An Improved Electric Battery, and Method or Process of Converting the Potential Energy of Carbon or Carbonaceous Materials into Electrical Energy.
Year: 1896

page_text: This Print is in accordance with the Original Specification as it stands after
Amendment (under Section 11 of the Patents, &c., Act, 1883), as required by
the decision of the Comptroller General of the 2nd day of April 1897.
Date of Application, 3rd Mar., 1896-Accepted, 25th Apr., 1896
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION (AMENDED).
An Improved Electric Battery, and Method or Process of Converting
the Potential Energy of Carbon or Carbonaceous Materials into
Electrical Energy.
I WILLIAM WHITE JACQUES, Electrician, of 42 Eldridge Street, Newton, in
the County of Middlesex, and State of Massachusetts, United States of America,
do hereby declare the nature of this invention and in what manner the same is to
he performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following.
statement:-
It is well known that carbon and carbonaceous materials, such as anthracite and
bituminous coals, coke and gas carbon, have a chemical affinity for oxygen, and
that when brought, at a proper temperature, in contact with oxygen, whether pure,
or diluted as in the case of air, such carbons enter into chemical combination with the
oxygen and the potential energy of the coal is converted into heat. This process.
is known as combustion.
I have discovered that, if oxygen, whether pure, or diluted as in air, be caused
to combine with carbon or carbonaceous materials, not directly, as in the case of
combustion, but through an intervening electrolyte, the potential energy of the
carbon may be converted directly into electrical energy instead of into heat.
My invention is founded on this discovery and consists in the process of
converting the potential energy of carbon or carbonaceous materials into electrical
energy by chemically combining oxygen with said carbon or carbonaceous materials
through an intervening electrolyte.
A convenient and practical way of carrying out my invention is to immerse a
cylinder of carbon in molten sodium hydrate and force a current or blast of air
into the molten sodium hydrate in such manner that the sodium hydrate becomes
impregnated with oxygen in excess over that which sodium hydrate normally
contains. A circuit being completed from the sodium hydrate which is the
electrolyte, by means of a collecting electrode not chemically acted upon by the
electrolyte and an extraneous conductor, to the carbon, an electric current flows
continuously from the sodium hydrate through the collecting electrode and the
exterior conductor to the carbon, the strength of the current depending primarily
upon the rapidity with which the air is blown into the sodium hydrate and the
oxygen of the air caused to combine with the carbon.
In this process the carbon is gradually converted into carbonic acid, which
mostly bubbles up through the electrolyte and escapes: the resultant composition
of the sodium hydrate remains unchanged (excepting as hereinafter explained) and
oxygen from the air is consumed. The nitrogen with which the oxygen of the air
is diluted, having no chemical affinity for any other substance present, simply
bubbles through the electrolyte and escapes.

page_text: The sodium hydrate is contained in a vessel of pure iron, upon which it has no
sensible chemical action when melted, and this iron vessel serves as the collecting
electrode or positive pole of the generator, while the carbon forms the oxidizable
electrode or negative pole.
My conception of the function of the electrolyte is that it carries oxygen
electrolytically from the air to the carbon, or that the phenomenon of electrolytic
action causes the conversion of the potential energy of the carbon into electrical
energy instead of into heat, as is the case when oxygen combines with carbon
without the intervention of an electrolyte.
It is desirable in order to facilitate the chemical action and consequently obtain
a more considerable rurrent of electricity, to thoroughly impregnate the electrolyte
with oxygen, and this may be done by admitting the air, under pressure, in a
considerable number of fine sprays.
It is also desirable to maintain a constant circulation of the electrolyte so that
new portions, freshly charged with oxygen, may successively be brought in contact
with the carbon. Such circulation is well obtained by the ebullition into which
the electrolyte is thrown by the admission of air under pressure.
Again it is desirable, in order to prevent the setting up of electromotive forces.
opposed to the proper electromotive force of the generator, to keep the whole
body of the electrolyte and the contained carbons and containing vessel, useil also
as collector, at n more or less uniform temperature throughout, and this is
conveniently done by the ebullition of the electrolyte due to the air forced in.
Again, the constant ebullition of the electrolyte removes from the surface of
the consumed carbon such ash and ether products of chemical action as may form
upon it, thus leaving fresh surfaces of carbon continually exposed to the action of
the electrolyte.
Suitable apparatus for practising my invention, making use of sodium hydrate
as an electrolyte and air as a source of oxygen supply, is shown in Fig. 1.
I is a pot of pure iron. Good rolled Norway iron answers the purpose.
E is the electrolyte which in this case is caustic soda (sodium hydrate). It
need not be free from the usual impurities found in the commercial article.
C is the carbon which must be, when pinced in the electrolyte, a good conductor
of electricity.
Bis a metallic clamp for making a good electrical connection between the carbon
and the lend wire .
is the binding post by which the lead wire to is connected to the metallic
clamp B. is the binding post by which the lead wire to is connected to the
iron pot 1.
F is a furnace, surrounding the generator, and used to keep the generator, and
the enclosed electrolyte at the proper temperature (say 400 deg. to 500 deg. C.).
A is an air pump that forces air through the tube T into the "rose "R, from
which it is forced into the electrolyte in a number of fine sprays.
The rose R is shown also in plan in Fig. 2. It is made of some metal not neted
upon by the electrolyte and is pierced with a large number of fine pin holes as
shown.
Sis a cover of non-conducting material which serves also to support the carbon
and insulate it from the iron pot.
e is a vent for allowing the refuse gases to escape.
is an outlet for drawing off the electrolyte when contaminated and is an
inlet for supplying fresh electrolyte.
The apparatus being put together as shown and the electrolyte having been
brought to the proper temperature, the pump A is operated and air is forced into
the electrolyte causing a violent ebullition, which ebullition supplies to the
electrolyte an excess of oxygen, brings fresh portions of the electrolyte continually
in contact with the carbon, detaches the carbonic acid and ash formed on the
surface of the carbon, and keeps the whole interior of the generator at a uniform
temperature.

page_text: Although the greater part of the carbonic acid, whether resulting from the
union of carbon and oxygen, or already existing in the air supply, bubbles up
through the electrolyte and escapes, a portion of this carbonic acid combines with
a portion of the caustic soda to form carbonate of soda, and this, together with the
ash from the carbon, slowly contaminates the electrolyte, and, in the course of
time, lessens its efficiency.
The efficiency of the generator may, however, be maintained by drawing off,
from time to time, a portion of the contaminated electrolyte and admitting a fresh
portion to take its place.
The contaminated electrolyte may be purified by well known simple processes.
The contamination of the caustic soda by its union with carbonic acid may be
reduced and its life consequently prolonged by adding a small percentage of oxide
of magnesium. My conception of the action of the oxide of magnesium is that the
free carbonic acid combines with it in preference to the caustic soda, and that the
carbonate of magnesium so formed is quickly decomposed into carbonic acid, which
escapes, and oxide of magnesium, which is again ready to repeat its action.
Briefly the oxide of magnesium serves as a carrier to convey the carbonic acid
through the electrolyte.
My invention is not limited to the particular electrolyte above mentioned, nor to
the air as a source of oxygen supply, nor to the apparatus above described.
There are many electrolytes that may be used in practising my invention.
Following are some of the desirable characteristics. They should become liquid at
a convenient temperature: they should possess god electrolytic conductivity;
they should be capable of readily taking up oxygen from the air or other source
of supply, and also capable of readily giving up oxygen into combination with the
carbon. They should not have a strong affinity for carbonic acid, and, in case
air is used as a source of oxygen supply, should not have any considerable
affinity for the nitrogen or other substances with which the oxygen of the air is
diluted.
use.
The molten hydrates of potash and soda are especially suitable for practical
Instead of using the air as a source of oxygen supply, it is evident that I may
use oxygen artificially prepared by any of the well known methods, and, as might
naturally be supposed, the chemical action takes place more rapidly with pure
oxygen than when the oxygen is diluted as in air.
The air or oxygen may be supplied to the electrolyte in a heated condition.
The collecting electrode, or positive pole, which may or may not be the.
containing pot, should be made of conducting material not considerably acted upon
by the electrolyte; from which action, however, the current flowing from the
electrolyte to the collecting electrode tends to protect the latter. Platinum is
almost universally applicable though expensive. Pure iron is very generally
applicable and inexpensive. Steel and iron containing any considerable quantity
of carbon should be avoided in that they may set up an inverse electromotive force
which materially reduces the efficiency of the generator.
Forins of carbon that I have found convenient for use are:
Gas carbon,.
anthracite coal that has been so baked as to give it conductivity, bituminous coal
from which sufficient of the hydrocarbons have been driven off to give it con-
ductivity, charcoal, and in fact any form of carbon or carbonaceous material which
has or to which may be given sufficient conductivity to allow of the conduction of
the electric current to or from the seat of chemical action.
I prefer to mould the carbon into one or more solid cylinders or plates (which
may be done by well known processes), as excellent electrical connection may be
conveniently made between such carbons and the lead wires.
The volume of current from such a generator as I have described is very large,
but the voltage is smaller than is demanded for most commercial purposes.
Great voltage may of course be obtained by coupling any desired number of
such generators in series, or the voltage from a single generator may be

page_text: increased at the expense of the volume of current by well known methods of
transformation.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my gaid inven-
tion, and in what manner the same is to be performed I am aware that it has
been proposed to generate electricity by the action upon carbon of fused nitrates,
and that it has also been proposed to regenerate the exhausted nitrates by the
addition of air, steam and nitric acid fumes, I declare that what I claim is :-
1. The method of converting the potential energy of carbon or carbonaceous
materials into electrical energy which consists in chemically combining oxygen
with said carbon or carbonaceous materials through an intervening electrolyte.
2. The method of converting the potential energy of carbon or carbonaceous
materials into electrical energy which consists in chemically combining oxygen
with said carbon or carbonaceous materials by impregnating an intervening
electrolyte with an excess of oxygen.
3. The method of converting the potential energy of carbon or carbonaceous
materials into electrical energy which consists in chemically combining oxygen
with said carbon or carbonaceous materials by impregnating an intervening
electrolyte with air.
4. The method of converting the potential energy of carbon or carbonaceous
materials into electrical energy, which consists in chemically combining oxygen
with said carbon or carbonaceous materials by impregnating a molten basic
electrolyte with oxygen or air and collerting the electricity from the electrolyte by
an electrode not chemically acted upon by said impregnated electrolyte when the
circuit is completed.
5. The bercin described process of generating electricity through the combination
of oxygen with carbon by supplying a blast of oxygen to a carbon electrode
through an electrolyte.
6. The herein described process of generating electricity through the combination
of oxygen with carbon by supplying a blast of air to a carbon electrode through
an electrolyte.
7. The herein described process of generating electricity through the combination
of oxygen with carbon which consists in supplying a blast of air to a carbon
electrode through molten sodium or potassium hydrate.
8. As a generator of electricity by the chemical combination of carbon with
oxygen, an oxidizable electrode of carbon or carbonaceous material, an electrolyte
continuously impregnated with oxygen and a collecting electrode not chemically
acted upon by said impregnated electrolyte when the circuit is completed.
9. As a generator of electricity by the chemical combination of carbon with
oxygen, an oxidizable electrode of carbon or carbonaceous material, a molten basic
electrolyte continuously impregnated with oxygen or air, a collecting electrode
not chemically acted upon by said impregnated electrolyte when the circuit is
completed, a containing vessel of iron and means for maintaining the electrolyte in
n molten condition.
10. As a generator of electricity by the chemical combination of carbon with
the oxygen of the air, an oxidizable electrode of carbon or carbonaceons materials,
an electrolyte of molten sodium or potassium hydrate continuously impregnated
with oxygen by a blast of air, a collecting electrode not chemically acted upon by
said impregnated electrolyte when the circuit is completed, a containing vessel of
iron and means for maintaining the electrolyte in a molten condition.
Dated the 3rd day of March 1896.
WM. BROOKES & SON,
55 Chancery Lane, London, Agents for the Applicant.