KAMIASTRICITY: THE EFFECIENCY OF KAMIAS (Averrhoa bilimbi)

AS AN ALTERNATIVE BATTERY

A project submitted to

Dr. Marzokie M. Mocsir

Natural Sciences and Mathematics Department
College of Arts and Sciences
Notre Dame of Marbel University

In partial fulfillment of the requirement in

ENGHCEM 111
(Chemistry for Engineers)

By
BAULO, Ayyah M.

LASTIMOSA, Robby Julian G.

MAMON, Chrissiel May M.

REYES, Jarscelle Nadine A.

SELIM, Harry Shane N.

August, 2019
 CHAPTER I

INTRODUCTION

Kamias is the Filipino name for a tree scientifically known as Averrhoa bilimbi. In

English, it is known as the cucumber or sorrel tree. According to Sheldon (2011), Kamias is

also used as fruit as a treatment for fevers, inflammation, rectal bleeding, boils and other

conditions. The flowers of the kamias are also used as a remedy for toothaches. But what if we

can turn that fruit into something useful and unique. Through deliberate discussions and

analyzing, the researchers have invented an innovative battery that is powered by kamias

(Averrhoa Bilimbi) with the help of copper strips and zinc (nails). This product is not only

cheap to make but also can be useful to generate electricity to help certain communities without

electricity that can light up their homes.

In accordance to Escabarte (2015), It is important to determine the potential of kamias

fruits as a source of electrolyte for electrical energy. Because it will lead to development in

finding alternative sources of energy. And thus, preventing ruining the planet's climate through

carbon dioxide emissions that may increase the temperature of the planet in ways that will

harm the entire ecosystem. Even though using fruits juices or extracts and convert them into

alternative source of energy is not enough to power up even a single house, creating a fruit

based alternative battery studies is just a stepping stone leading to greater and more efficient

batteries to help the community.

The product invented by the researchers are unique in a way that it separates from other

alternative or environmental alternative batteries. For example, a lemon-based battery, it does

what it supposed to do which is to produce a voltage. But it needs a lot of lemon just to produce

that certain amount of voltage which can be expensive in a long run. According to a website
ReachOutMichigan (2019), A single lemon produces about 7/10 of a volt of electricity. If you

connected two lemons together, you can power an inexpensive digital watch (uses about 1.5

volts). So, it means that it needs to have a sufficient amount of lemon to produce a greater

amount of electricity, but it will also cost greatly. While the kamias (Averrhoa Bilimbi) as an

alternative battery, for a 200 ml amount of juice extract, it can produce 0.966 volts (Escabarte,

2015). And because the fruit is cheap and sometimes available in our surroundings, the amount

of juice extract can be increased.

The materials needed to make the battery is affordable and can be readily available in

nearby stores. It does not require any harmful chemicals nor a lengthy procedure to make the

battery. The benefits of having kamias as a based battery is that, it is an abundant fruit

especially in the Philippines, and according to Escabarte (2015), Due to the wide abundance

of the fruits will turn to waste and this is uneconomical. Recycling of waste is the concern of

every community. There are even trees that are bearing continuously all throughout the year

and by turning kamias as an alternative battery it can help certain communities especially in

rural areas. By this, the battery made by the researchers are a better substitute to the

commercially available products which some are harmful and can be depleted easily and very

costly.

In overall, the researcher’s Kamias (Averrhoa Bilimbi) as an Alternative Battery is an

innovative invention that can be useful to generate electricity. It is powered only by using

kamias, zinc (nails) and copper strips, which is easy to find and buy. It is cheap and doesn’t

require any expensive materials. This can be also as a way of utilizing unused fruits from trees,

and use it to produce an electricity and be considered as an environmentally friendly battery.

With the proper use of the product it can be multiplied and be connected in a series connection
to generate more electricity. Even though there is a ton of fruit batteries available on other

studies, using kamias which is found abundantly in the Philippines, it is a local invention and

can lead to other studies to find alternative sources of energy to the community especially in

rural areas.

Objective

the study aims to construct a battery using kamias juice as an electrolyte. Another one

is to know how effective the kamias juice including the zinc (nail) and the copper strips, in

terms of the voltage production and the lifespan of the battery. By knowing this, it can be useful

on how many millimeters of kamias extract will be enough to produce a desired amount of

voltage and how long will it take for the battery to run out.
 CHAPTER II

RELATED LITERATURE

Averrhoa bilimbi

According to Fern, K. (2014) Bilimbi is an attractive, long- lived evergreen shrub or

tree with a small, sparse crown, sometimes growing u to 15 meters in height, but more

frequently only 2 to 3 meters high. A tropical lowlands humid pant, where it can also be found

at altitudes of up to 1,200 meters. It grows best in areas where daily temperatures range from

23 to 30° c. Bilimbi fruits are very sour and are used in the manufacturing of vinegar, wine,

pickles and Hindu dishes. It is possible to eat the mature fruits in nature or process them into

jams and jellies. Bilimbi is ascribed to medicinal uses, which include cough, mumps,

rheumatism, pimples, and scurvy mixtures. Its components and benefits are helpful as anti-

inflammatory because it includes flavones. In addition, potassium smooth urine (diuretic)

discharge that can decrease blood pressure. Bilimbi can also remove phlegm and decrease heat.

The fruit juice has strong concentrations of oxalic acid and could therefore be used to remove

iron-rust stains from clothing and to give brassware shine as stated by De Lima, V. Melo, E.

Lima, L. (2001).

Along with that De Lima, V. Melo, E. Lima, L. (2001) also stated that the total

soluble solids (TSS) in bilimbi ranged from 3.94 to 5.06 percent. Ripe bilimbi fruits had greater

concentrations of complete soluble solids than half-ripe fruits, regardless of the season in

which they were grown. This occurs because during maturation the starch is converted to

sugars and complex sugars become simple sugars. The smallest concentrations of complete

soluble solids were discovered in fruits (both phases of maturity) harvested during the rainy
season. The TSS was statistically comparable in bilimbi of the same maturity level harvested

in dry and rainy seasons. Thus, climate variables have not affected TSS. The concentrations of

oxalic acid in bilimbi ranged from 8.57 to 10.32 mg / g. These high concentrations of oxalic

acid found in bilimbi are likely accountable for their exceptionally low pH value.

According to a study from DOST scINET-PHIL, (2002). The Averrhoa bilimbi plant

is generally propagated in the Philippines. However, it is regularly unconsumed because of its

high acidity content along these lines it turns into a loss in the encompassing and frequently

when spoiled is a decent rearing spot of creepy crawlies which urge the advocates to experience

the examination to take out wastage of the organic products. The techniques utilized in the

examinations were the extraction with the utilized of a blender and channel paper: pH

assurance Ionization test: and applying the idea by utilizing the concentrate in a lead-corrosive

stockpiling battery. The information got checked that as the natural product develops, its pH

increments as appeared by the expansion of pH in the long been put away Iba juice. That

information likewise demonstrated that when the concentrate blended with sulfuric corrosive

additionally increment its sharpness because of the acknowledgment that the oxalic acids water

was vaporize or taken off. From the ionization test it demonstrates that the concentrate

similarly leads power as that of sulfuric corrosive. The defenders have found that the oxalic

corrosive from averrhoa bilimbi is a decent added substance for sulfuric corrosive since it

diminishes its destructive properties and its joins effectively with sulfuric corrosive. Also, the

Averrhoa bilimbi concentrate is a decent oxidizing agent for destructive cathodes.

As said by Kumari, S. (2017), Bilimbi (Averrhoa bilimbi) is a multipurpose, dry season

safe evergreen tree with different restorative possibilities. It has a place with family
Oxalidaceae. The plant has a tremendous restorative incentive since the greater part of the parts

like leaves, bark, blossoms, organic products, seeds, roots or the entire part are utilized as

elective drug to treat an assortment of illnesses. It is a decent wellspring of oxalic corrosive.

The concentrate of different pieces of Averrhoa bilimbi is therapeutically utilized as a society

solution for some side effects so it important to realize the infection causing pathogens of the

plant just as antimicrobial action of leaf and organic product separates against human

pathogens. It has been analyzed and explored for making it mainstream in like manner family

unit in Telangana state and somewhere else. Along these lines in this paper it has been

examined from microbiological view point and general significances have been featured. The

material has been gathered from Telangana and Maharastra states. Be that as it may, the natural

product, leaves microflora has been inspected. It is a nuisance free tree. The products of the

soil concentrate has great antimicrobial action against Staphylococcus aureus. It's culinary and

pharmaceutical uses are explored to promote this plant.

Moreover, the fruit includes acid-potassium-akolat substances in which it is one of

starfruit's usability as an alternative source of electricity. Bilimbi that thrives in the yard can

be converted into a substance capable of decomposing producing alternative power, with

residents’ complaints increasing electricity expenses. The bilimbi fruit frequently used as

vegetable is mashed to take water to generate electrical energy.

Battery

Battery, in electricity and electrochemistry, any of a class of devices that convert

chemical energy directly into electrical energy. Although the term battery, in strict usage,
designates an assembly of two or more galvanic cells capable of such energy conversion, it is

commonly applied to a single cell of this kind. Every battery (or cell) has a cathode, or positive

plate, and an anode, or negative plate. These electrodes must be separated by and are often

immersed in an electrolyte that permits the passage of ions between the electrodes. The

electrode materials and the electrolyte are chosen and arranged so that sufficient electromotive

force (measured in volts) and electric current (measured in amperes) can be developed between

the terminals of a battery to operate lights, machines, or other devices. Schumm, B. (2016).

There are many distinct types of batteries, but all of them work on the basis of the same

fundamental idea. "A battery is a device that can store electrical energy in the form of chemical

energy and convert it into electricity," says Antoine Allanore, a postdoctoral partner at MIT's

Science and Engineering Department of Materials. "You can't capture and store electricity, but

you can store electricity inside a battery in the chemicals."

There are three main components of a battery: two terminals made of different chemicals

(typically metals), the anode and the cathode; and the electrolyte, which separates these

terminals. The electrolyte is a chemical medium that allows the flow of electrical charge

between the cathode and anode. When a device is connected to a battery — a light bulb or an

electric circuit — chemical reactions occur on the electrodes that create a flow of electrical

energy to the device.

More specifically: during an electricity release, the chemical on the anode releases electrons

through what is called an oxidation reaction to the adverse terminal and ions in the electrolyte.

Meanwhile, the cathode accepts electrons at the positive terminal, finishing the electrons flow

circuit. The electrolyte is there to bring the various anode and cathode chemicals into contact
with each other, so that the chemical potential can balance from one terminal to the other,

transforming stored chemical energy into helpful electrical energy. Bates (2012)

Electrolytes

Electrolyte is any substance releasing ions in an appropriate solvent (such as gel) or

fluid (such as water or juice) when dissolved. Each battery consists of anode, cathode, and

electrolyte. Anode and cathode are electrodes (energy carrying material through which

electrical charges or current can flow) that are placed in the electrolytic solution and externally

linked through a conducting cable. Electrolyte releases ions when it is dissolved in the solvent.

And we understand that electric current is produced by moving ions or electrons. To release

one or more electrons, the ions produced by the electrolyte interact with the anode. As electrons

accumulate close the anode, they begin to move into the cathode, which has no or very few

electrons, through the wire. This electrons motion generates electrical current that can power

any linked gadget through the wire.

Electrolytes can be assayed from many body fluids, including serum, heparinized

plasma, whole blood, vitreous humor, sweat, urine, gastrointestinal fluid, and aqueous extract

from feces. In clinical laboratories, serum and urine are the body fluids from which electrolyte

analyses are most frequently performed. These fluids are easily obtained from the patient, and

the reference levels (normal) for these fluids are available. When the electrolyte level of body

fluid is required, serum is considered the most practical specimen. When electrolytes are to be

determined from urine, a timed collection is the preferred method. Timed-collection specimens

are needed to allow a comparison of values with reference ranges or for the determination of
rates of electrolytes lost from the body. These specimens can be stored at 2–4 °C or can be

frozen for delayed analysis. Ahmad,G.R, Ahmad,D.R. (2003)

Schubert, T. Tsupova, S. (2017). Electrochemical procedures are responsible for

storing and releasing electrical energy (charging and discharging) in batteries. Electrolytes are

needed to transport the electrical charge between the electrodes. Electrolytes may be fluid, but

there are polymer or solid-state electrolytes. Ionic liquids are interesting electrolytes for a

number of electrochemical cells owing to their exceptional properties, like: High

electrochemical stability against reduction and oxidation (wide electrochemical window),

Electric conductivity: for pure ionic liquids lies at up to 27 mS/cm at 25 oC, for mixtures it can

reach up to 70 mS/cm, Thermal stability, Low vapour pressure, and Low flammability. Many

producers are depicted on countless cell kinds in the industry with their fresh innovations, but

there is no unified state of the art technical design. That implies that each particular electrode

material will set very rigid constraints on the specific properties of electrolytes that should be

combined with it. Many producers are depicted on countless cell kinds in the industry with

their fresh innovations, but there is no unified state of the art technical design. That implies

that each particular electrode material will set very rigid constraints on the specific properties

of electrolytes that should be combined with it.

Electrolysis

Electrolysis is the process by which ionic substances are decomposed into simpler

substances when a direct electric current is passed through it. The key process of electrolysis

is the interchange of atoms and ions resulting in the removal or addition of electrons.

Electrolysis is widely used to produce hydrogen in energy. Electrolysis utilizes electricity from

direct present (DC) to divide water into its fundamental hydrogen and oxygen components.

Since this method only utilizes water as a source, it can generate pure hydrogen and oxygen

up to 99.9995 percent. Positively loaded electrons migrate into the adverse electrode during

electrolysis. They obtain and are lowered electrons. Similarly, during electrolysis, negative

charged ions migrate to the positive electrode. They lose and oxidize electrons. The broken-

down substance is called the electrolyte. Casinco, A. (N.D).

Voltage and Current

According to Himabindu, V. (2017), Alessandro Volta created the voltaic pile in the

year 1800 and found the first practical technique of electricity generation. Built of alternating

zinc and copper disks with brine-soaked parts of cardboard between the metals, the voltaic pile

generated electrical current. The voltaic pile of Alessandro Volta was the first "wet cell battery"

to produce a reliable, constant energy current. Electricity is an electrical flow (almost like a

water stream). Voltage is electrons velocity or pressure (such as water pressure in a pipe or

water velocity exiting the pipe). Current is the flow proportion. (The current of a river is greater

than that of a tight pipe. The complete quantity of water passing depends on current and

velocity.)
 CHAPTER 3

Materials and Procedures

This contains the materials used and the procedures adopted in the making of

the Kamias Juice Based Battery.

Materials

The study uses the juice of the kamias fruit as the electrolyte source, and will

be put in three different paper cups that will act as an electrode chamber. The electrodes made

the three zinc coated nails as the anode and the three copper strips as the cathode. The alligator

clip will be used to connect the tip wire of electrode to the multimeter to determine the number

of volts in the battery.

Procedure

1.) The kamias was crushed and pressed by a mortar and pestle and the crushed kamias

was put in a cloth and squeezed it until the juice pours into a container. The juice

extracted was filtered to remove residues and dirt collected during the extraction.

2.) Six-hundred millimeters of kamias juice was poured into three different cups, which

means that every cup had a 200 ml of kamias juice.

3.) One copper strip and one zinc coated nail was put in the cup which they must be

separated to each other. The two remaining cups had the same setup.

4.) The alligator clip was connected to the nail head, and the other clip was connected to

the copper strip.

5.) The fuel cell was connected into a series.

 6.) There should be two clips left, one was coming from the zinc coated nail and one is

from the copper strips. The remaining clips was connected to the multimeter. The

voltage and the current of the fuel cell were measured

---------------------------------------------END OF CHAPTER 3---------------------------------------

*The drawing is still in deliberation on what materials to use to cover the battery

*The results and discussion are in progress and will be presented on the day of the defense
because of the abrupt changes of the title from “Urine and Acetic Acid Based Battery” to this
study which is “Kamiastricity: The Effeciency Of Kamias (Averrhoa Bilimbi) As an
Alternative Battery”
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