Abstract: The invention provides an electrochemical cell having a housing in the form of a canister having a floor and at least one side wall, and an open end opposite the floor, the open end being closed off by a closure and the closure having a periphery connected to the canister at its open end. The cell has a pair of electrodes respectively provided, at the open end of the housing, with electrode terminals. One of said terminals is an outer terminal electronically continuous with the housing at the periphery of the closure, the housing forming a current collector for one of the electrodes. The other terminal is a central terminal electronically continuous with a separate current collector for the other electrode, which separate current collector projects longitudinally inwardly from the cell closure, radially inwardly of the periphery of the closure, being electronically insulated from the housing.

Abstract: A method of making an electrochemical cell comprises loading into a cathode compartment of a cell housing comprising also an anode compartment containing at the operating temperature of the cell and when the cell is in its charged state, a molten alkali metal, M, anode, the anode compartment being separated from the cathode compartment by a suitable separator, a molten salt electrolyte having the formula MAlHal.sub.4 wherein Hal is a halide other than Br; an active cathode substance which includes a transition metal T selected from the group comprising Fe, Ni, Co, Cr, Mn and mixtures thereof; an alkali metal halide MHal; and a minor proportion of MBr thereby to make an electrochemical cell precursor. The precursor is charged at a temperature at which the molten salt electrolyte and alkali metal M are molten, thereby to halogenate the active cathode substance, with alkali metal being produced and passing through the separator into the anode compartment.

Abstract: The invention provides a high temperature electrochemical power storage cell which has a cathode compartment containing a molten alkali metal aluminium halide molten salt electrolyte and a cathode which comprises an electronically conductive electrolyte-permeable porous matrix. The matrix has, dispersed therein, an active cathode substance THal.sub.2 in which Hal is the halide of the electrolyte and T is a transition metal selected from Fe, Ni, Co, Cr, Mn and mixtures thereof, the matrix being impregnated with said molten electrolyte. The matrix comprises the transition metal T of the active cathode substance in porous form and the cathode includes, embedded in the matrix, a metallic current collector having a coating thereon which is chemically and electrochemically inert in the cell environment and is electronically conductive, the metal of the current collector being no more noble than any transition metal of the active cathode substance.

Abstract: A high temperature rechargeable electrochemical power storage cell comprises an anode compartment containing a molten alkali metal anode; a cathode compartment containing an alkali metal aluminum halide molten salt electrolyte, and a cathode which comprises an electronically conductive electrolyte-permeable porous matrix which has dispersed therein an active cathode substance, with the matrix being impregnated with said molten electrolyte; a separator separating the anode compartment from the electrolyte; and at least one bimetallic current collector in one of the cell compartments. The bimetallic current collector is such that, when the cell is at ambient temperature, the current collector is in a first non-deformed configuration. However, when the cell is at its normal operating temperature, the current collector is in a second deformed configuration.

Abstract: A high temperature rechargeable electrochemical cell which comprises a cell housing divided by a separator into an anode compartment and a cathode compartment. The anode compartment contains an active anode substance which is a molten alkali metal M, the separator being capable of conducting ions of the alkali metal of the anode therethrough. The cathode compartment contains a cathode comprising an electronically conductive electrolyte-permeable porous matrix having, dispersed therein, a solid active cathode substance the matrix being impregnated with a molten salt electrolyte. The cathode comprises also, in contact with the matrix, a porous, electrolyte-permeable reservoir of material which is electrochemically and chemically inert in the cathode environment, said reservoir having an ability to wick the molten salt electrolyte at the operating temperature of the cell which ability is less than the ability of the matrix to wick said molten salt electrolyte.