Who knew that trees would be future generators of electric current? According to an article published by the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, the amount of voltage that produces an average tree is 200 millivolts, placing an electrode into the plant and the other in the surrounding soil. While this voltage is not dangerous and not even used to feed large machines, for small circuits is more than enough.

Babak Parviz, University of Washington and his team have delved into academic research in the field of energy from the trees, making a circuit to operate only with such energy. Putting nails in them and connecting a voltmeter, discovered that the maple Acer macrophyllum species, common in the area of the University of Washington, generating a stable voltage up to a few hundred millivolts.

Later he built a device that could function with such energy, as an up converter, a device that takes an input voltage very low and accumulated to produce a higher output value. The up converter made especially for this project operates with an input voltage as low as 20 millivolts, which is far below the minimum acceptable for any of the common lifting converters. This converter tree produces an output voltage of 1.1 volts, enough to enable low-power sensors.

Solar energy will remain the largest natural source of energy for most applications, but the system would be an interesting option for powering low-cost sensors to be used in forest areas to detect forest fires. Or for small circuits of houses surrounded by trees.

Seen in SciTech News.