Joule Thief

[electricme]

@stprue, and all,

Referring to my 7 toroid setup, I see "you want some [Data]".

I haven't got much as I'm in the process of designing the pulse circuit on paper first, then I have to get the parts which I don't have here, and the shop which sells them is a 200 klm round trip away.

OK.
I built the 7 toroid string first, just to see if it could be done, and it can.
There is "NO limit" on how many toroids you could put into a string/series setup, except for the "resistance" of the wire used in the primary.

All, the Toroids are all the same dimentions, share the same colours Lime green with a darker green ring on the top,

The primaries.
These are NOT bifilar wound, each toroid is just a simple coil, all primaries are connected in SERIES, wound with a single wire, consisting of 7 turns each, this could have been achieved by several wires then solder them in series.

The Secondaries
Each secondary has 24 turns, wires size are identical.
So up to this point, the circuit matches all 7 toroids.

Next I modified the 7 toroid array.
There are a range of different diodes and diode configurations, as well as different capacitors.

I did it this way to give me a better idea of which combination works the best.
I should be able to see at a glance which is the combination to use for all 7 toroids.

Toroid DIODE used            CAP uF & Value     LED colour Size          Results if any seen
T1      Bridge 1N4004s        470uF 16v           Green       3mm          Nil
T2      1 diode 1N4004      1000uF 16v           White  HB  5mm          Nil
T3      Bridge 1N4004s        100uF 16v           Green       3mm          Slow 2 light slow 2 dim
T4      Bridge 1N4148s         2.2uF 50v           Green       3mm          Lights fast on & off
T5      1 diode 1N4004       1000uF 16v           White HB  5mm          Light V Fast on V Fast off
T6      Bridge 1N4148s         450uF 6.3v          Green       3mm          Nil
T7      Bridge 1N4004s       1000uF 16v           White HB   5mm          Nil


All primaries coils share the voltage and current.
All secondaries give a different output because of different diodes and capacitors and LEDs used.

To test it, I supplied power from a single 1.2 volt NiCad cell.
Current drawn in 5 seconds "on" time, was 5.5 Amps

Flicking the red positave wire produces pulses, my hand gets tired too fast.
The cell went flat rather quickly, so it is back on charge again lol.
Don't worry, I will do a more intense range of tests as soon as I make up a PWM circuit.

But what I have "observed" is this, the center Toroids seem to work better than the "outer" ones.
Mabe this is because the energy meets up in the middle? but somehow this should not be so.

The LED's only go on when the power is removed, so the power pulse "on" time will need to be set at a value as well as the power "off" time, which is the The Mark Space ratios.
Mark = ON time    (capacitor charge up time)
Space = Off time  (capacitor discharge time)

What I'm seeing here is, if the capacitor is a lower capatance value it will charge quicker and discharge quicker.

So my brief testing shows me there is 2 capacitors I can use so far.
It looks like is the 2.2uF @50v or the 1000uf @16v.

Until I get a PWM setup, it would not be wize to do any more testing, as I expect these results to be totally different again.
When all is ready for full testing, there will be scope screen images, Hz meter counts, DMM readings in Volts and Amps.

Then again, I "might" rewind the secondaries with thinner wire and double the turns, then see what that brings forth. 

jim

[electricme]

@stprue
Not much voltage out 31 volts AC.

@ electricme

That's a great looking coil, must have taken some time to wind that one!  What is it putting out for voltage?

The whole thing except the toroid gets warm to hot.
The 2n3055 gets warm.
The LED gets hot.
Current draw from 1.5v NiCad = 1.210 amps, too much for this kid, but then again, if it is designed to put out grunt, then heat is the result of this, so it could be what I have been looking for to power my 7 toroids string, hmmmm.

Next step is to put a 1N4007 diode in series with the output with a capacitor accross that.

jim

[Pirate88179]

Earth Battery Lights 100 LEDS!!

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

Here is the video.  Youtube finally let me upload it.  it is short but much more to come.  Jeanna, thank you again!

Bill

[electricme]

@hasens1,
That is a very nice glowing tube there, well done.
Nice tight turns on the coil also.

When will you be able to miniturise the circuit so it will fit back into the fluro tube assembly holder?
That will look real pritty then, and it has a switch built in also.

jim

[electricme]

@All,
Someone was looking for Carbon Rods for their Earth Battery Experiments
Try this website here (thanks Bill)
AirGas
http://www.airgas.com/browse/product_list.aspx?catID=418&Keyword=Carbon%20Rods        several rod sizes
http://www.airgas.com/browse/product.aspx?Msg=RecID&recIds=379618&WT.svl=379618     1 inch rod size

Unfortunately AirGas isn't out this way in Aussie land.

jim