Working Air Battery

[stephenafreter]

What is most surprising for me that study batteries for the first time now, is that they are already using carbon in the batteries, but just to conduct electricity outside the battery.
But carbon is never alone as cathode !

Why they don't use like Lasersaber, magnesium as anode and carbon as cathode ?
Just 2 elements !
Is it a kind of suppression to avoid people making their own batteries ?

As a ON/OFF switch for the battery we could use a liquid electrolyte (salt water) in a double chamber container.
To switch ON the battery, starting the reaction, we would bring the water in the electrodes area.
To switch OFF we just turn the container up side down, separating the electrodes from the electrolyte, stopping the reaction.

The electrodes could be 2 long films separated by a plastic net for spacing.
The films could be made of plastic sprayed with paint and covered with magnesium and carbon powder, then rolled together with the plastic spacer in between.

I am busy now, but shall give it a try in a few days, please join the ride and try to develop this concept of home made batteries.
But please not much theory, but more pictures and results 

Some info on batteries:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Leclanch%C3%A9_cell
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Zinc-carbon_battery
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alkaline_battery

See also a Magnesium-Air-Sea water battery pack here:
http://www.alibaba.com/product/kr100256208-103275076-100655237/seawater_power_pack.html

[stephenafreter]

I have difficulties to find references on internet about carbon + magnesium battery.
I don't know why, because it's the higher voltage I can get from basic material.
I compared iron, copper, aluminum, magnesium, each with each
The magnesium + carbon/graphite gives FAR MUCH HIGHER voltage than any other combination !!

Magnesium is largely used and available as is carbon. Why not much data on this on the web !?

[stephenafreter]

I resumed some experiments in a picture.
Now I will look for the most efficient Joule Thief design.
And try to find out how to save material on the carbon rods, thinking of a way to have them hollow to save material weight.
I think I will work on the Variable coil Joule Thief to run a SEC Tower like Amazing Lidmotor did here:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1uN-yNgtt4c
What would we do without those amazing sharing tinkers 
Of course the best might be to light a 10 W fluo tube for cheap ...

[lasersaber]

@stephenafreter

Thanks for sharing your findings.  I discovered the same things through much trial and error.  My design came about directly through doing tests like these.

Today is the two week anniversary of my long term air battery test.  The flashlight light is much brighter this morning than it was in my last video.  I still have not added any water to the flash light test.  The motor is also spinning really fast.  It's been fun observing the motor speed in comparison to air humidity.

I am testing a new idea now that seems to help these run on even less air humidity.  I will keep you posted.

[DeepCut]

Oh, i thought you'd got the idea from these guys :

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/science/science-news/5353809/Worlds-first-battery-fuelled-by-air.html

More details here :

http://research-repository.st-andrews.ac.uk/handle/10023/897


Gary.