Chemistry: electrical current producing apparatus – product – and – With pressure equalizing means for liquid immersion operation
Reexamination Certificate
1998-07-30
2001-11-06
Kalafut, Stephen (Department: 1745)
Chemistry: electrical current producing apparatus, product, and
With pressure equalizing means for liquid immersion operation
C429S068000, C204S001001
Reexamination Certificate
active
06312844
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to improvements in metal-air fuel cell battery (FCB) systems and devices that provide a convenient way of supplying metal-fuel to such systems and devices during discharging modes of operation, and collecting oxidized metal-fuel for recharging.
2. Description of the Prior Art
In copending U.S. application Ser. No. 08/944,507, Applicant discloses several types of novel metal-air fuel cell battery (FCB) systems. During power generation, metal-fuel tape is transported over a stationary cathode structure in the presence of an ionically-conducting medium, such as an electrolyte-impregnated gel. In accordance with well known principles of electro-chemistry, the transported metal-fuel tape is oxidized as electrical power is produced from the system.
Metal-air FCB systems of the type disclosed in U.S. application Ser. No. 08/944,507 have numerous advantages over prior art electro-chemical discharging devices. For example, one advantage is the generation of electrical power over a range of output voltage levels required by particular electrical load conditions. Another advantage is that oxidized metal-fuel tape can be repeatedly reconditioned (i.e. recharged) during battery recharging cycles carried out during electrical discharging operation, as well as separately therefrom.
In U.S. Pat. No. 5,250,370, Applicant discloses an improved system and method for recharging oxidized metal-fuel tape used in prior art metal-air FCB systems. By integrating a recharging head within a metal-air FCB discharging system, this technological improvement theoretically enables quicker recharging of metal-fuel tape for reuse in FCB discharging operations. In practice, however, there may be particular applications when, for example, use of the tape-format for metal-fuel is less than desirable. In such instances, the requirements of metal-fuel tape transport mechanisms and the like may be difficult or too costly to implement, that realization of the particular metal-fuel tape FCB system is rendered commercially unattractive from the point of view of the manufacturer and/or users of the product into which the FCB system would be incorporated.
Thus there is a great need in the fuel-cell battery art for an alternative way of and means for electrochemically producing electrical power from a metal-air fuel cell battery system, while overcoming the shortcomings and drawbacks of prior art technologies.
OBJECTS AND SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
Accordingly, a primary object of the present invention is to provide an alternative way and means for electrochemically producing electrical power from a metal-air fuel cell battery system, while overcoming the shortcomings and drawbacks of prior art technologies.
Another object of the present invention is to provide such means in the form of a metal-air FCB system designed to discharge a supply of metal-fuel cards or plates supplied from a cassette-type storage device.
Another object of the present invention is to provide such a system, wherein each (re)charged metal-fuel card or plate is automatically transported from the cassette-type storage device into the discharging bay of the system.
Another object of the present invention is to provide such a system, wherein the cassette-type storage device is designed for storing a plurality of (re)charged metal-fuel cards or plates for automated transport therefrom into the discharging bay of the system, as well as storing a plurality of discharged metal-fuel cards or plates for automated transport from the discharging bay back into the cassette-type storage device.
Another object of the present invention is to provide such a system, wherein each oxidized metal-fuel card or plate is automatically transported from the cassette storage device into the recharging bay of the system, and after recharging (i.e. reducing) is completed, the recharged metal-fuel card is automatically transported back into the cassette storage device, and another oxidized metal-fuel card is automatically transported from the cassette-storage device into the recharging bay for recharging.
Another object of the present invention is to provide such a system, wherein a plurality of (re)charged metal-fuel cards or plates are automatically transported into the system for high-power discharging operations.
Another object of the present invention is to provide a metal-air FCB system, wherein a plurality of metal-fuel cards can be loaded within a metal-fuel card discharging bay of the system, and simultaneously discharged therewithin to supply electrical power to an electrical load.
Another object of the present invention is to provide such a system, wherein a plurality of metal-fuel cards can be loaded within the recharging bay of the system, and simultaneously recharged therewithin to convert metal-oxide along the metal-fuel card into its primary metal fuel for reuse in subsequent discharging operations.
Another object of the present invention is to provide such a system, wherein both the metal-fuel card discharging and recharging subsystems are provided for simultaneous operations under the management of a system controller associated with a resultant system, such as an electrical power management system.
These and other Objects of the present invention will become apparent hereinafter.
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Marketing Study for AER Energy Resource
Kalafut Stephen
Perkowski Esq. P.C. Thomas J.
Reveo Inc.
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