Electrochemical cell
First Claim
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.
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Accused Products
Abstract
A primary electrochemical cell operative to provide a warning indication toward the end of discharge of the cell signalling an approaching end-of-life of the cell. The cell includes a tubular porous carbon cathode structure disposed within a metal housing of the cell together with an anode structure and an electrolytic solution.
The anode structure includes first and second electrochemically active elements, for example, lithium and calcium, having different oxidation potentials within the cell and consumable by electrochemical action within the cell during discharge of the cell. The consumption of the active elements during discharge of the cell results in the establishment of different and distinguishable operating voltages for the cell. The active elements are arranged with respect to each other such that the active element of higher oxidation potential (i.e., the lithium) is consumed prior to the other active element (i.e., the calcium). The change in value of the operating voltage of the cell due to successive consumptions of the two active elements is detected to provide a warning indication signalling the approaching end-of-life of the cell.
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Citations
12 Claims
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1. An electrochemical cell comprising:
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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 Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4)
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5. A primary electrochemical cell comprising:
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a metal housing and a cover for said housing, said cover having a metal electrical terminal extending therethrough; an electrochemical system within the housing and including an electrolytic solution and a battery stack exposed to said electrolytic solution, said electrolytic solution including a catalytically-reducible soluble cathode, and said battery stack comprising; a cathode structure adjacent to the metal housing and operating during discharge of the cell to catalytically reduce the soluble cathode of the electrolytic solution; and an anode structure comprising; a first active element of a first material spaced from the cathode structure and the metal housing, said first active element having a first oxidation potential within the cell and 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; 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; and an electrical terminal assembly physically and electrically connected to, and between, the combination of the first and second active elements and the metal electrical terminal in the cover of the housing for the detection at the metal electrical terminal in the cover of the first and second operating voltages and changes in the values thereof; wherein; the metal housing is an elongated cylindrical housing; the cathode structure is an elongated, cylindrical, porous, tubular carbon member; the first active element is a generally elongated cylindrical element disposed within and spaced from the carbon cathode structure, said cylindrical active element having an oxidation potential within the cell greater than that of the second active element; and the second active element is positioned adjacent to and surrounded by the active cylindrical element. - View Dependent Claims (6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12)
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Specification