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Author Topic: DIY ACID FREE CARBON BATTERIES  (Read 73021 times)

Bizzy

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Re: DIY ACID FREE CARBON BATTERIES
« Reply #30 on: February 24, 2011, 06:02:07 PM »
Update on conduit cell battery.  This is my pride and joy build due to the simplicity, and cost.  The six cells in this battery took about an hour to build and the consumable part (conduit) cost less than fifty cents.  All other parts of the battery are reusable.  This picture was taken after 120 plus hours of continous run time.
Hi Brad,
That is a nice set up you have!... how much voltage are you getting per cell?
Bizzy

Bizzy

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Re: DIY ACID FREE CARBON BATTERIES
« Reply #31 on: February 24, 2011, 06:05:39 PM »
I know there will be some magnesium degredation while the circuits are closed, will there be any degregation when the circuit is open??
Bizzy

b_rads

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Re: DIY ACID FREE CARBON BATTERIES
« Reply #32 on: February 24, 2011, 06:26:01 PM »
Hi Brad,
That is a nice set up you have!... how much voltage are you getting per cell?
Bizzy
Under load the conduit battery is putting out 2.54v - below is a sketch of how I have them connected.  Given that - under load you would assume each cell is producing about 0.84v.  I have noticed in the past when connecting multiple cells the voltage does not always add up like you think it would.  I have no explanation for that.
Brad S

b_rads

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Re: DIY ACID FREE CARBON BATTERIES
« Reply #33 on: February 24, 2011, 06:27:47 PM »
I know there will be some magnesium degredation while the circuits are closed, will there be any degregation when the circuit is open??
Bizzy
My guess would be some degradation does occur - but I am just guessing.

Bizzy

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Re: DIY ACID FREE CARBON BATTERIES
« Reply #34 on: February 24, 2011, 06:38:02 PM »
My guess would be some degradation does occur - but I am just guessing.
Interesting originally I thought there would be no or just very minimal degregation, just as you would put the metals on a shelf next to each other if there was no current there would be no reaction
I may just have to build a single cell set it up like the others and put it on a shelf. However because of the cost I may build two of your conduit cells. One to sit on a shelf and the other to run so I have somthing to compare it too.
Bizzy

Bizzy

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Re: DIY ACID FREE CARBON BATTERIES
« Reply #35 on: February 24, 2011, 06:50:28 PM »
Under load the conduit battery is putting out 2.54v - below is a sketch of how I have them connected.  Given that - under load you would assume each cell is producing about 0.84v.  I have noticed in the past when connecting multiple cells the voltage does not always add up like you think it would.  I have no explanation for that.
Brad S
Hi Brad
Ok the big question everyone asks me (but I haven't answered yet)... how much amperage are you getting?
Bizzy

b_rads

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Re: DIY ACID FREE CARBON BATTERIES
« Reply #36 on: February 24, 2011, 09:29:42 PM »
Hi Brad
Ok the big question everyone asks me (but I haven't answered yet)... how much amperage are you getting?
Bizzy
I am ashamed to say that I popped the fuse on my digital multimeter trying to read amperage while powering a motor.  The numbers were bouncing all over the place and then the fuse popped.  Reading from the analog is a challenge for me.  The best I could tell was that the mag/carbon running the solar light was arond 150 to 180ma.  The zinc cells are not as powerful.  They seem to run around 100 to 120ma.  Sorry I can not be more specific - need to go pick up some new fuses or a better multimeter.
Brad S

b_rads

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Re: DIY ACID FREE CARBON BATTERIES
« Reply #37 on: February 24, 2011, 09:48:36 PM »
ps - if you put 2AA batteries running those lights at 100ma - 120ma you would expect to get 20 to 24hours running the lights as I have them set up.  I do not believe 2AA would run those lights that long.  If someone could confirm or deny this statement, I would certainly appreciate it.  As I said before, I have already logged over 120 continuous hours and they do not seem to be weakening.  In my book, this is pretty good.

wattsup

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Re: DIY ACID FREE CARBON BATTERIES
« Reply #38 on: February 25, 2011, 06:07:33 AM »
@Bizzy

Since I am in water treatment since many years, I am curious of what you would think if using a carbon block filter as the carbon source.

I have my own line which is the worlds most finest at 0.45 micron absolute, twice as better as the KX brand shown below, but I am not asking this for publicity of any sort. I just wanted to have your impression on if it is a good idea to try since these carbon blocks have the best and most homogeneous carbon matrix you could get. Even a low end carbon block would be much better then the carbon power, but I could also be wrong relative to this direct battery effect.

Thanks for sharing your works.

wattsup

b_rads

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Re: DIY ACID FREE CARBON BATTERIES
« Reply #39 on: February 25, 2011, 05:02:21 PM »
@Bizzy
Last night I was still scratching my head to try and figure out how tape could be a better separator so I conducted a test, as I told you I would.  In order to be objective I selected a metal I have not tried before (aluminum tube).  Since I had not tried aluminum before, I did not know what to expect.  I saw the voltage increase you are seeing but the amperage way different than I expected.  Using digital and analog meters, I confirmed the readings.  Figuring something wrong (short or something), set up the test again using conduit.  This time I did not see the voltage difference you saw or what I saw in the aluminum, but the amperage verified my first experiment.  Look forward to your findings.
Brad S

Bizzy

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Re: DIY ACID FREE CARBON BATTERIES
« Reply #40 on: February 25, 2011, 06:55:02 PM »
@Bizzy
Last night I was still scratching my head to try and figure out how tape could be a better separator so I conducted a test, as I told you I would.  In order to be objective I selected a metal I have not tried before (aluminum tube).  Since I had not tried aluminum before, I did not know what to expect.  I saw the voltage increase you are seeing but the amperage way different than I expected.  Using digital and analog meters, I confirmed the readings.  Figuring something wrong (short or something), set up the test again using conduit.  This time I did not see the voltage difference you saw or what I saw in the aluminum, but the amperage verified my first experiment.  Look forward to your findings.
Brad S
Hi Brad
Sorry I couldn't respond sooner I have been shoveling my driveway all morning and just got to work.
 Those amperage numbers do seem odd. I should be able to test paper versus tape this weekend again and check the amperage at that time. What size cells were you using, so I can try to replicate them as well?
Thanks
Bizzy

b_rads

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Re: DIY ACID FREE CARBON BATTERIES
« Reply #41 on: February 25, 2011, 08:38:59 PM »
Hi Brad
Sorry I couldn't respond sooner I have been shoveling my driveway all morning and just got to work.
 Those amperage numbers do seem odd. I should be able to test paper versus tape this weekend again and check the amperage at that time. What size cells were you using, so I can try to replicate them as well?
Thanks
Bizzy
Bizzy
Snow is bad stuff.  I moved 30 years ago from Colorado to Alabama to get away from the snow.
The aluminum and conduit both were cut to 3 inches.  You can tell from the attached image how they were built.  I seriously hope you find an error in my results.  Good Luck!
Brad

dasimpson

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Re: DIY ACID FREE CARBON BATTERIES
« Reply #42 on: February 27, 2011, 09:40:33 PM »
have to tried not covering the internel electrode with anything if so what happened

plengo

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Re: DIY ACID FREE CARBON BATTERIES
« Reply #43 on: February 28, 2011, 07:25:48 PM »
Update on the penny cell battery.  This battery has 120 plus continous run hours and still going strong.  Without using carbon in other build, I would have already started pulling LED off.  I have not had to with this one.  Will continue to monitor this build.  The picture was taken after the 120 hours of run time.

I tried the same setup BUT the pennies will become black (like an oxide of kinds) on the surface and the whole process will no longer produce power.

Can you, please, show more details about the construction process and steps? It would be great if you could show pictures in every step where one can see it. The pictures posted are too small.

Concerning the carbon, I little confused to how much and how "tall" compared to the "conduit" it should go.

How much water is also necessary? I tried many different mixes and it did not seem to matter.
It does produce power right at the beginning but so far it looks to me like a galvanic reaction of sorts.

I would love to duplicate your work and have one running 120+ hours too.

Many thanks,

Fausto.

b_rads

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Re: DIY ACID FREE CARBON BATTERIES
« Reply #44 on: February 28, 2011, 09:09:56 PM »
@plengo
Thank you for your interest in these battery projects.  Unfortunately, I have tried so many configurations that I normally only take pictures of completed successful builds.  I have a full time job, consulting on the side, and obligated to the misses this coming weekend in her home-based business. It will be next week before I am able to get back into the shop.  I will be happy to talk through the steps until then. 
Penny cell construction:
I found it easier to use a small jeweler’s bench grinder to take the copper plate off the edges of the penny.  Post 1982 pennies are 97.7% zinc.  I have used 2 different methods to connect the pennies together.  1 – Using 26ga copper wire threaded through the hole in the center and making 4 complete wraps around the pennies.  2 - #10 threaded rod with galvanized washers and nuts.  With the edges cleaned of the coppers and the pennies connected, I wrap the entire unit with a coffee filter.  Place this into a small prescription bottle and pack activated carbon as tightly as I can.  While packing the carbon around the pennies, lay copper wire around the periphery.  I get about three full turns around while filling in the carbon.  I use 1 teaspoon of Alum with about .4l of water as the electrolyte. I capped my cells just to slow down evaporation.  I have not taken one apart yet to see what is happening.  Here is a link to a slightly larger copy of the build. 
http://www.overunity.com/index.php?topic=9752.56
The bottles I am using are about 2 ¾” tall.  I cut the conduit to 3”, so about a quarter inch of conduit stick about the bottle.  I pack the activated carbon the very top of the bottle.  Here is a link to a larger picture of the conduit cell.  I fill all my cells the top with the alum water electrolyte.
http://www.overunity.com/index.php?topic=9752.50
You are correct; this is totally a galvanic cell.  The interesting thing however, the alum seems to draw more usable power with less corrosion than other things I have tried.  The power is highest for the first several hours and then stabilizes.  The copper penny cell has been lighting 9 LED’s for over 200 hours now.

I will take pictures and post step-by-step instructions next week if possible.
Thanks again, Brad S