Cathode cylinder for use in metal-air fuel cell battery systems and method of fabricating the same

Abstract

In an air-metal fuel cell battery (FCB) system, wherein metal-fuel tape, the ionically-conductive medium and the cathode structures are transported at substantially the same velocity at the locus of points at which the ionically-conductive medium contacts the moving cathode structure and the moving metal-fuel tape during discharging and recharging modes of operation. In a first generalized embodiment of the present invention, the ionically-conductive medium is realized as an ionically-conductive belt, and the metal-fuel tape, ionically-conductive belt, and movable cathode structure are transported at substantially the same velocity at the locus of points which the ionically-conducing belt contacts the metal-fuel tape and the cathode structure during system operation. In a second generalized embodiment of the present invention, the ionically-conductive medium is realized as a solid-state (e.g. gelatinous) film layer integrated with the metal-fuel tape. In a third generalized embodiment of the present invention, the ionically-conductive medium is realized as a solid-state film layer integrated with the movable cathode structure. By transporting the movable cathode structure, ionically contacting medium and metal-fuel tape within the system as described above, generation of frictional forces among such structures are minimized during system operation, and thus the damage to the cathode structure and metal-fuel tape is substantially reduced.

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.