JPS5814537Y2 - Catalyst plug for storage battery - Google Patents

Description

[Detailed description of the invention] This invention relates to the improvement of a catalyst plug for storage batteries that uses a catalyst to reduce oxygen and hydrogen gas generated during charging and discharging of storage batteries into water. To provide a catalyst plug for a storage battery, which reduces the ventilation resistance of gas and prevents an increase in internal pressure.

Conventionally, a catalyst plug for a storage battery equipped with a catalyst capable of chemically combining oxygen and hydrogen gases as shown in FIG. 1 has been used.

1 is a catalyst plug body made of acid-resistant and heat-resistant synthetic resin such as ebonite or polypropylene;
2 is an upper lid that is screwed onto the catalyst plug body 1; 3 is an impermeable support plate having a few gas flow holes 4 on its periphery so that the gas generated from the storage battery can rise in the path shown by the arrow; 5 is a microporous explosion-proof ceramic filter made by sintering alumina or quartz powder, etc.; 6 is a reticulated cylindrical catalyst container containing a granular catalyst 7 made of platinum, palladium, etc.; and 8 is a microporous catalyst container. Exhaust hole 9 is installed vertically on the ceiling wall of explosion-proof filter 5 and is bored in top cover 2.
12 is an upper chamber of the plug body space, 13 is a lower chamber of the plug body space, and 14 is a gas inlet.

In the conventional catalyst plug for a storage battery having the above-mentioned structure, oxygen and hydrogen gas generated within the storage battery pass through the path shown by the solid arrow A, that is, from the gas inlet 14, through the lower chamber 13 of the plug space, and from the gas distribution hole 4. When the gas passes through the microporous explosion-proof filter 5 and reaches the catalyst 7, it chemically combines to become water vapor due to the reaction of the catalyst 7, and is further cooled and condensed on the walls of the catalyst container 6, etc., and becomes water. It was used as a maintenance-free storage battery that does not require so-called water replenishment, which flows through the wall surface and flows back into the storage battery.

However, in this case, while the amount of gas generated is small, the effectiveness of the catalyst 7 is low, so all of the gas that has flowed into the catalyst plug body 1 is combined and becomes water vapor, which is further cooled and condensed to become water vapor. If the internal pressure inside the storage battery and the catalyst plug main body 1 becomes positive with respect to atmospheric pressure,
The generated water vapor passes through the catalyst container 6, passes through the microporous explosion-proof filter 5, passes through the vent pipe 8, and is discharged to the outside air from the exhaust hole 10. When the inside of the catalyst plug body 1 becomes negative pressure, all of the inflowing gas is removed. Also, as before, from the lower chamber 13 of the plug space, the gas flows from the gas flow hole 4 to the catalyst 7 via the microporous explosion-proof filter 5, following the path indicated by the solid arrow A.

However, due to a malfunction in the charger, abnormal current flows into the storage battery.
Therefore, if the amount of generated gas increases and the amount of inflow gas increases,
The operating capacity of the catalyst 7 is now exceeded, and the inflowing gas tries to escape into the outside air through the exhaust hole 9 through the path indicated by the dotted line arrow, which is the shortest gas path, but it comes into contact with the catalyst 7 as indicated by the arrow. What escapes into the outside air through the path indicated by the solid arrow B without passing through the catalyst 7 is the microporous explosion-proof filter 5.
It is very small due to ventilation resistance etc.

As a result, a large amount of gas fills and stays inside the catalyst plug body 1, and the reaction heat of the catalyst 7 increases accordingly, and the temperature in the catalyst 7 rises in proportion to it, and there is no limit to the amount of gas. There were drawbacks such as the risk of inducing heat loss, deterioration, burnout, or even explosion of the catalyst side members.

On the other hand, when a catalyst plug is used in a cold region, etc., a ventilation window 11 provided at the bottom of the ventilation pipe 8 is used to prevent water vapor from passing through the microporous explosion-proof filter 5 and being exhausted through the ventilation hole 10. This is intended to expand the permeation area of the porous explosion-proof filter 5, but if the ventilation resistance is high even in this part, water vapor is likely to freeze in this part, preventing ventilation.
Ventilation becomes impossible, which also causes an increase in the internal pressure of the storage battery or the catalyst plug main body 1.

The present invention eliminates the above-mentioned drawbacks by reducing the ventilation resistance within the catalyst plug, thereby preventing the oxygen and hydrogen gas rising and flowing into the storage battery from coming into contact with the catalyst in large quantities at one time. The purpose is to directly dissipate the excess gas flowing into the catalyst plug body into the atmosphere and to prevent the water vapor to be discharged from freezing.

An example of a catalyst plug for a storage battery according to the present invention will be explained.

1' is a catalyst plug made of acid-resistant and heat-resistant synthetic resin such as ebonite or polypropylene;
Reference numeral 2' indicates an upper cover, and 3' indicates a support plate provided with several gas flow holes 4', which are fixed to the inner wall of the catalyst plug body 1' by an appropriate method.

5' is a ceramic microporous explosion-proof filter made by sintering alumina or quartz powder, etc.; 6' is a reticulated cylindrical catalyst container containing a granular catalyst 7' made of platinum, palladium, etc.; 8' Microporous explosion-proof filter 5'
A ventilation hole 10' and a ventilation window 11 are installed vertically on the wall surface of the ceiling and communicate with an exhaust hole 9' drilled in the upper cover 2'.
';12' is the upper chamber of the plug space; 13' is the upper chamber of the plug space;
' is the lower chamber of the plug body space, 14' is the gas inlet, and 15 is the notch provided by drilling the peripheral wall surface of the ventilation window 11' at the lower part of the ventilation pipe 3', and the gas flows into the catalyst plug body 1'. If a large amount of gas is being produced, this hole serves as a bypass to guide it directly to the exhaust hole 9' without contacting the catalyst 7'.

The present invention has the above-described structure, and the oxygen and hydrogen gases generated inside the storage battery take the path indicated by the solid arrow in FIG. 2, pass through the microporous explosion-proof filter 5', and come into contact with the catalyst 7'. They combine to form water vapor, and when the internal pressure of the storage battery including the storage battery catalyst plug becomes higher than atmospheric pressure, the generated water vapor is discharged into the outside air from the exhaust hole 9'.

In this case, if the amount of inflowing gas is small, the above gas path is slow and operates within the range of the action capacity of the catalyst 7', so all the inflowing gas is combined with the catalyst 7' and converted into water vapor or water. However, when the charging current of the storage battery increases and the amount of gas generated increases and exceeds the action capacity of the catalyst 7', the excess gas flows back to the gas within the shortest distance within the catalyst plug body 1. Attempts to escape into the open air via the route.

That is, it rushes into the notch 15, which is the path indicated by the solid arrow B', which has relatively low ventilation resistance, penetrates and ascends through the ventilation hole 10',
It tries to escape from the exhaust hole 9', and the solid line arrow A'
Very little gas passes through this path.

In addition, in cold regions, etc., it is easy to freeze from the exhaust hole 9' directly exposed to the outside air to the ventilation hole 10' and the ventilation window 11', especially when it is generated by the catalyst 7' and tries to be discharged into the outside air. When the water vapor stagnates in the ventilation window 11', it is cooled down and becomes water. The outer wall surface of the explosion-proof filter 5' can be used as a flow path to allow the water to flow back to the storage battery, thereby preventing stagnant water from freezing.

As mentioned above, the present invention reduces the ventilation resistance inside the catalyst plug for a storage battery without impairing the reduction ability under normal conditions, smoothes the gas flow path regardless of the amount of inflow gas, and reduces water vapor. It has a structure that can prevent freezing during discharge, and its practical value is extremely important.

[Brief explanation of the drawing]

Fig. 1 is a cross-sectional view of a conventional catalyst plug for a storage battery, Fig. 2 is a cross-sectional view showing -flJ of the catalyst plug for a storage battery of the present invention, Fig. 3 is a cross-sectional view of a vent pipe used in the present invention, and Fig. 4 is the same perspective view. 2' is a top cover, 5' is a microporous explosion-proof filter, 9' is an exhaust hole, 10' is a ventilation hole, 11' is a ventilation window, and 15 is a notch.

Claims (1)

[Scope of utility model registration request] In a storage battery catalyst stopper equipped with a microporous explosion-proof filter that uses a catalyst that combines hydrogen gas and oxygen gas generated within the storage battery and reduces it to water, a gas flow passage provided around the periphery of an impermeable support plate. From the above, a notch formed in the peripheral wall surface of a ventilation window provided at the bottom of the ventilation pipe that communicates the ceiling part of the microporous explosion-proof filter fixed on the impermeable support plate and the exhaust hole in the upper part of the plug body. A catalyst plug for storage batteries that forms a direct gas path.