US1359881A - Gas-battery - Google Patents

Description

P. A. EMANUEL GAS BATTERY. APPLICATION FILED MAY 5, I920- 1 359,881, I Patented Nov. 23,1920;

2 EETS-SHEET 1. 25 v ATTORNEYS P. A. EMANUEL.

GAS BATTERY.

APPLICATION men MAY 15, I920.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

"VI/[N70]? PH/l; IPA-50144105 4 TTORNEYS Patented. N0v. 23,1920. I

' PHILIP ALBERT EMANUEL, OF AIKEN, SOUTH CAROLINA.

GAS-BATTERY.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Nov. 23, 1920.

Application filed May 15, 1920. Serial Ito 381,719.

T 0 all whom it may concern Be it known that I, PHILIP ALBERT EMAN- UEL, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of Aiken, in the county of Aiken and State of South Carolina, haveinvented certain new and useful Improvements in Gas-Batteries, of which the following is a specification.

.My invention relates to improvements in gas batteries, and itconsists in the constructions, combinations and arrangements herein described and claimed.

One of the foremost objects of the invention is to provide an improvement on the Grove gas battery, the principal departure being that'the platinum electrodes of the Grove cell are displaced or substituted by electrodes of an entirely, different and cheaper material. I

A further object of the invention is to provide an improved gas battery, based on the principle of the Grove battery, but embodying means by which the water which forms at the cathode is disposed of as rap-' idly as it is formed, thereby rendering the operation of the battery continuous and avoiding the ultimate choking which occurs in the Grove. battery bythe water gradually-rising around the cathode.

A further object of the invention is to provide a gas cell having a specially prepared iron anode and cathode, suitably separated to segregate the dissimilar electro lytes in which the two electrodes are respectively immerse-d.

A furtner object of the invention is to provide an improved gas cell wherein alternating currents of high potential are induced in a helix surrounding the low potential alternating current producing, elements. -Other objects and advantages will appear in the following specification, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, in which:

Figure 1 is a diagram illustrating the arrangement of a plurality of the hereindisclosed improved gas cells composing a bat- .tery more fully describedebelow,

Fig. 2 is a detail section of one of the cells,

Fig. 3 is a detail enlarged section of the iron wire employed in winding the oxygen and hydrogen electrodes,

Fig. 4 is a detail section of a modified construction in the oxygen electrodes, and

F 1g. 5 is a detail cross section on th line 55 of Fig. 4.

The general construction of the cellin Flg. 2 is first described, this description being followed by that of the entire battery, the chemical action taking place in one of the cells, and the advantages gained by using-the particular material herein employed. The hollow cylinder 1, made of lI'OIl or other suitable material and perforated by a great number of small holes 2, constitutes the foundation on which the iron wlre 30f the oxygen electrode of the cell is wound.

This Wire 3' of the oxygen electrode, as well as the iron wire 4 ofthe hydrogen electrode, is of a special formation as pageticularly illustrated in Fig. 3. Here the iron .wire is illustrated as being coated with a layer of iron oxid 5, this in turn having an asbestos covering 6 serving the dual function of insulating one Wire layer from the other and assisting in keeping the iron oxid on the iron Wirecore;

The oxygen electrode, which it may be here stated is the anode the cell, completely inclosed by an asbe os or other jacket 7 on which the iron wires 4 of the hydrogen electrode are wound as clearly shown in Fig. 2. This wire is the cathode of the cell.

Both elements of the cell are securely fitted in the casing 8, which is flanged at 9 at both ends, so that the upper and lower covers 10 may be securely bolted or otherwise fitted in place so as to form a gas-tight inclosure. Bosses 11 on the upper and lower covers, have packing glands 12 by means of which gas-tight joints may be maintained around the sleeve 13 of the asbestos jacket 7, which sleeve respectively surrounds the jet 14, entering at the top, and

the vent 15 extending from the bottom of of the cylinder. It is to be observed that the jet 14 terminates in a nozzle 16, the purpose of which is to direct afine but extremely powerful stream of air into the vent 15.

This moving stream of air, aswill become even more fully apparentjfrom the description-below, serves tocarry out the water which tends to collect at the bottom of the cylinder 1 by virtue of the chemical action taking place within the cell. It is here that the distinguishing feature of this cell over the Grove cell should be emphasized. As is well known, the Grove cell operates on the principle of condensing gases and platinum electrodes in such a manner that a fiow of electric current is obtained. It, is unnecessary to describe the action of the Grove cell in detail, it being sufficient to say that water is formed so rapidly around the negative.

- pole or cathode, that all of the gas is caused to soon disappear and therefore require recharging'of the 'cell from an independent source.

This contingency, namely, the rising of a column of water to take the place of the gas,

can never occur in the herein'disclosed cell, because, as just stated, the water is carried away as soon as it is formed, by the rapidly moving stream of air from the jet 14.

A suitably insulated copper wire 17 is wound on the casing 8 so as to fill the space defined by the flanges 9, substantially as shown in Fig. 2. This copper wire coil has no connection with the iron wire coils on theinside. It is intended that the chemical action takingplace on theinside ot' the cell shall produce low potentialalternating current which will induce alternating currents of high potential in the helix 17, that current of course being led off to be used as may be desired.

The gas battery in Fig. l'is shown to con sist of two of the improved gas cells A, B, but of course it is obvious to the reader that .as many of the cells may be employed in connection with each other, as may be desired. At one side there is a suitable connection with the pipe: 22, which as has already been seen, iscommon to the container -19 and jets 14 of both cells. All pipe connections have valves 25 of either the globe or back-check types.

' A modificationin the construction of the oxygen electrode-is illustrated in Fig. 4.

Here the jet 14 in Fig. 2 is omitted,- the per-.

forated. cylinder 1" being of considerable lesser diameter than the perforated cylinder 1 in Fig. 2. An asbestos sleeve 26 is. applied directly to the cylinder 1, another asbestos sleeve 27'being concentrically rotated in re ipect to the first sleeve as clearly shown in ig. 5.

-Superposed series of radiating cones 28 are placed in the space between the two as bestos sleeves, the remaining space being filled with iron oxid 29. The reader can,

readily see that all of the elements of the principal construction, are embodied in the modified construction in'Fig. .4, even though the arrangement is materially different. j-Ii'r is conceivable that even other modifications may be carried out without departing from the use of the proposed material hereinbefore specified. Y

The chemical action taking place within the cell in Fig.2, should now be carefully followed. ater is'first separated by electrolysis into its constituent elements hydrogen and oxygen, both gases being com pressed and stored in the containers 18 and 19/ These gases are re-united in the improved gas cell but the reunion causes no extrolyte composed of a solution of alkali -2Na()'H is poured in until the level indi cated LL in Fig. 1 is approximately reached. Upon opening the proper valve 25, the gases in the respective container 18 and 19 force the electrolyte through the lowermost connections 21 and 23 and. upwardly in the cells, saturating the asbestos wire coverings up to the covers of the cells.

An electric current from a charging dynamo may initially be passed through the electrolyte in alternately opposite directions, to convert the iron oxid covering on the wire of one of the electrodes, into pure iron, this being identical in principle to the manner in charging the ordinary lead storage cell. The subsequent action of the electrolyte on the dissimilar materials which compose the two electrodes, sets up-a flow of'current at low voltage in the coils oi the respective electrodes, and thereby ind icing a current to flow in the copper heii. 17, which current will be of a much higher voltage.

It depends mainly on the type of electrolyte employed, whether large or small amounts of water will collect at the bottom of the perforatedpylinder 1. Of course anyaccumulation water will tend it may be found desirable to turn on the to run out by gravity, but instances may occur wherein water forms so rapidly that" eject the water at the vent l5. Ordinarily, the compressed air is not employed in the operation of a cell, but when it is employed, the supply of oxygen from the container 19 is diminished by suitably regulating the-intervening valve, the oxygen and nitrogen constituents of the air then forming their own chemical combinations within the cell.

The advantages may be briefly summarized. It is regarded as being very important to point out that the union of the hydrogen and oxygen gases in. the liquid or felectrolyte of the cell, is accomplished with the production of little or no heat. Much depends upon the speed at which the gases are admitted into the cell.

If admitted at comparatively low speeds, the chemical combinations take place gradually so that a flow of electric current is established in the manner described above.

by virtue of the chemical action which takes place. On the contrary, if the gases are admitted at high speed, a motive fluid will the top of the cell, and thereby induce the hydrogen to enter and permeate the saturated asbestos coverings of the coils in the cathode electrode and reach either themetal or its oxid thereunder. The hydrogen gas also assists in cooling the cell, thereby making the apparatus extremely valuable for use in dirigible ballooning.

.Vhile the construction and arrangement of the improved gas cell as herein described and claimed, is that of a generally preferred form, obviously modifications and changes may be'made without departing from the spirit of the invention or the scope of the claims. I

I claim 1. A gas cell, comprising an anode and a cathode immersed in an electrolyte, and

, means for disposing of any water formed by chemical action between the above elements.

, 2. A gas cell, comprising'an anode and a' cathode immersed in an electrolyte, and means for dispelling any water as rapidly as it is formed by the chemical action between theabove elements.

gas cell, comprising aseparated anode andcathode,-both immersed in one electrolyte';-,' and means Efor introducing gases of dissimilar natures to the respective elec-.

trodes'.*. I

Ages cel1, 'c'omprising'- ajseparated anode and cathode, both immersed in one electrolytei'means for introducing gases of dis.

similar nature's to the respective electrodes,

from the other, both being immersed in a common electrolyte; means for introducing dissimilar gases to the respective electrodes, and means, including a helix, in which an electric current is induced by the flowing currents engendered by the chemical action within the cell. 6. A gas cell, comprising an anode and a cathode, respectively consisting of a winding with the pure metal .exposed and a winding with the oxid of the same metal exposed, a porous partition separating the electrodes, a porous covering for the respective elec trodes, all being immersed in a common electrolyte; and means for introducing dissimilar gases to therespective electrodes to produce chemical changes'alternating between. the electrodes and consequently setting up electric current in the electrodes, flowing in alternately opposite directions.

7. .A gas cell, comprising an anode and a cathode, respectively consisting of a winding with the puremetal exposed and a winding of high potential are ,induced'by the afore-' said currents within the cell.

8. The combination in a gas cell, "of a pasing, positive and negative electrodes contained thereby, separated by a porous pa'rti tion, each having a porous covering; and containers of dissimilar gases in communication with the respective electrodes and also containing a common electrolyte, the

pressures of the gases causing the electrolyte to permeate the partition and said coverings to the top of the casing.

9. A gas cell, comprising a perforated cylinder, with a jet at the inlet, directed toward a vent at the outlet; a porous partition spaced from the cylinder, and a casing spaced from the partition; electrodes disposed on the cylinder and partition respectively, one having a coating of the metal in its pure state and the other a coating of the floxid of the same metal, each having a porous covering; a container of one gas having top and bottom communication with the outer electrode, a container of another gas having top and bottom communication with the inner electrodes through the jet and gent, a

, 2.,etesss1 common electrolyte standing at a, substenalternating electric currents-are induced by 10.

tially normal level in the containers and the flow 01" current Within the cell. i electrode compartments, the gas pressures '10. In a cell, enelectrocle composed of a.

forcing the electrolyte upwardly tq permetalgcore, with a coatingon the outside of I meate the partition and said porous covering that metal, susceptible to converslon'to the t0 the top of the. casing, alternating electric metal in its true state; and a porous cover- 15 currents being set up in the respective elecing serving as insulation and means to retain. trodes by virtue of the chemieg lection; and said coating.

a helix surrounding the (LRSlllfi' llfl'WhiOll PHELIP ALBERT. EMANUEL.-

Images