Lithiation device

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12237493-B2
Application number	US-202218086431-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Dec 21, 2022
Priority date	Apr 27, 2021
Publication date	Feb 25, 2025
Grant date	Feb 25, 2025

Abstract

This application discloses a lithiation device for applying a lithium film on an electrode plate. The lithiation device includes: a rolling mechanism including a first roller and a second roller, the two rollers configured to roll the electrode plate and the lithium film to apply the lithium film on the electrode plate; an adjustment mechanism connected to the rolling mechanism and configured to adjust a gap and/or a rolling force between the first roller and the second roller; a first monitoring mechanism configured to monitor a length of the electrode plate after the electrode plate passes through the rolling mechanism; and a controller configured to control the adjustment mechanism based on a comparison result of the length monitored by the first monitoring mechanism and a target length so that the length of the electrode plate after the electrode plate passes through the rolling mechanism approximates to the target length.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A lithiation device for applying a lithium film (L) on an electrode plate (P), comprising:
a rolling mechanism, comprising a first roller and a second roller, wherein the first roller and the second roller are configured to roll the electrode plate (P) and the lithium film (L) so as to apply the lithium film (L) on the electrode plate (P);
an adjustment mechanism, connected to the rolling mechanism and configured to adjust a gap and/or a rolling force between the first roller and the second roller;
a first monitoring mechanism, configured to monitor a length of the electrode plate (P) in a direction of traveling after the electrode plate (P) passes through the rolling mechanism and is rolled; and
a controller, configured to control the adjustment mechanism based on a comparison result of the length monitored by the first monitoring mechanism and a target length so that the length of the electrode plate (P) after the electrode plate (P) passes through the rolling mechanism approximates to the target length;
wherein the electrode plate (P) is provided with a plurality of spaced mark points (P 1 ) along a traveling direction of the electrode plate (P), the first monitoring mechanism is configured to monitor a distance between two adjacent ones of the plurality of spaced mark points (P 1 ) after the electrode plate (P) passes through the rolling mechanism, and the plurality of spaced mark points (P 1 ) are through holes.

2. The lithiation device according to claim 1 , wherein the rolling mechanism further comprises a servo motor configured to drive the first roller and/or the second roller; and
the first monitoring mechanism comprises:
a monitoring unit, wherein the monitoring unit is arranged at downstream of the rolling mechanism in a feeding direction of the electrode plate (P), and the monitoring unit is configured to send a signal when one of the plurality of spaced mark points (P 1 ) is monitored;
wherein the first monitoring mechanism is further configured to read a position difference monitored by an encoder of the servo motor during an interval of two signals to obtain a distance between two adjacent ones of the mark points (P 1 ).

3. The lithiation device according to claim 2 , wherein the monitoring unit is a through-beam photoelectric sensor, the through-beam photoelectric sensor comprises a transmitting terminal and a receiving terminal, the transmitting terminal and the receiving terminal are respectively located on two sides of the electrode plate (P) in a thickness direction, and light emitted from the transmitting terminal passes through the through holes and is received by the receiving terminal.

4. The lithiation device according to claim 1 , wherein the lithiation device further comprises:
a second monitoring mechanism, wherein the second monitoring mechanism is arranged at upstream of the rolling mechanism in the feeding direction of the electrode plate (P), and is configured to monitor a thickness of the electrode plate (P) before the electrode plate (P) passes through the rolling mechanism; and
the controller is in communicative connection with the second monitoring mechanism, and the controller is configured to obtain the target length based on the thickness monitored by the second monitoring mechanism.

5. The lithiation device according to claim 4 , wherein the second monitoring mechanism is configured to monitor a plurality of thicknesses of the electrode plate (P) before the electrode plate (P) passes through the rolling mechanism within a preset unit time, and the controller is configured to calculate an average thickness based on the plurality of thicknesses monitored by the second monitoring mechanism, and obtain the target length based on the average thickness.

6. The lithiation device according to claim 1 , wherein the adjustment mechanism comprises a first adjustment assembly and a second adjustment assembly, the first adjustment assembly is configured to adjust the gap between the first roller and the second roller, the second adjustment assembly is configured to adjust the rolling force between the first roller and the second roller, and the controller is configured to control the first adjustment assembly and/or the second adjustment assembly based on the comparison result of the length monitored by the first monitoring mechanism and the target length.

7. The lithiation device according to claim 6 , wherein the rolling mechanism further comprises a rack, a first adapter, and a second adapter, the first adapter is movably disposed on the rack, the second adapter is fixedly disposed on the rack, the first roller is disposed on the first adapter, and the second roller is disposed on the second adapter; and
the first adjustment assembly is configured to be able to drive the first adapter to move toward or away from the second adapter, so as to adjust the gap between the first roller and the second roller; and the second adjustment assembly is configured to apply a driving force to the first roller via the first adapter, so as to adjust the rolling force between the first roller and the second roller.

8. The lithiation device according to claim 7 , wherein the first adjustment assembly comprises a first driving module, a first inclined block, a second inclined block, and a range sensor;
the first inclined block and the second inclined block are disposed between the first adapter and the second adapter, the first inclined block is fixedly connected to the first adapter, and the first inclined block and the second inclined block each are provided with an inclined surface that is in a slidable fit on an opposite side; and
the range sensor is in communicative connection with the controller and configured to monitor a spacing between the first adapter and the second adapter, and the first driving module is connected to the second inclined block and configured to drive the second inclined block to move, so as to drive the first inclined block to slide along the inclined surface.

9. The lithiation device according to claim 7 , wherein the second adjustment assembly comprises a second driving module and a pressure sensor, the second driving module is mounted on the rack and connected to the first adapter, and the pressure sensor is in communicative connection with the controller and disposed between the second driving module and the first adapter.

10. A lithiation device for applying a lithium film (L) on an electrode plate (P), comprising:
a rolling mechanism, comprising a first roller and a second roller, wherein the first roller and the second roller are configured to roll the electrode plate (P) and the lithium film (L) so as to apply the lithium film (L) on the electrode plate (P);
an adjustment mechanism, connected to the rolling mechanism and configured to adjust a gap and/or a rolling force between the first roller and the second roller;
a first monitoring mechanism, configured to monitor a length of the electrode plate (P) in a direction of traveling after the electrode plate (P) passes through the rolling mechanism and is rolled; and
a controller, configured to control the adjustment mechanism based on a comparison result of the length monitored by the first monitoring mechanism and a target length so that the length of the electrode plate (P) after the electrode plate (P) passes through the rolling mechanism approximates to the target length;
wherein:
the electrode plate (P) is provided with a plurality of spaced mark points (P 1 ) along a traveling direction of the electrode plate (P), and the first monitoring mechanism is configured to monitor a distance between two adjacent ones of the plurality of spaced mark points (P 1 ) after the electrode plate (P)

Assignees

• Contemporary Amperex Technology Hong Kong Ltd

Inventors

• Xu Yongqiang
• Fei Xinlu
• Xie Bin
• Chen Shitong
• Li Keqiang
• Feng Tao
• Zhao Fenggang

Classifications

• H01M10/0587

  of accumulators having only wound construction elements, i.e. wound positive electrodes, wound negative electrodes and wound separators · CPC title

• G01B11/043

  for measuring length · CPC title

• G01B7/02

  for measuring length, width or thickness (G01B7/004, G01B7/12 take precedence) · CPC title

• B30B3/005

  Roll constructions · CPC title

• H01M4/0404

  by coating on electrode collectors · CPC title