My small capacitor cells made with just wood carbon and carbon rods, are only 1/4″ by 3/4″, and can give almost a volt (0.93v, and 2 mA). I can place 8 of those cells into a 4 AA battery size plastic holder, and obtain about 7 volts, but hardly no current. This should be enough to run an oscillator, but it will not run my Hartleys, as they need and use more mAs, to work properly, usually about 50 mA, or more. The Hartleys work fine on AA batteries, but not on the carbon capacitor can cells. So, I’ll have to make a more efficient oscillator that can work with no mA, just voltage, if possible. My idea is not to make a penny type oscillator that will blink on low current power, as blinking led devices are not a useful device, as far as I’m concerned. But, any other ideas on oscillators to power leds on low current cells is welcome. I see that some guys are getting an led to light BRIGHTLY on just ONE mA. That would work for me…
The cells mentioned above are non galvanic, they use no water, salts, heat, or anything else. So, they can last forever, but due to the less than ideal type of carbon (beach wood carbon), they have only fair voltages (up to 1.2volts) on my best quartz/carbon cells, but with little current output. I’m still looking for the ideal mix to dope the carbon with for additional output levels.
Hot dog on a stick type cell (last picture), using 1/4″ brass rod, aluminum wire, and cloth electrolyte covered with table salt and white glue gives 20 mA, and 0.62 volts. Down from 0.78 volts and 50 mAs originally two months ago. It finally finished dripping water out of it. This is a Galvanic Cell, but needs no additional water added (in two months). It is now sealed with glue, as well as I could get it, as it blows holes to vent the electrolysis action, right through the glue. It would be better to seal this type of cell with 5 minute epoxy or or quick setting resin, instead of the glue, to avoid the electrolysis from the all the water that’s in the glue which takes a quite a while to dry out. Maybe just soaking the cloth in a Epsom/salt substitute mix and applied dry would work better, like Ib2 does.
Salts are ionic compounds that are the result of an acid and base mixing to become neutral. They have positive and negative ions which balance to a neutral net charge. The salts we are interested in for this project are crystalline, which is why these objects are also sometimes called “crystal cells”.
Crystals are a series of linking ionic bonds that always arrange themselves into the same pattern. If we apply electricity to a crystal, the energy can only travel along the ions that have the same polarity of charge. This ends up forming many “one way streets” for electricity along the grain of the crystal. This property is called semi-conductivity and is in use in just about every electronic device you’ve ever seen. A diode is a man-made semi-conductor that has been designed to only carry electricity one way.
If two different metals contact a linked section of crystal, electrons will flow from the more negative metal to the positive metal. The reason this happens is exactly the same as that of a battery, however the method it employs is different because of the crystal. The best way to understand how they work is to compare them to the working of standard electronic components. We need to remember however that these cells have three states they can be in based on their moisture content: wet cell, dry cell and semi-dry cell.
Wet Cell:
Visible liquid acting as an electrolyte –
Galvanic battery (a wet cell should have no other properties besides those of a battery):
Electrodes will degrade if you draw current.
Source power output will drop in a linear way when current is drawn.
Cell will not self-recharge when power is depleted.
Current is limited because of the dielectric’s high impedance. Current will only flow when the voltage of the cell is lower than the galvanic voltage of the metals, and then will only recharge the cell to its galvanic voltage.
A complete circuit is prevented from forming when shorted, because of the high impedance of the crystal. The circuit will appear “open” and prevent galvanic draw. This is in contrast to a regular battery that produces more current when shorted and makes the crystal more like a capacitor.
Capacitor:
Discharges at the rate of a capacitor.
Recovers charge when not loaded using the charge curve of a capacitor.
Dissipates stored energy when shorted, which prevents energy from being stored.
Inductor:
Shorting will temporarily increase output current. More inductance should provide a higher current spike.
Local, moving magnetic fields will effect output.
“Field Effect” (low signal) Diode:
Output voltage will not swing negative naturally (rectification).
Galvanic/inductive current is allowed to pass while maintaining a large dielectric impedance (the galvanic effect prevents a direct measure of dielectric resistance)
High reverse leakage current tends to occur with extremely low forward voltage. There are “one way streets” that go each way.
Crystal Transducer (to transducer is to change from one form of energy to another):
Crystals under stress produces an E field (static electricity), and E fields will cause crystal stress. This effect is quite pronounced during thunderstorms.
Heat causes stress.
Pressure (both linear pressure and sound waves) causes stress.
Semi-dry Cell:
The crystal appears as a “waxy solid”, sometimes with a bit of a shine on the surface and is the state they are in just after production –
Acts as a dry cell with increased galvanic current proportional to moisture.
Acts as a diode with increased forward and reverse currrent.
What they’re made of:
The most common recipe for salt cells at the moment, and the person credited for discovery of the ingredient with regard to these cell:
Borax (sodium tetraborate decahydrate) – ibpointless2, suggested by b_rad of Energetic Forums
Alum (hydrated potassium aluminum sulfate) – John Bedini
Other recipes include:
Epsom, Zinc Oxide, Calcium Carbonate, dry ground Silica gel – diveflyfish (has several very interesting types of these cells)
There have also been several different compounds used to dope that combination. When doping, only a very small amount is added. It only takes a little to change the properties of the cell:
Iron Pyrite – John Hutchison – used to be used as a detector in radio communications.
Galena – John Hutchison – used to be used as a detector in radio communications.
(more coming soon)
The voltage and power output of the cell are based primarily on which metals are chosen for the bias. Power can be increased by having as little space between the two electrodes as possible without shorting:
Copper – Aluminum
Copper – Galvanized Iron (Zinc)
Copper – Magnesium
Carbon – Magnesium
Carbon – Zinc
Aluminum – Doped Aluminum (accomplished by electrolysis)
Construction methods
Basic copper – magnesium cell:
You will need:
A magnesium sacrificial anode for a water heater. This can be purchased at any pluming supply store. The standard dimensions of this bar are 32″ long, 3/4″ diameter.
A 3/4″ copper pipe cap.
A hacksaw
Sand paper
1/8 each of a teaspoon of: Epsom salt; Borax; “Salt substitute” (potassium chloride); and Alum.
4 non-conductive, heat-resistant splints about 1mm thick. I used flat toothpicks that I shaved with an razor. Spacer under the magnesium is an X made from a broken toothpick.
A small pot and range or hot plate.
Procedure:
Place a copper pipe cap on the end of the magnesium rod so it the rod touches the bottom. Mark the rod about 1/4″ above the end of the cap and cut it off using the hacksaw.
Break 2 peices of the toothpick and place them to for an X in the bottom of the pipe cap; mix the substrate ingredients and pour them into copper pipe cap.
Sand the oxidization off the section of magnesium rod you cut off. The entire surface of the rod should appear with the same luster as the freshly cut portion. There is extra magnesium on the rod, so if the cell doesn’t work, or when it dies you can always sand the outside off and use it again.
Preheat your pot to med-high on the range.
Place the magnesium bar into the copper cap on top of the mixed crystals and splint it into place so that it does not contact the copper. This can be checked using a resistance meter which should read as an open circuit.
Set the unheated cell in the pre-heated pan. After 30 sec or so you will begin to hear the crystal melting. The crystal will bubble up into the space between the two electrodes and likely overflow. Continue heating until the visible crystal hardens into a white solid.
Allow to cool, remove the splints and check the voltage. If the cell reads as 0 volts: take a drop of water on your finger and place it on the crystal between the two metals to activate the cell.
A fresh cell of this type should check as being 1 to1.5 volts. If your cell is not producing voltage, take a drop of water on your finger an place in between the metals where the crystal is. Additional protection measures can be taken to prevent the magnesium corroding and prevent water from reaching the crystal as that will dissolve the crystal.
(more will be added as we get submitted replications of different ways to make the cells)
Replication request:
In order to pin down the most powerful mix ratios, Let’s Replicate is requesting that replicators submit the following information with their replications:
Mix ratio used including any doping, metals used, and any special things you did for this cell.
The surface area of each electrode that is in contact with the crystal (approximate is fine)
Average distance between electrodes.
Voltage with no load
Voltage with a 1k resistor after a 5-second count.
Pictures of the cells will all be posted with your results if you choose to submit them. All results will be publicly available.
letsreplicate 