Sensor system for dry powder electrode formation and methods of using the same
AssigneeMatthews International Corporation
InventorsThomas Hackfort, Jörg Gottszky, Kay Wolters
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Abstract
Systems and methods of providing powder are disclosed. A system includes a powder hopper, one or more sensors, a feeder hopper and a processor in operable communication with the one or more sensors and the feeder hopper. The powder hopper is configured to provide a powder to a pair of rollers. Each of the one or more sensors is configured to determine a characteristic of the powder in the powder hopper. The feeder hopper is configured to provide the powder to the powder hopper. The processor is configured to cause the feeder hopper to provide the powder to the powder hopper in response to the characteristic of the powder in the powder hopper being less than a threshold.
Claims19
A system comprising:
- a first powder hopper configured to provide a first powder to a first pair of rollers;
- a second powder hopper configured to provide a second powder to a second pair of rollers;
- one or more first sensors, wherein each first sensor is configured to determine a characteristic of the first powder in the first powder hopper;
- one or more second sensors, wherein each second sensor is configured to determine a characteristic of the second powder in the second powder hopper;
- a first feeder hopper configured to provide the first powder to the first powder hopper;
- a second feeder hopper connected to the first feeder hopper and configured to provide the second powder to the second powder hopper;
- and
- a processor in operable communication with the one or more first sensors and the first feeder hopper and the one or more second sensors and the second feeder hopper,
- wherein the processor is configured to cause the first feeder hopper to provide the first powder to the first powder hopper in response to the characteristic of the first powder in the first powder hopper being less than a first threshold and to cause the second feeder hopper to provide the second powder to the second powder hopper in response to the characteristic of the second powder in the second powder hopper being less than a second threshold.
A method comprising:
- providing first powder from a first powder hopper to a first pair of rollers;
- determining, by at least one first sensor, a characteristic of the first powder within the first powder hopper;
- and
- delivering first powder from a first release point of a first feeder hopper to the first powder hopper in response to the characteristic of the first powder being less than a first threshold,
- wherein the first feeder hopper comprises a common reservoir of the first powder and multiple release points to deliver the first powder to multiple powder hoppers.
A system comprising:
- a first powder hopper configured to provide a first powder to a first pair of rollers;
- a second powder hopper configured to provide a second powder to a second pair of rollers, wherein the first pair of rollers and the second pair of rollers comprise a set of horizontally aligned rollers;
- a first sensor configured to determine a characteristic of the first powder in the first powder hopper;
- a second sensor configured to determine a characteristic of the second powder in the second powder hopper;
- a first feeder hopper configured to provide the first powder to the first powder hopper;
- a second feeder hopper configured to provide the second powder to the second powder hopper;
- and
- a processor in operable communication with the first sensor and the first feeder hopper, and with the second sensor and the second feeder hopper,
- wherein the processor is configured to cause the first feeder hopper to provide the first powder to the first powder hopper in response to the characteristic of the first powder in the first powder hopper being less than a first threshold, and to cause the second feeder hopper to provide the second powder to the second powder hopper in response to the characteristic of the second powder in the second powder hopper being less than a second threshold.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.