Abstract Rate of recombination of gases in a battery is controlled in relation to exothermically induced rise in temperature of recombination means. A sealed pressure-controlled battery system with electrolyte and recombination means is placed in operation and periodically recharged in a substantially maintenance-free condition throughout a number of battery charge and discharge cycles with evolution of the gases oxygen and hydrogen in a closed gas space. Oxygen and hydrogen evolve at varying rates and in amounts which are non-stoichiometric in any one charging cycles, but which when produced during a sufficient number of charging cycles in a constantly pressurized environment, will occur in quantities which are long-term stoichiometric. Amounts of oxygen and hydrogen to the extent that they are present in the stoichiometric ratio of 2:1 during any given cycle are recombined in the presence of recombination means with the temperature of the recombination means being controlled within upper limits of from about 400* C. up to about 600* C. Residual fluctuating gases evolved during successive cycles of charge and discharge are confined within predetermined releasable limits in the closed gas space and are held throughout a range of continuous pressure variations in which residual gas representing excess over stoichiometry of one component gas during some periods of operation recombines with residual gas representing excess over stoichiometry of the second component gas during other periods of operation, thereby to preserve the total water content in the battery without significant change.
IN A METHOD OF OPERATING AND PERIODICALLY RECHARGING A SECONDARY BATTERY SYSTEM IN A SUBSTANTIALLY MAINTENANCE-FREE CONDITION THROUGHOUT A NUMBER OF BATTERY DISCHARGING AND RECHARGING CYCLES EXTENDING OVER OPERATING LIFE TO THE BATTERY, THE STEPS WHICH INCLUDE CONTAINING POSITIVE AND NEGATIVE ELECTRODES AND A QUANTITY OF ELECTROLYTE IN A SEALED BATTERY CELL TO DEFINE A CLOSED GAS SPACE, EVOLVING VARYING AMOUNTS OF HYDROGEN AND OXYGEN IN THE PRESENCE OF CATALYST MEANS SUPPORTED IN A PROTECTIVE FLUE BODY WHICH IS LOCATED IN THE INNER TOP OS THE BATTERY CELL ABOVE THE ELECTROLYTE AND THE POSITIVE AND NEGATIVE ELECTRODES AND WHICH IS FORMED WITH INLET AND OUTLET PASSAGEWAYS FOR CONVECTIVE FLUID FLOW, CONDUCTING THE HYDROGEN AND OXYGEN GASES TO THE CATALYST MEANS IN THE PROTECTIVE FLUE BODY AND INTO CONTACT WITH CATALYST SURFACES OF THE CATALYST MEANS, SAID CATALYST SURFACES CONSISTING IN A FORMAINOUS SUBSTRATE IMPREGNATED WITH A CATALYST METAL AND IN WHICH THE CATALYTIC METAL CONTENT IS PRESENT IN AN AMOUNT OCCURRING IN A RANGE OF FROM 0.01 PERCENT TO 0.1 PERCENT BY WEIGHT OF CATALYST METAL ON THE FORMAINOUS SUBSTRATE, AND THE FORMAINOUS SUBSTRATE HAVING A SURFACE AREA OF NOT MORE THAN 1 SQUARE METER PER GRAM, RECOMBING EXOTHERMICALLY STOICHIOMETRIC QUANTITIES OF HYDROGEN AND OXYGEN WHICH PASS THROUGH THE PASSAGEWAYS AND OVER THE CATALYST SURFACES TO PROVIDE A CONVECTIVE FLOW OF WATER VAPOR AWAY FROM THE CATALYST SURFACES TO CONDENSING SURFACE MEANS COMMUNICATING WITH THE ELECTROLYTE, CONTINUOUSLY MAINTAINING EXOTHERMICALLY HEATED CATALYST SURFACES WITHIN AN UPPER LIMIT RANGE OF FROM ABOUT 400*C UP TO ABOUT 600*C, AND CONFINING UNREACTED HYDROGEN AND OXYGENE GASES AND UNCONDENSED WATER VAPOR FOR LONG TERM STOICHIOMETRIC RECOMBINATION WITHIN A RANGE OF PREDETERMINED PRESSURE VARIATIONS OF FROM LESS THAN 1 ATMOSPHERE UP TO 5 ATMOSPHERES IN WHICH RESIDUAL GAS REPRESENTING DEVIATION FROM STOICHIOMETRY OF ONE COMPONENT GAS DURING SOME CYCLES IN THE OPERATING LIFE TO THE BATTERY RECOMBINES WITH RESIDUAL GAS REPRESENTING DEVIATION FROM STOICHIOMETRY OF THE SECOND COMPONENT GAS DURING OTHER CYCLES IN THE OPERATING LIFE OF THE BATTER, THEREBY TO MAINTAIN THE WATER CONTENT OF THE BATTERY SUBSTANTIALLY UNCHANGED.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
344 words
IN A METHOD OF OPERATING AND PERIODICALLY RECHARGING A SECONDARY BATTERY SYSTEM IN A SUBSTANTIALLY MAINTENANCE-FREE CONDITION THROUGHOUT A NUMBER OF BATTERY DISCHARGING AND RECHARGING CYCLES EXTENDING OVER OPERATING LIFE TO THE BATTERY, THE STEPS WHICH INCLUDE CONTAINING POSITIVE AND NEGATIVE ELECTRODES AND A QUANTITY OF ELECTROLYTE IN A SEALED BATTERY CELL TO DEFINE A CLOSED GAS SPACE, EVOLVING VARYING AMOUNTS OF HYDROGEN AND OXYGEN IN THE PRESENCE OF CATALYST MEANS SUPPORTED IN A PROTECTIVE FLUE BODY WHICH IS LOCATED IN THE INNER TOP OS THE BATTERY CELL ABOVE THE ELECTROLYTE AND THE POSITIVE AND NEGATIVE ELECTRODES AND WHICH IS FORMED WITH INLET AND OUTLET PASSAGEWAYS FOR CONVECTIVE FLUID FLOW, CONDUCTING THE HYDROGEN AND OXYGEN GASES TO THE CATALYST MEANS IN THE PROTECTIVE FLUE BODY AND INTO CONTACT WITH CATALYST SURFACES OF THE CATALYST MEANS, SAID CATALYST SURFACES CONSISTING IN A FORMAINOUS SUBSTRATE IMPREGNATED WITH A CATALYST METAL AND IN WHICH THE CATALYTIC METAL CONTENT IS PRESENT IN AN AMOUNT OCCURRING IN A RANGE OF FROM 0.01 PERCENT TO 0.1 PERCENT BY WEIGHT OF CATALYST METAL ON THE FORMAINOUS SUBSTRATE, AND THE FORMAINOUS SUBSTRATE HAVING A SURFACE AREA OF NOT MORE THAN 1 SQUARE METER PER GRAM, RECOMBING EXOTHERMICALLY STOICHIOMETRIC QUANTITIES OF HYDROGEN AND OXYGEN WHICH PASS THROUGH THE PASSAGEWAYS AND OVER THE CATALYST SURFACES TO PROVIDE A CONVECTIVE FLOW OF WATER VAPOR AWAY FROM THE CATALYST SURFACES TO CONDENSING SURFACE MEANS COMMUNICATING WITH THE ELECTROLYTE, CONTINUOUSLY MAINTAINING EXOTHERMICALLY HEATED CATALYST SURFACES WITHIN AN UPPER LIMIT RANGE OF FROM ABOUT 400*C UP TO ABOUT 600*C, AND CONFINING UNREACTED HYDROGEN AND OXYGENE GASES AND UNCONDENSED WATER VAPOR FOR LONG TERM STOICHIOMETRIC RECOMBINATION WITHIN A RANGE OF PREDETERMINED PRESSURE VARIATIONS OF FROM LESS THAN 1 ATMOSPHERE UP TO 5 ATMOSPHERES IN WHICH RESIDUAL GAS REPRESENTING DEVIATION FROM STOICHIOMETRY OF ONE COMPONENT GAS DURING SOME CYCLES IN THE OPERATING LIFE TO THE BATTERY RECOMBINES WITH RESIDUAL GAS REPRESENTING DEVIATION FROM STOICHIOMETRY OF THE SECOND COMPONENT GAS DURING OTHER CYCLES IN THE OPERATING LIFE OF THE BATTER, THEREBY TO MAINTAIN THE WATER CONTENT OF THE BATTERY SUBSTANTIALLY UNCHANGED.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
47 words
A method according to claim 1 in which the gases are recombined in the presence of recombination means consisting of a catalytic material having a gas recombining activity characteristic corresponding to no more than 3.36 liters of stoichiometric gas per gram of catalyst per hour at 400*C.