High discharge rate reserve cell and electrolyte

Claim 1

A reserve-activated primary electrochemical cell comprising: an electrolytic solution consisting essentially of a liquid electrochemically reducible covalent inorganic oxyhalide solvent and a Lewis acid solute dissolved therein, said Lewis acid solute being the sole additive solute in said solvent; an oxidizable active anode; a solid non-consumable electrically conducting inert cathode current collector; the material of said anode being more electropositive than said cathode current collector and thus said anode is capable of being oxidized during discharge of said cell; a first chamber within said cell containing all of said electrolytic solution within the cell; a second chamber within said cell containing said anode and said cathode current collector; and valve means disposed between said first chamber and said second chamber, said valve means having a first closed condition for maintaining the contents of said first chamber and said second chamber separate whereby said cell is maintained in an inactive state, said valve means being convertible to a second open condition to permit the contents of said first chamber to enter said second chamber whereby said electrolytic solution contacts said anode and said cathode current collector thus activating the cell.