firestarter Copper Battery

This was inspired by lasersaber's carbon, magnesium stick batteries and lidmotor's carbon magnesium barber pole batteries.
I reversed the order and have the negative anode material on the interior. It is very simple and runs a joule thief with a red led on the secondary. I was hoping it might run a white one, but it is pretty small. The firestarter is about 3 inches and I am limited with one layer of copper. I could wrap some more cotton around this copper and add more copper, which I will try. In the plant battery trials I have observed that I can get a lot more output by adding only to the copper. That will be the next test.

Category:

Science & Technology

Tags:

• batteries
• earth battery
• plant battery
• magnesium copper battery
• joule thief
• joule thief with secondary

[jaesungauzakim]

joule thief in there right?

[jeannacav]

@jaesungauzakim

Yes.

That is important. It is a joule thief with a red led on the secondary and a 1F memory cap across the leads, which is important. It won't work without the cap.

[jdcmusicman]

nice work , I have built many of these type batteries ...I built 5 small ones once and they ran 19 leds for 5 days straight ...Had 1 that was 2" long and only 1/2" thick with a JT run a led for almost 2 weeks ..

[jeannacav]

@jdcmusicman

Was yours magnesium/copper?

19 leds is a lot, but only 5 days?

Yes, the joule thief with secondary is a big part of the success of this.

I think it is a winning combo.

Lidmotor has his running a reed switch motor and a joule thief... light and torque!

This is fun.

[jdcmusicman]

@jeannacav I have done all sorts of combos...Alum/copper , carbon/copper, SS/ alum .....I should have elaborated a bit on my 19 leds , the 5 days was when all the moisture was gone ..I would just rewet and they would light back up..They lasted a good while, If i remember I done that for a month or so.Last time they went out I still havent re-wet them ..But my brother in law has one he made with copper/zinc that has be going for 6 months non stop lighting 2 leds

[jeannacav]

@jdcmusicman wow. good for you and your brother-i-l.

I sure wasn't able to do this with those metals. I never really got an earth battery to work before I used the magnesium. Even if I got the volts up with 2 in series, the mAmps were so low, nothing ever happened.

[michalchik]

Measure the output of the battery without the joule theif and see the change of voltage over time with normal operation under load.The magnesium is probably oxidizing and creating a electrolyte decreasing the internal resistance of the battery.

[Lidmotor]

That works good! If you take a small piece of cotton cloth, drap it over the battery and leave one end in the water--- the battery will "drink" water out of the glass through capillary action. The battery should just run on and on and on and on. Just fill the glass up once in awhile.  Your battery should work in a plant really well also and last a long time. Well done!!!

[jeannacav]

@Pirate88179

HA! It is over the water because I ran out of space on my table. I soaked it then propped it onto the jar. Copper is bare.

I didn't try it without the cap, and I do not think it would work at all without it, but perhaps it would.

There is nothing too special about this battery except I am hoping that it will last for many years. In the plant battery the magnesium goes at a rate of 1.6 grams/ month So, at that rate the firestarter should last years.

[Pirate88179]

Jeanna:

Wow! That is really something. Is you Mg block over the water to absorb moisture from the air? Is your wire (copper) bare or is it mag wire with the poly insulation?

Very well done. PS I think the delay in the light being on continuously was due to your memory cap. It probably took a little while to fill the cap and now your spikes come back as usable power for the led. I do not know this for sure but, I believe this is what might be happening.

Bill