Abstract A storage battery cell has positive and negative plates flooded by electrolyte. When the battery is charged, gas bubbles are produced in the electrolyte. Baffles are arranged to segregate the hydrogen gas bubbles evolved by a portion of the negative plates from oxygen bubbles formed by the positive plates. A hydrogen gas consuming electrode is submerged in the electrolyte and is located so that a stream of hydrogen bubbles impinges thereon. The gas electrode produces an electric current as a result of the presence of hydrogen and the current is approximately proportional to the quantity of gas impinging on the electrode. When the cell reaches a fully charged state, there is a rapid increase in the rate of gas evolution from the negative plate. This causes a similar increase in the current produced by the electrode. A current sensitive device is used to monitor the current flow and initiate a charge termination sequence when the battery reaches a fully charged state as indicated by the gas electrode. An oxygen consuming electrode may be arranged in a similar fashion to sense the oxygen evolution of the positive plates. A pre-selected rise in current flow from positive gas electrode to negative gas electrode can likewise be used to indicate that both positive and negative plates are fully charged.
IN A STORAGE BATTERY CELL COMPRISING A FIRST PLATE SPECIES, A SECOND PLATE SPECIES THE TWO PLATE SPECIES SUBMERGED IN AN AQUEOUS ELECTROLYTE AND IN IONIC CONTACT THEREWITH, THE STORAGE BATTERY CELL BEING FURTHER CHARACTERIZED IN THAT WHEN THE CELL IS FULLY CHARGED AND RECEIVES A CHARGING CURRENT GAS BUBBLES ARE EVOLVED AT THE TWO ELECTRODE SPECIES IN THE ELECTROLYTE, THE IMPROVEMENT WHICH COMPRISES: A. A FIRST MEANS FOR SEGREGATING THE GAS BUBBLES EVOLVED FROM AT LEAST A PORTION OF THE FIRST PLATE SPECIES FROM GAS BUBBLES EVOLVED FROM THE SECOND PLATE SPECIES, AND,
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
94 words
IN A STORAGE BATTERY CELL COMPRISING A FIRST PLATE SPECIES, A SECOND PLATE SPECIES THE TWO PLATE SPECIES SUBMERGED IN AN AQUEOUS ELECTROLYTE AND IN IONIC CONTACT THEREWITH, THE STORAGE BATTERY CELL BEING FURTHER CHARACTERIZED IN THAT WHEN THE CELL IS FULLY CHARGED AND RECEIVES A CHARGING CURRENT GAS BUBBLES ARE EVOLVED AT THE TWO ELECTRODE SPECIES IN THE ELECTROLYTE, THE IMPROVEMENT WHICH COMPRISES: A. A FIRST MEANS FOR SEGREGATING THE GAS BUBBLES EVOLVED FROM AT LEAST A PORTION OF THE FIRST PLATE SPECIES FROM GAS BUBBLES EVOLVED FROM THE SECOND PLATE SPECIES, AND,
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
57 words
A storage battery cell is defined in claim 1 wherein the plate species from which gas bubbles evolve and impinge on the first means for reacting is the negative plate species, the gas bubbles evolved from the negative plate species at full charge is hydrogen gas and the means for reacting gas is a hydrogen gas electrode.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
56 words
A storage battery cell as defined in claim 1 wherein the plate species from which gas bubbles evolve and impinge on the first means for reacting is the positive plate species, the gas bubbles evolved from the positive plate species at full charge is oxygen and the means for reacting gas is an oxygen gas electrode.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
88 words
A storage battery cell as defined in claim 1 further including: a. a second means for segregating, the second means segregating the gas bubbles evolved from at least a portion of the second plate species from gas bubbles evolved from the first plate species; b. a second means for reacting gas from the gas bubbles and producing electric current thereby, the second means for reacting being so located in the cell electrolyte that segregated gas from at least a portion of the second plate species will impinge thereon.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
47 words
A storage battery cell as defined in claim 1 including charge termination means operatively connected to the first means for reacting gas, so that when the current produced by the first means for reacting gas is greater than a preselected value the charge termination means becomes operative.