This is BY FAR my favourite channel on UA-cam right now. Robert if you see this: First, thank you - I've only discovered your channel but I'm learning so much and can't wait to try some experiments. Second: The more popular you get, try not to change. Your format is perfect. Third: Keep it up. You're putting out a lot of content, but try not over-do it to the point where you don't enjoy it.
@@ThinkingandTinkering what about stacking the electrodes like you would a capacitor(using mesh materials for both anode amd cathode) and letting the heat from the sun vaporize the electrolyte so that it makes a steam powered solar cell!
Speaking of Which: 56 Years 35 Millions People Died [+15 Of COVID] 1 Completely Gay Allied Forces General... ...and Fauci was just Slapped on the Fingers... Imagine what Both the Gay General and the Jesuits were and are Churning for All of this Time while the Rest of the world was Dieing... It isn't Butter....
I haven't the slightest idea how I found this channel, nor why it appears on my feed, but I'm sure glad to have made this discovery! This mate has an awesome workshop and a smorgasbord of knowledge! Having binged on a few videos, I see he is a true teacher by nature. He introduces me to a new idea and I can't wait to hear the next thing that he has to say. I love when he builds things, what an engineer. Friggin' great channel!
Just found this one having hunted through your videos to learn more about solar cells and in particular possibilities for home-made solar cells. Excellent stuff - learning loads. Thank you Robert!
Loving the info! Was especially interested to hear about the spiky copper mesh once heated I’ve been thinking for ages that solar cells shouldn’t be flat they should be spiky, if you look at northern climate trees they have spiky leaves which gives them more coverage for solar radiation this style would surely make solar panels more efficient and look cooler as well
awesome Robert, would love to see you put an array together into a usable panel that you can power devices from, I noticed you mentioned graphoil, i would love to here more about that
Thank you Robert, I'm learning so much from your videos that my head hurts! I love your style of communication, wonderfilled and refreshing (you almost convey the kind of reaction a youngster would on discovering something new!). I loved the horizontal wind turbine made from a tower fan and how to improve the power of solar panels (I've built a small solar tracking unit that gives me an extra 3 hours of sun collection for powering a water feature so any new tidbits of info is always gratefully received). Keep up the great work, loving the videos 👍
Thanks Rob, that’s really wetted my appetite, looking forward to this series. I wish I had you as my teacher when I was at school, I’m learning more now than I ever did at school.
Thank you for explaining this in a practical way. I've been reading some books on solar cells, and the whole time I'm going "Okay, that's cool and all, but how could I make this myself?!?"
Awesome. Im too much of an introvert to put up youtube videos. But copper (I) and copper (II) behave as you said very differently. I did work on making bulkscalable nanoparticles ZnO doped with Al and treated with hydrogen to get rid of mostly surface non Perfect ZnO wurtzite so that is turns from being yellow/white powder (as ZnO undoped also is), to lightgrayisch ZnO nanopowder, with intact wurtzite structure and nearly no growth in nanoparticle size after treatment with hydrogen. XPS showed only ZnO wurtzite, no trace Al203 or other phase seperations. (and was planning also to do the same thing Ga, but time for my projects ran out) . The Al doped ZnO thin films have long been know to be both conductive quite nicely and be transparant. But when making ZnO doped Al via sol gel and thermal decomposition, no such conductivity is found. Only after treating it with hydrogen it became similar to mediocre graphite in conductivity, but still very cool. Leaving the sample open to the air for months did not lower its conducvity. The day before yesterday I looked up my old research again and did some google school'n to see if any body had expanded upon similar nanoparticles. I did find not much, even though its been 10 years. Except: I found lots of stuff going on with both doped and undoped ZnO and Copperoxide bi ceramic nanorods functioning as a PV system but also in hydrogen generation, from the whole range of only acting as PV to nearly only acting as hydrogen generation (from water ) also using light. Super cool. When my local university opens up again and I dont bump into those pesky paywalls 95% of the time being on the campus network I will look deeper into the matter. Making copperoxide nano or copper nanoparticles is quite doable as it seemed from literature. I merely looked at that as possible candidates for inkjet printing them to have conductice pcb like tracks on substrates like like glass but also high temp PET. It was just a literary research assignment, but a fun one. Sure also gold and silver and platinum and PEDOT:PSS and the whole range of other unobtanium were possible candidates. But the copper based routes offer so much flexibility and is, duh, more accesable then gold or silver. And the color of copper is aweome. I like it better then gold haha. If you ave really pure surface oxide free roughened surface, its almost salmon pink. Leaving it open to te ambiant air gives a nice classic copper color. Handing it with dirty greasy sweaty hands or keeping nice copper near (oops) a not so well closed container/jar of those swimming pool chlorine tablets will turn it black in no time. Copper has lot of potential. ( :) )
Robert, ~50 years ago one of the science magazines, I think Popular Science had an story about lead/copper solar battery (in glass jar) with electrolyte, charged with sun, and served as storage. The copper was treated with ammonia and heat for cupric oxide surface (photo electric). Electrolyte was something I could not buy as a child. It may have been lead nitrate, or sulfate. Seeing your video brought that memory back. Thought it may be of interest, and perhaps improved with new tech.
Gratis knowledge. A short clip of you putting the copper mesh in the oven would be educational. Could probably do a whole video on how to cut the mesh, preheat the oven, placing the mesh in the oven and how to take it out safely.
Robert, this is another great idea! Do you think that using multiple layers of copper mesh would increase the power output? The copper mesh is transparent enough that I think at least four layers could be used to catch more of the light that hits the cell. Where do you get the copper mesh?
Hi Robert. How critical is the timing? If you 'overcook' the copper, do you tend to get better coverage with Cu(I) oxide or production of Cu(II) oxide?
excellent info. Thank you for your time and effort to educate us. I did not quite understand how you put the oxide and cu layers together. did you put something in between? what is "grafoil" ? i didnt understand what that transparent thing u used is.. can i make a large cell to get about 300 watts of power?
@@ThinkingandTinkering I am off to search for the video right now, I hope you made it. And, silly question time, what is the coarsest mesh of screen you'd suggest?
Just came across this video and I realized that if you figure out how to lattice a half cut copper pipe. You technically could make a panel that not only reflects the light into it but also between the gaps you can use solar cooling paint for the backing to increase it's efficiency.
Super video, a lot of knowledge in a short video. Basically the Lasagna principle! also the best Temperature to get that lovely crusty surface you need....also for lasagna I mean!!!
might be able to use an oxidizing flame( more oxygen past the nutrale flame opposite a carbonizing yellow flame) on a cutting torch to get your red copper. just a thought..
Old projector tvs have an Fresnelllens inside (i always find such tvs on dumpsters), is this usefül to increase the photons who can reach the coppermash!?
All I could find was some loose mesh which I then folded up.. I put it on a paper towel with some salt water on top of aluminum foil but I am pretty positive I made a battery. I measured 0.5 volts regardless of light. What did you say you used on the other side? Sounded like "grafoil"?
Robert As a recent subscriber am enjoying your videos and your insights into the “dark side” of electricity (at least dear side to me). There seems to be a lathe in the background, while I am sure your memory is better than mine please remove the chuck key! Back in the sixties I would have severely reprimanded by the workshop supervisor and made to stand in the corner or worse! Really appreciate your videos, never to late to learn and your explanations are manna from heaven, keep up the good work and stay safe in theses strange times we are experiencing. Bless you Barry
even an old guy like me learns lots .. i love this stuff robert.. showing this stuff to my grandkids..[[ im a bit fearful of what contraptions they might invent though ]]..they think its cool
Hi Robert, thank you for the helpful video. Haven't seen this specific method anywhere else. Does the mesh size matter? I assume a "finer" mesh would increase surface area for Cu2O. I'll be giving it a try soon. Hoping it works and I can share it with my students!
Hi Robert, I was wondering what material you used for the separator? I am looking at experimenting with varying copper meshes following with your setup. Thanks!
Great video! Sir! Actually i have been given a project in which i have to make a solar cell and then to use it in a circuit to show that it's working efficiently. But that solar cell is giving much less voltage. What can I do for that. Can I made a solar panel by using this solar cell? Would it be effective as my university project? Kindly guide me in this regard! Thanking you!
Why to use electrolite as medium .Is not better to put treated copper directly on carbon felt ?.How this solar cell works with treated copper on conducting glas ? Great video as always !
Just yesterday I was attempting to electroplate aluminum onto copper, but I accidentally had the polarity backwards and it ended up producing a red goop. I had no idea what it was until seeing this video, so here's hoping i can make a solar cell out of it :)
Hi Robert. Sorry to ask the question here but you are a genius when it comes to energy. We have a trampoline in the garden with a net around it. When we first bought it there was no static. Now it's static all the time. I have recently connected an earth wire to it as it stands on fake grass. It still gives light static. Would you have any ideas on this please? Maybe you can utilise your products somehow? Put some ink around the bottom of the net and use copper wire to tie it to the springs*? Many people are having problems with this and it would be a great problem to solve. Could we use your battery to discharge the energy? I'm just guessing. Hope all is well mate
Hey Mike, Trampolines have static buildup due to the photo-electric effect, where electrons are ejected out of a surface by high energy photos. Since your trampoline is likely in the sunlight, a fair amount of electrons are ejected, resulting in static buildup. The trampoline net is non-conductive, and so the static charge builds up over time. It is possible to use this principle to make a photocell, which differs in principle from a solar cell. Generally photocells do not produce a large amount of energy, and are only used in light sensors. Whereas solar cells generate a significant amount of power.
There is a reason why Silicon and Germanium being in the periodic table between non metals and metals were studied most efficient to be doped n type (more electrons) and p type (more electron vacancies) that in physics produce higher voltages and current flow under excitations from a source. The source we want to capture is energy from light or the sun. Even in "metal oxide" designs it is more useful using metal to be a "gate valve" to Silicon and Germanium P doped and N doped substrates by an induced additional electrical field between both semiconductor material transferring voltages and current through it acting like it is a conductor like metal in electricity.
Can you use the red oxide crystals from a Transformer, or maybe the better question is is that can you heat this at a lower temperature over more time and get the same results
would you be able to use a mesh as the current collector and be able to stack these cells up (of course with diminishing returns) to create a more efficient one, that light can penetrate through? that way the size of teh cell can be kept small and still be able to have a large surface area for the CuO I to be exposed to light
I wonder if a thermoelectric solar cell made from home made or bought constantan/iron thermocouples would be more or less efficient than an home made copper oxide solar cell with same surface area and which would be cheaper
Oooo this is going to be fun, i like solar power stuff. Have you seen solar power made from LEDs?... Zener diodes too. In the past ive had a go at chopping the top off transistors 2n3055 and putting those together :) ... good volts but i seem to remember there wasnt much amps
I’ve heard that LED’s act like Solar panels that if you shine a light on them they give a small charge, is this true?, if so would it be worth linking a few together to see what is the best they could do?
What is the purpose of the blue cloth soaked with salt water? This might be a bit of a hindrance since one would need to keep that cloth wet during the time the solar cell is operating.
What are the size limitations? i.e. why couldn't one use a square metre of coper mesh in this way for higher voltage? (newb question - i'm guessing thermodynamic / bandgap limit)?
Wouldnt an electrolyte that doesnt contain chlorine be better? I mean, the con. is low and in the sun i dont think it would reduce to Cl and eat away at the metals...but under a cell having a voltage potential (if the voltage was higher) the Cl could be formed as it can be doing electroysis
I wonder if it would be possible to use the copper mesh in the construction of a perovskite-based solar cell, perhaps with the perovskite crystals growing in the holes in the mesh.
Possible Perovskite ideas to try: Potassium germanium chloride? KGeCl3 = KCl.GeCl2 growth of single crystals and films from solution (around 400-500 nm thick) using a mixture of KCl and GeCl2 powders as the precursor. Estimated growth rates may be on the order of 1-10 mm3/hour. (20-200 cm2/hour @ 500 nm thick) --- * Methylammonium germanium chloride? (CH3NH3GeCl3?) 1) CO + 3 NH3 -> CH3NH2 + H2O + N2+ H2 2) CH3NH2 + HCl → CH3NH3Cl at 0 °C for 120 minutes followed by evaporation at 60 °C, yielding crystals of methylammonium chloride. 3) CH3NH3Cl + GeCl2 → CH3NH3GeCl3 growth of single crystals and films from solution (around 400-500 nm thick) using a mixture of CH3NH3Cl and GeCl2 powders as the precursor. Estimated growth rates could be on the order of 1-10 mm3/hour. (20-200 cm2/hour @ 500 nm thick)
I live in the USA so I went to a converter on the internet. 400 degrees C is 752 F . Sorry my oven only goes to 550 F. :) Now it does have a Broil setting I would have to put a thermometer INTO the oven to determine what temp that would be.
I'm not sure about this, but isn't that just a copper-carbon cell of sorts? Like one of those zinc-carbon lantern batteries with the zinc replaced with copper and the electrolyte being salt water instead of manganese dioxide? What I'm getting at is: does the the sunlight actually have anything to do with the thing; does the voltage meter show 0 or a reading noticeably less when no sunlight is present? PS. While writing this I decided to do a test: took a piece of copper pipe, a graphite rod from a lantern battery and put them both in a cup with salt water in it, then measured the voltage with a multimeter, which read ~0.23V.
Somebody needs to start saving his videos offline before he disappears. I appreciate what you do sir.
Ok ,if there is a sign for that I will start that
yes
I already am trying to.
Just screen record it then
Everybody*
This is BY FAR my favourite channel on UA-cam right now. Robert if you see this:
First, thank you - I've only discovered your channel but I'm learning so much and can't wait to try some experiments.
Second: The more popular you get, try not to change. Your format is perfect.
Third: Keep it up. You're putting out a lot of content, but try not over-do it to the point where you don't enjoy it.
You're really churning out the video Robert I'm learning loads!
Glad to hear it mate
@@ThinkingandTinkering what about stacking the electrodes like you would a capacitor(using mesh materials for both anode amd cathode) and letting the heat from the sun vaporize the electrolyte so that it makes a steam powered solar cell!
Speaking of Which:
56 Years
35 Millions People Died
[+15 Of COVID]
1 Completely Gay Allied Forces General...
...and Fauci was just Slapped on the Fingers...
Imagine what Both the Gay General and the Jesuits were and are Churning for All of this Time while the Rest of the world was Dieing...
It isn't Butter....
I haven't the slightest idea how I found this channel, nor why it appears on my feed, but I'm sure glad to have made this discovery! This mate has an awesome workshop and a smorgasbord of knowledge! Having binged on a few videos, I see he is a true teacher by nature. He introduces me to a new idea and I can't wait to hear the next thing that he has to say. I love when he builds things, what an engineer. Friggin' great channel!
Please good sir more on this topic
Just found this one having hunted through your videos to learn more about solar cells and in particular possibilities for home-made solar cells. Excellent stuff - learning loads. Thank you Robert!
Loving the info! Was especially interested to hear about the spiky copper mesh once heated I’ve been thinking for ages that solar cells shouldn’t be flat they should be spiky, if you look at northern climate trees they have spiky leaves which gives them more coverage for solar radiation this style would surely make solar panels more efficient and look cooler as well
awesome Robert, would love to see you put an array together into a usable panel that you can power devices from, I noticed you mentioned graphoil, i would love to here more about that
Your voice is so soothing. This along with your immense knowledge got you my sub :)
Brilliant and very much needed in this day and age.
Thank you Robert, I'm learning so much from your videos that my head hurts! I love your style of communication, wonderfilled and refreshing (you almost convey the kind of reaction a youngster would on discovering something new!). I loved the horizontal wind turbine made from a tower fan and how to improve the power of solar panels (I've built a small solar tracking unit that gives me an extra 3 hours of sun collection for powering a water feature so any new tidbits of info is always gratefully received). Keep up the great work, loving the videos 👍
glad you're liking them mate - thanks for taking the time to write - cheers
Can’t wait. Always love your videos, this is what I have waited for 🤙🏼
Thanks Rob, that’s really wetted my appetite, looking forward to this series. I wish I had you as my teacher when I was at school, I’m learning more now than I ever did at school.
thank you for saying so mate
Thanks for literally empowering people!
Thank you for explaining this in a practical way. I've been reading some books on solar cells, and the whole time I'm going "Okay, that's cool and all, but how could I make this myself?!?"
as always, you give me a moment of pause to speculate... "Hummm now there is something I can play with" Thanks Rob..
it is very interesting and lots of way to go from it I think
Solar is my new life! Awesome video, thank you!!!
glad you liked it mate - cheers
AWESOME and thanks!! totally what i need to learn to do !!
Knowing something's possible is half the battle! Thanks Robert!
Great video sir. I love how the ideas roll out seemingly so easily. Inspirational.
cheers mate - thanks for taking the time to post
Yup. Brilliant. 230 degree Centigrade oven at home? When I can get one, triff idea. Thanks
Awesome.
Im too much of an introvert to put up youtube videos. But copper (I) and copper (II) behave as you said very differently.
I did work on making bulkscalable nanoparticles ZnO doped with Al and treated with hydrogen to get rid of mostly surface non Perfect ZnO wurtzite so that is turns from being yellow/white powder (as ZnO undoped also is), to lightgrayisch ZnO nanopowder, with intact wurtzite structure and nearly no growth in nanoparticle size after treatment with hydrogen. XPS showed only ZnO wurtzite, no trace Al203 or other phase seperations. (and was planning also to do the same thing Ga, but time for my projects ran out) . The Al doped ZnO thin films have long been know to be both conductive quite nicely and be transparant.
But when making ZnO doped Al via sol gel and thermal decomposition, no such conductivity is found. Only after treating it with hydrogen it became similar to mediocre graphite in conductivity, but still very cool. Leaving the sample open to the air for months did not lower its conducvity.
The day before yesterday I looked up my old research again and did some google school'n to see if any body had expanded upon similar nanoparticles.
I did find not much, even though its been 10 years.
Except: I found lots of stuff going on with both doped and undoped ZnO and Copperoxide bi ceramic nanorods functioning as a PV system but also in hydrogen generation, from the whole range of only acting as PV to nearly only acting as hydrogen generation (from water ) also using light. Super cool. When my local university opens up again and I dont bump into those pesky paywalls 95% of the time being on the campus network I will look deeper into the matter.
Making copperoxide nano or copper nanoparticles is quite doable as it seemed from literature. I merely looked at that as possible candidates for inkjet printing them to have conductice pcb like tracks on substrates like like glass but also high temp PET. It was just a literary research assignment, but a fun one. Sure also gold and silver and platinum and PEDOT:PSS and the whole range of other unobtanium were possible candidates. But the copper based routes offer so much flexibility and is, duh, more accesable then gold or silver. And the color of copper is aweome. I like it better then gold haha. If you ave really pure surface oxide free roughened surface, its almost salmon pink.
Leaving it open to te ambiant air gives a nice classic copper color. Handing it with dirty greasy sweaty hands or keeping nice copper near (oops) a not so well closed container/jar of those swimming pool chlorine tablets will turn it black in no time.
Copper has lot of potential.
( :) )
I'll just pretend I understood something from what you said
Excelente work, brother
Very cool, I love the idea of expanding on this concept for easy DIY tech put in the hands of the people... This is my vibe and goals with my ideas.
Thank you professor, you have opened a new horizontal before me rookie eyes!
Robert, ~50 years ago one of the science magazines, I think Popular Science had an story about lead/copper solar battery (in glass jar) with electrolyte, charged with sun, and served as storage. The copper was treated with ammonia and heat for cupric oxide surface (photo electric). Electrolyte was something I could not buy as a child. It may have been lead nitrate, or sulfate. Seeing your video brought that memory back. Thought it may be of interest, and perhaps improved with new tech.
Of those 2 it was probably lead nitrate, lead sulfate is insoluble in water
I read about lead copper batteries a while ago - I'll have to hunt out the reference as it was a while ago lol
@@terabyte7683 yes, lead nitrate sounds familiar.
This is amazing. Thank you for sharing your knowledge
Gratis knowledge. A short clip of you putting the copper mesh in the oven would be educational. Could probably do a whole video on how to cut the mesh, preheat the oven, placing the mesh in the oven and how to take it out safely.
Robert, this is another great idea! Do you think that using multiple layers of copper mesh would increase the power output? The copper mesh is transparent enough that I think at least four layers could be used to catch more of the light that hits the cell. Where do you get the copper mesh?
Excellent video! Thank you for sharing your knowledge and expertise! The method you mentioned is how carbon nanotubes are manufactured. God bless! :*)
Just great thank you
Glad you enjoyed it
This is a hidden gem of a channel
Thanks Rob, I build solar cells and Hydrogen fuel cells. Very pleased you're doing a series on SOLAR CELLS .
cheers mate
Please guide me on hydrogen fuel cell
Hi Robert. How critical is the timing? If you 'overcook' the copper, do you tend to get better coverage with Cu(I) oxide or production of Cu(II) oxide?
Awesome stuff Rob!!
cheers mate
Thank you, Robert
Very Inspiring!!!! Thanks
if CuO is a p type, and ZnO is a n type, how do I turn brass into a solar panel? I might order myself some brass mesh to play around with
excellent info. Thank you for your time and effort to educate us. I did not quite understand how you put the oxide and cu layers together. did you put something in between? what is "grafoil" ? i didnt understand what that transparent thing u used is.. can i make a large cell to get about 300 watts of power?
A few days ago you showed how to plate metals in an oxide layer using electrolysis. I wonder if that could make a more uniform layer?
yes it can - I have the chems on order for the bath
@@ThinkingandTinkering I am off to search for the video right now, I hope you made it.
And, silly question time, what is the coarsest mesh of screen you'd suggest?
Just came across this video and I realized that if you figure out how to lattice a half cut copper pipe. You technically could make a panel that not only reflects the light into it but also between the gaps you can use solar cooling paint for the backing to increase it's efficiency.
Super video, a lot of knowledge in a short video.
Basically the Lasagna principle! also the best Temperature to get that lovely crusty surface you need....also for lasagna I mean!!!
lol -
You are a literal saints, I don't have an oven, but I'll found a way eventually
awesome mate
I would love to see you make one thing from a to z. That actually shows the process of one single I mean one just one anything. Thanks.
might be able to use an oxidizing flame( more oxygen past the nutrale flame opposite a carbonizing yellow flame) on a cutting torch to get your red copper. just a thought..
thanks useful channel nuchny especially with graphene
Old projector tvs have an Fresnelllens inside (i always find such tvs on dumpsters), is this usefül to increase the photons who can reach the coppermash!?
All I could find was some loose mesh which I then folded up.. I put it on a paper towel with some salt water on top of aluminum foil but I am pretty positive I made a battery. I measured 0.5 volts regardless of light. What did you say you used on the other side? Sounded like "grafoil"?
You could jam that idea in between the panes of an old double glazed window in a garage.
Interesting stuff!
cheers mate
i love it. i only have one question..... are you saying graph oil? or craft ole? i'm specifically talking about the current collector.
Awesome channel !
Thanks!!
Couple I laminate the mesh to a black backing dampened with salt water ? To make a slim cell?
Robert
As a recent subscriber am enjoying your videos and your insights into the “dark side” of electricity (at least dear side to me). There seems to be a lathe in the background, while I am sure your memory is better than mine please remove the chuck key! Back in the sixties I would have severely reprimanded by the workshop supervisor and made to stand in the corner or worse!
Really appreciate your videos, never to late to learn and your explanations are manna from heaven, keep up the good work and stay safe in theses strange times we are experiencing.
Bless you
Barry
thanks mate - but i am working here on my own at the moment so it is actually safer to keep the chuck key where i can find it - lol
Great video but one question, what material are you using? Just sewing cloth or anything specific?
as there are many kinds of copper mesh how do you order this specific one? Thanks!
even an old guy like me learns lots .. i love this stuff robert.. showing this stuff to my grandkids..[[ im a bit fearful of what contraptions they might invent though ]]..they think its cool
awesome mate - and inspiring the next generation is really what it's all about - cheers
great stuff
What did you use for the separator and what material do you have on the other side of that separator
I had to watch this again. I just found 440w solar panels for $10 a panel. Cannot wait to get 5 or 6. To power my storage shed with.
So cool 😊
Hi Robert, thank you for the helpful video. Haven't seen this specific method anywhere else. Does the mesh size matter? I assume a "finer" mesh would increase surface area for Cu2O. I'll be giving it a try soon. Hoping it works and I can share it with my students!
Did it work and could you please tell me what you used as a separator for the salt water solution please
Hi Robert,
I was wondering what material you used for the separator? I am looking at experimenting with varying copper meshes following with your setup.
Thanks!
Did you find out what material he used for the seperator?
How about using your copper plating solution to create a thin copper film on a suitable substrate which you can oxidise?
Great video!
Sir! Actually i have been given a project in which i have to make a solar cell and then to use it in a circuit to show that it's working efficiently. But that solar cell is giving much less voltage. What can I do for that. Can I made a solar panel by using this solar cell? Would it be effective as my university project? Kindly guide me in this regard!
Thanking you!
Can you use copper sulfide as the negative? If only you could use graphene and a dye on a treated copper plate.
Why to use electrolite as medium .Is not better to put treated copper directly on carbon felt ?.How this solar cell works with treated copper on conducting glas ? Great video as always !
Just yesterday I was attempting to electroplate aluminum onto copper, but I accidentally had the polarity backwards and it ended up producing a red goop. I had no idea what it was until seeing this video, so here's hoping i can make a solar cell out of it :)
awesome mate - good luck with it
Is there an alternative electrolyte to salt water? Surely the salt will cause corrosive rust before too long
Would that cell you made be a monocrystalline or polycrystalline? Trying to make a DIY system for heating greenhouse.
Very cool.
cheers mate
Hi Robert. Sorry to ask the question here but you are a genius when it comes to energy.
We have a trampoline in the garden with a net around it. When we first bought it there was no static. Now it's static all the time.
I have recently connected an earth wire to it as it stands on fake grass. It still gives light static.
Would you have any ideas on this please? Maybe you can utilise your products somehow?
Put some ink around the bottom of the net and use copper wire to tie it to the springs*?
Many people are having problems with this and it would be a great problem to solve. Could we use your battery to discharge the energy? I'm just guessing.
Hope all is well mate
Hey Mike,
Trampolines have static buildup due to the photo-electric effect, where electrons are ejected out of a surface by high energy photos. Since your trampoline is likely in the sunlight, a fair amount of electrons are ejected, resulting in static buildup. The trampoline net is non-conductive, and so the static charge builds up over time. It is possible to use this principle to make a photocell, which differs in principle from a solar cell. Generally photocells do not produce a large amount of energy, and are only used in light sensors. Whereas solar cells generate a significant amount of power.
There is a reason why Silicon and Germanium being in the periodic table between non metals and metals were studied most efficient to be doped n type (more electrons) and p type (more electron vacancies) that in physics produce higher voltages and current flow under excitations from a source. The source we want to capture is energy from light or the sun. Even in "metal oxide" designs it is more useful using metal to be a "gate valve" to Silicon and Germanium P doped and N doped substrates by an induced additional electrical field between both semiconductor material transferring voltages and current through it acting like it is a conductor like metal in electricity.
This copper is dope. Whey.😊
Can you use the red oxide crystals from a Transformer, or maybe the better question is is that can you heat this at a lower temperature over more time and get the same results
Careful Robert, you may inspire a nation of young engineers! :)
lol
He's inspired me, so there's one out of a nation. ;p
Would it be possible to connect some of these homemade cells together to boil a kettle for example?
would you be able to use a mesh as the current collector and be able to stack these cells up (of course with diminishing returns) to create a more efficient one, that light can penetrate through? that way the size of teh cell can be kept small and still be able to have a large surface area for the CuO I to be exposed to light
nothing to stop you trying mate
Fold the mesh to be a sponge block perhaps.
I wonder if a thermoelectric solar cell made from home made or bought constantan/iron thermocouples would be more or less efficient than an home made copper oxide solar cell with same surface area and which would be cheaper
Oooo this is going to be fun, i like solar power stuff. Have you seen solar power made from LEDs?... Zener diodes too. In the past ive had a go at chopping the top off transistors 2n3055 and putting those together :) ... good volts but i seem to remember there wasnt much amps
From LED?
@@victorjustus9258 yep, youtube search it. Not much amps mind you
I’ve heard that LED’s act like Solar panels that if you shine a light on them they give a small charge, is this true?, if so would it be worth linking a few together to see what is the best they could do?
Where did you get the copper mesh?
I have a question, can acid burn the copper and give the same result heat does?
what was the separator material used?
Bump for science!
WOW! THANK YOU 😂😊
What is the purpose of the blue cloth soaked with salt water?
This might be a bit of a hindrance since one would need to keep that cloth wet during the time the solar cell is operating.
Your channel is cool 😎
What are the size limitations? i.e. why couldn't one use a square metre of coper mesh in this way for higher voltage? (newb question - i'm guessing thermodynamic / bandgap limit)?
hey there robert, i really enjoy your videos ,but just to clarify, you'r tempratures are in centigrades or farenheit ??
Centigrade.
Celsius
Once the salt water dries does the cell still work
What is first material in cell sandwich making? Grafol? What is that?
Wouldnt an electrolyte that doesnt contain chlorine be better? I mean, the con. is low and in the sun i dont think it would reduce to Cl and eat away at the metals...but under a cell having a voltage potential (if the voltage was higher) the Cl could be formed as it can be doing electroysis
I wonder if it would be possible to use the copper mesh in the construction of a perovskite-based solar cell, perhaps with the perovskite crystals growing in the holes in the mesh.
for sure mate
Which ones?
Maybe try:
KSnI3
KSnBr3
NaSnI3
Possible Perovskite ideas to try:
Potassium germanium chloride?
KGeCl3 = KCl.GeCl2
growth of single crystals and films from solution (around 400-500 nm thick) using a mixture of KCl and GeCl2 powders as the precursor. Estimated growth rates may be on the order of 1-10 mm3/hour.
(20-200 cm2/hour @ 500 nm thick)
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Methylammonium germanium chloride?
(CH3NH3GeCl3?)
1)
CO + 3 NH3 -> CH3NH2 + H2O + N2+ H2
2)
CH3NH2 + HCl → CH3NH3Cl
at 0 °C for 120 minutes followed by evaporation at 60 °C, yielding crystals of methylammonium chloride.
3)
CH3NH3Cl + GeCl2 → CH3NH3GeCl3
growth of single crystals and films from solution (around 400-500 nm thick) using a mixture of CH3NH3Cl and GeCl2 powders as the precursor. Estimated growth rates could be on the order of 1-10 mm3/hour. (20-200 cm2/hour @ 500 nm thick)
Where to find this copper mesh in scraps?
Could a feller make enough of these solar cells to completely wrap around the sun and actually arc weld planets together?
I live in the USA so I went to a converter on the internet. 400 degrees C is 752 F . Sorry my oven only goes to 550 F. :) Now it does have a Broil setting I would have to put a thermometer INTO the oven to determine what temp that would be.
It would be interesting if using a rough sanding on both sides would increase the production of the branches... mhmmmm, shiny borax covers... lol
I'm not sure about this, but isn't that just a copper-carbon cell of sorts? Like one of those zinc-carbon lantern batteries with the zinc replaced with copper and the electrolyte being salt water instead of manganese dioxide? What I'm getting at is: does the the sunlight actually have anything to do with the thing; does the voltage meter show 0 or a reading noticeably less when no sunlight is present?
PS. While writing this I decided to do a test: took a piece of copper pipe, a graphite rod from a lantern battery and put them both in a cup with salt water in it, then measured the voltage with a multimeter, which read ~0.23V.
Do you know what material he used for the seperator?
I feel like this video was made for people who already know how to make solar panels. It could have millions of views if it was made differently.
Brilliant few minutes in and with a fresnel lens and the copper gauze it's sepia,, sorry I'm into electronics and photography ❤️👍
No worries mate - you are seeing things i didn't and i like what you said
@@ThinkingandTinkering it's my birthday Robert, I'm probably seeing thing's no doubt 😂😂❤️👍love your work