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US 12,697,622 B2Granted
Battery deconstruction apparatus and methods
AssigneeFranklin Miller, Inc.
InventorsWilliam Galanty, Korkmaz Oz
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
Apparatus (10) for safe and effective shredding of batteries, including lithium-ion batteries, is disclosed. The system integrates a shredding subassembly (12), an auger/screw conveyor subassembly (14), a rotary screen subassembly (16), and an optional solvent recovery/recirculation subassembly (18). Valves/actuators (26, 28) can be coordinated such that a nitrogen blanket or a vacuum is maintained within the shredding assembly and/or the other subassemblies (16, 18). Shredded battery materials are transported to the rotary screen subassembly (16) via the auger-screw conveyor assembly (14) before being washed and split into solid and liquid sub-components (FIG. 1).
Claims31
Apparatus for recycling batteries containing solid battery materials and liquid electrolyte, comprising:
- a shredder subassembly including a feed hopper having a hopper inlet adapted to receive the batteries, an intermediate hopper connected to said feed hopper via a first valve, a shredding chamber connected to said intermediate hopper via a second valve, and at least one shredder at least partially contained in said shredding chamber and configured to shred the solid battery materials into shredded battery materials;
- an auger subassembly adapted to receive shredded battery materials from said shredding chamber of said shredder subassembly;
- a rotary screen subassembly, which is adapted to receive the shredded battery materials via said auger subassembly, said rotary screen subassembly comprising a housing having an inlet end proximate to said auger subassembly and an outlet end distal to said auger subassembly, a cylindrical screen, which is adapted for rotation in said housing via a motor, said cylindrical screen including a plurality of holes, a plurality of spiral baffles provided along a length of said cylindrical screen, and a soaking chamber located in said cylindrical screen proximal to said inlet end of said housing;
- and
- a control system, including said first and second valves and a third valve located between said shredder subassembly and said auger subassembly or proximate to said outlet end of said housing of said rotary screen subassembly, said control system being adapted to coordinate operation of said first, second and third valves to create a condition susceptible to the production of a fire-retardant atmosphere in at least said shredding chamber.
2 more elements
A method for recycling batteries containing solid battery materials and liquid electrolyte, said method comprising the steps of:
- a) providing an apparatus which includes a shredder subassembly including a feed hopper having a hopper inlet, an intermediate hopper connected to said feed hopper via a first valve, a shredding chamber connected to said intermediate hopper via a second valve, and at least one shredder at least partially contained in said shredding chamber;
- an auger subassembly in communication with said shredding chamber of said shredder subassembly;
- and a rotary screen subassembly in communication with said auger subassembly, said rotary screen subassembly including a housing having an inlet end proximate to said auger subassembly and an outlet end distal to said auger subassembly, a cylindrical screen, which is adapted for rotation in said housing via a motor, said cylindrical screen including a plurality of holes, a plurality of spiral baffles provided along a length of said cylindrical screen, and a soaking chamber located in said cylindrical screen proximal to said inlet end of said housing;
- b) providing a third valve between said shredder subassembly and said auger subassembly or proximate to said outlet end of said housing of said rotary screen subassembly;
- c) delivering batteries to be shredded to said feed hopper via said hopper inlet;
- d) conveying the batteries from said feed hopper to said intermediate hopper via said first valve;
- e) transferring the batteries from said intermediate hopper to said shredder subassembly via said second valve;
- f) shredding the batteries in said shredder subassembly using said at least one shredder to thereby produce shredded batteries;
- g) operating said auger subassembly to deliver the shredded batteries from said shredder subassembly to said inlet end of said housing of said rotary screen subassembly;
- h) rotating said cylindrical screen of said rotary screen subassembly via said motor to thereby transport at least some of the shredded batteries from said inlet end of said housing of said rotary screen subassembly to said outlet end of said housing of said rotary screen subassembly via said plurality of spiral baffles of said cylindrical screen;
- i) washing the shredded batteries in said housing of said rotary screen subassembly by spraying the shredded batteries with a solvent;
- j) discharging the shredded batteries from said outlet end of said housing of said rotary screen subassembly;
- and
- k) controlling said first, second and third valves by coordinating their operation to create a condition susceptible to the production of a fire-retardant atmosphere in at least said shredding chamber during the performance of step f).
11 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.