Metal-air fuel cell battery systems having mechanism for extending the path length of metal-fuel tape during discharging and recharging modes of operation

• US 20020022168A1
• Filed: 01/25/2001
• Published: 02/21/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 10/06/1997
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Sadeg M. Faris, Tsepin Tsai
• Original Assignee: Sadeg M. Faris, Tsepin Tsai
• Inventors: Tsai, Tsepin, Faris, Sadeg M.
• Granted Patent: US 6,558,830 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 429/27
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 10/4214 Arrangements for moving electrodes or electrolyte
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 10/44 Methods for charging or discharging circuits for charging H02J7/00
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 12/06 with one metallic and one gaseous electrode
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 12/08 composed of a half-cell of a fuel-cell type and a half-cell of the secondary-cell type
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 2004/024 Insertable electrodes
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 2300/0085 Immobilising or gelification of electrolyte
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 4/42 Alloys based on zinc
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 4/8605 Porous electrodes
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 50/46 Separators, membranes or diaphragms characterised by their combination with electrodes
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 6/5011 for several cells simultaneously or successively
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 8/184 Regeneration by electrochemical means
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 8/186 by electrolytic decomposition of the electrolytic solution or the formed water product
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 8/22 Fuel cells in which the fuel is based on materials comprising carbon or oxygen or hydrogen and other elements; Fuel cells in which the fuel is based on materials comprising only elements other than carbon, oxygen or hydrogen
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/00 Circuit arrangements for charging or depolarising batteries or for supplying loads from batteries
• CPC Class Codes: Y02E 60/10 Energy storage using batteries
• CPC Class Codes: Y02E 60/50 Fuel cells

Abstract

Disclosed is a method and apparatus for extending path-length of metal-fuel tape during discharging and/or recharging operations so that a supply of metal-fuel tape contained within a cassette device or on a supply reel can be rapidly discharged and/or recharged in an improved manner. During discharging operations, a plurality of discharging heads are selectively arranged about the extended path-length of metal-fuel tape so as increase the rate at which electrical power is powered from the system. During recharging operations, a plurality of recharging heads are selectively arranged about the extended path-length of metal-fuel tape to decrease the time required to recharge the metal-fuel tape transported through the system.

Claims

1. A metal-air fuel cell battery (FCB) system, comprising:

first and second power supply terminals for receiving electrical power generated from a supply of metal-fuel tape at a prespecified output voltage;

a supply of metal-fuel tape wound on a supply spindle and taken up on a take-up spindle;

metal-fuel tape configuration means for configuring said metal fuel tape within a predetermined space along a folded path that allows a plurality of discharging heads to be configured about said metal-fuel tape during tape discharging operations; and

a plurality of discharging heads for producing electrical power from said supply of metal-fuel tape as said metal-fuel tape is transported through each said discharging head during tape discharging operations.

2. The metal-air fuel cell battery of claim 1, wherein each said discharging head comprises:

a cathode support structure supporting an electrically-conductive cathode element pervious to oxygen;

anode-contacting structure supporting an electrically-conductive anode-contacting element for establishing electrical contact with said metal-fuel tape; and

an ionic medium for providing a source of ions between said electrically-conductive cathode element and electrically-conductive anode-contacting element associated with said discharging head.

3. The metal-air fuel cell battery of claim 2, which further comprises

tape transport means for transporting said metal-fuel tape past each said cathode support structure and said anode-contacting element, while said ionic medium is disposed between said metal-fuel tape and said electrically-conductive cathode element.

4. The metal-air fuel cell battery system of claim 3, wherein said supply spindle and said take-up spindle are driven by a motor.

5. The metal-air fuel cell battery system of claim 4, wherein said electric motor is an electric motor.

6. A metal-air fuel cell battery (FCB) system, comprising:

first and second power supply terminals for receiving electrical power supplied from an electrical power supply at a prespecified input voltage;

a supply of metal-fuel tape wound on a supply spindle and taken up on a take-up spindle;

metal-fuel tape configuration means for configuring said metal fuel tape within a predetermined space along a folded path that allows a plurality of recharging heads to be configured about said metal-fuel tape during tape recharging operations; and

a plurality of recharging heads for receiving electrical power from said electrical power supply as said metal-fuel tape is transported through each said recharging head during tape recharging operations.

7. The metal-air fuel cell battery of claim 6, wherein each said recharging head comprises:

a cathode support structure supporting an electrically-conductive cathode element pervious to oxygen;

anode-contacting structure supporting an electrically-conductive anode-contacting element for establishing electrical contact with said metal-fuel tape; and

an ionic medium for providing a source of ions between said electrically-conductive cathode- element and electrically-conductive anode-contacting element associated with said recharging head.

8. The metal-air fuel cell battery of claim 7, which further comprises

tape transport means for transporting said metal-fuel tape past each said cathode support structure and said anode-contacting element, while said ionic medium is disposed between said metal-fuel tape and said electrically-conductive cathode element.

9. The metal-air fuel cell battery system of claim 6, wherein said supply spindle and said take-up spindle are driven by a motor.

10. The metal-air fuel cell battery system of claim 9, wherein said electric motor is an electric motor.

11. A metal-air fuel cell battery system for producing electrical power from a supply of metal-fuel tape transported between a pair of supply and take-up reels, comprising:

a mechanism for extending the path-length of oxidized metal-fuel tape during recharging operations so that a plurality of recharging heads can be selectively arranged about the extended path-length of metal-fuel tape during recharging operations.

12. A metal-air fuel cell battery system comprising:

a Metal-Fuel Tape Discharging Subsystem;

a Metal-Fuel Tape Recharging Subsystem integrated with said Metal-Fuel Tape Discharging Subsystem; and

a tape path-length extension mechanism employed in said Metal-Fuel Tape Recharging Subsystem for extending oxidized metal-fuel tape over a path-length which is substantially greater than the path-length maintained by the tape path-length extension mechanism in said Metal-Fuel Tape Discharging Subsystem (i.e. A_Recharge>

>

A_discharge ).

13. A metal-air fuel cell battery system comprising:

means for discharging and recharging metal-fuel tape in a single hybrid-type subsystem, wherein a tape path-length extension mechanism is employed therein for extending metal-fuel tape to be recharged over a path which is substantially greater than the path maintained for metal-fuel tape to be discharged.

14. A metal-air fuel cell battery system comprising:

means for discharging and recharging metal-fuel tape in a single hybrid-type subsystem, wherein the discharging heads and recharging heads of said subsystem are arranged about the extended path-length of metal-fuel tape to enable simultaneous discharging and recharging operations.