OU/COP>1 switched cap PS cct like Tesla's 'charge siphoning'

[tak22]

@All

Came across this article titled Mysterious Self Charging by Peter Lay in the Jul-Aug issue of Elector mag.

Here we take a light-hearted, exploring yet purposely unscientific look at one of the
fundamental effects of physics, namely contact voltage. When two dissimilar
materials come into contact an exchange of (negatively charged) electrons occurs
so that the donor material losing electrons takes on a net positive charge while the
material receiving electrons takes on a negative charge, the overall effect giving rise to
a contact potential. This effect occurs to a greater of lesser extent in all materials, the
most common examples are the production of static electricity produced by rubbing
two different materials together and also the thermo-voltaic effect. So much for
the theory, now to practice...

To take what at first sight may seem like a mistaken example of this phenomenon
we will need a discharged capacitor and a DVM (digital voltmeter) with a high input
impedance. Connect the capacitor terminals to the DVM and short together the
capacitor terminals using a length of wire and two crocodile clips. If all is in order the
DVM display will read 0 (zero) volts. Now remove the short circuit and closely watch
the DVM display as the voltage, microvolt by microvolt slowly rises. The capacitor is
gaining charge from somewhere…

This effect is the result of the contact voltage (see diagram). In the capacitor there
are two boundaries: (1) the metal electrode and the dielectric and (2) the dielectric and
second electrode. At both boundaries free electrons pass from one material to the
other. The two contact voltage sources are connected back to back in series which
should cancel out the contact potential. So much for theory, in practice the boundary
structure is not entirely homogeneous so that tiny potential differences are present.
This produces the small potential difference that we can measure at the terminals.

Aluminium electrolytic capacitors are a little more complex; one terminal is connected
to aluminium foil which has an insulating oxide layer; next comes a layer of liquid
electrolyte and finally another aluminium foil connected to the other terminal.
This structure gives rise to three potential boundaries. In addition, when the capacitor
is charged, free electrons from the terminal electrode store energy by producing electrochemical
reactions within the electrolyte (a process known as dielectric absorption
or ‘soakage’). These effects are more pronounced in electrolytics compared to
other types of capacitor.

Experimental results indicate that the measured voltage is higher with larger
value capacitors. It has also been shown that the voltage exhibits a temperature
coefficient; the higher the temperature, the greater the measured voltage.

To explore this characteristic further, a capacitor was carefully heated in a controlled
manner. It is important not to use a naked flame or microwave oven; not just
to prevent the possible melting or combustion of the external plastic casing, but
more importantly to guard against the possible production and release of poisonous
fumes. Once an electrolytic capacitor has been heated up in this way it will
be irreversibly damaged so that it will no longer be suitable for use in a circuit. Having
said that, sometimes it’s necessary to sacrifice a few capacitors for the sake of
experimentation.

Measurement with a DVM (Ri = 1 Mohm) of a radially leaded electrolytic capacitor with a
rated capacitance of 100 uF gave a terminal voltage of 5 mV at 20 ?C. At a temperature
of 120 ?C the potential had risen to 230 mV and the short circuit current was 0.5uA.
More precise measurements of the capacitor indicated that the voltage source had a
source impedance of 852 kohm and a source voltage of 426 mV. As a first approximation
we can say that the correspondence between the terminal voltage and temperature
is approximately linear. Using the measurements from the example above we
therefore get a temperature coefficient of 2.25 mV/K.

Tests with other capacitors have produced a no-load terminal voltage of over 0.9 V.
Several capacitors could be connected in series, not as a potential power source but
as a sensor.

Two final notes:
1. The term ‘no-load voltage’ ignores the 1 Mohm input impedance of the voltmeter,
which in series with the 852 kohm source impedance loads the measured potential.

2. All of the measurements were made using discharged capacitors with no external
voltage source.

tak

[nul-points]

@ND (NrgDrummer)
yes, GH is a seriously cool dude - he can switch between regular electronic circuit design and communicating with life-forms on Mars using his Gravitational Anomaly sensor - i've enjoyed reading through his development & assessment of the MRA & Gravity detectors

i suspect that one day i will morph into him!

@tak22
thanks for the share of the Elektor article - an interesting take on a 'well-known effect'


if the results given in this article are correct then it certainly looks like there is a temperature-dependent voltage-generation function which can exist in some capacitors

however, there are some aspects of the article which don't seem to be consistent with some of the evidence:

1) there seems to be some confusion in the article between thermovoltaic behaviour at the boundary between two metals and electrostatic behaviour at the boundary between an insulator (dielectric) and a conductor - or another insulator

2) the measured impedance of the proposed 'voltage source' in the article is given as nearly 1 megohm - it can only produce pico- or microWatts of power


i've found some text-book info which seems relevant:

Below a certain temperature it is found that some materials spontaneously acquire an electric dipole moment....

The transition to the ferroelectric state is a cooperative phenomenon which is accompanied by specific heat anomaly and it appears that at the transition temperature the crystal lattice spontaneously distorts to a more complicated structure which possesses a permanent electric dipole moment.

There are three main types of crystal structure which exhibit ferroelectricity:

1) Rochelle salt structure...
2) the perovskite group...mainly titanates & niobates..of which Barium Titanate ...has been the most extensively studied...and
3) the dihydrogen phosphates...

In ferroelectric materials the electric flux density D is not determined uniquely by the applied field but depends upon the previous history of the material

the charge of a condenser is increased the same number of times when a ferroelectric is used instead of air


if the Elektor article is correct then the usual capacitor model needs to be revised to add a parallel branch across the terminals which act as a temperature-dependent voltage source with its own high-impedance 'equivalent series resistor'

if, however, this is an effect which is polarising the lattice-structure of the dielectric itself, then it is truly causing energy to be stored within the capacitor as effectively as if it had been applied externally - a kind of 'variable-electret'


additional load measurements will show which of these effects are most likely to be occurring in this switched-cap experiment

all the best
sandy
Doc Ringwood's Free Energy site  http://ringcomps.co.uk/doc

[allcanadian]

@nul-points

however, there are some aspects of the article which don't seem to be consistent with some of the evidence:
1) there seems to be some confusion in the article between thermovoltaic behaviour at the boundary between two metals and electrostatic behaviour at the boundary between an insulator (dielectric) and a conductor - or another insulator

I think one thing that should be considered is the fact that heat is not "something" it is a condition placed upon "something". In this case thermovoltaic behaviour can be considered as electrostatic in nature thus is an electrostatic behaviour as most everything is on the fundamental level. The question I would ask is why does an increase in energy(heat) produce a larger voltage across the conductors of a capacitor when the capacitor is considered neutral or discharged. I think the answer should be obvious---- the capacitor has two conductors seperated by a space or dielectric thus any energy at a wavelength corresponding to the capacitor conductor spacing will induce a potential difference in the conductors and excitation through heating would amplify this process. But this would mean one would have to believe that all space contains energy as a full spektrum of wavelengths and that this energy could be manifested in a circuit through some process

[NerzhDishual]

Hello Everybody,

.....................;
But this would mean one would have to believe that all space contains energy as a
full spektrum of wavelengths and that this energy could be manifested in a circuit
through some process

Yes, but Space is Empty ore more precisely "Full of Void". Is it not ?
Or I'm I missing something     

----------------------------------------

I have an old DOS laptop computer with an RS232 interface. I also have a digital
multi meter with this same RS232 interface.
In my "things to be done before I die list" I'm planing to wire this 2 apparatus
and to record, saying every minute, the voltage of one huge (shorted with an 1 Meg resistor)
cap into the computer.

During eclipses we should see interesting voltage variations not depending upon the
temperature. Yes, eclipses are not so frequent. The next one (Total Solar) is
forecasted for 1 August 2008.

For the moment, this very digital multi meter is dozing (and depleting his bat.) in
some cupboard not far from some one farad caps.

I'm just wondering wether I should not consult any Doctor for "immoderate
casualness/nonchalance"? Perhaps, Doctor Ringwood is the very one (would he had
not yet perpetrated any morphing)?

Do you home consult, Dr Ringwood? Brittany is not so far from west of England.

Best

[allcanadian]

@NerzhDishual

Yes, but Space is Empty ore more precisely "Full of Void". Is it not ?
Or I'm I missing something

Lets consider the space in our solar system Our sun radiates light, alpha,beta,gamma radiation it radiates microwaves and ultraviolet light as well as infrared and everything inbetween and probably walengths we have yet to measure. Some of these radiations pass right through our planet while some are absorbed, some are absorbed and re-radiated at different frequencies. This is only "our" sun, the fact that you can see a night sky full of stars(other suns) should tell you each one of them is filling all the space inbetween you and it with an infinite range of wavelengths of radiations, as the energy is radiated away from a point in space. So what we consider "empty" space can be no such thing----it is full of energy(radiations) as energy is conserved ie..it cannot be created or destroyed. As well if this energy is moving from place to place then it is kinetic in nature, and the fact that you cannot see this energy does not mean it is not there, it can be measured. I think the most confusion revolves around Matter and energy, matter has energy intrinsic in its components but so must space as it carries energy from place to place otherwise you would never "see" our sun nor the stars, our planet would be cold and dark. As well to imply space is "full of void or nothing" is to say it has no energy, if this is the case then space would be a energy sink of infinite proportions. Motion is based on a potential difference so basically "empty" space would tear all matter apart at the speed of light if this were the case. Thankfully our universe is about balance, energy moves and is moved always seeking balance, all space whether matter is present or not contains energy seeking balance.