Method and apparatus for electrochemically producing an electric current

Claim 1

A method of producing electric power by electrochemical oxidation of zinc powder in an alkaline galvanic cell having a solid positive electrode in the form of an oxygen or metal oxide electrode operatively associated with a negative current collector for contact with the zinc powder undergoing oxidation during discharge, said method comprising the steps of: producing electric current by effecting circulation of a suspension, formed of zinc powder in an alkaline electrolyte, along a closed-loop path which is composed, on the one hand, of a first part wherein are effected the steps of providing flow of the entire suspension under agitated flow conditions along the surface of the negative current collector and of causing repeated impingement of the suspended zinc particles on said surface to thereby undergo repeated momentary oxidations and, on the other hand, of a second part wherein the suspension containing the said zinc particles carrying thereon the products of said momentary oxidations is removed from the collector and made to circulate without contacting the said collector so as to continually provide transfer of said products of said momentary oxidations from the suspended zinc particles to the bulk of the electrolyte of the suspension circulating along said second part before renewed flow thereof along the said collector, whereby said circulation along the closed-loop path provides continuous discharge, by a rapid succession of said momentary oxidations, with continual recycling of said suspension to said collector from said second part, said suspension which is being recycled to said collector containing said zinc particles from which said oxidation products have been removed and which are composed of zinc in a sufficient amount to insure substantially constant current delivery by the cell, whereby said zinc particles are gradually consumed in a succession of rapid passages thereof through the cell during discharge.

Claim 2

A method of producing electric power by electrochemical oxidation of zinc powder in an alkaline galvanic cell having a solid positive electrode in the form of an oxygen or metal oxide electrode operatively associated with a negative current collector for contact with the zinc powder undergoing oxidation during discharge, said method comprising the steps of: producing electric current by effecting circulation of a suspension, formed of zinc powder in an alkaline electrolyte, along a closed-loop path which is composed, on the one hand, of a first part wherein are effected the steps of providing flow of the entire suspension under agitated flow conditions along the surface of the negative current collector and of causing repeated impingement of the suspended zinc particles on said surface to thereby undergo repeated momentary oxidations and, on the other hand, of a second part wherein the suspension containing the said zinc particles carrying thereon the products of said momentary oxidations is removed from the collector and made to circulate without contacting the said collector so as to continually provide transfer of said products of said momentary oxidations from the suspended zinc particles to the bulk of the electrolyte of the suspension circulating along said second part before renewed flow thereof along the said collector, whereby said circulation along the closed-loop path provides continuous discharge, by a rapid succession of said momentary oxidations, with continual recycling of said suspension to said collector from said second part, said suspension which is being recycled to said collector containing said zinc particles from which said oxidation products have been removed and which are composed of zinc in a sufficient amount to insure substantially constant current delivery by the cell, whereby said zinc particles are gradually consumed in a succession of rapid passages thereof through the cell during discharge.

Claim 3

A METHOD OF PRODUCING ELECTRIC POWDER BY ELECTROCHEMICAL OXIDATION OF ZINC POWDER IN AN ALKALINE GALVANIC CELL HAVING A SOLID POSITIVE ELECTRODE IN THE FORM OF AN OXYGEN OR METAL OXIDE ELECTRODE OPERATIVELY ASSOCIATED WITH A NEGATIVE CURRENT COLLECTOR FOR CONTACT WITH THE ZINC POWDER UNDERGOING OXIDATION DURING DISCHARGE, SAID METHOD COMPRISING THE STEPS OF: PRODUCING ELECTRIC CURRENT BY EFFECTING CIRCULATION OF A SUSPENSION, FORMED OF ZINC POWDER IN AN ALKALINE ELECTROLYTE, ALONG A CLOSED-LOOP PATH WHICH IS COMPOSED, ON THE ONE HAND, OF A FIRST PART WHEREIN ARE EFFECTED THE STEPS OF PROVIDING FLOW OF THE ENTIRE SUSPENSION UNDER AGITATED FLOW CONDITIONS ALONG THE SURFACE OF THE NEGATIVE CURRENT COLLECTOR AND OF CAUSING REPEATED IMPINGEMENT OF THE SUSPENDED ZINC PARTICLES ON SAID SURFACE TO THEREBY UNDERGO REPEATED MOMENTARY OXIDATIONS AND, ON THE OTHER HAND, OF A SECOND PART WHEREIN THE SUSPENSION CONTAINING THE SAID ZINC PARTICLES CARRYING THEREON THE PRODUCTS OF SAID MOMENTARY OXIDATIONS IS REMOVED FROM THE COLLECTOR AND MADE TO CIRCULATE WITHOUT CONTACTING THE SAID COLLECTOR SO AS TO CONTINUALLY PROVIDE TRANSFER OF SAID PRODUCTS OF SAID MOMENTARY OXIDATIONS FROM THE SUSPENDED ZINC PARTICLES TO THE BULK OF THE ELECTROLYTE OF THE SUSPENSION CIRCULATING ALONG SAID SECOND PART BEFORE RENEWED FLOW THEREOF ALONG THE SAID COLLECTOR, WHEREBY SAID CIRCULATION ALONG THE CLOSED-LOOP PATH PROVIDES CONTINUOUS DISCHARGE, BY A RAPID SUCCESSION OF SAID MOMENTARY OXIDATIONS, WITH CONTINUAL RECYCLING OF SAID SUSPENSION TO SAID COLLECTOR FROM SAID SECOND PART, SAID SUSPENSION WHICH IS BEING RECYCLED TO SAID COLLECTOR CONTAINING SAID ZINC PARTICLES FROM WHICH SAID OXIDATION PRODUCTS HAVE BEEN REMOVED AND WHICH ARE COMPOSED OF ZINC IN A SUFFICIENT AMOUNT TO INSURE SUBSTANTIALLY CONSTANT CURRENT DELIVERY BY THE CELL, WHEREBY SAID ZINC PARTICLES ARE GRADUALLY CONSUMED IN A SUCCESSION OF RAPID PASSAGES THEREOF THROUGH THE CELL DURING DISCHARGE.

Claim 4

A METHOD OF PRODUCING ELECTRIC POWDER BY ELECTROCHEMICAL OXIDATION OF ZINC POWDER IN AN ALKALINE GALVANIC CELL HAVING A SOLID POSITIVE ELECTRODE IN THE FORM OF AN OXYGEN OR METAL OXIDE ELECTRODE OPERATIVELY ASSOCIATED WITH A NEGATIVE CURRENT COLLECTOR FOR CONTACT WITH THE ZINC POWDER UNDERGOING OXIDATION DURING DISCHARGE, SAID METHOD COMPRISING THE STEPS OF: PRODUCING ELECTRIC CURRENT BY EFFECTING CIRCULATION OF A SUSPENSION, FORMED OF ZINC POWDER IN AN ALKALINE ELECTROLYTE, ALONG A CLOSED-LOOP PATH WHICH IS COMPOSED, ON THE ONE HAND, OF A FIRST PART WHEREIN ARE EFFECTED THE STEPS OF PROVIDING FLOW OF THE ENTIRE SUSPENSION UNDER AGITATED FLOW CONDITIONS ALONG THE SURFACE OF THE NEGATIVE CURRENT COLLECTOR AND OF CAUSING REPEATED IMPINGEMENT OF THE SUSPENDED ZINC PARTICLES ON SAID SURFACE TO THEREBY UNDERGO REPEATED MOMENTARY OXIDATIONS AND, ON THE OTHER HAND, OF A SECOND PART WHEREIN THE SUSPENSION CONTAINING THE SAID ZINC PARTICLES CARRYING THEREON THE PRODUCTS OF SAID MOMENTARY OXIDATIONS IS REMOVED FROM THE COLLECTOR AND MADE TO CIRCULATE WITHOUT CONTACTING THE SAID COLLECTOR SO AS TO CONTINUALLY PROVIDE TRANSFER OF SAID PRODUCTS OF SAID MOMENTARY OXIDATIONS FROM THE SUSPENDED ZINC PARTICLES TO THE BULK OF THE ELECTROLYTE OF THE SUSPENSION CIRCULATING ALONG SAID SECOND PART BEFORE RENEWED FLOW THEREOF ALONG THE SAID COLLECTOR, WHEREBY SAID CIRCULATION ALONG THE CLOSED-LOOP PATH PROVIDES CONTINUOUS DISCHARGE, BY A RAPID SUCCESSION OF SAID MOMENTARY OXIDATIONS, WITH CONTINUAL RECYCLING OF SAID SUSPENSION TO SAID COLLECTOR FROM SAID SECOND PART, SAID SUSPENSION WHICH IS BEING RECYCLED TO SAID COLLECTOR CONTAINING SAID ZINC PARTICLES FROM WHICH SAID OXIDATION PRODUCTS HAVE BEEN REMOVED AND WHICH ARE COMPOSED OF ZINC IN A SUFFICIENT AMOUNT TO INSURE SUBSTANTIALLY CONSTANT CURRENT DELIVERY BY THE CELL, WHEREBY SAID ZINC PARTICLES ARE GRADUALLY CONSUMED IN A SUCCESSION OF RAPID PASSAGES THEREOF THROUGH THE CELL DURING DISCHARGE.

Claim 8

A method of producing electric power by electrochemcial oxidation of zinc powder in an alkaline galvanic cell having a solid positive electrode in the form of an oxygen or metal oxide electrode operatively associated with a negative current collector electrode for contact with the zinc powder during discharge, said method comprising the steps of: a. providing said cell with a free internal passage extending from a cell inlet to a cell outlet respectively arranged at opposite ends of said negative collector electrode, in such a manner that said passage allows rapid, substantially unobstructed circulation of a liquid alkaline electrolyte, together with the zinc powder, from said inlet, along said negative collector electrode to said outlet; b. forming a closed-loop circulating channel including said internal passage by arranging pumping means in an external recirculating channel directly connecting said cell outlet to said cell inlet; c. filling said closed-loop channel with a suspension of a mass of zinc powder dispersed in the electrolyte and adapted to produce electric power by undergoing oxidation during discharge; and d. effecting discharge to produce electric power by circulating said suspension along said closed-loop channel in such a manner as to ensure circulation of the suspension through said internal passage under agitated flow conditions providing repeated impingement of the suspended zinc powder particles of said mass on said negative collector electrode, so that the said zinc particles are caused to undergo intermittent oxidation by repeated but only momentary oxidations during successive passages thereof through said cell, said suspension being continually recirculated along said external channel to provide intimate contact of said particles with the electrolyte so as to thereby allow continual transfer of the products of said oxidations from the surface of each said zinc particle to the bulk of the electrolyte and to thereby prevent accumulation of oxidation products on said surface during discharge, said suspension which is being recycled along said external channel to the cell containing said zinc particles from which said oxidation products have been removed and which are composed of zinc in a sufficient amount to insure substantially constant current delivery by the cell, whereby said zinc particles are gradually consumed in a succession of rapid passages thereof through the cell during discharge.

Claim 9

A method of producing electric power by electrochemcial oxidation of zinc powder in an alkaline galvanic cell having a solid positive electrode in the form of an oxygen or metal oxide electrode operatively associated with a negative current collector electrode for contact with the zinc powder during discharge, said method comprising the steps of: a. providing said cell with a free internal passage extending from a cell inlet to a cell outlet respectively arranged at opposite ends of said negative collector electrode, in such a manner that said passage allows rapid, substantially unobstructed circulation of a liquid alkaline electrolyte, together with the zinc powder, from said inlet, along said negative collector electrode to said outlet; b. forming a closed-loop circulating channel including said internal passage by arranging pumping means in an external recirculating channel directly connecting said cell outlet to said cell inlet; c. filling said closed-loop channel with a suspension of a mass of zinc powder dispersed in the electrolyte and adapted to produce electric power by undergoing oxidation during discharge; and d. effecting discharge to produce electric power by circulating said suspension along said closed-loop channel in such a manner as to ensure circulation of the suspension through said internal passage under agitated flow conditions providing repeated impingement of the suspended zinc powder particles of said mass on said negative collector electrode, so that the said zinc particles are caused to undergo intermittent oxidation by repeated but only momentary oxidations during successive passages thereof through said cell, said suspension being continually recirculated along said external channel to provide intimate contact of said particles with the electrolyte so as to thereby allow continual transfer of the products of said oxidations from the surface of each said zinc particle to the bulk of the electrolyte and to thereby prevent accumulation of oxidation products on said surface during discharge, said suspension which is being recycled along said external channel to the cell containing said zinc particles from which said oxidation products have been removed and which are composed of zinc in a sufficient amount to insure substantially constant current delivery by the cell, whereby said zinc particles are gradually consumed in a succession of rapid passages thereof through the cell during discharge.