Vehicle: Car: Engine: Electric
Citrus Cycle   (+1, -1)  [vote for, against]
Electric bicycle powered by citrus fruit

Inspired by the Potato Capacitor car.

I probably needn't explain, but for the hard of thinking, here goes:

Use Citrus fruit, jammed onto copper and zinc electrodes, to power an electric bicycle.

Especially useful in areas where citrus fruit is grown and there is a need for low cost transport.
-- Twizz, Oct 13 2009

I guess it is a problem for you [UB] but I have never witnessed an over attacking my vodka
-- vincevincevince, Oct 13 2009


Generating electricity from a citrus fruit is a popular school experiment; you can buy clocks like that.

Given that that's well known, is <connect well-known science experiment> to <conveyance that uses a lot of energy that you, in the real world, could not possibly move using the well-known science experiment> really an idea that you would like lots of versions of posted on the halfbakery?

You already know the science experiment. You already know that the vehicle wouldn't be able to move. What's in it for you?

(+) I like yellow.
-- jutta, Oct 13 2009


The citrus battery requires electrodes of two materials of significantly different electronegativity, copper and zinc being a common pairing; but the production of these even in the relatively unrefined form usable for sacrificial anodes and cathodes is rather energy intensive. The fruit isn't the costly part of the battery .....

However, big [+] for the logical extrapolation to that of a striped-shirt bike-riding gauloise-puffing french onion vendor being publicly and spectacularly electrocuted by a wiring fault in the electrode-laden garland of onions around his neck ....
-- 8th of 7, Oct 13 2009


Not bad science - with enough lemons, electrodes, a small motor and the correct gear ratio, it could be made to work.

Bad practicality and bad economics I will accept.

N.B. I never did find an example of a potato capacitor.
-- Twizz, Oct 13 2009


When life gives you lemons, make certain that the juice squirts into people's eyes.
-- normzone, Oct 13 2009



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