Topsoil is filled with microscopic organisms that produce power when put in a microbial fuel cell. Since such microorganisms loaded soil is discovered all over the place on Earth, microbial power modules can make perfect, renewable power almost everywhere around the world. Here, the authors have shown experiments with a real microbial fuel cell, investigating electrical power production from it using the Himalayan top soil of Dehradun in Uttarakhand. Bacteria capable of producing electricity occur naturally in almost any type of mud, sewage or waste. The bacteria usually use this process to breathe without oxygen. At the smallest level it can help remote rural areas to power lamps or other less energy intensive devices. Using a setup that includes anode, cathode, and related electrical fittings this work has utilized these bacteria over time and observe the power they produce; also the addition of nutrients to the soil which increases the rate of power production has also been experimented. The setup brings together the concept of energy, electronics and microbiology under one framework and is in line with issues relating to climate change, energy security and sustainability. An attempt has been made to explore the spectrum of scenarios and speculating the possibility of generating renewable power using the Himalayan top soil.
Keywords: Renewable, top soil, microbes, fuel cell, power.
|
