Method of charging a multiplicity of batteries

Claim 1

A method of charging a multiplicity of electrochemical storages, comprising the steps of: at least periodically infeeding and outfeeding in a hydraulic parallel circuit aqueous electrolyte liquids to and from individual anode and cathode spaces of each storage; charging each storage in order to separate at the cathode a layer of metallic zinc and at the anode bromine which is converted by a complex former dissolved in aqueous electrolyte into a complex which is essentially insoluble in water containing a complex former dissolved in aqueous electrolyte; determining, during the charging operation, at predetermined time intervals the charging state of each of the electrochemical storages; upon reaching a predetermined value of the charging state of a given electrochemical storage, interrupting the charging operation thereof; and decreasing the predetermined time intervals in length as the charging state of each of the electrochemical storages increases.

Claim 2

A method of charging a multiplicity of electrochemical storages, comprising the steps of: at least periodically infeeding and outfeeding in a hydraulic parallel circuit aqueous electrolyte liquids to and from individual anode and cathode spaces of each storage; charging each storage in order to separate at the cathode a layer of metallic zinc and at the anode bromine which is converted by a complex former dissolved in aqueous electrolyte into a complex which is essentially insoluble in water containing a complex former dissolved in aqueous electrolyte; determining, during the charging operation, at predetermined time intervals the charging state of each of the electrochemical storages; upon reaching a predetermined value of the charging state of a given electrochemical storage, interrupting the charging operation thereof; and decreasing the predetermined time intervals in length as the charging state of each of the electrochemical storages increases.

Claim 13

A method of charging a multiplicity of electrochemical storages, comprising the steps of: at least periodically infeeding and outfeeding in a hydraulic parallel circuit aqueous electrolyte liquids to and from individual anode and cathode spaces of each storage; charging each storage in order to separate at the cathode a layer of metallic zinc and at the anode bromine which is converted by a complex former dissolved in aqueous electrolyte into a complex which is essentially insoluble in water containing a complex former dissolved in aqueous electrolyte; determining, during the charging operation, at predetermined time intervals the charging state of each of the electrochemical storages; and upon reaching a predetermined value of the charging state of a given electrochemical storage, interrupting the charging operation thereof; the step of determining the charging state of each storage entailing first interrupting an electrical connection between a charging current source for all of the storages and then determining the charging state of each storage; the step of interrupting an electrical connection between a charging current source for all of the storages being accomplished by activating respective switches; the method further including the step of: using for each of the respective switches a switch having different selective operating positions for selectively electrically connecting the storages in series or parallel.

Claim 14

A method of charging a multiplicity of electrochemical storages, comprising the steps of: at least periodically infeeding and outfeeding in a hydraulic parallel circuit aqueous electrolyte liquids to and from individual anode and cathode spaces of each storage; charging each storage in order to separate at the cathode a layer of metallic zinc and at the anode bromine which is converted by a complex former dissolved in aqueous electrolyte into a complex which is essentially insoluble in water containing a complex former dissolved in aqueous electrolyte; determining, during the charging operation, at predetermined time intervals the charging state of each of the electrochemical storages; and upon reaching a predetermined value of the charging state of a given electrochemical storage, interrupting the charging operation thereof; the step of determining the charging state of each storage entailing first interrupting an electrical connection between a charging current source for all of the storages and then determining the charging state of each storage; the step of interrupting an electrical connection between a charging current source for all of the storages being accomplished by activating respective switches; the method further including the step of: using for each of the respective switches a switch having different selective operating positions for selectively electrically connecting the storages in series or parallel.

Claim 15

A method of charging a multiplicity of electrochemical storages, comprising the steps of: at least periodically infeeding and outfeeding in a hydraulic parallel circuit aqueous electrolyte liquids to and from individual anode and cathode spaces of each storage; charging each storage in order to separate at the cathode a layer of metallic zinc and at the anode bromine which is converted by a complex former dissolved in aqueous electrolyte into a complex which is essentially insoluble in water containing a complex former dissolved in aqueous electrolyte; determining, during the charging operation, at predetermined time intervals the charging state of each of the electrochemical storages; and upon reaching a predetermined value of the charging state of a given electrochemical storage, interrupting the charging operation thereof; Wherein the step of determining entails measuring a potential of one or more of the electrochemical storages and determining if a measured potential exceeds 5 percent of an arithmetic mean of potentials of all the electrochemical storages; and wherein the step of interrupting entails interrupting the charging operation of each electrochemical storage that has a measured potential that exceeds 5 percent of the arithmetic mean of potentials of all the electrochemical storages.

Claim 16

A method of charging a multiplicity of electrochemical storages, comprising the steps of: at least periodically infeeding and outfeeding in a hydraulic parallel circuit aqueous electrolyte liquids to and from individual anode and cathode spaces of each storage; charging each storage in order to separate at the cathode a layer of metallic zinc and at the anode bromine which is converted by a complex former dissolved in aqueous electrolyte into a complex which is essentially insoluble in water containing a complex former dissolved in aqueous electrolyte; determining, during the charging operation, at predetermined time intervals the charging state of each of the electrochemical storages; and upon reaching a predetermined value of the charging state of a given electrochemical storage, interrupting the charging operation thereof; Wherein the step of determining entails measuring a potential of one or more of the electrochemical storages and determining if a measured potential exceeds 5 percent of an arithmetic mean of potentials of all the electrochemical storages; and wherein the step of interrupting entails interrupting the charging operation of each electrochemical storage that has a measured potential that exceeds 5 percent of the arithmetic mean of potentials of all the electrochemical storages.

Claim 17

A method of charging a multiplicity of electrochemical storages, comprising the steps of: at least periodically infeeding and outfeeding in a hydraulic parallel circuit aqueous electrolyte liquids to and from individual anode and cathode spaces of each storage; charging each storage in order to separate at the cathode a layer of metallic zinc and at the anode bromine which is converted by a complex former dissolved aqueous electrolyte into a complex which is essentially insoluble in water containing a complex former dissolved in aqueous electrolyte; determining, during the charging operation, at predetermined time intervals the charging state of each of the electrochemical storages; and upon reaching a predetermined value of the charging state of a given electrochemical storage, interrupting the charging operation thereof; the step of determining the charging state of each storage entailing first interrupting an electrical connection between a charging current source for all of the storages and then determining the charging state of each storage; the step of interrupting an electrical connection between a charging current source for all of the storages being accomplished by activating respective switches; each of the respective switches a memory metal; and the step of activating each of the respective switches heating the memory metal.

Claim 18

A method of charging a multiplicity of electrochemical storages, comprising the steps of: at least periodically infeeding and outfeeding in a hydraulic parallel circuit aqueous electrolyte liquids to and from individual anode and cathode spaces of each storage; charging each storage in order to separate at the cathode a layer of metallic zinc and at the anode bromine which is converted by a complex former dissolved aqueous electrolyte into a complex which is essentially insoluble in water containing a complex former dissolved in aqueous electrolyte; determining, during the charging operation, at predetermined time intervals the charging state of each of the electrochemical storages; and upon reaching a predetermined value of the charging state of a given electrochemical storage, interrupting the charging operation thereof; the step of determining the charging state of each storage entailing first interrupting an electrical connection between a charging current source for all of the storages and then determining the charging state of each storage; the step of interrupting an electrical connection between a charging current source for all of the storages being accomplished by activating respective switches; each of the respective switches a memory metal; and the step of activating each of the respective switches heating the memory metal.

Claim 20

A method of charging a multiplicity of electrochemical storages, comprising the steps of: at least periodically infeeding and outfeeding in a hydraulic parallel circuit aqueous electrolyte liquids to and from individual anode and cathode spaces of each storage; charging each storage in order to separate at the cathode a layer of metallic zinc and at the anode bromine which is converted by a complex former dissolved in aqueous electrolyte into a complex which is essentially insoluble in water containing a complex former dissolved in aqueous electrolyte; determining, during the charging operation, at predetermined time intervals the charging state of each of the electrochemical storages; upon reaching a predetermined value of the charging state of a given electrochemical storage interrupting the charging operation thereof; connecting the storages in series; and altering the sequence of the series connection of the storages.

Claim 21

A method of charging a multiplicity of electrochemical storages, comprising the steps of: at least periodically infeeding and outfeeding in a hydraulic parallel circuit aqueous electrolyte liquids to and from individual anode and cathode spaces of each storage; charging each storage in order to separate at the cathode a layer of metallic zinc and at the anode bromine which is converted by a complex former dissolved in aqueous electrolyte into a complex which is essentially insoluble in water containing a complex former dissolved in aqueous electrolyte; determining, during the charging operation, at predetermined time intervals the charging state of each of the electrochemical storages; upon reaching a predetermined value of the charging state of a given electrochemical storage interrupting the charging operation thereof; connecting the storages in series; and altering the sequence of the series connection of the storages.

Claim 24

A method of charging a multiplicity of electrochemical storages, in particular cells, cell stacks, and batteries, wherein at each storage there is at least periodically infed to and outfed from individual anode and cathode spaces of each storage, in a hydraulic parallel circuit, aqueous electrolyte liquids, and during charging of the storages there is separated at the cathode metallic zinc as a layer and at the anode bromine which is converted by a complex former dissolved in aqueous electrolyte into a complex which is essentially insoluble in water, each electrolyte liquid being provided with a separate circuit and separate supply container and pump means, the improvement comprising the steps of: determining, during the charging operation, at predetermined time intervals the charging state of each of the electrochemical storages; upon reaching a predetermined value of the charging state of a given electrochemical storage interrupting the charging operation thereof; and decreasing the predetermined time intervals in length as the charging state of each of the electrochemical storages increases.

Claim 25

A method of charging a multiplicity of electrochemical storages, in particular cells, cell stacks, and batteries, wherein at each storage there is at least periodically infed to and outfed from individual anode and cathode spaces of each storage, in a hydraulic parallel circuit, aqueous electrolyte liquids, and during charging of the storages there is separated at the cathode metallic zinc as a layer and at the anode bromine which is converted by a complex former dissolved in aqueous electrolyte into a complex which is essentially insoluble in water, each electrolyte liquid being provided with a separate circuit and separate supply container and pump means, the improvement comprising the steps of: determining, during the charging operation, at predetermined time intervals the charging state of each of the electrochemical storages; upon reaching a predetermined value of the charging state of a given electrochemical storage interrupting the charging operation thereof; and decreasing the predetermined time intervals in length as the charging state of each of the electrochemical storages increases.