Leak inspection apparatus and method for secondary battery cell
AssigneeHana Technology Co., Ltd.
InventorsTae Bong Oh, Souk Woo Lee, Jung Ho Song, Seung A Han, Sang Rae Kim
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A leak inspection apparatus for secondary battery cells and a leak inspection method for secondary battery cells are to determine whether leakage occurs in a secondary battery cell being inspected by creating a pressure difference between the inside of a casing of the secondary battery cell accommodated in a chamber part and the internal space of the chamber part and detecting swelling of the secondary battery cell.
Claims19
A leak inspection apparatus for secondary battery cells, the leak inspection apparatus comprising:
- a chamber part configured to define an internal space;
- a first plate disposed in the internal space of the chamber part and configured to support a first side of a secondary battery cell;
- a second plate configured to press a second side of the secondary battery cell opposite to the first side of the secondary battery cell;
- a pressure distribution detection part configured to be disposed between the second plate and the secondary battery cell, the pressure distribution detection part including a plurality of sensor nodes distributed such that the plurality of sensor nodes are configured to cover an entire area of the second side of the secondary battery cell, the plurality of sensor nodes being configured to detect pressure of the secondary battery cell;
- a vacuum part configured to communicate with the internal space of the chamber part to form a vacuum in the internal space of the chamber part;
- and
- a controller communicatively coupled to the pressure distribution detection part and configured to determine whether a leak occurs in the secondary battery cell.
A leak inspection method for secondary battery cells, the leak inspection method being performed using a leak inspection apparatus for secondary battery cells, the leak inspection apparatus comprising:
- a chamber part configured to define an internal space;
- a first plate disposed in the internal space of the chamber part and configured to support a first side of a secondary battery cell;
- a second plate configured to be spaced apart from the first plate and to press a second side of the secondary battery cell opposite to the first side of the secondary battery cell;
- a pressure distribution detection part configured to be disposed between the second plate and the secondary battery cell, the pressure distribution detection part including a plurality of sensor nodes distributed such that the plurality of sensor nodes are configured to cover an entire area of the second side of the secondary battery cell, the plurality of sensor nodes being configured to detect pressure of the secondary battery cell;
- a vacuum part configured to communicate with the internal space of the chamber part to form a vacuum in the internal space of the chamber part;
- a vacuum breaking part configured to supply gas, after an inspection of the secondary battery cell is completed, to the internal space of the chamber part where the internal space is vacuum formed;
- and a controller communicatively coupled to the pressure distribution detection part and configured to determine whether a leak occurs in the secondary battery cell, the leak inspection method comprising:
- sealing the chamber part after the secondary battery cell is seated on the first plate;
- measuring, by the plurality of sensor nodes, initial pressure values at the entire area of the second side of the secondary battery cell before the vacuum is formed in the internal space of the chamber part;
- forming the vacuum in the internal space of the chamber part;
- measuring, by the plurality of sensor nodes, inspection pressure values at the entire area of the second side of the secondary battery cell after the vacuum is formed in the internal space of the chamber part;
- comparing the initial pressure values with the inspection pressure values;
- and
- determining whether a leak occurs in the secondary battery cell based on a comparison between the initial pressure values and the inspection pressure values.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.