Electrochemical system for storing electricity in metals

Abstract

An electrochemical cell system, including: a housing; an electrolyte disposed in the housing; a plurality of discharging cathodes immersed in the electrolyte and a plurality of first spaces between the discharging cathodes, a metallic material, when placed in the first spaces, forms a plurality of discharging anodes; an electrochemical system, including: a housing, an electrolyte disposed in the housing, a discharging assembly immersed in the electrolyte including one or more discharging cathodes and a first space amid the discharging cathodes and the interior surface of the housing, a metallic material, wherein the first space contains the metallic material to form one or more discharging anodes, and a second space above the discharging assembly contains the metallic material in excess of the portion in the first space; and methods of simultaneous charging and discharging.

What is claimed is: 
     
       1. An electrochemical cell system, comprising:
 a housing; 
 an electrolyte disposed in the housing; 
 a plurality ofone or more discharging cathodes immersed in the same body of electrolyte and a plurality of first spaces between space adjacent and exterior to the one or more discharging cathodes, a cavity formed inside each of the plurality of one or more discharging cathodes, air or an oxygen-containing gas passing through the cavity, and an exterior surface of each of the plurality of discharging cathodes exposed to the electrolyte,;  
 a single second space above the plurality of first spaces space and above the plurality of one or more discharging cathodes, the single second space communicative with the plurality of first spaces space; and 
 a single discharging anode formed by a continuous body of metallic material placed in the single second space and the plurality of first spaces space. 
 
     
     
       2. The electrochemical cell system of  claim 1 , wherein the one or more discharging cathodes comprise a tapered profile, the top being narrower than the bottom. 
     
     
       3. The electrochemical cell system of  claim 1 , wherein the portion of the housing in contact with the electrolyte is impermeable to air. 
     
     
       4. The electrochemical cell system of  claim 1 , wherein each of the one or more discharging cathodes is removable from the housing. 
     
     
       5. The electrochemical cell system of  claim 1 , wherein each of the one or more discharging cathodes comprises the cavity enveloped by one or more oxygen membrane electrodes. 
     
     
       6. The electrochemical cell system of  claim 1 , wherein each of the one or more discharging cathodes comprises:
 (a) one or more oxygen electrodes, 
 (b) the cavity being enclosed by the oxygen electrodes, 
 (c) an inlet passing the air or the oxygen-containing gas into the cavity, and 
 (d) an outlet passing the air or the oxygen-containing gas out of the cavity. 
 
     
     
       7. The electrochemical cell system of  claim 1 , wherein the metallic material comprises a metal selected from the group consisting of zinc, aluminum, iron, lead, magnesium, bismuth, indium, tin, antimony, cadmium or an alloy of the metalcadmium, and alloys thereof. 
     
     
       8. The electrochemical cell system of  claim 1 , further comprising a chamber in fluid communications with the first spaces. 
     
     
       9. The electrochemical cell system of  claim 1 , further comprising a charging cell comprising:
 (a) a container, 
 (b) an electrolyte disposed in the container, and 
 (c) a charging assembly comprising at least one charging anode and one charging cathode immersed in the electrolyte to generate the metallic material by electro deposition. 
 
     
     
       10. The electrochemical cell system of  claim 9 , further comprising one or more pumps for transport of the metallic material and electrolyte between the housing and the container. 
     
     
       11. The electrochemical cell system of  claim 1  , wherein at least one of the one or more discharging cathodes comprises a frame covered with at least one oxygen membrane electrode forming the cavity, and an inlet and outlet for passage of oxygen or an oxygen containing gas in and out of the cavity. 
     
     
       12. The electrochemical cell system of  claim 1 , further comprising a pump for circulating the electrolyte through the first space. 
     
     
       13. The electrochemical cell system of  claim 1 , further comprising at least one chamber in proximity of the discharging assembly and is in electrolytic communication with the first space and the second space. 
     
     
       14. The electrochemical cell system of  claim 1 , wherein the system is a metal fuel cell
 (a) fueled by loading the metallic material and the electrolyte into the first space and the second space and 
 (b) refueled at the end of discharging by
 (i) removing the discharged metallic material and electrolyte from the housing and 
 (ii) loading in the first space and the second space with the metallic material and the electrolyte. 
 
 
     
     
       15. The electrochemical cell system of  claim 1 , further comprising a charging assembly disposed in the housing and at least partially immersed in the electrolyte, the charging assembly having at least one charging anode and one charging cathode for generating the metallic material through electrodeposition. 
     
     
       16. The electrochemical cell system of  claim 15 , wherein the charging assembly is above the discharging assembly. 
     
     
       17. The electrochemical cell system of  claim 15 , further comprising a chemical agent for the electrochemical reactions on the positive electrodes of the charging assembly and discharging assembly, and the chemical agent is selected from a group consisting of oxygen, bromine, chlorine, iron salts, vanadium salts, chromium salts, titanium salts, and cerium salts. 
     
     
       18. The electrochemical cell system of  claim 15  used for simultaneous charging and discharging. 
     
     
       19. The electrochemical cell system of  claim 1 , wherein each of the one or more discharging cathodes comprises:
 (a) a frame; 
 (b) at least two oxygen electrodes respectively attached to at least two sides of the frame, the cavity being enclosed by the at least two oxygen electrodes; 
 (c) an inlet passing the air or the oxygen-containing gas into the cavity, and 
 (d) an outlet passing the air or the oxygen-containing gas out of the cavity. 
 
     
     
       20. The electrochemical cell system of  claim 19 , further comprising a separator covering an exterior surface of each of the at least two oxygen electrodes.