Electro-chemical power generation systems employing arrays of electronically-controllable discharging and/or recharging cells within a unity support structure

• US 6,451,463 B1
• Filed: 10/08/1999
• Issued: 09/17/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 10/06/1997
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Reveo, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Reveo, Inc.
• Inventors: Faris, Sadeg M., Tsai, Tsepin
• Primary Examiner(s): Kalafut, Stephen
• Application Number:
  US09/414,874
• Time in Patent Office: 1,075 Days
• Field of Search: 429/4, 429/9, 429/27, 429/28, 429/40
• US Class Current: 429/9
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 10/0413 Large-sized flat cells or batteries for motive or stationary systems with plate-like electrodes
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 10/0445 Multimode batteries, e.g. containing auxiliary cells or electrodes switchable in parallel or series connections
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 10/4257 Smart batteries, e.g. electronic circuits inside the housing of the cells or batteries
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 10/46 Accumulators structurally combined with charging apparatus circuits for charging H02J7/00
• 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 16/00 Structural combinations of different types of electrochemical generators
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 50/50 Current conducting connections for cells or batteries
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 6/12 with flat electrodes
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 6/42 Grouping of primary cells into batteries H01M6/40 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 6/5011 for several cells simultaneously or successively
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 6/5016 Multimode utilisation
• 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

A novel segmented air cathode device of unitary construction for use in a metal-air fuel cell battery system. The device includes a plurality of cells formed by a cathode structure having a plurality of cathode elements on a unitary cathode support structure, and an anode structure having one or more anode-contacting elements on an anode-contacting element support plate. Preferably, the cathode elements include cathode elements of different types. In one embodiment, the device includes first-type cathode elements and corresponding cells optimized for discharging operations and second-type cathode elements and corresponding cells optimized for recharging operations. In an alternate embodiment, the device includes first-type cathode elements and corresponding cells optimized for low-power discharging operations and, second-type cathode elements and corresponding cells optimized for high-power discharging operations. Preferably, each cell can be independently, activated (i.e. enabled) using a transistor-based power switching element operated under the control of a switching controller. In some embodiments, the power switching elements are used to control the power delivered to electrical loads during discharging operations of the discharging-optimized cells. In other embodiments, the power switching elements are used to produce high-frequency electrical currents for generating stepped-up voltages, which are subsequently rectified and low-pass filtered. In another illustrative embodiment, the power switching elements are provided for controlling the recharging of the recharging-optimized cells during recharging operations.

Claims

1. A device for producing or storing electrical energy by way of electrochemical reactions comprising:

a cathode structure having one or more first cathode elements optimized for discharge supported on a cathode support structure connected to a first cathode terminal, and one or more second cathode elements optimized for recharge supported on said cathode support structure connected to a second cathode terminal;

an anode structure having one or more anode contacting electrodes, each said anode contacting electrode being connected to an anode terminal;

an ionically conductive medium disposed between each said first cathode structure and said anode structure, and each said second cathode structure and said anode structure, wherein a first energy cell is formed between each said first cathode element and said anode structure, and a second energy cell is formed between each said second cathode element and said anode structure.

2. The device of claim 1, wherein said anode structure comprises a plurality of metal-fuel sheets, each being in sectional isolation from each other metal-fuel element.

3. The device of claim 1, wherein said first cathode elements and said second cathode elements are disposed in substantially the same plane.

4. The device of claim 1, wherein, said first cathode elements and said second cathode elements are spatially arranged in alternating rows of first and second cathodes.

5. The device of claim 1, wherein said anode structure comprises a plurality of anode elements, each said anode element spatially registratable with either one said first cathode element or one said second cathode element.

6. The device of claim 1, wherein said each said first cathode element and each said second cathode element is realized as an air cathode element, and said anode structure is made from zinc material.

7. The device of claim 1, wherein each said anode contacting electrode is spatially aligned with one of said first and second cathode elements supported on said cathode support structure.

8. The device of claim 1, wherein said anode structure comprises a non-segmented sheet of metal-fuel.

9. A metal-air FCB system, comprising:

at least one discharging optimized cathode element and at least one discharging optimized cathode element embodied within an integrated support structure for use in carrying out discharging and/or recharging operations.

10. A metal-air FCB system comprising:

a hybrid discharging/recharging head assembly having a first array of discharging cathode elements that are a disposed on a common support substrate and optimized for discharging operations, and a second array of recharging cathode elements electrically isolated from the first array of discharging cathode elements disposed on said common support substrate and optimized for recharging operations.

11. The metal-air FCB system of claim 10, which further comprises:

a first array of anode-contacting elements are provided in spatial registration with the first array of cathode elements so as to produce a first plurality of discharging cells for loading metal-fuel material therewithin and generating electrical power therefrom during discharging operations; and

a second array of anode-contacting elements are provided in spatial registration the second array of cathode elements so as to produce a second plurality of recharging cells for loading discharged metal-fuel material therewithin and supplying electrical power thereto during recharging operations.

12. The metal-air FCB system of claim 10, wherein said first plurality of discharging cells and second plurality of recharging cells are realized within a unitary support structure or subassembly, and each said discharging cell and/or said recharging cell is electronically-controllable in order to carry out any one of a number of power, voltage and/or current control methods under microprocessor control.

13. The metal-air FCB system of claim 10, wherein said first plurality of discharging cells and said second plurality of recharging cells are spatially arranged in the form of a mosaic structure.

14. The metal-air FCB system of claim 10, wherein each said discharging cathode element and each said recharging cathode element is selectively activated by a programmed microprocessor.

15. The metal-air FCB system of claim 10, wherein said system can be manually or electro-mechanically translated into its discharging configuration as well as its recharging position, for operation during discharging and recharging operations, respectively.

16. The metal-air FCB system of claim 14, wherein said system is electro-mechanically forced to undergo micro-displacements, relative to said recharging cathode elements, along the longitudinal direction of said recharging cells during recharging operations, in order to inhibit growth of dendrite formations along the metal fuel elements being recharged.

17. The metal-air FCB system of claim 10, wherein said recharging-optimized cathode elements are positioned and vibrated relative to the anode elements along the metal-fuel card during recharging operations in order to cause the anode elements to have a different direction of redeposition, thereby reducing dendrite growth and anode shape change during recharging operations.

18. The metal-air FCB system of claim 10, which further comprises a metal-fuel management subsystem for automatically managing the amount of metal-fuel remaining on each indexed region of the metal-fuel structure being discharged so that, during recharging operations, only the recharging-optimized cathode structures associated with discharged metal-fuel regions are electrically-switched into operation to enable recharging of such metal-fuel regions.

19. The metal-air FCB system of claim 18, wherein said metal-fuel management subsystem automatically manages the amount of metal-oxide remaining on each region of the metal-fuel structure being recharged so that, during discharging operations, only the discharging-optimized cathode structures associated with recharged metal-fuel regions are electrically-switched into operation to enable discharging of such metal-fuel regions.

20. The metal-air FCB system of claim 10, wherein said recharging cathode elements are realized using gas permeable structures having a microstructure provided with micro-pores.

21. The metal-air FCB system of claim 10, wherein said discharging cathode elements have a microstructure that is optimized for discharging operations.

22. The metal-air FCB system of claim 10, wherein each said discharging cathode element can produce non-DC output using semiconductor elements, so as to increase the output voltage level using switching power circuits.

23. A metal-air fuel cell battery device for use in a metal-air fuel cell battery system producing or storing electrical energy by way of electrochemical reactions, the device comprising:

a plurality of first cathode elements optimized for use during discharging operations that are permeable to gas spatially and electrically isolated from a plurality of second cathode elements optimized for use during recharging operations that are permeable to gas, wherein each first cathode element and each second cathode element are disposed on a unitary structure.

24. The device of claim 23, wherein said unitary structure is substantially planar and is permeable to gas.

25. The device of claim 24, wherein said plurality of first cathode elements and said plurality of second cathode elements are disposed in substantially the same plane.

26. The device of claim 23, wherein said plurality of first cathode elements and said plurality of second cathode elements are spatially arranged in alternating rows of first cathode elements and second cathode elements.

27. The device of claim 23, further comprising an electrolytic medium disposed between an anode structure and said cathode elements.

28. The device of claim 27, wherein said anode structure comprises a non-segmented sheet of metal-fuel.

29. The device of claim 27, wherein said anode structure comprises a plurality of metal-fuel sheets, each being in sectional isolation from one another.

30. The device of claim 27, wherein said anode structure is forced to undergo micro-displacements during recharging operations in order to inhibit growth of dendrite formations.

31. The device of claim 27, wherein each first cathode element is optimized for use during discharging operations, wherein each second cathode element is optimized for use during recharging operations, wherein said anode structure comprises a plurality of anode elements each spatially-arranged with one first cathode element to thereby realize a plurality of discharging cells, and wherein said anode structure comprises a plurality of anode elements each spatially arranged with one second cathode element to thereby realize a plurality of recharging cells.

32. The device of claim 31, wherein each first cathode element has a microstructure that is optimized for discharging operations, and wherein each second cathode element h as a microstructure that is optimized for recharging operations.

33. The device of claim 31, wherein said plurality of discharging cells and said plurality of recharging cells are spatially arranged in the form of a mosaic structure.

34. The device of claim 32, wherein each discharging cell and each recharging cell are selectively activated, respectively, by a programmed controller.

35. The device of claim 34, further comprising:

a fuel management subsystem for managing fuel on each indexed region of the anode structure being discharged so that, during recharging operations, only the second cathode elements associated with discharged fuel regions are activated to enable recharging of such regions.

36. The device of claim 35, wherein said fuel management subsystem manages fuel on each region of the anode structure so that, during discharging operations, only the first cathode elements associated with charged fuel regions are activated to enable discharging of such fuel regions.

37. The device of claim 32, further comprising:

circuitry for increasing the output voltage level of said discharging cells.

38. The device of claim 37, wherein said circuitry comprises switching device.

39. The device of claim 32, wherein said anode structure comprises a metal fuel.

40. The device of claim 39, wherein said metal fuel comprises zinc, and said gas comprises oxygen.

41. A device for producing or storing electrical energy by way of electrochemical reactions comprising:

a cathode structure having one or more first air cathode elements on a cathode support structure connected to a first cathode terminal, and one or more second NiOOH cathode elements supported on said cathode support structure connected to a second cathode terminal;

an anode structure having one or more anode contacting electrodes, each said anode contacting electrode being connected to an anode terminal;

an ionically conductive medium disposed between each said first cathode structure and said anode structure, and each said second cathode structure and said anode structure, wherein a first energy cell is formed between each said first cathode element and said anode structure, and a second energy cell is formed between each said first cathode element and said anode structure.

42. The device of claim 41, wherein each said anode contacting electrode is spatially aligned with one of said first and second cathode elements supported on said cathode support structure.

43. The device of claim 41, wherein said anode structure comprises a non-segmented sheet of metal-fuel.

44. The device of claim 41, wherein said anode structure comprises a plurality of metal-fuel sheets, each being in sectional isolation from each other metal-fuel element.

45. The device of claim 41, wherein said first cathode elements and said second cathode elements are disposed in substantially the same plane.

46. The device of claim 41, wherein, said first cathode elements and said second cathode elements are spatially arranged in alternating rows of first and second cathodes.

47. The device of claim 41, wherein said anode structure comprises a plurality of anode elements, each said anode element spatially registratable with either one said first cathode element or one said second cathode element.

48. A metal-air fuel cell battery device for use in a metal-air fuel cell battery system producing or storing electrical energy by way of electrochemical reactions, the device comprising:

a plurality of air-cathode first cathode elements optimized for use during discharging operations that are permeable to gas spatially isolated from a plurality of NiOOH second cathode elements optimized for use during recharging operations that are permeable to gas, wherein each first cathode element and each second cathode element are disposed on a unitary structure, and further wherein the first type cathode elements are electrically isolated from the second type cathode elements.

49. The device of claim 48, wherein said unitary structure is substantially planar and is permeable to gas.

50. The device of claim 48, wherein said plurality of first cathode elements and said plurality of second cathode elements are disposed in substantially the same plane.

51. The device of claim 48, wherein said plurality of first cathode elements and said plurality of second cathode elements are spatially arranged in alternating rows of first cathode elements and second cathode elements.

52. The device of claim 48, further comprising an electrolytic medium disposed between an anode structure and said cathode elements.

53. The device of claim 52, wherein said anode structure comprises a non-segmented sheet of metal-fuel.

54. The device of claim 52, wherein said anode structure comprises a plurality of metal-fuel sheets, each being in sectional isolation from one another.

55. The device of claim 52, wherein said anode structure is forced to undergo micro-displacements during recharging operations in order to inhibit growth of dendrite formations.