Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1890-09-21
STORAGE BATTERIES.
A Simple Explanation Of Wonder
ful Electric Appliance.
ONLY A CONVERSION OF ENERGY
Into Such Shape That 1t Can be Bottled
and Carried About.
THE PRINCIPLES THAT ARE INVOLVED
WRITTEN FOR THE p1srArcH.I

acid. But storage battery does not store
electricity, as is commonly supposed by the
uninitiated. Electricity is a kind or form
OF energy, and it is this energy-electrical
energv-that is stored.
A waterfall is one of the many familiar
forms of energy, but we cannot store a
waterfall. We can store its energy, how
ever, by making it wind up spring OF
pump water into reservoir or compress air
or lift heavy weight Then at some fut-
ure time this stored energy can be used to
do work. The wound-up spring, the water
in the reservoir, the compressed air and the
lifted weight. may each representa- part ol
the energy of the waterfall and can be made
to 90 work. And so it is with storage bat
terry. In it we can store electrical energy.
To bring out this important point more
clearly let US further examine the example
of the waterfall and the weight.
CONVERSION OF ENERGY.
Here we have the energy of the waterfall
lifting a weight that is, separating two
things-the earth and weight that have a
strong attraction for each other The weight,
virtue of its position, and if allowed to fall,
it can do work and reproduce the exact
amount of energy expended in raising it.
As, for example, it could be made to pump
the water back to the top of the falls. Then
this water could fall again and again raise
the weight. However each time this is
done little of the energy is lost, by the
friction of the machinery used and the air,
and presently our see-saw arrangement
would come to rest just as any other see-saw
or swing.
So it is with storage battery If we
allow a current of electricity to flow through
storage battery, the electrical energy sepa-
rates certain elements Of the battery, which
have strong attraction chemical attrac-
tion or chemical affinity for each other;
aud when these elements are allowed to
"fall, that is, resume their former or
natural state, the stored electrical energy is
reproduced in the shape of an electric cur
rent
A STRIKING RESEMBLANCE.
Just as the falling water raised the weight
and the falling weight raised the water, so
the electric current separates the battery
elements and the battery elements resuming
their former and natural state reproduce an
electric current. But here, too, as in the
other case, energy is lost each time the
change is made, and a state of rest is the
final result For continuous motion or
power we must have an endless source of
energy, and coal, wood and waterfalls repre-
sent some Of these sources OF energy.
The simplest form of storage battery can
be made in the following manner: Take q
test tube or tumbler and fill it about three
quarters full of water; then pour in sui
phuric acid slowly, stirring with a wooden
stick till the solution is very acid to the
taste. (never pour the water into the acid as
that would generate heat Then stand in
the tumbler or cell two fat pieces OF sheet
lead, as wide as the cell will permit of, and
tall enough to reach one or two inches above
the acid solution. Place two rubber bands
around one of the plates-one band near the
bottom. Then bind the two plates together
SO the two lead plates do not touch each
other anywhere.
APPLYING THE ENERGY.
Connect one plate by means of copper
wire to one pole of battery or dynamo and
the other plate in the same way to the other
pole of the battery or dynamo and allow a
small current to fow-abou. one or two
amperes. If the source of electricity is too
powerful place a resistance in the circuit,
such as German silver wire or incandescent
lamps.
Allow the current to flow for,,about four or
five hours and at the end of that time it will
be noticed that one lead plate has become
brown and the other gray. Now disconnect
the wires from the source, and on touching
the two ends of the wires together small
spark will be noticed. If the ends are kept
together for short time the storage battery
will discharge itself, and must then be re-
charged. After the first charge the brown
plate, which Is called the positive plate,
must always be connected to the positive
pole of the dynamo or source for purposes
of recharging.
FORMING A BATTERY.
II the storage battery be charged and dis
charged good many times, the capacity of
the battery will be greatly increased-that
is, a greater discharge can be obtained
compared with the charge. This process of
charging and discharging is called form
ing, 'and until a storage battery is "formed"
it will return but a small proportion of the
current or energy used in charging. In dis
charging, the acid will become weak, but in
charging the strength of the acid is wholly
restored.
If larger battery is needed. that is one
that will give a greater current. more lead
plates must be used; for the current that a
storage battery will give Is in proportion to
the number and size of the plates. To make
a storage battery of more than two plates
observe the following instructions: The
strength of acid is the same, no matter how
many plates are used. Stand any odd
number of plates in the acid, providing
every other one with rubber bands, as
before, SO that no two plates can touch each
other Then connect all the alternate
plates together with strip of lead, making
soldered joints, SO that if there are 19
plates in all, nine plates will be connected
together to form one big positive plate, and
ten will be connected 10 form one big
negative.
POINT TO WATCH.
The even number of plates must always
be treated as the negative pole, and in
charging, connected to the negative pole of
the dynamo,-the odd number to the posi-
tive. The lead strips connecting the
negative plates must not touch the positive
plates and vice versa. To make a still
larger battery, take two or more cells as
above and then connect all the positive
poles or plates to make one large positive
plate and all the negative to make one
large negative.
however, Iol commercial purposes, the
process of making storage batteries varies q
little from that just described, and yet it is
SO simple that any boy could make this
better kind.
The most common form of the commercial
storage battery is called the ''grid type"
and is made as follows: To make the
positive plate, take smooth, fiat sheet of
lead of the size of the plate desired and
about three-eighths of an inch thick and
punch in it as many smooth round or
square holes as possible without weakening
the plate too much. Then make thick
naste of red lead and di lutte sulphuric acid