Giant Storage Battries

[Cadman]

You know, what intrigues me about this idea is the size of it. Lately I've been thinking about how a person could make batteries from junk yard or scrap yard materials including anodizing some steel. Drums might be hard to get but plastic 5 gallon pails are around.

A bucket, stripped wiring from junk cars and some steel and charcoal might make a pretty good battery.
Just ordered some alum the other day to convert some other batteries so this is a good time to experiment.

[sm0ky2]

Carbon / copper does provide a potential (if its the right form of carbon)
Graphite (and even better graphene) will do this, as per the series.


The problem is the current is generally minuscule.
It is a factor of surface area, so making it large does have a bit of sense to it.


Stephan is correct in that the set-up in the video will cap out around 0.7-1.69V
(enough to power a superbright LED spotlight)
and if there is enough current - power it brightly.


The 5-gallon bucket idea seems more economical than buying hundreds of 50-gal barrels.
Even if you didn't go all the way, a series of buckets could step the V up enough to drive a motor
or greater if you had enough of them.


The addition of an electrolyte could increase productivity, although i would initially test using
Deionized Water


However, with the use of an electrolyte keep in mind
the potential of carbon is 0
the potential of copper is -0.34
So the lower the ionization potential of the electrolyte the better


Tubing is better than a wire because of the surface area


There is not a lot of info seen in the video
That appears to be standard graphite filter rod
(Used in aquariums and industrial filters)
If you get a used one there may be unknown contaminants.


Simple testing could tell us if this warrants any further investigation.

[Cadman]

Thanks Smoky2,

That video is bogus, no doubt, but it got me thinking. A big battery with a filler to hold the electrolyte is what I had in mind. Anodized steel (anodized with KOH) and brass with KOH electrolyte made a good rechargeable battery

If the ordinary charcoal is not a good idea for a filler, what would be? Common soil? Sand?
Something you could find anywhere for free would be best.