Metal-air fuel cell battery systems employing means for discharging and recharging metal-fuel cards

• US 6,306,534 B1
• Filed: 07/16/1998
• Issued: 10/23/2001
• 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 J
• Application Number:
  US09/116,643
• Time in Patent Office: 1,195 Days
• Field of Search: 429/27, 429/68, 429/127, 429/239, 429/240, 205/57, 205/64
• US Class Current: 429/404
• 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

Abstract

Disclosed are various types of metal-air FCB-based systems comprising a Metal-Fuel Transport Subsystem, a Metal-Fuel Discharging Subsystem, and a Metal-Fuel Recharging Subsystem. The function of the Metal-Fuel Transport Subsystem is to transport metal-fuel cards or sheets to the Metal-Fuel Discharge Subsystem, or the Metal-Fuel Recharge Subsystem, depending on the mode of the system selected. When transported to or through the Metal-Fuel Discharge Subsystem, each metal-fuel card is discharged by (i.e. electro-chemically reaction with) one or more discharging heads in order produce electrical power across an electrical load connected to the subsystem while H₂O and O₂ are consumed at the cathode-electrolyte interface during the electro-chemical reaction. When transported to or through the Metal-Fuel Recharging Subsystem, discharged metal-fuel is recharged by one or more recharging heads in order to convert the oxidized metal-fuel material into its source metal material suitable for reuse in power discharging operations, while O₂ is released at the cathode-electrolyte interface during the electro-chemical reaction. In the illustrative embodiments, various forms of metal fuel cards can be discharged and recharged in an efficient manner to satisfy a broad range of electrical loading conditions.

Claims

1. A metal-air fuel cell battery (FCB) system for supporting discharging operations carried out on metal-fuel cards, comprising:

a supply of metal-fuel cards loaded within a metal-fuel card holder having an access opening;

a housing having an input port for receiving at least a portion of said metal-fuel card holder so that said access opening is disposed within said housing;

a discharging head assembly, disposed within said housing, for configuration about one of said metal-fuel cards and discharging said metal-fuel card so as to generate electrical power at an output voltage across a pair of output power terminals; and

a metal-fuel card transport mechanism, disposed within said housing, for automatically transporting one said metal-fuel card from said metal-fuel card holder to said discharging head assembly so that said discharging head assembly can be configured about said metal-fuel card so that said metal-fuel card can be discharged during discharging operations.

2. The metal-air FCB system of claim 1, wherein said discharging head assembly comprises:

a cathode support structure supporting an electrically-conductive cathode element pervious to oxygen;

an anode-contacting structure supporting an electrically-conductive anode-contacting element for establishing electrical contact with said metal-fuel card when said discharging head assembly is configured about said metal-fuel card; and

an ionic medium for providing a source of ions between said electrically-conductive cathode element and electrically-conductive anode-contacting element associated with said discharging head assembly.

3. The metal-air FCB system of claim 2, wherein said metal-fuel card transport mechanism automatically transports one said metal-fuel card to said discharging head assembly so that said discharging head assembly can be configured about said metal-fuel card during discharging operations.

4. The metal-air FCB system of claim 1, wherein said metal-fuel card transport mechanism automatically ejects said metal-fuel cards from said discharging head assembly after said metal-fuel card has been discharged.

5. The metal-air FCB system of claim 4, wherein said holder is partitioned into a first storage compartment for storing metal-fuel cards that are (re)charged, and a second storage compartment for storing metal-fuel cards that are discharged, and wherein said metal-fuel card transport mechanism automatically ejects said metal-fuel card from said discharging head assembly and transports said ejected metal-fuel card into said second storage compartment.

6. A metal-air fuel cell battery (FCB) system for supporting recharging operations carried out on metal-fuel cards, comprising:

a supply of metal-fuel cards loaded within a metal-fuel card holder having an access opening;

a housing having an input port for receiving at least a portion of said metal-fuel card holder so that said access opening is disposed within said housing;

a recharging head assembly, disposed within said housing, for configuration about one of said metal-fuel cards and recharging said metal-fuel card so as to convert metal-oxide along each metal-fuel card into its primary metal fuel for reuse during discharging operations; and

a metal-fuel card transport mechanism, disposed within said housing, for automatically transporting one said metal-fuel card from said metal-fuel card holder to said recharging head assembly so that said recharging head assembly can be configured about said metal-fuel card so that said metal-fuel card can be recharged for use during discharging operations.

7. The metal-air FCB system of claim 6, wherein said recharging head assembly comprises:

a cathode support structure supporting an electrically-conductive cathode element pervious to oxygen;

an anode-contacting structure supporting an electrically-conductive anode-contacting element for establishing electrical contact with said metal-fuel card when said recharging head assembly is configured about said metal-fuel card; and

an ionic medium for providing a source of ions between said electrically-conductive cathode element and electrically-conductive anode-contacting element associated with said recharging head assembly.

8. The metal-air FCB system of claim 6, wherein said metal-fuel card transport mechanism automatically transports one said metal-fuel card to said recharging head assembly so that said recharging head assembly can be configured about said metal-fuel card during recharging operations.

9. The metal-air FCB system of claim 6, wherein said metal-fuel card transport mechanism automatically ejects said metal-fuel card from said recharging head assembly after said metal-fuel card has been recharged.

10. The metal-air FCB system of claim 6, wherein said holder is partitioned into a first storage compartment for storing metal-fuel cards that are (re)charged, and a second storage compartment for storing metal-fuel cards that are discharged, and wherein said metal-fuel card transport mechanism automatically ejects said metal-fuel card from said recharging head assembly and transports said ejected metal-fuel card into said first storage compartment.

11. A metal-air fuel cell battery (FCB) system for supporting discharging and recharging operations carried out on metal-fuel cards, comprising:

a supply of metal-fuel cards loaded within a metal-fuel card holder having an access opening;

a housing having an input port for receiving at least a portion of said metal-fuel card holder so that said access opening is disposed within said housing;

a discharging head assembly, disposed within said housing, for configuration about one of said metal-fuel cards and discharging said metal-fuel card so as to generate electrical power at an output voltage across a pair of output power terminals;

a first metal-fuel card transport mechanism, disposed within said housing, for automatically transporting one said metal-fuel card from said metal-fuel card holder to said discharging head assembly so that said discharging head assembly can be configured about said metal-fuel card so that said metal-fuel card can be discharged during discharging operations;

a recharging head assembly, disposed within said housing, for configuration about one of said metal-fuel cards and recharging said metal-fuel card so as to convert metal-oxide along each metal-fuel card into its primary metal fuel for reuse during discharging operations; and

a second metal-fuel card transport mechanism, disposed within said housing, for automatically transporting one said metal-fuel card from said metal-fuel card holder to said recharging head assembly so that said recharging head assembly can be configured about said metal-fuel card so that said metal-fuel card can be recharged for use during discharging operations.

12. The metal-air FCB system of claim 11, wherein said discharging head assembly comprises

a first cathode support structure supporting an electrically-conductive cathode element pervious to oxygen,

a first anode-contacting structure supporting an electrically-conductive anode-contacting element for establishing electrical contact with said metal-fuel card when said discharging head assembly is configured about said metal-fuel card, and

a first ionic medium for providing a source of ions between said first electrically-conductive cathode element and said first electrically-conductive anode-contacting element associated with said discharging head assembly; and wherein said recharging head assembly comprises;

a second cathode support structure supporting a second electrically-conductive cathode element pervious to oxygen;

a second anode-contacting structure supporting a second electrically-conductive anode-contacting element for establishing electrical contact with said metal-fuel card when said recharging head assembly is configured about said metal-fuel card; and

a second ionic medium for providing a source of ions between said second electrically-conductive cathode element and said second electrically-conductive anode-contacting element associated with said recharging head assembly.

13. The metal-air FCB system of claim 12, wherein said first metal-fuel card transport mechanism automatically transports one said metal-fuel card to said discharging head assembly so that said discharging head assembly can be configured about said metal-fuel card during discharging operations.

14. The metal-air FCB system of claim 11, wherein said first metal-fuel card transport mechanism automatically ejects said metal-fuel cards from said discharging head assembly after said metal-fuel card has been discharged.

15. The metal-air FCB system of claim 14, wherein said holder is partitioned into a first storage compartment for storing metal-fuel cards that are (re)charged, and a second storage compartment for storing metal-fuel cards that are discharged, and wherein said first metal-fuel card transport mechanism automatically ejects said metal-fuel card from said discharging head assembly and transports said ejected metal-fuel card into said second storage compartment.

16. The metal-air FCB system of claim 11, wherein said second metal-fuel card transport mechanism automatically transports one said metal-fuel card to said recharging head assembly so that said recharging head assembly can be configured about said metal-fuel card during recharging operations.

17. The metal-air FCB system of claim 11, wherein said second metal-fuel card transport mechanism automatically ejects said metal-fuel card from said recharging head assembly after said metal-fuel card has been recharged.

18. The metal-air FCB system of claim 11, wherein said holder is partitioned into a first storage compartment for storing metal-fuel cards that are (re)charged, and a second storage compartment for storing metal-fuel cards that are discharged, and wherein said second metal-fuel card transport mechanism automatically ejects said metal-fuel card from said recharging head assembly and transports said ejected metal-fuel card into said first storage compartment.