# US 4,395,469 A · Low pressure nickel hydrogen battery

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- Number: US 4,395,469 A
- Document ID: US4395469A
- Status: Granted
- Kind: A
- Application number: 06/283,245
- Filed: 1981-07-14
- Granted: 1983-07-26
- Earliest claimed: 1981-07-14
- Assignees: The United States of America as represented by the Secretary of the Air Force
- Inventors: David H. Fritts
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US4395469A

## CPC

- H01M 10/4214: {Arrangements for moving electrodes or electrolyte}
- B60L 50/64: Constructional details of batteries specially adapted for electric vehicles
- H01M 4/242: {Hydrogen storage electrodes}
- H01M 4/383: {Hydrogen absorbing alloys}
- H01M 10/345: {Gastight metal hydride accumulators}
- Y02E 60/10: Energy storage using batteries
- Y02T 10/70: Energy storage systems for electromobility, e.g. batteries
- Y02T 10/92: Energy efficient charging or discharging systems for batteries, ultracapacitors, supercapacitors or double-layer capacitors specially adapted for vehicles
- H01M: PROCESSES OR MEANS, e.g. BATTERIES, FOR THE DIRECT CONVERSION OF CHEMICAL ENERGY INTO ELECTRICAL ENERGY
- B60L: PROPULSION OF ELECTRICALLY-PROPELLED VEHICLES (arrangements or mounting of electrical propulsion units or of plural diverse prime-movers for mutual or common propulsion in vehicles B60K1/00, B60K6/20; arrangements or mounting of electrical gearing in vehicles B60K17/12, B60K17/14; preventing wheel slip by reducing power in rail vehicles B61C15/08; dynamo-electric machines H02K; control or regulation of electric motors H02P); SUPPLYING ELECTRIC POWER FOR AUXILIARY EQUIPMENT OF ELECTRICALLY-PROPELLED VEHICLES (electric coupling devices combined with mechanical couplings of vehicles B60D1/64; electric heating for vehicles B60H1/00); ELECTRODYNAMIC BRAKE SYSTEMS FOR VEHICLES IN GENERAL (control or regulation of electric motors H02P); MAGNETIC SUSPENSION OR LEVITATION FOR VEHICLES; MONITORING OPERATING VARIABLES OF ELECTRICALLY-PROPELLED VEHICLES; ELECTRIC SAFETY DEVICES FOR ELECTRICALLY-PROPELLED VEHICLES
- Y02E: REDUCTION OF GREENHOUSE GAS [GHG] EMISSIONS, RELATED TO ENERGY GENERATION, TRANSMISSION OR DISTRIBUTION
- Y02T: CLIMATE CHANGE MITIGATION TECHNOLOGIES RELATED TO TRANSPORTATION

## Abstract

The battery system has the hydrogen gas stored at high pressure separately from the nickel-hydrogen cells. Two valves, a pressure regulator, and a pump permit hydrogen to be supplied to the cells at a relatively low pressure for discharge, and to be recovered and stored at high pressure during charge. Both valves are closed during standby to limit self discharge.

## Claims

### Claim 1

A nickel-hydrogen battery system comprising:
at least one nickel-hydrogen cell which includes a plurality of positive and negative electrodes with separators in a starved electrolyte condition enclosed in a low pressure casing, with positive and negative terminals and a cell gas line sealed into said casing;
storage means for storing only hydrogen outside of said cell;
gas lines comprising parallel discharge and charge paths between said cell gas line and said storage means, with the discharge path comprising a first valve means with a pressure regulator, and the charge path comprising a second valve means in series with a pump;
the first valve means being open and the second valve means being closed during discharge, so that hydrogen is supplied via the regulator at a controlled low pressure to said cell;
the first valve means being closed and the second valve means being open during charge, and power being applied to the pump, so that hydrogen evolved by said cell is supplied to the storage means;
so that said cell is at a relatively low pressure at all times during discharge, charge, and standby.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The battery system according to claim 1, wherein the hydrogen in said storage means is at a relatively high pressure for a fully charged condition;
and wherein the system includes means for minimizing self discharge of said cell during standby, comprising said cell having a minimum of head space between a cap of the casing and the electrode assembly, and providing that said first and second valve means may both be closed during standby.

### Claim 3 (depends on 1, 2)

The battery system according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the system comprises a plurality of said cells, and the gas lines include a manifold connected in parallel to the cell gas lines of all of the cells.