a and 150b for sealing between the upper case 105 and the lower case 135 . For example, the sealing materials 150a and 150b may include a material such as silicone, resin, or epoxy. The sealing materials 150a and 150b seal the outer periphery between the upper case 150 and the lower case 135, thereby fixing the positive electrode tab 115 and the negative electrode tab 120 and preventing the analyte from leaking to the outside. .

The optical analysis apparatus 20 may analyze the characteristics of the sample cell 140 by irradiating light to the sample cell 140 through the opening of the in situ cell 100 and detecting the reflected light. On the other hand, since the upper sealing glass 110 and the lower sealing glass 125 of the in situ cell 100 are very thin, about 0.1 mm to 0.2 mm, they may be sensitive to impact. Therefore, it is necessary to manufacture the upper sealing glass 110 and the lower sealing glass 125 to withstand the impact of a certain level or less.

3 is a view for explaining the structure of the cover according to an embodiment of the present invention.

Referring to FIG. 3 , the upper case 105 and the upper sealing glass 110 are shown. As described above, the upper case 105 may be formed to a thickness of about 2 mm, and the upper sealing glass 110 may be formed to a thickness of about 0.1 mm to 0.2 mm. As described above, the upper sealing glass 110 serves to seal the opening of the upper case 105 , and since the thickness is very thin, the opening area of the upper case 105 may be weak against impact. If the width of the opening of the upper case 105 can be narrowed, the upper sealing glass 110 can be more resistant to impact. However, since some optical analysis devices need to irradiate light at about 10 degrees with respect to the horizontal plane, the width W of the aperture is generally formed to be 25 mm.

In the present invention, as shown in FIG. 3 , an inclined surface a may be formed on the upper case 105 along the edge of the opening. In addition, the inclined surface (a) may be inclined toward the inside of the in situ cell toward the inside of the opening. Therefore, even if the optical analysis apparatus irradiates light at about 10 degrees with respect to the horizontal plane, the width of the opening may be formed to be smaller than the above-described general 25 mm. As an embodiment, the inclined surface (a) of the opening may be formed at an angle of 10 degrees in the in situ cell direction with respect to the horizontal plane, and in this case, the width (W) of the opening may be formed as small as about 15 mm to 20 mm. . Since the width W of the opening becomes smaller than before, the upper sealing glass 110 having the same thickness can withstand a relatively stronger impact.

Meanwhile, the inner support member 130 and the lower sealing glass 125 may also be formed in the same shape as described above. The opening of the lower case 135 may be wider than the opening of the inner support member 130 . In addition, an inclined surface may be formed on the inner support member 130 along the edge of the opening. In addition, the inclined surface may be inclined toward the inside of the in situ cell toward the inside of the opening. As an embodiment, the inclined surface of the opening may be formed at an angle of 10 degrees in the in-situ direction of the cell with respect to the horizontal plane, and in this case, the width W of the opening may be formed as small as about 15 mm to 20 mm.

4A is a view showing the state of the active material at the time when discharging is started according to an embodiment of the present invention, and FIG. 4B is a view showing the state of the active material at any time when discharging is in progress according to an embodiment of the present invention. , FIG. 4C is a view showing the state of the active material at the time when the discharge is terminated according to an embodiment of the present invention. It will be described with reference to FIGS. 4A to 4C. Discharge proceeds from FIG. 4A to FIG. 4C. As the discharge progresses, it can be seen that the black region of the active material gradually narrows in the image taken through the optical observation device, and then changes similarly to the initial one when the discharge is completed.

In the above, preferred embodiments of the present invention have been illustrated and described, but the present invention is not limited to the specific embodiments described above, and it is common in the technical field to which the present invention pertains without departing from the gist of the present invention as claimed in the claims. Various modifications are possible by those having the knowledge of, of course, and these modifications should not be individually understood from the technical spirit or prospect of the present invention.

100: in situ cell
105: upper case 110: upper sealing glass
115: positive tab 120: negative tab
125: lower sealing glass 130: inner support member
135: lower case 140: sample cell
140-1: positive electrode 140-2: negative electrode
140-3: separator

Claims (6)

a transparent upper case having a first opening having a predetermined size in the central region;
a transparent upper sealing glass sealing the first opening;
a positive tab formed with a predetermined width and connected to the positive electrode of the power device;
a negative electrode tab formed with a predetermined width and connected to the negative electrode of the power supply;
a sample cell disposed between the positive electrode tab and the negative electrode tab;
an inner support member supporting the sample cell and having a second opening formed in a central region;
a transparent lower sealing glass disposed between the sample cell and the inner support member and sealing the second opening; and
A third opening of a predetermined size is formed in the central region and a transparent lower case is included;
An opening having a predetermined size is formed in the central region of the positive electrode tab and the negative electrode tab,
The sample battery is
An in-situ cell comprising: a positive electrode connected to the positive electrode tab to receive power; a negative electrode connected to the negative electrode tab to receive power; and a separator separating the positive electrode and the negative electrode. According to claim 1,
The in-situ cell further comprising; a sealing material sealing between the upper case and the lower case. 3. The method of claim 2,
The sealing material is
Cells in situ, either silicone, resin or epoxy. According to claim 1,
The upper sealing glass and the lower sealing glass,
A thickness of 0.1 mm to 0.2 mm, an in situ cell. According to claim 1,
The upper case is
An inclined surface is formed along an edge of the first opening, and the inclined surface is inclined toward the inside of the first opening in an inner direction of the in situ cell;
The inner support member,
An inclined surface is formed along an edge of the second opening, and the inclined surface is inclined in an inner direction of the in situ cell toward an inner side of the second opening. 6. The method of claim 5,
The first opening and the second opening,
15 mm to 20 mm wide, an in situ cell.

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