US660305A - Thermo-electric battery. - Google Patents

Description

Patented Oct. 23, 1990;

J. OLIVER THERMO ELECTBRC BATTERY.

(Apphcatum filed n. a, 1900.;

(mi Madel.)

UNITED STATES JEssE OLIVER, F MEMPHIS, TENNESSEE, nssicsonfro'rnotms B. T RLEY PATENT OFFICE.

AND. WEST J. CRAWFORD, TRUSTEES, 0F SAME PLAGE.

THERMQ-ELECTRIO BATTERY., A. 1;

srnoxnoanon forming part of Letters new no. 660,805,1iated October 28,1900;

Application in February a. 1900. Serial in. sale.- m model) Toall whom it may concern.- Be it known that I, JEssE OLIVER, a citizen of the United States, residing at Memphis, in the county of Shelby and State of Tennes- 5 see, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Thermo-Eleetric Batteries; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the same, reference being had to the accompanying x0 drawings, forming a part of this specification, and to the le'tters of reference marked thereon. This invention relates to improvements in electric generators in which the current is generated by variations in the temperature. of thermo-electric couples and usually by the action of heat from a burner upon one'portion of such couples, while the other portion of sluch couples is left or kept comparatively The objects of the invention are to provide a simple and highly-efiieient thermo-battery embodying materials and withthe elements assembled insuch relation to each other and to the battery as a whole as to given. higher efficiency than has heretofore been obtained with the expenditure of a given amount of fuel; and the invention consists, primarily, in the arrangement of the couples whereby selfinduction is eliminated and the difference in potential between thecouples is greatly increased. I

Further, the invention consists in a novel alloy constituting one of the elements of the couples and in a novel manner of uniting the positive and negative elements constituting the couples.

Referring to the accmnpanyingdrawings, Figure 1 is a vertical section through a therrno-electric battery composed of a few super- 0 posed rings embodying my present improvements. Figs. 2 and 3 are detail enlarged planviews looking at opposite sides of one'of the rings. Fig. 4 is an enlarged transverse section through one of the rings. Fig. 5 is a detail sect-ion through one of the couples taken horizontally to sho y the mannerof uniting the ends of the positive and negative elements. Like letters of reference in the several figurea indicatethesame parts.

The positive and negative elements of the couples in my improved battery are formed one of an alloy and relatively large in crosssection and the other of a metal or analloy which is relatively a better conductor than the other element of the couple and relatively small in cross-sectional area. The larger ele-- meut or that before referred to as an alloy I shall designate herein as the positive cle ment and the latter or'relativeiy-smaller elewent as the negative element, although it will be understood thatthis is a matter of designation only, as under diiiering conditions the direction of the current through'the battery may be different. The alley or positive element in my battery is preferably com posed of aluminium, antimony, and zinc, and the preferred proportions are, approximately, antimony,- two parts; zinc,.one part, by weight, and aluminium, two per cent. These positive elements are, to secure the inust'eeenomical 'resnlts, preferably radially grouped around a center in annular or ring form, and each is preferably, therefore, made segments! in shape and with the'smaller ends all project- ,75

ing toward the dental. These elements are designated by the letter A in the accompanying drawings, and the opposing or negative elements by the letter B. These negative elements, as shown, are made of a plu-- rality of strands of iron or steel wire, whi h are united to. the positiveelements by having their ends cast directly in the ends ofthe adjaeent positive elements. Thus in forminga ring the wire or negative elements are set up in the mold with their ends 11 in position to have the positive elements cast about them. The body portions of the positive and negative elements are in ditierentplanes, and the resultant ring will therefore be, in effect, spirally arranged, and one side of each spiral or con volution will be formed by a negativeand the opposite side by a positive element. This manner of forming the.battery is in contradistinct-ion to the usual zigzag arrangement .of the elements, wherein the positive and negative elements alternate in the same plane, and the object of the new arrangement, in addition to facilitating the manufacture, is to eliminate as far as possible self-ind notion, me which in a large measure reduces the efiicieney of the battery, To still further provent the elfect of induction between LllOPOSl- -'tive and negative elements, I arrange a metallic (preferably magnetic) screen between them, such ficneen taking the form of a fiat laminated iron or metal ring C, \vfhich lies between the pos e and negative elements and is insulated from lmtll by suitable refractory insulation-such. for instance, as sheets of asbestos or mica D, although other-insulating material maybe employed where found desirable or ad vauiagcous'.

Each of the positive elements has interposed between is and the next element a sheet or body or insulation F, preferably also of asbestos or mica; butthesmalleror negative elements being so widely separated may be simply covered by an insulating materialsuch, for ins-am, as the asbestos ring G,

. which \villserve not onlyto insulate the ele'-' merits, but will also answer as a spacer for distancing the adjacent rings. This spacer preferably occupies or covers only a portion of the negative elementsnearest their inner ends, leaving the outer ends thereof exposed for the radiation of heat and which radiation '-may be heightned by the circulation of water or by the application of moisture, which by its evaporation will reduce the temperature at thi's'point.

In the most complete and highly-efiicient embodimentof the invention the'smaller or negative elements are extended beyond the alloy elements, so as to receive agreater pro portiomof beat, this being best secured by forming inwardly-extending reverse bonds or loops b in the elements, which are adapted for direct contact with the airor heated prodnets of combustion, while the alley or positive elements have their inner ends protected by an insulating ring I of refractory material, such as asbestcs or the like. This ring of asbestos or insulating material I may also contain a shield in the form ofa metal ring K, which will in a measure still further prevent the effect of induction between the elements and also serve as a form about which the ele merits may be grouped in regular order.

1 Obviouslyauy number of rings formed as above may be stacked one upon the 0lh0'13 88 is usual in this class of battery, and they may be coupled either in multiple or in series, as ocoasiondemandsior which purpose the takeoff wires extend out from the first and last elements of the ring into convenient position 'for the application of suitable conductors leadingeither to the adjacent rings or to mains from which the current is carried tothe point of v utilization- The. practical development of the thermobat'tery herein described has demonstrated that the efficiency of the battery is greatly reduced unless there be a perfect electrical contactpetweeu the. positive and negative eleiuents, which-electrical contacttnust not be varied by the temperature to which the battery is subjected, aud'I have found that this contact can best be secured, particularly in connection with negative elements of iron or steel, bycoating the ends of the latter \vith a soldering'alloy which will intimately com bine with the alloy of the positive elements. I have found that an efficient solder for this purpose may be composed of bismuth, tin, lead, and aluminium, the preferred prop rtions being tin,'two parts; bismuth and lead, one part each, and aluminium one-fourth of one part. The ends of the negative elements are first thoroughly coated with this solder and the positive elements then cast aboutsuch ends, the ends themselves being bentso as to extend transversely of the positive ele-' ru'euts, as shown clearly in Fig. 5 of the drawlugs, to give greater contacting surface. I Obviously the size of the rings and couples employed is immaterial and may be varied in accordance with the desired capacity of the battery or the available burner or heater; but I,. have found that when arranged .as above described the battery is highly efficient and gives both very high voltage and amperage results. Thus with a ring composed of thirt couples and five inches and a quarter in db ameter and one-half inch in thickness :1. voltags of not less than one and eighttenths volts and two ampercs may be secured \vithout'using artificial means to cool the outer ends of the couples and with a simple small vap'o burner for heating their inner ends. While I halvedescribed my battery with the elements arranged in annular or ring form and with the heat applied at 'the center-, yet it is obvious that many'feat-ures of the inven; tionare applicable to any of the ordinaryarra ngements of thermo-batteries, and in some instances it may be found desirable to'apply the heat at the outer ends while acoolin'g" medium is circulated through the center, as has heretofore been proposed.

.Heving thus described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters .1 10 Patent, is- 1. A thermo-eleotric battery havin'gtheelements extending substantially radially and with the positive elements located in oueplaue and the negative elements in a difl'ereut but u;

substantially parallel plane; substantially as described. o 1

7 2. A theme-electric battery embodying couplesof positive and negative elements and a metallic screen iute psed between the ele- 'no ments, substantially as'deecribed.

3. A thermoelectriobattery embodying couples of'positive and negative elements and an insulated metallic screen arranged be tween-the elements to overcome the effects of 1:5 induction between theelements,substantially as described. 1

4. A thermo-electric batteryhaving a series of positive elements located in one lane and aseriesof negative elements in u did rentand :30 parallel plane and a metallic screen insulated from and located between the positive and negative elements,substantiall y a'sdescribcd.

of radially-arranged alloy elements of relatively large cross-sectional area and insulated y from each other and a series of elements ofon ,-positepolaritytherefrom one connecting each described.

adjacent pair of alloy elements, all of the elements of one polarity being located in one plane and all of the elements ofopposite polarity in a different-plane, substantially as 0. A thermo-electric battery embodying a series of elements of relatively largecross-sectional area and a pluralltyof independent elements of opposite polarity therefrom connecting the adjacent elements first mentioned,tlie arrangement being such that the elements of large cross-sectional area are connected by a A number of independently-acting elements of opposite polarity each serving in its individual capacity independently of the others and one of which might be severed without destroying the operativeness of the battery; substantially as described; l l

7. A thermo-electric battery embodying a series of elements of relatively large cross-sectional area and a plurality of parallelelements of opposite polarity therefrom each relatively small in cross-sectional area connecting the adjacent elements first mentioned, substantially as described.

8. In a thermoelectric battery the combiarranged radially but arranged in a plane nation with a series-of elements of relatively large cross-sectional area arrangedin a single v plane, of a series of elements of opposite polarity arranged in a different plane therefrom with their ends connected with. the ends of the 35 -former and having bends or loops extending beyond the ends of as described. 1

9. A thermo-electric battery embodying a series of radially-arranged positive elements of relatively large cross-sectional area arthe former, substantially ranged in compact form and each insulated from the other, a series of negative elements of relatively small cross-sectional area also tially as described;

10. In a thermoelectric battery an element composed of an alloy of antimony, zinc and 55 aluminium; substantially as described.

JESSE OLIVER.

Witnesses:

' ALEXANDER S. S'rswm,

J. I Psv'rmw, Jr;

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