PLANT FOR RECYCLING USED BATTERIES

Abstract

The invention relates to a plant for recycling used batteries, comprising a comminuting device to comminute used batteries in a comminuting space. The plant includes a drying device, arranged downstream of the comminuting device, to dry the comminuted batteries. The plant includes an intermediate storage device arranged between the comminuting device and the drying device. The plant includes a stirring means to keep the comminuted batteries received in the intermediate storage space in motion. The plant includes a respective supply line for inert gas for each of the comminuting space of the comminuting device, the intermediate storage space of the intermediate storage device, and a drying space of the drying device.

Claims

1. A plant for recycling used batteries, comprising: a comminuting device to comminute used batteries in a comminuting space; a drying device, arranged downstream of the comminuting device, to dry the comminuted batteries; an intermediate storage device arranged between the comminuting device and the drying device and comprising an intermediate storage space for receiving the comminuted batteries; a stirring means to keep the comminuted batteries received in the intermediate storage space in motion; and at least one supply line for supplying inert gas to each of the comminuting space of the comminuting device, the intermediate storage space of the intermediate storage device, and a drying space of the drying device.

2. The plant of claim 1, wherein one or more of the comminuting space, the intermediate storage space, or the drying space are gas-tight.

3. The plant of claim 1, wherein one or more of a transfer device for transferring the comminuted batteries from the comminuting device to the intermediate storage device or a transfer device for transferring the comminuted batteries from the intermediate storage device to the drying device is gas-tight and connected to adjoining devices in a gas-tight manner.

4. The plant of claim 1, further comprising an exhaust gas treatment device connected to one or more of the comminuting space, the intermediate storage space, or the drying space via gas supply lines and processes the gases formed in one or more of the comminuting space, the intermediate storage space, or in the drying space.

5. The plant of claim 1, further comprising a deep-freezing device arranged upstream of the comminuting device, the deep-freezing device comprising a feed line for a liquid deep-freezing medium, wherein the system is configured to deep-freeze the used batteries in the liquid deep-freezing medium before the used batteries are comminuted in the comminuting device.

6. The plant of claim 5, wherein a gas head space of the deep-freezing device is connected to the at least one supply line for supplying the inert gas to the gas head space.

7. The plant of claim 1, further comprising a sieve unit arranged at an outlet of the comminuting device.

8. The plant of claim 1, further comprising a cooling device assigned to the intermediate storage device.

9. The plant of claim 1, wherein the drying device is a negative-pressure drying device and comprises a pressure control unit to set and maintain a pressure in the drying space.

10. The plant of claim 1, wherein the drying device comprises a temperature control unit to set and maintain a temperature in the drying space.

11. The plant of claim 1, further comprising a filling device arranged downstream of the comminuting device.

12. The plant of claim 1, further comprising at least one screening device arranged downstream of the comminuting device.

13. The plant of claim 1, wherein a volume of the intermediate storage space of the intermediate storage device is at least five times a volume of the comminuting space of the comminuting device.

14. The plant of claim 1, wherein the volume of the intermediate storage space of the intermediate storage device is at least ten times the volume of the comminuting space of the comminuting device.

15. The plant of claim 7, wherein the sieve unit comprises a perforated sieve.

16. The plant of claim 9, wherein maintaining the pressure comprises maintaining the pressure at a value below the ambient pressure.

17. The plant of claim 16, wherein the value below the ambient pressure comprises a value of about fifty hecto pascals (50 hPa) below the ambient pressure.

18. The plant of claim 10, wherein the maintaining the temperature in the drying space comprises maintaining the temperature in the drying space at a value of at least one hundred twenty degrees Celsius (120° C.).

19. The plant of claim 11, further comprising at least one screening device arranged upstream of the filling device and downstream of the comminuting device.

Description

[0025] The invention will be explained in more detail below on the basis of an embodiment with reference to the accompanying drawing, in which:

[0026] FIG. 1 is a roughly schematic sketch of the design of the plant according to the invention for recycling batteries.

[0027] In FIG. 1, a plant according to the invention for recycling used batteries is very generally denoted by the reference sign 100. The plant 100 comprises a comminuting device 120, an intermediate storage device 130 and a drying device 140.

[0028] The plant 100 is designed for batch-wise operation. In other words, a predetermined amount of used batteries, for example 100 kg of used lithium batteries, is supplied to the comminuting device 120 by an upstream dosing device 106, which is used to divide the delivered used batteries into individual portions of the predetermined amount.

[0029] If desired, a deep-freezing device 112, indicated by dashed lines in FIG. 1, can also be provided between the dosing device 106 and the comminuting device 120, in which the batteries to be comminuted are frozen in liquefied inert gas, for example liquid nitrogen and/or liquid carbon dioxide, before they are supplied to the comminuting device 120. The liquefied inert gas can be supplied to the deep-freezing device via a feed line 114.

[0030] For example, the comminuting device 120 can be formed by a universal shredder of the type NGU 0513, as sold by the applicant. On the outlet side, the comminuting device 120 can be equipped with a sieve device 122, for example a perforated plate, the holes of which have a diameter of approximately 20 mm. In order to prevent environmentally incompatible gases from escaping from the comminuting device 120, said device is preferably gas-tight. In addition, the comminuting device 120 can be equipped with a supply line 124 for inert gas, via which inert gas can be supplied to the comminuting space 120a of the comminuting device 120, which reduces, if not completely excludes, the risk of self-ignition of the comminuted batteries. If a deep-freezing device 112 of the type described above is provided, the inert gas can be removed from its head space 112a and supplied to the comminuting device 120.

[0031] After a predetermined residence time in the comminuting device 120, the comminuted batteries are conveyed to the intermediate storage device 130. This intermediate storage device is also preferably gas-tight. In addition, inert gas can also be supplied to the intermediate storage device 130 via a feed line 132 in order to be able to reduce, if not completely exclude, the risk of self-ignition of the comminuted batteries. The intermediate storage device 130 also has a stirring means 134 which constantly mixes the batteries received and comminuted in the intermediate storage space 130a in order to prevent the formation of partial volumes of excessive temperature. In the event that the temperature in the intermediate storage space 130a rises too much, the intermediate storage device 130 also has a cooling device 136, for example cooling coils through which cooling medium flows, which are attached to the outer boundary wall of the intermediate storage space 130a and are in heat-exchange contact therewith.

[0032] If the comminuted batteries from a predetermined number of comminution processes were received in the intermediate storage device 130, the intermediate storage space 130a is emptied in the direction of the drying device 140, the drying space 140a of which is preferably also gas-tight and which can also have a stirring means 144. Furthermore, inert gas can also be supplied to the drying space 140a via a line 146. In the embodiment shown, the drying device 140 is designed as a negative-pressure drying device which dries the comminuted batteries at a pressure of 50 hPa below the ambient pressure and a temperature of at least 120° C. The pressure control unit and temperature control unit required for this purpose are denoted by reference signs 150 and 152 in FIG. 1.

[0033] A screening device 160 of a design known per se and therefore not explained in detail here can be arranged downstream of the drying device 140, in which screening device the individual components of the comminuted and dried batteries can be separated from one another and thus supplied to a more targeted processing. In principle, it is conceivable to arrange a plurality of screening stages one behind the other, it being possible for one of the screening stages to comprise a simple sieve.

[0034] Finally, the batteries that have been comminuted, dried and optionally separated according to components can be filled into transport containers 172 in a filling device 170.

[0035] It should also be added that not only the comminuting device 120, the intermediate storage device 130 and the drying device 140 can be made gas-tight, but so can the transfer devices 180 and 182, which transfer the comminuted batteries from the comminuting device 120 to the intermediate storage device 140 or from the intermediate storage device 130 to the drying device 140.

[0036] It should also be added that the potentially environmentally hazardous gases formed in the comminuting device 120, the intermediate storage device 130 and the drying device 140 can be supplied via lines 184, 186, 188 to an exhaust gas treatment device 190 of a known type, in which they are processed in an environmentally friendly manner.

[0037] Finally, it should also be added that all of the above-mentioned devices of the battery recycling plant 100 can be designed so as to have associated inlet and/or outlet double gate locks (not shown in FIG. 1).