Battery plates with self-passivating iron cores and mixed acid electrolyte
US5645959A · kind A · utility
Assignee
Inventor
Key dates
| Filing date | Jul 29, 1994 |
| Grant date | Jul 8, 1997 |
| Priority date | — |
| Expiry date | Jul 29, 2014 |
Classification
- Technology area (CPC Y)Emerging Cross-Sectional Technologies
- CPC primaryY02E60/10
- WIPO fieldElectrical machinery, apparatus, energy
- WIPO sectorElectrical engineering
Abstract
The Battery Plates with Self-Passivating Iron Cores and Mixed Acid Electrolyte disclosed and claimed in this patent application solve the problems encountered by previous attempts to construct practical bipolar plates for lead-acid batteries. One of the preferred embodiments of the present invention comprises a novel combination of a self-repairing substrate (12) surrounded by a lead coating (16a & 16b) resulting in a bipolar plate (10A) which is nearly three times lighter than its pure lead counterpart. Since this innovative plate incorporates a core or substrate (12) that is self-passivating under the electrical potential and highly acidic conditions found in the lead-acid battery, any pinholes, gaps, or flaws in the lead coatings (16a & 16b) are naturally resealed. Another preferred embodiment utilizes a coating of a semi-conducting metal oxide (18), such as fluorine-doped stannic oxide, on the positive side of the bipolar plate (10B) instead of lead, which further reduces the weight. The self-passivation of the central core is enhanced by combining phosphoric or boric acid with the sulfuric acid electrolyte used in the battery.
Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.