Metal-air power supply and air-manager system, and metal-air cell for use therein
First Claim
1. A metal-air power supply comprising:
- a housing;
a metal-air cell disposed in the housing, the metal-air cell having an air cathode;
means for producing a flow of air through the housing;
means for directing a reactant portion of the air flow through a reactant air inlet to the air cathode and for exhausting the reactant portion of the air flow from the cell;
means for directing a cooling air portion of the air flow through a cooling air inlet to a portion of the cell isolated from the air cathode, isolating the cooling air portion from the air cathode and the reactant portion, and exhausting the cooling portion of the air flow from the housing, the reactant air inlet and the cooling air inlet being separate from one another and isolated from the exhausted reactant and cooling portions of the air flow;
means for limiting the reactant air flow to a volumetric flow rate sufficient to provide from about 3 to about 10 times the stoichiometric amount of oxygen necessary to produce a predetermined level of current from the cell, the air flow producing means producing a total volumetric flow rate sufficient so that the cooling portion of the air flow has a volumetric flow rate from about 10 to about 1000 times the volumetric flow rate of the reactant portion of the air flow.
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0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
A metal-air power supply which provides improved control over air flow is provided. The reactant air and cooling air inlets are separate from one another and isolated from the exhausted reactant and cooling portions of the air flow. The reactant air flow is limited to a volumetric flow rate sufficient to provide from about 3 to about 10 times the stoichiometric amount of oxygen necessary to produce a predetermined level of current from the cell, and a total volumetric flow rate of air sufficient so that the cooling portion of the air flow has a volumetric flow rate from about 10 to about 1000 times the volumetric flow rate of the reactant portion of the air flow is provided. This limits the flow rate of the reactant air over the cathode, isolates the cooling air flow from the reactant air flow, and maintains the temperature of the metal-air cell at a low level without exposing the air cathode to an excessive air flow rate to reduce the likelihood of drying out the metal-air cells, reduce the exposure of the battery cell to contaminants, and minimize the effects of temperature on the vaporization of water within the cell. In a preferred embodiment, the power supply housing and the metal-air cell case form part of the air plenums. A substantially leak-proof metal-air cell is also disclosed.
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Citations
33 Claims
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1. A metal-air power supply comprising:
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a housing; a metal-air cell disposed in the housing, the metal-air cell having an air cathode; means for producing a flow of air through the housing; means for directing a reactant portion of the air flow through a reactant air inlet to the air cathode and for exhausting the reactant portion of the air flow from the cell; means for directing a cooling air portion of the air flow through a cooling air inlet to a portion of the cell isolated from the air cathode, isolating the cooling air portion from the air cathode and the reactant portion, and exhausting the cooling portion of the air flow from the housing, the reactant air inlet and the cooling air inlet being separate from one another and isolated from the exhausted reactant and cooling portions of the air flow; means for limiting the reactant air flow to a volumetric flow rate sufficient to provide from about 3 to about 10 times the stoichiometric amount of oxygen necessary to produce a predetermined level of current from the cell, the air flow producing means producing a total volumetric flow rate sufficient so that the cooling portion of the air flow has a volumetric flow rate from about 10 to about 1000 times the volumetric flow rate of the reactant portion of the air flow. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3)
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4. A metal-air power supply comprising:
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a housing; means for producing a flow of air through the housing; a metal-air cell disposed within the housing, the cell including an air cathode disposed in a cell case; a cathode plenum adjacent the cathode, the cathode plenum having a cathode plenum inlet along one end of the cell and a cathode plenum outlet along the one end of the cell; a reactant air inlet plenum adjacent the one end of the cell for directing a reactant portion of the air flow through the cathode plenum inlet into the cathode plenum; a reactant air outlet plenum adjacent the reactant air inlet plenum, the reactant air inlet plenum being between the reactant air outlet plenum and the cell; and a duct extending across the reactant air inlet plenum from the cathode plenum outlet to the reactant air outlet plenum for defining a discrete path for directing the reactant portion of the air flow from the cathode plenum, through the cathode plenum outlet, across the reactant air inlet plenum, and into the reactant air outlet plenum, whereby the reactant portion of the air flow exits the cathode plenum without mixing with the reactant portion of the air flow entering the cathode plenum. - View Dependent Claims (5, 6)
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7. A metal-air power supply comprising:
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a housing; means for producing a flow of air through the housing; a metal-air cell disposed within the housing, the cell including an air cathode disposed in a cell case; a cathode plenum adjacent the cathode, the cathode plenum having a cathode plenum inlet along one end of the cell and a cathode plenum outlet along the one end of the cell; a reactant air inlet plenum adjacent the one end of the cell and a reactant air inlet plenum inlet opening for receiving the reactant portion of the air flow into the reactant air inlet plenum, the reactant air inlet plenum directing a reactant portion of the air flow through the cathode plenum inlet into the cathode plenum; a reactant air outlet plenum adjacent the reactant air inlet plenum and a reactant air outlet plenum outlet opening for discharging the reactant portion of the air flow, the reactant air inlet plenum being between the reactant air outlet plenum and the cell; a duct extending across the reactant air inlet plenum from the cathode plenum outlet to the reactant air outlet plenum for defining a discrete path for directing the reactant portion of the air flow from the cathode plenum, through the cathode plenum outlet, across the reactant air inlet plenum, and into the reactant air outlet plenum, whereby the reactant portion of the air flow exits the cathode plenum without mixing with the reactant portion of the air flow entering the cathode plenum; a door for closing both the reactant air inlet plenum inlet opening and the reactant air outlet plenum outlet opening; and means for selectively moving the door to one position wherein the reactant inlet plenum inlet opening and the reactant air outlet plenum outlet opening are open and, alternatively, moving the door to another position, wherein the reactant air outlet plenum inlet opening and reactant air outlet plenum outlet opening are closed. - View Dependent Claims (8, 9, 10, 11)
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12. A metal-air power supply comprising:
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a metal-air cell including a case and an air cathode assembly disposed in the case, the air cathode being at least partially exposed to reactant air through one side of the case; a cathode plenum adjacent the air cathode, the cathode plenum extending from a reactant air inlet proximate one end of the case to a reactant air outlet proximate an opposite end of the case; a cooling air plenum adjacent a side of the case opposite the one side of the case, the cooling air plenum being discrete from the cathode plenum and extending from a cooling air inlet proximate the one end of the case to a cooling air outlet proximate the opposite end of the case; a housing comprising; a cell compartment in which the metal-air cell is disposed; an air intake plenum adjacent the one end of the case, the air intake plenum having an air intake opening and surrounding the reactant air and cooling air inlets so as to isolate the reactant air and cooling air inlets from the reactant air and cooling air outlets; and an air exhaust plenum adjacent the opposite end of the case and discrete from the air intake plenum, the air exhaust plenum having an air exhaust opening and surrounding the reactant air and cooling air outlets; means for producing a flow of air which flows from the air intake opening through the air intake plenum, separates into a reactant air flow which flows through the cathode plenum from the reactant air inlet to the reactant air outlet and a cooling air flow which flows through the cooling air plenum from the cooling air inlet to the cooling air outlet, recombines into a single flow of air in the air exhaust plenum, and then flows through the air exhaust plenum and outside the housing through the air exhaust opening; and means for selectively opening the air intake and air exhaust openings to expose the air cathode to the flow of air, and, alternatively, closing the air intake and air exhaust openings to isolate the air cathode from air outside the housing. - View Dependent Claims (13, 14, 15)
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16. A metal-air power supply comprising:
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a metal-air cell having an air cathode, electrolyte, and an anode disposed in a cell case; a compartment for receiving the cell; and means for registering the cell within the compartment so that when the cell is received within the compartment, the cell case and the compartment form a cathode plenum in the compartment adjacent the air cathode and a cooling air plenum in the compartment isolated from the air cathode, whereby reactant air may be directed adjacent the air cathode and cooling air may be directed against a portion of the cell case isolated from the air cathode. - View Dependent Claims (17, 18)
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19. A metal-air power supply comprising:
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a plurality of metal-air cells each having an exposed air cathode disposed in a respective cell case; a plurality of trays stacked one upon another to form an array of compartments for receiving the cells; means for registering the cells within the formed compartments so that the cell cases and the trays form a cathode plenum in each formed compartment adjacent the respective air cathode and a cooling air plenum in each formed compartment isolated from the respective air cathode, whereby reactant air may be directed adjacent the air cathodes and cooling air may be directed against a portion of each cell case isolated from the air cathodes. - View Dependent Claims (20, 21, 22)
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23. A metal-air cell comprising:
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a case including a first member having an outer peripheral edge and a second member having an outer peripheral edge contiguous with the outer peripheral edge of the first member; an anode disposed within the case adjacent the first member; a substantially planar air cathode disposed within the case, the air cathode having an air side and an electrolyte side, the air side of the cathode being positioned adjacent the second member; an electrolyte solution disposed within the case between the anode and the electrolyte side of the air cathode; a first gas-permeable, liquid-impermeable membrane disposed within the case between the second member and the air side of the air-cathode, the first membrane covering the air side of the air-cathode and having an outer periphery extending beyond the air side of the air-cathode, the outer periphery of the first membrane extending proximate to the contiguous peripheral edges; the first member, the second member, and the outer periphery of the first membrane being joined together along the contiguous outer peripheral edges of the first and second members to form a single, integral, liquid-impermeable seal about the case, whereby the anode, air-cathode, and electrolyte are completely encapsulated within a liquid impermeable enclosure. - View Dependent Claims (24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33)
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Specification