Tulsa daily world. [volume] (Tulsa, Indian Territory [Okla.]) 1905-1919, 1917-11-04
Average Motor Car Owner
Does Not Understand
Their Construction.
HOW CURRENT is GENERATED
Electrical Expert Explains
How Expensive Losses May
Be Avoided by Motorists.


tant unit of the automobiles equip
ment. The average life of storage
battery in actual service Is 10 months
With proper care this length of serv-
ice can be raised to twenty months OF
more writes battery expert in the
Chicago Herald.
There are several kinds Of storage
batteries in use. The familiar lead
battery with liquid solution, the same
type with dry electrolyte,-&nd the Edi-
son nickel iron battery are the ones
~6commonly encountered. In motor car
sament the lead plate battery with
Y4n4d solution is the prevailing type.
The automobile storage battery is
an electro chemical unit. containing
plates of a lead composition sub
merged in n solution of sulphuric
acid, known as electrolyte and having
I a specific gravity of 1.30 at 70 de-
grees Fahrenheit The plates in the
battery are OF two distinct kinds,
known as positive and negative. The
current leaves the battery by way OF
/ the positive and returns thru the neg
alive.
The battery plates are made in the
form of grids, the spaces being filled
with n special composition of lead.
The positive plates have filler con-
sistng OF peroxide of lead. reddish
brown in color. The negative plates
employ spongy composition of lead.
These plates are separated by strips
Of specially treated wood or some
times OF other materials. The ele-
! ments, positive and negative plates.
are inclosed In jars of hard rubber
which are filled or nearly so, with a
solution of sulphuric acid Each OF
these jars is known as a cell and
F., battery may consist of one, two, three,
! four or more cells. according to the
power needed.
The word storage" in connection
with the electro chemical battery con-
veys a false impression. The storage
battery does not store anything. The
actual work OF the battery consists in
a chemical action between the acid
solution. and the active material con
tained In the plates.
Chemical Action Always Working.
Now this chemical action is always
going on within the battery, even when
1t Is not actually giving out current.
But when the part is being called upon
to deliver power the violence of the
chemical action is enormously in
creased and electrical current Is gen.
Grated and dispatched on its way as
directed by the driver Of the car to
! sta the motor, light the lights, or
what not
The chemical actior within the bat
terry which produces the current also
produces a substance known as lead
sulphate, which is deposited on the
plates. This sulphate is a white sub
stance and its presence on the plates
weakens the action OF the battery be-
cause its formation has actually-w
drawn acid from the solution or cleo
trolyte. Thus, II this condition reaches
its ultimate stage. the plates would be
thick with sulphate deposits and all
the acid would be withdrawn from the
electrolyte. leaving plain water. In
this case the battery would be able to
produce no current whichever.
Now when electrical current from
an outside source is sent into the bat
terry II causes a reaction to take place,
which is exactly the reverse Of the
former. as It breaks up the sulphate
deposit on the plates and drives II back
into the liquid In the form of acid.
When this operation has been COM
pleted and all the deposit has been re-
moved the battery is ready to begin its
chemical action again and produce
electric current.
n Is obvious that the liquid with
which the battery cells are filled. in
the course of time, will suffer evapor-
alton. This is doubly so because the
chemical action of the battery pro-
duces a certain amount Of heat, which
hastens losses due to inevitable evap-
Grafton.
To make up for this and keep the
liquid up to the proper level. distilled
water must be added at regular in
tervals, once n week In warm weather
nd in tyvn Uaalxc AnrtnO tho nnlI
season. Filtered water may be bought
at any drug store or garage or rain
water or water made by melting Ice
kpakf3ke used. When the LIQUID has
IFeduced by evaporation. obvious
its acid content is just the same
i all that Is necessary Is to bring
I'D to the proper level by adding the
in water.
Keep Up Acid Solution.
On the other hand. If any of the
lid has been spilled or has leaked |
Of the jars in any way. acid has
been lost so that in replenishlne
will be necessary to add acid and
er In proper amounts. that Is to
with a specific gravity of 1.30 +. |
Whenever the owner opens his bat
to refill the cells with water ne !
uld test the electrolyte with an in
'ment CARED n nydrometer syringe |
is a large glass cylinder with a |
Der bulb at one end q small grad |
ID cylinder inside.
means of the rubber bulb |
nifty OF the liquid is drawn up into |
cylinder. the small graduated cyl |
n floats in this and by it's depth |
Gates the specific gravity OF the |
I. II this is 1.2s to 100. or there- !
ITS. the battery is fully charged. II |
lis to 1.15 the battery Is discharged !
should be recharged at once.
ne modern car manufacturer /
es to remove much Of the work !
,aring Tor the battery from the |
lders Of the owner. A generator |
stalled 70 recharge the battery as
car runs. This is a great convent |
but Il may also be incorrectly |
sted and overcharge or under |
ge. The driver will have to find |
what rate of recharging is de- |
lded by his particular form OF |
ice and have the charging rate |
to meet that condition.
lso remember that even tho the |
orator may be perfectly attuned to |
needs Of the operator. keeping the !
battery perfectly charged all the time |
Il win not put water in the cells. The |
car owner must do that with his own |
handn IL he w. nts TO be SIRE the narf !