Air cell cartridge and air cell system

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10297871-B2
Application number	US-201314383785-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Mar 5, 2013
Priority date	Mar 9, 2012
Publication date	May 21, 2019
Grant date	May 21, 2019

Abstract

An object is to prevent leakage of an electrolysis solution and reduce pressure loss. All air cell cartridge includes a plurality of air cells each including a positive electrode material, a negative electrode material and an electrolysis solution layer holding an electrolysis solution and interposed between the positive electrode material and the negative electrode material and each being provided with an air flow path through which air passes so as to come into contact with the positive electrode material, wherein a leakage prevention material (S) is provided to absorb the electrolysis solution leaked from the electrolysis solution layer and swell so as to block up the air flow path (20).

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. An air cell cartridge, comprising:
a plurality of air cells each including
a positive electrode material,
a negative electrode material, and
an electrolysis solution layer holding an electrolysis solution and interposed between the positive electrode material and the negative electrode material,

the plurality of air cells being provided with an air flow path through which air passes so as to come into contact with the positive electrode material, the air cells being arranged to overlap such that the air flow path is formed between the air cells,
wherein a leakage prevention material is provided in the air flow path to absorb electrolysis solution leaked from the electrolysis solution layer and to swell so as to block the air flow path,
wherein the leakage prevention material is disposed on an inner circumference of the air flow path such that the leakage prevention material does not block off the air flow path in a non-swelling state, and is configured to absorb the electrolysis solution and to swell so as to block off the air flow path in a swelling state,
wherein a cross-sectional area of the leakage prevention material in the non-swelling state is 1/20 to ½ of a cross-sectional area of the air flow path, and
wherein the leakage prevention material contains an inorganic salt forming hydrate.

2. The air cell cartridge according to claim 1 , wherein the leakage prevention material is placed in the air flow path on either an intake port side or a discharge port side or on both the intake port side and the discharge port side.

3. The air cell cartridge according to claim 1 , wherein the leakage prevention material is a mixture of a polymer and the inorganic salt.

4. The air cell cartridge according to claim 1 , wherein the air cells are connected to each other in series or in parallel.

5. An air cell cartridge comprising the air cells according to claim 1 which are injection-type air cells.

6. The air cell cartridge according to claim 1 , wherein:
the air flow path comprises a plurality of air flow paths, and
at least one of the plurality of air flow paths is divided by a plurality of partitions.

7. The air cell cartridge according to claim 6 , wherein a filter is not provided in one or more of the plurality of air flow paths.

8. The air cell cartridge according to claim 1 , wherein the leakage prevention material is provided at a plurality of points at intervals in a circumferential direction of the air flow path.

9. The air cell cartridge according to claim 1 , wherein the air flow path comprises an intake port and a discharge port, and the leakage prevention material is placed on an intake port side or a discharge port side in the air flow path.

10. An air cell system, comprising:
an air cell cartridge comprising
a plurality of air cells, each including
a positive electrode material,
a negative electrode material, and
an electrolysis solution layer holding an electrolysis solution and interposed between the positive electrode material and the negative electrode material,

the plurality of air cells being provided with an air flow path through which air passes so as to come into contact with the positive electrode material, the air cells being arranged to overlap such that the air flow path is formed between the air cells,

wherein an air supply pipe arranged outside the air cell cartridge and configured to supply air to the air cell cartridge includes
a leakage prevention material configured to absorb electrolysis solution leaked from the electrolysis solution layer and to swell so as to block the air supply pipe;
a leakage detection sensor configured to detect leakage of the electrolysis solution from the air cell cartridge; and
a switching valve configured to block the air supply pipe,

wherein the air cell system further comprises a first air flow blocking control unit configured to close the switching valve to block the air supply pipe when the leakage detection sensor detects the leakage of the electrolysis solution,
wherein the leakage prevention material is disposed on an inner circumference of the air supply pipe such that the leakage prevention material does not block off the air supply pipe in a non-swelling state, and is configured to absorb the electrolysis solution and to swell so as to block off the air supply pipe in a swelling state,
wherein a cross-sectional area of the leakage prevention material in the non-swelling state is 1/20 to ½ of a cross-sectional area of the air supply pipe, and
wherein the leakage prevention material contains an inorganic salt forming hydrate.

11. The air cell system according to claim 10 , wherein the leakage detection sensor is positioned closer to the air cell cartridge than the leakage prevention material.

12. The air cell system according to claim 10 , further comprising:
a pressure detection sensor installed in the air supply pipe; and
a second air flow blocking control unit configured to close the switching valve to block the air supply pipe when the pressure detection sensor detects an increase in pressure in the air supply pipe.

13. The air cell system according to claim 12 , wherein the pressure detection sensor is positioned closer to the air cell cartridge than the leakage prevention material.

14. The air cell system according to claim 10 , wherein:
the air flow path comprises a plurality of air flow paths, and
one or more of the plurality of air flow paths is divided by a plurality of partitions.

15. The air cell system according to claim 10 , wherein the leakage prevention material is placed at a plurality of points along the air supply pipe.

16. The air cell system according to claim 10 , wherein the leakage prevention material is provided at a plurality of points at intervals in a circumferential direction of the air supply pipe.

17. The air cell system according to claim 10 , wherein the air supply pipe comprises an intake port and a discharge port, and the leakage prevention material is placed on an intake port side or a discharge port side in the air supply pipe.

Assignees

• Nissan Motor

Inventors

• Nagayama Mori
• Miyazawa Atsushi
• Tsukada Yoshiko

Classifications

• H01M8/04208

  Cartridges, cryogenic media or cryogenic reservoirs · CPC title

• H01M2/0255

  Electricity · mapped topic

• H01M10/4228 Primary

  Leak testing of cells or batteries · CPC title

• H01M12/08

  composed of a half-cell of a fuel-cell type and a half-cell of the secondary-cell type · CPC title

• H01M2/08

  Electricity · mapped topic