Anaerobic aluminum-water electrochemical cell

An anaerobic aluminum-water electrochemical cell comprising:

• a plurality of electrode stacks, each electrode stack comprising an aluminum alloy anode in the form of a plate, the plate having a first side and a second side opposite to the first side, the aluminum alloy anode comprising Ga, In, Sn, Mg, or combinations thereof, and at least one solid cathode disposed directly next to the first side of the plate and at least one cathode disposed directly next to the second side of the plate, wherein the cathode on the first side and the cathode on the second side are configured to be electrically coupled to the anode, the at least one cathode using water as an oxidant;
• a liquid electrolyte comprising 90 wt % of water or less between the anode and the at least one cathode, the liquid electrolyte including an alkaline solution of water or seawater comprising at least one added hydroxide base at a concentration of 0.5 M to 5 M;
• one or more physical separators separating each one of the electrode stacks, positioned between the cathode on the first side of one electrode stack and the cathode on the second side of an adjacent electrode stack;
• a housing configured to hold the electrode stacks, the electrolyte, and the physical separators;
• and an electrolyte injection port, in the housing, configured to introduce the electrolyte into the housing, so that the electrolyte flows through the physical separators.