ELECTROCHEMICAL CELL WITH FLOW MANAGEMENT SYSTEM
First Claim
1. An electrochemical cell comprising:
- a fuel electrode;
an oxidant electrode spaced from the fuel electrode;
an ionically conductive medium contacting the electrodes;
the fuel electrode and the oxidant electrode being configured to, during discharge, oxidize a metal fuel at the fuel electrode and reduce an oxidant at the oxidant electrode to generate a discharge potential difference therebetween for application to a load;
an electrode holder comprising a cavity for holding the fuel electrode, at least one inlet connected to the cavity on one side of the cavity and configured to supply the ionically conductive medium to the cavity, and at least one outlet connected to the cavity on an opposite side of the cavity as the at least one inlet and configured to allow the ionically conductive medium to flow out of the cavity; and
a plurality of spacers extending across the fuel electrode and the cavity in a spaced relation from each other to define a plurality of flow lanes in the cavity so that the ionically conductive medium flows into each flow lane via the at least one inlet, across the fuel electrode, and out of the flow lane via the at least one outlet.
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Accused Products
Abstract
An electrochemical cell includes a fuel electrode configured to operate as an anode to oxidize a fuel when connected to a load. An electrode holder includes a cavity for holding the fuel electrode, at least one inlet connected to the cavity on one side of the cavity and configured to supply an ionically conductive medium to the cavity, and at least one outlet connected to the cavity on an opposite side of the cavity and configured to allow the ionically conductive medium to flow out of the cavity. A plurality of spacers extend across the fuel electrode and the cavity in a spaced relation from each other to define a plurality of flow lanes in the cavity.
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Citations
22 Claims
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1. An electrochemical cell comprising:
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a fuel electrode; an oxidant electrode spaced from the fuel electrode; an ionically conductive medium contacting the electrodes; the fuel electrode and the oxidant electrode being configured to, during discharge, oxidize a metal fuel at the fuel electrode and reduce an oxidant at the oxidant electrode to generate a discharge potential difference therebetween for application to a load; an electrode holder comprising a cavity for holding the fuel electrode, at least one inlet connected to the cavity on one side of the cavity and configured to supply the ionically conductive medium to the cavity, and at least one outlet connected to the cavity on an opposite side of the cavity as the at least one inlet and configured to allow the ionically conductive medium to flow out of the cavity; and a plurality of spacers extending across the fuel electrode and the cavity in a spaced relation from each other to define a plurality of flow lanes in the cavity so that the ionically conductive medium flows into each flow lane via the at least one inlet, across the fuel electrode, and out of the flow lane via the at least one outlet. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15)
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16. A method for manufacturing a fuel electrode for an electrochemical cell, the fuel electrode comprising a plurality of permeable electrode bodies and a plurality of substantially parallel spacers extending between the permeable electrode bodies, the method comprising:
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injecting a material into a plurality of cavities, each cavity being defined by two manufacturing spacers, the adjacent permeable electrode bodies being held substantially parallel to and spaced from each other with the manufacturing spacers therebetween so that the electrode bodies extend into the cavities, the manufacturing spacers being substantially parallel to each other; hardening the material to form the substantially parallel spacers of the fuel electrode; and separating the permeable electrode bodies from the manufacturing spacers so that the permeable electrode bodies and the substantially parallel spacers formed from the material are a single integral unit. - View Dependent Claims (17, 18, 19)
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20. A method for charging an electrochemical cell, the electrochemical cell comprising
a fuel electrode; -
an oxidant electrode spaced from the fuel electrode; a charging electrode; an ionically conductive medium contacting the electrodes; the fuel electrode and the oxidant electrode being configured to, during discharge, oxidize a metal fuel at the fuel electrode and reduce an oxidant at the oxidant electrode to generate a discharge potential difference therebetween for application to a load; the fuel electrode and the charging electrode being configured to, during re-charge, reduce a reducible species of the fuel to electrodeposit the fuel on the fuel electrode and oxidize an oxidizable species of the oxidant by application of a re-charge potential difference therebetween from a power source; an electrode holder comprising a cavity for holding the fuel electrode, at least one inlet connected to the cavity on one side of the cavity and configured to supply the ionically conductive medium to the cavity, and at least one outlet connected to the cavity on an opposite side of the cavity as the at least one inlet and configured to allow the ionically conductive medium to flow out of the cavity; and a plurality of spacers extending across the fuel electrode and the cavity in a spaced relation from each other to define a plurality of flow lanes in the cavity so that the ionically conductive medium flows into each flow lane via the at least one inlet, across the fuel electrode, and out of the flow lane via the at least one outlet, the method comprising; flowing the ionically conductive medium comprising reducible fuel species through the at least one inlet and into the flow lanes; applying an electrical current between the charging electrode and the fuel electrode with the charging electrode functioning as an anode and the fuel electrode functioning as a cathode, such that the reducible fuel species are reduced and electrodeposited as fuel in oxidizable form on the fuel electrode; and removing the electrical current to discontinue the charging. - View Dependent Claims (21, 22)
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Specification