Metal-air fuel cell battery system having means for bi-directionally transporting metal-fuel tape and managing metal-fuel available therealong

Abstract

Disclosed is a metal-air fuel cell battery system, wherein metal-fuel tape can be transported through its discharging head assembly as well as its recharging head assembly in a bi-directional manner while the availability of metal-fuel therealong is automatically managed in order to improve the performance of the system.

What is claimed is:  
     
         1 . A metal-air fuel cell battery system having a discharging mode of operation, comprising: 
 a supply of metal-fuel tape wound on a supply spindle and taken up on a take-up spindle, and having a plurality of zones predefined along the length of said metal-fuel tape;    power supply terminals for delivering to an electrical load electrical power generated from said supply of metal-fuel tape at a specified output voltage;    a discharging head assembly for producing electrical power from said supply of metal-fuel tape as said metal-fuel tape is transported through said discharging head assembly during said discharging mode of operation;    a bi-directional tape transport mechanism for transporting said metal-fuel tape thr V ough said discharging head assembly at a selected speed and direction relative to said discharging head assembly;    metal-fuel determination means for determining the availability of metal-fuel along said zones of metal-fuel tape during said discharging mode of operation; and    control means for controlling said bi-directional tape transport mechanism in response to said fuel determination means.    
     
     
         2 . The metal-air fuel cell battery of  claim 1 , wherein said metal-fuel tape is transported through said discharge head assembly at a speed and direction relative to said discharging head assembly that ensures that metal-fuel of sufficient quantity is present along said metal-fuel tape for use in generating electrical power across said power supply terminals.  
     
     
         3 . The metal-air fuel cell battery system of  claim 1 , wherein said discharging head assembly 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 assembly.    
     
     
         4 . The metal-air fuel cell battery system of  claim 3 , wherein said bi-directional tape transport means comprises 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.  
     
     
         5 . The metal-air fuel cell battery system of  claim 1 , wherein said supply spindle and said take-up spindle are driven by a motor.  
     
     
         6 . The metal-air fuel cell battery system of  claim 5 , wherein said motor is an electric motor.  
     
     
         7 . The metal-air fuel cell battery system of  claim 1 , wherein said supply of metal-fuel tape to be discharged comprises multiple metal-fuel tracks for use in generating different output voltages from said metal-air fuel cell battery system.  
     
     
         8 . The metal-air fuel cell battery system of  claim 1 , wherein each said zone of metal fuel predefined along the length of said metal-fuel tape is labelled with a digital code, through optical or magnetic means, for enabling the recording of discharge-related data and the computation of metal-fuel availability along said supply of metal-fuel tape during said discharging mode of operation.  
     
     
         9 . The metal-air fuel cell battery system of  claim 8 , wherein said discharge-related data is recorded a memory storage device.  
     
     
         10 . The metal-air fuel cell battery system of  claim 9 , wherein said memory storage device is operably connected to said control means.  
     
     
         11 . A metal-air fuel cell battery system having a recharging mode of operation, comprising: 
 power supply terminals for receiving electrical power supplied from an electrical power supply at a specified input voltage;    a supply of metal-fuel tape wound on a supply spindle and taken up on a take-up spindle, and having a plurality of predefined zones demarcated along the length of said metal-fuel tape;    a recharging head assembly for receiving electrical power from said electrical supply as said metal-fuel tape is transported through said recharging head assembly during said recharging mode of operation;    a bi-directional tape transport mechanism for transporting said metal-fuel tape through said recharging head assembly at a selected speed and direction relative to said recharging head assembly;    metal-oxide determination means for determining the presence of metal-oxide along said zones of metal-fuel tape during said recharging mode of operation; and    control means for controlling said bi-directional tape transport mechanism in response to said metal-oxide determination means.    
     
     
         12 . The metal-air fuel cell battery of  claim 11 , wherein said metal-fuel tape is transported through said recharge head assembly at a speed and direction relative to said recharging head assembly that ensures that metal-oxide of sufficient quantity is present along said metal-fuel tape for conversion into metal-fuel during said recharging mode of operation.  
     
     
         13 . The metal-air fuel cell battery of  claim 11 , wherein said recharging head assembly 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 assembly.    
     
     
         14 . The metal-air fuel cell battery of  claim 11 , wherein said bi-directional tape transport means comprises means for transporting said metal-fuel tape past 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.  
     
     
         15 . The metal-air fuel cell battery system of  claim 1   1 , wherein said supply spindle and said take-up spindle are driven by a motor.  
     
     
         16 . The metal-air fuel cell battery system of  claim 15 , wherein said motor is an electric motor.  
     
     
         17 . The metal-air fuel cell battery system of  claim 11 , wherein metal-fuel tape to be recharged comprises multiple metal-fuel tracks for use in generating different output voltages from said metal-air fuel-cell battery system.  
     
     
         18 . The metal-air fuel cell battery system of  claim 11 , wherein each zone of metal fuel predefined along the length of said metal-fuel tape is labelled with a digital code, through optical or magnetic means, for enabling the recording of recharge-related data and the computation of metal-oxide presence along said supply of metal-fuel tape during recharging operations.  
     
     
         19 . The metal-air fuel cell battery system of  claim 18 , wherein said recharge-related data is recorded a memory storage device.  
     
     
         20 . The metal-air fuel cell battery system of  claim 19 , wherein said memory storage device is operably connected to said control means.  
     
     
         21 . A metal-air fuel cell battery system having a discharging mode of operation, comprising: a tape transport mechanism for transporting metal-fuel tape through a discharging head assembly in a bi-directional manner; and 
 metal-fuel management means for automatically managing the availability of metal-fuel along said metal-fuel tape in order to improve the performance of the system during said discharging mode of operation.    
     
     
         22 . A metal-air fuel cell battery system having a recharging mode of operation, comprising: 
 a tape transport mechanism for transporting metal-fuel tape through a recharging head assembly in a bi-directional manner; and    metal-oxide management means for automatically managing the presence of metal-oxide along said metal-fuel tape in order to improve the performance of the system during said recharging mode of operation.    
     
     
         23 . A method of generating electrical power from a metal-air fuel cell battery system having a discharging mode of operation, said method comprising the steps of: 
 (a) supplying metal-fuel tape wound on a supply spindle and a take-up spindle, and having a plurality of zones predefined along the length of said metal-fuel tape;    (b) producing electrical power from said supply of metal-fuel tape as said metal-fuel tape is transported through a discharging head assembly during said discharging mode of operation;    (c) transporting said metal-fuel tape through said discharging head assembly at a selected speed and direction relative to said discharging head assembly;    (d) determining the availability of metal-fuel along said predefined zones of metal-fuel tape during said discharging mode of operation; and    (e) controlling said bi-directional tape transport in step (c) in response to said fuel determination in step (d) so that metal-fuel tape is transported through said discharge head assembly at a speed and direction relative to said discharge head assembly that ensures that metal-fuel of sufficient quantity is present along said metal-fuel tape for use in generating electrical power from said metal-fuel cell battery system.    
     
     
         24 . A method of recharging metal-fuel tape using a metal-air fuel cell battery system having a recharging mode of operation, said method comprising the steps of: 
 (a) supplying metal-fuel tape wound on a supply spindle and a take-up spindle, and having a plurality of zones predefined along the length of said metal-fuel tape;    (b) receiving electrical power from an electrical supply as said metal-fuel tape is transported through a recharging head assembly during said recharging mode of operation;    (c) transporting said metal-fuel tape through said recharging head assembly at a selected speed and direction relative to said recharging head assembly;    (d) determining the presence of metal-oxide along said predefined zones of metal-fuel tape during said recharging mode of operation; and    (e) controlling said bi-directional tape transport in step (c) in response to said metal-oxide determination in step (d) so that metal-fuel tape is transported through said recharge head assembly at a speed and direction relative to said recharge head assembly that ensures that metal-oxide of sufficient quantity is present along said metal-fuel tape for conversion into metal-fuel during said recharging mode of operation.