Crystal Batteries - Practical Applications?

[shob77]

My understanding of these leads me to believe these are more piezoelectric generators and not so much a battery. I'm curious to know if anyone has tinkered with these and have found any practical applications.

 

[Diver300]

They are often used in gas igniters.

I think that the current is too low / too intermittent for most uses, but the big voltage available means that they can produce a good spark.

 

[jpanhalt]

Piezo devies are not batteries.

If you have heard of "crystal batteries" please give a link. There is something about the chemical reactions necessary in batteries and maintaining a crystal lattice that seem incompatible.

John

 

[cowboybob]

Piezo devies are not batteries.

Yeah John, of course; no piezo effect involved. Simple chemical reaction batteries.

Anodes and cathodes are "beefier" than normal and the loads applied are generally very low (since thay can't produce much current to begin with) so their apparent life span just seems extended. Practical applications are, as a result, limited.

Short explication (pun intended) on the subject: https://www.thenakedscientists.com/forum/index.php?topic=50200.0

 

[alec_t]

I'd not heard of them before, but it seems they exist.

 

[jpanhalt]

When "crystal" in the name is a registered trademark, that in itself makes me suspicious. I have an insecticide that is called "Golden Malrin." Of course, gold has nothing to do with it.

I wonder whether the actual battery may be a glass, rather than a crystal? Anyway, I don't consider some free-energy "researcher" much of an authority on anything except selling stuff to the gullible.

EDIT:

Maybe before we get too deeply into discussion of our own interpretations of what a "crystal battery" would be, shob77 should define what he means by that term. And if possible, he should specify what materials are used for the electrodes.

John

 

[AnalogKid]

A few years ago there was a tech news item about a shopping mall putting a large array (30 x 30 feet?) of piezo transducers under the entrance to turn the energy of walking people into electricity. Interesting idea.

ak

 

[alec_t]

Interesting, but impractical .
Using round numbers, if we assume a footstep applies 100Kg to a piezo element which deflects 1mm, the energy imparted is ~ 1 Joule (if my maths is right!). Each customer takes 10 paces to cross the array on entering the mall and another 10 on exiting. With 10k customers per day the energy harvested (at 100% efficiency, naturally ) is 10k*2*10 J = 200kJ. Since 1 KWh = 3.6MJ, it will take 3.6/0.2 = 18 days to harvest one measly unit of electricity!

 

[Nigel Goodwin]

It was intended solely for publicity, not for any practical application