Water battery with similar metals?

[ibpointless2]

I believe what is happening is the same as what happens in a normal lead-acid battery.

In the simple lead-acid battery, alternating plates of mostly lead (all the same metal) are exposed to electrical current. This oxidizes half the plates and changes their surfaces into lead oxide. This creates the potential difference between the now positive and negatively charged plates. The electrolyte charges of the sulfuric acid then begin to flow through the plates and create voltage.

The same is happening in your cell. Copper naturally oxidizes in water. This small oxidation creates a potential difference as a small amount of the copper surface becomes copper oxide. This is where your charge is coming from. If you have no other electrolyte than water, you are getting the charge from small water self-ionization, and the electrons that are flowing between the copper and copper-oxide wires to balance their potential.

Do you notice any greenish hue on either of the wires. My guess is that as time goes on you will notice this oxidation. Just like the copper surface of the Statue of Liberty has turned green from oxidation.

If you actually try to “charge” your cell with a battery, you should see one electrode oxidize and change color. I think this would then “kill” your cell. The copper-oxide coating acts as a protective coating in the case of the Statue of Liberty. Once one wire’s surface is completely oxidized, the reaction should basically stop.

Good luck with your experiments.

RR2

What if you're not using copper but instead your using neo magnets?

[ResinRat2]

What if you're not using copper but instead your using neo magnets?

The metal on the magnet's surface in contact with the water would then be the metal being oxidized.

[lasersaber]

"The metal on the magnet's surface in contact with the water would then be the metal being oxidized."

This is why my latest NS coils are made with enamel covered copper wire and run dry with no electrolyte.  I am tired of trying to guess how much of the NS coil effect is galvanic vs non-galvanic.  I am now doing tests to see how fast they charge capacitors and how well they work when in a Faraday cage.  So far I have just been testing them inside an aluminum foil covered container.  Does anybody know if this makes a good enough Faraday cage for testing?  I am pleased with my results so far and I do plan on fully documenting the coils on video after I do more testing.

[ResinRat2]

Hello Lasersaber,

Now that experiment sounds interesting. Is your foil container grounded? If so, that's great. You eliminate both the galvanic variable and the RF variable as well.

May I ask...Did you just paint the wires with clearcoat?

Thanks for sharing your efforts,

RR2

[lasersaber]

Is your foil container grounded?

Yes, I have tested it both grounded and ungrounded.  It made no difference in the test results.

May I ask...Did you just paint the wires with clearcoat?

I used regular enamel magnet wire for the copper wire.  I used uninsulated steel wire for the other wire.  I was careful not to scratch the enamel in the winding process.  I also made three coils to test in case one had a defect in some way.  I also saturated one of them with silicone spray lubrication that is specifically designed to "waterproof, rustproof and lubricate.  The oil coated one works just the same as the others.