Abstract: The electrode comprises a metal substrate and a coated layer of an active material provided on one or both faces of the substrate. The metal substrate is a metal sheet having a plurality of punched holes. The punched holes have burrs along their peripheries so that the apparent thickness including the burrs is at least twice the original thickness of the metal sheet. The burrs improve the engagement between the metal substrate and the coated layer.

Abstract: The dimensions of an electrode group in each battery are set so as to obtain a relationship such as H >L>W, where H is the height of the electrode group, L is the width thereof and W is the thickness thereof, and the product K of the width L and the thickness W, that is, K=L.times.W, is set so as to fall in a range 10<K<100 while the space D between adjacent batteries is set so as to fall in a range of 0.02.ltoreq.D/W.ltoreq.0.3, thereby the efficiency of heat radiation of a battery module or a battery group is enhanced, and accordingly, the cycle life and the discharge capacity of the battery can be enhanced.

Abstract: A method for producing a metallic oxide-hydrogen secondary battery is provided. The method comprises the steps of disposing generating elements consisting of positive electrodes containing metallic oxides, negative electrodes containing hydrogen-absorbing alloys, and separators in a plurality of cell chambers equipped with safety valves, each cell chamber having different capacity; pouring an electrolyte into each cell chamber; and repeating charge and discharge cycles on condition that safety valves work at pressure G in the range of 1<G.ltoreq.6 atm so that the amount of the electrolyte in each cell chamber is kept constant.

Abstract: A sealed storage battery comprises a positive electrode including a metallic oxide as an active material, a negative electrode including hydrogen-storage-alloy powder capable of electrochemically charging and discharging hydrogen as an active material, an alkaline electrolyte, and two separators (12a and 1 2b) for absorbing and retaining the alkaline electrolyte. The hydrogen-storage-alloy power has a crystal structure and is provided with numerous irregularities on the surface thereof, and has SF-value of 2.5 or below, which SF-value represents a plateau characteristic of equilibrium pressure of released hydrogen. The numerous irregularities on the surface of the alloy powder cause oxygen being generated from the positive electrode to be eliminated promptly.

Abstract: A combined intermittently operated heat pump device which comprises n combinations (n being an integer equal to or greater than 2) of intermittently operated heat cycles, each combination comprising of vessels accommodating therein different kinds of absorbent material having different temperature and pressure characteristics and coupled with each other by means of a piping through which a common working medium can flow. The 2n batches of the absorbent materials in the respective vessels include at least n+1 kinds of the absorbent material having different temperature and equilibrium pressure characteristics, at least one temperature of heat of absorption in one of the cycles being selected to be higher than the temperature of heat of desorption in at least one of the remaining cycles.

Abstract: A hydrogen gas purification apparatus which includes at least one set of two hydrogen purification containers coupled to each other for heat exchanging therebetween, each of the hydrogen purification containers containing a hydrogen absorbing alloy. The hydrogen gas purification apparatus is so arranged as to cause hydrogen gas to be selectively desorbed from and absorbed into the hydrogen absorbing alloy by the amount of heat produced when the hydrogen gas is selectively absorbed into and desorbed from the hydrogen absorbing alloy.

Abstract: A hydrogen storage Ti-Fe alloy of the general formula, Ti.sub.1-x A.sub.x Fe.sub.y-z B.sub.z, in which A is Zr, Hf or a mixture thereof, B is a member selected from Cr, Cu, Co, Mo, V, Ni, Nb, Mn and a mixture thereof, and x, y and z are values of certain ranges, respectively. The alloy is predominantly comprised of an effective alloy phase of CsCl type body-centered cubic crystals. The alloy of the formula where z=O is within the scope of the invention. A process for making an alloy of this type is also disclosed.

Abstract: A battery electrode comprises a plaque made of a sponge-like porous metal matrix having a multiplicity of cells connected with each other three-dimensionally, wherein the sectional area of the gratings making up the sponge-like metal porous plaque decreases continuously along the thickness of the plaque from the surface toward the central part and an active material is impregnated in the porous plaque.

Abstract: An improved method of mass producing a battery electrode made of porous metal having uniformly impregnated therein a large amount of active material which comprises applying to the outer surface of a porous metal having continuously interlinked pore portions an active material in paste form and scrubbing the outer surface of the porous metal with a scrubber while agitating the active material disposed below the porous metal by means of a stirrer.