1511 The Rectenna - A Different Way Of Making A DIY Solar Cell
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- Опубліковано 14 кві 2022
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Mate..., it's vids like these where you just crush it! I am amazed at how much interesting info you can expose me to in less time than it takes to drink my coffee, that's 1 hell of a brain you've got there mate and I appreciate it very much.
wow - cheers mate - that's well appreciated
I agree!
Well put and very true!
I agree, great videos packed full of easy to understand knowledge. TY Rob.
The world needs more teachers like you.
One of the problems with these *Optical Rectennas* is the _forward voltage drop_ of the diodes, which is a particular problem when they are illuminated with non-coherent light (light other than laser light). One way to boost the conversion efficiency is to feed some of the generated power back in, as a bias voltage, to just a bit below the forward conduction voltage of the diodes. This allows the diodes to start conducting with weaker signals (lower voltages) from the antennas. Antenna output voltages much lower than the theoretical energy of the photons is _guaranteed to happen much of the time,_ since the photons of incoherent light have random phases, and except in the dimmest light intensity, the close arrival of more than one photon per instant is very common. The forward bias voltage allows weak signals to push through the forward voltage drop and contribute to output current, when they would otherwise fail to contribute to anything but waste heat.
Optics was one of my weaker subjects but as i remember we were taught that sun light is actually comparable to laser light in that the beams are pretty much parallel to one another because of the huge distance they are emitted from. Is that a thing in your opinion?
@@hansmuller1625 - "Fairly parallel" is a nearly meaningless phrase, like "a little bit pregnant". As seen from Earth, the Sun is about half a degree wide, which means the solar rays have half a degree of divergence... AT EARTH. Closer to Old Sol, there is more divergence, and far from him there is less, just like with any light source. But even half a degree of divergence is way more than a collimated laser beam. This divergence is related to a concept called "etendue" and it imposes strict limits on the ability of optical systems to concentrate the light from the Sun, or any light source. In that way, etendue is a bit like Entropy... you can easily increase it, but it is considered impossible to decrease it. There may be exceptions in special cases, outside of Classical Physics. BTW, there is a non-Classical branch of Optics called *non-imaging optics* which has slightly different rules, and by combining regular light concentrators like parabolic mirrors with a special non-imaging *light funnel,* it IS possible to exceed the classical limit imposed by the etendue of sunlight, as was proven decades ago and reported in the prestigious journal *Nature* in a letter called "Sunlight Brighter Than The Sun". That letter is still available online. The authors included the main "grandfathers" of the field of non-imaging optics, and their work included *actually building and testing their **_hybrid optics device, which yielded light concentration about 20% brighter than found on the surface of the Sun!_*
How will the generated energy be fed back into the system ?
@@seloameEAlorvi The simplest answer is "You put the bias voltage in series with the rectenna." In practice that may require use of a DC-to-DC converter to precisely adjust the bias voltage, while also providing DC isolation between the two halves of the DC-to-DC converter. Also note that the input side of the DC-to-DC converter draws current from the series output of bias+rectenna, while the output of the DC-to-DC converter provides current at the lower voltage of the bias. I know this sounds odd, like a violation of a Conservation Law, but it is not, *so long as the rectenna (or other voltage source) is contributing more power to the circuit than is lost in the DC-to-DC converter.* Alternatively, and much simpler in concept, is to put some normal photovoltaics in series with the rectenna, or series string of rectennas, to provide the necessary _forward bias voltage._
@@YodaWhat this is absolutely fascinating, I could listen to or read up on this for hours.
I’d love to know more.
Do you think we’ll ever be able to harness this power? I mean it could upset the balance of whole economies couldn’t it? 🤷♂️
I know quite a bit of physics, but you help me to learn more. You’re so straightforward, much like James Burke.
As a classical educator, I've got to applaud your tracing of the development of humanity's understanding of the idea called "light" ... just wonderful work.
wow - thank you for taking the time to say that - all the best
Blimey that sounds revolutionary.
I agree
I know it's a lot of work but I'm sure all of us would really appreciate if you would add a link in the description when you refer to previous episodes. Your following is growing so much and you are producing so many top-quality videos that it is easy to miss one every now and then and not so easy to find them. With great success comes responsibility and difficulties but great work all the same.
that is a very good point mate - cheers
You have a fantastic presentation, in my opinion. It’s natural and is in a manner that mimics real life “training” on these topics. It’s not sterile like a classroom nor produced into oblivion. Please don’t let someone try to “improve” your videos. They are perfect in my eyes. Thank you so much for educating me 🙏
wow - thank you mate
Thanks for the video Rob. It just reminded that fractal geometry is used in designing some antennae (e.g. cell phones) to receive a wider range of frequencies.
I was thinking along the same lines mate - nice
Your the kind of person I want around in post apocalyptic society
Ibn al-Haytham basically figured out optics including refraction in 1000 AD. You can't forget him.
true enough - thank you for bringing that up mate
Great overview and explaination of how all these phenomena are related to each other! Now you got me interested in building a rectenna, damn it! LOL!
lol - damn my eyes lol
I don't catch all your vids. But, like this one in particuar, they never cease to amaze me. Especially when you pull the different advancements together to show the potential opportunities for home experimenters.
cheers mate
Potential endless energy source basically anywhere in this universe:
a. Small aluminum cones with an electrical wire running through the center of the cones, cones spaced apart (not touching I'm thinking) but end to end.
b. Electromagentic radiation energy in the atmosphere interacts with the aluminum cones.
c. Jostled atoms and molecules in the cone eventually have some electrons try to get away from other electrons of which those electrons gather at the larger end of the cone, of which also creates an area of positive charge at the smaller end of the cone.
d. The electron's in the wire are attracted to the positive end of the cone and the positive 'end' in the wire are attracted to the negatively charged end of the cone.
e. Basically a 'battery' has been created inside the electrical wire itself, different areas of electrical potential. Basically a 'wire battery' or a 'batteryless battery', however one wanted to call it.
f. Numerous cones placed end to end increases the number of 'batteries' in the wire.
(In series to increase voltage, in parallel to increase amperage).
* Via QED (Quantum Electro Dynamics) whereby electromagnetism interacts with electrons in atoms and molecules, one would have to find the correct 'em' frequency for the correct material being utilized for the cones. The shape of the cones could also come into play. The type and size of the wire as well as the type and thickness of the insulation between the cones and the wire would also be factors.
* Of course also, possibly 2D triangles made up of certain materials with a conductor going down through the center of the triangle could possible achieve the same 'batteryless' battery system.
* Plus possibly with the 2D concept, layered 2D's that absorb different energy frequencies, thereby increasing the net output.
thanks for the info mate
@@ThinkingandTinkering No problem. Just trying to figure out how to tap into the natural flowing energy of this universe.
The best explanation i fond is that light travels as a wave but dumps its energy as a point (photon).
You can find an old video of Richard Feynman giving a lecture on QED here on UA-cam, it's well worth a listen. Light is made of particles, like raindrops in a monsoon. But what is a particle? We use wave equations to describe them not because anything is waving, but because everything depends on phase. It's all about how the phases of every possible path line up with each other. Usually, the path that has the most constructive interference is the one that takes the least time.
cheers mate
awesome man ur freaking awesome thanks for your entertainment information inspiring videos never cease to amaze me
I appreciate that mate - cheers
Another 400 level college course for the average man and woman. If only TV could be this good.
wow - cheers mate
@@ThinkingandTinkering You earned the compliment sir.
I miss James Burk' "Connections" level of TV. Humor and education, though your stuff is more actionable, buildable.
What an incredible presentation, exceptionally clear and concise.
I love the history of things as you explain it very well. Thanks mate, keep them coming.
cheers mate
Heat sources give off waves as well. This is interesting
yes they do and it is being looked into
Absolutely loved this video Rob!
cheers mate
Can't recall a time when I've learned as much in 10 minutes as I did from this video.
wow - cheers mate
Thank you for your work!
cheers mate
That's a rather bold exertion !
Thank you! I'm a retired electronics tutor from Polytech. I like to keep up to date. You help alot. Erich from New Zealand
I have a very beautiful fiber optic blue argon laser so I have set up the double slit experiment many times to show people. And it never ceases to blow my mind.
Its a great day when you learn something, and I did just now!! Thanks very well explained.
Clif High sent me here.
Such a simple concept to understand. Thanks for explaining.
You always keep me learning
Thank you for your videos. Keep them coming. 👍
Awesome Robert. Thanks for sharing!!
VARY cool info. I always seem to learn something new in your video's.
Thank you!
My pleasure!
I appreciate that this shows the real diamond cubic crystal structure of silicon -- so many other videos just show it as a grid.
Absolutely facinating
Tinkering in the shed - my kind of show. Subscribed.
Nice one Robert, always thought it could be done, Tesla referenced it, I never pursued it, wanted to but never did👍
As always, thank you. great presantation👏
@Robert Murry-Smith you remind me of a lecturer at College 27 years ago, learnt a lot from you as well over several years.
thx well explained i never ever thought about that idea, like all good ideas it seems obvious now, i look forward to seeing if that research progresses.
Wow this is truly impressive!!! ☀️
I agree mate - it's really interesting
this is simply fascinating
I thought so too!
Thanks for sharing this new technology
This is the same stuff that Tessa is trying to do with his free energy device. They called it a radiant energy harvest or/device. Thanks Murray!
Stellar! Thank you!
That's a great review, thanks!
glad you like dit mate - interesting experiments just leap to mind don't they!
Great insights as always
Tks Rob cheers
thank you mate
Thanks man! Very enthusiastic about this as well
it's a real breakthrough mate
Hi guys! It's just like it was said earlier, you guys crushed it in this one. I'm having a hard time figuring out whether there was 6 commercials during this video due to the strikes being removed OR was it just the quality of the content?? Hope you both are having a stellar day, much love
This is awesome!
3:37 Amazing photo!
The rectenna is amazing 🤩
Very informative. respect the history lesson too. I recognized one of the diagrams as being from Tesla. He did have a gift. Cheers. DVD:)
cheers mate
now that sounds so cool
I agree mate
this is the it will be done one day thanks rob
Awesome! 👏
Thanks! 😄
I am excited for what solar cells will come from this direction 🤓
me too
Fascinating! As this system appears to be so efficient, can they be used for light detection, and for specific wavelengths, even better can the system then be rapidly modulated to tune for specific wavelengths at different frequencies. This would be very useful for microscopes, spectrometers, flow cytometers, sequencers ...where fluorescence detection at low emission intensities are limited and filters are used, or diode arrays where energy is lost through gratings and diodes. Also this may mean excitation intensities can also be decreased protecting tissues/objects exposed to intense excitation light.
I love the historical intro. I'm a lecturer in biology and have fun doing this as well.
Brilliant thanks 😊 👍
You sir... are awesome!
Applied science recently made a video where they demonstrated the production of accurate and selectively sized silver nanoprisms with light. Those can be the two halves of your bowties, you just need to figure out how to grow the insulator on touching tips?
nice - I must watch that video
@@ThinkingandTinkering : Might be the sort of thing that calls for an electron microscope or the like to manipulate the parts at some point.
If so, then that would certainly be an excuse for a video or three. Just in case it's useful, I've read that some ordinary engine spark plugs (you need the ones that are solid all the way through, so just knowing the size isn't enough) can be used to pass electricity into & out of the chamber without more specialized fittings.
@@absalomdraconis Use self assembly techniques to deposit the particles where you want them such as DNA origami then you wash away the organics, probably on a doped 2d material substrate. That should be a fair bit quicker than the microscope.
Has anyone used fractal antennas? If designed right it should pick up a wider spectrum then how tie.
Has anyone tried fractal and magnets?
Thank you for doing the hard work research work on the many projects you give us
it's well worth a look on google scholar mate - some very interesting experiments going on
I bought some from Nathan Cohen who invented them. The real problem with them was getting the response smooth over frequency, back when he was using 386's to design them. Gain and efficiency could suffer; but they can be more compact than others. I've built some sierpinski antennas and they worked OK. You can call a log periodic a fractal, but they are too big to be true fractals.
Magnets have non-moving fields so not much use in an antenna.
You crushed it!!!!!
Would you consider making a video making a rectenna with graphene and zinc?
it would still need an extremely high speed diode, I am wondering about the common Germanium diodes as they have been used for decades within high speed radio and radar communications.
will do mate
@@ThinkingandTinkering There are several monatomic layer materials available, and they have electronic applications... Even the materials that do not seem to be semiconductors can easily become semiconductors, sometimes just by slightly misaligning the layers.
Wow reminds me of the Crystal radio concept!
''If you wanna find secrets of the Universe, think in terms of Energy Frequency and Vibrations''- Nikola Tesla (1856-1943)
Very, very nice. Ionel Dinu's papers on this turned me onto this idea a few years ago. It is indeed exceptionally exciting. Even a "poor" rectenna has the potential of being equivalent to 2 or 3 times BETTER than any current widely used solar tech. Imagine too the potential to no longer have to "aim" solar panels at the sun. A rectenna removes a tremendous amount of complexity.
Why wouldn't you aim it at the sun? Photons per surface area still varies with the dot product of the surface normal to the direction to the sunlight. A surface that's facing 90 degrees from the inbound sunlight is going to be picking up virtually zero photons across that surface, while a surface that's facing 45 degrees off from the sunlight direction will pick up ~0.707 of the photons that it would if fit were facing directly at the sun.
@@CharlesVanNoland couple of things: first, photons are not and have not been proven to be real. The reason this is important is due to the very nature of this discussion- the concept of photons is a "packet of waves" and for some reason they are not believed to exist (in the same format) for radio (aether) waves below the visible light spectrum "region" in the (theoretically infinite) full spectrum. "Light waves" are at such a short wavelength and such a high frequency (as he noted in the video) that they are basically precluded from passing through roughly anything "substantial". (I would highly recommend reading Ionel Dinu's papers; especially regarding antennas.) The very concept of an antenna is that it is (as Rob put it) using the "wave property of light" (in reality ALL it ever was was waves and the problem has simply been the modeling that was used and screwed up over the past century+) and subsequently we must look at the sun as a huge transmitter antenna - since that's all that it really is. Therefore you can operate with omni-directional antennas and still achieve a remarkable amount of efficiency (review Rob's remarks on the efficiency of antenna based devices vs traditional panel devices that are so widely used right now). A yagi or other kind of antenna might be a little more efficient, but there is simply no need for all of the additional (expensive and create additional points of failure) apparati to track the sun throughout the day with this kind of device.
@@cryptonein This is for extracting energy from visible light from the sun, which is absorbed by opaque objects regardless of the wave like nature, otherwise everything would be transparent. You're using magical thinking. All opaque things vary in the amount of light they receive/reflect based on their surface normal to light direction vector, you can take that to the bank. If this operates magically as though transparent then it's not using light from the sun, or IR/UV - maybe deep infrared which does start passing through some opaque things a bit before it's just microwaves, and going off the other way past UV is x-rays. Is that what this is picking up, microwaves or x-rays from the sun? That's what it'd have to be if an omni antenna could be made to get energy from the sun.
@@CharlesVanNoland there is nothing magical whatsoever about my thinking. If you have a problem with this, then you simply have a problem with the concept of antennas and "electromagnetic radiation" aka "radio waves" aka "light" aka "radiant heat", etc. etc. Ultimately we can't have a productive conversation until at least we agree on this spectrum and you stop using such evidently biased and pre-established terms like "magical". Yours is a dismissive term and tone wherein you express how you're set in your ways and clearly want to be HEARD and to not have any intellectual intercourse.
@@cryptonein Let me know when people are generating electricity from panels that don't have to face the sun!
THANK YOU for the info.!!! 😘😜
Exciting times we live in.
Some people dream about living in ancient Rom but we, now, experience LHC, space based telescope, 100% efficient solar cells and computers etc.
People in 100 of years will envoy us and dream about to live exactly now.
I discovered this channel only recently. Absolutely fascinating! I have to get one question out of the way, before I get caught up in another video: What on earth are those "shutter" things over the two windows (?) behind you?
I think they are for hanging painted pieces of paper for robs batteries
@@johnmcfadden9336 That's what I've always thought too. To this day it's a mystery :)
lol - they are drying racks - John is right - they are for battery plates
spot on mate
lol - John is right mate
I like this guy. And I'm usually grumpy.
Most enjoyable. What would a ‘panel’ look like? Great work. Keep on tinkering you Tinker!
Alright I'm excited. Got to get a new lab space done though...
I watched the remainder of your video and I have to say that it's very exciting news I'm going to read up on this I might actually be able to get off my *** and do something here
When talking about the far infrared part of "sunlight" for solar energy harvesting, it's probably a good time to also explain that the vast majority of incoming solar energy is at FAR higher frequencies than a rectenna based approach can so far achieve. 24 THz is very longwave infrared radiation, deep in the long tail of the solar energy spectrum. So it will require much more surface area to collect similar amounts of energy as the PV panels everyone will be picturing for comparison. That's a pretty important detail to leave out!
I am sorry I missed out something you felt was important - but, I have 10 minutes to give an overview - things are always left out - what one person finds important another finds uninteresting - I am sorry but it's just the way it is, however, we have the comments section and you have added that now and I appreciate it - cheers
Nice one Rob.... Cat wait to rip meter out.... Free leccy here we go
Alhazen's most famous work is his seven-volume treatise on optics (), written from 1011 to 1021.
This is cool. I got that radio consisted of photons but didn't put it together the other way, that visible photons were also radio... Or at least radio-ish :)
The (long) dimension of a dipole rectenna needs to be rather less than one micron, and the width of it about one-tenth of the length or less. Given that a human hair is about 50 microns in diameter, this is going to present some challenges to the homebrewer without high-resolution lithographic equipment.
Incidentally, it was in the 1970s that antenna expert Hugh Wright at Plessey Research designed a sub-micron monopole antenna fabricated on a gallium arsenide diode and demonstrated that infra-red radiation could be detected by a classical antenna. I believe that the device was successfully fabricated by technician Bob Bennett using an early electron-beam lithography machine that he built himself. I had the pleasure of both knowing Hugh and working alongside Bob in the 1980s.
I love to mix technologies and experiment with improving quality by adding one to the other. As soon as I am mobile again. I have a few projects coming up. If I am still around or have not blown the power grid. Wish me luck. LOL 🤣 😆
Thank you for an inspirational video. It is thought that a coherer is a MIM diode and I have found it can have the bi-directional diode characteristic of a MIM. A coherer can respond to at least 40 GHz as demonstrated by Chandra Bose in about 1895. I find the best combinations are with Mercury, such as Copper-Mercury-Copper. Does not work with carbon which does form an oxide layer. Once the coherer is adjusted to operate on a radio signal i tried shining a light on it but no result, however this was not a serious test.
Perhaps one way to utilize existing diodes in the process of rectifying the fast moving light wave coming from the antenna is to exert a gravitational or magnetic pull on protonic wave pulses to slow them down similar to the effect of the gravitational pull near the position near the event horizon of a black hole... or using a vapor of a liquid like water to absorb some of the energy befor it reaches the diode.
I must have missed the episode about mim?- diodes , they are capable of 100% efficiency and can produce electricity from heat?
we made one in the copper/copper oxide/copper thermopile video video 1416 - ua-cam.com/video/6-egm7KIj4Y/v-deo.html
Thanks for the videos. I didn't know you knew so much. Can you do a video on John Searles levity disc?
It sounds like MIM diodes would also be much more recyclable/reusable than the current ones when disposing of them.
yep
Would the diode make the rectenna maximum energy recovery only 50% efficient (minus forward bias) because we are throwing out half of the energy due to a half wave rectifier?
This would be awesome.
Are there any Experiments that could be a proof of concept ?
lots and lots - go to google scholar and type rectenna solar - you will find hundreds of experiments
There were experiments with microwave rectennas done by NASA during some Space Shuttle missions. A microwave transmitter, fairly powerful, sent a narrow beam of microwaves to the earth's surface. I recall at least one part of it, because there was a "rectenna farm" located out on the Canadian prairies near Winnipeg, Manitoba (why they chose that site I've no idea). Anyhow, they played around with that a good deal, and toward the end they were getting rectenna efficiency up in the 70% range, and overall transmission efficiency somewhat less, but still surpriseingly good. I don't know if the rectenna is still in place, moldering away. I suspect not. But, that research should be available somewhere in NASA archives. I have a hunch that NSERC, Canada's National Research Council, had a finger in that experiment, which may account for the rectenna farm location. The hope was that one day, solar power satellites could transmit power in a focued beam of microwaves. From LEO, the distance was 100 miles or less. I believe some researchers from the radio-telescope research project run jointly by the University of Alberta engineering faculty and some researchers from UBC (working out of Kelowna, British Columbia if memory serves). They also had a linear radiotelescope microwave-band antenna in the foothills of the eastern slopes of the Rocky Mountains, near an area known as Seven Mile Flats. It wasn't much to look at, compared to the typical enormous dishes, but they did some useful work, and their experience with that probably had some contribution to the microwave power rectenna experiment. It's been rather a long time, and I don't have dates, unfortunately. Still, it is an idea worth following up, especially now with the new fast diodes. Many thanks Robert.
NASA was doing a little DIY project to get people interested in rectennas a couple of years ago, nothing fancy just a small antenna and some diodes and an LED. The military are still interested in being able to beam power to remote locations, the U.S. Navy lab was conducting experiments more recently. I wonder what would happen if you focused either a bunch of phased array antennas or lasers from low earth orbit satellites on one spot? You could power things like that - or cook them of course. One mans rectenna is another mans death ray.
You have done videos on how to do almost every process you would need to build this, except for nano lithography. I would love to see what you could come up with using some old microscopes and a projector. I could see you easily building an optical lithography set up to create these solar rectenna circuits.
Thanks for the info.. (inventor)
Great video and it might pick up inferred as well so will work at night 🤔🤔🤔
I would think so
Hi Rob. Is it possible for you to actually make a panel of say 50W, and give us the instructions on how to do it also? Great videos. Keep it going mate.
Did you also mean of a practical size and at a reasonable cost? Perhaps it is time to become up to date about photovoltaic technology. That may be immensely more helpful
To help clarify the property of light: Quantum Mechanics tells us a photon is a quantum particle that exists only as a wave function (a mathematical probability) until it is observed. So light acts as a probabilistic wave. This explains how a photon can seem to be both a particle and a wave. It is the act of observation or measurement that causes the wave function to collapse into what we consider an actual photon. As for the Rectenna, it sounds interesting. If it's easy enough to make with modern technology they should become widely available soon. I look forward to it.
Apart from it sounding like a horrific instrument you'd fear your Proctologist asking his ass-istant(sic) for during an exam ... :D I can't wait to see the video of you knocking up one up for experimentation/educational purposes. As always ... living my long lost tinkering side vicariously thought your videos.
lol yeah it does sound amazingly like that - scientist sometime lack a little when it comes to naming thing lol and I am definitely going to 'knock one up' so to speak lol
Here's are some questions. If I understand the overview correctly, and it's the wave properties of light that excite the MIM diodes, does that mean that they would work with indirect light sources? If the antennas were sensitive enough, would that also mean they would work with moonlight, starlight and be partially shade tolerant?
it's well worth a look at google scholar mate - you will find lots of interesting info - but I would say yes to your questions
Hi Rob, maybe you can explain what they were hearing in the surrounding area and sky out a place named Bonnie Doon in Australia. I'm sure if you google weird unexplained sound in that named area the video will come up. Someone commented it was the sound of highly amplified Aether (emf) it's in the sky and with a rectenna setup.
Have you published any research, sir? You are knowledgeable in advanced research. I would be interested to read your articles.
I'm 100% on-board with you for making MIM rectennas. How do we get started.
For a minute there I thought you were going to make noise generator but too much static too find the productive wave. Boy am I full of it lol.
lol - only every now and then lol
Fantastic, thanks. Is this an area of research you are intending to pursue?
Since the wavelength makes things difficult, would it be possible to create a "mantle" that converts thermal energy preferentially to microwave frequencies? Much like a mantle in a lantern that preferentially emits visible light. Then the microwaves would be easy to harvest with a more conventional rectenna.
The version of Maxwell's equations given here is actually due to Oliver Heaviside.
How long do you think the new type of solar cells will be available for the masses Robert ??? Thanks