The Edison–Lalande cell was a type of
alkaline primary battery developed by
Thomas Edison
Thomas Alva Edison (February11, 1847October18, 1931) was an American inventor and businessman. He developed many devices in fields such as electric power generation, mass communication, sound recording, and motion pictures. These inventions, ...
from an earlier design by
Felix Lalande and
Georges Chaperon. It consisted of plates of
copper oxide and
zinc
Zinc is a chemical element; it has symbol Zn and atomic number 30. It is a slightly brittle metal at room temperature and has a shiny-greyish appearance when oxidation is removed. It is the first element in group 12 (IIB) of the periodic tabl ...
in a solution of
potassium hydroxide
Potassium hydroxide is an inorganic compound with the formula K OH, and is commonly called caustic potash.
Along with sodium hydroxide (NaOH), KOH is a prototypical strong base. It has many industrial and niche applications, most of which utili ...
. The cell voltage was low (about 0.75 volts) but the
internal resistance
In electrical engineering, a practical electric power source which is a linear circuit may, according to Thévenin's theorem, be represented as an ideal voltage source in series with an impedance. This impedance is termed the internal resis ...
was also low so these cells were capable of delivering large currents. The cell could be replenished with fresh zinc and copper oxide plates and KOH solution for reuse.
History
Lalande–Chaperon cell
In 1880, the manufacturer De Branville and Company of 25 rue de la
Montagne Sainte-Geneviève
The Montagne Sainte-Geneviève () is a hill overlooking the left bank of the Seine in the 5th arrondissement of Paris, France. It was known to the ancient Romans as .Hilaire Belloc, ''Paris (Methuen & Company, 1900)'' Retrieved June 14, 2016 Ato ...
, Paris exploited the patent of Lalande and Chaperon to build copper oxide batteries. In 1887, the
French submarine Gymnote (Q1) was built. The boat was originally fitted with 540 Lalande–Chaperon alkaline cells which used
zinc
Zinc is a chemical element; it has symbol Zn and atomic number 30. It is a slightly brittle metal at room temperature and has a shiny-greyish appearance when oxidation is removed. It is the first element in group 12 (IIB) of the periodic tabl ...
and
copper oxide electrodes with
potassium hydroxide
Potassium hydroxide is an inorganic compound with the formula K OH, and is commonly called caustic potash.
Along with sodium hydroxide (NaOH), KOH is a prototypical strong base. It has many industrial and niche applications, most of which utili ...
electrolyte, manufactured by Coumelin, Desmazures and Baillache.
Edison–Lalande cell
Edison improved on the Lalande–Chaperon cell by replacing powdered copper oxide with copper oxide briquettes.
Poerscke–Wedekind cell
Another modification to the Lalande-type cell was patented by Heinrich Poerscke and Gustav Wedekind in 1905, British patent GB190416751. In this cell, the copper oxide
depolarizer was pasted on the inside of a
cast iron
Cast iron is a class of iron–carbon alloys with a carbon content of more than 2% and silicon content around 1–3%. Its usefulness derives from its relatively low melting temperature. The alloying elements determine the form in which its car ...
pot. When the depolarizer was exhausted, the cell was dismantled and the liquid was poured out. The pot was then heated in air to
re-oxidize the deposited copper to copper oxide. The Neotherm cell, by
Siemens
Siemens AG ( ) is a German multinational technology conglomerate. It is focused on industrial automation, building automation, rail transport and health technology. Siemens is the largest engineering company in Europe, and holds the positi ...
, was similar.
Chemistry
The zinc anode dissolves (is oxidised) in the hydroxide solution to form
zincate anions, consuming hydroxide ions in the process; electrons enter the external circuit:
: Zn
0 + 4 OH
− →
n(OH4)sup>2− + 2 e
−
Half of the hydroxide ions are replenished by the hydration and reduction of the copper oxide cathode to copper metal by the electrons travelling in the external circuit:
: CuO + H
2O + 2 e
− → Cu
0 + 2 OH
−
The overall reaction is:
: Zn
0 + 4 OH
− + CuO + H
2O →
n(OH4)sup>2− + Cu
0 + 2 OH
−
Applications
Applications for Lalande-type batteries included submarine power (see above), railway signalling. and powering Edison's
electric fan
A fan is a powered machine that creates airflow. A fan consists of rotating vanes or blades, generally made of wood, plastic, or metal, which act on the air. The rotating assembly of blades and hub is known as an '' impeller'', '' rotor'', or '' ...
s and
phonograph
A phonograph, later called a gramophone, and since the 1940s a record player, or more recently a turntable, is a device for the mechanical and analogue reproduction of sound. The sound vibration Waveform, waveforms are recorded as correspond ...
s.
References
{{DEFAULTSORT:Edison-Lalande cell
Battery types