How to Colonize an Asteroid
How to Colonize an Asteroid
Begin electrical assembly of the battery by bolting on the SECOND steel electrode (Do not install the first one yet). Before you insert the bolt, slip it through the lug coming from the FIRST copper electrode. If there is any paint on the back of the electrode, scrape it off in an area around the mounting hole with sandpaper or a small file. Repeat this with three more steel electrodes - the wire from the previous copper electrode goes to the steel electrode of the next set.
Once you have all four steel electrodes connected, go back and install the first one with a twelve inch piece of wire which has lugs on both ends. Do not connect this wire to any other electrode. You should end up with one wire from the last copper electrode and the long wire from the first electrode just hanging at one end of the assembly.
Carefully remove the electrode assembly from the base and examine the row of electrodes from one end. Make sure that all of the electrode sets are lined up and parallel to each other - the spacing should be the same at the top as well as the bottom. When everything seems lined up, install a two position terminal strip to the end of the base where the two wires hang. Connect each wire to one of the screws on the terminal strip. The long wire from the first steel (coffee can) electrode is the negative lead - it should go to the bottom of the two screws on the terminal strip.
This completes the wiring of the battery.
© 1999, Robert Lyon Richards