A Voltaic Battery having its Depolarisation effected by Heat.
Year: 1897

page_text: Date of Application, 17th Apr., 1897
Complete Specification Left, 17th Jan., 1898-Accepted, 12th Mar.,
1898
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
A Voltaic Battery having its Depolarisation effected by Heat.
I, HENRI ETIENNE DE RUFZ DE LAVISON, of 42, Boulevard Maillot à Neuilly-
sur-Seine (Seine), France, Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of this inven-
tion to be as follows:
This invention relates to the construction and arrangement of a voltaic battery
in combination with means of heating, in such manner that depolarisation of the
positive electrode is effected by heat.
For this purpose, each positive electrode is made of oxidisable metal in the form
of a disc rotating slowly while partially immersed in electrolyte liquid, in which the
negative electrodes are placed parallel to the discs. Through the space above
the liquid, air is passed from a chamber heated by lamps or otherwise, so that
the discs, as they move slowly through the heated air, become more or less
oxidised, giving off the oxygen as they subsequently pass through the electrolyte.
Instead of supplying heated air to the space above the electrolyte, a flame may be
directed against the edge of each disc as it emerges from the liquid, so that it
becomes oxidised as it continues its course through the air. In order to economise
heat, the vessel containing the electrodes and electrolyte is preferably covered
with material which is a bad conductor of heat. The electrodes may be electri-
cally connected in groups, parallel or in series.
Dated this 17th day of April 1897.
ABEL & IMRAY,
Agents for the Applicant.
A Voltaic Battery having its Depolarisation effected by Heat.
I, HENRI ETIENNE DE RUFZ DE LAVISON, of 42, Boulevard Maillot Neuilly-
sur-Seine (Seine), France, Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of this inven-
tion 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 the construction and arrangement of a voltaic battery
in combination with means of heating, in such manner that depolarisation of the
positive electrode is effected by heat.
For this purpose, each positive electrode is made of oxidisable metal in the form
of a disc rotating slowly while partially immersed in electrolyte liquid, in which the
negative electrodes are placed parallel to the discs. Through the space above
the liquid, air is passed from a chamber heated by lamps or otherwise, so that
the discs, as they move slowly through the heated air, become more or less
077

page_text: oxidised, giving off the oxygen as they subsequently pass through the electrolyte.
Instead of supplying heated air to the space above the electrolyte, a flame may be
directed against the edge of each disc as it emerges from the liquid, so that it
becomes oxidised as it continues its course through the air. In order to economise
heat, the vessel containing the electrodes and electrolyte is preferably covered
with material, which is a bad conductor of heat. The electrodes may be electri-
cally connected in groups, parallel or in series.
I will describe my said invention with reference to the accompanying
drawing in which Fig. 1 shews a longitudinal section, of one arrangement, Fig. 2
a horizontal section and Figure 3 a cross section on two different planes. In this
arrangement the depolarisation is effected by means of hot air made to circulate
through the battery so as to produce an oxidation of the parts of the electrodes
that are not covered by the liquid.
The elements are shewn, by way of example, as consisting of metal discs a, and
zinc plates b, the discs being made to revolve at a very slow speed, so that the
part that rises up out of the liquid in the vessels c come into an atmosphere
which is heated by means to be presently described.
The discs of the elements composing one group are mounted with interposition
of insulating material, upon a shaft d having a pulley e, to which rotation is
imparted by a suitable motor.
The elements of one and the same group are assumed to be mounted in series
by means of brushes f rubbing on the bosses g formed on each pair of discs con-
stituting the positive electrode of an element, which brush is attached to the
zinc of the contiguous element.
The elements of one and the same group are enclosed in one and the same
receptacle divided into compartments by means of partitions.
Each group of elements is placed in a compartment j of a stove, heated by any
suitable means such as by means of a lamp k with several wicks, placed at the
bottom of a rectangular tube 1.
The compartments are partially surrounded by double walls containing a
bad conductor of heat m, in order to prevent the cooling of the interior where the
non-immersed portions of the discs a are situated, and thus avoiding the heating
of the liquid of the battery.
The cold air entering from the outside through the openings in the enclosures n
passes partly into the tube 7 for supplying the heating lamp, while another
part penetrates into a tube o surrounding the first one, and is heated in passing
in a serpentine direction along the baffles p provided between the two tubes,
and eventually enters the compartments j.
The heating is farther facilitated by forming corrugations 9 in the upper part
of the sides of the tube 7, thus affording increased heating surface for the air
in the compartments to come in contact with. At a temperature of from 30° to
40° the depolarisation is effected in a very active manner; it commences even at
the ordinary temperature; at 100° it becomes very considerable; for example
an element weighing about 4 kilos has been found capable of sustaining an
intensity of 30 ampères under a pressure of 0'8 volts.
If the battery is required to supply a large amount of current, somewhat con-
centrated acidulated water must be employed, some sulphate of copper being
first introduced into the liquid, because the battery will not start working
regularly with a certain supply of current unless a sufficient quantity of sulphate
of copper proportionate to the required supply has been formed.
By adding such quantity in the first instance, the battery is only required to
maintain the necessary concentration.
Figs. 4, 5 and 6 of the drawing shew respectively a longitudinal section, a
cross section, and a plan of another modification.
The zinc elements r are made in the form of a rectangular box without a
bottom, and the positive electrodes are formed as discs s mounted with interposi-

page_text: tion of insulating material upon a shaft t to which a very slow rotary motion is
imparted.
The heating of the non-immersed portion of the discs is effected by means
of a series of burners u upon a supply pipe which supplies the combustible
which may either be liquid or gaseous.
The elements of the battery may be connected either in series or in parallel.
The heating of the positive electrodes can also be effected either by heating
the enclosure containing them, or by heating successively the different parts of
the discs, the heat being derived either from a portion of the current itself or from
any other source and the current being collected from the heated parts by means
of brushes, and each heated part being oxidised by contact with the air; or the
heating may be effected intermittently, after determined intervals of time, or in
any other suitable manner according to the nature of the work which the battery
is required to do.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of this
invention and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what
I claim is:―
An electric battery wherein the positive electrodes, made of a suitable oxidis-
able metal, have successive portions alternately immersed in the electrolyte and
raised out of the same, while the non-immersed portions are depolarised by the
application of heat thereto such heat being supplied either by arranging the
battery within a chamber the air in which is heated by a lamp or other source
of heat, or by directly heating the non-immersed portions of the electrodes by
means of flames from a gaseous or liquid combustible or by heat derived from the
electric current itself, or by any other means, substantially as described.
בדי
J 1
1721 dow of Tanuary 1898