Zamboni pile
Encyclopedia
The Zamboni pile is an early electric battery
, invented by Giuseppe Zamboni
in 1812.
A Zamboni pile is an "electrostatic battery" and is constructed from discs of silver
foil, zinc
foil, and paper. Alternatively, discs of "silver paper" (paper with a thin layer of zinc on one side) gilded on one side or silver paper smeared with manganese oxide
and honey
might be used. Discs of approximately 20 mm diameter are assembled in stacks which may be several thousand discs thick and then either compressed in a glass tube with end caps or stacked between three glass rods with wooden end plates and insulated by dipping in molten sulfur
or pitch
.
Zamboni piles of more modern construction were manufactured as recently as the 1980s for providing the accelerating voltage for image intensifier
tubes, particularly in military use. Today such voltages are obtained from transistorised inverter circuits powered by conventional (low voltage) batteries.
Zamboni piles have output potential
s in the kilovolt range, but current output in the nanoampere range. The famous Oxford Electric Bell
which has been ringing continuously since 1840 is thought to be powered by a pair of Zamboni piles.
Battery (electricity)
An electrical battery is one or more electrochemical cells that convert stored chemical energy into electrical energy. Since the invention of the first battery in 1800 by Alessandro Volta and especially since the technically improved Daniell cell in 1836, batteries have become a common power...
, invented by Giuseppe Zamboni
Giuseppe Zamboni
Giuseppe Zamboni was an Italian Roman Catholic priest and physicist who invented the Zamboni pile, an early electric battery similar to the Voltaic pile.-Biography:...
in 1812.
A Zamboni pile is an "electrostatic battery" and is constructed from discs of silver
Silver
Silver is a metallic chemical element with the chemical symbol Ag and atomic number 47. A soft, white, lustrous transition metal, it has the highest electrical conductivity of any element and the highest thermal conductivity of any metal...
foil, zinc
Zinc
Zinc , or spelter , is a metallic chemical element; it has the symbol Zn and atomic number 30. It is the first element in group 12 of the periodic table. Zinc is, in some respects, chemically similar to magnesium, because its ion is of similar size and its only common oxidation state is +2...
foil, and paper. Alternatively, discs of "silver paper" (paper with a thin layer of zinc on one side) gilded on one side or silver paper smeared with manganese oxide
Manganese oxide
Manganese oxide is a generic term used to describe a variety of manganese oxides and hydroxides. It may refer to:* Manganese oxide, MnO* Manganese oxide, Mn3O4* Manganese oxide, Mn2O3* Manganese dioxide, , MnO2...
and honey
Honey
Honey is a sweet food made by bees using nectar from flowers. The variety produced by honey bees is the one most commonly referred to and is the type of honey collected by beekeepers and consumed by humans...
might be used. Discs of approximately 20 mm diameter are assembled in stacks which may be several thousand discs thick and then either compressed in a glass tube with end caps or stacked between three glass rods with wooden end plates and insulated by dipping in molten sulfur
Sulfur
Sulfur or sulphur is the chemical element with atomic number 16. In the periodic table it is represented by the symbol S. It is an abundant, multivalent non-metal. Under normal conditions, sulfur atoms form cyclic octatomic molecules with chemical formula S8. Elemental sulfur is a bright yellow...
or pitch
Pitch (resin)
Pitch is the name for any of a number of viscoelastic, solid polymers. Pitch can be made from petroleum products or plants. Petroleum-derived pitch is also called bitumen. Pitch produced from plants is also known as resin. Products made from plant resin are also known as rosin.Pitch was...
.
Zamboni piles of more modern construction were manufactured as recently as the 1980s for providing the accelerating voltage for image intensifier
Image intensifier
An image intensifier tube is a vacuum tube device for increasing the intensity of available light in an optical system to allow use under low light conditions such as at night, to facilitate visual imaging of low-light processes such as fluorescence of materials to X-rays or gamma rays, or for...
tubes, particularly in military use. Today such voltages are obtained from transistorised inverter circuits powered by conventional (low voltage) batteries.
Zamboni piles have output potential
Potential
*In linguistics, the potential mood*The mathematical study of potentials is known as potential theory; it is the study of harmonic functions on manifolds...
s in the kilovolt range, but current output in the nanoampere range. The famous Oxford Electric Bell
Oxford Electric Bell
The Oxford Electric Bell or Clarendon Dry Pile is an experimental electric bell that was set up in 1840 and which has rung almost continuously ever since. It is located in the foyer of the Clarendon Laboratory at the University of Oxford, England...
which has been ringing continuously since 1840 is thought to be powered by a pair of Zamboni piles.