Honeywell G.m.b.h.

Kurt F Garoutte

David L Chua

Paul F Schisselbauer

Curtis J Michener

Louis L Levy

A reserve activated electrochemical cell has a sealed electrochemical fluid, e.g., an electrolyte, storage reservoir having an expandable free-floating capsule within the reservoir for selectively pressurizing the fluid. The reservoir is provided with a rupturable diaphragm arranged as a fluid-tight seal across an opening defining a fluid conduit through a wall of the reservoir. The reservoir is formed integrally with a container for a cell electrode assembly or stack, e.g., opposite polarity battery electrodes, with a wall therebetween containing the rupturable diaphragm. A selectively operable gas generator within the reservoir is connected to one end of the expandable capsule for providing a gas pressure therein to expand the capsule. The gas generator is operated by a signal applied to the gas generator by electrical connecting leads passing through fluid-tight seals in a wall of the reservoir. In one embodiment of the present invention, the fluid is an electrolyte, and the fluid control apparatus is used in a reserve activated battery housing to store the electrolyte until it is desired to activate the battery. Energization of the gas generator is effective to expand the free-floating capsule to pressurize the electrolyte and ultimately rupture the diaphragm. The pressurized electrolyte is subsequently delivered through the ruptured diaphragm to the cell stack to activate the battery.

Reserve activated electrochemical cell

A pressure activated reserve battery, capable of being activated by increasing external or environmental seawater pressure as the device is lowered or sinks to depth, without benefit of an external pressure hull. Pressure compensation, balancing of external seawater pressure and internal electrolyte pressures continually after activation of the device precludes the use of a pressure hull. A pressure activated battery, made up of reserve cells, for selectively providing stored reserve electrolyte into cell electrode environments upon application of a specified activation pressure. Each cylindrical reserve cell housing includes an electrolyte reservoir and a cell electrode assembly. A first barrier having a pressure rupturable disc is arranged to provide a fluid-tight separation between the electrode assembly and the electrolyte reservoir. A collapsing cup integrally attached to the wall of the electrolyte reservoir is located within the reservoir with the open end adjacent to and facing the first pressure rupturable barrier. A second pressure rupturable barrier is located on the external end of the cylindrical electrolyte reservoir. The reserve cell assemblies are located within an external housing filled with an electrically non-conductive fluid having a first end cover containing a third pressure rupturable disc. A flexible bladder is provided within the external housing to isolate the fill fluid from the end cover and the third rupturable disc. The application of a predetermined external pressure on the housing results in an initial collapse of the third rupturable disc and a subsequent application of the external pressure to the bladder to pressurize the fill fluid. The pressurization of the fill fluid to a predetermined level results in a rupture of the second rupturable disc and the pressurization of the electrolyte by a collapse of the integral cup. Finally, the pressurized electrolyte is effective to breach the first rupturable disc to enable the electrolyte to be forced into the electrode assembly to wet the electrodes to activate the battery.

Pressure Activated reserve battery

An electrochemical cell having a lithium anode, a thionyl chloride depolarizer and a sulphur dioxide passivation control agent which further includes having the pressure relieved to substantially reduce the internal pressure of the cell. The internal cell pressure is relieved by venting for sufficient time at an elevated temperature to reduce the internal cell pressure to less than five psi at room temperature, preferably by a plurality of venting cycles and a temperature ranging from room temperature to the elevated temperature. Normally, the elevated temperature ranges from at least 100.degree. F. to greater than 150.degree. F.

Electrochemical cell

A header device for use with an electrochemical cell requiring a hermetic seal between the header, the terminal pin, and the body of the cell. A stainless steel header is sized to fit the cell body and hermetically sealed to the body. An annular glass ring is bonded to the header. Centered in and bonded to the ring is a terminal pin consisting of a solid central core of material selected from nickel and nickel alloys and a stainless steel sleeve surrounding the core. The thickness of the sleeve is less than 0.01 inches. The annular glass ring electrically insulates the stainless steel header from the terminal pin. The sleeve is bonded to the core by a nickel braze. The bonding of the pin to the ring and the ring to the header is accomplished at an elevated temperature of at least 1800 degrees Fahrenheit.

Header device for electrochemical cells

The terminal pin assembly for a battery including an elongated cylindrical pin having a first end for extension exterior of the battery and a second end for extension interior of the battery where the second end has a larger cross-sectional area than the first end. Header means are included forming one end of the battery and defining an opening through which the pin extends such that the opening has a diameter larger than the first end of the pin. Bracket means are mounted on the interior side of the surface of the header means and extend inward from the surface, with the bracket means having a diameter larger than the opening in the header means. Sealing means are provided and are mounted on the exterior end of the pin and have a diameter essentially equal to the bracket means, whereby the bracket means is forceably enclosed about the sealing means. The preferred sealing means comprises a toroid-shaped member slideably mounted on the pin such that the inner diameter of the toroid is essentially the same as the first end and the outer diameter of the toroid is essentially the same as the bracket means diameter. A preferred material for the toroid shaped member is polyphenylene sulfide polymer. Most preferred are polyphenylene sulfide polymers which contain from 10 to 60 percent by weight of a fiberglass fill and from 10 to 40 percent by weight of a polytetrafluroethylene fill.

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Furlong, PA, United States of America

Kurt F Garoutte