Electric Fuel (e.f.l.) Ltd.

Luz Electric Fuel Israel Limited

Electric Fuel Limited

Menachem J Korall

Jonathan Goldstein

Yehuda Harats

Boris Dechovich

Arnold J Goldman

Eugeny Pecherer

Joseph Biran

Menachem Givon

Avner Brokman

Jonathan Sassen

Binyamin Koretz

Arye Meitav

Boris Dechovitch

The invention provides a zinc battery anode, comprising a substantially planar skeletal frame including conductive metal and having a portion of its surface area formed as open spaces, and further comprising an active zinc anode component encompassing the skeletal frame, the active anode component being formed of a slurry of porous granules comprising zinc, impregnated with and suspended in an electrolyte, and compacted under pressure to the skeletal frame.

Performance zinc anode for batteries

The invention provides a rigid reusable transport and storage vessel for retaining a plurality of anode cassettes of pressed zinc particles saturated with aqueous alkaline solution, and utilizable as an electric fuel in a zinc-air battery, the vessel having a sealably covered aperture and being provided with a hydrogen recombination device, the device being provided with an external surface at least part of which projects into the air surrounding the vessel for venting any hydrogen produced by the anode cassettes into the air surrounding the vessel, and the vessel being internally compartmentalized to contain a plurality of sealable internal compartments for retaining the plurality of anode cassettes, each of the internal compartments being provided with a gas non-return valve venting from the internal compartment to an interior space of the vessel for venting generated hydrogen from the cassettes via the gas non-return valve to the vessel for elimination via the hydrogen recombination device while preventing ingress of air to the internal compartments, whereby hydrogen internally generated and emitted from the vessel is safely combined with the oxygen in the air surrounding the vessel, thus eliminating potentially explosive hydrogen.

Means for storage and transportation of electric fuel

The invention provides a metal-air battery-powered electric vehicle of the type having a motor powered by a plurality of metal-air cells wherein air is continuously provided to the cells by a blower system energized from a power source, in combination with a collision-activated switch for disconnecting the air blower system from the power source, wherein upon activation of the switch the air in the cell is immediately depleted and the battery is rendered substantially inert in less than 5 seconds.

Metal-air battery-powered electric vehicle

The invention provides a multi-cell, sealed, cooled, zinc-oxygen battery, comprising a container containing a plurality of bi-cells, each cell having a housing provided with two major surfaces and accommodating a pair of oppositely-disposed, spaced-apart, air-permeable, liquid-impermeable cathodes in the form of oxygen-reduction electrodes, and defining between themselves a cavity configured to accommodate an anode of the battery and electrolyte, substantial portions of the major surfaces of the housing being removed, thus exposing major portions of the oxygen-reduction electrodes, and wherein two major surfaces are partly recessed in such a way as to form, in conjunction with a similarly-recessed outer surface of a major wall of an adjacent cell housing, an inter-cathode gas space between adjacent cells with a plurality of oxygen access openings leading thereto; an anode positioned within the cavity and comprising an active zinc anode component compacted into a rigid static bed of active anode material of tight interparticulate structure, the anode being provided with at least one internal fluid-carrying passage with inlet and outlet means, for circulating cooling fluid therethrough; a dead space volume between inner surfaces of the housing and the plurality of bi-cells; and pressurized oxygen supply means for feeding oxygen to the dead space volume, for consumption in the inter-cathode gas spaces.

Cooled zinc-oxygen battery

A modular cell for a multi-cell metal-air battery system, comprises a relatively flat cell housing having two major surfaces and accommodating a pair of oppositely disposed, spaced-apart, air-permeable, liquid-impermeable cathodes in the form of air electrodes defining between themselves a space open towards the upper edges of the cell housing and closed at the lateral edges and the bottom of the cell housing, the space being configured to accommodate an anode of said battery, substantial portions of the major surfaces of the housing being removed, thus exposing major portions of the air electrodes. The two major surfaces of the housing are partly recessed in such a way as to form, in conjunction with a similarly recessed outer surface of a major wall of an adjacent cell housing, an air space with air access and exits, and the exposed portions of the air electrodes are supported and reinforced by ribbing constituted at least by a plurality of slender rails, which rails define ducts for guiding a flow of air across the portions of the air electrodes from the air access toward the exits. An upper portion of at least one major surface of the housing is provided with a fluid flow channel having an inlet and an outlet provided in a wall of a minor surface of the housing for guiding a cooling fluid introduced into the inlet across an upper area of the cell, in heat exchange with electrolyte contained in upper portions of the open space, via an inner wall of the housing portion.

Cell for a metal-air battery

The invention provides a multi-cell, sealed, zinc-oxygen battery, comprising a container containing (a) a plurality of bi-cells, each cell having a housing provided with two major surfaces and accommodating a pair of oppositely-disposed, spaced-apart, air-permeable, liquid-impermeable cathodes in the form of oxygen-reduction electrodes, and defining between themselves a cavity configured to accommodate an anode of the battery and electrolyte, substantial portions of the major surfaces of the housing being removed, thus exposing major portions of the oxygen electrodes, and wherein the two major surfaces are partly recessed in such a way as to form, in conjunction with a similarly-recessed outer surface of a major wall of an adjacent cell housing, an inter-cathode gas space between adjacent cells with a plurality of oxygen access openings leading thereto; (b) a dead space volume between inner surfaces of the housing and the plurality of bi-cells; and (c) pressurized oxygen supply means for feeding oxygen to the dead space volume, for consumption in the inter-cathode gas spaces.

Zinc-oxygen battery

A mechanically rechargeable, electrochemical metal-air battery of the type having a plurality of metal-air cells, each of said cells comprising (a) a housing having a base, two major surfaces and two minor surfaces, defining an interior space for containing therein a replaceable metal electrode having an electrically conductive skeletal member encompassed by an active metal component, the interior space communicating with an opening opposite the base through which the replaceable metal electrode is selectively removed to enable the mechanical replacement thereof with a freshly charged metal electrode; (b) at least one generally planar, air permeable but liquid impermeable, air electrode, each of the electrodes being installed in a window-like opening provided in at least one of the major surfaces; and (c) an electrolyte in contact with the metal and air electrodes; the improvement comprising a first woven mesh separator attached to an inner, electrolyte-facing surface of each of the air electrodes and a second, woven mesh separator attached to and covering a major surface of the replaceable metal electrode facing each of the air electrodes, the first and second woven mesh separators being in sliding relationship to each other.

Mechanically rechargeable, electrochemical metal-air battery

A modular cell for a multi-cell metal-air battery system, comprises a relatively flat cell housing having two major surfaces and accommodating a pair of oppositely disposed, spaced-apart, air-permeable, liquid-impermeable cathodes in the form of air electrodes defining between themselves a space open towards the upper edges of the cell housing and closed at the lateral edges and the bottom of the cell housing, the space being configured to accommodate an anode of said battery, substantial portions of the major surfaces of the housing being removed, thus exposing major portions of the air electrodes. The two major surfaces of the housing are partly recessed in such a way as to form, in conjunction with a similarly recessed outer surface of a major wall of an adjacent cell housing, an air space with air access and exits, and the exposed portions of the air electrodes are supported and reinforced by ribbing constituted at least by a plurality of slender rails, which rails define ducts for guiding a flow of air across the portions of the air electrodes from the air access toward the exits.

A mechanically rechargeable electric battery includes at least one electrical cell which has a pair of generally planar outer electrodes configured to define therebetween an interior space for an electrical power storage medium, and inner electrodes removably-mounted between the pair of outer electrodes so as to be in electrically conductive contact with the electrical power storage medium and configured to provide mechanical support for the electrical power storage medium and to be removable as a unit therewith from the cell. The cell is a metal-gas battery cell and the electrical power storage medium contained in the interior space contains a slurry containing active porous zinc particles saturated with an electrolyte solution. The outer electrodes define an opening communicating with the interior space, and the inner electrodes are configured for their removal from the interior space, via the opening, thereby enabling the simultaneous removal of the inner electrodes and the slurry from the interior space.

Mechanically rechargeable electric batteries and anodes for use therein

A rechargeable, electrical power storage system employing an electrical power storage medium in the form of a slurry containing active metal particles and an electrolyte solution, which system includes one or more metal-air cells, each including outer electrode apparatus including air electrode apparatus and being configured to define a liquid permeable housing; a volume of the active metal particles arranged within the housing so as to define a static bed which is saturated with the electrolyte solution; inner electrode apparatus arranged within the housing so as to be surrounded by the static bed. The system also includes apparatus for circulating an electrolyte solution through the static bed so as to dissolve discharge products that form therein as the slurry becomes electrically discharged, and apparatus for removing the dissolved discharge products from the circulating electrolyte. The electrical power storage system may be used for powering an electric vehicle. An electrical energy system includes an electric utility having electricity generation apparatus and distribution lines, and rechargeable electrical power storage apparatus which provides energy to the electric utility, when required. The rechargeable electrical power storage apparatus may optionally also be used for the regeneration of slurry for replacement of electrically discharged slurry in the electrical power storage system of an electric vehicle.

Electrical power storage apparatus

The invention provides a bipolar electrode for use in a primary metal/air battery of the type having a metallic slurry anode, the electrode comprising a current-collecting, electrolyte-impervious metallic structure having a first surface for collecting current from the metallic slurry anode, and a metallic air cathode spaced from the structure and having a plurality of electrically-conductive protrusions extending at least from a central area of a first surface thereof and attached to a second surface of the structure, a second surface of the air cathode being provided with an inner hydrophobic waterproof barrier layer which is impermeable to electrolyte but permeable to oxygen gas and coated with an outer active catalytic layer.

Growing community of inventors

Jerusalem, Israel

Menachem J Korall