battery id?

jtdiesel65

Anybody seen any batteries like these? They aren't like any phone company batteries I've seen. Maybe military surplus? Trying to figure out where they are from.


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CaptClarke

Re: battery id?

They look like some old Edison cell that i once had

BB.

Re: battery id?

Looks very similar--Good eye!

http://chemwiki.ucdavis.edu/Analytical_Chemistry/Electrochemistry/Electrochemistry_6%3A_Electrochemical_Energy_Storage_and_Conversion
1905 Nickel-iron cell

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Edison, who was as much a chemist as an all-around inventor, thought that the lead in Planté-type cells made them too heavy, and that having acid in contact with any metal was an inherently bad idea. After much experimentation, he developed a successful alkaline battery. The Edison cell uses an iron anode, nickel oxide cathode, and KOH electrolyte. This cell is extremely rugged and is still used in certain industrial applications, but it was never able to displace the lead-acid cell as Edison had hoped.

This thread has more pictures/discussion:

http://www.fieldlines.com/index.php?topic=147510.27

jtdiesel65

Re: battery id?

thanks! Sounds like it might be interesting to fiddle around with those, but not worth the effort to actually attempt to use them for everyday use.

inetdog

Re: battery id?

jtdiesel65 wrote: »

thanks! Sounds like it might be interesting to fiddle around with those, but not worth the effort to actually attempt to use them for everyday use.

Probably. But if they are in good mechanical condition, you may find some enthusiasts who would be willing to buy them from you, at least paying for the shipping.
Reconditioning old NiFe batteries is one of those things that is simple in principle but very difficult and tedious in practice unless you do it in quantity and get a lot of practice.
Turning the cells upside down to drain them, for instance, and disposing of contaminated electrolyte safely.