Electric Power Research Institute Incorporated

Stanford Research Institute

Robert D Weaver

Paul J Jorgensen

Michael Anbar

Donald F McMillen

Francis L Tanzella

An apparatus and method for locating and electrically isolating failed cells in a network of cells is disclosed. The apparatus includes a device for sampling voltage and current levels of each of the cells of the battery. Another device compares the sampled voltage and current levels to voltage and current limits to determine whether a cell has failed. If a cell has failed, control circuitry produces an activation signal which is conveyed to a switch associated with the failed cell. The activation signal drives a heating element of the switch. The heating element, which surrounds a fusible link of the switch, melts the fusible link. The fused link congregates at the base of the switch. In the case of a parallel network of cells, the fused link forms an open circuit, while in the case of a series network of cells, the fused link forms a bypass circuit. Consequently, the switch isolates the failed cell from the good cells remaining in the battery.

Apparatus and method for locating and isolating failed cells in a battery

Method and apparatus for the pollution-free generation of electrical power from carbonaceous fuels in which molten lead is electrochemically oxidized to produce lead oxide and electricity in a single integrated cell in which the resulting lead oxide is simultaneously converted back to lead metal by carbothermic reduction with a carbonaceous fuel, the entire process being carried out in a single cell using a molten carbonate as electrolyte in a temperature range of 500.degree. to 900.degree. C. The entire cycle thus consumes only carbon and oxygen and produces electricity. It is found that by thus coupling the electrochemical cell and the thermochemical regeneration system, the resulting integrated carbon-lead-air cell will maintain a voltage well above that provided by a simple lead-air cell approaching that of a hypothetical carbon-air cell.

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Robert D Weaver