Scientists at Northwestern University (USA) have created a pocket fuel cell. harvests energy created by soil microbesIt has record performance for low consumption applications, whether wet or dry. This device, which is the size of a small book, uses bacteria on the earth instead of chemicals to produce energy.
The invention may be a Sustainable alternative to traditional batteriesThey are electronic wastes that contain toxic and flammable chemicals that have negative effects on the environment and are a source of electronic waste.
agricultural uses
Researchers Tested this new fuel cell by using it to power agricultural sensors that measure soil moisture They also detected touch, an ability that could be valuable for tracking animals.
“These batteries use microbes to break down the soil and use that small amount of energy to power the sensors. As long as there is organic carbon in the soil for the microbes to break down, Fuel cell could potentially last forever“says the researchers.
The sensor was equipped with a small antenna that allowed wireless communication and data transfer to a nearby base station. The fuel cell operated in both dry and wet conditions andIts power exceeded the power of similar technologies by 120%.
In recent years, there has been a boom in precision agriculture to increase crop yields. This system is based on detailed measurement of soil moisture, nutrients and contaminant levels to make informed decisions that can improve the health of crops. But this requires a large, distributed network of electronic devices that can continuously collect environmental data.
A different geometry is the key to success
Professor Bill Yen and his team at Northwestern University embarked on a two-year journey to develop a practical and reliable soil-based microbial fuel cell (MFC). They created four different versions and compared them. They checked each system’s data for nine months and eventually tested the best-performing prototype in an outdoor garden. The secret of its success was its geometry, which differed from traditional design.
Fuel cell selected after testing instead of parallel anode and cathode used a vertical design with the anode made of carbon felt and the cathode made of inert conductive metal. This design worked well in both dry and waterlogged environments.
The device has a vertical design so that its top end is flush with the floor. This device has a 3D printed lid on the top to prevent debris from falling inside and a hole on the top that allows for constant airflow.
The lower end of the cathode remains below the surface to remain moistened by moisture from the surrounding soil. It is covered with waterproofing material that allows it to breathe during floods. The device generates 68 times more energy than needed to power its sensors and can withstand large changes in soil moisture.
According to the researchers, all components of the earth battery can be purchased at any hardware store. Their next goal is to develop a soil-based battery made entirely from biodegradable materials.
“These microbes are ubiquitous; they live in soil everywhere,” said Northwestern’s George Wells, lead author of the study. “We can use very simple engineering systems to capture their electricity. We won’t power entire cities with this energy, but we can capture very small amounts of energy and generate power.” practical low consumption applications”.
Reference work: https://dl.acm.org/doi/10.1145/3631410
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