Electrochemical cell having cylindrical electrode elements

DETAILED DESCRIPTION In accordance with the present invention, an electrochemical cell is provided that includes an elongated electrically conductive cell container in electrical communication with a first electrochemically active material.
A plurality of first electrically conductive tubes with perforate walls serving as current collectors are affixed lengthwise each along one of a plurality of separate substantially parallel axes within the cell container in electrical communication with the container and the first active material.
Each of the perforate tubes includes a tubular layer of electrically insulative ceramic concentrically disposed within its inner circumference.
Concentrically and lengthwise within the electrically insulative tubular layers and perforate tubes are elongated pins of a second active material of opposite polarity to the first active material.
The cell further includes electrical terminal means for electrically communicating separately with the first and the second active materials.
In more specific aspects of the invention, the electrochemical cell container is of cylindrical shape and substantially filled in its volume outside the plurality of first electrically conductive tubes with the first active material.
In one other important aspect, particularly for electrochemical cells including active materials such as FeS and LiAl alloy that are compatible with low carbon steel and other less expensive current collector materials, there is provided a second perforate tube of electrically conductive material between the electrically insulative tubular layer and the axial electrode pin.
In this arrangement the second electrically conductive tube can be bonded onto the outside surface of the electrode pin.
In one other more specific embodiment of the invention, the elongated cylindrical pin of electrochemically active material can include a longitudinal core of electrically conductive material serving as a current collector.
An axial current collector of this form can be used in place of the inner perforate tube discussed above when more electrochemically corrosive active materials such as FeS