Perpetual Battery

[HARK!]

The producer of this video builds an invention that was patented in 1979. It is composed of an aluminum tube, and a brass tube. Electricity is purported to be generated when the assembly is exposed to moving water.

Normally I would write this off as crazy kookalookaness; but the producer seems to be credible; and he makes a somewhat convincing presentation.

This is easy enough to test.

I saw this video a few days ago; and I'm still puzzled as to why it might work.

Assuming that it's not just another free energy hoax; does anyone have any insight into the theory behind this effect?

 

[Sophrosyne]

It's possible that it could work, but calling it a perpetual battery is nonsense rather should be some sort of ionic generator as it may be picking up small magnetic or ionic forces of the water molecules moving past it like magnets and wires making electricity.
If the water isn't moving then I don't believe it can do anything at all.

 

[HARK!]

It's possible that it could work, but calling it a perpetual battery is nonsense rather should be some sort of ionic generator as it may be picking up small magnetic or ionic forces of the water molecules moving past it like magnets and wires making electricity.
If the water isn't moving then I don't believe it can do anything at all.

Agreed. Technically, if it works as described; it's not a battery at all in my opinion.

Intuitively, I don't believe that the magnetic properties of contaminants found in ordinary water, are strong enough to generate a Hall Effect strong enough to produce the energy measured, at such low velocity.

 

[Subduction Zone]

Just off the top of my head. Aluminum is rather reactive. The surface of it will always have a layer of aluminum oxide on it. It has been far too many years since I took college chemistry, but it sounds as if this was just some sort of galvanic reaction. It will not be perpetual.

 

[HARK!]

Just off the top of my head. Aluminum is rather reactive. The surface of it will always have a layer of aluminum oxide on it. It has been far too many years since I took college chemistry, but it sounds as if this was just some sort of galvanic reaction. It will not be perpetual.

I would encourage you to watch the video. He ruled that out.

Again, it does not technically appear to be a battery.

It seems to be a generator.

 

[SelfSim]

I question the purity of his 'water' (he provides no measurements of its pH for example).
It may also (likely) contain dissolved salts.

 

[HARK!]

There might be a clue in the direction of the water stream.

Why would the direction of the stream matter?

Maybe there is some galvanic action. Maybe the flow of the charge is being accelerated, carried more readily by the moving water.

[Update]

If I can't find a definitive explanation of what's happening here; I might have to build two of them.

I would take the first one and put it in still water. I would take the second one and put it in moving water. Then I would compare the corrosion on both sets of electrodes over time.

 

[Subduction Zone]

I would encourage you to watch the video. He ruled that out.

Again, it does not technically appear to be a battery.

It seems to be a generator.

How did he do that?

 

[HARK!]

I question the purity of his 'water' (he provides no measurements of its pH for example).
It may also (likely) contain dissolved salts.

So why was there no measurable current flow; when the electrodes were in still water, at room temperature?

 

[HARK!]

How did he do that?

Do what?

 

[ewq1938]

Two more of the same subject from same guy:

 

[HARK!]

Two more of the same subject from same guy:

In this video he says read the patent before asking questions. He said that there is great detail in the patent.

I guess that's what I need to do.

In this video he also obtains the same effect with two carbon rods. This completely rules out galvanic action.

Awesome!

 

[SelfSim]

This dude is just reinventing wet cell batteries!

 

[Sophrosyne]

I agree.... sounds just like a wet cell... chemical battery with 2 electrodes to it. Probably trying to con folks out of money on another hoax.

 

[SelfSim]

In this video he also obtains the same effect with two carbon rods. This completely rules out galvanic action.

How does what he's doing in those vids 'rule out' anything? There's no controls presented at all!
He keeps referring to some patent. Why don't you present that instead?

 

[HARK!]

Two more of the same subject from same guy:

In this video he presents a hypothesis as to why it works.

Great find!

I'm going to have fun experimenting with this.

 

[HARK!]

How does what he's doing in those vids 'rule out' anything? There's no controls presented at all!
He keeps referring to some patent. Why don't you present that instead?

Method and apparatus for generating electricity

 

[HARK!]

I agree.... sounds just like a wet cell... chemical battery with 2 electrodes to it. Probably trying to con folks out of money on another hoax.

Can you then explain how the one using like carbon rods works?

 

[SelfSim]

Can you then explain how the one using like carbon rods works?

Who says they're 'like carbon rods'? He presents no evidence of their composition .. in fact he mentions clay and wax in the manufacturing process and then says they can be extracted from existing batteries, (I think?), which contain electrolytes. The rods could well be contaminated for all we know!

The patent reads like gobbledygook to me. That dude seems to think 'a load circuit' generates current!? (ETA: I misread the layout of the patent application. However, he refers to 'a stream of water supplied by a household water faucet, the water having sufficient impurities to render it conductive'.)

Gee .. micro-amps can be generated by static electricity for goodness sake!

 

[Ceallaigh]

I remember a Barney Miller episode where someone was saying he had invented a perpetual battery. The brainy cop in the ensemble said "that's against the law". The inventor said "what law?" The cop replied "the law of physics".