battery materials ebook _Autosaved_

Shaping The
Future With
Battery Materials.

1. How do batteries work?
2. Which kilns are better
for battery production?
3. Automation & Conveyors
4. Simulation & analytic equipment

How
do
batteries work?

Lithium-Ion batteries and how they work.
Battery materials are currently at the forefront of
revolutionizing our industry; from electric cars to your
mobile phone, battery materials can be seen
everywhere. The most common and popular form of
battery is a ‘Lithium-Ion battery’; this is the type that you
are most likely to find in appliances such as mobile
phones, radios and many other common pieces of
technology. This is due to the fact that a lithium ion
battery can be recharged and replenished multiple times.
A battery is made up of individual cells that are
connected to one another. Each cell contains three main
parts: a positive electrode (a cathode), a negative
electrode (an anode) and a liquid electrolyte.
The Lithium-Ion battery, when providing an electric
current in a ‘on’ state, forces the anodes inside the
battery to release lithium ions to the cathode. This
creates a flow of electrons and generates a electric
current releasing the battery’s stored power. When
charging the device essentially the opposite happens and
the cathode pushes those lithium ions back through to
the anode.

Which Kilns
Are Better
For Battery Production?

Roller Hearth Kilns (RHK)
One of the most important tasks that contemporary roller kilns are put to is the development of lithium-ion battery
cathode and anode materials. Research and development departments in battery production use roller kilns to make
new prototypes which are ever more efficient.
For many, it is lithium-ion batteries which will provide the means of creating a future free from fossil fuels in
transportation. In other words, the burgeoning electric car industry is currently focused on designing and testing
lithium-ion batteries which can be a power source in vehicles that will truly rival the combustion engine in terms of
range, refueling speed and power.
The future of mass production in lithium-ion batteries lies with ever more efficient roller kilns due to their ability to
produce high quantity loads at a faster rate than most of the other options on the market, all while keeping energy
consumption low.
To find out more on our Roller Kilns click here:
https://blog.therseruk.com/roller-hearth-kilns-guide
Direction of flow

Roller Hearth Kilns (RHK)
The main difference between a roller kiln and a
normal tunnel kiln is that, instead of a kiln car, a
ceramic roller conveyor pulls batts of product along
a bed of ceramic or silicon
carbide rollers. This is more efficient because no
energy is needed to heat up the kiln car.
Add a shorter firing cycle and the net result is that
less energy is required and, as a result, gas
consumption costs are lowered making the RHK one
of the best options for high quantity and high quality
production.
Therser UK’s roller kiln is now used across a range of
industries, including production of battery materials.
The fact that the roller kiln does not require large rail
networks, heavy linings or
kiln cars, makes it able to fire product at a
considerably shorter firing cycle meaning more of
the product can be pushed through more regularly.

Automation
&
Conveyors

Handling sensitive materials
Certain kilns allow for the use of fully automated belts or
conveyor systems. The RHK (roller hearth kiln) is
particularly impressive when options for handling
systems are explored as this is one of the kilns that allow
for fully automated conveyor systems to be installed,
cutting down on both firing time and labour costs. The
conveyor system does not have any material restrictions
meaning that it can handle sensitive materials such as
CAM (cathode active materials) as well as any other
materials that it may be required to handle.
Therser UK’s conveyors can preform to a high standard
providing extremely high accuracy giving the operator full
control during the whole length of the conveyor system,
all of this while managing to maintain a neat and clean
design that saves on floor space.

recise layout management
Therser UK’s conveyor system allows for full
modular control throughout the conveyor
system meaning that each part of the conveyor
can be controlled individually or collectively.
Therser UK has the ability to utilise and use
factory design utilities this is a programme that
allows the simulation of the customers factory.
Factory design utilities helps you decide the best
scenario for your equipment before it is even
installed, helping you cut future potential costs
as well as any unnecessary labour.
Autodesk Process Analysis is a program used to
model and optimize a wide variety of
manufacturing processes. By visualizing the
process, you can optimize performance and
identify potential problems before they occur on
the factory floor. You can also more effectively
assess manufacturing decisions, equipment
settings, capacity, work in process and inventory
reductions, and improve line balancing.

Machinery options
Therser UK’s conveyor systems grant the ability to explore
multiple options when it comes to conveyor components/ addons.
Some customers may need the conveyor to stretch over
multiple floors for which the most common solution would be
a vertical elevator or incline conveyor system, this is some of
the many components that can be integrated to suit each
unique criteria. Another common criteria for customers is use
of a palletising unit that can be installed and fitted accordingly
to suit the needs of the customer.
Therser are able to comply with the highest standards for
mechanical engineering, this includes a sealed IP 65 rated
system. The IP65 rated system is rated as "dust tight" and
protected against water projected from a nozzle.
Therser is capable of optimizing operations and processes for
existing and new customers using the latest technologies.
Investigation and improvement of manufacturing lines are
undertaken by the dedicated team in order to gain better
working efficiency.

Simulation
&
Analytic Equipment

Rendered model capability
Therser UK also possess the ability to create and render
3D images to better portray our designs to the customer,
in many scenarios this can be partnered with a virtual
reality headset so that each unique design can be
explored fully and thoroughly throughout the process.
Therser UK's VR technology simulates a room in which
the occupant is free to navigate. This in turn means that
the occupant can move around the kiln and view it from
all angles. This helps greatly with the design and size
aspects of the kiln and gives our customers a head start
in trying to picture the product that they have ordered.
Rendered videos are also an option as they can provide a
much better understanding of the firing cycle, as well as
any optional stations placed around the automated
belt/conveyor system. this means that the customer will
get better insight into the product and will have a much
better idea when it comes to all aspects of the kiln and
automation

Simulation & CFDs
Therser UK's Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD); investment in CFD software
allows an engineering company to explore alternative designs, that may have
previously been too costly through typical and expensive R&D procedures, as
well as, assess existing designs to identify areas of improvement and diagnose
operational performance issues. Fluid flow, thermal heating and cooling, and
thermal process efficiency are examples of how the CFD software can be
utilized.
Fluid flow in a system can be assessed for regions of flow stall, velocity
variations and flow impingement into adjacent process zones.
Thermal system design, by utilizing CFD software, can be refined to ensure that
exhaust paths are correctly sized, that the product is being exposed to the
correct flow profiles of a heating or cooling gaseous flow, and to identify
potential “blind” spots in thermal radiation heating from electrical elements or
radiant heat tubes.
Additional investment into technology includes thermal imaging camera
technology. This allows more in-depth site surveys to be carried, and eases the
identification of potential issues with currently operational equipment.
The thermal images can be used as sensible means of validating CFD models.
Therser UK is continuingly exploring new means of improving the services that
can be offered; with consideration into furthering R&D studies and developing
engineering design capabilities.

3D Printer/Rapid prototyping
At Therser UK we are able to produce prototype models
printed and made from ABS acrylic. this gives the customer
great insight into the model that we are creating for them
and helps them to identify any issues early on in the design
and manufacturing process.
Therser UK’s 3D printer is capable of rapid prototyping
which means that models can be created at a much quicker
rate than usual. This style of prototyping allows designers to
quickly see the functionality and test the effectiveness of a
design, as well as compare variations. Rapid prototyping is
also much more cost effective when compared to traditional
prototyping.
Additive manufacturing is the process of adding material to
manufacture a product, rather than the traditional method
of removing material like when using machinery such as a
lathe or miller.

Research & Development (Test Section)
Therser UK has the facilities and capability provide many forms of
research and development. The Therser UK Test Section is
amongst the more popular methods of R&D.
The Therser UK Test Section is essentially a small part of the
customers full sized order of a kiln. The test section then serves
the purpose of showing how the full kiln would preform by
showcasing certain aspects of the kiln such as the time it takes to
heat up, the temperature it can achieve and much more. To find
out more visit; https://blog.therseruk.com/therser-uk-design-andmanufacture-sustainable-electric-kilns-rd-in-house-test-facility

Mass Flow Measurement and Control
As part of the services and product designs that Therser UK offers, mass flow
measurement and control technologies are utilized to ensure clients have an accurate
log of gas consumption or fluid usage.
The mass flow analysis technology used by Therser UK is based around a thermal mass
flow sensor; the working principle is referred to as constant temperature anemometry.
The temperature difference between the temperature source and the corresponding
sensor permit the accurate calculation of mass flow within the parameters of the
calibrated setup.
An additional sensor may be present, located before the temperature source – this
sensor indicates Flow/No Flow by the measured temperature differential between it
and the temperature source.
A clear difference indicates flow, a temperature close to or the same as the
temperature source indicates limited or no flow.
The standard formula, as follows, illustrates the direct association between the known
energy consumption of the temperature source, the isobaric specific heat capacity of
the measure fluid and the measure temperature differential, from these the
corresponding mass flow can be calculated; m’ = Q’/(Cp * dT).
Key:
• Q’ – Energy consumption, W
• m’ – Mass flow, kg/s
• Cp – Specific heat of measured fluid, J/kg°C
• dT – Temperature differential, °C