Chemistry: electrical current producing apparatus – product – and – With pressure equalizing means for liquid immersion operation
Reexamination Certificate
1998-05-07
2002-10-29
Kalafut, Stephen (Department: 1745)
Chemistry: electrical current producing apparatus, product, and
With pressure equalizing means for liquid immersion operation
C429S006000, C429S006000, C429S068000, C429S127000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06472093
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to improved methods and systems for optimally discharging metal-air fuel cell battery (FCB) systems and devices, as well as improved methods and systems for optimally recharging the same in a quick and efficient manner.
2. Description of the Prior Art
In U.S. Pat. No. 6,296,960 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, a number of important problems have remained unsolved which has hitherto rendered rechargeable FCB systems commercially unfeasible.
In particular, prior art FCB systems have required very large volumes of physical space to accommodate enlarged recharging electrodes. In practice, this is often not possible, or practical.
Prior art FCB systems have suffered from problems associated with over and under recharging oxidized metal-fuel tape and sheets produced during discharging operations. Consequently, it has not been possible to optimally recharge metal-fuel tape and sheets using prior art tape recharging systems and methodologies.
Also, using prior art FCB systems it has not been possible to optimally discharge metal-fuel tape and sheets using prior art tape recharging systems and methodologies.
Thus there is a great need in the art for an improved method and apparatus for discharging and recharging metal-fuel tape, sheets, cards, and the like in a manner which overcomes the limitations of prior art technologies.
OBJECTS AND SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
Accordingly, a primary object of the present invention is to provide an improved method of and apparatus for discharging and recharging metal-air fuel cell batteries (FCB) in a manner which avoids the shortcomings and drawbacks of prior art technologies.
Another object of the present invention is to provide such apparatus in the form of a Metal-Fuel Tape Recharging Subsystem, wherein recharge parameters, such as cathode-anode voltage and current levels, partial pressure of oxygen within the recharging cathode, relative humidity at the cathode-electrolyte interface, and where applicable, the speed of metal-fuel tape are automatically controlled in order to optimally recharge oxidized metal-fuel material (i.e. anodes) for reuse in metal-air FCB systems.
Another object of the present invention is to provide such apparatus in the form of a Metal-Fuel Tape Discharging Subsystem, wherein discharge parameters, such as cathode-anode voltage and current levels, partial pressure of oxygen within the discharging cathode, relative humidity at the cathode-electrolyte interface, and where applicable, the speed of metal-fuel tape are automatically controlled in order to optimally discharge metal-fuel material (i.e. anodes) for use in generating electrical power within metal-air FCB systems.
Another object of the present invention is to provide such a system, wherein a subsystem is provided for controlling the electrochemical reduction of metal-oxide along oxidized metal-fuel tape so as to completely reduce the metal-oxide at the fastest rate possible without destroying the porous structure of the metal-fuel tape.
Another object of the present invention is to provide such a system, wherein the metal-fuel anodes to be recharged (i.e. electro-chemically reduced) can be used with stationary and/or moving cathode structures employed in metal-air FCB systems.
Another object of the present invention is to provide such a system, wherein the metal-fuel structures to be recharged are realized in the form of oxidized metal-fuel tape which, during discharging operations, is transported across a cathode structure associated with the discharging head of a metal-air FCB system.
Another object of the present invention is to provide such a system, wherein the path-length of oxidized metal-fuel tape is substantially extended during recharging operations in order that a supply of oxidized metal-fuel tape contained within a cassette device or on a supply reel can be rapidly recharged.
Another object of the present invention is to provide such a system, wherein the oxidized metal-fuel tape to be recharged is contained within a cassette-type device insertable in the storage bay of a compact FCB discharging unit.
Another object of the present invention is to provide such a system, wherein the oxidized metal-fuel tape to be recharged comprises multiple metal-fuel tracks for use in generating different output voltages from a metal-air FCB system.
An object of the present invention is to provide such a system, wherein the path-length of oxidized metal-fuel tape is significantly extended within the recharging bay of the system using a tape path-length extension mechanism.
Another object of the present invention is to provide such a system, wherein the recharging head assembly comprises a plurality of cathode and anode structures which are selectively arranged about the extended path-length of oxidized metal-fuel tape during recharging operations.
Another object of the present invention is to provide such a system, wherein a recharging power regulating subsystem is provided for regulating operating parameters during electro-chemical reduction of metal-oxide during recharging operations.
Another object of the present invention is to provide such a system, wherein oxygen, generated from within the porous cathode elements of the recharging head of the system during electro-chemical reduction, is evacuated under the control of the recharging power regulation subsystem thereof.
Another object of the present invention is to provide such a system, wherein the relative humidity within the cathode elements of the recharging head of the system is controlled by the recharging power regulation subsystem thereof.
Another object of the present invention is to provide such a system, wherein the speed of the oxidized fuel tape transported over the recharging heads is regulated under the control of the recharging power regulation subsystem thereof.
Another object of the present invention is to provide such a system, wherein the voltage applied across and current driven through oxidized metal-fuel tape during recharging operations is regulated under the control of the recharging power control subsystem thereof.
Another object of the present invention is to provide such a system, wherein a metal-oxide sensing head is provided up-stream for sensing which metal-fuel tracks along a length of multi-tracked metal-fuel tape have been discharged (i.e. oxidized), and a recharging head is disposed downstream having multiple pairs of electrically-isolated cathode and anode structures for selectively recharging only those metal-fuel tracks that have been sufficiently oxidized (i.e. consumed).
Another object of the present invention is to provide a novel system for discharging a supply of metal-fuel cards or plates contained w
Faris Sadeg M.
Tsai Tsepin
Crispino Esq. Ralph J.
Kalafut Stephen
Perkowski, PC Thomas J.
Reveo Inc.
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