We make a flashlight without batteries. DIY flashlight that works without batteries Using old batteries in a flashlight
First, let's do a little experiment. We take a piezo emitter, solder two wires to it, and to the wires . It should be taken into account that the plus of the piezo head is the center, and the minus is the rest. Observing the polarity, we connect the LED to the wires, place the piezo head on the table and strike it several times with a pencil or any plastic object. Voila! During impacts, the LED flashes! It is this phenomenon that we will use to charge our power source.
And now the most important thing is the power source itself. Everyone is very familiar with voltage capacitors and our source is precisely a capacitor, but a capacitor with a capacity of 1 FARAD! Yes, yes, you heard right, exactly 1 farad. I took out such a capacitor from the panel of the car radio, but you can buy it at radio markets or in radio parts stores, or, as a last resort, break the car radio and take it out from the part where the board is common with the amplifier.
You definitely won’t confuse this detail with anything else: black, two legs and the inscription 5.5 volts, but this is a capacitor with a capacity of 0.3 farads. See photos of condensers below. The round one has a capacity of 1 farad, and the rectangular one has a capacity of 0.3 farad. You can get two 0.3 farad containers and connect them in parallel or 3 each. A capacitance of 1 farad is enough for a 5-minute LED glow. Of course, by reducing the current, this time can be significantly increased.
We insert the piezo heads into the pipe as shown in the picture, but before that we take a plastic ball and also insert it into the pipe so that it is in the space between the heads. Next, we glue the heads to the pipe with instant glue and wait until the glue dries. When it is dry, we take silicone and re-fix the heads, thus transferring the strength of the entire flashlight structure. The LED is ordinary white, you should not use powerful, super-bright ones - it will hold less charge. After one minute of shaking, the capacitor will be fully charged.
Any power switch will do. The capacitor is charged very simply - by moving the flashlight up and down. Thus, the ball strikes the piezoceramic heads and the latter, in turn, generate current. Any low-power diodes. Agree, the design is as simple as shelling pears and requires virtually no cash outlay. Author - AKA.
Discuss the article FLASHLIGHT WITHOUT BATTERIES
A flashlight is an indispensable thing. And if this is an eternal flashlight, then it simply has no price. It can come in handy at any moment: there is a power outage in the apartment, an unforeseen situation can happen on a trip, in the garage, at the dacha. Just imagine what will happen if the battery runs out at the most inopportune moment. But if the flashlight has a dynamo, then there is nothing to worry about. You will always be with the light.
What is a dynamo lantern
The dynamo flashlight is different from others in that it does not have batteries. It may have:
- a handle that must be turned to recharge;
- a lever that can be pressed repeatedly to facilitate charging;
- There is another option - just shake the lantern, and an hour of work is guaranteed.
The eternal flashlight can work without a time limit. The service life depends on the durability of the light bulb built into it. Modern dynamo flashlight - LED. It can work for more than ten years continuously due to autonomous charging.
It is also called a Faraday flashlight. The device is quite simple. The lamp has a metal core and a coil. When they interact, an electric current arises. The eternal flashlight is equipped with a Ni-Mh battery. One or more LED lamps are installed in the lantern. If there is one lamp, then it is placed in the center, if there are several, then around the center.
The functionality of this device for the hunter
A rechargeable dynamo flashlight, due to the fact that it does not require batteries to function, is in demand by hunters, fishermen and tourists. Real dynamo lights are quite expensive, but they serve the purpose - they really last a long time and provide a decent level of quality.
The Eternal Flashlight is indispensable for true trackers. There is no need to save money when choosing a flashlight.
Advantages of a Faraday flashlight:
- Compact, light. A quality dynamo light is waterproof. Such lamps are very light in weight, they are compact, and have excellent protection against damage and shock.
- Multifunctionality. Using a flashlight you can charge phones and cameras. Many models are multifunctional because they have built-in compasses and receivers.
- A large assortment. Choosing a timeless flashlight from a huge variety is very difficult. There are many models, they differ in designs. There are small models, they reach only 5 cm in length. Faraday flashlights come in different power, functionality and designs. Everyone can choose according to their taste, capabilities and needs.
Model overview
There are quite a large number of options for eternal flashlights, designed for various situations and for use in performing various jobs.
Flashlight "Universal"
A Faraday flashlight does not have batteries. You can use it without replacing lamps for 11 years. It withstands wet weather well and can be used even in the rain. The capacitor has a large electrical capacity. In order for the device to charge, you just need to shake it. The LED is equipped with a lens, so the luminous flux power is increased.
Lightweight and compact. Made of plastic.
"Hight Power Headlamp" - headlamp model
This option is very convenient because you don’t need to hold it in your hands. It is attached to the forehead using elastic bands. Works without batteries.
There is a charger for charging. Using a cord, it is connected to a charger equipped with a rotating handle. After working the pen for a minute, you can illuminate the space for an hour. The device can be used to recharge a mobile phone. The adapters are designed to charge a Nokia phone. It has small dimensions: 5 x 6 cm. The body is made of plastic.
"Dynamo VIP"
A special feature is the availability of additional options. This model can serve as chargers for mobile phones and cameras. Charging will be enough for half an hour of operation of electronic devices. All additional adapters are included.
It can operate in two modes, weak on one LED and normal on three. Charging for a minute provides light for one hour.
Overall dimensions - 15.5 x 5.5 x 4.5 cm, plastic case.
"Piranha"
This model also does not require batteries. There is a handle on the body, the rotation of which charges the battery.
3 minutes of rotating the knob - 40 minutes of continuous illumination. Three LEDs installed. It has several operating modes - flashing, gentle mode with 1 LED and normal mode, when all three LEDs light evenly. Impervious to water, can work successfully at a depth of 10 meters. The rotation angle is 320 degrees. It is very convenient - it can be secured and rotated in the desired direction.
Overall dimensions are 151x50x40 mm. Weight is approximately 150 g. The model comes in a plastic shell.
Solar powered models
These models are presented in the form of an LED flashlight powered by light energy. The body of the light device is equipped with a solar battery, which is the main source of energy. For most models, this source is not the only one. There is also a dynamo built into the housing.
The handle leading to the dynamo rotates to power it. This action charges the battery. Thus, this model works both from light energy (solar battery) and from a dynamo. Due to this combination, the operating life of the flashlight increases. It can operate on these energy sources for an hour and a half. If the lamp goes out, it can always be recharged dynamically.
The advantage of the model is its resistance to moisture. It can remain operational at a depth of five meters under water. LEDs installed in the flashlight can “live” 50,000 hours.
Dimensions of the light device: 147x 61x 45 mm. Weight is about 180 g. The body is made of plastic.
Models equipped with a radio and emitting a siren sound
The device is multifunctional. It has a convenient ergonomic housing, in which a fairly powerful LED is installed. The housing contains a radio receiver and a signaling system equipped with a siren. Such functions will be appreciated by tourists, mushroom and berry pickers, gardeners and car enthusiasts.
The good thing about a dynamo flashlight is that it is independent of the power source. The light device has a manual mechanical drive, with which you can charge the flashlight if there is no power supply nearby. The kit is equipped with headphones, and a speaker is built into the body. Manual charging takes a minute. This is enough for the lantern to shine for ten minutes without interruption.
The downside of this option is that it is susceptible to water.
Video
Watch in our video? how to upgrade the simplest dynamo lantern.
In the USSR, the definition of “flashlight without a battery” meant flashlights like this with a dynamic speaker. It was also a very useful device for household use, especially since the batteries were not cheap and had a short shelf life, and a flashlight could be needed suddenly.
Some time ago, a simple design of a homemade flashlight without batteries in a completely budget version became widespread. Such flashlights are made from syringes, tubes and other suitable things. It really works without a battery and almost forever.
Here's a look at this manufacturing option:
The basis of such a lighting device is a simple Faraday generator, which even a schoolchild can make if desired.
Principle of operation
The operation of the “eternal flashlight” is based on several inductance coils that you can assemble yourself. In it, by moving a rod of permanent magnets, an electric current is generated. It is converted to direct current using a rectifier (diode bridge). A supercapacitor plays an important role in the design, which allows it to accumulate charge. It is necessary so that the device does not have to be shaken constantly. This is followed by a step-up transformer made of a toroidal ferrite coil and two windings (base and collector). The number of turns should be from 20 to 50. The transformer should have three transistor outputs. It increases the current pulses to a level sufficient to operate the LED.
Materials and tools
To create an “eternal flashlight” you will need copper wire (0.5 mm), PVC pipe (diameter 20 mm), a low-power reverse conduction transistor, a resistor, a diode bridge or a 2W1 rectifier and round neodymium magnets with dimensions of 15x3 mm. In addition, you need a 1F 5.5V ionistor (supercapacitor), a white 5V LED, a switch button, plywood and cotton wool. You will also need insulated copper wire and transparent glue.
Tools must include a soldering iron, a hacksaw, a file, sandpaper and a hot glue gun.
The working process
First, the flashlight body is made from PVC pipe. From the center of the tube we mark segments of 1.5 cm in each direction. After this, it is necessary to install a copper wire with a cross-section of 0.5 mm. You will need 10-15 cm of wire.
It is wound onto the housing tube. It will take a long time to wind, in total it will be about a thousand turns. We fix the connections with glue. At its thickest point, the winding should be about 0.5 cm. The ends of the wire are sanded.
We make a magnetic core. The required length of the rod is determined experimentally. After this, it is necessary to establish the potential difference. At this stage, you can connect the LED and check the functionality of the design. Then we “jam” both ends of the tube.
There is very little left. We connect a rectifier, autotransformer and resistor to the structure in accordance with the diagram. A capacitor of sufficient capacity is also selected experimentally. The circuit is closed by a bipolar transistor. We mount the switch button on one of the contacts. Install the LED.
In our world, quite a lot of people are engaged in homemade experiments in home laboratories and workshops. For some, it is a way to assert themselves, for others, it is a desire to develop their abilities. So what if it’s an experiment made from hastily glued parts. The main thing is that the device or circuit works. Today we will analyze just such an invention, made practically on our knees. However, it is based on unshakable principles and laws of physics that cannot be denied.
We will talk about a flashlight that works without batteries. Perhaps someone has already seen on the Internet the simplest Faraday generator, which allows you to light a small LED with a few movements of the conductor in the winding. Assemblies from an almost dead battery, autotransformer and transistor, which are capable of powering a 3V LED at an initial voltage of tenths of a volt, are also no longer uncommon.
Here the author went a little further, modernizing the device circuit, adding a rectifier, a supercapacitor (ionistor), resistance and completely eliminating the power source. As a result, the flashlight's operation has become much more stable and efficient. And if you shake the case for a few minutes, it can be charged for a long time of LED operation. How it works? Let's figure it out.
Principle of operation
The device consists of several inductors that you can assemble yourself. The primary inductor actually serves as a power source or completely replaces its usual counterpart - the battery. Due to the movement of a rod of permanent magnets in it, an electric current is induced. Due to the oscillatory movements in the magnetic field, electric waves are created emanating from the coil at a certain frequency. A rectifier or diode bridge helps stabilize them and convert them into direct current.
Without a storage capacity, such a device would have to be constantly shaken, so the next element in the circuit is a supercapacitor that can be recharged like a battery. Next, a step-up transformer or voltage converter is connected, which consists of a toroidal ferrite coil and two windings - base and collector. The number of turns can be the same, and is usually 20-50. The transformer has a middle connection point at opposite ends of both windings, and three outputs to the transistor. An autotransformer increases tiny current pulses into enough current to operate the LED, and a bipolar transistor is connected to control them. A similar electrical circuit has different names in different sources: joule thief, blocking generator, Faraday generator, etc.
The necessary resource base for homemade products
Materials:
- PVC pipe, diameter 20 mm;
- Copper wire, diameter – 0.5 mm;
- Low-power reverse conduction transistor;
- Neodymium magnets are round, size 15x3 mm;
- Diode bridge or rectifier 2W10;
- Resistor;
- Supercapacitor or ionistor 1F 5.5V
- Switch button;
- LED white or blue at 5V;
- Transparent epoxy resin type adhesive;
- Hot glue;
- Pieces of plywood, cotton wool;
- Copper wiring insulation.
Tools:
- Soldering iron;
- Hot glue gun;
- Hacksaw for metal;
- File, sandpaper.
Flashlight making process
We will make the body of the flashlight from PVC pipes. Mark a segment 16 cm long and cut it with a hacksaw.
From the center of the segment we mark 1.5 cm in each direction. This results in a winding area 3 cm wide.
Next, we take a copper wire with a cross-section of 0.5 mm, leave one end about 10-15 cm long, and wind the wire onto the flashlight body tube according to the markings manually. You will have to wind quite a lot, more than half a thousand turns. The first few of them can be fixed with glue. We press the initial row of the coils tightly against each other, and make it strictly consistent.
At its maximum points the winding should be approximately half a centimeter thick. We clean both ends of the wire with sandpaper for reliable soldering.
The movable magnetic core of the coil can be either solid or assembled in parts. Neodymium magnets are selected according to the inner diameter of the PVC tube. The required length of the magnetic rod is experimentally obtained, through the vibrations of which an electric current will be created.
On the oscilloscope scale you can see the difference between the potentials obtained from the vibrations of one and ten magnets. The author received a voltage of 4.5V from the oscillations of the magnetic rod. It also clearly shows the cyclicity of the sinusoid in intervals of varying frequency.
At this stage, following the example of the author, you can connect an LED directly to the output ends of the coil and check its performance. As you can see in the photo, the LED reacts to the movement of the magnetic rod and the pulse current it creates.
Now you need to plug both ends of the tube so as not to hold them with your hands while shaking. To do this, use the same hacksaw to cut out several patches of plywood, process the edges with a file, line them with cotton wool on the back side to soften them, and place them on glue so they don’t fall out.
It's time to connect the rectifier. The diagram shown in the photo shows which two of its four contacts are connected to the coil. Such a diode bridge is capable of receiving alternating current and delivering direct current in strictly one direction.
A step-up autotransformer will help convert low spontaneous pulses from the primary coil into sufficient voltage to operate the LED due to the self-induction of one of the windings - the collector. Since it is connected to the base winding, a constant and stable electric current will be supplied to the supercapacitor in sufficient quantity. The resistor will limit the excess of permissible values. A capacitor of sufficient capacity was also selected by the author experimentally using measurements of outgoing signals with an oscilloscope.
This circuit is closed by a reverse bipolar transistor, which controls the incoming electric current to the LED. You can assemble the circuit without a board, since there are not many parts. We mount the switch button on one of the contacts coming from the autotransformer.
The author chose to assemble his improvised flashlight design using hot glue, while simultaneously improving the insulation of the contact groups. The switch button is located on the side of the flashlight body. The author pasted the main elements of the circuit one on top of the other from one of the ends. The closing element remains the LED, which can be enhanced with protective glass or a reflector.
Despite the unsightly appearance of the device, suitable only for laboratory-experimental home-made products, such a flashlight is quite functional and, on occasion, will not let the darkness disappear. It is easy to assemble such a circuit at home and at minimal cost. And the complete absence of batteries makes it a truly useful device for various emergency situations.
A group of enthusiastic engineers have created a unique flashlight that can be charged from the human body. This makes it a virtually endless source of light, small, but sometimes very necessary. A flashlight is the thing that rightfully falls into the “Must-Have” category.
Everyone should always have a pocket flashlight - you never know when it will come in handy. You need to have it at home in case of a power outage, in the car, or on a trip out of town. However, everyone who has had a personal flashlight at least once in their life, large or small, powerful or not, has encountered such a problem as dead batteries. This is very unpleasant, especially at a crucial moment, to discover that the flashlight does not shine or shines in such a way that, at best, you can highlight its location in a dark space.
A group of enthusiastic inventors managed to solve this problem. Why use batteries when you can use a thermoelectric generator in flashlights? Of course, this technology is not applicable for a powerful “spotlight”, but for small pocket flashlights it is simply ideal. It was on the basis of TEG that it was created Lumen flashlight.
The principle of operation of Lumen, as well as its design, is incredibly simple. The idea is based on the already mentioned thermoelectric generator. The flashlight uses multiple LEDs to project light. The glow power is quite enough to read a book in pitch darkness! The flashlight itself is incredibly small, literally “finger-sized”.
The device body is made of aluminum. The device weighs only 45 grams. The flashlight TEG is launched provided that there is a source of thermal energy (heat) from 28 degrees Celsius. The ideal option in this case is the human body. On the body of the flashlight there is a special groove for your finger, pressing which Lumen turns on and starts working. The flashlight can work almost without interruption. It also has a small battery and capacitor built into it.
In the warm season, the flashlight is slightly charged even from the air around it, provided that its temperature is not lower than the set level. The device is currently under crowdfunding campaign. To implement the project, the creators needed only 5 thousand dollars. In 2 days of collections, the company exceeded the established limit by 328%! Lumen will hit the market in the first half of 2016. The cost of the device will be 15 US dollars.
It will appeal to gadget lovers and is an indispensable travel companion.
