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How to Build a SOLAR CELL That Really Works! ‘by Watt Noon © Copyright 1990 Lindssy PuNiatirs lnc Bey 160818 All rights ceserved. No patt of this book ‘ay be reproduced in oy form orby any etna without xriten pemaission from the publisher 1234567 a9 NOTICE OF DISCLAIMER ‘Theauthar ofthe bookie mat profesional enginer or bas he hod ermal taining hedesgnor operation of hep: Tenatot Wm amateur but bus been sce fuling and operating he Prnjectaacused here ‘Themmthodschathe ws andeterBer aro presenta atelyae deine freer aatectsingevsloping aca projec. Theprokel Exrsdengetows and dangers eve feon polnted ou watever Pos tbe Since the auinor ino’ prekrsioral ls el, teeernay well beter dangers valved ntfomutsingund opcranono he poet “Dhsanthor herby dicks ay lity farinprytopeesncor property thet may ren whle using ic proietbook, ahd thesuker Me nt inutnd by ths pubsaton ke explain a dadges known ot Unkvot Gta) ene he buiaing ahd operator Otis prope Liaiay Poblictons In. hor not bul thie project noe does at sess he oetheds dened Lindsay Pubcsticnelne assumes no Iaahy lnincrynpetsonorprepert atmayresliorthouse ce iniomaton ” Friction ofa munlern soir cl isa very complicate ard dcticte proces. fn ost cass, 9 ange alco ing is geome treme shal tye ina cen ean ond stele exer tment. Any dust or pase contamination even down 1 the Momicles during he growing preessehncempletiy nthe ingot lope must cally bekept foune par pértalion, “greg proces elf lon and ihe ery pare mater: alsreqdred are exemely coal Bocuse of is asing agen hh er ied mo tina aproninntay conte Terihic fen costa osm fdas o predce sfc coupled with he general mefoceney i8% yp calyjoreven tae moderncelshas apt te rctofphoteee tnctelietoohightbscsmpattive wither cours power Someday, lower cot production techs togelher wath wir iGcony laf inpentonet sree energy peeihe Until toe day when solar cll ae 25 omen tthe ar ken fr grate, he wea of Serene elect vey rom sug wl contin ig te invemorand experimenter Teas been sald that if ven 1% ofthe Sahar desert wore coveredveniberoden calls desribedwouldree Bas ‘sipply oor wortecurent energy nea. rth ance! walorenyentine some of he processes nd nated hal ate ow Bang istered orang a) energy into elctical energy, and 1 will show several Bile Tage processes for bunaing your nm ol cells completly from acatch ‘Keep in se fel he calls and proces descbed are expetinena. ‘Yu should have notre bing the cls hat vil be eared inthe Tolonsing paps Hecatious, se goed de sent aecommonaetoe naling techemlcteand het procssosdegcebed, Yeu ind tata spl solar el cat be EEtstractel by @ pesisent student. cell hat wil mak an ‘ishing siengelarprokee ‘Thvelsca! outpal rom the homemade cls described in twisgne wi bowel blow tho moder commercial cel, butihemateiancontisalso very low. ten actlean betel frodced for pnt! Th aa tn tency fs probably mere Misnimade up the redvcbon of est pice ‘A smal, arfully made sola al of approximately 2.1/2 siameter illprodocearouetsillamperchotcurrentn deck Snght ne is enough to drive a seaiive igh meter ot Excetncly sensitive rely, Hons ot these calls have ever been ‘sediyrumsmal cite Tr atiemping the prosemas tat flow, bu pint peta sew furs nthe begining, Afew esinclieore normal You ‘ell sour find thr fu eat consenly bold your own poe {aby soar can ta ime at al Taper mentwkntneprocadussdesribed. Youmaystumble onlon ethno produngerenmoreefinienelitiaa hav Tse suet he very carl The heels destibed can be “Sanger if abarcd ce shale. "Flere are anerimated 60 ion ilo of star etc vorgyavalatlin hencthembensphere Caprrescmcoft! ‘Chemicals That Have Photoelectric Propestics ‘There are a numberof elements and chermcal compounds that ean be usted to price photoekctric poser. They clude ‘itankum, selenium, thorium, cuprousoxde, and reals of the aikal group Including codum, potasiur, rubidium lthiur, ‘estar ond feanclum "Although youmay Kind any oftheseinteeating experiment ‘wit, moa wil produce only a very weak electrical caren a Furzent that coh be dificult 6 measure much Tess do nef were "The twa best substances for 4 homemade cell are, in my opinion, sclenium and coprous onde. Selenium Selenlum waserlensirely used in he production of eummer: lal solar colo before lle Although it can be 2 somewhal ‘itdcule to Fad a supplier and it & texte heavy mci, ite relatively nexponsiveandcanofienbefoundincld modelzasio Seis whete i assed inthe rectice ofthe power sippy Callector Steps Vy, Transparent Metal Film 1 fasambles Call Light Sensitive Metal Selenium Base * microAmperes Figure 1- Early Photo Cell of current 1 showshow selentumisused ina comacealphotoe- lec a A selenium photacel i made fram mw pate iteualy ir) with one ae beng covered ith a lyer of ‘sin Ave iieerotatverorgdt wepatenove ie ‘Siem yore lcm sora Siowsighre peetingh ele cat taped Secodd Andatctecaelecdledeccdecorrcssonthepaldor Sige neat ‘Wire ooataahedo the collect an thelronplatetodeliver theclericcttmnt othe lod alongh note greta catpal smote adem cell aselontum photsceanpreduaeasmich ts eight miliomperes foreach squae inch of surace aa ose to bright eight Cadortem Sulfide Cadnaum sulfide is probably the mast promising kew-coxt solarcall second only tesiicon. A vaduniunt sulle photocell is Shown ia figure Powor Out Tt, Metal Grid ‘Cadmium Sulfide Copper Sulphide Metal Foil you have an iterestin electrons, you will doubiely recognize cadow'urn slide (the common "CDS" oo) as the (matt used fn Nght detcting Grats. AMGwugis Inventors Rive rlizal for sore ne ata numberof metrslo ech as Cbninn sulfide chonge ter elactrcal restanes i he pres: neve igh, # has ony been in aay recent ns hal a ‘lana they could lap bo ed fo generate power. eee fi fun ies at coghibemase prodacedeicentiy using ‘il procadure ‘shore Fry thn layers ffs photomnative components are apart onia kan et, nur cal avalon aly ficient (5% typial mak ‘them a good stval for amorphaus sificon cells, oe "e "Fe ar drow backs a his ie til tas cos and @ south ster tr han leo els Ass Bapertmental Cell With Cuprnus Oxkde “Thebeatcallby fatfor theexperlmentertomakeisactlmate ‘withcuprousexide (Cu. Copper actually has two oxides aed aaigcaedcuprosondeandabackoldesiedcupre oxide Rote “The dark red cuprovs oxide as photoelectric properties but eiackcupetcoue dos not Te Bick ude tat fos oe ‘binds of your el ste removed beste ts page afd ‘Srttnot alo ight (ren neces active surtacs Use the comer as a handle, Bollaing a Ce Step. First cutapincoot pare sctcopperinie te size and shape you wah for your cell-Altiough 25 ch sk copper ‘ens aed forthe elle described eve fstebout soy thicken wilde. CCoppes isa soft metal and ray be cut with tn sips oreven ethan old pair of seiseors, although the selssors may beruined Torany otnertse ‘Acdrelar cll witha diameter of 21/2 inches typi] for ry nes Yo wl find hat youraybe init olor cell the hent oures you wil ae later Youmay want tobe a Tockirge eal 7 “as you eu thecopper bese tolcavea “andl” aothal you sway grip to cll wih pace ithout mating te calls active Detce Step2. Attia the suas of he must be made ec tremely can repare Sraubonotnicead aretully mixing 20 powrdincccd ond30 water Sercater tet pe suitable sve protection and fo work ina well ‘envilted area when fever you work with — Thesoawred Skis cleaned wile ac chemicals, IMPORTANT! ALWAYS ADD ACID TO WATER! ‘NEVER ADD WATER TO ACID! Boghn by carefully potahing the face ofthe cell with a fine sqndb of sec wollen bight. Then place tec Sinp ae up ntheaseton fain sed ‘Son ny bubbies will form on the copper disk, Se the spc stone. Wher ek se try and ‘leaned, remove ond rinse under nmning wale. ‘Make certaivneverteallow yoursKin toch Dee ach and satan ach eouans on te cll “The cel wil scmetimes work witout the acd cleaning itis sip wel py te sal ot mee aay red fhe oc leaning Mllncead sed he ober deals mentioned thetectean ‘eeanly orden froma uber of medl-aeder dere! hoses Sicha foun in the clasied sucton of mgaaines such 3 Popular Science Vou willalvofindweees mentioned ater i8 NS, publication ‘Step, Coprons ends now formed on thedlsk by heating et Banat bare, propane 1th. gs SE ca ‘sed bat esata my be unpredictable "ete dkmanbabaun areal depningen ane eal of Tie Wore aoe the Iickness aed st¢ of he copper ‘candor propane orc rem the hardware ore Endadistol he descr ete, found 2ntnutesand Osan ich youtet toon yout etuingat tinge to sorta ne ay prevent he Oxi itomionring ls hata sensitive aides ane formed by hering the dik foreeverat mite The healed on. one side only un iia red het, and skepteventy zed hat for 2 unutes 40 eo- conds by gently moving the fo tcech “Te ade ofthe col which i ot exposed tothe Hare vl > coud ith back cupric onde Underneath tis wacousde isthe pow senatve red cuprovsonide "ART heating your eal for the reseribed Hg, must be cael eet "Fhe are two ways to go about this, Youcan ‘ool the copper quiely by ether rleing It isce down ana Mat etl setae, of by Wall {nga few moments and Hen quenching tin ‘obl water: Ine advantage cooling te al ‘Gcly hatte umwanted ackeupconice Mlodenfakecttinclductotteditiererce in contact rates of the ones. Onfot: ‘ately havc had bod lack with he method Seepinextenetvsexpermeatton wth ce ‘erenttemperare tnd prosedures ‘What as worked ery well for me f (0 {ing hecell stomperataredownasdowly aa posallemaking sue te back owe dees Pet Eck ata One completely col the cls rmeraed inthe ‘imeetd bth You mat waite the aca begins disolve theblack oni. Then you remove and nse tec. “Avery waa anion feodum gyradecenabobeunewih 300d tails, However, you should beextemely creel when {eing th Cyanide is an exterely polaonous chemical, anit ‘sc denally mse with an ald con ernie ely fame. “Ais pint he Waccone covering thecal bela away wid steal wool and a Hele tbo grease. After all ofthe black oxide has been After stout cootng, smoved, your cell should ‘ediskisagaht Ineechiormentagat sind sth. deep redlon onesie Don’t ‘Bale ack ony if the very cutie reseed get of yourcell Gott hare tithe wa the conting this i duc > un evencoolingandiencrmal,” ©) ‘Keepinmind thatthered coat ing must not be scratched oF scraped ancay to reveal the bare copper plate beneath. If this hap- pore dhe cell might short in the fal fep and not work st al Testing Athongh you calls net gute compte eden ow seen Lays Saperecom le seem ee ui cell for a science fait or other _E Gnouincenesmorean fy Saari eetr tent She the caprose one sil Ty soigncestnarsouce or thts creat ol be SN ee ie oreo Bespin aaa eh aauemmpectoy Ning See Th Need conboner ea ey cy Seage Selanne ene sree ara waoene A cmc ith ee onic it ae Tal that simply Rackong 9 whe sells woe ‘One excelent rsthod ofmakingeltcin|contact with Bisangesufoceares byattachinge wire grd wi, Abeterseayieloapply seria [Byer of silver ar gold ealed a transparent elected which will ‘pe desribad neta later ‘Steal arieated ut eonporery transparent electrode can ve muaderoracalt water solvation of altorscd wel candct Seatcity and also pesslightio eas Depa saa soem of ‘Sit ceoter om tothe enter of cel Nake se Ina he woot ‘ests oly onthe cuprous exe an doesnot touch any Othe {ellscoppersurtae ‘Nextatachone wire from galvanomueter digital oltciter vcthorverysenstvemeterdiactly bsomesxpenedportionoy the ells oppor surface, Usually te back o te edges have Som oxposed pper, Touchttwother mtu ead tthe surace Stik mer Tir wil spring to Next bringabrightscurcet light och aca 00 wattbelbasar thea Themetershouldshow aslighly smaLervoltagea the light spprunches, Your ell chacwing som of fe light nto lciiy bt having fe counteract the cent generated by ihecallter, ence te drop nvolage Thea water actly Bis as an eletolyle and with Der oxide generates ls OW ferent st ag 4 sme Patter sot. ‘Another way that you can Se your cell isby makings whe tected forthe uta. This ndane spl by cil s0 gauge silver plated vite as shown in gure? acl by alin gales cuproms xi sriace witha sheet glee 4 good "hoki Inco ie wane sround a cone shape dowel Or Set ‘pat atm ondes trae pod, evan pals. Make re Hh the wre touches the coprous oniGe onlyrend none th ive Rf seaplyaltachng one sine ot yourawnstie notre voltote orks baad ta the iver Wore and ome tothe ls ‘sportd copper younillbeabictorepisteranmalcurcent en aligari ought car. {Bthis for, the cell can be operated indutinfuly and malas anexclletdiplay ‘Making The Silvering Solution ‘etal sepin nlngourora ra ibe nate Uipeged bane Tatton jobegliliceertnaeaan hc oitiapeaats Sb sendin hesitate