ROTATABLE ELECTRODE STRUCTURE WITH CONDUCTIVE PARTICLE BED

• US 3,663,298 A
• Filed: 03/03/1970
• Issued: 05/16/1972
• Est. Priority Date: 03/03/1970
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Laszlo A. Heredy, Lowell R. Mccoy
• Original Assignee: Laszlo A. Heredy, Lowell R. Mccoy
• Inventors: McCoy, Lowell R., Heredy, Laszlo A.
• Primary Examiner(s): Mack, John H.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Valentine, D. R.
• Application Number:
  US05/016,203
• Time in Patent Office: 805 Days
• Field of Search: 204/283,284,280,249,213,10,80 136/86D,6,31,83,86A 204/212-213
• US Class Current: 429/404
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 10/28 Construction or manufacture
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 10/4214 Arrangements for moving electrodes or electrolyte
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 12/065 with plate-like electrodes or stacks of plate-like electrodes
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 4/02 Electrodes composed of, or comprising, active material
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 4/8626 characterised by the form
• CPC Class Codes: Y02E 60/10 Energy storage using batteries
• CPC Class Codes: Y02P 70/50 Manufacturing or production processes characterised by the final manufactured product

Abstract

An electrode structure for use with an electrolyte wherein an electrically conductive flowing particle bed stream within a compartment of the electrode structure establishes a plurality of electrochemical reaction sites at the interface of the particles and of the electrolyte. The flowing particle bed electrode structure finds a preferred application as an electrode in an electrically regenerable system, particularly as a rotatable zinc electrode in zinc-nickel oxide and zinc-air secondary cells.

Claims

2. An electrode structure according to claim 1 wherein said current-collecting means inCludes at least the second opposing face of said container as said conductive surface in electrical contact with at least a major portion of said bed for collecting current therefrom.

3. An electrode structure according to claim 2 wherein said shallow cylindrical container has a substantially circular cross section and a ratio of outer diameter to axial length greater than 10:

1, said container being divided into a plurality of compartments partially filled with said conductive particles.

4. An electrode structure according to claim 3 wherein said ratio of outer diameter to axial length is between 20:

1 and 200;

5. An electrode structure according to claim 2 wherein said second opposing face comprises a porous conductive surface.

6. An electrode structure according to claim 1 wherein said shallow cylindrical container is insulated, both faces of said container comprise electrolyte-permeable porous insulated separators having a pore size smaller than those of the particles for retaining said particles in the compartment, the current-collecting means in electrical contact with at least a major portion of the electrically conductive flowing particle bed includes a peripherally disposed conductive surface.

7. An electrode structure according to claim 6 wherein said container is divided into a plurality of compartments by conductive radial members which also serve as current collectors.

8. An electrode structure according to claim 7 wherein said insulated shallow cylindrical container has a substantially circular cross section and a ratio of outer diameter to axial length between 20:

1 and 200;

1, said container being divided by conductive radial members into from three to 12 compartments partially filled with substantially spherical conductive particles having a diameter between 1 and 3 millimeters and less than the axial length of the container, and an axially disposed shaft means is fixedly attached to said container for rotating it at a preselected speed to provide said electrically conductive flowing particle bed streams within said compartments.

9. An electrode structure according to claim 8 wherein said conductive particles have an outer coating of zinc over an underlying layer of cadmium.