Electrochemical cell with spacers for flow management system
First Claim
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1. An electrochemical cell comprising:
- a fuel electrode;
an oxidant electrode spaced from the fuel electrode;
an ionically conductive medium contacting the electrodes;
the fuel electrode and the oxidant electrode being configured to, during discharge, oxidize a metal fuel at the fuel electrode and reduce an oxidant at the oxidant electrode to generate a discharge potential difference therebetween for application to a load;
an electrode holder comprising a cavity for holding the fuel electrode, at least one inlet connected to the cavity on one side of the cavity and configured to supply the ionically conductive medium to the cavity, and at least one outlet connected to the cavity on an opposite side of the cavity as the at least one inlet and configured to allow the ionically conductive medium to flow out of the cavity; and
a plurality of spacers extending across the fuel electrode and the cavity in a spaced relation from each other to define a plurality of flow lanes in the cavity so that the ionically conductive medium flows into each flow lane via the at least one inlet, across the fuel electrode, and out of the flow lane via the at least one outlet,wherein the fuel electrode comprises a plurality of permeable bodies in spaced relation and wherein the plurality of spacers are provided in between the permeable bodies to allow the ionically conductive medium to permeate through the permeable bodies and to flow across the permeable bodies in the flow lanes, further comprising a charging electrode, wherein the fuel electrode and the charging electrode are configured to, during re-charge, reduce a reducible species of the fuel to electrodeposit the fuel on the fuel electrode and oxidize an oxidizable species of the oxidant by application of a re-charge potential difference therebetween from a power source.
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Abstract
An electrochemical cell includes a fuel electrode configured to operate as an anode to oxidize a fuel when connected to a load. An electrode holder includes a cavity for holding the fuel electrode, at least one inlet connected to the cavity on one side of the cavity and configured to supply an ionically conductive medium to the cavity, and at least one outlet connected to the cavity on an opposite side of the cavity and configured to allow the ionically conductive medium to flow out of the cavity. A plurality of spacers extend across the fuel electrode and the cavity in a spaced relation from each other to define a plurality of flow lanes in the cavity.
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Citations
19 Claims
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1. An electrochemical cell comprising:
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a fuel electrode; an oxidant electrode spaced from the fuel electrode; an ionically conductive medium contacting the electrodes; the fuel electrode and the oxidant electrode being configured to, during discharge, oxidize a metal fuel at the fuel electrode and reduce an oxidant at the oxidant electrode to generate a discharge potential difference therebetween for application to a load; an electrode holder comprising a cavity for holding the fuel electrode, at least one inlet connected to the cavity on one side of the cavity and configured to supply the ionically conductive medium to the cavity, and at least one outlet connected to the cavity on an opposite side of the cavity as the at least one inlet and configured to allow the ionically conductive medium to flow out of the cavity; and a plurality of spacers extending across the fuel electrode and the cavity in a spaced relation from each other to define a plurality of flow lanes in the cavity so that the ionically conductive medium flows into each flow lane via the at least one inlet, across the fuel electrode, and out of the flow lane via the at least one outlet, wherein the fuel electrode comprises a plurality of permeable bodies in spaced relation and wherein the plurality of spacers are provided in between the permeable bodies to allow the ionically conductive medium to permeate through the permeable bodies and to flow across the permeable bodies in the flow lanes, further comprising a charging electrode, wherein the fuel electrode and the charging electrode are configured to, during re-charge, reduce a reducible species of the fuel to electrodeposit the fuel on the fuel electrode and oxidize an oxidizable species of the oxidant by application of a re-charge potential difference therebetween from a power source. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13)
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14. A method for charging an electrochemical cell, the electrochemical cell comprising
a fuel electrode; -
an oxidant electrode spaced from the fuel electrode; a charging electrode; an ionically conductive medium contacting the electrodes; the fuel electrode and the oxidant electrode being configured to, during discharge, oxidize a metal fuel at the fuel electrode and reduce an oxidant at the oxidant electrode to generate a discharge potential difference therebetween for application to a load; the fuel electrode and the charging electrode being configured to, during re-charge, reduce a reducible species of the fuel to electrodeposit the fuel on the fuel electrode and oxidize an oxidizable species of the oxidant by application of a re-charge potential difference therebetween from a power source; an electrode holder comprising a cavity for holding the fuel electrode, at least one inlet connected to the cavity on one side of the cavity and configured to supply the ionically conductive medium to the cavity, and at least one outlet connected to the cavity on an opposite side of the cavity as the at least one inlet and configured to allow the ionically conductive medium to flow out of the cavity; and a plurality of spacers extending across the fuel electrode and the cavity in a spaced relation from each other to define a plurality of flow lanes in the cavity so that the ionically conductive medium flows into each flow lane via the at least one inlet, across the fuel electrode, and out of the flow lane via the at least one outlet, wherein the fuel electrode comprises a plurality of permeable bodies in spaced relation, and wherein the plurality of spacers are provided in between the permeable bodies to allow the ionically conductive medium to permeate through the permeable bodies and to flow across the permeable bodies in the flow lanes, the method comprising; flowing the ionically conductive medium comprising reducible fuel species through the at least one inlet and into the flow lanes; applying an electrical current between the charging electrode and the fuel electrode with the charging electrode functioning as an anode and the fuel electrode functioning as a cathode, such that the reducible fuel species are reduced and electrodeposited as fuel in oxidizable form on the fuel electrode; and removing the electrical current to discontinue the charging. - View Dependent Claims (15, 16)
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17. A fuel electrode for an electrochemical cell comprising:
- the fuel electrode;
an oxidant electrode spaced from the fuel electrode;
an ionically conductive medium contacting the electrodes;
the fuel electrode and the oxidant electrode being configured to, during discharge, oxidize a metal fuel at the fuel electrode and reduce an oxidant at the oxidant electrode to generate a discharge potential difference therebetween for application to a load; and
an electrode holder comprising a cavity for holding the fuel electrode, at least one inlet connected to the cavity on one side of the cavity and configured to supply the ionically conductive medium to the cavity, and at least one outlet connected to the cavity on an opposite side of the cavity as the at least one inlet and configured to allow the ionically conductive medium to flow out of the cavity;
the fuel electrode comprising;a plurality of permeable bodies in spaced relation, and a plurality of spacers extending across the fuel electrode in a spaced relation from each other to define a plurality of flow lanes in the cavity when the fuel electrode is in the electrochemical cell so that the ionically conductive medium flows into each flow lane via the at least one inlet, across the fuel electrode, and out of the flow lane via the at least one outlet, wherein the plurality of spacers are provided in between the permeable bodies to allow the ionically conductive medium to permeate through the permeable bodies and to flow across the permeable bodies in the flow lanes. - View Dependent Claims (18, 19)
- the fuel electrode;
Specification