Mitsubishi Heavy Industries Limited

Takeo Kamimura

Masaaki Kurokawa

Satoshi Tsuzuki

Tadaaki Tanii

Shiro Honnmura

Reizou Miyauchi

Takahiko Hirai

Seiichi Kawanami

Shiro Honmura

Kiyonori Nishida

Kenji Sasaki

Masakazu Yabuki

A method and an apparatus for classifying and recovering the main components of used batteries, particularly, a method and an apparatus by which the batteries are conveyed on a conveyor while an alternating magnetic field of a plurality of frequencies is applied to each and a detection means detects what sort of induced magnetic field has resulted from the eddy current induced in the battery. The orthogonal components in the change of the induced magnetic field are detected; the relationship between these orthogonal components and the frequencies are compared with the database of the same which is previously obtained, and the batteries are sorted according to their classification and size. This method can sort large amounts of used batteries continuously. In this invention, the battery will be drawn down into the detection region either magnetically or mechanically while the stable transport of the battery is achieved. The method and apparatus of the invention enable continuous bulk sorting of batteries, assure a smooth feed, and improve the accuracy with which the induced magnetic field generated in the battery is detected.

Method and apparatus for classifying and recovering the main components of used batteries

This invention provides a safe and efficient method of dismantling used lithium ion batteries. More specifically, the plastic cases which protect sealed battery cells are removed from the system in a stable and reliable fashion. Valuable materials such as lithium cobalt oxide, an oxide of a lithium-transition metal compound, aluminum and copper must be separated and recovered. The invention is distinguished by the fact that it entails the following processes. In the crushing process, the batteries are chilled to a temperature of &minus;50&deg; C. or lower. In this state they are repeatedly subjected to vibration and pressure by a number of objects whose rigidity and specific gravity are greater than those of the plastic. In this way the batteries are separated into sealed battery cells and plastic cases. In the heating process, the sealed battery cells separated in the process are heated to a temperature of at least 200&deg; C. in a non-oxidizing atmosphere to separate mainly the organic materials. Finally, in one or more separation processes, the useless materials are removed and the targeted valuable materials are separated in a sequential fashion from the crushed fragments produced in the crushing process.

Method for crushing cell

This invention prevents the failure of detection for horizontal and oblique lift-offs in a probe for an eddy current flaw detection test. A plurality of probes are provided, and each probe includes four detection coils. Two adjacent eddy current flaw detecting probes commonly own (share) one of the four coils. The detection coils are connected to a bridge circuit for picking up a flaw signal. The detection coils are adjusted so that interlinkage magnetic fluxes generated inside the detection coils by the eddy current become equal. An excitation coil for inducing the eddy current in a test piece by AC driving can be disposed over the detection coils. The center of the excitation coil is positioned on the center axes of the detection coils. An oscillator for applying an AC current to this excitation coil is connected to the coil.

Eddy current flaw detector

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Takasago, Japan

Takeo Kamimura