VIII-17
rapidly ahead manufacturing and marketing this new product. The battery leaked because the caustic
electrolyte ate through the solder along the seams the
battery's outer steel can. While and his
men easily eliminated the leaks switching from soldering to
welding the seams the battery's outer can, the capacity
problem proved far more vexing. Over the next five years,
Edison undertook thousands additional experiments to
identify the cause this problem.^
As customers reported these difficulties, Edison realized
that had not fully tested his new battery and recalled
all the defective cells November 1904. Even worse was the substantial drop
in electrical capacity the battery after period use.^5 Eventually, traced the
capacity problem the nickel oxide electrodes. Unfortunately problems soon appeared
in this product. Edison overcame this
. Because this continual change, electrical contact
between the nickel oxide granules and the grid pockets was
reduced, thus increasing the internal resistance cell and
lowering its electrical output. With
characteristic determination, Edison set about finding the bugs
which caused the leaks and the capacity loss. During
charging and discharging, these electrodes would swell and
shrink.
Edison found that this new battery, which dubbed the Type E,
performed better than most the competing lead-acid cells,
but cost more manufacture. Nevertheless, the Type sold
well, and 14,000 cells were installed electric cars and
23
trucks 1903 and 1904
