Does anyone know how to make a "perpetual" clock using batteries made from Potassium Chloride ?

[Timmit]

Hello,

I'm new to this forum and hope that I'm posting in the correct sub-forum.  My apologies if not.

I was wondering if anyone has ever heard of anyone making a "perpetual" clock powered by batteries made with potassium chloride?  In the past I found a website from someone who made and experimented with this type of clock. They had a working model of it.  The clock wasn't really perpetual, but apparently was expected to run for a lifetime (or close to it).

If I remember correctly the batteries were made in cardboard tubes and arranged around the clock. I also think that there might have been a glass dome covering the clock.  I can't remember what the clock mechanism consisted of, but since I planned on building one, I would assume that it was just a regular purchased clock mechanism. 

I'm sure that the chemical was potassium chloride because that's what the "no-salt" seasoning is made from and is readily available.  We have it in our cupboard right now.  Because of this I was thinking that it would be a good project to make.

This was a current project made with modern materials.  

I was sure that I had saved the link and sent it myself in an email but I can't find it anywhere.

I came up empty searching the internet.  I can't even seem to find any mention of a Potassium chloride battery like the one that I'm almost positive that I remember correctly.  What I remember was a dry (or slightly moistened) powder  that was pressed into a cardboard tube.  A current internet search finds batteries that seem completely different and are made with a liquid in a jar. 

If anyone has any knowledge or information that they could share I would greatly appreciate it.

It kills me that I can't find the original web-page.

 

Thank you in advance.

Regards,

Tim

 

 

 

Edited July 16, 2022 by Timmit
more clarification

[OldChemE]

I don't know how to do the potassium chloride part, but if you are thinking of doing this do not go for a standard clock mechanism.  Instead, look up "Anniversary Clock."  An anniversary clock is a delicately balanced mechanism inside a glass housing that uses metal balls that rotate around a thin vertical flexible shaft.  They rotate in one direction until the twist of the shaft stops them, then rotate in the opposite direction, etc, etc.  The very tiny energy loss from the back and forth rotation is made up by the battery.  With an ordinary "C" battery the anniversary clock I have has been keeping correct time for several years now without a battery change.  With a better battery system you might achieve the "perpetual" goal.

[exchemist]

19 hours ago, Timmit said:

Hello,

I'm new to this forum and hope that I'm posting in the correct sub-forum.  My apologies if not.

I was wondering if anyone has ever heard of anyone making a "perpetual" clock powered by batteries made with potassium chloride?  In the past I found a website from someone who made and experimented with this type of clock. They had a working model of it.  The clock wasn't really perpetual, but apparently was expected to run for a lifetime (or close to it).

If I remember correctly the batteries were made in cardboard tubes and arranged around the clock. I also think that there might have been a glass dome covering the clock.  I can't remember what the clock mechanism consisted of, but since I planned on building one, I would assume that it was just a regular purchased clock mechanism. 

I'm sure that the chemical was potassium chloride because that's what the "no-salt" seasoning is made from and is readily available.  We have it in our cupboard right now.  Because of this I was thinking that it would be a good project to make.

This was a current project made with modern materials.  

I was sure that I had saved the link and sent it myself in an email but I can't find it anywhere.

I came up empty searching the internet.  I can't even seem to find any mention of a Potassium chloride battery like the one that I'm almost positive that I remember correctly.  What I remember was a dry (or slightly moistened) powder  that was pressed into a cardboard tube.  A current internet search finds batteries that seem completely different and are made with a liquid in a jar. 

If anyone has any knowledge or information that they could share I would greatly appreciate it.

It kills me that I can't find the original web-page.

 

Thank you in advance.

Regards,

Tim

 

 

 

I imagine KCl will be the electrolyte only. You will also need electrodes of different metals, to create an electrochemical cell. A digital clock is often chosen for the demonstration as it only requires a tiny current, at a voltage of 1V or less, to to work. The classic clock battery of this kind is made by shoving copper and zinc rods into a lemon or a potato. My son did this when he was small (though it evidently did not inspire him much: he's now at uni studying Ancient History!). Usually the electrolyte is liquid as in these two examples. If using KCl, it would need to be at least damp, in order to conduct, I think. 

You could use an off-cut of a piece of copper pipe to make a copper-sided canister, fill it with wet KCl and put a magnesium or aluminium rod in the centre (making sure it does NOT contact the copper in any way), then connect wires to the rod and copper. There is more on this sort of thing here: 

https://scitoys.com/scitoys/scitoys/echem/batteries/batteries.html

 

[John Cuthber]

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Oxford_Electric_Bell
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Zamboni_pile

Or balance some KCl in a dish exposed to the air against a counterweight.

As the humidity (+ temperature) changes the stuff will gain + lose moisture and will tip back and to.

In principle, you can use that motion to drive a mechanical clock.

Good luck
KCl would be a poor choice for this (unless you live somewhere with a humidity that's about 85%). Magnesium nitrate would be better near 50% RH

This is a better bet
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Atmos_clock