An Improved Electrical Accumulator under pressure.
Year: 1896

page_text: Date of Application, 16th Apr., 1896
Complete Specification Left, 16th Jan., 1897-Accepted, 10th Apr., 1897
An Improved Electrical Accumulator under pressure.
We, EDMOND COMMELIN, of 30 Rue Vignon, Paris, Engineer and RÉNÉ
VIAU, of 10 Rue du Bouloi, Paris, Merchant, do hereby declare the nature of
this invention to be as follows:-
.
This invention relates to an improved electrical accumulator which operates for
its discharge by the combination of hydrogen with oxygen or by hydrogen with
chlorine or by chlorine with deposited metals to reform salts, this combination
taking place under pressure.
To carry our invention into effect we dispose the electrodes in the form of tubes
or cylindrical or hollow plates of carbon or porous metal, forming a reservoir, open
below to the electrolyte, and hermetically closed at the top, the said gases being
generated in the interior of these tubular electrodes by the electrolytical action of
the charging current, and are accumulated under pressure in separate reservoirs
communicating with the interior of these closed cylindrical electrodes.
In order to prevent the destruction of the porous cylindrical electrodes by the
charging current, and in order to permit the disengagement of gas only in the
interior of these tubes, we arrange in the interior of these cylindrical electrodes
other non-porous electrodes of the same material and polarity as the cylindrical
electrodes and we utilize the central non-porous electrodes for the charging of the
accumulators, and the enveloping porous cylindrical electrodes for the discharge,
but these electrodes of the same character and polarity, are obviously insulated.
from one another.
In certain cases we may dispose as a negative electrode a plate of porous lead,.
as is used in ordinary accumulators, or simply a metallic amalgamated plate, upon
which we deposit zinc, cadmium, or any other suitable metal. In this arrangement
there is only a single negative pole, which is used both for charge and discharge,
and there is no attached reservoir to the negative pole but the positive poles of
discharge are constructed as before described by a porous tubular electrode in
communication with a special reservoir, and an internal non-porous electrode of
same polarity therein for charging.
The case of the accumulator battery containing the electrodes may be of steel
covered with ebonite, and is bermetically closed by a cover of the same material..
This case contains the electrolyte which may be water, acidulated by sulphuric
acid, where oxygen and hydrogen gases are desired to be liberated, the positive
tubular electrode being of such porous metal as is not susceptible of being attacked
by the acid used in the electrolyte with an interior non-porous electrode therein,
and the negative tubular electrode being of porous metal with an internal electrode
of lead antimony-alloy, or of carbon.
If in place of oxygen and hydrogen it is desired to work with the reaction of
chlorine and hydrogen, the electrolyte will be a solution of hydro-chloric acid or
of chloride of potassium or sodium.
In this case the positive central charging electrode should be of carbon.
The gas reservoirs may be of sheet metal such as copper, and globular in form
connected by tubes fitted with stop cocks to the interior of the tubular electrodes
and are fitted with pressure gauges.
The reservoir for the collection of oxygen, has only half the capacity of that for

page_text: hydrogen, according to the respective volumes of the gas disengaged by electrolysis
from OH, so that the level of the electrolyte within the tubular electrodes, which
is depressed by the accumulated pressure of gas, shall remain practically of uniform
level in the two electrodes.
Below the shut off cock on the tube attachment of gas reservoirs is a snifting
valve, to the outer air, by which the air within the tubular electrodes may escape
when the electrolyte is being poured into the battery case.
By connecting the positive and negative poles together, the accumulated charges
of gas will recombine and cause an electrical discharge current.
It is obvious that when the accumulated charges of oxygen and hydrogen or
hydrogen and chlorine contained in the reservoirs have recombined during discharge,
the further electrical discharge of the accumulator may be continued by a further
supply of the respective gases, from any reservoirs or source of supply, to the
tubular electrodes.
When the negative pole is a simple metallic plate, we may use as electrolyte a
solution of chloride of zinc or of cadmium. In this case the positive central
charging electrode should be a rod or plate of carbon and the positive tubular
electrode of discharge also of carbon, seeing that in this reaction we collect at the
positive-pole chlorine instead of oxygen, while we have at the .negative pole a
metallic deposit.
Dated this 16th day of April 1896
FELL & JAMES,
Agents for the Applicants.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
An Improved Electrical Accumulator under Pressure.
We, EDMOND COMMELIN, of 30, Rue Vignon, Paris, Engineer, and RENE
VIAU, of 10, Rue du Bouloi, Paris, Merchant, do hereby declare the nature of
this invention and in what manner the same is to be performed, to be particularly
described and ascertained in and by the following statement :-
This invention relates to an improved electrical accumulator which operates for
its discharge by the combination of hydrogen .with oxygen, or by hydrogen with
chlorine, or by chlorine with. deposited: metals, to reform. salts, this combination
taking place under pressure..
To carry our invention into effect, we dispose the electrodes in the form of tubes
or cylindrical or hollow plates of carbon or porous metal forming a reservoir, open
below to the electrolyte, and. hermetically closed at the top, the said gases being
generated in the interior of these tubular electrodes by the electrolytical action of
the charging current, and are accumulated under pressure in separate reservoirs
communicating until the interior of these closed cylindrical electrodes.
In order to prevent the destruction of the porous cylindrical electrodes by the
charging current, and in order to permit the disengagement of gas only in the
interior of these tubes, we arrange in the interior of these cylindrical electrodes
other nonporous electrodes of the same material and polarity as the cylindrical
electrodes, and we utilize the central nonporous electrodes for the charging of the
accumulators and the developing porous cylindrical electrodes for the discharge,
but these electrodes of the same character and polarity are obviously insulated
from one another.
In certain cases we may dispose as a negeative electrode a plate of porous lead,
as is used in ordinary accumulators, or simply a metallic amalgamated plate, upon
which we deposit zinc cadmium, or any other suitable metal. In this arrangement
there is only a single negative pole, which is used both for charge and discharge,

page_text: and there is no attached reservoir to the negative pole but the positive poles of
discharge are constructed as before described by a porous tubular electrode in
communication with a special reservoir, and an internal nonporous electrode, of
same polarity therein, for charging.
And in order that our invention may be the better understood we will now
proceed to describe the same in relation to the accompanying drawings hereunto"
annexed, reference being had to the letters and figures marked thereon. Like
letters refer to like parts in the various figures.
Fig. 1. is a vertical section of an accumulator, uncharged, with tubular electrodes.
Fig. 2 represents the same, charged.
Fig. 3 represents a battery with positive tubular electrodes, and plate negative
electrodes.
The case A of the accumulator battery containing the electrodes may be of
steel, covered with ebonite, and is hermetically closed by a cover M. of the same
material. This case A contains the electrolyte R. which may be water, acidulated
by sulphuric acid, where oxygen and hydrogen gases are desired to be liberated,
and of which the level L varies according to the size of the case A.
In this liquid are plunged the tubular electrodes B and D. in carbon or in a
porous metal such as is not susceptible of being attacked by the acid used in the
electrolyte.
They are attacked at their upper part by an air-tight joint to the ebonite
cover M and are open at their base.
B is the positive electrode of discharge attached to the conducting wire J, and
D is the negative electrode of discharge connected to the wire K.
In the interior of the tube B is a rod or plate of metal C formed from alloy of
lead and antimony in equal parts to retard so much as possible its oxidation.
This rod or plate C is also fixed to the cover M so that it is entirely insulated
from the tube B. It is connected with the conducting wire J and constitutes
the positive pole of charge. The tube D has equally in its interior a similar
rod or plate of lend-antimony or of carbon E, also insulated from the tube D,
and is connected to the wire K and forms the negative pole of charge.
The upper part of the tube B is in communication by a pipe F with a reservoir
of sheet metal or copper G to receive the oxygen generated in the interior of "
the tube B and the interior of the tube D communicates similarly by a pipe H
with a reservoir I adapted to receive the hydrogen gas.
The reservoir G has only half the capacity of the reservoir I the production of
the oxygen being half that of the hydrogen.
The two reservoirs are furnished with two pressure gauges o o' serving to indicate
the pressure of the gas during charge and discharge.
The whole is so arranged that the reservoirs G and I will serve to feed 'a
complete battery of accumulators.
The tubes Faud H are furnished with taps g g' adapted to retain the gas under
pressure in the reservoirs, when it is not wished to discharge the battery at once,
but to retain the charge.
The taps n n' fixed upon a pipe F and H serve for the escapement of the air
during the introduction of liquid into the case A.
The apparatus thus constructed, and provided with water, acidulated with
sulphuric acid as an electrolyte, is now ready to be charged.
The charging poles C JE K are connected to the source of electricity and
there results a disengagement of oxygen in the interior of the tube B from the
surface of the positive electrode C which oxygen collects in the reservoir G and in
the tube D hydrogen is disengaged and collects in the reservoir I. As the charge
continues the acidulated water in the tubes B and D is forced back by the
accumulating pressure of the gases, leaving spaces X Y in the tubes filled by gas,
whilst the electrolyte in the external case A is forced up to the cover M as in
Fig. 2. The gas thus saturates the pores of the carbon or of the porous metal
constituting the electrodes.

page_text: If, in the place of oxygen it is desired to separate chlorine gas, the electrolyte
will be a solution of hydro-chloric acid or of the chloride of potassium or sodium.
In this case the positive pole of charge C should be a plate of carbon.
The current from the apparatus depends upon the surface of the electrode
exposed to the gases in the spaces X and Y.
The arrangement of the special positive electrodge of charge C in the interior
of the porous electrode B has for its object to prevent this tube being in the
charging current which would be a serious cause of its destruction and hinder the
separation of the gas as well as the practicability of collecting the oxygen in its.
separate reservoir,
We have adopted the same arrangement for the negative of charge in order to
readily collect the hydrogen also in its reservoir I.
For the discharge of the battery, when charged as in Fig. 2, it is necessary only
to connect the positive pole wire J to the negative pole wire K.
When the bydrogen and oxygen gases resulting from the decomposition of the
water have been collected in the reservoirs I and G, we may supplement the supply
of these gas from any other source of production or reserve and the combination
of the two gases will continue producing the electrical current of discharge; a
reaction which would not have taken place unless there were, in the first place, a,
production of oxygen and hydrogen by the electric current.
In certain cases we can replace the negative pole by a plate of porous lead, as
in ordinary secondary batteries, the positive pole being arranged and composed in
the manner as hereinabove described.
We can also employ, as the negative electrode, an amalgamated metallic plate,
upon which we make a metallic deposit of cadium or zinc, employing, as the
electrolyte, a solution of a salt of zine or cadmium, in water, acidulated by an acid
corresponding to the acid of the employed salt.
In the above cases the same negative pole is utilized. as well for charge as
discharge, and there is no necessity for a reservoir above the negative pole.
In the arrangement of positive and tubular electrodes, as well as in the two cases
as above described, it is convenient to select an alternative arrangement of couples,
in order to augment the surface by reason of the number of plates.
This arrangement is shewn in Fig. 3, where the positive electrodes of discharge
are porous tubes B, transversed in their interior by non-porous and insulated rods,
or plates C, constituting the electrodes of charge. The tubes B communicate at
their upper part with the reservoir of oxygen G while the negative electrodes e
are simple rods or plates.
When a metallic plate is used for the negative electrode an electrolyte can be
used of a solution of chloride of zinc or cadium; in this case the positive electrode
of charge, instead of being in metal, may be replaced by a rod or plate of carbon,
and similarly a tubular electrode of charge may be of carbon, seeing that in this
reaction we collect at the positive pole chlorine, and oxygen, as mentioned above
in the case of decomposition of H.CI or of NaCl or of K.CI, where we have the
chlorine at the positive and the hydrogen at the negative.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of our said inven-
tion, and in what manner the same is to be performed, we declare that what
we claim is :-
1st. An electrical accumulator in which the discharge is effected by the
combination under pressure in porous plates of carbon or metal, of hydrogen with
oxygen, or of hydrogen with chlorine, previously separated by electrolysis, in a
hermetically closed case and accumulated under pressure and separate reservoirs.
2nd. In an electrical accumulator, as claimed in Claim 1, means for obtaining
the continuation of the electrical discharge, by the feeding of the reservoirs of
hydrogen and oxygen gas, or of hydrogen and chlorine gas, from independent
sources of production or from distant reservoirs.
3rd. A specific form of electrical accumulator as claimed in Claims 1 and 2, in

page_text: which the electrodes are formed by tubes or chambers of porous metal or of porous
carbon, forming the reservoir for the accumulation of the separated gases arising.
from the electrolytical action of the current of charge, and of which a part
constitutes the operative surfaces for discharge, the gas entering and being
maintained under pressure in the pores of the tubes or chambers.
4th. A specific form of an electrical accumulator as indicated under Claims 1
and 3 in which the tubular porous electrode, formning a reservoir, encloses other
electrodes of the same polarity, but not porous, and from which they are entirely
insulated; the last mentioned electrode constituting the poles of charge, whilst the
latter constitute poles of discharge, in order to prevent the destruction of the
porous electrode by the charging current, and to permit the easy disengagement of
gas in the interior of the tubular electrodes, and the ready collection of the gases
in the reservoirs apart from the battery.
5th. A specific form of electrical accumulator, as indicated under Claims 1
and 2, consisting of, in combination, an external case A, hermetically closed,
containing the electrolyte; tubular electrodes, in carbon or porous metal (B and D).
hermetically attached at their upper part to, and insulated by, a nonconducting
cover M, and open at their lower ends to the electrolyte reservoirs G I of different
capacities in communication with the interior of said tubular electrodes, adapted
to receive and retain the gaseous product of charge; charging electrodes CE.
situated within the said tubular electrodes B. P and insulated therefrom the said
reservoirs G I being adapted also to communicate with other sources of production:
or reserve of gas identical with their contents.
6th. In an electrical accumulator as indicated under Claims 1 to 5, the
combination with the reservoirs G and I of pressure guages, permitting observation
of the gaseous pressure during charge and discharge.
7th. In an electrical accumulator as indicated under Claims 1 to 5, charging
electrodes C. E formed of rods or plates in an alloy of lead and antimony in.
equal parts, to prevent oxidation as far as possible of these electrodes.
8th. In an electrical accumulator as indicated under Claims 3 and 4, a.
modification of construction, whereby the negative electrodes are simply metal
sheets or plates e serving both for charge and discharge, the positive electrodes of
charge being rods or plates C, entirely enclosed by but insulated from other
tubular porous positive electrodes of discharge B, coinmunicating at their upper-
part with a reservoir G, the operative surface being auginented by multiple plates
substantially as described in relation to Fig. 3.
9th. In an electrical accumulator the combination with the parts, arranged as
claimed in Claim 8, of negative electrodes charge and discharge in the form of
simple plates of porous lead, as used in ordinary accumulators.
10th. In an electrical accumulator the combination with parts arranged as
claimed in Claim 8 of negative electrodes of charge and discharge formed of
amalgamated metal plates, and an electrolyte formed from a solution of salt of zinc
or cadium or of another metal, in water acidulated by an acid corresponding to the
salt employed.
11th. In an electrical accumulator the combination with the parts as claimed in
Claims 1 to 6 of an electrolyte formed from a solution of hydrochloric acid, of
chloride of potassium, or of chloride of cadium, and positive electrodes of charge
and discharge formed of carbon.
12th. In an electrical accumulator the combination with parts as claimed under-
Claims 8 and 10 of an electrolyte of chloride of zinc or of cadium, and positive.
electrodes of charge and discharge made in carbon.
Dated this 13th day of January 1897.
FELL & JAMES,
1, Queen Victoria Street, London, E.C., Agents for the Applicants..