Multicell seawater battery

Claim 1

In a Multicell Seawater Battery of N cells each cell including a first electrode, a second electrode and an electrolyte space therebetween, the battery having a top, a bottom, a first sidewall and a second sidewall, a first endwall adjacent to the first cell and a second endwall adjacent the Nth cell, N-1 non conductive barriers, a barrier located between each adjacent pair of cells of the battery, the electrodes of the cells, the endwalls and the barriers being parallel one to another, the improvements comprising: a. a first top passage running from sidewall to sidewall, the first top passage defined by the battery top, the first endwall and the first barrier, the first top passage being continuously open to the electrolyte space of the first cell; b. a second top passage running from sidewall to sidewall, the passage defined by the battery top, the first barrier and the second barrier, the second top passage being continuously open to the electrolyte space of the second cell; c. further top passages running from sidewall to sidewall, one for each additional cell, each further top passage except the top passage of the Nth cell defined by the battery top and two adjacent barriers, the top passage of the Nth cell being defined by the battery top, the N-1th barrier and the second endwall, and each further top passage being continuously open to the electrolyte space of its cell; d. a first bottom passage running from sidewall to sidewall, the first bottom passage defined by the battery bottom, the first endwall and the first barrier, the first bottom passage being continuously open to the electrolyte space of the first cell; e. a second bottom passage running from sidewall to sidewall the second bottom passage defined by the battery bottom, the first barrier and the second barrier, the second bottom barrier, the second bottom passage being continuously open to the electrolyte space of the second cell; f. further bottom passages running from sidewall to sidewall one for each additional cell, each further bottom passage except the bottom passage for the Nth cell defined by the battery bottom and two adjacent barriers, the bottoom passage of the Nth cell being defined by the battery bottom, the N-1th barrier and the second endwall, and each further bottom passage being continuously open to the electrolyte space of its cell; g. a first top port formed in the first endwall of the battery located near to the first sidewall of the battery the first top port providing access between the first top passage and the space external to the battery; h. a second top port formed in the barrier between the first cell and the second cell, the second top port providing access between the second top passage and the first top passage, the second top port being located near to the second sidewall of the battery; i. further top ports one formed in each further barrier including the barrier between the N-1th cell and the Nth cell the further ports being located consecutively near to the first sidewall of the battery and the second sidewall thereof, each further top port providing access between adjacent top passages, the series of N ports and N passages forming a conduit the path of the conduit being of zig-zag form comprising a series of straight portions connected by reverse bends, the straight portions running from the first side of the battery to the second side thereof; and, j. a means for providing access between the space external to the battery and the several bottom passages of the battery.