Abstract: A battery of high temperature cells in a battery casing includes a plurality of rigid metal elements secured to a rigid board of electrical insulating material. The metal elements provide mutually insulated conducting pathways. One end of each of the metal elements connects to either a cell or a bank of cells and an opposite end converges to a location on the board. The board may include one or more of these locations to allow for multiple electrical connections to be made through the casing. In addition, the number of the locations on the board may be less than the number of metal elements.

Abstract: Organic carrier liquids used in electrophoretic deposition have to be recycled for economic and environmental reasons. This specification disclosed recycling using the separate steps of de-ionizing and drying the carrier liquid to provide fresh carrier liquid.

Abstract: Alkali metal cell having a gas tight seat to the safety reservoir of the cell so that an overpressure can be applied to force sodium through a hole in the base of the region around the reservoir.

Abstract: The cathode region of a sodium sulphur cell has hitherto sometimes been sealed by a thin metal member welded at its outer periphery to the metal casing and at its inner periphery to the alpha alumina lid of the electrolyte. The welding operation damages the essential protective coating of the thin metal member. This invention discloses sealing the cathode region with a thin metal member (5) secured to a concentric outer thicker metal member (4), the thin member being sealed to the lid (15) and the thicker member being sealed to the casing (1). The thickness of the outer member eliminates the need for a protective coating so that the combined seal has greater integrity than previous seals.

Abstract: Apparatus for constructing an alkali metal energy conversion device, for example a sodium sulphur cell. Such cells typically employ a solid electrolyte element separating cathodic and anodic reactants which are liquid at the cell operating temperature.

Abstract: Various constructions of battery are disclosed, each comprising one or more arrays of single cells or series arrangements of cells, arranged between bus plates and separated by separator members and spacers.

Abstract: The present invention discloses an apparatus with entry, filling and sealing, and exit chambers through which a carriage holding alkali metal containers may be transferred. The drive for the carriage in each chamber is cantilevered to facilitate transfer between chambers, and lateral movement of the carriage with the respect to the direction of transfer is restricted in the filling and sealing chamber. A method of filling containers with molten alkali metal is also disclosed in which the ambient gas pressure is reduced and then raised to reduce quantities of unwanted gas in the alkali metal.

Abstract: Superconducting ceramic material is prepared by mixing desired oxide powders, calcining them, forming a slurry of the calcined powders with a carrier liquid, depositing a layer of the ceramic from the slurry by electrophoretic deposition and then drying the layer. The layer should then be sintered to increase densification. Typical powders are oxides of Y, Ba and Cu in molar proportions 1:2:3 respectively.

Abstract: An alkali metal energy conversion device, particularly a sodium sulphur cell has a cylindrical outer casing (18) containing a tubular solid electrolyte (10) of beta alumina. An outer cathode region between the electrolyte (10) and the casing (18) contains sulphur, and an inner anode region in the electrolye tube contains sodium. An alpha alumina lid (12) closes the tube (10) and holds a current collector (15). The cathode region is sealed by an annular metal element (23) which is thermocompression bonded about its inner periphery to the lid (12) and is welded about its outer periphery to the casing (18). A second annular metal element (26) is thermocompression bonded to the lid (12) wholly inside the first annular element (23) and is welded to the current collector.The metal elements (23,26) are bonded to the lid (12) before the lid is glazed to the electrolyte tube (10) and before the first element (23) is welded to the casing (18).

Abstract: Sodium sulphur cells are commonly connected in parallel. It is a problem with such arrangements that if one cell sustains a short circuit failure, the parallel connected cells discharge through it. In an embodiment disclosed, a switch series connected to a cell or series of cells, goes open circuit should current in excess of a predetermined value and consequently associated with the failure of a cell, flow through the switch. The switch comprises a conducting rod separated into two portions and placed within a beta alumina tube containing sodium: the level of the sodium determines whether an electrical circuit is completed between the portions rendering the switch "on". Sodium, contained within an outer conducting tube, also surrounds the inner beta alumina tube, there being an electrical connection from the outer tube, via a resistor, to one portion of the rod.

Abstract: An alkali metal electro-chemical storage cell comprising anode and cathode regions containing alkali metal and cathodic reactant respectively. A cationically conductive solid electrolyte member separating the anode and cathode regions and respective anode and cathode current collectors. The cell is formed with a contact breaker region which in the event of a breach in the electrolyte member functions to make the cell become an open circuit and thus not provide a discharge path for any other cells connected thereto.

Abstract: In a sodium sulphur cell, improved protection of a cathode current collector is obtained by isostatically pressing graphite foil or flakes onto the surface of the collector, which surface is preferably roughened or coated with an intermediate conductive layer such as a nickel-chromium alloy or a conductive carbide providing a rough surface.

Abstract: A cathode structure for a sodium sulphur cell is formed by putting a fibre matrix into a mould which is closed to shape the matrix to the required form with compression of the fibrous material, the mould being kept at a temperature below 12.degree. C. and preferably between 8.degree. and 10.degree. C. while liquid sulphur is injected into the compressed fibre material.

Abstract: A cathode structure for a sodium sulphur cell is formed of a stack of elements of carbon fibre material or predominantly of carbon fibre material, each element being punched out of a sheet of the material having fibres randomly oriented in planes parallel to the plane of the sheet. For a cylindrical cell, the elements are of annular form with a central aperture.

Abstract: In an electrochemical cell, e.g. a sodium sulphur cell, employing tubular beta alumina ceramic material, the electrolyte is put under axial compression, for example using spring means, to reduce the risk of mechanical failure arising from tensile stress in the material.

Abstract: In a sodium sulphur cell in which a cylindrical electrolyte tube separates sodium from sulphur/sodium polysulphides, with the sodium lying in an annular region between the electrolyte tube and an anode current collector, the sodium annulus contains zircon sand forming a filler and also constituting a capillary means drawing liquid sodium from a sodium reservoir to lie over the surface of the electrolyte tube.

Abstract: In a pass-through sintering furnace for sintering a succession of ceramic tubes fed lengthwise through the furnace and rotated as they pass through the furnace, the tubes, when heated in the furnace, are kept apart by pushing each tube into the furnace at one end and pulling it out from the other end. The pulling speed is less than the pushing speed to ensure uniform firing throughout the length of the tube, allowing for shrinkage as the tube is fired, but is sufficient to hold the pulled tube clear of the next following tube so as to obviate any pushing against the end of a hot tube.

Abstract: A battery module for a sodium sulphur battery containing a plurality of cells comprises a container housing the cells with an evacuated region between the cells and the walls of the container, this evacuated region containing a plurality of layers of metal foil between the cells and the wall. At least one tube extends through the module in contact with the cells for conveying a thermally-conductive fluid by means of which the cells can be heated or cooled.

Abstract: A sodium sulphur battery formed of a plurality of modules each containing a cell or cells has a passage through each module for a heating and/or cooling fluid and thermostatically controlled valve means for controlling the flow of fluid through this passage which valve means is open at temperatures above a predetermined temperature, e.g. 370.degree. C. for passage of a coolant fluid and is also open at temperatures below another predetermined temperature, e.g. 300.degree. C. for passage of a heating fluid. The valve is preferably gradually closed and opened between these tempteratures. Each valve is controlled in accordance with the temperature of the associated module.

Abstract: For filling sodium into the sodium reservoir of a sodium-sulphur cell, the reservoir is closed except for an open-ended metal filling tube. In a filling machine, the cell is heated to a temperature such that the sodium will remain liquid, the tube is temporarily sealed around a sodium outlet of the filling machine by an inflatable seal, the reservoir is evacuated of air, flushed with an inert gas and then evacuated for vacuum filling with a metered quantity of sodium through a sodium feed tube within said outlet and extending downwardly into the filling tube. The sodium is pressurized using an inert gas to force the sodium into the cell, the gas is evacuated and the filling tube on the cell sealed by pinching and welding.