Alkali metal/sulfur battery

Claim 2

An alkali metal/sulfur battery cell in which the electrolyte/separator is in the form of a plurality of hollow fibers of such character as to be damaged if a catholyte consisting essentially of an alkali metal M and sulfur in an M/S atomic ratio within the range of from about 1/100 to about 1/2 is allowed to solidify in the locus occupied by the catholyte during operation of said cell, said cell comprising means for emptying said locus of said molten catholyte and transferring it to a different location wherein solidification of said catholyte will not damage the fibers, said cell being adapted to alternately be charged and discharged without utilization of said transfer means during such operation.

Claim 3

A cell as in claim 1 additionally comprising an internal catholyte reservoir which constitutes said different location and is connected by said transfer means to said locus.

Claim 4

A cell as in claim 1 operably connected by said transfer means to a catholyte reservoir which is external to said cell and constitutes said different location.

Claim 5

A cell as in claim 2 in which said transfer means is an internal passageway and flow of catholyte therethrough between said reservoir and said locus will occur, under the influence of gravity, when the attitude of the cell in space is appropriately altered.

Claim 6

A cell as in claim 4 comprising: (a) a generally cylindrical anolyte cup, inverted above and sealingly engaged with the peripheral portion of the uppermost surface of an, electrically non-conducting tubesheet disc: (b) a plurality of fine hollow fiber lengths constituting said electrolyte/separator, each of said fiber lengths having an open end and a closed end, said fiber lengths being disposed in a closely spaced generally parallel vertical array and passing through said tubesheet disc, in sealing engagement therewith, so that their open ends coincide with or are adjacent to the uppermost surface of said disc and the portions of said fiber lengths not engaged with said disc depend therefrom; (c) cathodic current collecting means disposed adjacent the dependent portions of said fiber lengths; (d) a casing enclosing the foregoing elements a-c, and having (1) a lower portion containing said dependent fiber lengths and said cathodic current collecting means, the spaces between said dependent fiber lengths, said cathodic current collecting means and the interior wall of said casing constituting said locus, and (2) an upper portion of such size and shape that the space between its interior surface and the exterior of said anolyte cup constitutes a catholyte reservoir which is at least equal in volume to said locus, and the space between said interior surface and the periphery of said tubesheet disc constitutes an internal, annular passageway between said reservoir and said locus, and (e) means for introducing anolyte and catholyte to said anolyte cup and said catholyte reservoir respectively, and (f) anodic current collecting means.

Claim 7

A battery cell of claim 1 containing an alkali metal polysulfide catholyte which, if allowed to solidify in said locus, will damage said membrane.

Claim 8

A method of inactivating a cell as described in claim 6 which comprises transferring said catholyte, as a melt, from said locus through said transfer means to said different location and then causing the catholyte to solidify.

Claim 9

The method of claim 7 additionally comprising reactivating said cell by remelting said catholyte and returning it to said locus through said transfer means.

Claim 10

A method of introducing catholyte to a cell as described in claim 1, said method comprising introducing said catholyte as a solid to said different location, melting it and transferring it through said transfer means to said locus.

Claim 11

A method of introducing catholyte to a cell as described in claim 2, said method comprising introducing said catholyte as a melt to said catholyte reservoir and then causing it to solidify in place.

Claim 12

A plurality of cells as in claim 3 contained, together with said transfer means and said catholyte reservoir, within a common battery housing.