Finally : cheap DIY selfmade solar cell with common materials !

[hartiberlin]

Here is my Solar Cell Concept.

Jerry

Hi Jerry,
can you post more?
Did you already build them or is this only an idea ?

Many thanks.

[onthecuttingedge2005]

Hi Jerry,
can you post more?
Did you already build them or is this only an idea ?

Many thanks.

Hi hartiberlin.

there are many things that need to be accomplished first, all I care about right now is that all the polluting power sources are disolved if by chance by replacing old tech with new green tech.

if I get some money I will start doing some very hard research on the future of power harnessing to help the Earth. but I am a poor soul right now.

Jerry

[ResinRat2]

I have begun testing an experimental solar-tube type design that I dreamed up. It consists of a sheet of ordinary writing paper that has been painted on one side with high-conductive carbon pigment dispersed in low-odor mineral spirits. This was allowed to dry and the paper folded into a tube shape with the carbon pigment on the inside. The bottom of the tube was not painted so there was a couple inch gap of non-painted surface.

Inserted through the bottom of the tube is another piece of paper folded into a cone shape and covered on its surface with normal aluminum foil. The idea is that the aluminum and carbon black surfaces do not come in contact with each other so they are electrically isolated.

Sunlight enters the tube at the top, strikes the aluminum cone surface and ejects an electron from the metal surface (ionization energy of aluminum) which is deflected sideways (due to the cone shape) and strikes the carbon black inside surface of the tube.

By using a voltage meter I placed one probe against the inside carbon black surface of the tube and the other probe in contact with the bottom aluminum surface of the cone. The idea is that the ejected electrons would flow the circuit from carbon black back to the aluminum metal.

I am getting erratic readings right now when the tube is pointed toward the overhead fluorescent lights, some as high as 0.6 volts. Who knows, maybe I am just picking up RF.

Today we will have rotten weather with rain and clouds. So I need to do outdoor testing later. Below is a drawing to give a picture of the unit. I think a larger unit might be worth looking at. I am also thinking the tube may need to be vacuum-sealed so there is no interference with the ejected electrons; but this is just a first prototype. When I get home from work this evening I will post some pictures.

I am posting this just for anyone’s interest.

[hartiberlin]

Hi ResinRat2,
what is the ionisation energy level for Aluminium ?
I guess the sun will just reflect from the aluminium and
not pop some electrons out of the foil.

ALso if you have a bit moisture inside your air
a high ohmic digital multimeter will just measure
0.6 Volts between the graphite and the alufoil.
Just wet fingertouches are enough between your
"nonconductive" paper to cause this.

If you try it with a lower impedance analog meter you
will probably measure no voltage...or much less.

Also the electrons will not just fly through the air a few inches to
go to the graphite paper..
When you would need vaccuum it will get again too expensive..

I guess the best way would be to find cheap materials that have the
right ionisation energy level to sunlight and have them sprayed or
painted onto graphite paper and then use a transparent conductive electrode
layer to paint over it.
The question is
what is the best and cheapest transparent conductive electrode layer that can
be easily selfmade.


Have a look at these 2 artificial Leaf videos:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XZ6XqEsutcM
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0l6-N0ba7jg

[onthecuttingedge2005]

Hi ResinRat2.

Nice idea about the design, it reminds me of the Rods and Cones in the eye somewhat.

If you really wanted to play around with flexible solar cells you can use transparent contact paper as a work bench for your conductors and dried photoreactive chemicals, when completed you would have a somewhat transparent flexible solar cell, to get some ideas on developing flex type there are some videos on youtube that show how some are made with a machine.

I think clear Contact paper will make a good work bench for home solar tech and one side is very very sticky and it is dirt cheap.

if I had some old printer cartridges laying around I might see about using some conductive inks for conductive pathways that way I could just print my pathways with a computer printer onto the surface. just an idea.

Jerry