A Northwestern University-led team of researchers has developed a new fuel cell that harvests energy from microbes living in dirt. About the size of a standard paperback book, the completely soil-powered technology could fuel underground sensors used in precision agriculture and green infrastruct

Northwestern University researchers have introduced a soil-microbe-powered fuel cell, significantly outperforming similar technologies and providing a sustainable solution for powering low-energy devices.

  • TheOneWithTheHair@lemmy.worldEnglish
    24·
    10 months ago

    " As long as there is organic carbon in the soil for the microbes to break down, the fuel cell can potentially last forever.”

    It’s also a stationary battery

    “Although the entire device is buried, the vertical design ensures that the top end is flush with the ground’s surface.”

      • take6056@feddit.nlEnglish
        1·
        10 months ago

        I’d say a battery is at least something that should be “chargeable”, either one time or rechargeable. I dont think you can use solar cells to store energy back into the sun.

        Not saying that my definition does work for the dirt fuel cell, talked about in the article, though.