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Author Topic: Finally : cheap DIY selfmade solar cell with common materials !  (Read 207046 times)

infringer

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Re: Finally : cheap DIY selfmade solar cell with common materials !
« Reply #165 on: November 21, 2010, 07:33:54 PM »
http://www.lowes.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/ProductDisplay?langId=-1&storeId=10151&catalogId=10051&cId=SEARCH&productId=3013500&cm_mmc=SCE_gps-_-gps-_-gps-_-Phifer%2050%20x%2036%20Brite%20Bronze%20Copper%20Screen%20Wire%203001826

Why not try different screens available like this copper screen ... Maybe heating this like the first copper cells on a hot plate would add more power and prove useful in some strange way...

Just a thought...

PS STEPHAN what do you mean by sintering do you mean " Centering "  Center means exact middle of an axis.

e2matrix

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Re: Finally : cheap DIY selfmade solar cell with common materials !
« Reply #166 on: November 22, 2010, 01:48:26 AM »
Maybe something along these lines:  Wikipedia - Sintering is a method for making objects from powder, by heating the material in a sintering furnace[1] below its melting point (solid state sintering) until its particles adhere to each other. Sintering is traditionally used for manufacturing ceramic objects, and has also found uses in such fields as powder metallurgy.

hartiberlin

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Re: Finally : cheap DIY selfmade solar cell with common materials !
« Reply #167 on: November 23, 2010, 03:40:06 PM »
I tried it yeasterday to build electrodes from stainless steel
wire mesh and put TiO2 between it on one mesh and
the other mesh I put lampblack from a candle on there.
Then I used Hagebuttentea (rosehip tea) as the dye and the TiO2
embedded this when the TiO2 was heated and dry again.

Then I used Betaisodonna Iodide Solution (antiseptic solution) as the electrolyte,
but it did give no light sensivity, just the normal dissimular galvanic cell voltage...

Probably I need a better dye and a better electrolyte...

Regards, Stefan.

hartiberlin

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Re: Finally : cheap DIY selfmade solar cell with common materials !
« Reply #168 on: November 25, 2010, 01:58:52 AM »
Here is a new method for to build a selfmade solar cell
based on a solder wire and a few other chemicals:

http://www.thesolarspark.co.uk/?page=forTeachers&teachersPage=forTeachers_experiments

Very interesting.
I think this is even simpler to scale up than a Graetzel
because you don´t need any ITO coated glas.
With larger surface ZnO surfaces, this cell should really produce a lot of power.

Regards, Stefan.

hartiberlin

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Re: Finally : cheap DIY selfmade solar cell with common materials !
« Reply #169 on: December 07, 2010, 05:31:46 PM »
Here is finally a very easy method how to produce
very cheaply conductive transparent glas with a SnO2 conductive
layer:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eTLGtgYtL08

Now we can really make cheap Graetzel solar cells !

Many thanks to Youtube user Hjesu
who made this video available !

Many thanks again.
2011 will be the selfmade DIY solar year !

Regards, Stefan.

hartiberlin

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Re: Finally : cheap DIY selfmade solar cell with common materials !
« Reply #170 on: December 07, 2010, 10:03:37 PM »
Here are the single steps to make it:

1. Dissolve 5 Gramms of wet SnCl4 in 5 mL Methanol
2. Place a tile with the shiny side up into the oven
3. Heat the oven at 600 degrees
4. Place a heat resistent microscope slide on another tile into the oven
5. Let it heat for about 10 minutes and pull it out via the tile again when it is hot enough!
6. Spray the glas slide with the SnCl4 solution
7. Put it back into the oven for about 2 minutes and pull it then out again
8. Spray it again with the SnCl4 solution and put it back into the oven again and repeat this process until the desired electrical conductivity is reached.
Due to the heat the SnCl4 decomposes to SnO2.
Don´t breath the fumes and do it only in a well ventilated area, best outside !
9. Test the electrical conductivity with a digital ohmmeter and repeat the spraying-heating process until you are satisfied with the electrical resistance of the SnO2 layer.

Regards, Stefan.
Watch the video:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eTLGtgYtL08

and also have a look at this:

http://www.scribd.com/doc/32732511/Research-on-the-usability-of-low-cost-materials-in-dye-sensitized-solar-cells


Tenbatsu

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Re: Finally : cheap DIY selfmade solar cell with common materials !
« Reply #171 on: December 08, 2010, 12:39:31 AM »
Where can one acquire these chemicals?

Can you estimate a price per watt for each cell? 

How long do these cells last before they can no longer produce energy?

FatBird

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Re: Finally : cheap DIY selfmade solar cell with common materials !
« Reply #172 on: December 08, 2010, 02:16:39 PM »
Really interesting.  Thanks.

tagor

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Re: Finally : cheap DIY selfmade solar cell with common materials !
« Reply #173 on: December 08, 2010, 05:25:05 PM »


and also have a look at this:

http://www.scribd.com/doc/32732511/Research-on-the-usability-of-low-cost-materials-in-dye-sensitized-solar-cells

 
can some body download this file ?
 
( it is very dificult to read it with scribd ! )

fatimakhan

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Re: Finally : cheap DIY selfmade solar cell with common materials !
« Reply #174 on: August 25, 2011, 02:03:32 AM »
I like this forum…excellent info. discovered it on yahoo. will save it as a favorite.

Poit

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27Bubba

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Re: Finally : cheap DIY selfmade solar cell with common materials !
« Reply #176 on: April 20, 2012, 03:28:53 PM »
Trying to revive "old" but interesting thread. ;D

Surfing the net, I stumbled on simple explanation on how the solar cell can be made. Right now I'm experimenting with an old LCD screen... Anyhow, I wonder why this thread died? Nobody was successful with it?

http://www.solideas.com/solrcell/english.html

Bob Smith

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Re: Finally : cheap DIY selfmade solar cell with common materials !
« Reply #177 on: April 21, 2012, 02:25:08 PM »
Hey Bubba,
I'd be interested in seeing the results your LCD screen undertaking. I snagged one pulled from a laptop in the IT dept at work with this in mind.
Bob

27Bubba

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Re: Finally : cheap DIY selfmade solar cell with common materials !
« Reply #178 on: April 21, 2012, 02:53:40 PM »
So far not good :(.  When pealing of the plastic from the glass it shattered even when being very careful. The LCD glass is made out of two different color layers. I elected to peal the plastic from the clear glass side. This operation went fine, when pealing the other side(threaded glass), the glass cracked in multiple places. It is much thinner! So when I get some more LCD's  I will attempt to do the coated side first.  ;D  Good luck.   

Bob Smith

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Re: Finally : cheap DIY selfmade solar cell with common materials !
« Reply #179 on: April 22, 2012, 05:56:40 PM »
Hey Bubba
I put my lcd screen in full sunlight and connected the 2 leads to my voltmeter - nothing showing. Guess I'll have to peel off some of the housing and circuitry. Working on another project right now, but please post your results - will try to follow.
All the best.
Bob