Catalyst design for VRLA batteries

In a VRLA storage cell having a sealed housing, a positive and negative electrode within said housing, an electrolyte within said housing in contact with said positive and negative electrodes, a pressure relief valve which allows excess gas from within said housing to escape from said housing and which prevents gas from an outside of said housing from entering said housing, wherein during use of the storage cell there may be produced within the cell oxygen and hydrogen gases, there being provided in combination with said storage cell a catalyst device for converting at least a portion of said oxygen and hydrogen gases to water vapor, said catalyst device comprising:

• a catalyst container having a container wall and defining an internal chamber, said container having a micro-porous section through which gases can pass from an outside of said container to said internal chamber;
• a catalyst arranged within said internal chamber and which is capable of reacting oxygen gas and hydrogen gas to form water vapor, said catalyst being in gas communication with said oxygen and hydrogen gases within said housing, and said catalyst further being isolated from said outside of said housing so as to prevent gas from outside of said housing from reaching said catalyst;
• and
• a catalyst poison filter arranged to be in contact with said gases passing from said outside of said container to said catalyst.

A valve regulated lead acid (VRLA) battery comprising:

• a sealed housing;
• a positive electrode positioned in the housing;
• a negative electrode positioned in the housing in spaced relationship from the positive electrode;
• an electrolyte in said housing in contact with said positive and negative electrodes;
• a gas space within said housing in which oxygen and hydrogen gas collects;
• a pressure relief valve which allows gas to escape from the housing and which prevents gas from outside the housing from entering the housing;
• a catalyst device disposed within said sealed housing and in communication with said gas space, said catalyst device including a container and a catalyst arranged within said container, said catalyst being capable of reacting oxygen gas and hydrogen gas to form water vapor;
• and
• a catalyst poison filter arranged to be in contact with at least a portion of said oxygen and hydrogen gas.

A device for use in combination with a storage battery which has a housing defining an internal and an external environment, said device being capable of combining hydrogen and oxygen gases from the internal environment of said storage battery;

• said device comprising:
• a catalyst container having an internal chamber and an opening to said chamber, said container being substantially non-porous;
• a catalyst arranged within said chamber, said catalyst capable of reacting oxygen gas and hydrogen gas;
• a catalyst poison filter arranged within said chamber;
• a micro-porous hydrophobic member arranged to seal said opening, said micro-porous member having pores of suitable size to permit gas to pass there through while being a barrier to liquids;
• and
• said container being arranged such that said catalyst is capable of receiving said hydrogen and oxygen gases from said internal environment of said battery and not from said external environment when said device is in combination with said battery.

A device for combining gases within a storage battery;

• comprising:
• a catalyst container having a container wall and defining an internal chamber;
• a catalyst arranged within said chamber, said catalyst capable of reacting oxygen gas and hydrogen gas to form water vapor;
• a micro-porous section having pores through which said oxygen gas and hydrogen gas can pass between said internal chamber and an outside of said container;
• and
• a catalyst poison filter arranged to remove at least a portion of catalyst poisons in said oxygen and hydrogen gas, wherein said poison filter comprises a material containing potassium.