Battery

Claim 2

In an electrochemical battery having cells connected electrically in series, the improvement comprising: means for connecting said cells serially for the circulating of electrolyte through them; means for breaking the electrolyte path through said connecting means between said cells; storer means associated with each pair of serially neighboring cells for storing electrolyte and, as components of said connecting means, means for communicating each storer means selectively with one of the pair of cells with which it is associated; and means for flowing electrolyte through said communicating means alternately first through every other cell from storer means filled with electrolyte to storer means empty of electrolyte and then through cells intermediate the every other cells from said previously empty storer to said previously filled storer means, in repetition.

Claim 3

An arrangement as claimed in claim 1, wherein said storing means and said flowing means comprise pumps, there being one pump interposed between each pair of neighboring cells, said breaking means and said communicating means including electrically insulating control means for interrupting the continuity of electrolyte paths.

Claim 4

In an electrochemical battery having cells connected electrically in series, the improvement comprising: means for conNecting said cells serially for the circulating of electrolyte through them; means for breaking the electrolyte path through said connecting means between said cells; means for eliminating an electrical path through said connecting means simultaneously with the breaking of the electrolyte path, said connecting means including a tube extending between each set of neighboring cells in the electrical series connection of said cells; a pump including a piston and a chamber for every set of neighboring cells, each tube being divided into two parts, one part leading from a first cell of a set into one end of the chamber of the pump associated with the set, the other part leading from said one end of the chamber into the second cell of the set; said breaking means including an electrically insulating check valve interposed in each of said parts of said tubes, each check valve including means for permitting flow of electrolyte only in one direction, all of said flow permitting means permitting flow in a common direction of electrolyte circulation, the piston of every other pump being at said one end of its chamber when the piston of each pump intermediate the every other pumps is at the other end of its chamber.

Claim 5

In an electrochemical battery having cells connected electrically in series, the improvement comprising: means for conNecting said cells serially for the circulating of electrolyte through them; means for breaking the electrolyte path through said connecting means between said cells; means for eliminating an electrical path through said connecting means simultaneously with the breaking of the electrolyte path, said connecting means including a tube extending between each set of neighboring cells in the electrical series connection of said cells; a pump including a piston and a chamber for every set of neighboring cells, each tube being divided into two parts, one part leading from a first cell of a set into one end of the chamber of the pump associated with the set, the other part leading from said one end of the chamber into the second cell of the set; said breaking means including an electrically insulating check valve interposed in each of said parts of said tubes, each check valve including means for permitting flow of electrolyte only in one direction, all of said flow permitting means permitting flow in a common direction of electrolyte circulation, the piston of every other pump being at said one end of its chamber when the piston of each pump intermediate the every other pumps is at the other end of its chamber.