Cell for a metal-air battery

Abstract

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.