US 11,916,260 B2
Injection of water in electrochemical systems
Thomas B. Milnes, Beverly, MA (US); Ian McKay, Seattle, WA (US); and Thomas Humplik, Albuquerque, NM (US)
Assigned to L3Harris Open Water Power, Inc., Somerville, MA (US)
Appl. No. 15/508,927
Filed by L3 Open Water Power, Inc., Somerville, MA (US)
PCT Filed Sep. 2, 2015, PCT No. PCT/US2015/048046
§ 371(c)(1), (2) Date Mar. 5, 2017,
PCT Pub. No. WO2016/036795, PCT Pub. Date Mar. 10, 2016.
Claims priority of provisional application 62/046,481, filed on Sep. 5, 2014.
Prior Publication US 2017/0279127 A1, Sep. 28, 2017
Int. Cl. H01M 10/44 (2006.01); H01M 6/34 (2006.01); H01M 8/04186 (2016.01); H01M 8/22 (2006.01); H01M 8/04119 (2016.01)
CPC H01M 6/34 (2013.01) [H01M 8/04149 (2013.01); H01M 8/04186 (2013.01); H01M 8/227 (2013.01)] 20 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. An apparatus for transporting water into an electrochemical cell, comprising:
a housing defining a housing interior and comprising an inlet and an outlet;
an osmotic medium associated with the inlet and defining an interface between the housing interior and an environment external to the housing, such that the housing is configured to be submerged in the external environment, wherein the osmotic medium is configured to:
separate water from a solute in the environment surrounding the housing;
purify the water;
transport the purified water through the osmotic medium to the housing interior; and
restrict transport of the solute through the osmotic medium;
a pressure-activated valve associated with the outlet and defining an interface between the housing interior and an electrochemical cell interior;
an anode within the electrochemical cell interior; and
a cathode within the electrochemical cell interior, wherein there is no obstruction between the anode and the cathode.