This is BY FAR my favourite channel on TH-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!
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
It's not about efficiency. Self sustaining generators and many other inventions have been made by many over the last 100yrs or so. They all end up dying suddenly and mysteriously. It's about money, power and control of the masses. Those that already have those 3 things will do absolutely ANYTHING, to keep it. Quite a few people have tried to better humanity with their inventions and every single one quickly perished shortly after going public and/or became a little too well known.
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
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.
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"?
Update broken solar panels. I repaired one and got 150 w from it. Until I spent months doing patches. Brainstorming and figuring out my mistakes along the way. I came to the conclusion that it was not worth $10. Now if I had been educated in doing repairs. It would have saved a lot more time. However if it takes 6 months to do the patch work. Once I get good at it. 😅😅😅😅😢 It is not a good investment 😢 to repair broken panels. Unless you know exactly how to pick practically new ones from a pile of rubbish. I thought I would be able to tell the difference. Not with a microscope and electric meters. Would you be able to eye ball the good ones. The place I got them from. Was not going to allow me to test every unit to find the best ones. So unless you have all your ducks in a row. Don't waste time going on that adventure. Unless you and some pals want to get drunk after buying 100 panels. Oh and some due to code regulations. Will not sell them unless you plan to scrap them. Or buy 50 or more at one time. Well that was my experience. Hopefully some of you have better luck.
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. ( :) )
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?!?"
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.
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 👍
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!
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.
@@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?
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 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?
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.
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!!!
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.
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.
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
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!
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, 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!
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.
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..
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
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 !
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?
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
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
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
What happens when u smack a few layers of rusty copperontop of one another and drown in that brine to make sure that all relevant materials connect galvanically? How much power could u make then?
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!?
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.
I'm looking for flexible solar cells to cover my roof. I believe a curved surface will collect more than a flat surface to utilize the light in any position it may be in. The main base is correlated roof. Would this mesh corrode and dissolve? Or would this be a viable option to consider for covering my roof? (I did have the thought of using a copper or copper coated roof to use instead of the mesh and trying the red copper method, but I feel like it would be difficult to heat it properly). Any thoughts on if this is worth exploring?
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!
What if a random person had an amazing idea that could change the direction of solar charging electric vehicles and needed your expertise in electrical and engineering. Would you consider building a simple yet game changing solar array with 800% more power per sq ft with traditional solar cells?
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)
The real $1M question is, can you build one big enough to provide useful amounts of energy? Maybe you just want to try DIY as a hobby for your off grid cabin, maybe you got stranded on a deserted island and need to MacGyver a way to power something to survive and don't have lots of wire for a dynamo. Could you make a square meter of these things and get enough power out of it to make the effort worth your while?
Hes carry the knowledge on to the next generation, too many kids study tiktok and fortnite and we get shortages of knowledge lapses of innovation, if you can get access to this knowledge now, however useful it may be, maybe we wont become an idiocracy. More kids will leave tik tok behind and become the innovators.
In order to heat copper for 30min at 230c you'll need a tiny oven of at least 350W but let's say the process consumes ¼kWh. The question is; how long will that particular cell at 0.2v take to produce this amount of power (and the material costs) back, to break even? Let alone produce profit? The core of the debate around solar power in its essence, I believe. Unless autonomy is more important than costs...
I seen someone who oxidized copper red using a torch in the copper. Then they dropped it into a borax water solution. I don’t know if that would be the same result as what he did in the video though
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.
Mr. Marat-Smith, could you please respond with required items? Your accent is lovely, but I can't decipher what type of foil you're putting on the bottom of the plastic sandwich. 😅 Even with subtitles, the AI is typing "gruff oil" or "raffle". Also, what is the blue material your using for a separator? I like how simple this is and would like to try it.
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?
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
Given the surface area of the cell, in terms of wattage (rather than just voltage) how does it compare to a commercial cell. Or rather, what's the cost per kW would you say?
@@ThinkingandTinkering No, of course it can't compete. I'm just curious what such a simple set at gives per kW as a starting point. Is it one order of magnitude off or two. That said, I can't see the plastic lasting under the sun and the electrolyte would dry up, it's probably a long way from practical. I wonder how many leds you would need to get a kW... They're pretty cheap and they'd generate a current.
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
![[LIVE] : ONE ลุมพินี 82 วันนี้!! คู่เอก | ยอดไอคิว vs อับดัลลาห์](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/hSsyTl_9bqs/mqdefault.jpg)
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 TH-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!
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
It's not about efficiency. Self sustaining generators and many other inventions have been made by many over the last 100yrs or so. They all end up dying suddenly and mysteriously. It's about money, power and control of the masses. Those that already have those 3 things will do absolutely ANYTHING, to keep it. Quite a few people have tried to better humanity with their inventions and every single one quickly perished shortly after going public and/or became a little too well known.
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
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
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"?
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.
Update broken solar panels. I repaired one and got 150 w from it. Until I spent months doing patches. Brainstorming and figuring out my mistakes along the way. I came to the conclusion that it was not worth $10. Now if I had been educated in doing repairs. It would have saved a lot more time. However if it takes 6 months to do the patch work. Once I get good at it. 😅😅😅😅😢
It is not a good investment 😢 to repair broken panels. Unless you know exactly how to pick practically new ones from a pile of rubbish. I thought I would be able to tell the difference. Not with a microscope and electric meters. Would you be able to eye ball the good ones.
The place I got them from. Was not going to allow me to test every unit to find the best ones.
So unless you have all your ducks in a row. Don't waste time going on that adventure. Unless you and some pals want to get drunk after buying 100 panels. Oh and some due to code regulations. Will not sell them unless you plan to scrap them. Or buy 50 or more at one time. Well that was my experience. Hopefully some of you have better luck.
Where did you find them for that price? If you don't mind me asking
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
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
Brilliant and very much needed in this day and age.
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?!?"
Great video sir. I love how the ideas roll out seemingly so easily. Inspirational.
cheers mate - thanks for taking the time to post
Please good sir more on this topic
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.
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
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
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!
Your voice is so soothing. This along with your immense knowledge got you my sub :)
Thanks for literally empowering people!
Yup. Brilliant. 230 degree Centigrade oven at home? When I can get one, triff idea. Thanks
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.
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?
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?
AWESOME and thanks!! totally what i need to learn to do !!
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
You are a literal saints, I don't have an oven, but I'll found a way eventually
awesome mate
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?
Thank you professor, you have opened a new horizontal before me rookie eyes!
Just great thank you
Glad you enjoyed it
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?
Is there an alternative electrolyte to salt water? Surely the salt will cause corrosive rust before too long
This is a hidden gem of a channel
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 -
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.
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.
thanks useful channel nuchny especially with graphene
Solar is my new life! Awesome video, thank you!!!
glad you liked it mate - cheers
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.
what was the separator material used?
Bump for science!
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.
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
Careful Robert, you may inspire a nation of young engineers! :)
lol
He's inspired me, so there's one out of a nation. ;p
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!
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
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
Excellent video! Thank you for sharing your knowledge and expertise! The method you mentioned is how carbon nanotubes are manufactured. God bless! :*)
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.
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..
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
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 !
You could jam that idea in between the panes of an old double glazed window in a garage.
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
It would be interesting if using a rough sanding on both sides would increase the production of the branches... mhmmmm, shiny borax covers... lol
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
Thank you, Robert
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
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.
What happens when u smack a few layers of rusty copperontop of one another and drown in that brine to make sure that all relevant materials connect galvanically?
How much power could u make then?
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!?
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.
Can’t wait. Always love your videos, this is what I have waited for 🤙🏼
WOW! THANK YOU 😂😊
I'm looking for flexible solar cells to cover my roof. I believe a curved surface will collect more than a flat surface to utilize the light in any position it may be in. The main base is correlated roof. Would this mesh corrode and dissolve? Or would this be a viable option to consider for covering my roof? (I did have the thought of using a copper or copper coated roof to use instead of the mesh and trying the red copper method, but I feel like it would be difficult to heat it properly). Any thoughts on if this is worth exploring?
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?
i love it. i only have one question..... are you saying graph oil? or craft ole? i'm specifically talking about the current collector.
What if a random person had an amazing idea that could change the direction of solar charging electric vehicles and needed your expertise in electrical and engineering. Would you consider building a simple yet game changing solar array with 800% more power per sq ft with traditional solar cells?
Does 400C equal 752F? My oven does not go that high. Is that safe? By the way, I like your videos.
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)
---
*
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)
This is amazing. Thank you for sharing your knowledge
Great video but one question, what material are you using? Just sewing cloth or anything specific?
How about using your copper plating solution to create a thin copper film on a suitable substrate which you can oxidise?
Once the salt water dries does the cell still work
Very Inspiring!!!! Thanks
Now the $1M question... Can you make those as cheap ($/Watt), as you can buy them, (in 2020)?
no - that's not the point here
@@ThinkingandTinkering Very interesting video.
The real $1M question is, can you build one big enough to provide useful amounts of energy? Maybe you just want to try DIY as a hobby for your off grid cabin, maybe you got stranded on a deserted island and need to MacGyver a way to power something to survive and don't have lots of wire for a dynamo. Could you make a square meter of these things and get enough power out of it to make the effort worth your while?
Hes carry the knowledge on to the next generation, too many kids study tiktok and fortnite and we get shortages of knowledge lapses of innovation, if you can get access to this knowledge now, however useful it may be, maybe we wont become an idiocracy. More kids will leave tik tok behind and become the innovators.
In order to heat copper for 30min at 230c you'll need a tiny oven of at least 350W but let's say the process consumes ¼kWh. The question is; how long will that particular cell at 0.2v take to produce this amount of power (and the material costs) back, to break even? Let alone produce profit? The core of the debate around solar power in its essence, I believe. Unless autonomy is more important than costs...
Interesting stuff!
cheers mate
Would that cell you made be a monocrystalline or polycrystalline? Trying to make a DIY system for heating greenhouse.
It's not a silicon cell
To oxidize the copper, could you soak it in bleach for a little while?
I seen someone who oxidized copper red using a torch in the copper. Then they dropped it into a borax water solution. I don’t know if that would be the same result as what he did in the video though
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.
Probably be more plausible as a zinc oxide solar cell, way more abundant material
Thanks!!
hey there robert, i really enjoy your videos ,but just to clarify, you'r tempratures are in centigrades or farenheit ??
Centigrade.
Celsius
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.
Mr. Marat-Smith, could you please respond with required items? Your accent is lovely, but I can't decipher what type of foil you're putting on the bottom of the plastic sandwich. 😅 Even with subtitles, the AI is typing "gruff oil" or "raffle".
Also, what is the blue material your using for a separator?
I like how simple this is and would like to try it.
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?
Very cool.
cheers mate
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
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
Can you use copper sulfide as the negative? If only you could use graphene and a dye on a treated copper plate.
Could a feller make enough of these solar cells to completely wrap around the sun and actually arc weld planets together?
So cool 😊
Given the surface area of the cell, in terms of wattage (rather than just voltage) how does it compare to a commercial cell. Or rather, what's the cost per kW would you say?
well below mate - but we aren't trying for that - this is just an intro - you can expect commercial performance
@@ThinkingandTinkering No, of course it can't compete. I'm just curious what such a simple set at gives per kW as a starting point. Is it one order of magnitude off or two. That said, I can't see the plastic lasting under the sun and the electrolyte would dry up, it's probably a long way from practical.
I wonder how many leds you would need to get a kW... They're pretty cheap and they'd generate a current.
What is first material in cell sandwich making? Grafol? What is that?
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
Interesting
Could a list of the materials be made on text items?
Why can’t we have teachers like this in school