Tapping Trees for Electricity?

dr_agonfly writes "Despite many skeptics, a Massachusetts company is getting investor interest in developing a process to tap electric power from trees. MagCap is looking to boost the current power from just under 2 volts to a more useful 12 volts with investor funding." From the article: "Jim Manwell, director of the University of Massachusetts Amherst's Renewable Energy Resource Laboratory, questioned the potential of MagCap's plans. 'I'm wildly skeptical,' he said. 'I would need to see proof before I believed it. It strikes me as pretty questionable for a number of reasons.'"

Long way to go yet...

[eldavojohn]

From the article:

He expects to find investors to help pay for the research needed to figure a way to increase the tree power from less than 2 volts to 12 volts sometime this year, creating an alternative to fossil fuels.

It sounds like they have a long way to go yet and there is reason for much skepticism. Everything has some amount of electric charge to it, even the surface of your skin. Does that mean we should research away to increase that small voltage to something larger so we can all walk around with extension cords hanging off our arms?

Afterall, there was the man who did this [bbc.co.uk] accidentally!

Re:2 - 12 Volts?

[Rei]

It depends on the process that generates it, but you're right - the current is probably minimal.

Want to propose theoretical sources of charge? Wood's not a bad insulator (although nothing compared to plastics), so any charge development won't dissipate too quickly. Perhaps static charges in the leaves between different trees from wind? Doesn't seem likely that one tree would tend to build up positive charges and the other negative, with the easiest discharge route being through the ground, however. Perhaps the trees are a discharge point for particles in the atmosphere that are charged with respect to the ground?

Any other ideas?

IPO

[inKubus]

MONEY REALLY *DOES* GROW ON TREES! LOOK AT THAT TOMATO! YOU CAN EVEN CUT A TIN CAN WITH IT!

Sorry.

Ahem, I think they have already proven that there is not enough sun energy per square yard of surface area on the earth to meet even a small percentage of our yearly hydrocarbon energy consumption. However, this could be useful for highway or trail markers, maple syrup harvesters (let them know when a bucket is full without requring batteries, etc. I don't see how this could possibly be cheaper than commodity solar cells, however. What's the use. What about the thermolife [poweredbythermolife.com], which uses thin films to create current from body heat gradients (inside a human body)? That's a revoultion. Potatoheads.

not too good for the tree...

[dnamaners]

Yes your chemistry sounds about right, as the aluminum corrodes you get a current. However this can't be too good for the plant. Besides the obvious bit about a big spike being nailed in, aluminum ions are toxic to plants. As this thing makes "power" (which in it self is questionable due to the energy cost of refining aluminum) it poisons the tree. I am sure since IAPMB (I am a Plant Molecular Biologist) that the plant can tolerate a certain amount of aluminum, however quite a lot can come from acid soils and the environment. I am doubtful that any real amount of "power" can be harvested this way without killing (or severely stunting) the trees. In short, what the heck is the point, sure you can make a potato battery out of a tree. However like the potato clock, you don't expect the potato to survive long term as a living battery.

Talk about the rape of the forests ... This must be forest BDSM.

Re:Answer to his problem

[slashname3]

So when you go hiking make sure to take a bunch of nails with you and wire so you can recharge your cell phone. Should be standard survival equipment.

Re:This is how it works

[Skippy_kangaroo]

Indeed. In some circles aluminium is more commonly known as congealed electricity.

I'm going to bet that the cost of the nail is more than the value of the electricity produced - but the real question will be, "Is this the least efficient ways you can produce power?"