Nanocurrent oscillator indefinitely powered by a capacitor battery

TL;DR

This paper reports a capacitor battery powering a nanocurrent oscillator for over 80 days without voltage decrease, suggesting unusual dielectric behavior and potential for indefinite energy storage or transfer.

Contribution

It demonstrates a long-lasting, self-sustaining oscillator powered by aged capacitors exhibiting unexplained dielectric properties, challenging conventional capacitor theory.

Findings

Oscillator powered for 80 days with no voltage decrease

Capacitor degradation may promote charge tunneling

Unexplained dielectric behavior observed

Abstract

Some electrolytic capacitors show dielectric behaviour that can not be entirely explained by the well known long lasting relaxation. Extra charges able to generate a useful conduction current can be detected for an indefinite time. A squarewave oscillator based on MOSFET CMOS technology and requiring less than 2 nW was powered for 80 days at 25 {\deg}C by a 58.2 mF capacitor battery, without voltage decrease during the last 53 days of observation. The battery consisted of three series of 16 parallel, 15 years aged, capacitors with DC capacitance of 10.9 mF. Capacitors so old, stored without voltage application, were affected by degradation and thinning of the alumina layer that could promote tunnelling of the charge. The main purpose of the present study is to stimulate further investigations aimed at confirming or disputing the observed phenomenon and, if necessary, at shedding light on its physical mechanisms.