# 400 car batteries wired together!! Source: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OC7sNfNuTNU Recap page: https://rapidrecap.app/video/OC7sNfNuTNU Generated: 2026-02-21T19:33:24.614+00:00 --- ## Quick Overview Drake Anthony successfully pushed sustained currents past 150,000 amps using 400 car batteries, ultimately achieving a peak current of 176,000 amps and demonstrating the Z-pinch phenomenon by crushing a pipe without melting it, despite significant engineering challenges related to the custom high-current switch. **Key Points:** - Drake Anthony assembled 400 car batteries expecting the bank to be ten times stronger than his previous 100-battery setup, aiming to pull currents far beyond a typical lightning strike. - The initial 100-battery bank achieved a peak current of about 48,000 amps using five batteries in series, but the 400-battery bank was configured for five in series to achieve 65 volts and aim for over 100,000 amps sustained. - Magnetic forces proved a major issue, causing opposing currents in the switch to repel, leading to wear and eventual switch failure due to asymmetry, forcing a redesign using opposing loops to cancel lateral forces. - The experiment uncovered the Z-pinch phenomenon when testing thick cables, where the current-conducting plasma was crushed inward by its own magnetic field, creating temperatures beyond comprehension. - After initial switch failures due to bouncing, the creator reinforced the closing mechanism with two log splitters, which allowed the switch to finally close and sustain over 150,000 amps, confirming the potential for DT nuclear fusion levels of current. - The creator achieved a peak current of 176,000 amps while zapping a zinc plate, attributing the high result to fresh fuses and better battery performance in hot weather. - The ultimate goal, crushing a pipe without melting it, was achieved at around 90,000 amps peak current, confirming the necessity of higher currents than the previous 100-battery test which only melted the pipe. **Context:** The video documents Drake Anthony's continuation of extreme science experiments involving massive arrays of lead-acid car batteries, specifically detailing the construction, testing, and eventual success of a 400-battery bank designed to generate unprecedented electrical currents on YouTube. The project builds upon prior work with 100 batteries and is sponsored by AnyDesk, with the stated purpose being to explore the physics of extreme currents at scales comparable to national labs. ## Detailed Analysis Drake Anthony constructed a massive 400-car-battery bank, anticipating ten times the strength of his previous 100-battery setup, which had peaked at 48,000 amps. The new assembly, weighing 28,000 lbs, required two months of construction, focusing on clean contact points and a custom switch capable of handling anticipated currents exceeding 100,000 amps sustained. Initial tests revealed severe magnetic repulsion issues in the switch due to asymmetrical current paths, leading to premature wear. The creator redesigned the switch using opposing loops to cancel lateral magnetic forces, but still encountered switch bouncing at currents above 100,000 amps, which was later identified as a Z-pinch effect where the plasma imploded inward. After failing to solve the bounce with large springs, the creator resorted to adding a second hydraulic log splitter to assist the closing mechanism, which eventually allowed the switch to fully close at 160,000 amps, albeit slowly. With the switch stabilized, the creator achieved a peak current of 176,000 amps on a zinc plate test. The core objective, crushing a pipe via magnetic pressure without melting it, was successful at around 90,000 amps, proving the necessity of the higher current capacity provided by the 400 batteries. Various metals were tested, revealing unique plasma colors (zinc's green, bismuth's yellow smoke) and demonstrating strong magnetic ejection forces, particularly with aluminum and brass bars. ### Battery Bank Configuration and Setup - 400 lead-acid batteries wired together, configured for five in series yielding 65 volts for maximum current - Assembly took two months, involving cleaning 2,000 contact points and managing 14 tons of batteries. ### Switch Engineering Challenges - Custom switch built by modifying a log splitter, designed to handle over 100,000 amps sustained - Initial design failed due to magnetic repulsion between opposing currents, leading to asymmetrical contact wear. ### Magnetic Effects and Z-Pinch Discovery - High currents caused previously magnetized steel shavings near the old switch - Opposing currents magnetically repel, and this force scales with the square of the current, causing switch plates to blow apart. ### Experimental Results with Various Loads - Galvanized steel rod produced green plasma as zinc boiled off first - Aluminum burned brightly, showing magnetic ejection upwards - Tungsten drew low current, indicating high resistance. ### Switch Stabilization and Current Achievement - Initial switch bouncing was addressed by adding a second hydraulic log splitter to reinforce the closing action - Sustained currents exceeding 150,000 amps were finally achieved, peaking at 176,000 amps on a zinc test. ### Pipe Crushing Milestone - The primary goal of crushing a pipe magnetically without melting it was achieved at approximately 90,000 amps, confirming the need for higher current than the previous 100-battery experiment. ### Material Testing Insights - Zinc provided the most beautiful pyrotechnic colors due to its reactivity and low boiling point - Testing aluminum underwater showed violent chemical enhancement when combined with the plasma, exceeding the energy of the copper pipe explosion.