AA fuel cell

Big thanks to NachoMahma for the wire, without him it wouldn't be possible for this experiment.

This was an experiment to make a AA fuel cell with house hold parts (plus platinum Wire), but it failed. In a performence test it produced an unstead 2 - 1.5 volts for 10 seconds, yet it couldn't even light up a red LED. With that said here's the AA hydrogen fuel cell!

Step 1: Materials

2 cheap AA (not shown)

solder

nut and bolt

platinum wire

a tube that's the size of an AA, I made one from a 5cc syringe

glue

a bit of aluminum

water

Comments

[shrajanvetcha]

Can I use any other metal wire instead of Platinum?
If so, which metal?

[Crtek]

i can't figure it out...why do you add the aluminum barrier?

[blakehx]

I got one that works much better! Follow the same direction but fill the chamber will salt water, or better yet, vinegar! Connect one wire to aluminum foil and another wire to a carbon rod! Just make sure they are not touching!

[Colonel88]

Wait, so what exactly does this do? Create free electricity or what?

[n0ukf]

It's a storage cell just like the battery in your car is (actually 6 cells). You use a voltage source to charge it then you connect it to a circuit that needs power.

[guyfrom7up]

it was meant to be a battery that didn't work.  No hydrogen anything produces free elctricity

[LiquidLightning]

Fuel cell.

[NetReaper]

alcoholic anonymous fuel? that sounds contradictory.

[nicka101]

just so u know it never would be able 2 power a LED cause they take 3 volt; you'd need a joule theif

[geeklord]

Wrong, red and green LED's will work just fine on 2.0-2.5 volts, white and blue work well with 3.2-3.8 volts.

[nicka101]

but even so a joule theif would allow it to run on less power so in theory you could power more at once

[geeklord]

That's not right either. A joule thief increases the voltage but reduces the amount of current your power source can output. That's the downside of boost converters. Its the first law of thermodynamics.

From Wikipedia:

"The first law of thermodynamics, an expression of the principle of conservation of energy, states that energy can be transformed (changed from one form to another), but it can neither be created nor destroyed."

[bylerfamily]

Where can I find a syringe?

[egbertfitzwilly]

It's not really my area but let me some slight design suggestions. Since you've got the platinum you're way ahead of the game. Replace the aluminum plug with a better member. Ideally you can use Nafion ( readily available on the web ). Teflon (PTFE) is also widely used but harder to prepare than Nafion. Otherwise you can experiment with various polymers around the house. I saw one project that seemed to use polypropalene tube so you might be able to get away with a thin slice of polypro. You want the hydrogen to flow over the catalyst. Take your piece of aluminum foil and a little sodium hydroxide ( lye ) to create a hydrogen generator. Several examples on instructables under "Soda Can Hydrogen Generator" (not mine). Capture the output hydrogen in a rubber balloon to create pressure. You need more hydrogen than you do oxygen due to flow and efficiency. You will want a vent in the hydrogen chamber. I recommend picking up a small valve from the local hardware store. Use ordinary electolysis to obtain oxygen. Once again capture it in a balloon to provide a steady pressure. If you want really want to wild order the Nafion powder and some carbon cloth, use this with your platinum wire to create the cathode for a single cell generator. Put the cathode on one end of the tube and flow hydrogen through the other. You should see some voltage. You can also generate the hydrogen in the tube using a mild sodium hydroxide solution with torn up pieces of aluminum.

[rookie1]

Thanks for the quick answer. Good instructable. How big would a cell have to be to say.. run a house? I'd be interested in something with a life style-practical application. Yeah, I'm a hippie at heart.

[guyfrom7up]

I'm not sure how big each individual cell would be, but you'd need several (or tons) in series (depending on your setup) to get enough voltage for your house. the individual size of each cell would determine the battery life. Also, you need some other divider material that's not aluminum, cause as the instructable said, it didn't work.

[michaelmayo29]

install a joule theif and capacitate it and run a seriously smart solar oven which heats a steam turbine (with the suns ultra hot radiation focused by a parbolic mirror onto a hollow ceramic piping system) and bobs your uncle you have the instructable that im about to give you guys for free, lmao, be very careful though because if you live in england chances are it aint gonna work for 90% of the year, i will add it in a few days under name "solar steam turbine" great work guys, keep this site alive, as where would i be with out my digital picture frame and plasma cutter!!!!!!!

[sabre]

also, check out anomet for cheap/free platinum coated wire

[sabre]

im building a fuel cell myself and you actually have a pretty nice setup exept for one slight mistake. You didnt allow the transferring of ions between electrode and cathode to take place. look up nafion membrane and if you can get your hands on some, use a sheet of it (instead of Al) to separate the two chambers. Also, it would probably help if you were to use distilled water and lye which produces a cleaner, more repeatable reaction.

[sovereign]

where did you find platinum wire? the stuff's like 1600 bucks an ounce

[PKTraceur]

8 dollars an ounce, actually. Gold is 456 per ounce, however. -PKT

[lasermaster3531]

i think its platinum coated wire.

[ReCreate]

plutonium? isn't that stuff radioactive?

[lasermaster3531]

PLATINUM! is worth more than gold. it is a light silvery-white metal and it is harder than gold but softer than copper. it is also used as a catalyst for fuel cells. plutonium, on the other hand, is very heavy, highly radioactive, and very dangerous. jeez, get your elements straight.

[egbertfitzwilly]

I'm just shooting in the dark but I'm thinking plutonium, in addition to being radioactive, is also probably more valuable than platinum. And harder to come by.

[ReCreate]

PLATINUM PLUTONIUM OMG THEYRE THE SAME Really its like a one letter diffirence Geez...

[hydroganic]

actualy its three letters

[Jackus95]

No where near each other...unless jewelry can normally turn your house into a hot zone.

[Yerboogieman]

You mean 2 letter difference and a switch.

[ReCreate]

Thanks smarty pants,(No offense meant) :P

[robot797]

ha ur insulting evryone. it is you who cant read. and not I who cant write

[ReCreate]

Well, Neither of Are Writing here, Only Typing.

[robot797]

dont take it that seriuce....

[ReCreate]

Sauce? What did you say?

[robot797]

shut up guy this aint fun you say that every thing that evrybody writes is somethinge else. pleasle take the time to read it and dont say just anything you want to.

[ReCreate]

I am Sorry But there is This Magical Button,Its So Magical,It Preforms Wonders,Its...

[robot797]

I always use it is is for spelling not for grammar. you are English so you can adjust to my version of English I come from Holland. we speak your language and you never but I mean never speak dutch or German. so zip it.

[ReCreate]

AHH,Stupid Non Working Comment System! I Will Just Re-continue my comment No Hard Felling,Lets Just Continue Our Short Over heated lives.

[robot797]

nice now you are talking smart stuff

[ReCreate]

How am I talking smart stuff? du u wnt mi to tak lik tis?