Homemade solar cell

[margusten]

Hi to everybody!

I found this story:

http://www.fieldlines.com/story/2005/5/3/205028/6819

 and wanted to try this homemade solar cell.

Till now I have seen only 150mA from this cell.

May be problem is that my lense is only 90mm diametre. Can't find bigger ones available.

I have a lot of different old (USSR)transistors. Here are some pictures.

All they can produce some energy. I can see that little compound on cristal makes it worse, the size of cristal doesn't affect much to output current.

[willib]

do you know if those are/were  power transistors ?

what was the voltage at 150mA ?

[margusten]

Yes those are power transistors 30...100W in TO-3 can, like 2N3055 is.

They can handle 10 ... 20A current. You can see from pictures how thick wires to cristal they have.

I can get 0,5...0,55V from single transistor. 30 Transistors in series will produce 15V - enough to charge 12V battery.

To build such solar panel You need also 30 big lenses or mirrors!

Here is more pictures:

Margus