US 12,334,532 B2
Metal air scavenger—an energy harvesting technology for powering electronics and robotics
James Henry Pikul, Philadelphia, PA (US); and Min Wang, Philadelphia, PA (US)
Assigned to The Trustees of the University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA (US)
Appl. No. 17/428,996
Filed by THE TRUSTEES OF THE UNIVERSITY OF PENNSYLVANIA, Philadelphia, PA (US)
PCT Filed Feb. 12, 2020, PCT No. PCT/US2020/017952
§ 371(c)(1), (2) Date Aug. 6, 2021,
PCT Pub. No. WO2020/167965, PCT Pub. Date Aug. 20, 2020.
Claims priority of provisional application 62/804,345, filed on Feb. 12, 2019.
Prior Publication US 2022/0190409 A1, Jun. 16, 2022
Int. Cl. H01M 12/06 (2006.01); H01M 8/22 (2006.01)
CPC H01M 12/065 (2013.01) [H01M 8/22 (2013.01); H01M 2250/20 (2013.01)] 22 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A power cell, comprising:
an electrolyte, the electrolyte being characterized as being solid or semi-solid; and
a cathode in electronic communication with the electrolyte, the cathode being configured to support reduction of oxygen from an environment exterior to the power cell; and
an electrical load in electronic communication with the cathode,
the power cell being arranged such that the electrolyte is exposed to the environment exterior to the power cell, and
the power cell being (a) configured to reversibly place the electrolyte into physical contact with a metal located in the environment exterior to the power cell and opposite the electrolyte, or (b) configured to effect relative motion between the electrolyte and a metal located in the environment exterior to the power cell and opposite the electrolyte.