FR2661281A1 - NEW IMPROVED MEANS AND METHODS, OF ELECTRICITY STORAGE AND DISTRIBUTION, FOR ALL APPLICATIONS AND IN PARTICULAR FOR THE PROPULSION OF AUTOMOBILES. - Google Patents

Abstract

The invention essentially aims to substitute, for the conventional conversion of electrical energy into temporary chemical energy and followed by the reverse conversion, in compact "plates or electrodes" of conventional electrical accumulators (storage batteries) the same double conversion, but in elements which are originally finely divided and, for example, small balls, which are then contained in "hollow plates", in the shape of flattened casings, with openworked walls and with a "mesh" which is smaller than the diameter of the balls, so that they remain held therein, in "joining" suspension, by simple gravity, in the electrolyte, with the double purpose of thus increasing by the same amount the "active" surface area of contact in the electrolyte, whilst nevertheless having a satisfactory mobility to allow the almost instantaneous replacement of the "discharged" balls by other previously "recharged" balls, for example in, so-called positive-displacement ("volumeter") pumps of the type used for distributing the conventional fuels.

Description

 Recent achievements, of various automobile prototypes, with electric propulsion, partial and even total, such as the so-called I ## ÂCT model of the GENERAL ROTORS company, having highlighted, with remarkable performances, the triple interest as well, dd 'a radical absence, of any atmospheric pollution, with an excellent energy efficiency and of the order of three times higher, than that of the usual engines, said to be explosions, as well as good prospects of use, of our inevitably surplus productions, of electric current, then at "so-called marginal costs", especially "at night and in summer", by our so-called "nuclear" power stations, but also, with the drawback, which has hitherto remained unavoidable, of autonomous travel , limited to about 200 Kilometers and therefore causing, the need to "recharge" the accumulator battery, beyond, which remains both very long and often awkward and that is why, the invention essentially aims to overcome this very regrettable situation.

 '' is what is originally achieved, in accordance with the invention, with the additional and even national advantage, of reducing by the same amount, our imports of petroleum, by essentially replacing, for the usual transformation, of electrical energy into chemical energy transient and followed by the opposite, in compact "plates or electrodes", usual accumulators, the same double transformation, but in elements originally finely divided and for example, small balls, then contained in "hollow plates", in form of flattened cases, with perforated walls and a "mesh", smaller than the diameter of the balls, so that they remain retained there, in "contiguous" suspension, by simple gravity, in the electrolyte, with the double aim, thus increasing by the same amount, the "active" contact surface in the electrolyte while nevertheless having sufficient mobility, to allow the replacement, almost instantaneously, of the balls "discharged", by others previously "recharged", for example by pumps called "volumompteurs" of the kind used, for the distribution of the usual fuels, after prior eucuation, of the above-mentioned "discharged" balls, in the same way and by facilitating these operations, by combining with gravity, a difference in air pressure and vibrations, while carrying out in preference to these "refills", possibly partial and of "troubleshooting", in circulation, other s = rstematic, without movement of the balls, each return of the automobile, in its garage equipped with a "rectifier charger" suitable for this purpose, to thus achieve a kind of "feeding" considered advantageous.

These new characteristics will be better understood, as well as those related thereto and the advantages of the invention, by referring to the following description, given simply by way of examples of embodiments, advantageous but non-limiting, namely:
Thus, according to a first example, thanks to the easy and well known manufacture, in particular for hunting and fishing, of small lead balls, but then of the usual alloy, for electricity accumulators, generally said "tlomb-calcium", with other additives, such small beads are used, advantageously "normalized" for example with a diameter of the order of 3 millimeters and treated, to ensure a so-called surface transformation, of natural or artificial formation, that is to say, half in lead dioxide, for the "positive" beads and in divided or spongy lead, for those "negative" then put in "contiguous suspension", but separately for each type, in the same usual electrolyte of acidic sulfuric water, containing 4 to 5 MOLES of sulfuric acid per liter, to achieve in a known manner, the accumulation of "potential" electricity, in the chemical form usual habit and followed by a "st ockage "also separate, in the respective tanks, from the aforementioned volumompteurs, intended to propel and distribute them, in the manner already mentioned above, and with an overall interaction, reproducing that, of a traditional accumulator battery, the most common so-called "lead / acid", of the kind suitable for producing electric propulsion, of an automobile.

 For this purpose and according to the invention, such an autorosi is Ese c'tun accumulator tank, containing in "parallel-series", as many elements as necessary, to ensure its propulsion, with a usual autonomy circulation, while each of them is originally made of 2 "plates or electrodes", respectively "positive and negative", but it must be repeated, no longer compact and monobloc, but originally hollow in the form of a flattened case, constituted for example thin folded sheets, in so-called stainless steel and perforated, in the so-called louver shape, or in "expanded metal", with electrically isolated external projections, for example by projection of so-called plastic material, to form a "separator" and with a mesh , smaller than the diameter of the above-mentioned balls, to retain them and allow them to be filled, with the electrolyte in which they are, in contiguous suspension, by an upper tubular collector, after evacuation of those, previously "discharged", by a lower tubular collector, under the effect of the aforementioned volumompteurs and suitable for combining, with the effect of gravity, a difference in air pressure and advantageously supplemented, by mechanical pulsations, while that after "discharge", even simply partial, the "recharge" can just as well and even better be carried out - without moving the balls - on each return of the automobile, in its usual garage, then equipped with a "charger-rectifier" , while in this case, a circuit breaker "on board, acting at both" maximum and minimum "voltage, ensures on the one hand, the stopping of this recharging, as soon as the useful maximum is reached, while warning on the other hand and subsequently the driver, for example by an audible signal, approaching the minimum, but then with a certain "reserve" of voltage, to allow him to counter it.

 According to a second example, better performance would be obtained according to the technique of so-called "nickel-cadmium" accumulators, where the "active" substances are usually incorporated or impregnated, preferably small alloy alloy balls would be used. aluminum, both lighter and allowing to achieve a peripheral adhesion layer, unalterable and porous alumina, by a simple treatment called "aluminizing", thus facilitating "attachment" of the concentrated solution cadmium nitrate, for the negative beads and nickel nitrate, for the positive beads and followed by a "precipitation" in the hydrated state, by immersion in a sodium hydroxide solution, before being dried , in repeated cycles, then put in still contiguous suspension, in the electrolyte, then constituted by an aqueous solution of 6 to 8 MOLES, of potassium hydroxide per liter and constituting then, a kind of "super fuel", distributed by pumps or voluco corresponding meters, while all the other characteristics remain unchanged, which at the same time opens the possibility of producing other accumulators, according to other known techniques, such as that known as "silver-zinc", for example.

 According to this last example, the increase in internal electrical resistance, which may result from the multiplication of bad contacts, due to the fragmentation, of the active elements and limiting as many high instantaneous electrical flow rates, could then be compensated, by the effect of "silver" contacts, known for this purpose, thanks to the use of balls, precisely silvered in this example, with regard to the positive balls, by sintering very fine powders of silver oxide and interacting then with the electrolyte, constituted by an aqueous solution, containing 8 to 10 NOIES of potassium hydroxide per liter and generally saturated with zinc oxide, according to the usual technique called "silver-zinc" mentioned above and usually making it possible to achieve "mass" energy "of 120 Wh / Yg.

 Finally, it is obvious that the invention is not limited to only the provisions, thus explicitly described, or only mentioned above, it must be repeated, simply by way of examples, but that, on the contrary, its field s '' expressly extends, to all other variants, both of application and of execution, thus not only also to vehicles with 2 or 3 wheels, light, medium or heavy, such as buses and trucks, as to achievements of "bottles", of the genus commercially designated "BUTÂGAZ or PRI # GÂZ", or other reservoirs, thereby eliminating the double risk of asphyxiation and explosion and in all cases, in variants of execution, putting using means, methods and combinations, not only equivalent, but even only comparable, particularly by inversion or transposition of the preciet even improved arrangements, such as the use of steel balls in particular of a grade known as stainless and magné tick, to retain a "remanent" magnetization of aggregation between the balls, or other lighter ones, in so-called "glass or ceramic" products, or even in so-called plastic materials, in combination with coverings or peripheral coatings, made for example electrolytically and then economically "in a barrel", or by "vacuum evaporation", or by spraying or vaporizing metals and followed by the respective known treatments.

 More particularly, the invention is advantageously applicable to so-called vehicles, with “mixed or hybrid” propulsion, that is to say, alternatively traditional or auxiliary electric and in particular very useful, during the period necessary, for the establishment of new distribution networks for "recharged" logs, with sufficient density, as well as for all transpositions, both to propulsion equipment on water, of low power, and to tools powered by a battery of electric accumulators , by allowing, in all cases, to economically substitute, a simple replacement of the balls and their electrolyte, for the usual and global cyclical replacement, of used batteries while it should be specified on the other hand, that the so-called volumetric pumps above, constitute in this respect, new industrial products, by their characteristic no # welle of "mixed" fluids, of a higher average density, but distributed according to volumes comparable to those currently debited, at each usual "full" of automobiles.

Claims (1)

RETENDIC IONS 1 - Means and processes for storing and distributing electricity such as accumulators, but improved and characterized by the fact that the usual transformation, from electrical energy to chemical energy and followed by the opposite, is not more produced, in usual compact plates or electrodes, but in finely divided elements and advantageously, in the form of small balls, then contained in hollow boxes, flattened and perforated, arranged alternately in pairs called "positive and negative", in a waterproof tray. 2 - deans and methods, according to claim 1, characterized by the fact: that the balls, advantageously "normalized" to a diameter of the order of 3 millimeters, comprise a thin coating or peripheral covering, of known "active" materials and respectively different, for "positive and negative" beads, to achieve the "potential" accumulation of electricity, in a chemical, transient form. 30 Means and methods, according to claims 10 and 20, characterized in that the thin peripheral covering of the beads is carried out in a known manner, called "natural or artificial", or for example electrolytically and economically, then "in the barrel", or also by "vacuum evaporation", by "sintering", or projection of possibly vaporized metal, in combination with respective known treatments. 4 "Means and methods according to any one of claims 10 20 and 30, characterized in that the balls are contained, in kinds of hollow and flattened cases, advantageously made of so-called stainless steel and perforated, of a "mesh", smaller than the diameter of the balls and combined, with an upper and a lower tubular collector as well as with electrical isolation from the external projections, to form a "separator" 5 - deans and methods, according to one any one of claims 10 20, 30 and 40, characterized in that the electrolyte, of known and appropriate composition, for the type of accumulator produced, constitutes at the same time and originally, a means of mobility and transfer of the beads, to allow both the evacuation of the "discharged" balls, by the lower collector and their replacement, by others previously "recharged", by the upper collector, under the effect of pumps, of the kind called "volumompteurs", appropriate for this purpose.  60- Means and methods according to claim 50, characterized by the fact that the evacuation of the "discharged" balls, prior to their replacement, by "recharged" balls is carried out, by an original pair of synchronized volumetric counters and successively carrying out separate and respective transfers, positive and negative beads "and thus constituting new industrial products, mutually appropriate, for this dual purpose.  70- Means and methods according to any one of claims 10 20, 30, 4, 50 and 6, characterized in that; that recharging is carried out - without moving the balls - on each return of the automobile to its usual garage and equipped with an appropriate "rectifier charger" and thus achieving a kind of advantageous "feeding".  80 Deoyens and methods, according to any one of claims 10 20, 30, 40, 591 60 and 70, characterized by the fact that a circuit breaker called "on-board", at maximum and minimum voltage, ensures both stop charging, according to 70, as soon as the useful maximum is reached and signal, in all cases, the approach of the admissible minimum voltage by an audible signal.  9 - means and methods according to any one of claims 10 20, 30, 4, 50, 60, 70 and 80, characterized by the fact: that they are advantageously transposed, to all kinds of vehicles, even to 2 or 3 wheels and more especially to vehicles with so-called "mixed or hybrid" propulsion, that is to say, alternatively traditional, or electric auxiliary.  10 - Means and methods according to any one of claims 10 20, 30, 40, 5, 60, 70 and 80, characterized by the fact: that they are advantageously transposed, to all kinds of other applications, such as "marine" electrical equipment, or in the form of mobile tools.