DIFFUSION CONTROLLED AIR VENT AND RECIRCULATION AIR MANAGER FOR A METAL-AIR BATTERY

摘要

A ventilation system for a metal-air battery having a housing for enclosing at least one metal-air cell (10). The housing (20) has at least one air inlet opening (30) and at least one air outlet opening (35). A fan (40) is positioned to force air into the air inlet opening and out of the air outlet opening when the fan is turned on. The openings are sized with a length in t he direction through the thickness of the housing being greater than a width in the direction perpendicular to the thickness of the housing. The openings ar e unobstructed and are sized to eliminate substantially the air flow into the air inlet opening and out of the air outlet opening when the fan is turned off. According to another aspect of the invention, a fan (80) within the battery housing (72) is positioned to distribute air to two separate sets (7 6- 79) of metal-air cells at the same time. In this configuration, all cells of both sets of cells receive air quickly, and the air received is richer in oxygen because the air paths are shorter than in previous configurations utilizing the same number of cells.