Energy It With Sodium (However Please Don’t)

[Applied Science] has a brand new demo of an previous Nineteen Seventies patent for a portable generator that’s each attention-grabbing and terrifying. The generator makes use of sodium and water, which, when you keep in mind your previous chemistry lessons, will combust spontaneously. Turns out, although, it gained’t when you draw energy from it quick sufficient. Don’t draw sufficient energy? BOOM, apparently. Check it out within the video under.

Of course, lithium-ion batteries would possibly catch hearth, too, however this appears to be like much more probably. The patent made some wild claims about how a lot you may draw from the gadget, however the video reveals that sensible outcomes are considerably much less.

Mechanically, a spinning metallic disk has a sodium electrode extraordinarily near it. Water flows by means of the tiny hole, and electrical energy will circulation between the 2 electrodes. This appears to be the one sensible gadget constructed on this precept that’s obtainable to the general public. We presume the unique inventor constructed one thing, however there’s no report of it.

The mechanical challenges are apparent. You have to hook up with the spinning disk. In addition, because the sodium electrode goes away, you need to hold narrowing the hole. The patent mentions a spring, however doesn’t present any particulars.

We have been anticipating a slip ring association, however the resistance was too excessive. That led him to make use of a liquid-metal contact with a do-it-yourself alloy of gallium, indium, and tin. The unique disk was made with chrome steel. Later, he plated the disk with nickel to enhance the conductivity.

This doesn’t appear very sensible and positively appears unsafe, however it’s nonetheless fairly cool. If you do attempt to duplicate this from the info on GitHub, he has some concepts on how you can make it work higher.

Of course, there are sodium-ion batteries. We’ve even seen liquid sodium-based fuel.