Electrochemical cell, and particularly a cell with electrodeposited fuel
First Claim
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1. An electrochemical cell comprising:
- a first electrode comprising a series of permeable electrode bodies arranged in a spaced apart relation for holding an electrodeposited fuel;
a second electrode spaced apart from the first electrode;
a charging electrode;
an ionically conductive medium communicating the electrodes, the ionically conductive medium comprising reducible fuel ions of the electrodeposited fuel;
wherein the ionically conductive medium flows through the permeable electrode bodies; and
wherein the spaced apart relation of said permeable electrode bodies of the first electrode enables an electrical current to be applied between the charging electrode and at least one of the permeable anode bodies during charging with the charging electrode functioning as an anode and the at least one permeable electrode body functioning as a cathode, such that the reducible fuel ions are reduced and electrodeposited as the fuel in oxidizable form on the at least one permeable electrode body, wherein the electrodeposition causes growth of the fuel among the permeable electrode bodies and within the spacing therebetween such that the electrodeposited fuel establishes an electrical connection between the permeable electrode bodies.
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Abstract
The present invention relates to a method for charging the cell by electrodeposition of metal fuel on the anode thereof.
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Citations
38 Claims
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1. An electrochemical cell comprising:
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a first electrode comprising a series of permeable electrode bodies arranged in a spaced apart relation for holding an electrodeposited fuel; a second electrode spaced apart from the first electrode; a charging electrode; an ionically conductive medium communicating the electrodes, the ionically conductive medium comprising reducible fuel ions of the electrodeposited fuel; wherein the ionically conductive medium flows through the permeable electrode bodies; and wherein the spaced apart relation of said permeable electrode bodies of the first electrode enables an electrical current to be applied between the charging electrode and at least one of the permeable anode bodies during charging with the charging electrode functioning as an anode and the at least one permeable electrode body functioning as a cathode, such that the reducible fuel ions are reduced and electrodeposited as the fuel in oxidizable form on the at least one permeable electrode body, wherein the electrodeposition causes growth of the fuel among the permeable electrode bodies and within the spacing therebetween such that the electrodeposited fuel establishes an electrical connection between the permeable electrode bodies. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 11, 13, 14, 18, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32)
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4. An electrochemical cell comprising:
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a first electrode comprising a series of permeable electrode bodies arranged in spaced apart relation for holding an electrodeposited fuel; a second electrode spaced apart from the first electrode; a charging electrode; an ionically conductive medium communicating the electrodes, the ionically conductive medium for comprising reducible fuel ions of the electrodeposited fuel; and a first terminal connected to at least one of the permeable electrode bodies; wherein the spaced apart relation of said permeable electrode bodies of the first electrode enables an electrical current to be applied between the charging electrode and at least one of the permeable anode bodies during charging with the charging electrode functioning as an anode and the at least one permeable electrode body functioning as a cathode, such that the reducible fuel ions are reduced and electrodeposited as the fuel in oxidizable form on the at least one permeable electrode body wherein the electrodeposition causes growth of the fuel among the permeable electrode bodies and within the spacing therebetween such that the electrodeposited fuel establishes an electrical connection between the permeable electrode bodies; and wherein the at least one permeable electrode body to which the electrical current is applied and functioning as a cathode during charging is a single terminal electrode body connected to the first terminal, and wherein each other permeable electrode body is electrically isolated from the first terminal except by electrical connection of the electrodeposited fuel and the ionically conductive medium. - View Dependent Claims (15)
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5. An electrochemical cell comprising:
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a first electrode comprising a series of permeable electrode bodies arranged in spaced apart relation for holding an electrodeposited fuel; a second electrode spaced apart from the first electrode; a charging electrode; an ionically conductive medium communicating the electrodes, the ionically conductive medium for comprising reducible fuel ions of the electrodeposited fuel; and a first terminal connected to at least one of the permeable electrode bodies; wherein the permeable electrode bodies of the first electrode are connected in parallel to the first terminal; wherein the spaced apart relation of said permeable electrode bodies of the first electrode enables an electrical current to be applied between the charging electrode and at least one of the permeable anode bodies during charging with the charging electrode functioning as an anode and the at least one permeable electrode body functioning as a cathode, such that the reducible fuel ions are reduced and electrodeposited as the fuel in oxidizable form on the at least one permeable electrode body, wherein the electrodeposition causes growth of the fuel among the permeable electrode bodies and within the spacing therebetween such that the electrodeposited fuel establishes an electrical connection between the permeable electrode bodies; wherein the at least one permeable electrode body to which the electrical current is applied and functioning as a cathode during charging is a single terminal electrode body connected to the first terminal, and wherein the cell further comprises a current isolator between each other permeable electrode body and the first terminal, the each current isolator being configured to electrically isolate each other permeable electrode body from the first terminal except by electrical connection of the electrodeposited fuel at least during charging. - View Dependent Claims (6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 16, 17)
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12. An electrochemical cell comprising:
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a first electrode comprising a series of permeable electrode bodies arranged in spaced apart relation for holding an electrodeposited fuel; a second electrode spaced apart from the first electrode; a charging electrode; an ionically conductive medium communicating the electrodes, the ionically conductive medium for comprising reducible fuel ions of the electrodeposited fuel; wherein the spaced apart relation of said permeable electrode bodies of the first electrode enables an electrical current to be applied between the charging electrode and at least one of the permeable anode bodies during charging with the charging electrode functioning as an anode and the at least one permeable electrode body functioning as a cathode, such that the reducible fuel ions are reduced and electrodeposited as the fuel in oxidizable form on the at least one permeable electrode body, wherein the electrodeposition causes growth of the fuel among the permeable electrode bodies and within the spacing therebetween such that the electrodeposited fuel establishes an electrical connection between the permeable electrode bodies; wherein the permeable electrode bodies of the first electrode are connected in parallel for selective connection to a load during discharging and a power supply during charging wherein the permeable electrode bodies includes a terminal electrode body and one or more other electrode bodies, wherein the cell further comprises a current isolator between each other permeable electrode body for electrically isolating each other permeable electrode body except by communication of ions through the ionically conductive medium and by electrical connection of the electrodeposited fuel from the power supply during charging, and permitting current to flow from each other electrode body to the load during discharging when the first electrode is functioning as an anode. - View Dependent Claims (19, 33, 34, 35, 36, 37, 38)
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Specification