Minnesota: Scientists have developed a new type of fuel cell that can produce an unlimited amount of electricity from the soil.
According to a team at North Western University in the United States, this unit, the size of a book, can be used to provide energy to sensors used in agriculture.
This technology, by generating electricity from bacteria naturally present in the soil, can offer a stable and renewable alternative to toxic and flammable batteries.
According to Associate Professor George Wells of Soil and Environmental Engineering at the university, these bacteria are everywhere, present in the soil everywhere. By using a simple, engineered system, we can generate electricity. Although this electricity cannot be supplied to the city in large quantities, it can power low-energy devices with the small amount of electricity generated.
This microbial fuel cell (MFC) is based on 113-year-old technology created by British botanist Michael Potter. Michael was the first person to successfully generate electricity from microbiology.
Scientists have tested the latest fuel cell by providing energy to a sensor that measures moisture and conductivity in the soil. The fuel cell outperformed similar technologies by providing 120% better results.