New soil-powered fuel cell provides sustainable energy for underground sensors
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Researchers at Northwestern University developed a new fuel cell powered by microbes in soil that can provide sustainable, renewable energy to power underground sensors and other low-energy devices.
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The fuel cell outperformed similar technologies by generating 68 times more power than needed and worked consistently even when soil moisture changed dramatically.
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All designs, tutorials, and simulation tools are being publicly released so others can build on the research to create decentralized networks of low-power devices.
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The fuel cell relies on ubiquitous soil microbes to break down organic carbon, meaning it can potentially last forever as long as carbon is present for the microbes.
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By using local and biodegradable materials, the fuel cell avoids complex supply chains, conflict minerals, and electronic waste associated with traditional batteries and solar panels.