The Dow Chemical Company

Timothy T Revak

Joginder N Anand

Floris Y Tsang

Frank J Rossini

Robert T Krueger

Thermal stressing of hollow fibers constituting the electrolyte-separator in a high temperature battery cell, and of certain other elements thereof, is avoided by suspending the assembly comprising the anolyte tank, the tubesheet, the hollow fibers and a cathodic current collector-distributor within the casing and employing a limp connection between the collector-distributor and the cathode terminal of the cell.

High temperature battery cell comprising stress-free hollow fiber bundle

An improved process for separating gases using a hollow fiber membrane on an intermittent basis is described. It has been found that if the pressure on the feed side of the membrane is maintained essentially constant or is allowed to vary slowly during operation and in the periods between operating cycles the useful lifetime of the separation device is greatly extended. This process is particularly useful for the separation of air into oxygen- and nitrogen-enriched streams using hollow fibers melt spun from poly(4-methylpentene-1).

Membrane system for intermittent gas separation

Thermal stressing of hollow fibers constituting the electrolyte-separator in a high temperature battery cell, and of certain other elements thereof, is avoided by suspending the assembly comprising the anolyte tank, the tubesheet, the hollow fibers and a cathodic current collector-distributing means, within the casing and employing a limp connection between the latter means and the cathode terminal of the cell.

A ceramic tubesheet pierced by a plurality of hollow, glass fibers and consisting of sintered particles is rendered essentially impermeable by selectively fusing the portion of the tubesheet subjacent to and defining one of its surfaces. The fiber lengths extending from the opposite surface of the tubesheet are freer to flex and less likely to be broken than if the entire tubesheet were fused.

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Concord, CA, United States of America

Timothy T Revak