A metal-air battery may include a housing, at least one cathode disposed in the housing between an air space and an electrolyte space, and at least one metal anode disposed in the electrolyte space. The battery may also include an air path leading through the housing from an air inlet to an air outlet of the housing, both of which may be fluidically connected to the air space, and an air supply device for generating an air flow which may follow the air path and act upon the cathode. The battery may further include an electrolyte path leading through the housing from an electrolyte inlet to an electrolyte outlet of the housing, both of which may be fluidically connected to the electrolyte space, and an electrolyte supply device for producing an electrolyte flow which may follow the electrolyte path and act upon the anode and the cathode.

Improved charging performance for electrochemical devices such as batteries and supercapacitors is provided. A porous electrode is configured to have a lower electrode conductivity than the ion conductivity of the electrolyte disposed in pores of the electrode, in part or all of the electrode. This reduced electrode conductivity can be tailored to reduce ion depletion in the electrolyte. Modeling results show that the reduced ion depletion leads to decreased charging time. Further results show a negligible increase in total electrical loss, because increased loss in the electrode is compensated by reduced loss in the electrolyte. This approach is in sharp contrast to the conventional approach of simply maximizing electrode conductivity.

A reactor provided with a side wall, a top wall, a bottom wall, and electrolyte inlet, and an electrolyte outlet, a plurality of electrodes E.sub.x with x an integer between 1 and n, located in the reactor, the electrodes being in the form of cones and frusta, arranged alternately and fitted in such a way that the tapered part of each electrode is directed towards the top wall or the bottom wall of the reactor, the frusta coming into contact with the side wall, the apexes of the cones defining an axis passing through the open areas of the frusta.

A vent cap assembly for recombining water for a battery includes a cylindrical base having an upper portion and a lower portion. The lower portion configured to be inserted into a vent port. A cap encloses the cylindrical base. A catalyst component is received in the base configured to hydronate hydrogen and oxygen to water.

A device for restoring energy parameters of a battery is provided. The device includes a supporting frame, a controller, and a battery container configured to receive the battery therein, the battery container being operably coupled to a controlling inverter and a motor comprising a motor reductor. The controlling inverter is configured to regulate a rotational speed of the motor. The motor reductor is configured to facilitate rotation of the battery container. Methods of restoring energy parameters of a battery are also provided.

A film covered battery (1) has a flat shape with an outer cover member (5) formed of a laminate film to accommodate therein a battery element (4) together with an electrolytic solution. For reliable inspection of an insulation failure between a metal layer (52) of the laminate film and a negative electrode plate (42) of the battery element (4), an inspection test is performed on the film covered battery by a first inspection device (73) under a condition where pressure is applied to a center region of the outer cover member (5) by a first press bar (72); and an inspection test is performed on the film covered battery by a second inspection device (83) under a condition where pressure is applied to the remaining side regions of the outer cover member (5) by a second press bar (82).

An electrode plate, method for manufacturing an electrode plate, and method of testing an electrode plate enable efficient production of robust flowing electrolyte batteries. The method of testing an electrode plate includes forming a frangible portion in the electrode plate; providing a seal around a periphery of the electrode plate, wherein the periphery extends across the frangible portion; applying a gas adjacent a surface on a first side of the electrode plate; and detecting whether there is a presence of the gas adjacent a surface on a second side of the electrode plate, if the electrode plate passes testing, the frangible portion is removed from the electrode plate to define a cut-away region. The electrode plate is then positioned in a battery cell stack including a plurality of other electrode plates. A manifold is then attached to the cell stack adjacent the cut-away region of the electrode plate.

An electronic device including a protected component, a flexible positive temperature coefficient (PTC) device including a flexible sheet of PTC material coupled to a surface of the protected component, the flexible PTC device electrically connected to the protected component and adapted to arrest or mitigate electrical current flowing through the protected component upon the occurrence of an overcurrent condition, and a battery management system coupled to the flexible PTC device, the battery management system configured to measure a voltage across the flexible PTC device and to arrest or mitigate electrical current in the electronic device if the measured voltage across the flexible PTC device exceeds a predetermined threshold.

Secondary carbon batteries are attractive from an environmental perspective, as they have carbon-only electrodes and are therefore metal-free. Current invention refers to novel secondary carbon batteries with water-based brine electrolytes. These electrolytes have low toxicity, are not flammable, and allow for easy on-site battery recycling. The inventive carbon batteries feature graphite current collectors, activated carbon electrodes, and aqueous eutectic electrolytes comprising NaCl, KCl, MgCl.sub.2, or CaCl.sub.2). Further improvement of the batteries is performed by an initial repetitive charge-discharge cycling with subsequent replacement of the spent electrolyte. The improved secondary carbon batteries with the operating voltage of about 1.8 V can be used for electric storage utilities of renewable energy installations.

A method of improving electrode wetting of a battery of a portable electronic device, the method implemented by the portable electronic device or battery-stimulation apparatus thereof, the method comprising: applying a stimulation signal, being a fluctuating or alternating electrical signal, to at least one terminal of the battery to stimulate a mechanical response of electrodes of the battery.