Comments on: Tapping Tree Power http://hackaday.com/2009/09/10/tapping-tree-power/ Fresh hacks every day Sun, 12 Feb 2012 06:24:20 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.com/ By: browncardboard http://hackaday.com/2009/09/10/tapping-tree-power/comment-page-1/#comment-94442 Wed, 16 Sep 2009 18:58:04 +0000 http://hackaday.com/?p=15132#comment-94442 @ Frogz they are producing power in the microwatts to nano watts scale.

This company voltree is actually a direct competitor to my company & they are doing some great work too :)

The way that they generate power is similar to a microbial fuel cell. Although power would be augmented by a galvanic reaction [galvanized nail electron doner like a patato battery] they claim to not actually be consuming any of their electrodes.

They are slim on details, but I believe they are capitalizing on the ph gradient that forms between the inside of the tree and the surrounding soil. I would guess that it is just a concentration gradient that they are capitalizing on.

In terms of the power electronics… 0.2V coming out in the micro watt scale is not a lot of power and really difficult to work with. I have yet to find any commercially available power converter solution that can boot strap from that level. It is only recently that that amount of power would even be considered to be useful.

We are continuing to develop a power converter that can boot strap from 0.3v and a little lower to a usable voltage. At these tiny voltages, you are close to the threshold tolerances of many of our components, its not easy.

]]> By: Ambigrid Review http://hackaday.com/2009/09/10/tapping-tree-power/comment-page-1/#comment-93821 Mon, 14 Sep 2009 07:51:42 +0000 http://hackaday.com/?p=15132#comment-93821 I used the Ambigrid Plans to build a solar pales for under $100, as well as a solar water heater for less than $10! I can’t say enough good things about them!

]]> By: Yrb http://hackaday.com/2009/09/10/tapping-tree-power/comment-page-1/#comment-93716 Sun, 13 Sep 2009 18:03:09 +0000 http://hackaday.com/?p=15132#comment-93716 It would be interesting to create a device that is powered by human beings.. then we create a huged field of humans and connect their minds to a big computer.

That might work!

]]> By: monkeyslayer56 http://hackaday.com/2009/09/10/tapping-tree-power/comment-page-1/#comment-93628 Sat, 12 Sep 2009 21:35:11 +0000 http://hackaday.com/?p=15132#comment-93628 arduino + many tress= soon to be hack on hackaday…

]]> By: Ambigrid Plans http://hackaday.com/2009/09/10/tapping-tree-power/comment-page-1/#comment-93613 Sat, 12 Sep 2009 20:13:12 +0000 http://hackaday.com/?p=15132#comment-93613 I used the Ambigrid Plans to build a solar pales for under $100, as well as a solar water heater for less than $10! I can’t say enough good things about them!

]]> By: Don Cross http://hackaday.com/2009/09/10/tapping-tree-power/comment-page-1/#comment-93605 Sat, 12 Sep 2009 19:11:05 +0000 http://hackaday.com/?p=15132#comment-93605 @Orv: That is an interesting possibility. I should try it again and put the voltmeter in AC mode. I could also hook up some high impedance crystal earphones and listen for 60Hz hum.

]]> By: strider_mt2k http://hackaday.com/2009/09/10/tapping-tree-power/comment-page-1/#comment-93558 Sat, 12 Sep 2009 11:50:19 +0000 http://hackaday.com/?p=15132#comment-93558 Ambigrid Review’s solar panels use PEOPLE!

]]> By: Ambigrid Review http://hackaday.com/2009/09/10/tapping-tree-power/comment-page-1/#comment-93512 Sat, 12 Sep 2009 05:31:56 +0000 http://hackaday.com/?p=15132#comment-93512 Read how I built my own Solar Panels for under $100 at Ambigrid Review!

]]> By: Orv http://hackaday.com/2009/09/10/tapping-tree-power/comment-page-1/#comment-93452 Fri, 11 Sep 2009 22:37:01 +0000 http://hackaday.com/?p=15132#comment-93452 @Don: If this was near a building you may have been seeing ground currents from the power system…because of the bulk resistance of the earth any ground current will create a voltage gradient.

]]> By: therian http://hackaday.com/2009/09/10/tapping-tree-power/comment-page-1/#comment-93442 Fri, 11 Sep 2009 21:56:46 +0000 http://hackaday.com/?p=15132#comment-93442 Take a multimeter probes in both hands, do you see .1V ~ .3 V ? now try to touch other parts with probes, see more voltage ? No
you not a super man you a fitly pig, go wash yourself you sweat start electro-chemical rections

]]> By: uC http://hackaday.com/2009/09/10/tapping-tree-power/comment-page-1/#comment-93388 Fri, 11 Sep 2009 16:07:54 +0000 http://hackaday.com/?p=15132#comment-93388 @coldwar23

Check these guys out:

RF power harvesting
http://www.powercastco.com/

Ti is getting very interested in this stuff (It’s where I heard about it )
http://www.ti.com/ww/en/apps/energy-harvesting/index.shtml

]]> By: Frogz http://hackaday.com/2009/09/10/tapping-tree-power/comment-page-1/#comment-93386 Fri, 11 Sep 2009 15:46:45 +0000 http://hackaday.com/?p=15132#comment-93386 hm, i’ve looked everywhere i could within a 30 second period but i found no mention of current anywhere
you can have a billion watts at .2 volts if you have enough current
or it can be barely enough to be detectable by expensive lab equipment
anyone know what kinda tree-mendous POWER they are getting out of this?
(on another note, we should all be shot for all these tree puns/jokes)

]]> By: Jimbo http://hackaday.com/2009/09/10/tapping-tree-power/comment-page-1/#comment-93372 Fri, 11 Sep 2009 13:37:44 +0000 http://hackaday.com/?p=15132#comment-93372 How about recording the pattern of swaying of the trees as it is generated by wind movement over an entire forest with accelerometers stuck up the trunks? :-)

]]> By: coldwar23 http://hackaday.com/2009/09/10/tapping-tree-power/comment-page-1/#comment-93371 Fri, 11 Sep 2009 13:33:03 +0000 http://hackaday.com/?p=15132#comment-93371 After the old toilet paper tube radio we all built, I was thinking a massive array of germanium diodes would turn those massive amounts of radio waves into microvoltages, effectively recycling radio wave energy.

Dunno, any ideas?

]]> By: Shadyman http://hackaday.com/2009/09/10/tapping-tree-power/comment-page-1/#comment-93369 Fri, 11 Sep 2009 13:29:23 +0000 http://hackaday.com/?p=15132#comment-93369 Enough with the tree puns! You guys are treerible!

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