# US 2013/0280623 A1 · Metal-air battery and energy system > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 2013/0280623 A1 - Document ID: US20130280623A1 - Status: Published application - Kind: A1 - Application number: 13/862,494 - Filed: 2013-04-15 - Published: 2013-10-24 - Earliest claimed: 2012-04-23 - Assignees: Sharp Kabushiki Kaisha - Applicants: Sharp Kabushiki Kaisha - Inventors: Akihito YOSHIDA; Hirotaka MIZUHATA; Tomohisa YOSHIE; Masaki KAGA; Shinobu TAKENAKA; Tomoharu ARAI - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US20130280623A1 ## CPC - H01M 12/06: with one metallic and one gaseous electrode - H01M 12/08: composed of a half-cell of a fuel-cell type and a half-cell of the secondary-cell type - Y02E 60/10: Energy storage using batteries - H01M: PROCESSES OR MEANS, e.g. BATTERIES, FOR THE DIRECT CONVERSION OF CHEMICAL ENERGY INTO ELECTRICAL ENERGY - Y02E: REDUCTION OF GREENHOUSE GAS [GHG] EMISSIONS, RELATED TO ENERGY GENERATION, TRANSMISSION OR DISTRIBUTION ## Abstract The present invention has been achieved to provide a metal-air battery that allows removal of a metallic compound without suspending power supply. The metal-air battery of the present invention includes: first and second electrolytic tanks for storing an electrolytic solution; a metallic electrode to serve as an anode provided in the first electrolytic tank; and an air electrode to serve as a cathode, wherein the metallic electrode is formed of a metal which becomes a metallic ion or composes a metallic compound in the electrolytic solution with progress of a battery reaction, the first and second electrolytic tanks are communicated with each other for allowing the electrolytic solution in the first electrolytic tank to move into the second electrolytic tank, and the metallic ion or the metallic compound in the electrolytic solution is precipitated as a metallic compound precipitate in the second electrolytic tank. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A metal-air battery comprising: first and second electrolytic tanks for storing an electrolytic solution; a metallic electrode to serve as an anode, the metallic electrode provided in the first electrolytic tank; and an air electrode to serve as a cathode, wherein the metallic electrode is formed of a metal which becomes a metallic ion or composes a metallic compound in the electrolytic solution with progress of a battery reaction, the first and second electrolytic tanks are communicated with each other for allowing the electrolytic solution in the first electrolytic tank to move into the second electrolytic tank, and the metallic ion or the metallic compound in the electrolytic solution is precipitated as a metallic compound precipitate in the second electrolytic tank. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The metal-air battery according to claim 1, wherein the first and second electrolytic tanks are communicated with each other so that the electrolytic solution in the first electrolytic tank flows into the second electrolytic tank and the electrolytic solution in the second electrolytic tank flows into the first electrolytic tank. ### Claim 3 (depends on 2) The metal-air battery according to claim 2, further comprising a drive unit for sending the electrolytic solution in such a manner that the electrolytic solution in the first electrolytic tank flows into the second electrolytic tank and the electrolytic solution in the second electrolytic tank flows into the first electrolytic tank. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The metal-air battery according to claim 1, wherein the second electrolytic tank comprises a cooling unit, and the cooling unit cools the electrolytic solution in the second electrolytic tank. ### Claim 5 (depends on 4) The metal-air battery according to claim 4, further comprising a heat recovery system, wherein the cooling unit is a heat absorption section of the heat recovery system. ### Claim 6 (depends on 4) The metal-air battery according to claim 4, further comprising a current collector in contact with the air electrode, wherein the second electrolytic tank is disposed so that the electrolytic solution in the second electrolytic tank absorbs heat of the current collector. ### Claim 7 (depends on 1) The metal-air battery according to claim 1, wherein the second electrolytic tank comprises an electrolytic solution concentration mechanism. ### Claim 8 (depends on 1) The metal-air battery according to claim 1, further comprising an ion exchange membrane having first and second major surfaces, wherein the ion exchange membrane is disposed so that the first major surface is in contact with the electrolytic solution stored in the first electrolytic tank and the second major surface opposing the first major surface is in contact with the air electrode. ### Claim 9 (depends on 1) The metal-air battery according to claim 1, further comprising a metal holder including a support having a major surface, wherein the metallic electrode is fixed on the major surface, the metal holder is configured to allow the metallic electrode and the support to be inserted into the first electrolytic tank, and the metal for forming the metallic electrode is supplied into the first electrolytic tank by replacing the metal holder. ### Claim 10 (depends on 1) The metal-air battery according to claim 1, further comprising a deliquoring mechanism, wherein the deliquoring mechanism separates the electrolytic solution from the precipitate including the electrolytic solution to form a deliquored product of the metallic compound. ### Claim 11 (depends on 10) The metal-air battery according to claim 10, wherein the deliquoring mechanism forms the deliquored product by pressing the precipitate. ### Claim 12 (depends on 10) The metal-air battery according to claim 10, wherein the deliquoring mechanism has a recovery unit for recovering the precipitate at a lower part of a region where the precipitate is formed. ### Claim 13 (depends on 10) The metal-air battery according to claim 10, wherein the deliquoring mechanism includes a deliquoring unit having a mold member and a first pressing member, the mold member and the first pressing member are disposed so as to press the precipitate including the electrolytic solution therebetween for forming the deliquored product, the second electrolytic tank has an opening in a bottom thereof, and the second electrolytic tank and the deliquoring unit are communicated with each other via the opening. ### Claim 14 (depends on 13) The metal-air battery according to claim 13, wherein the mold member or the first pressing member includes a first filter. ### Claim 15 (depends on 10) The metal-air battery according to claim 10, further comprising a pressing device constituting the deliquoring mechanism, wherein the pressing device is configured so as to be inserted into the second electrolytic tank and to have a detachably-fixed second pressing member, and the second pressing member is configured so as to press the precipitate including the electrolytic solution against the bottom of the second electrolytic tank to form the deliquored product when the pressing device is inserted into the second electrolytic tank. ### Claim 16 (depends on 10) The metal-air battery according to claim 10, wherein the second electrolytic tank has an electrolytic tank unit replaceable with a new electrolytic tank unit, and when the new electrolytic tank unit is inserted into the second electrolytic tank, the precipitate is pressed between the bottom the second electrolytic tank and the new electrolytic tank unit to form the deliquored product. ### Claim 17 (depends on 1) The metal-air battery according to claim 1, wherein the metallic compound is a metallic oxide or a metallic hydroxide. ### Claim 18 (depends on 1) The metal-air battery according to claim 1, wherein the metallic electrode includes at least one or more metals of Li, Mg, Al, Ca, Zn, Fe, Co, Cd and Pd. ### Claim 19 (depends on 1) The metal-air battery according to claim 1, wherein the metallic electrode is formed of metallic zinc, the electrolytic solution is an alkaline aqueous solution, and the metallic compound includes zinc oxide or zinc hydroxide. ### Claim 20 (depends on 1) An energy system for producing the metal which forms the metallic electrode through a reduction treatment of the deliquored product formed by the metal-air battery according to claim 1 and supplying the metal produced to the first electrolytic tank as the metallic electrode.