Hey everyone! I'm working on a school project to create an electromagnetic inductor aimed at generating electricity using a magnetic field. The plan is to generate AC voltage from the magnetic field, send it through a homemade bridge rectifier for conversion to DC, and then use a 2.7V, 5F capacitor for smoothing before powering an LED. However, I'm running into issues since the LED isn't lighting up. Any insights or tips on what I might be doing wrong would be really appreciated!
3 Answers
Your concept is cool, but a 5F cap is pretty overkill for this project. Those are designed for big power applications, like car subwoofers! A 100-400µF capacitor would be much better suited for your needs and will be easier to work with. Also, remember that diodes typically have a drop of about 0.6-1V, so you'll need your generator to produce at least 3V for a red LED to light up. Try searching for "human-powered energy science project" for more ideas!
I think the issue might be with your supercapacitor. A 5F capacitor can take ages to charge, especially with a makeshift inductor setup. Make sure your inductor has enough windings to generate a voltage high enough to overcome the rectifier's drop. Maybe consider switching to a smaller capacitor, like around 100µF, to help things out.
Have you checked the voltage coming into the rectifier? It’s a good idea to measure what you're getting there and see what output voltage is reaching the LED. That could give you some clues about the problem.