WO2023029636A1

WO2023029636A1 - Lithium chip inerting processing apparartus and processing method, and battery lithium supplementing system

Info

Publication number: WO2023029636A1
Application number: PCT/CN2022/097791
Authority: WO
Inventors: 费新路; 李克强; 赵丰刚; 卢毅; 谢斌
Original assignee: 宁德时代新能源科技股份有限公司
Priority date: 2021-08-31
Filing date: 2022-06-09
Publication date: 2023-03-09
Also published as: CN115732642A

Abstract

The present application provides a lithium chip inerting processing apparatus and processing method, and a battery lithium supplementing system. The lithium chip inerting processing apparatus of the present application comprises: a first pipeline comprising an air inlet end, an air outlet end, and an immersion cavity located between the air inlet end and the air outlet end, the air outlet end being connected to an external drainage system, the drainage system being used to drive a gas containing lithium chips to flow through the first pipeline, and the immersion cavity being used to contain an immersion liquid so as to immerse the lithium chips when the gas flows through the infiltration cavity; and a first blocking mechanism disposed within the infiltration cavity, used to block at least a portion of the immersion liquid from flowing out of the air outlet end as the gas flows through the first pipeline. The present application can significantly improve the safety of battery production.

Description

Lithium shavings inerting treatment device and treatment method, battery lithium replenishment system

Cross References to Related Applications

This application claims the priority of the Chinese patent application 202111011270.9 entitled "Inerting Lithium Shavings Treatment Device and Treatment Method, Battery Lithium Supplementation System" filed on August 31, 2021, the entire content of which is incorporated herein by reference middle.

technical field

The present application relates to the technical field of battery production, in particular to a lithium scrap inerting treatment device and treatment method, and a battery lithium replenishment system.

Background technique

Lithium-ion battery cells are widely used in electronic equipment, such as mobile phones, laptop computers, battery cars, electric vehicles, electric aircraft, electric ships, electric toy cars, electric toy ships, electric toy planes and electric tools, etc.

In the production process of lithium-ion batteries, lithium shavings may be produced, and lithium shavings are likely to cause safety problems. How to enhance the safety of battery cell production is an urgent technical problem in battery technology.

Contents of the invention

The present application provides a lithium scrap inerting treatment device and treatment method, and a battery lithium replenishment system, aiming at improving the safety of battery production.

In the first aspect, an embodiment of the present application provides a device for inerting lithium scraps, including: a first pipeline, including an inlet end, an outlet end, and an infiltration chamber between the inlet end and the outlet end, and the outlet end is used for Connected with an external drainage system, the drainage system is used to drive the gas containing lithium chips to flow through the first pipeline, the infiltration chamber is used to accommodate the infiltration liquid, so as to infiltrate the lithium chips when the gas flows through the infiltration chamber; and the first blocking mechanism is set It is in the wetting chamber, and is used to block at least part of the wetting liquid from flowing out from the gas outlet when the gas flows through the first pipeline.

In the above scheme, driven by the drainage system, the gas flows from the inlet end of the first pipeline to the gas outlet end. During the gas flow process, the gas can drive the immersion liquid and lithium chips to flow. When the lithium chips flow to the infiltration chamber, the The immersion liquid is in contact with and infiltrated by the immersion liquid, and the surface of the lithium shavings is wrapped and inert by the immersion liquid, which can prevent spontaneous combustion of the lithium shavings. At the same time, the first blocking mechanism can block part of the wetting liquid, so that the wetting liquid is blocked from flowing back, thereby reducing the possibility of the wetting liquid flowing out of the gas outlet together with the gas.

In some embodiments, the inlet end is located above the gas outlet end in the vertical direction, and the first blocking mechanism includes a plurality of blocking plates arranged at intervals, gaps for gas flow are formed between adjacent blocking plates, and at least Parts are inclined relative to the vertical. When the gas in the embodiment of the present application flows through the barrier plate of the first barrier mechanism, it flows out through the gap, and the gas drives the immersion liquid to flow together. The inclined part of the barrier plate can change the flow direction of the gas to block the immersion liquid and make the immersion liquid flow back, and then Reduce the possibility of wetting liquid flowing out of the gas outlet with the gas.

In some embodiments, the barrier plate includes a plurality of barrier parts, the multiple barrier parts are connected in sequence, and there is an included angle between two connected barrier parts. When the gas in the embodiment of the present application flows through the first blocking mechanism, the multiple blocking parts can change the flow direction of the gas multiple times, so that the infiltration liquid driven by the gas is blocked by the multiple blocking parts, which can further reduce the outflow of gas with the gas. terminal immersion fluid.

In some embodiments, the projections of adjacent barrier panels along the vertical direction are connected. When the gas in the embodiment of the present application flows through the gap, the gas in the gap as a whole will be blocked by the barrier plates on both sides of the gap and change the flow direction, so as to further reduce the wetting liquid flowing out of the gas outlet with the gas.

In some embodiments, a second blocking mechanism is also provided in the infiltration chamber, the second blocking mechanism is connected to the pipe wall of the first pipeline, and is located between the first blocking mechanism and the inlet end, and the second blocking mechanism is used to block Lithium chips flow out from the gas outlet. After the lithium chips are inerted by the immersion liquid, some lithium chips may continue to flow with the gas, but the second barrier mechanism in the embodiment of the present application can block the lithium chips and reduce the flow of lithium chips through the gas outlet. .

In some embodiments, the cross-sectional area of the second blocking mechanism on the horizontal plane gradually increases or decreases along the vertical direction. The density of lithium chips is smaller than that of the immersion liquid. Lithium chips have a tendency to float up due to the buoyancy of the immersion liquid. Lithium chips accumulate in the relatively high vertical part of the second barrier mechanism. The swarf basically does not block the relatively lower part of the second barrier mechanism, and the gas can drive the immersion liquid to flow out from the relatively lower part of the second barrier mechanism.

In some embodiments, the second blocking mechanism includes: two first plates disposed opposite to each other along the first direction, the distance between the two first plates gradually increases upward along the vertical direction; and two first plates disposed opposite to each other along the second direction The two second plates, the two first plates and the two second plates are connected and enclosed to form a cavity, the first plate and/or the second plate are provided with a plurality of through holes to allow the gas and immersion liquid to flow out, Both the first direction and the second direction are parallel to the horizontal plane, and the first direction and the second direction are perpendicular. In the embodiment of the present application, the through hole can play the role of filtering lithium chips. At the same time, the lithium chips are mainly accumulated on the outside of the relatively higher part of the first plate in the vertical direction, and the relatively small parts of the first plate and the second plate The lower part will not be blocked by lithium shavings, and the gas can drive the immersion liquid to flow out through the first plate and/or the second plate.

In some embodiments, a filter mechanism is also provided in the infiltration chamber, and the filter mechanism is located between the first blocking mechanism and the gas outlet, and is used to filter lithium debris and immersion liquid in the gas. After the gas in the embodiment of the present application flows through the first barrier mechanism, it may still carry part of the lithium debris and the wetting liquid, and the filtering function of the filtering mechanism can further reduce the lithium debris and the wetting fluid flowing out of the gas outlet.

In some embodiments, the lithium scrap inerting treatment device also includes: a second pipeline, the second pipeline is connected to the first pipeline, the second pipeline includes a liquid inlet and a liquid outlet, and the liquid inlet is connected to the infiltration chamber; and the collection The collection mechanism is connected to the pipe wall of the second pipeline, and the collection mechanism is used to separate the immersion liquid and lithium chips. In the embodiment of the present application, after the lithium chips are infiltrated and inerted by the infiltration solution in the infiltration cavity of the first pipeline, the infiltration solution containing lithium chips is drained into the collection mechanism of the second pipeline, and the infiltration solution and lithium chips are filtered Separation, the lithium scraps are retained in the collection mechanism to achieve the purpose of collecting lithium scraps.

In some embodiments, the second conduit is located vertically below the first conduit. The embodiment of the present application uses the gravity of the immersion liquid and lithium chips to allow the immersion liquid and lithium chips to flow from the first pipeline to the second pipeline without additional drainage equipment, which can simplify the structure of the device.

In some embodiments, the collection mechanism includes a collection chamber and a first filter, and the first filter is disposed in the collection chamber and used to separate the immersion liquid and lithium debris.

In some embodiments, a first switch is further arranged in the second pipeline, the first switch is located between the collection mechanism and the liquid inlet, and the first switch is configured to control the connection between the collection mechanism and the infiltration chamber. In the embodiment of the present application, the production rhythm of the first pipeline and the second pipeline can be adjusted by using the first switch.

In some embodiments, the collection mechanism is detachably disposed in the second conduit. The collection mechanism in the embodiment of the present application and the second pipeline can be connected in a detachable manner, which is convenient for removing lithium chips and replacing the collection mechanism.

In some embodiments, the lithium scrap inerting treatment device further includes a third pipeline, the third pipeline includes a first end and a second end, the first end is connected to the liquid outlet of the second pipeline, and the second end is connected to the infiltration chamber , the third pipeline is used to transport the infiltration fluid separated by the collection mechanism to the infiltration chamber. In the embodiment of the present application, after the infiltration fluid is purified by the collection mechanism of the second pipeline, the third pipeline circulates the purified infiltration fluid to the infiltration cavity, thereby improving the utilization rate of the infiltration fluid.

In some embodiments, the second end is located between the outlet end and the first barrier mechanism. In the embodiment of the present application, when the purified immersion liquid flows through the first barrier mechanism, the lithium chips adhering to the first barrier mechanism can be impacted into the immersion liquid to prevent the lithium chips from blocking the first barrier mechanism, so that the gas can Discharge smoothly.

In the second aspect, an embodiment of the present application provides a battery lithium replenishment system, including: a lithium replenishment device; It is set opposite to the lithium supplementation device. The lithium replenishing device is used to replenish lithium to the pole piece of the battery. During the lithium replenishing process, lithium scraps may be generated; In the process of lithium replenishment, the lithium chips are pumped into the infiltration chamber, the lithium chips are infiltrated in the infiltration solution, and the surface of the lithium chips is wrapped and inerted by the infiltration solution, which can prevent spontaneous combustion of the lithium chips.

In a third aspect, an embodiment of the present application provides a lithium scrap inerting treatment method, including: providing a first pipeline and a first barrier mechanism, the first pipeline includes an inlet end, an outlet end, and a gas outlet located between the inlet end and the outlet end. The infiltration chamber contains the infiltration liquid, and the first barrier mechanism is set in the infiltration chamber; the drainage system is connected to the gas outlet, and the drainage system is used to drive the gas containing lithium chips to flow through the first pipeline, and the gas flows through the Lithium shavings are infiltrated when the cavity is infiltrated, wherein, when the gas flows through the first pipeline, the first blocking mechanism blocks at least part of the infiltrating liquid from flowing out from the gas outlet.

Description of drawings

The features, advantages, and technical effects of the exemplary embodiments of the present application will be described below with reference to the accompanying drawings.

Figure 1 is a schematic structural view of a lithium scrap inerting treatment device provided in some embodiments of the present application;

Fig. 2 is a schematic structural view of the first barrier mechanism of the lithium scrap inerting treatment device provided by some embodiments of the present application;

Fig. 3 is a structural schematic view of the first blocking mechanism shown in Fig. 2 at another angle;

Fig. 4 is a structural schematic view of the first blocking mechanism shown in Fig. 2 at another angle;

Fig. 5 is a schematic structural view of a lithium scrap inerting treatment device provided in other embodiments of the present application;

Fig. 6 is a schematic structural view of the second barrier mechanism of the lithium scrap inerting treatment device provided in some embodiments of the present application;

Fig. 7 is a structural schematic diagram of the second blocking mechanism shown in Fig. 6 at another angle;

Fig. 8 is a schematic structural diagram of a lithium scrap inerting treatment device provided in some other embodiments of the present application;

Fig. 9 is a schematic structural view of the second filter element of the lithium scrap inerting treatment device provided in some embodiments of the present application;

Fig. 10 is a schematic structural view of the third filter element of the lithium scrap inerting treatment device provided in some embodiments of the present application;

Fig. 11 is a schematic structural view of the third filter shown in Fig. 10 at another angle;

Fig. 12 is a schematic structural diagram of a lithium scrap inerting treatment device provided in some further embodiments of the present application;

Fig. 13 is a schematic flow diagram of a lithium scrap inerting treatment method provided in some embodiments of the present application;

Fig. 14 is a schematic structural diagram of a lithium scrap inerting treatment device in a working state provided by some embodiments of the present application;

Fig. 15 is a schematic structural diagram of a lithium scrap inerting treatment device in another working state provided by some embodiments of the present application;

Fig. 16 is a schematic structural diagram of a lithium scrap inerting treatment device in another working state provided by some embodiments of the present application;

Fig. 17 is a schematic structural diagram of a lithium scrap inerting treatment device in another working state provided by some embodiments of the present application;

Fig. 18 is a schematic structural diagram of a battery lithium replenishment system provided by some embodiments of the present application.

The figures are not drawn to scale.

Each reference sign in the figure:

X, vertical direction; Y, first direction; Z, second direction;

1. Lithium shavings inerting treatment device, 2. Lithium replenishment device; J, immersion solution; Li, lithium shavings;

10. The first pipeline; 10a, the air inlet end; 10b, the air outlet end; 10c, the infiltration chamber;

11. The first blocking mechanism; 111, the blocking plate; 111a, the blocking part; 111b, the gap; 112, the connecting plate; 112a, the first side; 112b, the second side;

12. The second blocking mechanism, 121, the first plate; 122, the second plate; 12a, the cavity; 12b, the through hole;

13. Filter mechanism; 131, second filter element; 131a, first filter hole; 132, third filter element; 132a, second filter hole;

20. Second pipeline; 20a, liquid inlet; 20b, liquid outlet; 21, collection mechanism; 211, collection chamber; 212, first filter; 22, first switch;

30. The third pipeline; 30a, the first end; 30b, the second end; 31. The suction pump.

Detailed ways

The implementation manner of the present application will be further described in detail below with reference to the drawings and embodiments. The detailed description and drawings of the following embodiments are used to illustrate the principles of the application, but not to limit the scope of the application, that is, the application is not limited to the described embodiments.

In the description of this application, it should be noted that, unless otherwise specified, the meaning of "plurality" is more than two; the terms "upper", "lower", "left", "right", "inner", " The orientation or positional relationship indicated by "outside" and so on are only for the convenience of describing the present application and simplifying the description, rather than indicating or implying that the referred device or element must have a specific orientation, be constructed and operated in a specific orientation, and therefore cannot be understood as a reference to this application. Application Restrictions. In addition, the terms "first", "second", "third", etc. are used for descriptive purposes only and should not be construed as indicating or implying relative importance. "Vertical" is not strictly vertical, but within the allowable range of error. "Parallel" is not strictly parallel, but within the allowable range of error.

In the description of this application, it should also be noted that, unless otherwise clearly specified and limited, the terms "installation", "connection", and "connection" should be interpreted in a broad sense, for example, it can be a fixed connection or a flexible connection. Disassembled connection, or integral connection; it can be directly connected or indirectly connected through an intermediary. For those of ordinary skill in the art, the specific meanings of the above terms in this application can be understood according to specific situations.

In the present application, the battery cells may include lithium-ion secondary battery cells, lithium-ion primary battery cells, lithium-sulfur battery cells, or sodium-lithium-ion battery cells, which are not limited in the embodiments of the present application.

The battery cell includes an electrode assembly and an electrolyte, and the electrode assembly is composed of a pole piece and a separator assembly. The pole pieces include positive pole pieces and negative pole pieces. A battery cell primarily relies on the movement of metal ions, such as lithium ions, between the positive and negative plates. The positive electrode sheet includes a positive electrode current collector and a positive electrode active material layer, the positive electrode active material layer is coated on the surface of the positive electrode current collector, and the positive electrode current collector that is not coated with the positive electrode active material layer protrudes from the positive electrode collector that has been coated with the positive electrode active material layer , the positive electrode current collector not coated with the positive electrode active material layer is used as the positive electrode tab. Taking a lithium-ion battery as an example, the material of the positive electrode current collector can be aluminum, and the positive electrode active material can be lithium cobaltate, lithium iron phosphate, ternary lithium or lithium manganate. The negative electrode sheet includes a negative electrode current collector and a negative electrode active material layer, the negative electrode active material layer is coated on the surface of the negative electrode current collector, and the negative electrode current collector that is not coated with the negative electrode active material layer protrudes from the negative electrode collector that has been coated with the negative electrode active material layer , the negative electrode current collector not coated with the negative electrode active material layer is used as the negative electrode tab. The material of the negative electrode current collector may be copper, and the negative electrode active material may be carbon or silicon.

The development of battery technology should consider many design factors at the same time, such as energy density, cycle life, discharge capacity, charge and discharge rate and other performance parameters. In addition, safety performance must also be considered.

During the first charge and discharge process of the battery cell, a solid electrolyte film (solid electrolyte interphase, SEI film) will be formed, and the formation of the SEI film will consume part of the lithium, which will cause the loss of lithium, thereby reducing the discharge capacity of the battery cell. And the first charge and discharge rate is reduced. In order to reduce the irreversible decrease in the battery capacity of the battery cell during the first charging process, a lithium replenishing device is usually used to replenish active lithium on the surface of the pole piece during the forming process of the pole piece, and the pole piece after lithium supplementation is applied to the battery cell. In this way, the discharge capacity and initial charge-discharge rate of the battery cell can be improved.

The lithium replenishment process of the pole piece mainly includes the calendering process and the lamination process. The calendering process is to thin the lithium strip by rolling to form a lithium film, and the lamination process is to laminate the lithium film to the surface of the pole piece by rolling.

The applicant found that lithium scraps are generated during the lithium supplementation process, and lithium scraps need to be collected and processed. Due to the relatively active chemical properties of lithium, problems such as spontaneous combustion of lithium scraps usually occur during the process of collecting and processing lithium scraps, causing safety risks.

Based on the above-mentioned problems discovered by the applicant, the applicant proposed a device for inerting lithium shavings. The lithium scrap inerting treatment device can be used to collect and process lithium scrap produced in the process of lithium supplementation, and can ensure the safety of the process of collecting and processing lithium scrap. Of course, the lithium scrap inerting treatment device can also be used to collect and process lithium scrap produced in other production processes.

In order to better understand the present application, the following describes the embodiment of the present application with reference to FIG. 1 to FIG. 18 .

Please refer to FIG. 1 , a lithium scrap inerting treatment device provided by an embodiment of the present application includes a first pipeline 10, including an inlet end 10a, an outlet end 10b, and an infiltration chamber between the inlet end 10a and the outlet end 10b. 10c, the gas outlet 10b is used to connect with the external drainage system, the drainage system is used to drive the gas containing lithium chips Li to flow through the first pipeline 10, and the infiltration chamber 10c is used to accommodate the infiltration liquid J, so that when the gas flows through the infiltration chamber 10c When infiltrating lithium chips Li. The first blocking mechanism 11 is arranged in the infiltration chamber 10c, and is used for blocking at least part of the infiltration liquid J from flowing out from the gas outlet end 10b when the gas flows through the first pipeline 10.

The immersion solution J in the embodiment of the present application has high chemical stability and is not easy to chemically react with lithium. The immersion solution J wraps the outer surface of the lithium shavings Li to isolate the lithium shavings Li from the external water or oxygen, and the lithium shavings Li is not prone to spontaneous combustion and fire. Exemplarily, the wetting liquid J may be silicone oil, which refers to linear polysiloxane that remains in a liquid state at room temperature. The silicone oil may include at least one of methyl silicone oil and modified silicone oil, wherein the modified silicone oil may include amino-modified silicone oil, epoxy-modified silicone oil, polyether-modified silicone oil, or carboxy-modified silicone oil.

The drainage system in the embodiment of the present application may be a negative pressure device, which drains the gas to the gas outlet port 10b under negative pressure.

Since the density of lithium chips is smaller than that of the immersion solution, if the lithium chips are directly collected into the immersion solution, the lithium chips may directly float on the surface of the immersion solution, resulting in insufficient infiltration and inerting of the lithium chips. In the embodiment of the present application, the gas is driven by the drainage system and flows through the inlet end 10a of the first pipeline 10 to the gas outlet end 10b. During the gas flow process, the gas can drive the immersion liquid J and lithium chips to flow, and the lithium chips When flowing to the infiltration chamber 10c, it can fully contact and infiltrate with the infiltration solution J, and the surface of the lithium chips is wrapped and inerted by the infiltration solution J, which can prevent spontaneous combustion of the lithium chips. At the same time, the first blocking mechanism 11 can block part of the wetting liquid J, so that the wetting liquid J is blocked, thereby reducing the possibility of the wetting liquid J flowing out of the gas outlet 10b together with the gas. It should be pointed out that the first pipe 10 and/or the second pipe mentioned in the embodiment of the present application may be a circular pipe, a square pipe or other shaped pipes.

Please refer to the coordinate system shown in Figure 1 for the directions mentioned in the embodiments of the present application. The direction shown by X is the vertical direction, that is, the height direction of the first pipeline 10 or the height direction of the second pipeline involved herein .

In some embodiments, please refer to FIG. 1 to FIG. 4 , the first blocking mechanism 11 is used to block at least part of the wetting liquid J from flowing out from the gas outlet 10 b. A plurality of first blocking mechanisms 11 can be arranged in sequence along the vertical direction X, and multiple first blocking mechanisms 11 can further reduce the possibility of the immersion liquid J flowing out of the gas outlet 10b together with the gas.

Referring to Fig. 1 and Fig. 2, the inlet end 10a is located above the gas outlet end 10b in the vertical direction X, the first blocking mechanism 11 includes a plurality of blocking plates 111 arranged at intervals, and a gas supply flow is formed between adjacent blocking plates 111 Through the gap 111b, at least part of the blocking plate 111 is inclined relative to the vertical direction X. When the gas flows through the barrier plate 111 of the first barrier mechanism 11, it flows out through the gap 111b, and the gas flow drives the wetting liquid J to flow together. Backflow, thereby reducing the wetting liquid J flowing out of the gas outlet 10b with the gas.

In some examples, the projections of adjacent barrier plates 111 along the vertical direction X are connected, that is, the projection surfaces of adjacent barrier plates 111 on the horizontal plane are arranged continuously or partially overlapped. When the gas flows in the gap 111b, the entire gas in the gap will be blocked by the barrier plates 111 on both sides of the gap 111b and change the flow direction, so as to further reduce the wetting liquid J flowing out of the gas outlet 10b with the gas.

In some examples, please refer to FIG. 2 , the blocking plate 111 includes a plurality of blocking portions 111a, the plurality of blocking portions 111a are connected in sequence, and there is an included angle between two connected blocking portions 111a. When the gas flows through the first blocking mechanism 11, the multiple blocking parts 111a can change the flow direction of the gas multiple times, so that the wetting liquid driven by the gas is sequentially blocked by the multiple blocking parts 111a, which can further reduce the flow of the wetting liquid J out of the gas outlet. 10b traffic. Exemplarily, the barrier plate 111 may include two or more barrier parts 111a. As the number of barrier parts 111a increases, the number of times the flow direction of the gas is changed increases, and the immersion liquid carried by the gas is absorbed by more barrier parts. 111a can further reduce the wetting liquid J flowing out of the gas outlet 10b with the gas.

The blocking portion 111a may extend in the horizontal direction, and as the extension length increases, more immersion fluid J in the horizontal direction is blocked from flowing back.

Referring to FIG. 3 and FIG. 4 , the barrier plate 111 can be directly or indirectly connected to the first pipeline 10 . For example, the barrier plate 111 is disposed on the pipe wall of the first pipe 10 . As another example, the first blocking mechanism 11 may further include a connecting plate 112 extending along the vertical direction X, the connecting plate 112 includes a first side 112a and a second side 112b oppositely arranged along the horizontal direction, the second side of the connecting plate 112 One side 112 a is connected to the pipe wall of the first pipe 10 , and a plurality of barrier plates 111 are arranged on the second side 112 b of the connecting plate 112 . By arranging a plurality of blocking plates 111 on the connecting plate 112, it is convenient to disassemble the first blocking mechanism 11 from the first pipeline 10, which is convenient for replacement and maintenance.

In some embodiments, please refer to FIG. 5 , a second barrier mechanism 12 is also provided in the infiltration chamber 10c, and the second barrier mechanism 12 is connected to the tube wall of the first pipeline 10 and is located at the first barrier mechanism 11 and the inlet end. Between 10a, the second blocking mechanism 12 is used to block lithium chips from flowing out from the gas outlet 10b. After the lithium chips are inerted by the immersion solution J, part of the lithium chips may flow with the gas, and the second barrier mechanism 12 can block the lithium chips and reduce the lithium chips flowing out through the gas outlet 10b.

The second barrier mechanism 12 can be arranged in the immersion liquid J. The density of the lithium chips is lower than that of the immersion liquid J such as silicone oil. Vertical upward buoyancy. In order to further prevent lithium chips from flowing out from the gas outlet 10b, the cross-sectional area of the second blocking mechanism 12 on the horizontal plane increases or decreases gradually along the vertical direction. Due to the buoyancy effect of the immersion liquid J, the lithium chips can move smoothly and accumulate in the relatively high part of the second barrier mechanism 12 in the vertical direction, and the lithium chips will basically not affect the relatively high part of the second barrier mechanism 12. The lower portion causes blockage, and gas and immersion fluid J can flow out from the relatively lower portion of the second blocking mechanism 12 .

Exemplarily, referring to FIG. 6 and FIG. 7 , the second blocking mechanism 12 includes two first plates 121 and two second plates 122 . The two second plates 122 are disposed opposite to each other along the second direction Z. As shown in FIG. The two first plates 121 are arranged opposite to each other along the first direction Y, and the distance between the two first plates 121 gradually increases upward along the vertical direction X, so that the cross-sectional area of the second blocking mechanism 12 on the horizontal plane is along the vertical direction X gradually increases. Wherein, the distance between the two first boards 121 refers to the distance between the two first boards 121 in the first direction Y. Due to the buoyancy of the immersion liquid J, lithium chips are mainly accumulated on the relatively high part of the first plate 121 in the vertical direction X, and the relatively low parts of the first plate 121 and the second plate 122 are basically not covered by lithium chips. Blockage, gas and immersion fluid J can flow out through the first plate 121 and/or the second plate 122 .

Both the first direction Y and the second direction Z are parallel to the horizontal plane. When the first pipe 10 is a square pipe, the first direction Y is the width direction of the first pipe 10 , and the second direction Z is the length direction of the first pipe 10 . When the first pipe 10 is a circular pipe, the first direction Y and the second direction Z are both radial directions of the first pipe 10, and the first direction Y and the second direction Z are perpendicular.

The second blocking mechanism 12 may be a hollow structure. For example, two first plates 121 and two second plates 122 are connected and enclosed to form a cavity 12a, which can reduce the overall weight of the equipment, so that the equipment is lightweight, and lithium chips are mainly accumulated outside the first plate 121, which is convenient Subsequent collection and treatment of lithium shavings. In order to facilitate the outflow of gas and immersion liquid J, a through hole 12 b may be opened on the second barrier mechanism 12 . Exemplarily, the first plate 121 is provided with a through hole 12b, so that the gas flows out to the gas outlet 10b. Lithium shavings are mainly accumulated on the higher part of the first plate 121 in the vertical direction X. Alternatively, the second plate 122 is provided with a through hole 12b, and the lithium chips mainly gather on the first plate 121, which basically does not cause blockage to the second plate 122, and gas and immersion liquid J flow out through the through hole 12b of the second plate 122. Alternatively, both the first plate 121 and the second plate 122 may be provided with through holes 12b to increase the throughput of gas and immersion liquid J and improve the treatment efficiency of infiltration and inertization of lithium shavings.

In some embodiments, please refer to FIG. 8 , a filter mechanism 13 is also provided in the infiltration chamber 10c, and the filter mechanism 13 is located between the first blocking mechanism 11 and the gas outlet 10b, and the filter mechanism 13 is used to filter lithium debris and Infiltrate J. After the gas flows through the first barrier mechanism 11, it may still carry some lithium chips and wetting solution J, and the filtering mechanism 13 can further reduce the lithium chips and wetting solution J flowing out of the gas outlet 10b. In order to improve the filtering effect of the filter mechanism 13, the filter mechanism 13 may include a plurality of filter elements.

Exemplarily, referring to FIG. 8 to FIG. 11 , the filter mechanism 13 includes a second filter element 131 and a third filter element 132, the second filter element 131 is arranged close to the first blocking mechanism 11, and the third filter element 132 is located at the second filter element 132. The side of the piece 131 facing away from the first blocking mechanism 11 . The second filter element 131 can be used to filter separated gas and lithium debris. The third filter element 132 can be used to filter the separation gas and the immersion liquid J.

Please refer to Fig. 9, the second filter element 131 is connected to the pipe wall of the first pipeline 10, the second filter element 131 has a plurality of first filter holes 131a, and the plurality of first filter holes 131a are arranged at intervals, for example arranged in an array or The uneven arrangement does not limit the arrangement of the first filter holes 131a here. After the lithium scraps are blocked by the second blocking mechanism 12, a part of the lithium scraps may continue to flow with the gas. By adjusting the aperture of the first filter hole 131a, for example, the aperture of the first filter hole 131a is smaller than the particle diameter of the lithium scraps. The lithium debris can be blocked by the first filter hole 131a, and the gas can flow out through the first filter hole 131a.

Please refer to FIG. 10 and FIG. 11 , the third filter element 132 may include a multi-layer filter net, and the multi-layer filter net is stacked in sequence along the vertical direction X, and the filter net includes a second filter hole 132a. After the immersion liquid J is blocked by the first blocking mechanism 11, a part of the immersion liquid J may continue to flow with the gas, while the third filter element 132 can filter and separate the gas and the immersion liquid J, and the gas and the immersion liquid J pass through The multi-layer filter is filtered and separated, the infiltration liquid J is blocked by the multi-layer filter, and the gas flows out to the gas outlet end 10b of the first pipeline 10 through the multi-layer filter. If after being filtered by the second filter element 131 , the gas still carries lithium shavings, in this case, the gas and lithium shavings will be filtered and separated by a multi-layer filter to further purify the gas.

In order to further purify the gas, the second filter holes 132a of adjacent filter screens can be arranged in a dislocation, and the immersion liquid J and lithium chips will be further blocked, thereby further improving the gas purification rate.

In some embodiments, referring to FIG. 12 , in order to collect the inerted lithium chips, the device for inerting lithium chips further includes a second pipeline 20 and a collection mechanism 21 . The second pipeline 20 is connected to the first pipeline 10, the second pipeline 20 includes a liquid inlet 20a and a liquid outlet 20b, and the liquid inlet 20a is connected to the infiltration chamber 10c. The collection mechanism 21 is connected to the pipe wall of the second pipeline 20, and the collection mechanism 21 is used for separating the immersion liquid J and lithium chips. After the lithium chips are infiltrated and inerted by the infiltration solution J in the infiltration cavity 10c of the first pipeline 10, the infiltration solution J is drained into the collection mechanism 21 of the second pipeline 20, and the infiltration solution J will drive the lithium chips to flow into the collection mechanism 21 , The infiltration solution J and the lithium chips can be filtered and separated in the collection mechanism 21, the lithium chips are retained in the collection mechanism 21, and the infiltration solution J flows out of the collection mechanism 21 to achieve the purpose of collecting lithium chips.

In order to filter and separate the immersion liquid J from lithium debris, the collection mechanism 21 includes a collection chamber 211 and a first filter element 212 , and the first filter element 212 is disposed in the collection chamber 211 . The first filter element 212 can trap lithium debris into the collection mechanism 21 , and the infiltration liquid J flows out through the first filter element 212 . Exemplarily, the second pipe 20 is a circular pipe, and the collection mechanism 21 forms a collection cavity 211 around the axial direction of the second pipe 20 .

The connection between the collection mechanism 21 and the second pipeline 20 has various forms. For example, the collection mechanism 21 and the second pipeline 20 can be connected in a detachable manner, which is convenient for removing lithium chips and replacing the collection mechanism 21 . Of course, the collection mechanism 21 and the second pipeline 20 can also be fixedly connected, so that the overall structural stability of the device is better.

In the embodiment of the present application, the relative positions of the first pipeline 10 and the second pipeline 20 can be flexibly set according to production conditions. Exemplarily, the second pipe 20 can be located below the first pipe 10 in the vertical direction X, and the immersion liquid J and lithium chips can flow from the first pipe 10 to the second pipe 10 by using the gravity of the immersion liquid J and lithium chips themselves. In the second pipeline 20, there is no need to additionally arrange other drainage equipment, which can simplify the structure of the device.

Referring to Fig. 12, in order to adjust the production rhythm of the first pipeline 10 and the second pipeline 20 respectively, a first switch 22 can be set in the second pipeline 20, and the first switch 22 is located between the collecting mechanism 21 and the liquid inlet 20a, The first switch 22 is configured to control the connection between the collection mechanism 21 and the infiltration chamber 10c. When the gas enters the first pipeline 10, the first switch 22 controls the collection mechanism 21 to disconnect from the infiltration chamber 10c, the gas drives the flow of lithium chips, and the lithium chips are infiltrated and inerted by the infiltration solution J in the infiltration chamber 10c of the first pipeline 10. After the lithium chips are infiltrated and inerted in the first pipeline 10, the first switch 22 controls the collection mechanism 21 to communicate with the infiltration chamber 10c, and the infiltration solution J flows into the second pipeline 20, and the infiltration solution J drives the lithium chips to flow, and the infiltration solution J flows into the second pipeline 20. J and lithium shavings are filtered and separated by the collection mechanism 21 of the second pipeline 20 . After the immersion solution J and lithium chips are filtered and separated by the collection mechanism 21 of the second pipeline 20, the purified immersion solution J can be further recycled.

In some embodiments, please refer to FIG. 12 , the lithium scrap inerting treatment device 1 further includes a third pipeline 30, the third pipeline 30 includes a first end 30a and a second end 30b, the first end 30a and the second pipeline 20 The outlet end 20b is connected, the second end 30b is connected to the infiltration chamber 10c, and the third pipe 30 is used to transport the infiltration liquid J separated by the collection mechanism 21 to the infiltration chamber 10c. After the wetting fluid J is purified by the collecting mechanism 21 of the second pipeline 20, the third pipeline 30 circulates the purified wetting fluid J to the infiltration chamber 10c, thereby improving the utilization rate of the wetting fluid J. A liquid suction pump 31 may be provided between the first end 30a and the second end 30b, and the purified infiltration liquid J is circulated by the liquid suction pump 31 .

Optionally, the second end 30b is located between the gas outlet end 10b and the first blocking mechanism 11 . When the purified immersion solution J flows through the first barrier mechanism 11, it can impact the lithium chips adhering to the first barrier mechanism 11 into the immersion solution J, preventing the lithium chips from clogging the first barrier mechanism 11, so that the gas can be discharged smoothly .

Optionally, the second end 30b is located between the gas outlet end 10b and the second filter element 131 . When the purified immersion liquid J flows through the second filter element 131, the lithium chips adhering to the second filter element 131 can be impacted into the immersion liquid J, so as to prevent the lithium chips from clogging the second filter element 131 and the first blocking mechanism 11 , so that the gas can be discharged smoothly.

The embodiment of the present application also provides a lithium scrap inerting treatment method, please refer to Figure 13, the method includes:

S100, providing a first pipeline and a first barrier mechanism, the first pipeline includes an inlet end, an infiltration chamber, an outlet end, and an infiltration chamber between the inlet end and the outlet end, the infiltration chamber contains an infiltration liquid, and the first barrier The mechanism is set in the infiltration chamber;

S200, connecting the drainage system with the gas outlet, and using the drainage system to drive the gas containing lithium chips to flow through the first pipeline, and infiltrate the lithium chips when the gas flows through the infiltration chamber, wherein,

When the gas flows through the first pipe, the first blocking mechanism blocks at least part of the wetting liquid from flowing out from the gas outlet.

Please refer to Fig. 14 to Fig. 17, the process flow of lithium scrap inerting treatment 1 in the embodiment of the present application is as follows:

Referring to FIG. 14 , the first switch 22 controls the infiltration chamber 10 c and the collection mechanism 21 of the second pipeline 20 to be disconnected. The gas is drained into the infiltration solution J in the infiltration chamber 10c through the drainage system, and the gas drives the lithium chips and the infiltration solution to flow. When the lithium chips flow through the second blocking mechanism 12, they are blocked and infiltrated and inerted in the infiltration solution J. At the same time, the immersion liquid J passes through the first blocking mechanism 11 to block backflow, and the gas continues to flow to the filter mechanism 13 , where it is filtered and purified by the filter mechanism 13 and flows out of the gas outlet 10 b of the first pipeline 10 .

Please refer to Fig. 15, the first switch 22 controls the communication between the infiltration chamber 10c and the collection mechanism 21 of the second pipeline 20, the infiltration solution J flows and drives the lithium chips to flow into the collection mechanism 21 of the second pipeline 20, and the infiltration solution J passes through the collection mechanism 21 filter purification.

Please refer to Fig. 16, the first switch 22 controls the disconnection of the collection mechanism 21 of the infiltration chamber 10c and the second pipeline 20, and the purified infiltration liquid J circulates to the second filter element 131 and the third filter element 13 of the filter mechanism 13 through the third pipeline 30. Between the filter elements 132, the infiltration liquid J flows back into the infiltration chamber 10c.

Please refer to FIG. 17 , the wetting liquid J in the second pipeline 20 flows back into the wetting cavity 10 c of the first pipeline 10 , and lithium chips are trapped in the collection mechanism 21 .

The embodiment of the present application also provides a battery lithium supplement system, please refer to FIG. 18, the battery lithium supplement system 100 includes a lithium supplement device 2 and the lithium scrap inerting treatment device 1 of any of the above-mentioned embodiments of the present application, and the lithium scrap The intake end of the inerting treatment device 1 is set opposite to the lithium replenishment device 2 . The lithium replenishment device is used to replenish lithium to the pole piece of the battery. During the lithium replenishment process, lithium scraps may be generated; During the process, the lithium chips are pumped into the infiltration cavity of the lithium chip inerting treatment device 1, the lithium chips are infiltrated in the immersion liquid, and the surface of the lithium chips is wrapped and inerted by the immersion liquid, which can prevent the spontaneous combustion of the lithium chips, etc. Thus improving the safety of battery production.

While the application has been described with reference to a preferred embodiment, various modifications may be made thereto and equivalents may be substituted for parts thereof without departing from the scope of the application, in particular, as long as there are no structural conflicts , the technical features mentioned in each embodiment can be combined in any way. The present application is not limited to the specific embodiments disclosed herein, but includes all technical solutions falling within the scope of the claims.

Claims

A lithium scrap inerting treatment device, comprising:

The first pipeline includes an air inlet end, an air outlet end, and an infiltration chamber between the air inlet end and the air outlet end. The air outlet end is used to connect with an external drainage system, and the drainage system is used to drive the A gas of lithium chips flows through the first pipeline, and the wetting chamber is configured to contain an infiltration liquid to wet the lithium chips as the gas flows through the wetting chamber; and

The first blocking mechanism is arranged in the wetting chamber, and is used for blocking at least part of the wetting liquid from flowing out from the gas outlet when the gas flows through the first pipeline.
The lithium scrap inerting treatment device according to claim 1, wherein the inlet end is located above the outlet end in the vertical direction, and the first blocking mechanism includes a plurality of blocking plates arranged at intervals, adjacent A gap for the gas to flow is formed between the barrier plates, and at least part of the barrier plates are inclined relative to the vertical direction.
The lithium scrap inerting treatment device according to claim 2, wherein the barrier plate includes a plurality of barrier parts, and the plurality of barrier parts are connected in sequence, and there is an included angle between two connected barrier parts. .
The lithium scrap inerting treatment device according to claim 2 or 3, wherein the projections of adjacent barrier plates along the vertical direction are connected.
The lithium scrap inerting treatment device according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein a second blocking mechanism is further provided in the infiltration chamber, and the second blocking mechanism is connected to the pipe of the first pipeline. The wall is located between the first blocking mechanism and the gas inlet end, and the second blocking mechanism is used to prevent the lithium chips from flowing out from the gas outlet.
The lithium scrap inerting treatment device according to claim 5, wherein,

The cross-sectional area of the second blocking mechanism on the horizontal plane increases or decreases gradually along the vertical direction.
The lithium scrap inerting treatment device according to claim 6, wherein the second blocking mechanism comprises:

two first plates oppositely arranged along the first direction, the distance between the two first plates gradually increases upward along the vertical direction; and

Two second plates oppositely arranged along the second direction, the two first plates and the two second plates are connected and enclosed to form a cavity, the first plates and/or the second plates are set There are a plurality of through holes for the gas and the immersion liquid to flow out, the first direction and the second direction are parallel to the horizontal plane, and the first direction and the second direction are perpendicular.
The lithium scrap inerting treatment device according to any one of claims 1 to 7, wherein a filtering mechanism is further provided in the infiltration chamber, and the filtering mechanism is located between the first blocking mechanism and the gas outlet and used to filter the lithium chips and the immersion liquid in the gas.
According to the lithium scrap inerting treatment device according to any one of claims 1 to 8, the lithium scrap inerting treatment device further comprises:

a second pipeline, the second pipeline is connected to the first pipeline, the second pipeline includes a liquid inlet and a liquid outlet, and the liquid inlet is connected to the infiltration chamber; and

A collection mechanism, the collection mechanism is connected to the pipe wall of the second pipeline, and the collection mechanism is used to separate the immersion liquid and the lithium chips.
The lithium scrap inerting treatment device according to claim 9, wherein the second pipeline is vertically located below the first pipeline.
The lithium scrap inerting treatment device according to claim 9 or 10, wherein the collection mechanism includes a collection chamber and a first filter element, the first filter element is arranged in the collection chamber and is used to separate the infiltrated liquid and the lithium chips.
The lithium scrap inerting treatment device according to any one of claims 9 to 11, wherein a first switch is further arranged in the second pipeline, and the first switch is located at the collection mechanism and the liquid inlet end Between, the first switch is configured to control the connection between the collection mechanism and the infiltration chamber.
The lithium scrap inerting treatment device according to any one of claims 9 to 12, wherein the collection mechanism is detachably arranged in the second pipeline.
According to the lithium scrap inerting treatment device according to any one of claims 9 to 13, the lithium scrap inerting treatment device further includes a third pipeline, the third pipeline includes a first end and a second end, the The first end is connected to the liquid outlet end of the second pipeline, the second end is connected to the infiltration chamber, and the third pipeline is used to transport the infiltration liquid separated by the collection mechanism to the infiltration cavity.
The lithium scrap inerting treatment device according to claim 14, wherein the second end is located between the gas outlet end and the first blocking mechanism.
A battery lithium supplement system, comprising:

Lithium supplementation devices; and

The lithium scrap inerting treatment device according to any one of claims 1 to 15, wherein the air intake end of the lithium scrap inerting treatment device is arranged opposite to the lithium replenishing device.
A method for inerting lithium shavings, comprising:

A first pipeline and a first barrier mechanism are provided, the first pipeline includes an air inlet end, an air outlet end, and an infiltration chamber located between the air inlet end and the air outlet end, the infiltration chamber contains an infiltration liquid, The first blocking mechanism is arranged in the infiltration chamber;

Connecting the drainage system to the gas outlet, and using the drainage system to drive the gas containing lithium chips to flow through the first pipeline, and the gas flows through the infiltration chamber to infiltrate the lithium chips,

Wherein, when the gas flows through the first pipeline, the first blocking mechanism blocks at least part of the wetting liquid from flowing out from the gas outlet.