Metal-fuel card with a plurality of metal-fuel elements and corresponding contact apertures, and electro-chemical electric power generation devices employing same

• US 6,383,673 B1
• Filed: 08/31/1998
• Issued: 05/07/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 10/06/1997
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Reveo, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Reveo, Inc.
• Inventors: Faris, Sadeg M., Yao, Wayne, Chang, Yuen-Ming, Tsai, Tsepin
• Primary Examiner(s): KALAFUT, STEPHEN J
• Application Number:
  US09/143,889
• Time in Patent Office: 1,345 Days
• Field of Search: 429/25, 429/27, 429/68, 429/90, 429/127, 429/208, 429/233, 429/128, 429/234
• US Class Current: 429/404
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2200/26 Rail vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2210/40 DC to AC converters
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 50/72 Constructional details of fuel cells specially adapted for electric vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 58/33 by cooling
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 10/4214 Arrangements for moving electrodes or electrolyte
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 10/44 Methods for charging or discharging circuits for charging H02J7/00
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 12/06 with one metallic and one gaseous electrode
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 12/08 composed of a half-cell of a fuel-cell type and a half-cell of the secondary-cell type
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 2004/024 Insertable electrodes
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 2300/0085 Immobilising or gelification of electrolyte
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 4/42 Alloys based on zinc
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 4/8605 Porous electrodes
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 50/46 Separators, membranes or diaphragms characterised by their combination with electrodes
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 6/5011 for several cells simultaneously or successively
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 8/184 Regeneration by electrochemical means
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 8/186 by electrolytic decomposition of the electrolytic solution or the formed water product
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 8/22 Fuel cells in which the fuel is based on materials comprising carbon or oxygen or hydrogen and other elements; Fuel cells in which the fuel is based on materials comprising only elements other than carbon, oxygen or hydrogen
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/00 Circuit arrangements for charging or depolarising batteries or for supplying loads from batteries
• CPC Class Codes: Y02E 60/10 Energy storage using batteries
• CPC Class Codes: Y02E 60/50 Fuel cells
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 10/72 : Electric energy management in electromobility
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 90/40 : Application of hydrogen technology to transportation, e.g. using fuel cells

Abstract

Improved electro-chemical power generation devices (e.g., metal-air fuel cell battery devices) having metal-fuel realized in the form of a metal-fuel card including a plurality of electrically-isolated metal-fuel elements (e.g., strips) disposed on the surface of substantially rigid and planar non-electrically-conductive substrate. The metal-fuel elements are in electrical contact with the anode contacting elements of the power generation device when the metal-fuel card is spatially registered to anode contacting elements of the electro-chemical power generation device. In another aspect of the present invention, an aperture formed in the substrate provides electrical contact between the metal-fuel element disposed on the first side of the substrate and the anode contacting element disposed on the second side of the substrate when the metal-fuel card is spatially registered to the anode contacting element.

Claims

1. An apparatus for use in a metal-air fuel cell battery device wherein metal fuel is placed in ionic contact with at least one air-cathode element, a first conductive pathway electrically couples the air-cathode element to a first output terminal, and a second conductive pathway is electrically coupled to a second output terminal, the apparatus comprising:

a metal-fuel anode card including a substantially rigid and planar substrate comprising a non-electrically-conductive material, the substrate having a first side opposite a second side, and at least one metal fuel element disposed on the first side of the substrate; and

at least one anode contacting element, corresponding to the at least one metal-fuel element, electrically coupled to the second conductive pathway and disposed on the second side of the substrate;

wherein the substrate of the metal-fuel card includes a plurality of apertures for electrical contact between the metal-fuel element disposed on the first side of the substrate and the corresponding anode contacting element disposed on the second side of the substrate when the metal-fuel card is spatially registered to the anode contacting element.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the metal-fuel element is disposed in a recess in the first side of the substrate.

3. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the metal-fuel element comprises zinc.

4. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the metal-fuel anode card further comprises a plurality of electrically isolated metal-fuel elements disposed on the first side of the substrate, wherein the apparatus includes a plurality of anode contacting elements corresponding to the plurality of metal-fuel elements, and wherein the substrate includes a plurality of apertures, corresponding, to the plurality of metal-fuel elements, for electrical contact between corresponding metal-fuel elements disposed on the first side of the substrate and corresponding anode contacting elements disposed on the second side of the substrate when the metal-fuel card is spatially registered to the plurality of anode contacting elements.

5. The apparatus of claim 4, wherein each metal-fuel element is disposed in an electrically isolated recess in the first side of the substrate.

6. The apparatus of claim 4, wherein each metal-fuel element comprises zinc.

7. A metal-air fuel cell battery device comprising:

at least one air-cathode element;

a first output terminal;

a first conductive pathway electrically coupling the cathode element to the first output terminal;

at least one anode contacting element;

a second output terminal;

a second conductive pathway electrically coupling the at least one anode contacting element to the second output terminal; and

a metal-fuel anode card including a substantially rigid and planar substrate comprising a non-electrically-conductive material, the substrate having a first side opposite a second side and at least one metal-fuel element disposed on the first side of the substrate, wherein the substrate includes a plurality of apertures for electrical contact between the metal-fuel element disposed on the first side of the substrate and the at least one anode contacting element disposed on the second side of the substrate when the metal-fuel card is spatially registered to the anode contacting element.

8. The metal-air fuel cell battery device of claim 7, wherein the metal-fuel element is disposed in a recess in the first side of the substrate.

9. The metal-air fuel cell battery device of claim 7, wherein the metal-fuel element comprises zinc.

10. The metal-air fuel cell battery device of claim 7,

wherein the metal-fuel card further comprises a plurality of electrically isolated metal-fuel elements disposed on the first side of the substrate;

wherein the metal-air fuel cell battery device includes a plurality of anode contacting elements corresponding to the plurality of metal-fuel elements; and

wherein the substrate includes a plurality of apertures, corresponding to the plurality of metal-fuel elements, for electrical contact between corresponding metal-fuel elements disposed on the first side of the substrate and corresponding anode contacting elements disposed on the second side of the substrate when the metal-fuel card is spatially registered to the plurality of anode contacting elements.

11. The metal-air fuel cell battery device of claim 10, wherein each metal-fuel element is disposed in an electrically isolated recess in the first side of the substrate.

12. The metal-air fuel cell battery device of claim 10, wherein each metal-fuel element comprises zinc.

13. A metal air fuel cell battery device comprising

at least one air-cathode element;

a first output terminal;

a first conductive pathway electrically coupling the cathode element to the first output terminal;

a plurality of anode contacting elements;

a second output terminal;

a second conductive pathway electrically coupling the anode contacting elements to the second output terminal; and

a metal fuel anode card including a substantially rigid and planar substrate comprising a non-electrically conductive material, the substrate having a surface, and a plurality of electrically isolated metal-fuel elements disposed on the surface of the substrate, in electrical contact with corresponding anode contacting elements when the metal fuel card is spatially registered to the anode contacting elements.

14. The metal-air fuel cell battery device of claim 13, wherein each metal-fuel element is disposed in an electrically isolated recess in the first side of the substrate.

15. The metal-air fuel cell battery device of claim 13, wherein each metal-fuel element comprises zinc.