Sodium-sulfur battery including thermally responsive valve and method

Patent · Tue Jan 20 04:00:00 EST 1981

OSTI ID:6277864

Hatch, B D

A sodium-sulfur battery including sodium and sulfur separated by a beta-alumina tube is disclosed herein along with a method of operating the battery utilizing a sodium storage and dispensing arrangement. This storage and dispensing arrangement includes a housing containing a supply of sodium out of contact with the beta-alumina tube and a thermally responsive bimetallic valve for passing sodium from its supply housing into contact with the beta -alumina separating tube when the sodium is in a liquid state and so long as the average temperature along at least a predetermined section of the tube remains below a predetermined value. In the event that this average temperature reaches the predetermined value, the bimetallic valve automatically prevents passage of liquid sodium from its supply housing to the beta-alumina tube.

• Assignee: Electric Power Research Institute
• Patent Number(s): US 4246325
• OSTI ID: 6277864
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

25 ENERGY STORAGE
250901* -- Energy Storage-- Batteries-- Design & Development
ALUMINIUM COMPOUNDS
ALUMINIUM OXIDES
CHALCOGENIDES
CONTROL EQUIPMENT
DESIGN
ELECTRIC BATTERIES
ELECTROCHEMICAL CELLS
ELEMENTS
EQUIPMENT
FLOW REGULATORS
FLUID FLOW
FLUIDS
LIQUID FLOW
LIQUID METALS
LIQUIDS
METAL-NONMETAL BATTERIES
METALS
OXIDES
OXYGEN COMPOUNDS
SODIUM-SULFUR BATTERIES
TEMPERATURE DEPENDENCE
TUBES
VALVES