Improvements in Secondary Batteries.
Year: 1896

page_text: Date of Application, 2nd Apr., 1896
Complete Specification Left, 31st Dec., 1895-Accepted, 6th Mar., 1897
Belgium, Engineer.]
Improvements in Secondary Batteries.
1, HENRY HARRIS LAKE, of the Firm of Haseltine, Lake & Co., Patent Agents,
45 Southampton Buildings, in the County of Middlesex, do hereby declare the
nature of this invention to be as follows:-
As the secondary batteries heretofore used have only one liquid their electro-
motive force is evidently limited to the reactions produced at the two electrodes by
the same electrolyte. Now in ordinary secondary batteries or accumulators of
lead, the negative electrode being altogether passive, the disengagement of heat at
the sole positive electrode determines the voltage which exceeds the ordinary degree
only so far as the passive negative electrode is replaced by a negative electrode
giving rise to a supplementary disengagement of heat increasing the voltage by
some degrees as for example by electrodes of soluble metal.
As by the nature of the electrodes the negative pole of an accumulator is capable
also of doing useful work it is requisite to find the best conditions under which it
must be placed in order to increase this work and by so much the electromotive
force of the element.
Now I have ascertained that for this purpose a change of the electrolyte for
instance, the replacement of the acid bath by an alkaline bath, is without any
result from the moment when the two electrodes are dipped into the same
electrolyte in the same receptacle, but that it is not at all the same when the electrodes
are inserted in electrolytes which are separated from each other by porous
partitions, because in these conditions I may first choose the most favourable
electrolyte for the disengagement of the greatest number of heat units with regard
to the nature of the negative electrode itself, but also with regard to the action
combined with the electrolyte containing the positive electrode, which heat units
are then added in favour of the voltage.
In this order of ideas I have found that the following arrangement gives an
extraordinary result not yet obtained in a secondary battery up to the present.
time, and which I mention as an example of possible modifications.
The negative pole is constituted by a strip of zinc dipping into a porous
vessel filled with caustic soda in aqueous solution, whilst the positive pole is
composed of a strip of lead or its alloys, surrounded by peroxide of lead placed in
sulphuric acid diluted with water.
According to one constructional form of the invention the battery consists of an
outer receptacle containing the dilute acid in which is arranged the positive
electrode and an inner porous vessel arranged within said outer receptacle_
contained the sodaic solution in which the negative electrode is arranged.
The secondary battery with two liquids thus constituted gives a considerable"
yield in electromotive force, that is to say it raises the latter to the unusual

page_text: extent of 3 volts, which figure controlled by electro-chemical calculation gives for
the negative element:
2 NaOH+SO,H,= Na,SO + H₂O= + 16-1
and for the positive element :
"
";
PыО,+SO,H, РыSO4 + 0 + H₂O =
== =РыSО, + 0 + H₂O 49 heat units.
=-
In these two equations the terms H₂O annul each other and therefore have no
particular action either on one side or the other.
In these conditions, the heat disengaged being + 33-3 heat units at the negative
pole, when I deduct the 49 heat units produced at the positive pole I obtain the
following equation + 33-3-(-49) = +82-3 heat units altogether.
-
The relation which exists between the combination heat and the electromotive
force being represented by the quantity 0.0434, it is sufficient in order to know the
voltage, to multiply it by the number of heat units, thus 82-3 x 0.0434 = 3.57182 volts
theoretically.
In practice the electromotive force is from 3.20 v. to 3.30 v., a small loss which
may no doubt be attributed to the incomplete secondary reactions depending on the
degree of porosity and purity of the materials used.
In other respects any secondary battery constructed with the aid of other
materials at the two poles than those hereiubefore described, when it gives a
greater yield in voltage than ordinary accumulators, is to be considered as a
modification of my invention and consequently dependent on it in case it has two
liquids, because it is due to this condition that the work at the negative pole and
consequently the electromotive force can be augmented in a perceptible manner.
Dated this 2nd day of April 1896.
HASELTINE, LAKE & Co.,
45 Southampton Buildings, London, W.C., Agents for the Applicaut.
1, HENRY HARRIS LAKE, of the Firm of Haseltine, Lake & Co., Patent
Agents, 45 Southampton Buildings, in the County of Middlesex, 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 :-
As the secondary batteries heretofore used have only one liquid their electro-
motive force is evidently limited to the reactions produced at the two electrodes
by the same electrolyte. Now in ordinary secondary batteries or accumulators of
lead, the negative electrode being altogether passive, the disengagement of heat at
the sole positive electrode determines the voltage which exceeds the ordinary
degree only so far as the passive negative electrode is replaced by a negative
electrode giving rise to a supplementary disengagement of heat increasing the
voltage by some degrees as for example by electrodes of soluble metal.
As by the nature of the electrodes the negative pole of an accumulator is capable
also oi doing useful work it is requisite to find the best conditions under which it
must be placed in order to increase this work and by so much the electromotive
force of the element.
Now have ascertained that for this purpose a change of the electrolyte, for

page_text: instance the replacement of the acid bath by an alkaline bath, is without any
result from the amount when the two electrodes are dipped into the same electrolyte.
m the same receptacle, but that it is not at all the same when the electrodes are
inserted in electrolytes which are separated from each other by porous partitions,.
because in these conditions I may first choose the most favourable electrolyte
for the disengagement of the greatest number of heat units with regard to the.
nature of the negative electrode itself, but also with regard to the action combined
with the electrolyte containing the positive electrode, which heat units are then.
added in favour of the voltage.
In this order of ideas I have found that the following arrangement gives an
extraordinary result not yet obtained in a secondary battery up to the present time,.
and which I mention as an example of possible modifications.
The negative pole is constituted by a strip of zinc dipping into a porous vessel
filled with caustic soda in aqueous solution, whilst the positive pole is composed of
a strip of lead or its alloys, surrounded by peroxide of lead placed in sulphuric acid.
diluted with water.
In the accompanying drawing is represented a constructional form of the battery
only by way of example, it being understood that it may be made in any other
suitable form.
In this arrangement P is the positive electrode, N the negative electrode, V the
porous vessel, S the sodaic solution, O the dilute acid, and R the outer receptacle.
The secondary battery with two liquids thus constituted gives a considerable
yield in electromotive force, that is to say it raises the latter to the unusual extent
of 3 volts, which figure controlled by electrochemical calculation given for the
negative element:
In these two equations the terms H₂O annul each other and therefore have no-
particular action either on one side or the other.
In these conditions, the heat disengaged being + 33-3 heat units at the negative-
pole, when I deduct the 49.heat units produced at the positive pole I obtain the
following equation + 33-3 (49) +82-3 heat units altogether.
-
=
The relation which exists between the combination heat and the electromotive.
force being represented by the quantity 0-0434, it is sufficient in order to know
the voltage, to multiply it by the number of heat units, thus 82.3 x 0.0434 =
3.67182 volts theoretically.
In practice the electromotive force is from 3.20 v. to 3.30 v., a small loss which.
may no doubt be attributed to the incomplete secondary reactions depending on the
degree of porosity and purity of the materials used.
In other respects any secondary battery constructed with the aid of other
materials at the two poles than those herein before described, when it gives a
greater yield in voltage than ordinary accumulators, is to be considered as a
modification of my invention and consequently dependent on it in case it has two-
liquids, because it is due to this condition that the work at the negative pole
and consequently the electromotive force can be augmented in a perceptible.
manner.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed, as communicated to me-
by my foreign correspondent, I declare that what I claim is :-
First. A secondary battery characterized by the arrangement of its electrodes of.

page_text: the two names, whether they are of the same nature or of a different nature, in
such a manner that those of the same name dip into a different liquid from those of
the opposite name so as to thus form a secondary battery with two liquids for
the purpose of augmenting the work at the negative pole and consequently the
electromotive force of the element.
Second. For the secondary battery set forth in the first claim a constructional
form by way of example, characterized by the constitution of the negative pole as
a strip of lead surrounded by peroxide of lead dipping into dilute sulphuric acid,
and of the negative pole as a strip of zinc dipping into an aqueous solution of
caustic soda, the two liquids being separated by a porous diaphragm or vessel.
Dated this 31st day of December 1896.
HASELTINE, LAKE & Co.,
45 Southampton Buildings, London, W.C., Agents for the Applicant.