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

cross-posted from: https://lemmy.world/post/11549319

Scientists Develop New Dirt-Powered Fuel Cell That Runs Forever

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.

  • @jonneEnglish
    9•5 months ago

    The goal is to power sensors in agricultural contexts, and if that works, great. You could do some amazing things if you know exactly what’s in your soil (humidity, nutrients, etc) without having to first lay cables to create a powered network or whatever. It could save water and stop farmers from using excessive fertiliser.