HOW TO - Make a homemade battery using fermented grass

Dsdsdasdsafigure5
Here's how to make a homemade battery using fermented grass cut from your lawn, thanks Franco - Link.

Posted by Phillip Torrone | Jan 2, 2008 01:00 AM
DIY Projects, Green | Permalink | Comments (8) | Email This | Bookmark and Share | Digg this!

Recent Entries

Comments

Oldest comments listed first.

Posted by: Daniel Rutter on January 2, 2008 at 2:11 AM

The fermented grass is just the electrolyte in this battery, which is a couple of ordinary copper/zinc cells. Any similarly conductive liquid - like water with a bit of salt in it - would do the same job.

Don't get me wrong - I'm all for someone who decided to ferment some grass and only after doing so moved on to figuring out what it might be good for.

But he does not appear to have made very much of a breakthrough in the burgeoning field of improvised electrochemistry.


Posted by: CHRIS on January 2, 2008 at 7:36 AM

That battery may have worked better if he used an
older penny new penny's are made of zinc. Ones made
before 1984-85 where all copper.


Posted by: robot/human on January 2, 2008 at 9:46 AM

The older penny idea wouldn't really make a difference. The older pennies were solid copper, but the surface area is the only part that matters, so it really shouldn't matter if the penny is solid copper or only zinc with a copper coating, like they are today.


Posted by: bitrex on January 2, 2008 at 9:56 AM

1.87 volts - but probably an output impedance of 10 million ohms :(


Posted by: Anon on January 2, 2008 at 2:55 PM

Maybe my basic electronics are wrong but if he connected those "cells" in parallel couldn't he have squeezed more amps out of it (in exchange for halving the voltage difference). Might not get much use from .8 volts though I suppose.


Posted by: tachikomatic on January 2, 2008 at 5:09 PM

Well, .8 volts with a few hundred amps available, and you could have a grass powered stick welder! So, a couple dozen tractor trailers worth of these should do the trick


Posted by: Tachikomatic on January 2, 2008 at 5:14 PM

Addendum to previous post:
Assuming the cells are wired in parallel.


Posted by: rob on January 3, 2008 at 12:28 PM

If you pronounce natural logarithm ln(x) as "lawn x"(I don't know, do americans say that?) , then the nernst equation becomes hilarious. I think that's the point of this.


Leave a comment


Subscribe to MAKE!Subscribe to MAKE Magazine!

Subscribe today, save 42% and get web access to MAKE free. MAKE Digital Edition is available only to subscribers.

$34.95 / 1 year
(4 Quarterly Issues)

Subscribe now

How-to videos for Makers and Crafers!


Void your warranty, violate a user agreement, fry a circuit, blow a fuse, poke an eye out... Welcome to the Make Blog!

Features and more @ MAKE!

Maker shed - cool stuff to make!
Stop by the Maker Shed store and check out THE place for open source hardware, Arduino & Arduino accessories, electronic kits, science kits, smart stuff for kids, back issues of MAKE & CRAFT, box sets, books, robots, kits from Japan and more.

Add MAKE to iGoogle - GoogleGoogle.
Add MAKE to your RSS reader - Real simple.
Add MAKE on Twitter.
Add MAKE on FriendFeed & the MAKE room.


Advertise here with FM.

Why advertise on MAKE?
Read what folks are saying about us!

Click here to advertise on MAKE!

Subscribe to MAKE Magazine!

Makezine authors!


Suggest a Site!

Phillip Torrone
Senior Editor
Tel: 707-827-7311
Twitter / AIM

Gareth Branwyn
Jonah Brucker-Cohen
Collin Cunningham
Marc de Vinck
Kip Kay
Luke Iseman
Patti Schiendelman
Becky Stern
Mike Dixon
Peter Horvath(intern)


Current Podcast

itunesdl.gif The Best of Maker Faire Austin 2008 Check out all the fun and excitement at this year's Maker Faire in Austin, Texas. People from all over the world came to experience this amazing event. Take a look at some of the highlights and make plans to... More...

Get the Make blog sent via email

Enter your email to receive the Make blog each day:



WOW! Thanks to everyone involved with Maker Faire Bay Area and Maker Faire Austin in 2008: attendees, makers, exhibitors, sponsors, volunteers, and crew...it was an AMAZING year! Over 1,000 Makers and 87,000+ attendees total! Be sure to check out the photos @ Flickr, and our Maker Faire posts for all the action! Check back for dates for 2009 soon!

Make Categories

www.flickr.com
photos in MAKE More photos in MAKE Flickr Pool
www.flickr.com
photos in Craft More photos in Craft Flickr Pool

Advertise here.
Why advertise on MAKE?
Read what folks are saying about us!

Click here to advertise on MAKE!
Subscribe to MAKE Magazine!

Recent Posts from the Craft: Blog

Recent Posts from the Hackszine Blog