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Yes, you read the title correctly...

Apparently a 18 year old in Nepal who was trying to figure out how to make a cheap solar panel has found that human hair works in place of Silicon.  This is more of a news announcement than a description of the circuit but there is a picture of the device.

To me it doesn't look like it takes that much hair for this device to run?

This is amazing if it is true...

Anyone know more about this?  Any more news in the UK?

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sciencetech/article-1212005/Teenager-invents-23-solar-panel-solution-developing-worlds-energy-needs-human-hair.html

Hman said:

Quote
Apparently a 18 year old in Nepal who was trying to figure out how to make a cheap solar panel has found that human hair works in place of Silicon.  This is more of a news announcement than a description of the circuit but there is a picture of the device.

It would be nice to have a description of the circuit, or at least an explanation of how head hair acts as a semiconductor.

Especially, how the hair compares in function to a silicon solar cell.

--Lee

Rats!!!  :D :D

I just got a Crew-Cut last week.

NO!!! I refuse to experiment with hair from any where else on me!!

HMMMMMM! Let's see...at night, in bed, my wife soundly sleeping. Scissors suddenly appearing in my hand...NO! NO! NO! Not going to happen.

My hair grows very slowly, so I guess I can plan for experiments about six months down the line. Just an observer I will be until then.

Melanin;

Melanins, in the synthetic sense, are "rigid-backbone" conductive polymers composed of polyacetylene, polypyrrole, and polyaniline "Blacks" and their mixed copolymers. The simplest melanin is polyacetylene, and some fungal melanins are pure polyacetylene.

In 1963, DE Weiss and coworkers reported high electrical conductivity in a melanin, iodine-doped and oxidized polypyrrole "Black". They achieved the quite high conductivity of 1 Ohm/cm. A decade later, John McGinness, and coworkers reported a high conductivity "ON" state in a voltage-controlled solid-state threshold switch made with DOPA melanin. Further, this material emitted a flash of lightâ€"electroluminescenceâ€"when it switched. Melanin also shows negative resistance, a classic property of electronically-active conductive polymers. Likewise, melanin is the best sound-absorbing material known due to strong electron-phonon coupling. This may be related to melanin's presence in the inner ear.


Melanin voltage-controlled switch, an "active" organic polymer electronic device from 1974. Smithsonian Chip collection .These early discoveries were "lost" until the recent emergence of such melanins in device applications, particularly electroluminescent displays. In 2000, the Nobel Prize in Chemistry was awarded to three scientists for their subsequent 1977 (re)discovery and development of such conductive organic polymers. In an essential reprise of the work by Weiss et al., these polymers were oxidized, iodine-doped "polyacetylene black" melanins. There is no evidence the Nobel committee was aware of the almost identical prior report by Weiss et al. of passive high conductivity in iodinated polypyrrole black or of switching and high electrical conductivity in DOPA melanin and related organic semiconductors. The melanin organic electronic device is now in the Smithsonian Institution's National Museum of American History's "Smithsonian Chips" collection of historic solid-state electronic devices.

Although synthetic melanin (commonly referred to as BSM, or "black synthetic matter") is made up of 3-6 oligomeric units linked togetherâ€"the so-called "protomolecule"â€"there is no evidence that naturally occurring biopolymer (BCM, for "black cell matter") mimics this structure. However, since there is no reason to believe that natural melanin does not belong to the category of the polyarenes and polycationic polyenes, like pyrrol black and acetylene black, it is necessary to review all the chemical and biological analytic data gathered to date in the study of natural melanins (eumelanins, pheomelanins, allomelanins)."

Evidence exists in support of a highly cross-linked heteropolymer bound covalently to matrix scaffolding melanoproteins. It has been proposed that the ability of melanin to act as an antioxidant is directly proportional to its degree of polymerization or molecular weight. Suboptimal conditions for the effective polymerization of melanin monomers may lead to formation of lower-molecular-weight, pro-oxidant melanin that is has been implicated in the causation and progression of macular degeneration and melanoma. Signaling pathways that upregulate melanization in the retinal pigment epithelium (RPE) also may be implicated in the downregulation of rod outer segment phagocytosis by the RPE. This phenomenon has been attributed in part to foveal sparing in macular degeneration.

the below picture;

Melanin voltage-controlled switch, an "active" organic polymer electronic device from 1974. Smithsonian Chip collection

@OTCE--

Good work...the reality of this device is coming into focus.  Maybe not as "far fetched" as it first sounded.  Looks like we may have just found a low cost melanin supply to experiment with.

@ResinRat2 - Save those hair clippings!

Who wants to create the "closed loop flow-bee" that runs on the hair it cuts?

Get a long haired dog put a vest with round metal contacts on it and let it play around in the sun hooked with a battery charger under it's chin. Gives new meaning to the term "Puppy Power".  :D

@onthecuttingedge2005(Jerry),
With respect to your Reply #3:

How does your description coincide with the use of hair as a solar cell?

--Lee

@ Hman

Very big breakthrough. Thanks for posting. I doubt that he is using the hair. He is probably dissolving the hair in acid and converting it to a plastic semiconductor and then doping that on one surface to create a PN junction. I hope he will be giving the details.

EDIT: I guess I was wrong. In the article it says "People can replace the hair easily themselves" so he is actually using the hair.

it's kind of sick, isn't it?

Ah!

Then there will be no free energy for me  >:(

Anyone developed solar cells that run on methane gas?

Quote from: the_big_m_in_ok on September 09, 2009, 10:14:00 PM
@onthecuttingedge2005(Jerry),
With respect to your Reply #3:

How does your description coincide with the use of hair as a solar cell?

--Lee

Hi Lee.

post 4?

Melanin is what gives hair its color. blonde being the lack of Melanin and Blackish hair having plenty of Melanin.

Melanin is a photosensitive chemical that changes UV to Infrared, it is a conductor and has been used in the semiconductor industry.

Jerry ;)

I read recently that a fungus had been found growing in a extreme radiation environment.It turned out that ionizing radiation was knocking out electrons in melanin pigment in the fungus and allowing the fungus to use this as a source of energy.There is more to melanin than meets the eye?Triffid

I have read stranger stuff,like lasers(deep IR range) made from sliced up bones.I know the human body will conduct a small amount of electricity on the skin.Maybe the solar power in our hair helps our health somehow?Helps us think better?Lets hope so.triffid

Quote from: onthecuttingedge2005 on September 10, 2009, 07:26:26 AM
Hi Lee.
post 4? ...
...Melanin is a photosensitive chemical that changes UV to Infrared, it is a conductor and has been used in the semiconductor industry.  ...

Hey Jerry,
I think I'm beginning to understand.  But, in changing UV to IR, are electrons generated or released?
That might be the basis of the inventor's assertion.
--Lee

also, Melanin is used in lenses for sunglasses.

http://www.melaninproducts.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=31&Itemid=52

contacting this company for info on their source of Melanin may help the adventure for research.

Jerry ;)

Shamelessly copied from:

http://sites.google.com/site/edwardcraighyatt/hairsolarpanelnepal


Nepal Human Hair Solar Panel Hoax
"The idea that human hair can be used as a solar cell has long been "debunked" but continues to be circulated on so-called "free energy" or "zero-point energy" blogs. The claims on these blogs seem to be based on confusion about the nature of static electricity and the misinterpretation of research on melanin's electro-optical and semiconductor properties."

An article appeared in the Daily Mail claiming that a young Nepalese boy had made a solar panel from human hair capable of generating 9VDC at 18W.  The article is complete with pictures of the smiling boy and his solar panel, proclaiming him as the "next Edison": A new type of solar panel using human hair could provide the world with cheap, green electricity, believes its teenage inventor. Milan Karki, 18, who comes from a  village in rural Nepal, believes he has found the solution to the developing world's energy needs. The young inventor says hair is easy to use as a conductor in solar panels and could revolutionise renewable energy. The article was immediately picked up and circulated world-wide on ecology
and technology blogs.  It is rather sad that nobody bothered to do a bit of fact checking before circulating this item.  Even quotes from the boy indicate a problem from the outset, as he seems to claim a relationship between static electricity and the photovoltaic effect; two completely unrelated phenomena.  Anyone who completed a high school physics course ought to have heard alarm bells: He was originally inspired after reading a book by physicist Stephen Hawking, which discussed ways of creating static energy from hair. 'I realised that Melanin was one of the factors in conversion of energy,' he said. The boy claims he has sent several units out for evaluation which, on the face of it, lends credibility to his claim:  'I'm trying to produce commercially and distribute to the districts. We've already sent a couple out to the districts to test for feasibility,' he said.

As discussed below, the claimed output of this device does not agree with the published properties of photoelectric organic dyes, making it likely that a conventional solar cell is concealed inside the panel.  Furthermore, the article states, "Half a kilo of hair can be bought for only 16p in Nepal and lasts a few months, whereas a pack of batteries would cost 50p and last a few nights. People can replace the hair easily themselves, says Milan, meaning his solar panels need little servicing".  This statement indicates that the device uses human hair directly, not purified, extracted melanin which further invalidates the claim.  Human hair is non-conductive and not photochemically active.

Using organic materials or readily available waste products such as human hair to generate solar energy has its romantic appeal, but the cost of extraction, purification, and end-product stability must be considered.  For example, separating melanin from hair requires the use of harsh chemical solvents and heat, and the disposal of these chemical agents as well as the energy required to heat the solution must be considered.  Also, melanin itself isn't photo-reactive enough, but is typically used to enhance the current-generating capability of organic dyes, so a device would require additional chemical agents in addition to melanin.  In short, we must consider not just the initial cost of raw materials, but  all factors involved in manufacturing and using any particular solution.  It may be an over-simplification, but consider that the element silicon, used in solar cells, is one of the three most common elements on earth and is essentially purified sand, making silicon a cheap, stable, and relatively inexpensive solution as compared to organics.

The idea that human hair can be used as a solar cell has long been "debunked" but continues to be circulated on so-called "free energy" or "zero point energy" blogs. The claims on these blogs seem to be based on confusion about the nature of static electricity and misinterpretation of research on melanin's electro-optical and semiconductor properties.  Usually these blogs take technical-sounding quotes from published papers out of context to make it appear that human hair, because it contains melanin, is capable of generating electricity when exposed to sunlight.  Any rational response to these claims is discounted, usually with the excuse that it is motivated by nebulous greedy corporations or "big oil".  Of course, it would be wonderful if we could discover an infinite source of free zero-point energy, energy from water, or solar energy generated from human hair.  Unfortunately, these claims are all false.

Melanin Properties
While it is true that melanin can enhance the photovoltaic properties of organic dyes, the isolation of purified melanin, production of the accompanying dyes, and instability of these products makes the use of melanin for solar power generation infeasible at present - although research in the area of organics is ongoing.  As regards the proposed solar panel based on human hair, it appears from photos that strands of human hair are matted beneath the front conductive cover which would require the hair itself to be a conductor or semiconductor.  After my own testing and referenced tests, even hair processed in an electrolyte such as a salt solution remains, itself, nonconductive.  It is possible to extract melanin from hair by dissolving the keratin (hair's structural protein) by boiling the hair in a strong acid or alkalai solution. The problem is that such harsh methods tend to destroy the pigment or alter its chemical properties. There are more concentrated sources of melanin (eumelanin) than hair available in nature, e.g. cuttlefish ink and the uveal tract and retinal pigment epithelium of bovine eyes. The most economical way to obtain melanin is to simply purchase the synthetic compound. The electrical, semiconductor, electroluminescent, and optical properties of melanin films are well-studied.  The properties, which are highly variable, are a function of heat, presence of  water, and other environmental factors. The use of isolated melanin to enhance the photovoltaic properties of organic dyes has  been studied, for example, Hanyz & Wrobel (2002) and especially in Solis, et al (2007).  A discussion of melanin chemistry is found in Nordland, Boissy, et al., The Pigmentary System: Physiology and Pathophysiology, 2nd ed, Wiley-Blackwell, 2006, pp. 289-290.  The overall conclusion is that, at present, the use of melanin for solar energy production is impractical because it requires the presence of additional expensive organic dyes and because such dyes have been shown to be unstable.

Verification of Prototype Solar Panels
1.  First, do a physical inspection for hidden solar cells or batteries. If possible, disassemble and inspect the panel.  I expect he has hidden a 9V 18W unit inside.  Using the photograph shown with the article of the boy holding up the solar panel, I held up a tape measure to a mirror to estimate the dimensions of his panel and estimated it to be 2ft on a side.  The advertised dimensions of the solar panel listed above are 638mm x 278mm or about 2.09ft wide.  In other words, the panel shown in the photo is roughly the right size to conceal a typical 9V 18W solar panel.
2.  Measure the voltage produced both in darkness and in full sunlight.  Clearly, if the panel produces energy in darkness, it has a hidden battery.
3.  In a darkened room, measure the resistance from positive to negative and then reverse the leads.  If the device is a true solar cell, the resistance will be high in one direction and low in the reverse direction.
4.  Expose the device to sunlight and ensure that it is generating voltage.  Once this is so, break the connection of one or more of the thin wires interconnecting the "cells".  If the device continues to generate voltage, that indicates it has solar panels hidden in it.  It might also be that the thin wires interconnect individual solar cells hidden behind the backing.
5.  By masking different regions of the device, it should be possible to locate where the solar cells are hidden.

Why The Human Hair Solar Generator Is A Hoax
1. Hair is a non-conductor as illustrated by this controlled experiment. If hair is a non-conductor, then it cannot be a semiconductor.  In order to release electrons when illuminated, it would be necessary for hair to be a semiconductor.
2. The claimed voltage and power levels of 9V/18W are far too high.  There is not enough photovoltaic material present to generate these levels, insufficient surface area, insufficient energy in the pictured light source, and the diameter of the thin conductors interconnecting the cells is too small to carry the claimed current of 1 to 2 amps without burning up.
3. In a true solar cell, the photovoltaic material must be sandwiched between conductive surfaces in order to capture electrons released as the material is excited by photons.  It must be assumed that the black background in the photographs is a mat of hair sandwiched between a conductive substrate and a translucent conductive front surface. The gold/brass conductors connected by thin wires supposedly interconnect the cells.  However, since hair is an insulator, not a semiconductor, no potential will be generated between the backing and the front surface.
4. In order to take advantage of melanin's semiconducting properties, it would need to be isolated and purified chemically.  Since hair is a non-conducting medium, it cannot be used directly as shown in the photographs.
5. I personally conducted an experiment to test whether human hair was conductive or was able to generate electricity when
exposed to the sun or to artificial UV (generated by a UV LED).  My test shows that human hair is non-conductive and does not generate electricity under any circumstances.  I used a sample of jet black human hair.  Of course, this is just a demonstration, not a controlled experiment, however, it's simple to replicate.  If you have any doubts try it yourself.

The photo to the left shows strands of hair fixed to small white card.  Interleaved loops of bare wire sit on top of the strands, and the whole fixture is secured with clear tape.  The leads are attached to the test leads of a digital voltmeter.  In this particular test, I illuminated the sample with UV from a UV LED and there was no voltage produced, even with the meter set to maximum sensitivity (capable of detecting a fraction of a mV).  I tried the same test outside in full sunlight with no results.  Finally, I measured the resistance of the sample at the most sensitive range, and the resistance was infinite, indicating that human hair is a non-conductor.

Conclusion:  It is not possible to use human hair in any configuration to generate electrical energy when exposed to light.

@ wile_coyote7

Thanks for the post.

Thank you too for your post.It seems the story itself is only 2 days old but he(18yo) claims he discovered it 3 years ago.triffid

@Wiley...Great Post...

Although some of those comments are clearly presumptuous--I have to agree with most of the analysis... The original story was released by the DailyMail.co.uk and every other post about it on the web refers to this article. 

Even Fast Company did the "shake and bake" and referred to the 12 year old 3d solar kid announced a year ago...Can't believe the amount of news articles and re-postings of this one article on the web.

I noticed the photographer is all over the web and pretty easy to contact.  Without anymore information and the arguments proposed, I would call this close to dead.

Maybe I missed the "long ago debunked" and all the so called free energy blogs that continue to circulate these stories.  Sounds like he has seen this one before...I can't find those previous posts, can you? Those types of comments only weaken the nice point that was being made.

So I guess the human hair story is pretty much a hoax?But melanin is not?triffid

Well,
As the hair thing seems to be a fraud, the melanin thing seems a bit more interesting.

As seen here: http://www.tightrope.it/nicolaus/
Some highlights from the above link:

-------------------------------------------
Some peculiar properties of black material  suggest melanin being a material of importance for living matter  :



( a) the morphology  state  (b)  electric and acoustic conductivity, electric switch, photoelectric conductivity  (c)   particle  binding  power for  organic and inorganic materials,   ions and  molecules . Ability of  store  liquids and gases ( meteorites,  humic acids,  cellular oxygen )  (d)   explosive fragmentation by exposure to LASER  (  formation of the fullerene C60  from graphite, depigmentation of the skin ) .

(e)   behaviour as innovative sensor and energy generator with the capacity to grow and shrink significantly in length and volume when subjected to electric stimulation.  (f) sepiomelanin composition which change with time  in vivo and in vitro

(g) communication between tissues  and between tissues and brain.

(h)  presence of  black particle ( carbon, silicium,BSM )  in interstellar spaces



Some points worth of being recalled  to  the  melanin expert are the followings :

1 . Melanoma was found to be constituted  by two different melanins ( M. Bakunin 1904 )

2 . Simple or complex pyrrole acids were isolated  among the oxidative degradation mixture   of Sepia melanin ( L.Panizzi, R.A.Nicolaus 1952 ). DHI and DHICA were obtained for the first time as degradation products ( R: A: Nicolaus, M.Piattelli 1962 ).

3 . The precursor of pheomelanins and pheochromes  was found to be the new aminoacid 5-S-Cysteinyldopa   and related isomers ( R.A.Nicolaus 1968 ).Many degradation compounds were isolated ( R.A.Nicolaus, L.Minale,E.Fattorusso 1968-1972 )

4 . The chromophores ( dibenzothiazine and dibenzothiazinone ) of pheochromes have been synthetised.  ( B.Kaul  1974 ).

5 .  Melanins are able to bind organic molecules, ions,  liquids, gases ( M.S.Blois 1965), ( H. Rorsman,  1972 )  ( N.G.Lindquist, B.Larsson ,C.Hanson, G.Agrup, E.Rosengren  and the Swedish School since 1972 ).

6 . Melanins exhibit two separate current - voltage characteristics, the on and off. ( J.McGinness,  J.P.Proctor  1974 ) .

7 .  The neuromelanin of the human Substantia nigra was isolated  ( H.Rorsman 1991 ).

8 . Melanins are particles (M.R.Chedekel 1992 ) .

9 . Eumelanin particles (granules covered by a membrane) are called melanosomes. Melanosomes  may be obtained in pure form.  (  V.J.Hearing  1973 ).

10 . The particles are formed by oligomers ( melanochromes ) of low molecular weight  (M.G.Peter  1996) .

11 .  Melanins and neuromelanins show the radical polarone system of acetylene black ( R.A. Nicolaus 2001 ).

12 . All melanins have about one oxygen atom more than the precursors ( R.A.Nicolaus  2001 ).  13 . The particle may show a certain level of organization ( J.D.Simon  2001 ) .

14 . All black particles, from carbon to sepiomelanin, have similar physical properties.The melanin particle gave  X-ray examination results which may suggest not only   graphite but also  fullerene or helicoidal cages. The helicoidal system may produce a magnetic field.   ( A.Bolognese 2001 ).

15 . The organic black matter in the interstellar clouds is supposed to regulate the ion/radical/molecule balance .  ( B.J.R.Nicolaus,R.A.Nicolaus 1999 ).

16 .  All these data and properties suggest important functions of eumelanins in Biology.( 30 )
-------------------------------------

Please see the attached PDF document which shows a type of solar cell made from synthesized melanin.

From what I've read so far, the best (cheapest?) source for natural melanin is cephalopod (squid) ink, which is currently used in makeup and sunscreen products.


More reading here if you get bored: http://www.organicsemiconductors.com/

@wiley...

Have to admit, I never realized how interesting this "black stuff" really is... it looks like a lot of renewed interest going on... 

Particularly, he talked about the procedure of extracting melanin which, as previously stated, sounds like you really need access to a lab BUT later on in the article he goes on to say this:

"Sometimes the procedure may be simplified because the melanin is soluble in water, dilute ammonia or alkalies ( pheomelanins, allomelanins, humic acids, plant melanins, microrganism-melanins). Sonication  (80 W for 15 min. in alkaline solution ) is sometimes recommended."

There may be an easier method of extraction after all... 

Hair today gone tomorrow :D ;D

oh well good while it lasted ::)
cat

@cat--

Hair is gone but squid is in!

Download and read that PDF (npre20071312-1.pdf) that @wiley posted in his last response above...I see I am the only person who has downloaded this so far but it is really interesting and warrants a further look.

It has an experiment with an aqueous melanin "photocell" lighting a LED for over 10,000 hours.

Still not interested? 

Let me entice you a bit (from the PDF):

"Melanin is to the animal kingdom like chlorophyll to the vegetal kingdom1.
Melanin collects energy from lower-energy radiation sources, kicks electrons into excited states, initiating a process that would end up producing chemical energy, similar to the way in which photosynthesis supplies energy to plants. However, the precise roles of melanin during this process are unknown. Here we show that the increase in the electron-transfer properties of melanin is independent of the energy of the incident photons. We found in controlled in vivo assays that melanin has the remarkable capability of converting lower-energy radiation towards a more useful form of energy. Furthermore, we found that melanin can break up water molecules and giving up energy suggesting an
additional behavior mode for melanin. Our results demonstrate how members of the melanin family are likely to function as transducers, oxidizing water, pushing apart water molecules, as well as recruiting back ions into molecules that are subsequently polarized again. Melanin drives the photon energy of lower-energy radiation sources by quenching electrons and initiating an ionic event independently of their relative energy contention. We anticipate our assay to be a starting point for more sophisticated photoelectrochemical applications. For example, the individual and combined action of multiple photovoltaic applications could be tested, including conducting polymers, for example poly- (phenylenevinylene) (PPV) derivatives or C60 particles. Furthermore, melanin’s energy conversion ability is a major target of solar energy conversion development, and an organic-semiconductor way for photoelectrochemical applications will be relevant for such developments.
Organic active materials electronic circuits, displays, and sensors will enable a future generation of electronic products that may eventually enter the mainstream electronic market."

Yes, they miss-spelled vegetable and the grammar is not perfect...but this paper is foreign--so I'm giving them a break on that one....

Besides solar, there could be some application for the HHO experiments...

Hi Hman
squid, your title says it all
Free Energy from Solar Circuit made with Human Hair

You have posted some research information, interesting as it is  it is not free energy ::)
and before you say give it time, yes  anything is possible in time.

anyway it is nice to be nice. here is a link you might enjoy
http://www.solvoltaics.com/Company/

cat

@cat--

Your right

Just a little tongue and cheek to keep it light (especially with the title).

I was really trying to get more info. than that original press release had...I agree, this topic (the title) is closed unless we hear something new....I was thinking of sending a note to the photographer to get more info but have such a hard time believing this device at this point, like you, I want to move on to other topics and not waist more time.

Although @wiley deserves the credit for the interesting research...

Free Energy Device from Solar Hair? - NO

Melanin interesting stuff? - Yes

Melanin old news? - Yeah but some new interesting research too

Applicable? - Maybe to someone...I certainly have 100 things prioritized before I would start harvesting squid for a deep dive on Melanin--I just thought someone might find some of it useful.

Guess @wiley summed it up best as "more reading here if you get bored"...downplayed just enough to set my expectations way low which made me pleasantly surprised and maybe a bit over zealous in my response.

Good link on nanowires...I have been watching the inexpensive flexible thin plastic panels such as Heeger's http://www.konarka.com/index.php/technology/our-technology/ which are going into products now or the 25 amp claims of http://www.nanosolar.com/technology.

I guess most people are confused by the released pictures of the board and
its connections and thinking the hair is between these connection points as these
small wires...

I guess these people missed the whole point and surely don´t have any knowledge how
a chemical solar cell works.

Surely the black hair is inside  this board inside some kind of electrolyte solution
to extract the electrons simular to a Graetzel cell and you can still see the single
cells being about a few cm^2 big.

The brass contacts are just the way to get a contact point to the electrolyte
around the hair and the brass points are just wired together outside of the board via
small silver or copper wires....

So the hair is in the whole board you see as it is black !
The other contact point is probably from the other side.

I guess the hair is somehow glued chemically to a metal plate or graphite paper
on one side to make one contact point
and on the other side the electrolyte takes off the generated electrons and
the brass contacts pull it away from the electrolyte.

So if the Melanin really can extract electrons from the sun, this really would
be a cheap to produce solar cells.

Now the question still is, how the hair is prepaired and what electrolyte is being used.

I hope this inventor will join over here and post the recipe for it,
so we can free us from the big corperations, that sell the cheap
solar cells only to the military or for government purposes...

Hman thank you posting the thread
we do need to investigate all the possibilities that could lead us to create free energy / OU

The solar panel revolution has truly begun
prices are  forecast to fall by the year end, if you look carefully on eBay there are already some good deals to be had. I got a 220 W solar panel of £460,
with all the new technology coming online it will only get cheaper

BTW your second link was not working here is a repost, great video showing the production
http://www.nanosolar.com/technology

cat  ;)
Stefan I do hope they join, I must say you are doing a good job of getting inventors on this forum

I have added some explanations to the picture of the cell:

Here are the interesting parts of the posted PDF file:

We proceeded to test the photo electrochemical properties of melanin by
manufacturing a prototype cell (figure 2). We started with a very simple cell were
the electrolyte was a 1.3% solution of melanin in distilled water, cooper and
aluminum electrodes 2.5 cm apart, cooper wires (covered with silicon) where
attach to the electrodes by glued them down, we noticed that any kind of
welding affected the melanin’s behavior. The cell started to give up electricity
just a few minutes after being ensemble.

The output was similar to that of dye-sensitized solar cells, the output was
remarkably stable even under light soaking for more than 10,000 h. see figure 3.
We believe that developing these prototypes could have a significant impact on
the alternative energy sources research.

OK...

I just needed a little push and @harti gave it to me...

Let me see if I can reach out to the reporter to get more info and maybe the inventor to join and explain a bit more.  Sounds like a good weekend task (other than the other one we are all working on---to save the world with a free energy device ;D)

Yes, please try to find the email address of the inventor and invite him
please to over here.
Many thanks for your help.

Regards, Stefan.

OK I have made initial contact...Just taking a little more time than I initially thought.  I'll have an update shortly, please check back in a day or so.  With his permission, I will hopefully have more information to report and get him to join the discussion.


Thanks

http://www.disclose.tv/viewvideo/29990/Dr__Steven_Greer_The_Promise_of_New_Energy/

Are there any alternative designs based on the same principles?

Any news from the inventors ?
Did you get in contact with them ?

Do they want to join over here ?

Many thanks in advance.

Regards, Stefan.

It took some time for him to respond at first, so I am not sure if he has ready access to a computer/internet.  He seemed willing to share his research but I have not received any technical details to date.  I will follow up today.

HI:

See if it helps. ( attachment ).

The melamine is found on the squid ink too. Seems to be the easiest way to get melamine for experimenting.

http://www.muyinteresante.es/index.php/naturaleza/71/6689-icomo-fabrica-la-tinta-el-calamar

They have decided to patent this device.  Even though he doesn't want to share everything about his device, he does want to verify that it works.  Not too efficient as the 18W is produced with a  9x9ft panel of hair.   The hair is really just a porous material that holds a salt solution which is conducting between the 2 terminals (+,-).  You might first think it behaves very much like a battery but what makes it interesting is that it generates power when light hits the anode.

The cathode is glass with silicon dioxide and the anode is an oxidized copper piece.  The soaked hair is stretched between the 2 ends and secured in place.  The solution is composed of organic salts.  A thin layer of graphite covers the cathode and the copper end is left exposed as the solar receiver.  Once in place, the hair receives a few drops of iodine to further the electrolyte properties.

Light hits the oxidized copper end and knocks electrons down the hair into the cathode.  The hair is not used as the solar cell but is acting as some sort of conductor or semi.  The hair has to be kept moist for the device to conduct power.  A few of these "cells" are wired in series to get the voltage adjusted and used to charge up 12 AA batteries.

When the hair is pre-soaked in organic salts, the electrons flow through the hair assisted by the conductivity of the salts. There may be much better materials to use than hair but he did confirm that black hair was the best promoter of electrons and better than the other hair colors which might indicate some sort of additional benefit from the pigment.  If the melanin helps, it's with the fine tuning as it's really the salts that make the hair work in the design.

Bottom line: Made with human hair but not an essential ingredient.  The activity comes from the special treatment of the copper anode (oxidized) along with salt solution.  Reminds me of the solar nano-copper technology mentioned earlier in this thread.

additional info:

http://www.gizmag.com/human-hair-solar-cell/13080/

Too bad, just seems only to be a low efficiency copperoxid cell with a special wet hair electrolyte as the diaphragma. Probably instead of the hair you could also use cotton or a paper towel soaked in iodid solution...

Quote from: hartiberlin on October 21, 2009, 08:53:19 AM
Too bad, just seems only to be a low efficiency copperoxid cell with a special wet hair electrolyte as the diaphragma. Probably instead of the hair you could also use cotton or a paper towel soaked in iodid solution...

Not so. Hman said above that 18W is produced. A typical 4"x4" copper oxide cell produces around 10 microwatts. To produde 18 watts you'd need 1,800,000 of those 4"x4" cells.
-Steve
http://rimstar.org   http://wsminfo.org

I have now summarize the invention in both English and Chinese. See the following:

FLEET
FOREVER LEADOUT ELECTROMAGNETIC ENERGY TRANSFORMER

FLEET is basically a pulsed DC transformer with embedded magnets. The operating principle is as follow:

When we put a pulsed DC current to the primary coil of the transformer, it will create a changing magnetic flux in the core. This will be picked up by the secondary coil of the transformer. If we put a magnet in the transformer, the magnetic path will be affected. In one direction of the current, the magnetic flux would be opposed by that from the magnet. In the other direction, it will be enhanced by the magnet. According to the lead- out energy theory, electron motion energy from the surrounding will go into the system. Our task is to determine whether this phenomenon is true. If true, what is the best combination of current, the magnet, coils, core material, frequency etc. If the COP( output over input were greater than one, can we design loop back mechanism to constantly lead out and use this extra energy.

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