battery/cell question

[eserf]

Hey guys, I have a question. I could answer it myself, but I'm at work right now and not "at the bench" so to speak.

One battery cell puts out X amount of voltage and amperage. To increase either V or A one would wire individual cells together either in series or in parallel.

So, the question is this: Is it probbable to assume that one could wire several cells together to increase voltage, but have all the cells share the same electrolyte? In other words, if the cells were far enough apart from one another so the charge doesn't migrate, say two water cells at far sides of a bathtub full of saltwater, would it behave as just one cell, or would it behave as two seperate cells wired together?



~Eric 

[Walter Hofmann]

the  shared electrolyte gives you only the output of one cell you may get more current depends on the circumstances.
greeting
walt

[eserf]

Thank-you Walt. Best person to reply to this, thanks.

I was wondering as it would be fun to make a small water craft powered by large water batteries that continually changed the electrolyte simply by being immersed in the ocean/bay. My thought was to create an array of dissimilar metals underneath the boat. Oh well... I guess one could have a manual "dump valve" to replensih the water manually of seperate cells when power was getting low.

Actually... even better.... how about making a science kit for kids that would be a small boat with the hull lined with the anode and cathode in strips, and have it power one of those tiny RC car motors, like the souped-up pager vibrator motors. Wouldn't need much voltage or current to at least get it to scoot around the pool, eh. Better yet, use the tiny RC mechanics of those pocket cars and make the boat RC as well....

just brainstorming...

[libra_spirit]

Actually earth batteries did just this. They put a string of cells spaced equidistant across the ground and connected them in series.
Using the moist earth as electrolite the cells did add up in voltage down the string.