Multicell recombining lead-acid battery

Claim 2

In combination, a sealed lead-acid gas recombining battery capable of discharge and charge in any attitude without electrolyte loss, comprising: a plurality of electrochemical cells housed in a sealed monobloc container, the cells individually comprising porous positive and porous negative plates sandwiching a porous compressible separator under firm mutual stacking pressure, and an acid electrolyte in liquid form and of limited amount tightly absorbed within the plates and separator; said separator having a relatively greater electrolyte absorptive power than the adjoining plates with the bulk of the electrolyte of each cell being retained.in the pores of the separator, and a substantial portion of the pore volume of the plates-remaining void thereby facilitating gas transport during the gas recombination reaction upon charging; and partition members segregating the cells from direct physical contact yet constructed to define a gas space common to all the cells of the battery.

Claim 3

The battery of Claim 1 wherein the partition members are free from attachment with the monobloc container so that the stacking pressure between the plates and separator of each cell is maintained substantially uniform.

Claim 4

The battery of Claim 2 wherein the partition members are formed of flexible polymeric bags each of which contains the components of one cell, the bags open at one or both ends.

Claim 5

The battery of Claim 1 wherein the cells are electrically interconnected by intercell connectors fully housed within the sealed container and bridging across the partition members within the common gas-space.

Claim 6

A sealed multicell lead-acid gas recombining battery capable of discharge and charge in any attitude without electrolyte loss or intercell migration, comprising: a sealed monobloc container provided with a safety valve adapted to vent at superatmospheric pressure; a plurality of electrochemical cells housed in the container, each cell including a porous lead dioxide positive plate, a porous lead negative plate, an absorbent separator sandwiched between the plates under firm stacking pressure, and a liquid acid electrolyte in limited amount tightly absorbed within the plates and separator; said separator having a relatively greater electrolyte.absorptive power than the adjoining plates so that the bulk of the electrolyte of each cell is retained by the separator, and a substantial portion of the pore volume of the plates remains voided thereby facilitating gas transport during the gas recombination reaction during charging; and partition members segregating the cells from direct physical contact yet constructed to define a - gas space common to all the cells of the battery, whereby during charge (including overcharge) of the battery cell(s) having relatively greater electrolyte amounts will release gas which will migrate and be reconbined at the negative plates of cell(s) having relatively lesser electrolyte amounts, thereby tending to balance the electrolyte amounts of all of such cells.

Claim 7

A sealed multicell lead-acid gas recombining battery capable of discharge and charge in any attitude without electrolyte loss or intercell migration, comprising: a sealed monobloc container provided with a safety valve adapted to vent at superatmospheric pressure; a plurality of electrochemical cells housed in the container, each cell including a porous lead dioxide positive plate, a porous lead negative plate, an absorbent separator sandwiched between the plates under firm stacking pressure, and a liquid acid electrolyte in limited amount tightly absorbed within the plates and separator; said separator having a relatively greater electrolyte.absorptive power than the adjoining plates so that the bulk of the electrolyte of each cell is retained by the separator, and a substantial portion of the pore volume of the plates remains voided thereby facilitating gas transport during the gas recombination reaction during charging; and partition members segregating the cells from direct physical contact yet constructed to define a - gas space common to all the cells of the battery, whereby during charge (including overcharge) of the battery cell(s) having relatively greater electrolyte amounts will release gas which will migrate and be reconbined at the negative plates of cell(s) having relatively lesser electrolyte amounts, thereby tending to balance the electrolyte amounts of all of such cells.

Claim 8

The battery of Claim 5 wherein the partition members are free from attachment with the monobloc container so that the stacking pressure between the plates and separators of each cell is maintained substantially uniform.

Claim 9

The battery of Claim 6 wherein-the partition members are formed of flexible polymeric bags each of which contains the components of one cell, the bags being open at one or both ends.

Claim 10

The battery of Claim 5 wherein the cells are electrically interconnected by intercell connectors fully housed within the sealed container and bridging across the partition members within the-common gas space.

Claim 11

A sealed multicell lead-acid battery, comprising: a sealed monobloc container provided with a resealable safety valve adapted to vent at a pressure of at least about one psig; a plurality of electrochemical cells housed in the container, each cell including a porous lead dioxide positive plate, a porous lead negative plate, an absorbent separator sandwiched between the plates under firm stacking pressure, and a liquid acid electrolyte in limited amount tightly absorbed within the plates and separator; said separator formed of a compressible mat comprising ultrafine glass fibers the major portion of which (by weight) have fiber diameters of less than about 3 microns, and the mat having an-uncompressed porosity of from about 70 to about 98 percent, the separator thereby having a relatively greater electrolyte absorption power than the adjoining plates; said electrolyte having a minimum density of about 1.3 and being present in such an amount that at least about 60 percent of the electrolyte of each cell is retained by the separator, and a substantial portion of the pore volume of the plates remains voided; and partition members segregating the cells from direct physical contact yet constructed to define a gas space common to all the cells of the battery.

Claim 12

A sealed multicell lead-acid battery, comprising: a sealed monobloc container provided with a resealable safety valve adapted to vent at a pressure of at least about one psig; a plurality of electrochemical cells housed in the container, each cell including a porous lead dioxide positive plate, a porous lead negative plate, an absorbent separator sandwiched between the plates under firm stacking pressure, and a liquid acid electrolyte in limited amount tightly absorbed within the plates and separator; said separator formed of a compressible mat comprising ultrafine glass fibers the major portion of which (by weight) have fiber diameters of less than about 3 microns, and the mat having an-uncompressed porosity of from about 70 to about 98 percent, the separator thereby having a relatively greater electrolyte absorption power than the adjoining plates; said electrolyte having a minimum density of about 1.3 and being present in such an amount that at least about 60 percent of the electrolyte of each cell is retained by the separator, and a substantial portion of the pore volume of the plates remains voided; and partition members segregating the cells from direct physical contact yet constructed to define a gas space common to all the cells of the battery.

Claim 13

The battery of Claim 9 wherein the plates are substantially flat and stacked in parallel fashion to form a prismatic block, and said partition members are spaced from one surface of the container to define said gas space.

Claim 14

The battery of Claim-9 wherein said plates and separators are wound spirally and contained within cylindrical bores formed in the monobloc container and positioned adjacently.

Claim 15

The battery of Claim 9 wherein said plates and separators are flat wound and-each-cell housed in a flexible polymeric bag of general parallelepipedic shape, the cells being held together by mutual compression to produce a substantially uniform stacking pressure of the plates and separators throughout the battery.

Claim 16

The battery of Claim 9 wherein the container includes a lid having a plurality of recessed protuberances in substantial contact with a portion of said cells, for enhanced resistance to vibrational forces.

Claim 17

In combination, a sealed lead-acid gas recombining battery capable of discharge and charge in any attitude without electrolyte loss, comprising: a plurality of electrochemical cells housed in a sealed monobloc container, the cells individually comprising porous positive and porous negative plates sandwiching a porous compressible separator under firm mutual stacking pressure, and-an acid electrolyte in liquid form and of limited amount tightly absorbed within the-plates and separator; said separator having a relatively greater electrolyte absorptive power than the adjoining plates with the bulk of the electrolyte of each cell being retained in the pores of the separator, and a substantial portion of the pore volume of the plates remaining voided thereby facilitating gas transport during the gas recombination reaction upon charging; and partition members segregating the cells from direct physical contact and being free from attachment with the monobloc container so that the stacking pressure between the plates and separators in the battery is maintained substantially uniform.

Claim 18

In combination, a sealed lead-acid gas recombining battery capable of discharge and charge in any attitude without electrolyte loss, comprising: a plurality of electrochemical cells housed in a sealed monobloc container, the cells individually comprising porous positive and porous negative plates sandwiching a porous compressible separator under firm mutual stacking pressure, and-an acid electrolyte in liquid form and of limited amount tightly absorbed within the-plates and separator; said separator having a relatively greater electrolyte absorptive power than the adjoining plates with the bulk of the electrolyte of each cell being retained in the pores of the separator, and a substantial portion of the pore volume of the plates remaining voided thereby facilitating gas transport during the gas recombination reaction upon charging; and partition members segregating the cells from direct physical contact and being free from attachment with the monobloc container so that the stacking pressure between the plates and separators in the battery is maintained substantially uniform.

Claim 19

The battery of Claim 14 wherein the partition members are formed of flexible polymeric material.