Bedini Earth Light

[CrystalDipoleMatrix]

Silicate pellets ??

No, I don't use and recommand to use that unless you do well in chemistery. You need to buy a 40% solution of sodium silicate. It's in the most common form available on the internet.

[NickZ]

My carbon/aluminum 3/4" by 3" cells this morning are up to 75mAs, and not down, but up instead, so something is working. This is the highest reading I've gotten from my cells up to now.
I like the Silica, as it does seam to work well with the aluminum as well as the carbon and table salt mix. I see no oxidation on the aluminum yet, although that does not mean that it's not happening inside the aluminum cell housings.
I've also been trying some stainless steel rod as my positive rail, instead of the carbon rods that I normally use. Although it puts out a bit less output, there is NO oxidation on it, and does not seam affected by the salt, yet, either.
Although my father was a chemical engineer I'm more apt for organics. But, like he said, there are no real organics, as it's all just about chemicals.
Thought that I like electronics, but, well I guess it's time to learn chemistry as well.

[Allwest]

I'll look for the Borax, but I doubt that I'll find it in the super markets in Costa Rica. Thanks for the suggestion, I'll try it, if can find it.
The table salt does seam to eventually build up an oxide layer on the aluminum though. But the metals needs to be thick enough to handle it.

A proper de-polarizer that will not consume the electrodes is also important, as no matter what I do, the leds are always a bit dimmer in the morning after running on the cells all night. So, I let them rest during the day so they can recuperate somewhat, and let the hydrogen gas vent.

I'm still planning on trying the MnO2 out of D cell batteries, in my next electrolyte mix, like John had mentioned.

I am using charcoal from water filter elements now, which I pulverize, or cut with a hack saw to the shape that I need. The secret to using carbon is that it needs to be wet, once it first soaks in water overnight, it will work very well. It is cheap to use, as many cells can be made from a single water filter element.
I'll try to find some magnesium, possibly out of the water heaters, so that I can keep up with the rest of the guys, and their One Amp cells.


NickZ

Hi Nick,

Who has a 1 amp cell? The best I made was a half an amp cell that lasted for about 2 days

[Allwest]

I am having fun with my chili powder cell, I added some Dry Out product (Calcium chloride) It behaves as a typical ionic halide, and makes the amps go up, the voltage stays the same

The dry out product also absorbs moisture from the air and I never need to add water

The Chili cell gets about 1.45 volts and holds amps around 45Ma, has LED on for about 1.5 weeks

1.Copper
2.chili powder
3.Calcium chloride
4.Magnesium

Note: on a newer cell I added more Calcium chloride and have had the amps up to 175 Ma, holding 125Ma


Another very strange cell-Sodium silicate mixed with sand,
Copper
Mix
Mag

Very low voltage and amps, but when I heat it, the volts go pos and neg, BIG TIME, the amps go up and stay up while the voltage goes neg and pos

Any ideas?

[CrystalDipoleMatrix]

John C.Bedini

@ Allwest: John and chuck : Crystal battery flooded - YouTube

By the way, good work Allwest it's very appreciated!!! The calcium chloride is a very good ion exchanger. Maybe you found an another piece in this puzzle.

[NickZ]

Thanks for uploading that link to John and Chucks One amp cell. I could not find it, after I had first viewed it a while back. Maybe that cell is one of the reasons that they have not mentioned anything else about it, or anything else lately. One amp? Maybe they're working on the 5 amp one, now, huh John?

I tried the Chili powder that is used on pizzas, but I didn't add the cheese, maybe that's why it didn't work for me. I'll try it again, but what is the calcium chloride, Dry Out product?

[CrystalDipoleMatrix]

Calcium carbonate

@All: I watched past videos from Chuck h. and he was getting very good results using calcium carbonate in his mix. It's very easy to get. Egg shells are made of 98% calcium carbonate. Worth a try!!

[b_rads]

For NickZ

@NickZ
I have posted a video for you. This is a slight variation of some of the cells you have been building. This is the textbook Aluminum/Air battery. Simply stated, this is a redox battery. Very similar to a fuel cell where the requirements are “Fuel”, “Electrolyte”, and “Oxidant”. This battery does require water. The chemistry is very simple and suggests when water is required to get current, then the possibility that some reaction is occurring that this group is seeking to avoid. While I know Nick that this is not everlasting high current cell you are looking for, it well could get you through a dark night without grid power. I hope you enjoy this video NickZ.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8Q_yIhiKboE

Brad S

[NickZ]

Brad: Wow, 100 plus mAs. That's great, and higher than the 75 mA that I got from a single cell yesterday.
I haven't had that much luck placing the cells is parallel, as each cell that I add only adds a little more power. But that is how I connect them any way, in parallel. I only get 0.6- 0.8 volts from each cell, but it is the mA that are important, not the voltage.
SeaMonkey has also suggested that I try other electrolytes like ammonium sulfate, or ammonium chloride (sal ammoniac), or even ammonium nitrate in my mix. So, there's plenty of things to tests.
Good thing I got some time on my hands...as I'm retired (not by choice).

You might want to try a solid thick aluminum sheet in the CD covers, instead of the Al paper, as the electrolytes are going to have a party at the expense of the aluminum paper. I find that adding silica does help to control the oxidation of the aluminum, and adding carbon rods or carbon plates, work better than copper And adding pressure to the cells is very very important also. Especially to carbon cells.
I think that what John said about the oxide layer (of about 1 to 3 %) is normal and desirable. As that is what is protecting things. But the metals have to be thick enough to handle that.

I am having good luck with the activated carbon from water filter elements, as the aquarium charcoal that I can find here is not like what you are using there.
I wish that I could get the Mg as well, but aluminum is cheap and obtainable, even free most of the time. But finding the right aluminum is not that easy, as they don't all work the same, at all.

Brad, thanks for sharing, 100+ mAs is very good. Now you're going to need a new amp meter, that will handle the higher outputs.

NickZ

[b_rads]

Glad you enjoyed NickZ

I thought you might enjoy this. This was some testing I did a while back as a precursor to working on fuel cells. I still enjoy making these cells as they are very simple and as you said, the materials are not costly. Remember the fuel cell requires fuel, electrolyte, and an oxidant. You can use different metals as the electrodes for the voltage potential as long as you coat them with a conductive protective covering. @Allwest found the conductive grease to be good and there are other things as well such as acrylic binder, etc,. Conduct the party between the electrodes and simply replace the bath - simple household chemicals can do the trick. Anyway, I have bored the group long enough with this. When I can determine my waste bath is nontoxic, I will post results in a different thread.
Happy Experimenting

Brad S

PS - I hope you are enjoying retirement, in a year from now I will be in the same situation having completed 30 years service.

[Allwest]

@ Allwest: John and chuck : Crystal battery flooded - YouTube

By the way, good work Allwest it's very appreciated!!! The calcium chloride is a very good ion exchanger. Maybe you found an another piece in this puzzle.

Thanks CrystalDipoleMatrix for finding the 1 amp cell

And your welcome

Have we had any update on the cell output after 30 min?

[Allwest]

Thanks for uploading that link to John and Chucks One amp cell. I could not find it, after I had first viewed it a while back. Maybe that cell is one of the reasons that they have not mentioned anything else about it, or anything else lately. One amp? Maybe they're working on the 5 amp one, now, huh John?

I tried the Chili powder that is used on pizzas, but I didn't add the cheese, maybe that's why it didn't work for me. I'll try it again, but what is the calcium chloride, Dry Out product?

Here you go Nick
Dry Out® Dehumidifier in Charlotte | Charlotte Observer

Also, another thing on this product, if you get it wet (note: this product, if you leave it out over night unsealed, you will have a puddle of water)

Also, if you coat your mag with this, the mag stays sparkling clean even on Alum ......So far

Good luck

[NickZ]

Allwest:
Can you try the calcium chloride on aluminum to see if it also stays shiny.
I've been having some luck with using the silica pellets, and making a solution of water and pellets, and watering my cells with it. It seams to be protecting the aluminum, so far, and combines and works well with the table salt, also.
It was good to see Brad's video of the Al/Cu cells running on table salt and vinegar. I'm going to try that sometime... just to see if I can get over the 100mA mark.

[NickZ]

Allwest:
I found some pellets in a little bag that was in my camera case, it's so old that I don't know what it is. But it looks like it could be the calcium chloride pellets that you are talking about, to keep things dry. So I'll make a solution of them in water, and also add them to in my wet carbon electrolyte mix, to try on the aluminum carbon cells.
Thanks for posting the info on calcium chloride pellets. I'm sure they'll come in handy.

[NickZ]

OK, now I'm confused. I don't know what I'm using. If it's the sodium silicate pellets, or the calcium chloride pellets. As it seams that both are used for the same purpose. So, if somebody can clear this up, so that I can identify the unknown source of these little round pellets that I'm using, please do so.
BTW: Whatever they are, it is working very well to control oxidation.

Silica gel - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

What I have been using looks like this picture of the Silicate Gel:
Desiccant - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia