Abstract: The invention provides an array of blast-resistant partitions arranged to subdivide a predetermined space into a multiplicity of interconnected subspaces and thereby to substantially confine an explosive blast to one or more of the subspaces while protecting the remaining subspaces in the predetermined space.

Abstract: The invention provides a modular zinc air cell for use in an electrochemical zinc-air multi-cell battery, each cell being of the type provided with a housing having, two outer major surfaces, and two spaced-apart inner walls, the inner walls defining a first inner chamber for containing therein a zinc electrode, and in conjunction with the outer major surfaces defining two outer chambers for receiving reaction air; two generally planar, gas-permeable, but liquid-impermeable air electrodes, each of the electrodes being installed in a window-like opening provided in each of the inner walls, an electrolyte in contact with the zinc electrode and the air electrodes, and means for directing a flow of the reaction air into a first inlet provided in a first outer side surface of the housing through both of the outer chambers substantially in a uniform flow distribution across the outer faces of both of the air electrodes, and out of a second outlet provided in an opposite outer side surface of the housing.

Abstract: The invention provides An electrochemical zinc-air multi-cell battery, each cell being of the type provided with a housing having, two outer major surfaces, and two spaced-apart inner walls, the inner walls defining a first inner chamber for containing therein a zinc electrode, and in conjunction with the outer major surfaces defining two outer chambers for receiving reaction air; two generally planar, gas-permeable, but liquid-impermeable air electrodes, each of the electrodes being installed in a window-like opening provided in each of the inner walls, an electrolyte in contact with the zinc electrode and the air electrodes, means for directing a flow of the reaction air into a first inlet provided in a first outer side surface of the housing through both of the outer chambers substantially in a uniform flow distribution across the outer faces of both of the air electrodes, and out of a second outlet provided in an opposite outer side surface of the housing, and cooling air flow directing means for causing

Abstract: The invention provides an apparatus for removing zinc particle deposits from substantially the entire face of a major surface of an electrode in an electrochemical bath, the apparatus comprising a plate attached to actuating means for affecting relative movement between the plate and the major surface of the electrode, the plate being provided with a scraper blade-retaining slot along one of its edges, and further comprising a scraper blade removably inter-engaged with the slot, the blade extending from the slot towards the surface of the electrode, and extending substantially along the entire length of the major surface of the electrode, the actuating means being arranged to move the scraper from a first position to a second position in a first downward stroke to affect scraping of individual zinc particle deposits from substantially the entire face of the major surface of an adjacent electrode and then to return the blade from the second position to the first position in a second upward stroke.

Abstract: The invention provides an electrochemical zinc-air multi-cell battery, each cell being of the type provided with a housing having a base, two major surfaces and two minor surfaces, defining an interior space for containing therein a zinc electrode; at least one generally planar air permeable but liquid impermeable air electrode, each of the at least one air electrode being installed in a window opening provided in at least one of the major surfaces; an electrolyte in contact with the zinc electrode and the air electrode; and means for directing a flow of reaction air from a scrubber across the outer faces of two adjacently interfacing air electrodes; the battery further having cooling-air, flow-directing means comprising a pair of spaced-apart thin plates positioned between adjacent cells, each thin plate having similar dimensions to the major surfaces and means being provided for forcing cooling-air to flow between the pair of thin plates, the outer faces of the thin plates being arranged to be in contact wi

Abstract: A method for maximizing the effective life and utilization of CO.sub.2 -absorbent material in a scrubber system for removing carbon dioxide from an air inflow to a metal-air battery or fuel cell comprises providing, in such a battery, a housing including a gas inlet, a gas outlet, and at least one removable, gas-permeable container containing a CO.sub.2 -absorbent material, the container being positioned across the flow path of gas entering said inlet and exiting said outlet. After a predetermined utilization of the system, the at least one removable, gas-permeable container is removed therefrom and spent CO.sub.2 -absorbent material from the container is regenerated for reuse in the scrubber system, the regeneration including at least periodically removing accumulated Group 1a metal carbonate deposits.

Abstract: The invention provides an electrolyte cooling device for use in combination with a multi-cell metal-air battery, the device comprising an electrolyte reservoir divided into a smaller compartment and a larger compartment, the compartments being connected by a valve arranged to periodically allow flow of electrolyte from the smaller compartment to the larger compartment; a warm electrolyte liquid flow path leading from an electrolyte-holding volume of each cell of the battery to an inlet port of the smaller compartment; a cooled electrolyte liquid flow path leading from an outlet port of the larger compartment to the electrolyte-holding volume of each said cell of the battery; at least one cooling fluid conduit passing through the smaller compartment; and pumping means for circulating a cooling fluid through the conduit and through radiator means arranged for the disposal therefrom of heat.

Abstract: The invention provides a process for removing discharged active zinc-containing material from a mechanically rechargeable zinc battery anode, containing the same, the anode being of the type comprising a skeletal frame, including conductive metal and having a portion of a surface area thereof formed as open spaces, and an active zinc anode component compacted into a rigid static bed of active anode material encompassing the skeletal frame, and having two opposite major surfaces, the process comprising introducing the anode between a pair of spaced-apart first and second crusher plates, each of the crusher plates being provided with a plurality of pointed projections of varying heights and a plurality of recesses of varying depths, the crusher plates being aligned with each other to the effect that tips of projections of the first crusher plate substantially mutually occlude with recesses provided on the second crusher plate and tips of projections of the second crusher plate substantially mutually occlude wit

Abstract: The invention provides a scraper for removing deposits from a major surface of an electrode in an electrochemical bath. The scraper consists of a plate which moves across the electrode surface. The scraper is provided with a scraper blade-retaining slot along one of its edges, the slot being angled relative to the plane of the scraper with its opening extending towards the electrode surface. The scraper also has a scraper blade which is removable from inter-engagement with the slot. In use, the scraper removes deposits from a major surface of an electrode in an electro-chemical liquid-containing bath.

Abstract: A mechanically-rechargeable single-cell consumer electric battery for generating up to two volts, the battery being capable of electrical recharge. The battery including a replaceable zinc anode, a housing containing the anode and provided with an aperture sealed by a removable closure, the aperture being sufficiently large to allow removal and replacement therethrough of at least the zinc anode, a cathode selected from the group including a manganese dioxide electrode, a nickel hydroxide electrode, a silver oxide electrode, and an air electrode also contained in the housing, a non-spillable electrolyte in contact with both cathode and anode, and a separator system physically separating the anode from the cathode.

Abstract: The invention provides a metal-air battery-powered electric vehicle of the type having a motor powered by a plurality of metal-air cells wherein air is continuously provided to the cells by a blower system energized from a power source, in combination with a collision-activated switch for disconnecting the air blower system from the power source, wherein upon activation of the switch the air in the cell is immediately depleted and the battery is rendered substantially inert in less than 5 seconds.

Abstract: The invention provides a rigid reusable transport and storage vessel for retaining a plurality of anode cassettes of pressed zinc particles saturated with aqueous alkaline solution, and utilizable as an electric fuel in a zinc-air battery, the vessel having a sealably covered aperture and being provided with a hydrogen recombination device, the device being provided with an external surface at least part of which projects into the air surrounding the vessel for venting any hydrogen produced by the anode cassettes into the air surrounding the vessel, and the vessel being internally compartmentalized to contain a plurality of sealable internal compartments for retaining the plurality of anode cassettes, each of the internal compartments being provided with a gas non-return valve venting from the internal compartment to an interior space of the vessel for venting generated hydrogen from the cassettes via the gas non-return valve to the vessel for elimination via the hydrogen recombination device while preventing

Abstract: The invention provides a multi-cell, sealed, cooled, zinc-oxygen battery, comprising a container containing a plurality of bi-cells, each cell having a housing provided with two major surfaces and accommodating a pair of oppositely-disposed, spaced-apart, air-permeable, liquid-impermeable cathodes in the form of oxygen-reduction electrodes, and defining between themselves a cavity configured to accommodate an anode of the battery and electrolyte, substantial portions of the major surfaces of the housing being removed, thus exposing major portions of the oxygen-reduction electrodes, and wherein two major surfaces are partly recessed in such a way as to form, in conjunction with a similarly-recessed outer surface of a major wall of an adjacent cell housing, an inter-cathode gas space between adjacent cells with a plurality of oxygen access openings leading thereto; an anode positioned within the cavity and comprising an active zinc anode component compacted into a rigid static bed of active anode material of ti

Abstract: A modular cell for a multi-cell metal-air battery system, comprises a relatively flat cell housing having two major surfaces and accommodating a pair of oppositely disposed, spaced-apart, air-permeable, liquid-impermeable cathodes in the form of air electrodes defining between themselves a space open towards the upper edges of the cell housing and closed at the lateral edges and the bottom of the cell housing, the space being configured to accommodate an anode of said battery, substantial portions of the major surfaces of the housing being removed, thus exposing major portions of the air electrodes.

Abstract: The invention provides a multi-cell, sealed, zinc-oxygen battery, comprising a container containing (a) a plurality of bi-cells, each cell having a housing provided with two major surfaces and accommodating a pair of oppositely-disposed, spaced-apart, air-permeable, liquid-impermeable cathodes in the form of oxygen-reduction electrodes, and defining between themselves a cavity configured to accommodate an anode of the battery and electrolyte, substantial portions of the major surfaces of the housing being removed, thus exposing major portions of the oxygen electrodes, and wherein the two major surfaces are partly recessed in such a way as to form, in conjunction with a similarly-recessed outer surface of a major wall of an adjacent cell housing, an inter-cathode gas space between adjacent cells with a plurality of oxygen access openings leading thereto; (b) a dead space volume between inner surfaces of the housing and the plurality of bi-cells; and (c) pressurized oxygen supply means for feeding oxygen to the

Abstract: The invention provides a process for preparing a gas-diffusion electrode for metal-air batteries and fuel cells of the type having a blocking layer formed from a precursor containing carbon black and particulate hydrophobic polymeric binders, comprising heating the carbon black at a temperature of about 400.degree.-1,200.degree. C. for a period of about 1-10 hours in a reducing environment, prior to the formation of the precursor, whereby hydrophilic centers in the pre-treated carbon black are minimized without increasing its corrosivity/surface area and thereby increasing the stability in concentrated KOH at high-cell operating temperatures of a blocking layer formed from the pre-treated carbon black.

Abstract: The invention provides a process for supporting and cleaning a mesh anode bag of the type having one open end, one closed end, and being sealed along its lateral sides, the bag containing particles of discharged active zinc therein along its inner surfaces after the separation thereof from a discharged zinc anode, the process comprising placing the bag over a device comprising a hollow body having a liquid inlet at a first end and a plurality of liquid outlets at a second opposite end, the device being contoured and sized to be overridden by the bag, with the inner surfaces of the bag being in proximity to the outer surfaces of the body, and the plurality of outlets adjacent to the closed end of the bag, causing a flow of liquid via the inlet and through the body to the outlets, whereby liquid passing through the outlets flows around the outer surface of the body and along the inner surfaces of the bag, to entrain and remove therefrom the particles of zinc, and separating the bag from the device, as well as p

Abstract: The invention provides a water-activated, deferred-action battery having a housing containing at least one cell, comprising at least one anode selected from the group consisting of magnesium, aluminum, zinc and alloys thereof; a cathode comprising a skeletal frame including conductive metal and having a portion of its surface area formed as open spaces, and further comprising a heat-pressed, rigid static bed of active cathode material encompassing the skeletal frame, the cathode material being formed of cuprous chloride, sulfur, carbon and a water-ionizable salt and being compacted and fused under pressure and heat to itself and to the skeletal frame, to form a heat-fused, conductive, electrochemically active phase; at least one cavity separating the cathode and the at least one anode, and at least one aperture leading to the at least one cavity for the ingress of an electrolyte-forming, aqueous liquid.

Abstract: An electrochemically prepared, high-performance, zinc powder has an apparent density of about 0.2-2 g/cc and a surface area of about 0.5-6 m.sup.2 /gm and further has at least one corrosion inhibitor metal intrinsically alloyed therein.

Abstract: A mechanically rechargeable, electrochemical metal-air battery of the type having a plurality of metal-air cells, each of said cells comprising (a) a housing having a base, two major surfaces and two minor surfaces, defining an interior space for containing therein a replaceable metal electrode having an electrically conductive skeletal member encompassed by an active metal component, the interior space communicating with an opening opposite the base through which the replaceable metal electrode is selectively removed to enable the mechanical replacement thereof with a freshly charged metal electrode; (b) at least one generally planar, air permeable but liquid impermeable, air electrode, each of the electrodes being installed in a window-like opening provided in at least one of the major surfaces; and (c) an electrolyte in contact with the metal and air electrodes; the improvement comprising a first woven mesh separator attached to an inner, electrolyte-facing surface of each of the air electrodes and a secon