Patent ID: 8659268

Claim:
A method for operating an electrochemical cell, wherein the cell comprises: a fuel electrode comprising a series of permeable electrode bodies arranged in spaced apart relation; an oxidant electrode spaced apart from the fuel electrode; a charging electrode spaced apart from the fuel electrode, the charging electrode being selected from the group consisting of (a) the oxidant electrode, and (b) a separate charging electrode spaced apart from the oxidant electrode; an ionically conductive medium communicating the electrodes; the series of permeable electrode bodies of the fuel electrode comprising: a proximal permeable electrode body, proximal to the charging electrode; a distal permeable electrode body, distal from the charging electrode; wherein, in a direction from the distal permeable electrode body to the proximal permeable electrode body, at least a portion of a peripheral edge of the proximal permeable electrode body is located inward of at least a portion of a peripheral edge of the distal permeable electrode body; wherein the method comprises: charging the electrochemical cell by: i. applying an electrical current between the charging electrode and at least one of the permeable electrode bodies of the fuel electrode with the charging electrode functioning as an anode and the at least one permeable electrode body functioning as a cathode, such that reducible fuel ions are reduced and electrodeposited as fuel in oxidizable form on the at least one permeable electrode body; ii, said electrodeposition causing growth of the fuel among the permeable electrode bodies such that the electrodeposited fuel establishes an electrical connection between the permeable electrode bodies; and iii. removing the electrical current to discontinue the charging.