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US 5,573,871 AGranted
Electrochemical cell
OwnerKlaus Von Bendainventor
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OwnerKlaus Von Bendainventor
Estimating the term…
A high temperature rechargeable electrochemical cell which comprises a housing containing an anode separated from a cathode by a solid electrolyte separator. The separator is a hollow operatively upright electrode holder defined, in cross-section, by a plurality of peripherally spaced radially outwardly projecting lobes. The operatively lower end of the electrode holder is closed off and the electrode holder has at its operatively upper end a closure having an opening smaller than its cross-sectional dimension. A metallic current collector is disposed in said electrode holder. The current collector is inserted, in a first inoperative configuration, into the electrode holder through the closure opening, and thereafter extended into the lobes of the electrode holder, so that it assumes a second operative configuration in which it has a shape of larger cross-section than the opening.
A method of making a precursor of a high temperature rechargeable electrochemical cell of the kind which comprises a housing containing an anode and a cathode, the housing having an interior divided by a solid electrolyte separator into an anode compartment and a cathode compartment, containing respectively the anode and the cathode, the anode comprising, when the cell is in its charged state and at its operating temperature, molten sodium the separator comprising a conductor of sodium ions, and the cathode comprising, at said operating temperature and in said charged state, an electronically conductive porous electrolyte-permeable matrix having a porous interior impregnated with a sodium aluminium chloride molten salt electrolyte which is molten and in which the atomic ratio of A1 cations:Na cations does not exceed 1:1, with the matrix containing, dispersed in its porous interior, active cathode material comprising at least one metal chloride selected from the group of nickel, iron, chromium, cobalt, manganese, copper and antimony chlorides the housing being in the form of a metal canister, and the separator being a hollow operatively upright electrode holder defined, in cross-section, by a plurality of peripherally spaced radially outwardly projecting ribs or lobes, said cross-section being normal to the longitudinal axis of said housing, with the operatively lower end a closure having an opening smaller than its cross-sectional dimension, with a metallic current collector being disposed in said electrode holder, the method comprising the steps of:
A current collector for a high temperature rechargeable electrochemical cell, which current collector comprises an elongate metallic member and at least one metallic fin or strip protruding transversely from the member in a first inoperative configuration in which the current collector can be inserted through an opening in a closure at one end of a hollow electrode holder of a high temperature rechargeable electrochemical cell, the fin or strip being extensible from the first inoperative configuration to a second operative configuration in which the fin or strip protrudes a greater distance from the member when the current collector is seen end on.
A current collector for a high temperature rechargeable electrochemical cell, which current collector comprises a pair of metal sheets, each sheet shaped to define a pair of fins protruding respectively from opposite sides of a central zone, with the sheets being joined along their central zones and the fins being extensible from a first inoperative configuration in which the current collector can be inserted through an opening in a closure at one end of a hollow electrode holder of a high temperature rechargeable cell, to a second operative configuration in which they protrude a greater distance from the central zones and wherein the current collector is x-shaped in cross-section when it is seen end on.
A current collector for a high temperature rechargeable electrochemical cell, which current collector comprises a metallic central post and a plurality of flexible metal bristles protruding from the post and being spaced circumferentially about the post.
A current collector for a high temperature rechargeable electrochemical cell, which current collector comprises an annular metallic member and at least one laterally displaceable primary metallic component protruding from the member in an axial direction.
A current collector for a high temperature rechargeable electrochemical cell, which current collector comprises an elongate metallic member;
A current collector for a high temperature rechargeable electrochemical cell, which current collector comprises a pair of metal sheets, each sheet shaped to define a pair of fins protruding respectively from opposite sides of a central zone, with the sheets being joined along their central zones and the fins being extensible from a first inoperative configuration in which the current collector can be inserted through an opening in a closure at one end of a hollow electrode holder of a high temperature rechargeable cell, to a second operative configuration in which they protrude a greater distance from the central zones and wherein the current collector is X-shaped in cross-section when it is seen end on, an expandable element located removably adjacent each of the fins, with the elements being actuable to cause them to expand and urge the fins into their operative configuration, and deactuable to cause them to contract.
A current collector for a high temperature rechargeable electrochemical cell, which current collector comprises an annular metallic member in the form of a header ring;
A current collector for a high temperature rechargeable electrochemical cell, which current collector comprises an annular metallic member in the form of a header ring;
A method of locating a metallic current collector in an electrode holder of a precursor of a high temperature rechargeable electrochemical cell of the kind which comprises a housing containing an anode and a cathode, the housing having an interior divided by a solid electrolyte separator into an anode compartment and a cathode compartment, containing respectively the anode and the cathode, the anode comprising, when the cell is in its charged state and at its operating temperature, molten sodium, the separator comprising a conductor of sodium ions, and the cathode comprising, at said operating temperature and in said charged state, an electronically conductive porous electrolyte-permeable matrix having a porous interior impregnated with a sodium aluminium chloride molten salt electrolyte which is molten and in which the atomic ratio of A1 cations:Na cations does not exceed 1:1, with the matrix containing, dispersed in its porous interior, active cathode material comprising at least one metal chloride selected from the group of nickel, iron, chromium, cobalt manganese, copper and antimony chlorides, the housing being in the form of a metal canister, and the separator providing the electrode holder which is hollow, operatively upright, and defined, in cross-section, by a plurality of peripherally spaced radially outwardly projecting ribs or lobes, said cross-section being normal to the longitudinal axis of said housing, with the operatively lower end of the electrode holder being closed off and the electrode holder having at its operatively upper end a closure having an opening smaller than its cross-sectional dimension, the method including inserting a metallic current collector, in a first inoperative configuration, into the electrode holder through the opening in the upper end closure of the electrode holder, and thereafter extending at least part of the current collector, or allowing at least part of the current collector to extend, into at least one of the lobes of the electrode holder, so that the current collector assumes a second operative configuration in which the current collector has a shape of larger cross-section than the opening in the electrode holder upper end closure.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.