FR577087

Electric battery.
The purpose of the present invention is a battery transforming the heat of the e
nvironment into electrical energy.
This battery is formed of two liquid phases, or one liquid phase and a gaseous p
hase, both phases being in contact,
but are not miscible, or finally of a single liquid phase; two electrodes and me
tal or coal in contact with the phases.
The electrodes, are, in any case, unassailable by liquids or gases with which th
ey come into contact; their weight and nature remain unchanged during rest and o
peration of the cell, differing in this from all batteries known.
The liquid phase-gas battery remains equally invariable; no chemical reaction is
occurring between elements of the battery, phases, and electrodes.
The attached figures of 1-3 indicate various forms of realization of the battery
, object of the invention.
FIG 1 represents a battery formed of two phases, Liquids A and B, the electrodes
being completely immersed in one phase A, the other in phase B.
Example referring to FIG 1.
Phases A and B resulting from a mixture of water, amyl alcohol and sodium hydrox
ide mixture that separates, in balance in two phases, especially aqueous phase B
, phase A above alcoholic.
The electrodes are carbon or platinum.
The electromotive force, led outside, from A to B is, at room temperature room,
about 0.4 volt.
FIG 2 is a stack in which one of the phases is liquid and the other phase is liq
uid or gaseous.
One of the electrodes is partly immersed in one of the phases, in part in the ot
her phase, and the second electrode is completely immersed in one of the phases.
Example relating to FIG.2 -- Phase B is formed from an aqueous solution of sodiu
m hydroxide; phase A is formed of air and vapor of B or benzene.
The electrodes are platinum, nickel or carbon.
The electromotive force directed out of A to B at room temperature, is between 0
.4, 0.8 volts.
Figure 3 shows a battery formed of a single liquid, wherein there are two differ
ent electrodes.
Example relating to Figure 3. - The liquid is formed of water made a good conduc
tor of electricity by an alkali metal salt, for example sodium carbonate, and th
e electrodes are formed either of two different metals such as platinum and nick
el, either a metal electrode and another electrode carbon, or an electrode carb
on and another electrode also carbon, but of different quality -- for example,
a graphite electrode and the other of retort carbon, or a carbon electrode and
the other wood charcoal, etc..

The electrodes can be formed of a mass of powders contained in bags or porous ve
ssels, etc.
The electromotive force is between 0.4 and 0.8 volts.
In all preferred embodiments of the battery, the phases are in chemical equilibr
ium; no reaction takes place between the phases in contact, and there will not o
ccur concentration of the phases, as is the case during cell operation of known
concentration.
No change interferes either in weight or nature of the electrodes.
The battery cools during its function, at ambient temperature, which can be an e
nvironment of air, water, earth, etc., and receives from the medium heat equival
ent to the electrical energy developed.
In other batteries the external medium heat is equivalent to the electrical ener
gy produced, but during operation of those batteries concentrations of the elect
rolyte around the electrodes tend to equalize and the emf of these cells eventua
lly vanishes; the quantity of electricity supplied is limited.
In contrast, in the present battery, the concentrations of the phase in contact
with the electrodes remain invariable, and the quantity of electricity is not li
mited.
This cell transforms environmental heat to electric energy; it contradicts the s
econd principle of thermodynamics.