Abstract: A method for controlling charge preventing an operation of a valve during charging and suppressing the false detection of the upper limit charging voltage due to the memory effect at the charge side in a secondary battery mounted on an automated guided vehicle is presented. The method includes charging the secondary battery at a charging current value of not less than 0.5C and not more than 4.0C; detecting current that flows in the secondary battery and calculating the remaining capacity by accumulating at least the detected current; and completing the charge to the secondary battery when the calculated remaining capacity is not less than the threshold value that is pre-set to not less than 60% and not more than 95%.

Abstract: Disclosed is an active material for constituting a nickel electrode for alkaline storage batteries which has a high utilization at high ambient temperatures and therefore realizes a battery of higher energy density and a longer cycle life. The nickel electrode active material comprises a nickel hydroxide powder prepared from nickel sulfate and contains SO42− at 0.4 wt % or less in the crystal of the powder. The nickel hydroxide is preferably solid solution nickel hydroxide incorporating therein at least one element selected from the group consisting of cobalt, cadmium, zinc and magnesium.

Abstract: To provide an alkaline storage battery, a cobalt compound obtained by mixing a cobalt hydroxide powder and a sodium hydroxide powder and applying a heat treatment to the same in an atmosphere containing oxygen, a cobalt compound obtained by adding a sodium hydroxide aqueous solution and an aqueous solution containing an oxidizing agent to a cobalt hydroxide powder, or a cobalt compound obtained by baking a cobalt hydroxide powder in an atmosphere containing oxygen is used. This provides cobalt compounds suitable for producing long-life and highly reliable alkaline storage batteries, methods for manufacturing the same, and positive electrode plates of alkaline storage batteries employing the same.

Abstract: Disclosed is an active material for constituting a nickel electrode for alkaline storage batteries which has a high utilization at high ambient temperatures and therefore realizes a battery of higher energy density and a longer cycle life. The nickel electrode active material comprises a nickel hydroxide powder prepared from nickel sulfate and contains SO42− at 0.4 wt % or less in the crystal of the powder. The nickel hydroxide is preferably solid solution nickel hydroxide incorporating therein at least one element selected from the group consisting of cobalt, cadmium, zinc and magnesium.

Abstract: The present invention concerns a method for cooling assembled batteries comprising rechargeable batteries and intends to avoid temperature dispersion among single cells and hence avoid dispersion of battery performance. A module battery 10 is so constructed that convex portions 8 provided on the battery container 2 of the single cells 7 come in contact with each other creating by recessed portion 9 a space 11 in the vertical direction between single cells 7. The module battery 10 is banded by means of aluminum plates 12 and iron bands 13 with the single cells 7 at both ends forced inwardly. The module batteries are placed sideways with the terminals facing the same direction and the cooling medium flows toward the surface where the electrode poles are provided.

Abstract: A rectangular alkaline storage battery includes a plurality of rectangular positive electrode plates, negative electrode plates, and separators. The positive and negative electrode plates are layered alternately via the separators, resulting in a group of electrode plates. The group of electrode plates, together with an alkaline electrolyte, is housed in a rectangular container. In the battery, internal resistance is 5 m&OHgr; or less, the electrode plate group thickness is 30 mm or less, and the amount of electrolyte is 1.3 to 8.0 g/Ah. This can achieve a rectangular alkaline storage battery that provides the optimum balance in the quantity of heat generation, heat release, and heat accumulation, high power, and excellent battery characteristics even when charged/discharged repeatedly and used for a long time.

Abstract: A method for manufacturing a positive electrode for an alkaline storage battery that achieves excellent filling characteristics for an active material for the positive electrode and longer lifetime of the battery is provided. The method includes a first process of filling a paste of the active material for the positive electrode in a first porous metal sheet provided with a plurality of oblate pores whose major axes are arranged substantially in one direction, and a second process of pressing the first porous metal sheet that has undergone the first process using a roller press such that the one direction and a direction of a rotation axis of a roller in the roller press substantially are parallel, so as to produce a positive electrode sheet provided with a second porous metal sheet.

Abstract: The instant specification discloses a method for producing nickel hydroxide from an aqueous solution containing an ammonium ion and dissolved nickel hydroxide in an alkaline state, which is characterized in that pH of the solution is controlled by supplying a hydroxide ion generated by water electrolysis thereto. The method of the invention is an environmentally friendly one for producing nickel hydroxide, which enables an easy control of physical properties of nickel hydroxide.

Abstract: A square shaped battery includes: an electrode plate group including a belt-like positive electrode plate, a belt-like negative electrode plate, and a belt-like separator, the belt-like positive electrode plate, the belt-like negative electrode plate, and the belt-like separator being laminated and rolled up to form the electrode plate group; and a pair of power collectors disposed on sides of the electrode plate group for collecting electric power from the electrode plate group.

Abstract: Disclosed is an active material for constituting a nickel electrode for alkaline storage batteries which has a high utilization at high ambient temperatures and therefore realizes a battery of higher energy density and a longer cycle life. The nickel electrode active material comprises a nickel hydroxide powder prepared from nickel sulfate and contains SO42− at 0.4 wt % or less in the crystal of the powder. The nickel hydroxide is preferably solid solution nickel hydroxide incorporating therein at least one element selected from the group consisting of cobalt, cadmium, zinc and magnesium.

Abstract: A battery module is constructed with a plurality of prismatic cells. Each cell comprises a prismatic cell case having short lateral walls and long lateral walls, a group of electrode plates constituted by laminating a plurality of positive and negative electrode plates parallel to the long lateral walls of the cell case with intervening separators therebetween, and collector plates of positive and negative polarities, respectively bonded to the positive and negative electrode plates at lateral opposite ends of the group of electrode plates. Connection projections are formed on the collector plates, these being fitted into corresponding holes in the short lateral walls of the cell case, whereby the collector plates are fixed on the short lateral walls of the cell case.

Abstract: A battery electrode substrate which is constituted of a porous metallic body structure having communicating pores at a porosity of at least 90% and an Fe/Ni multilayer structure wherein the skeletal portion of the porous metallic body is composed mainly of Fe and has an Ni covering layer on the surface thereof while pores communicating with the inside and outside of Fe skeletal portion exist in the Fe skeletal portion and the inside of the pores is covered with Ni. The electrode substrate is produced by applying an iron oxide powder of at most 20 .mu.m in an average particle size on a porous resin core body; heat treating the core to remove an organic resin component while simultaneously sintering Fe to obtain a porous Fe body; and then covering the Fe skeletal portion with Ni by electroplating. In this process, the iron oxide can be used in combination with carbon powder. Further, a nickel porous sintered body can also be produced using nickel oxide in place of iron oxide.

Abstract: A closed secondary battery having a sealing structure for preventing electrolyte leak for a long period is presented. An annular packing is chemically bonded in a ring form to the surface of a disk-shaped flange formed inside of a battery of a terminal pole projecting from inside to outside of the battery, by penetrating through a cover member of closed secondary battery. Fitting an annular spring while pulling the terminal to outside of the battery, the terminal pole is fixed in the cover member. At this time, the annular packing is compressed against the cover member, and the passage of electrolyte leak is shut by this compression.

Abstract: For providing an alkaline storage battery having a high energy density in a broader temperature range, the charge efficiency of a nickel positive electrode at the time of charging at high temperatures is enhanced by incorporating verbium and at least two elements selected from the group consisting of yttrium, and ytterbium in the form of a compound those and further at least one element selected from the group consisting of lanthanum, praseodymium, neodymium, samarium, gadolinium, terbium, dysprosium, holmium, thulium, cerium, promethium, europium, and lutetium in the form of a compound into a positive electrode paste containing a major component of nickel oxide as an active material.

Abstract: In constructing assembled batteries by electrically connecting through a connecting bar the terminals of neighboring single cells by means of metallic parts of the terminals, by directly covering both sides of the connecting bar with the exception of the electrical connection with an insulating protecting layer of either natural rubber, synthetic rubber, or synthetic resin, and by directly or indirectly insulating and protecting the surface of the metallic parts for electrical connection, it was made possible to prevent corrosion of the connecting bar and the metallic parts for electrical connection, and to prevent capacity fluctuation due to heretofore observed leakage current of single cells composing electric vehicle batteries to be used under severe conditions for a long period and at a high operating voltage, thereby improving the reliability and dramatically reducing the maintenance load.

Abstract: A battery electrode substrate which is constituted of a porous metallic body structure having communicating pores at a porosity of at least 90% and an Fe/Ni multilayer structure wherein the skeletal portion of the porous metallic body is composed mainly of Fe and has an Ni covering layer on the surface thereof while pores communicating with the inside and outside of Fe skeletal portion exist in the Fe skeletal portion and the inside of the pores is covered with Ni. The electrode substrate is produced by applying an iron oxide powder of at most 20 .mu.m in an average particle size on a porous resin core body; heat treating the core to remove an organic resin component while simultaneously sintering Fe to obtain a porous Fe body; and then covering the Fe skeletal portion with Ni by electroplating. In this process, the iron oxide can be used in combination with carbon powder. Further, a nickel porous sintered body can also be produced using nickel oxide in place of iron oxide.

Abstract: In the paste type nickel positive electrode prepared by filling pores of a metal nickel plaque made of three-dimensional high porous sheet, or coating both sides or one side of a plaque made of either perforated nickel sheet or nickel plated steel sheet, with a paste type active material mainly composed of nickel hydroxide, by adding particles of cobalt hydroxide having the specific surface area of at least 10 m.sup.2 /g, average particle size of 1.7 microns or more, and content of fine particles with particle size of 1.0 micron or less of 20% or less, the utilization of positive electrode active material is enhanced, and by using this nickel positive electrode, the alkaline rechargeable battery, in particular, the nickel-metal hydride alkaline battery is enhanced in capacity and extended in service life.

Abstract: A sealed alkaline storage battery of the present invention employs a non-woven fabric having a double-layer structure of a dense and sparse layers as a separator to separate a positive electrode from a negative electrode, the sparse layer facing the negative electrode and being lower than the dense layer in fiber density.

Abstract: A battery electrode substrate which is constituted of a porous metallic body structure having communicating pores at a porosity of at least 90% and an Fe/Ni multilayer structure wherein the skeletal portion of the porous metallic body is composed mainly of Fe and has an Ni covering layer on the surface thereof while pores communicating with the inside and outside of Fe skeletal portion exist in the Fe skeletal portion and the inside of the pores is covered with Ni. The electrode substrate is produced by applying an iron oxide powder of at most 20 .mu.m in an average particle size on a porous resin core body; heat treating the core to remove an organic resin component while simultaneously sintering Fe to obtain a porous Fe body; and then covering the Fe skeletal portion with Ni by electroplating. In this process, the iron oxide can be used in combination with carbon powder. Further, a nickel porous sintered body can also be produced using nickel oxide in place of iron oxide.

Abstract: A battery electrode substrate which is constituted of a porous metallic body structure having communicating pores at a porosity of at least 90% and an Fe/Ni multilayer structure wherein the skeletal portion of the porous metallic body is composed mainly of Fe and has an Ni covering layer on the surface thereof while pores communicating with the inside and outside of Fe skeletal portion exist in the Fe skeletal portion and the inside of the pores is covered with Ni. The electrode substrate is produced by applying an iron oxide powder of at most 20 .mu.m in an average particle size on a porous resin core body; heat treating the core to remove an organic resin component while simultaneously sintering Fe to obtain a porous Fe body; and then covering the Fe skeletal portion with Ni by electroplating. In this process, the iron oxide can be used in combination with carbon powder. Further, a nickel porous sintered body can also be produced using nickel oxide in place of iron oxide.