interesting thing-other types of electric power

[bogdanfirst]

i know that the suply we use the most in for our circuits is a bench PSU, an adapter, or any other type wich converts from mains to a voltage we use in circuits. also batteries are very used. on some ocasions we might use a solar cell or even a dynamo.
but now i wanna talk about other types of power for the circuits.
i am curious if anybody used or knows how to use other methods to generate energy: potato power, beer power, plant power and so on. i have tried some of those(the potato, building a potato powered radio), but i am curious if anyone has used the beer power(i dont know how to get power from beer, i just heart that it is possible), or maybe the plant power, wich i tried and works, but you need lots of plants to produce a voltage big enough to flash a led in a very economic way.
also there is the posibility to generate power from a lemon and 2 electrodes of Cu and Zn. this works best, but for a little time
aother posibility is to use salt in water or better copper sulfate(CuSO4).
so did anybody use these other types of electric power? got any ideas, or do you know any other ways to generate electricity for different aplications?

 

[kinjalgp]

Well, I use to try these potato and lemon things when I was in school. But I was not satisfied with them since they don't last long and don't have much power to run even a small motor. But one thing I liked the most was the water cell. It is made by sandwitchig small piece of sponge in between copper and zinc plates. Thats it! This cell can power your digital watch for more than 2 weeks! Isn't that amazing? After that all you have to do is dip the cell in glass of water and forget it for nect two weeks.

 

[bogdanfirst]

o! great idea.....
a littel bit hard to find the Zn, but ill manedge. does it work if you replace the water?
how about improoving if you add something in the water.
now, i don mean to use these methods to power something, just for fun and testing....
hm....i like your idea, i wonder if anybody has other....
how about buiding a hidorgen cells....i read something in computer magazine that they are trying to develop hidrogen power for portable devices.....

 

[kinjalgp]

Hydrogen is dangerous and I don't want to do a blast in my house!
Regarding Zinc, you can get it by breaking AA size dry batteries. The container of the battery (cathode) is made up of zinc. Don't forget to wear rubber gloves because acid in the battery can burn your hands.

 

[bogdanfirst]

yes thats the rpoblem about hidrogen......BOOM!
thanks for the zinc idea.