Fluid consuming battery with fluid regulating system
First Claim
1. An electrochemical battery cell comprising a first fluid consuming electrode, a second electrode, a housing comprising one or more fluid entry ports for the passage of a fluid into the cell and a fluid regulating system, wherein the fluid regulating system comprises:
- a valve for adjusting the rate of passage of the fluid into the fluid consuming electrode; and
an actuator that is capable of a dimensional change with a change in a potential applied across the actuator to operate the valve.
5 Assignments
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
The invention is an electrochemical battery cell with a fluid consuming electrode, such as an oxygen reduction electrode, and a fluid regulating system. The fluid regulating system includes a valve for adjusting the rate of passage of the fluid to the fluid consuming electrode. It is operated by an actuator that responds (e.g., by deforming) to changes in a potential applied across the actuator to open or close the valve. The applied potential can be the cell potential or an adjusted potential. The potential applied across the actuator can vary according to the need for more or less fluid in the fluid consuming electrode. The valve can be contained within the cell housing, for example between the fluid consuming electrode and one or more fluid entry ports in the cell housing, or it can be located outside the cell housing.
85 Citations
47 Claims
-
1. An electrochemical battery cell comprising a first fluid consuming electrode, a second electrode, a housing comprising one or more fluid entry ports for the passage of a fluid into the cell and a fluid regulating system, wherein the fluid regulating system comprises:
-
a valve for adjusting the rate of passage of the fluid into the fluid consuming electrode; and
an actuator that is capable of a dimensional change with a change in a potential applied across the actuator to operate the valve. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33, 34, 35, 36, 37)
-
-
38. An electrochemical battery cell comprising a first oxygen reduction electrode, a second electrode, a housing comprising one or more oxygen entry ports for the passage of oxygen into the cell and an oxygen regulating system, wherein the oxygen regulating system comprises:
-
a valve for adjusting the rate of passage of the oxygen into the oxygen reduction electrode; and
an actuator that is capable of a dimensional change with a change in a potential applied across the actuator to operate the valve, and the dimensional change is at least one member selected from the group consisting of bending, straightening, elongating and shortening. - View Dependent Claims (39, 40, 41, 42, 43)
-
-
44. A battery comprising at least one electrochemical cell comprising a fluid consuming electrode, a housing with at least one fluid entry port for passage of a fluid into the cell and a fluid regulating system, wherein the fluid regulating system comprises:
-
a valve for adjusting the rate of passage of the fluid into the fluid consuming electrode; and
an actuator that is capable of a dimensional change with a change in a potential applied across the actuator to operate the valve. - View Dependent Claims (45, 46, 47)
-
Specification