| 摘要 |
Apparatus and methods for generating heat and electricity from the consumption of a variety of aluminum products comprise: (a) a reaction chamber containing an aqueous electrolyte solution and adapted for introduction therein of aluminum pieces of various shapes and sizes up to a certain maximum predetermined size and for effecting a chemical reaction between said aqueous electrolyte and said aluminum pieces yielding aluminum hydroxide and an intermediate reactant; (b) means for feeding said aluminum pieces into said reaction chamber in small quantities upon demand; (c) means for removing the heat generated in said chamber as a result of said reaction; (d) means for removing said aluminum hydroxide reaction product; and (e) means for oxidizing said intermediate reactant in an electrochemical cell, thereby generating electrical energy. The intermediate reactant is preferably hydrogen or zinc. The latter may be used in a slurry type zinc/air battery, whereas hydrogen is preferably reacted in conjunction with a nongaseous cathode reactant, which may be a liquid solution of an oxidant, such as hydrogen peroxide, or a solid, such as nickel dioxide. The latter may be regenerated either chemically, by immersion in an oxidizing solution, or electrically, by using the gaseous diffusion type of hydrogen electrode to also reduce oxygen from ambient air.
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