Metal-air fuel cell battery system having means for discharging and recharging metal-fuel cards supplied from a cassette-type storage device

• US 6,312,844 B1
• Filed: 07/30/1998
• Issued: 11/06/2001
• Est. Priority Date: 10/06/1997
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Reveo, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Reveo, Inc.
• Inventors: Faris, Sadeg M.
• Primary Examiner(s): Kalafut, Stephen
• Application Number:
  US09/126,213
• Time in Patent Office: 1,195 Days
• Field of Search: 429/27, 429/68, 429/127, 429/233, 204/57
• 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 metal-air fuel-cell battery (FCB) systems adapted to discharge a supply of (re)charged metal-fuel cards supplied from a cassette-type storage device, wherein each (re)charged metal-fuel card is physically disconnected from each other (re)charged metal-fuel card. Each (re)charged metal-fuel card is automatically loaded from the cassette-type cartridge into the discharging bay of the system, and after discharged, transported back into the cassette-type storage device. In the illustrative embodiments, a metal-air FCB system is disclosed, wherein the system is adapted to one or more discharged metal-fuel cards supplied from the cassette-type storage device. In such a system, each discharged metal-fuel card is automatically loaded from the cassette-type cartridge into the (re)charging bay of the system, and after (re)charging, transported back into the cassette-type storage device. In another illustrative embodiment of the present invention, simultaneous discharging and recharging of metal-fuel cards is enabled in a simple and convenient manner.

Claims

1. A metal-air fuel cell battery system, comprising:

a cassette storage device having one or more storage compartments for storing a supply of charged metal-fuel cards for discharging, each said charged metal-fuel card being physically disconnected from each other said charged metal-fuel card and movable in a manner independent from each other charged metal-fuel card; and

a discharging device for discharging one or more of said charged metal-fuel cards supplied from said cassette storage device so as to produce one or more discharged metal-fuel cards and electrical power for supply to an electrical load, wherein each said charged metal-fuel card is maintained substantially stationary relative to said discharging device when said electrical power is being produced therefrom.

2. The metal-air fuel-cell battery system of claim 1, wherein said cassette storage device comprises a partitioned interior volume for storing charged and discharged metal-fuel cards in separate storage compartments formed within said cassette storage device.

3. The metal-air fuel-cell battery system of claim 1, wherein said system further comprises a housing for enclosing said discharging device, and wherein said cassette storage device is removable from said housing.

4. The metal-air fuel-cell battery system of claim 1, wherein said cassette storage device comprises a partitioned interior volume for storing charged and discharged metal-fuel cards in separate storage compartments formed within said cassette storage device.

5. A metal-air fuel cell battery system comprising:

a cassette storage device having one or more storage compartments for storing a supply of charged metal-fuel cards for discharging, each said charged metal-fuel card being physically disconnected from each other said metal-fuel card;

a discharging device for discharging one or more charged metal-air fuel cards so as to produce one or more discharged metal-fuel cards and electrical power for supply to an electrical load, wherein each said charged metal-fuel card is maintained substantially stationary relative to said discharging device when said electrical power is being produced therefrom; and

a first mechanism for automatically transporting one or more of said charged metal-fuel cards from said cassette storage device into said discharging device for producing electrical power for supply to said electrical load.

6. The metal-air fuel cell battery system of claim 5, which further comprises:

a second mechanism for automatically transporting one or more discharged metal-fuel cards from said discharging device, back into said cassette storage device.

7. The metal-air fuel cell battery system of claim 5, wherein said discharging device further comprises means for simultaneously discharging a plurality of said charged metal-fuel cards.

8. A metal-air fuel cell battery system comprising:

a cassette storage device having one or more storage compartments for storing a supply of discharged metal-fuel cards for recharging, each said discharged metal-fuel card being physically disconnected from each other said discharged metal-fuel card;

a recharging device for recharging one or more discharged metal-air fuel cards so as to produce one or more charged metal-fuel cards, wherein each said discharged metal-fuel card is maintained substantially stationary relative to said recharging device when electrical power is being supplied to said discharged metal-fuel card during recharging;

a first mechanism for automatically transporting one or more discharged metal-fuel cards from said cassette storage device, back into said recharging device; and

a second mechanism for automatically transporting one or more charged metal-fuel cards from said recharging device, back into said cassette storage device.

9. The metal-air fuel cell battery system of claim 8, wherein said cassette storage device comprises a partitioned interior volume for storing charged and discharged metal-fuel cards in separate storage compartments formed within said cassette storage device.

10. A metal-air fuel cell battery system comprising:

a cassette storage device having one or more storage compartments for storing a supply of charged metal-fuel cards for discharging, each said charged metal-fuel card being physically disconnected from each other said charged metal-fuel card;

a discharging device for discharging one or more of said charged metal-air fuel cards so as to produce one or more discharged metal-fuel cards and electrical power for supply to an electrical load, wherein each said charged metal-fuel card is maintained substantially stationary relative to said discharging device when said electrical power is being produced therefrom;

a recharging device for recharging one or more discharged metal-air fuel cards and producing one or more charged metal-fuel cards by supplying electrical power said one or more discharged metal-fuel cards, wherein each said discharged metal-fuel card is maintained substantially stationary relative to said recharging device when said electrical power is being supplied thereto;

a first mechanism for automatically transporting one or more charged metal-fuel cards from said cassette storage device into said discharging device;

a second mechanism for automatically transporting one or more discharged metal-fuel cards from said discharging device, back into said cassette storage device;

a third mechanism for automatically transporting one or more discharged metal-fuel cards from said cassette storage device into said recharging device; and

a fourth mechanism for automatically transporting one or more charged metal-fuel cards from said recharging device, back into said cassette storage device.

11. The metal-air fuel cell battery system of claim 10, wherein said cassette storage device comprises a partitioned interior volume for storing charged and discharged metal-fuel cards in separate storage compartments formed within said cassette storage device.

12. The metal-air fuel cell battery system of claim 10, wherein both said discharging device and said recharging device can be operated simultaneously under the management of a system controller.

13. The metal-air fuel cell battery system of claim 10, wherein said system controller is associated with a resultant system.

14. The metal-air fuel cell battery system of claim 13, wherein said resultant system is an electrical power management system.

15. A metal-air fuel cell battery system comprising:

a cassette storage device having one or more storage compartments for storing a supply of charged metal-fuel cards for discharging, each said charged metal-fuel card being physically disconnected from each other said charged metal-fuel card;

a discharging device for discharging one or more of said charged metal-air fuel cards so as to produce one or more discharged metal-fuel cards and electrical power for supply to an electrical load, wherein each said charged metal-fuel card is maintained substantially stationary relative to said discharging device when said electrical power is being produced therefrom;

a recharging device for recharging one or more discharged metal-air fuel cards and producing one or more charged metal-fuel cards by supplying electrical power to one or more discharged metal-fuel cards, wherein each said discharged metal-fuel card is maintained substantially stationary relative to said recharging device when said electrical power is being supplied thereto;

a first mechanism for automatically transporting one or more charged metal-fuel cards from said cassette storage device into said discharging device;

a second mechanism for automatically transporting one or more discharged metal-fuel cards from said discharging device, back into said cassette storage device;

a third mechanism for automatically transporting one or more discharged metal-fuel cards from said cassette storage device into said recharging device; and

a fourth mechanism for automatically transporting one or more charged metal-fuel cards from said recharging device, back into said cassette storage device.