Joule-Thief

thingiverse

I thoroughly enjoyed crafting this simple yet engaging project. The "Joule-Thief" is an ingenious electric circuit that enables a single 1.5V battery to power one or multiple LEDs. Typically, LEDs require a higher voltage to illuminate, ranging from 1.6-2.0V for red lights and even more for other colors. However, 1.5V is usually insufficient. The "Joule-Thief" cleverly resolves this issue by employing an oscillator to boost low-voltage levels. This feature alone wasn't enough to motivate me to build this project, but there's a fascinating bonus: it also works with batteries that are too depleted for regular use! I have an Ansmann battery tester, and even cells showing 0% capacity still function on this circuit. The "Joule-Thief" cleverly extracts the last bit of energy from a battery. The name originates from its ability to "steal" energy from batteries that would otherwise be discarded. With a constant accumulation of empty AA-batteries, I decided to give it a try, and it was a blast! If you need more information on this innovative transformer or circuit, look up "Joule-Thief" online. You'll find plenty of resources available, including the schematic in detail. Alternatively, visit http://www.galepp.com/basteln/joule-thief/joule-thief.htm to see my build in progress. Don't hesitate to ask if you have any questions!