Abstract: A system for generating electricity comprises a fuel cell, a heating stage, and an integral, power generator. The power generator comprises a compressor, an electricity generator and a turbine. Hot exhaust gas from the fuel cell is used for driving the turbine, which in turn drives the generator and the compressor. Both the fuel cell and the generator produce electricity. The compressor is used for compressing air for use in the fuel cell. A portion of the waste heat from the turbine drive gas is used for preheating the air utilized in the fuel cell.

Abstract: The invention relates to a charge exchange body with a large active surface as well as the method for its manufacture. The porous supporting structure of the charge exchange body is made of granular structural material, with the average diameter of the grains of the structural material being smaller than 1 .mu.m, especially smaller than 250 nm, and with the grain size differing by a maximum of 40% from its statistical average in more than 60% of the grains of the structural material. In order to make such grains, a dispersion is mixed with biochemical hollow bodies that have an inside diameter according to the above requirements. Salts are added to the dispersion and dissolve therein to form structural ions, with the structural ion being an ion of an element required for the structural material, or a corresponding compound.

Abstract: Process for obtaining a transparent article with a refractive index gradient, including the steps of: (1) irradiating a crosslinkable liquid mixture of base photopolymerizable monomers which is modulated spatially in intensity and/or irradiation time to form a structure gradient according to a desired index profile until a self-supporting polymer matrix is obtained; (2) swelling the polymer matrix to thermodynamic equilibrium in a swelling composition containing a polymerization initiator and one or several polymerizable monomers producing a polymer of different refractive index from the refractive index of the matrix obtained in step (1); and (3) polymerizing the swelling composition which has diffused into the matrix homogeneously, thereby obtaining a transparent article with a refractive index gradient.

Abstract: A device for conveying and sectioning of separator strip in devices for producing pockets for battery plates with a conveyor means which conveys the separator strip to a device for dividing the separator strip into separator strip sections, and with another conveyor means which feeds the separator strip sections to a means for folding the separator strip sections around battery plates. The conveyor means for the separator strip and the separator strip sections are continuous conveyor belts supplied with negative pressure, which have several rows of holes and which are routed over chambers supplied with negative pressure. The side of the chamber supplied with negative pressure which faces the continuous conveyor belt has slot-like openings which align with the rows of holes in the continuous conveyor belt. The effective length of the slots of the chamber supplied with negative pressure, that is, the chamber of the conveyor means which is located after the means for dividing the separator strip, can be changed.

Abstract: A current collecting device for a fuel cell stack comprising a number of stack-forming fuel cell plates between opposite end plates, each end plate being connected to a current collector. The current collector comprises a plate having one surface pressed against the associated end plate and being provided with a number of grooves extending across the a substantial part of the area of the plate. Wires are received in the grooves. The wires are covered with a layer of a noble metal that projects above the surface of the associated end plate and forms an electrical connection between the wires and the end plate.

Abstract: The object of the present invention is to provide a secondary battery that has a lamination of negative electrodes and positive electrodes with intervening separators that acquires a low battery internal impedance and excellent charging and discharging power by the sufficient compressing of the electrodes, and that is very safe and easy to recycle, and to provide a method for manufacturing such a battery. To achieve the above object, according to the present invention, in a battery wherein positive electrodes and negative electrodes are disposed with intervening separators, and are stored in a battery housing with a solid electrolyte or an electrolyte solution, provided in the battery housing is a member whose shape is changed at a predetermined temperature (first temperature), which is lower than the melting point of the separator that maintains the shape in the battery operating temperature range.

Abstract: Radiation-curable compositions of reduced oxygen sensitivity comprisea) radiation-curable, free-radically polymerizable compounds, andb) capped amino compounds which are surface-active in compounds a) and on irradiation with high-energy light liberate amino compounds having primary, secondary or primary and secondary amino groups, the overall number of hydrogen atoms bonded in the amino groups (amine hydrogens) being at least 2.

Abstract: A method of recovering useful materials from spent secondary batteries for electric vehicles according to the present invention involves a step of cutting a spent secondary battery for electric vehicles into a cover portion and a housing portion, a step of taking out and separating electrode plates from the housing portion, and a step of crushing the electrode plates and dividing the crushed materials into negative electrode substrate, positive electrode plates including a nickel compound and active materials, and separators through the use of pneumatically separating and sieving.

Abstract: A sputtering apparatus includes a rotatable array plate and a magnetic array including a group of permanent magnets arranged around the plate periphery in one or more quadrants. Each magnet is perpendicular to the plate, having a pole of a first polarity facing toward the target. A bar permanent magnet is affixed to the plate within the same quadrant of a group of magnets and is located between a center axis of rotation and the magnet group. The bar permanent magnet is perpendicular to the plate, having a pole of a second polarity facing toward the target. The magnets create a closed-loop static magnetic field that is substantially triangular in shape, concentrated in the quadrant, and offset from the center axis of rotation. The magnets in one quadrant may be replicated to fill up to four quadrants, and additional bar magnets are arranged to create a rotating magnetic field at the target that patterns the plasma to a maximum plasma density in the shape of a kidney.

Abstract: A modular power station for the production primarily of hydrogen from solar energy. A conversion module converts solar energy into biomass which is gasified in a gasification module and the hydrogen resulting from the gasification is separated out and stored. The hydrogen can be used for generating electrical energy in a fuel cell.

Abstract: The present invention provides a limited rechargeable lithium battery containing an anode; a cathode slurry containing about 55 to about 75% by weight of a transition metal oxide, about 3 to about 8% by weight of a conductor, and about 20 to about 40% by weight of an organic electrolyte containing an electrolyte salt and an organic solvent; a separator between the anode and the cathode slurry; and at least two current collectors. The present invention also provides a method of making a cathode slurry.

Abstract: A lithium sulfur secondary battery is provided with a cathode containing a highly basic polymer compound in a composition or in a form of a film. The lithium sulfur secondary battery gives a longer cyclic life of charging/discharging and high energy density.

Abstract: A gas-tight maintenance-free cell or battery comprises positive nickel oxide electrodes having a fibrous structure, gas-impermeable separators, a fixed alkaline electrolyte, negative metal electrodes having a fibrous structure and a higher charging and discharging capacity than in the case of the positive electrodes, and electroconductive gas diffusion compartments. The cell operating according to the oxygen cycle. The metallized fibrous-structure electrode frameworks of the negative electrodes are filled with the active material only in certain zones. Those zones of the fibrous-structure electrode frameworks of the negative electrode which are not filled with the active material, serve as gas diffusion zones, integrated into the frameworks, for the oxygen to be discharged at the negative electrode.

Abstract: A battery strength tester used on a battery which has indicating means to indicate the strength of the battery and switching means which can easily be employed to complete a circuit so as to place the indicator means across the terminals of the battery and display the charge of the battery and wherein said switch, after a predetermined interval or temperature is reached, automatically opens to break the electrical contact across the battery terminals. A light emitting material employed as the indicator material is another special feature of the battery strength tester.

Abstract: The present invention provides a method of ablative photodecomposition and forming metal pattern which attains high resolution, is convenient, and employs non-halogenated solvents. The present invention is directed to a process for forming a metal pattern, preferably circuitization on an organic substrate, preferably on a circuit board or component thereof, which comprises coating the substrate with an ablatively-removable coating comprising a polymer resin preferably an acrylate polymer resin and preferably an ultraviolet absorber. A pattern is formed in the polymer coating corresponding to the desired metal pattern by irradiating at least a portion of the polymer coating with a sufficient amount of ultraviolet radiation to thereby ablatively remove the irradiated portion of the polymer coating. Next the patterned substrate is coated with a conductive metal paste to define the metal pattern, and the conductive metal paste is cured.

Abstract: A separator system for an alkaline cell comprises an absorbent layer and a barrier layer adjacent to the absorbent layer. The arrangement of the separator material in the cell improves separation between anode and cathode, increases the volume available in the cell for active material or void volume, thereby improving cell performance or enhancing reliability of cells containing the system.

Abstract: In a gas-tight alkaline accumulator with a casing which at least partially comprises plastic material and in which are arranged electrodes which are surrounded by an electrolyte and which are respectively separated from each other by a separator, wherein the electrodes are connected to pole contacts for electric current to be fed to and away therefrom, in order to increase the operating reliability of the accumulator and to avoid further disadvantages, there is provided a valve having an opening which passes through the casing of the accumulator, and a deformable element which, in the event of an increased pressure occurring within the casing, provides for liberation of the opening and, after a drop in the increased pressure, closing of the opening.

Abstract: Ion-conductive polymers with high ion conductivity and containing covalently bound ion complexes of one of formulas (IA-IC), wherein M.sup.+ is H.sup.+, Li.sup.+, Na.sup.+, or K.sup.+ ; m is an integer in the range 0-4; m' is an integer in the rage 0-7; m" is an integer in the range 0-8; and each R independently is halogen; --CO--O.sup.-, --CO--O.sup.-, M.sup.+, or --SO.sub.2 --O.sup.-, M.sup.+ ; cyano; nitro; C.sub.1-5 alkoxy; optionally substituted phenyl or phenoxy; --CONR.sup.5 R.sup.6 or --NR.sup.5 R.sup.6 where R.sup.5 and R.sup.6 independently are hydrogen, C.sub.1-5 alkyl, optionally substituted phenyl, phenylcarbonyl, or C.sub.1-6 alkanoyl; --N(R.sup.6)--CO--R.sup.7 where R.sup.7 is hydrogen, C.sub.1-5 alkyl, C.sub.2-5 alkenyl, C.sub.2-5 alkynyl, or optionally substituted phenyl; R.sup.7 --CO--, R.sup.7 --O--CO--, or R.sup.

Abstract: A battery system includes a battery cell having a cylindrical battery cell housing and a housing support external to the battery cell housing. The housing support is formed of an electrical insulator layer contacting the cylindrical external surface of the battery cell housing, and a heat conductor formed of heat-conducting fibers overlying and contacting the electrical insulator layer and aligned generally parallel to the cylindrical axis of the battery cell housing. The heat-conducting fibers are made of high-thermal-conductivity graphite and have a sink end. A fiber-reinforced composite structural support layer is applied overlying the heat-conducting fibers to force the electrical insulator layer into contact with the battery cell housing without the presence of an adhesive between the electrical insulator and the battery cell housing. A thermal sink is in thermal contact with the sink ends of the plurality of heat-conducting fibers at a first end of the cylindrical battery cell housing.

Abstract: Positive electrodes including a lithium nickel cobalt metal oxide are disclosed. The lithium nickel cobalt metal oxides have the general formula Li.sub.x Ni.sub.y CO.sub.z M.sub.n O.sub.2, where M is selected from the group consisting of aluminum, titanium, tungsten, chromium, molybdenum, magnesium, tantalum, silicon, and combinations thereof, x is between about 0 and about 1 and can be varied within this range by electrochemical insertion and extraction, the sum of y+z+n is about 1, n ranges between above 0 to about 0.25, y and z are both greater than 0, and the ratio z/y ranges from above 0 to about 1/3. Also disclosed are composite positive electrodes including the abovedescribed lithium nickel cobalt metal oxides together with a lithium manganese metal oxide of the formula Li.sub.x Mn.sub.2-r M1.sub.r O.sub.4, where r is a value between 0 and 1 and M1 is chromium, titanium, tungsten, nickel, cobalt, iron, tin, zinc, zirconium, silicon, or a combination thereof.