Claims
- 1. A metal-air fuel cell battery (FCB) system, comprising:
first and second power supply terminals for receiving electrical power generated from a supply of metal-fuel tape at a prespecified output voltage; a supply of metal-fuel tape wound on a supply spindle and taken up on a take-up spindle; metal-fuel tape configuration means for configuring said metal fuel tape within a predetermined space along a folded path that allows a plurality of discharging heads to be configured about said metal-fuel tape during tape discharging operations; and a plurality of discharging heads for producing electrical power from said supply of metal-fuel tape as said metal-fuel tape is transported through each said discharging head during tape discharging operations.
- 2. The metal-air fuel cell battery of claim I, wherein each said discharging head comprises:
a cathode support structure supporting an electrically-conductive cathode element pervious to oxygen; anode-contacting structure supporting an electrically-conductive anode-contacting element for establishing electrical contact with said metal-fuel tape; and an ionic medium for providing a source of ions between said electrically-conductive cathode element and electrically-conductive anode-contacting element associated with said discharging head.
- 3. The metal-air fuel cell battery of claim 2, which further comprises
tape transport means for transporting said metal-fuel tape past each said cathode support structure and said anode-contacting element, while said ionic medium is disposed between said metal-fuel tape and said electrically-conductive cathode element.
- 4. The metal-air fuel cell battery system of claim 3, wherein said supply spindle and said take-up spindle are driven by a motor.
- 5. The metal-air fuel cell battery system of claim 4, wherein said electric motor is an electric motor.
- 6. A metal-air fuel cell battery (FCB) system, comprising:
first and second power supply terminals for receiving electrical power supplied from an electrical power supply at a prespecified input voltage; a supply of metal-fuel tape wound on a supply spindle and taken up on a take-up spindle; metal-fuel tape configuration means for configuring said metal fuel tape within a predetermined space along a folded path that allows a plurality of recharging heads to be configured about said metal-fuel tape during tape recharging operations; and a plurality of recharging heads for receiving electrical power from said electrical power supply as said metal-fuel tape is transported through each said recharging head during tape recharging operations.
- 7. The metal-air fuel cell battery of claim 6, wherein each said recharging head comprises:
a cathode support structure supporting an electrically-conductive cathode element pervious to oxygen; anode-contacting structure supporting an electrically-conductive anode-contacting element for establishing electrical contact with said metal-fuel tape; and an ionic medium for providing a source of ions between said electrically-conductive cathode element and electrically-conductive anode-contacting element associated with said recharging head.
- 8. The metal-air fuel cell battery of claim 7, which further comprises tape transport means for transporting said metal-fuel tape past each said cathode support structure and said anode-contacting element, while said ionic medium is disposed between said metal-fuel tape and said electrically-conductive cathode element.
- 9. The metal-air fuel cell battery system of claim 6, wherein said supply spindle and said take-up spindle are driven by a motor.
- 10. The metal-air fuel cell battery system of claim 9, wherein said electric motor is an electric motor.
- 11. A metal-air fuel cell battery system for producing electrical power from a supply of metal-fuel tape transported between a pair of supply and take-up reels, comprising:
a mechanism for extending the path-length of oxidized metal-fuel tape during recharging operations so that a plurality of recharging heads can be selectively arranged about the extended path-length of metal-fuel tape during recharging operations.
- 12. A metal-air fuel cell battery system comprising:
a Metal-Fuel Tape Discharging Subsystem; a Metal-Fuel Tape Recharging Subsystem integrated with said Metal-Fuel Tape Discharging Subsystem; and a tape path-length extension mechanism employed in said Metal-Fuel Tape Recharging Subsystem for extending oxidized metal-fuel tape over a path-length which is substantially greater than the path-length maintained by the tape path-length extension mechanism in said Metal-Fuel Tape Discharging Subsystem (i.e. ARecharge>>Adischarge)
- 13. A metal-air fuel cell battery system comprising:
means for discharging and recharging metal-fuel tape in a single hybrid-type subsystem, wherein a tape path-length extension mechanism is employed therein for extending metal-fuel tape to be recharged over a path which is substantially greater than the path maintained for metal-fuel tape to be discharged.
- 14. A metal-air fuel cell battery system comprising:
means for discharging and recharging metal-fuel tape in a single hybrid-type subsystem, wherein the discharging heads and recharging heads of said subsystem are arranged about the extended path-length of metal-fuel tape to enable simultaneous discharging and recharging operations.
RELATED CASES
[0001] This is a Continuation-in-Part of: copending Application No. ______ entitled “METAL-AIR FUEL CELL BATTERY SYSTEM EMPLOYING A PLURALITY OF MOVING CATHODE STRUCTURES FOR IMPROVED VOLUMETRIC POWER DENSITY” filed Jul. 3, 1998 by Sadeg M. Faris, Tsepin Tsai, Thomas J. Legbandt, Wayne Yao, and Muguo Chen; copending Application No. ______ entitled “METAL-AIR FUEL CELL BATTERY SYSTEM EMPLOYING METAL-FUEL TAPE AND LOW-FRICTION CATHODE STRUCTURES” filed Jul. 3, 1998 by Sadeg M. Faris, Tsepin Tsai, Thomas J. Legbandt, Wayne Yao, and Muguo Chen; copending application Ser. No. 09/074337 entitled “METAL-AIR FUEL-CELL BATTERY SYSTEM HAVING MEANS FOR MANAGING AVAILABILITY OF METAL-FUEL THEREWITHIN” filed May 7, 1998; copending application Ser. No. 08/944,507 entitled “High-Power Density Metal-Air Fuel Cell Battery System” by Sadeg Faris, et al. filed Oct. 6, 1997, said application being assigned to Reveo, Inc. and incorporated herein by reference in its entirely.
Continuations (1)
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Continuation in Parts (4)
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