United States of America as Represented by the Secretary of the Air Force

Other

David H Fritts

John F Leonard

Stephen P Vukson

Robert B Fennell

Ken Y Kim

Thirumalai G Palanisamy

Kwang Y Kim

Joseph T Maloy

David S LeGasse

An improved capillary action wicking structure and method with a method for its making and with application of the wicking structure to a high temperature electrical battery cell of the sodium/sulfur type. The wicking structure includes finely-divided metal particles of nickel, for example, that are attached to the solid electrolyte structure in the electrical battery cell by an organic binder and sintering combination.

Electrical battery cell wicking structure and method

An alkali metal plus halide electrical battery cell of, for example, the sodium and sulfuryl chloride type is disclosed. The disclosed cell provides accommodation for cell chemical reaction products that otherwise preclude achievement of secondary battery action or rechargeable nature in such cells and provides two physical accommodation changes, a reaction space and a reaction space temperature, in the cell arrangement to enable repeated charge and discharge cycling of the cell. The disclosed cell is shown to be embodied in a laboratory type structure and is described with net reaction or end result equations of a combined chemical and physical nature.

Alkali and halogen rechargeable cell with reactant recombination

A pilfer proofing system for electric meter boxes having a meter base box which carries a plug-in terminal block set and a meter box cover having an opening through which a plug-in meter passes to engage contact female or socket terminals in a terminal block set. A contact terminal block adaptor carrying insulating cages frictionaly retained in the female socket terminal of the contact block set springs are included in the female socket terminals to assure continuous electrical contact and avoid hot spots. The meter box has a pair of lateral meter stops which are clamped between one end of an annular, cast aluminum ring and a pair of insulated, bifurcated clamp bars positioned behind the meter stops which, in turn, are secured to a common metal bar housed in a recess in the adaptor. The illustrate clamp bars have bifurcated ends which more evenly distributes the mechanical forces to the meter box by providing a plurality of distributed contact or load distribution points instead of one. An annular flange on the aluminum ring seals the edges of the existing opening in the meter cover thereby preventing surreptitious access to the interior of the meter box housing and, at the same time, clamping the rest of the meter cover securely to the box with the bifurcated clamp bars providing the plurality of distributed contact points.

Pilfer proofing system for electric utility meter box

A low shear battery plaque and a nickel electrode fabricated therefrom, the latter consisting essentially of a centrally located layer of a conductive felt, layers of sintered nickel on each side of the felt and nickel hydroxide active material disposed throughout the pores of the sintered nickel.

Method for fabricating battery plaque and low shear nickel electrode

Low shear nickel electrode

A novel hermetically sealed, protective atmosphere transfer vessel is described which comprises a container defining an interior cavity and opening thereof for receiving a sample to be protected during transfer, an annular lip surrounding the opening for receiving a flexible puncturable membrane stretched across the opening for hermetically sealing the container, and a wire puncture bridge attached at one to the container and having at the other end a point positioned near the membrane whereby pressure internal of the container expands the membrane against the point to puncture and tear away the membrane for exposure of the sample. An alternative embodiment includes a lid for the container including an axial exhaust hole therethrough and a ball valve for sealing the exhaust hole under the influence of external pressure on the lid.

Inert atmosphere transfer vessel

A method for preparing nickel electrodes is provided in which zinc hydroxide is deposited onto a metal plaque simultaneously with nickel hydroxide. A nickel electrode so prepared exhibits improved dimensional stability.

Method of nickel electrode production

The battery system has the hydrogen gas stored at high pressure separately from the nickel-hydrogen cells. Two valves, a pressure regulator, and a pump permit hydrogen to be supplied to the cells at a relatively low pressure for discharge, and to be recovered and stored at high pressure during charge. Both valves are closed during standby to limit self discharge.

Low pressure nickel hydrogen battery

A unique electrode plaque hardness tester, and a method of testing for the hardness of an electrode plaque specimen, are taught. The hardness tester is of the indentation type, and permits the hardness testing of an electrode plaque that is very thin (e.g., 0.75 mm) and that is made of non-homogenous, sintered material, such as a nickel electrode plaque. A fixed load, comprising a lesser first load and a larger second load, is applied in sequence to a test specimen of the electrode plaque, with two superimposed indentations resulting. The hardness of the electrode plaque, as a result of the use of this tester, is inversely related to the difference in the depths of the two indentations. Data acquired as a result of testing specimens with this hardness tester establishes that the harder the electrode plaque is, the less efficient is the performance of an active battery electrode which includes this electrode plaque.

Battery electrode hardness tester

A battery electrode fatigue simulator having a frame which supports therein a pivotal and a stationary beam. The pivotal and stationary beams secure therebetween an electrode plaque which is to undergo the fatigue simulation. Also mounted to the frame is a rotatable cam of predetermined dimension which acts upon a cam follower forming part of the pivotal beam thereby causing cyclic movement or displacement of the pivotal beam. This cyclic displacement is transferred to the plaque as a cyclic stress in tension. Measurements are made of the displacement of the pivotal beam as well as resistance of the plaque during the application of the cyclic stress. The cyclic displacement versus resistance relationship is representative of the fatigue a battery electrode will undergo during actual battery operation.

Battery electrode fatigue simulator

A safety electrical disconnect is incorporated within the battery terminal to break the circuit upon excessive internal pressure build-up due to extended discharge or over charge. A burst diaphragm ruptured by excessive pressure forces a ball through a normally restraining split ring to thereby interrupt the electrical circuit continuity. The ball, upper seat and split ring can be designed to either prevent further escape fo internal gas or provide for controlled venting. The burst diaphragm may be replaced by another pressure sensing device such as a pop-off valve. For high current capability, the ball and ring may be replaced by a suitable arrangement such as a sliding cylindrical connector.

Battery safety terminal

The fabrication of porous cadmium electrodes is disclosed in which high cadmium loading without surface buildup is obtained by using a relatively low current density (approximately 0.2 amperes per square inch of plaque area) and period current reversals of time durations approximately equal to 15% of the forward time durations at a current density substantially equal to the forward current density.

Method of fabricating cadmium electrodes

In a porous electrode primary battery a sensing grid is positioned in a cell on or near the surface of the porous cathode facing the separator and anode. The voltage measured between this sensing grid and the conventional cathode current collector grid is a function of the current distribution within the electrode which is continuously changing as the battery discharges, thus the measured voltage is indicative of the state of charge of the particular cell having the sensing grid and for a battery containing cooperatively connected cells, the state of the battery in general.

Growing community of inventors

Dayton, OH, United States of America

David H Fritts