SALT AND WATER-POWERED LAMP FOR SANTA CLARA, ILAYA,

BATANGAS CITY

A Project Presented

To the Faculty of STI College Batangas

In Partial Fulfillment

Of the Requirements in

Inquiries, Investigations, and Immersion

General Physics 2

General Chemistry 2

and Work Immersion

By:

Alegre, John Paul M.

Aranas, Franklin A.

Bagui, Lyka Rose C.

Colcol, Schiedler Dhrixfer M.

Cuya, Martin Vince Joseph

De Guzman, Cristine Joy P.

Ditan, Khier Allen L.

Eustaquio, Reyniel A.

Fancubit, James Carl C.

Gomez, Froilan S.

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Guico, Karl Anthonni Miguel B.

Jala, Rycllan Railey A.

March 2021

CHAPTER I

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 THE PROBLEM AND ITS BACKGROUND

Introduction

Electricity is a natural phenomenon that is also one of the most

commonly used sources of energy on the earth. The electricity sector in the

Philippines provides electricity to many parts of the country through power

generation, transmission, and distribution. There are three electrical grids in the

Philippines: one for Luzon, one for the Visayas, and one for Mindanao. In our

country, the electricity industry is rapidly expanding, particularly in areas

where there is a lack of electricity. Equipment and inventions were powered up

with the aid of electric machines.

According to the Department of Energy (2017), the total power supply

increased by 6.1 percent in installed capacity from 21,425 Megawatts (MW) in

2016 to 22,730 MW in 2017. From 13,272 MW in 2016 to 13,789 MW in

2017, the country's overall peak demand increased by 3.9 percent or 517

Megawatts. Due to the high cost of energy resources, industries were unable to

meet the electricity demand. The shortage of energy in our country has had an

effect on people's daily lives especially those who live in rural areas where

electricity is not accessible.

In fact, Andrea Santiago (2009) emphasized this idea in her study about

rural electrification programs in the Philippines. The research stressed this

concept by stating that the simple provision of light from an electric bulb alters

the community's way of living and the way people interact with one another.

Furthermore, the study mentioned how rural electrification could be one of the

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underlying factors to guarantee sustainability and make a lasting impact on

poverty. Also, it indicated how the provision of electricity could bring a

productive and enhanced result, hence this conclusion has given rise to a

recommendation of providing alternative lighting particularly in the rural areas.

This recommendation was then put into concern prior to this research, therefore

exploring the possibility of salt and water to conduct electricity for lighting.

Salt is abundant and inexpensive to produce since the demand is

constrained. It can be easily found and purchased since this could usually be

done through evaporating the seawater utilizing heat from the sun or by

heating the seawater in an open pan. Similarly, water is easily available, and

almost everyone in the Philippines has access to it. In addition, salt molecules

are composed of sodium and chloride, thus, when salt enters the water, the

molecules tend to pull apart. Also, water is composed of two elements namely:

hydrogen and oxygen, which is usually a destitute conductor of electricity as it

was free of salt especially distilled water. However, by adding ordinary table

salt to distilled water, it becomes an electrolyte solution that can conduct

electricity involving lighting.

The objective of this study is to make an alternative lighting source that

is environmentally friendly and also seeks to meet the low cost of energy

resources and aid at the high demand for electricity. Having this put in

concern, the researchers devised the study “Salt and water-powered lamp for

Santa Clara Ilaya, Batangas City” in order to construct a product that converts

salt and water into electricity.

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Statement of the Problem

This study intends to answer the following about salt and water-

powered lamp for Santa Clara, Ilaya, Batangas City.

1. What theoretical concept was applied that makes salt and water a possible

source of electricity (lighting)?

2. What are the components of salt and water that allow them to generate

electricity?

3. How does salt and water-powered lamp operate?

4. How long can salt and water maintain lighting?

5. What are the advantages of using salt and water-powered lamp in generating

electricity in Santa Clara Ilaya, Batangas City?

Significance of the Study

This section will provide a brief description of the various significances

of the study given the three categories: life, educational, community. The

products that can be produced from this study will provide direct benefits to the

following segments in a different aspect.

It is beneficial to the following:

To the community. This study would help to lessen the electric

consumption of the community. It may also serve as an alternative source of

light when there is a power shortage.

To the residents. This study would benefit everyone specifically

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residents of Barangay Santa Clara Sitio Ilaya, who have limited access to light.

This would help them to get free access to light from salt and water-powered

lamp.

To the future researcher. This study would help the student researcher

to be aware and knowledgeable about the components and functions of this

why it creates light. This would also help them as a future reference for more

studies on the future.

Scope, Limitation, and Delimitation

The study focuses on the potential of salt and water to generate

electricity for alternative lamps. Also, this research aims to explore the

components of salt and water and the theoretical concept that makes it a

possible source of electricity. To specify the limits, coverage, and boundaries of

the study, scope and delimitation are considered. The scope only covers the

possible advantage of using the product in Santa Clara, Ilaya, Batangas City.

Nonetheless, the study did not include the accommodation of other

minerals and rely purely on salt and water. Likewise, the study only focuses on

the use of salt and water to generate electricity solely for lamps. Hence, other

power generated machine was also delimited.

Limitations in the data collection process and time were also entailed due

to current circumstances.

Definition of terms

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Saltwater

Conceptual: Saltwater is a crystalline compound NaCl that consists of

sodium chloride and is abundant in nature (Merriam-Webster Dictionary).

Operational: In this study, salt is one of the main components to be used

in generating electricity for alternative lamp.

Water

Conceptual: Water is a substance composed of the chemical elements

hydrogen and oxygen and existing in gaseous, liquid, and solid states

(Britannica, 2021).

Operational: In this study, water is one of the main components to be

used in generating electricity for alternative lamp.

Lamp

Conceptual: Lamp is any of various devices for producing light or

sometimes heat (Merriam-Webster Dictionary).

Operational: In this study, lamp will be the final output to be made.

Electrode

Conceptual: Electrode is a conductor through which electricity enters or

leaves an object, substance, or region (Collins English Dictionary).

Operational: In this study, an electrode will be used to carry charge from

saltwater to lamp.

Theoretical Framework

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 The theoretical framework is the structure that can hold or support a

theory of a research study. The theoretical framework introduces and describes

the theory that explains why the research problem under study exists (Gabriel

A., 2008).

Salt, once enters the water, forms a sodium and chloride ion (Teach

Engineering, 2021). A research by Amrita (2011), then supplemented that water

becomes an electrolyte solution once added with salt. Likewise, Amarita (2011)

stated that once electrodes are connected to the solution, an electrical current

can be harnessed. These theories were then put in concern and served as an

underlying basis of the study, especially in proposing a salt and water-powered

lamp that worked based on the mentioned theory. Furthermore, two tablespoons

of salt and one glass of water can last the lighting for eight hours (Owano N.,

2015). Also, Sangmin Park (2016) inferred that using saltwater to generate

electricity is eco-friendly and aid in the high demand for electricity.

This concept then served as basis prior to this study, particularly in

choosing salt and water over other materials in creating an alternative lamp.

This is under the assumption that using salt and water (which is easily

accessible), can support the concept of low-cost energy sources.

Additionally, the accomodation of joule thief in a circuit can amplify the

lighting of alternative lamp (Bower T., 2013). Metal-air battery as a power

source has higher theoretical energy densities (Ocon J., 2015). Having this

concept as a basis, an incorporation of metal-air battery and joule thief in the

proposed lamp is theorized to enhanced or amplify the lighting it can generate.

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 Chapter II

REVIEW OF RELATED LITERATURE

This chapter presents the related literature and studies after the depth

analysis done by the researchers. This also provides the conceptual literature,

research literature, local and foreign study, and the synthesis of the study

Conceptual Literature

A conceptual literature provides others’ ideas and works in areas close to

the understudy. It contains literature coming from books, journals, and other

forms of material, concerning or relevant to the study, but are data-free or non –

empirical material, coming from both foreign and local sources (Malicse,

2012).

Salt and water could be possible sources of energy. Salt molecules are

made of sodium and chloride, thus, when salt enters the water, the molecules

tend to pull apart. As a result, a sodium ion and a chloride ion are formed. As

sodium ion is missing an electron, it is then a positive charge. Likewise,

chloride ion has an extra electron, which gives it a negative charge, according

to Teach Engineering (2021).

Moreover, water is composed of two elements namely: hydrogen and

oxygen. Also, distilled water is pure and free of salts; thus, it is a very poor

conductor of electricity, remarked by Amrita (2011). However, by adding

ordinary table salt to distilled water, it becomes an electrolyte solution that can

conduct electricity.

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 Furthermore, a relevant article has supplemented this concept which said

that electrolyte is an ionic conductor, having two electrodes (Amrita, 2011).

One of the electrodes produces electrons, and the other electrode receives them.

When the electrodes are connected to the circuit to be fed, they produce an

electric current.

Similarly, the connection of the electrodes to a source of direct electric

current renders one of them negatively charged and the other positively

charged. Positive ions in the electrolyte migrate to the negative

electrode (cathode) and there combine with one or more electrons, losing part

or all of their charge and becoming new ions having lower charge or neutral

atoms or molecules; at the same time, negative ions migrate to the positive

electrode (anode) and transfer one or more electrons to it, also becoming new

ions or neutral particles. The overall effect of the two processes is the transfer

of electrons from the negative ions to the positive ions, a chemical reaction.

The chemical reaction is then converted into electrical energy through

the use of a battery and is feasible for lighting.

Research Literature

Research literature is about reviewing or studying existing works carried

out in your project/research field. It includes studies, inquiries, or investigations

already conducted to which the present proposed study is related or has

similarities.

Saltwater has components that can be used to generate electricity.

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Likewise, using saltwater is an eco-friendly way of generating electricity

without doing any harm to the environment, stated by Sangmin Park. et al.

(2016). Their study also highlighted the growing demand for electricity and

identified the different harvest and storage of electrical energy from renewable

sources. This includes the steady increase in oil price, fossil fuel depletion, and

environmental considerations such as global warming from CO₂ emission.

Likewise, as most green energy is harvested from natural sources such as wind,

thermal, and solar power, a direct electrical energy supply is difficult as the

energy is still costly and not always available where and when it is needed.

Hence, a demonstration of an alternative saltwater battery was further

expressed and recommended.

Moreover, the concept of the alternative saltwater battery was

emphasized in a study by Joey D. Ocon (2015), wherein he stated the efficacy

of metal-air battery as the power source, in relation to the alternative lamp by

Engr. Mijeno. The LED lamp is powered by a battery called a galvanic cell.

Galvanic cell as a term includes all types of batteries in discharge, fuel cells,

and corrosion cells, and it is too general to refer to the lamp’s energy source.

Technically, a "metal-air battery" or a "metal-air" fuel cell is the battery that

powers the lamp. It is similar to fuel cells because it gets oxygen from the air

but uses metal as an anode instead of hydrogen or other fuels. Metal-air

batteries have been in commercial production for almost a century now.

Additionally, a metal-air battery is an attractive type of battery because it

has high energy density (more energy can be stored and generated in the

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battery) and has a straightforward design. This arises from the unique feature of

metal-air batteries when compared with other batteries such as nickel-metal

hydride batteries and lithium batteries, such that one of the electroactive

materials (oxygen) does not need to be stored within the battery. With an

abundant supply of oxygen in the air, metal-air batteries have extremely higher

theoretical energy densities than their traditional aqueous and lithium-ion

counterparts.

In relation to the saltwater lamp, the sodium and chlorine ion serves as an

electrolyte to facilitate the flow of electrons within the metal-air battery.

Likewise, an emphasis was given on the usage of the salt water-powered

lamp by Nancy Owano (2015). To start with, the lamp takes two tablespoons of

salt and a glass of water in order to work. Also, the use of the salt lamp for

eight hours a day every day delivers an anode lifespan of six months and used

just as an alternative light source will prolong the life of the anode for more

than a year.

Furthermore, for people living along coastlines, running the lamp would

not be a problem as the salinity of ocean-water can operate the lamp. They said

it would give eight hours of running time.

Moreover, an accommodation of joule thief in a circuit could bring an

enhanced power output. The joule thief is a self-oscillating voltage booster;

which, outside of the energy source, contains only four components and all of

them are both inexpensive and easy to acquire. Hence, accomodating a joule

thief on a certain circuit could amplify the lighting of an alternative salt water-

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powered lamp (Bower T., 2013).

Synthesis

In order to review the literature on a topic, make recommendations, and

connect the practice to the research (Taylor, 2011), a synthesis above

mentioned literature was made.

Saltwater could be a possible source of energy as it is comprised of

sodium and chlorine which when enters the water becomes an electrolyte

solution that can conduct electricity (Teach Engineering, Amrita). The harvest

of energy can be done through the use of electrodes, with one of the electrodes

produces electrons, and the other electrode receives them. When the electrodes

are connected to the circuit to be fed, they produce an electric current

(Britannica).

Likewise, using salt and water as a power source is eco-friendly way and

does no harm to the environment (Park, S. et al.). In accordance with this, a

metal-air battery that uses salt and water as an electrolyte to generate electricity

was put into concern (Ocon, J.).

Moreover, the lamp takes two tablespoons of salt and a glass of water in

order to work and can last for eight hours a day (Owano, N.).

These ideas are used as a basis prior to this research. Hence, a salt and

water-powered lamp which focuses on enhanced lighting is proposed.

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Kumintang Ibaba, Batangas City
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