×

Electrochemical cell

  • US 4,416,957 A
  • Filed: 03/03/1982
  • Issued: 11/22/1983
  • Est. Priority Date: 03/03/1982
  • Status: Expired due to Term
First Claim
Patent Images

1. An electrochemical cell comprising:

  • a housing;

    an electrochemical system within the housing and including an electrolytic solution and a battery stack exposed to said electrolytic solution, said battery stack comprising;

    a cathode; and

    an anode structure spaced from the cathode and the housing, said anode structure comprising;

    a first active element of a first material having a first oxidation potential within the cell, said first active element being consumed by electrochemical action within the cell during discharge of the cell and establishing a first value of operating voltage for the cell during discharge of the cell and the consumption of the first active element; and

    a second active element of a second material having a second oxidation potential within the cell, said second active element being consumed by electrochemical action within the cell during discharge of the cell and establishing a second, different value of operating voltage for the cell during discharge of the cell and the consumption of the second active element;

    said first and second active elements being arranged with respect to each other so that one of the active elements is consumed before the other whereby the value of operating voltage of the cell changes from one of its two values to the other of its two values;

    wherein;

    the electrolytic solution includes a catalytically-reducible soluble cathode;

    the cathode of the battery stack is a porous carbon structure adjacent to an interior wall of the housing and operative during discharge of the cell to catalytically reduce the soluble cathode of the electrolytic solution; and

    the first active element is of a material having a greater oxidation potential within the cell than that of the second active element and surrounds the second active element.

View all claims
  • 7 Assignments
Timeline View
Assignment View
    ×
    ×