The Power In Plants

Overview

In 7th grade, I learned about the plant’s process of photosynthesis. For this project, I asked myself if there was any way to be able to incorporate photosynthesis to create a new eco-friendly energy fuel cell. This question led me to discover the Plant Microbial Fuel Cell (PMFC) . In order to create the PMFC, I drilled a small hole into a terracotta pot and filled it with layers of microbial rich soil, stainless steel mesh, carbon felts, and a rooted plant (Peace Lily). Afterwards, I placed it in a bigger plastic pot and filled it with ⅓ water, and added 2 stainless steel pads that hung on the sides of the pot to create the cathode. The experiment lasted 26 days, including measurements, observations and revisions. The data initially showed a low battery charge, but after the discovery on day 9, the battery's production rose dramatically from 0.053mA to 0.52mA, and continued to rise consistently over time. Despite this, the PMFC couldn’t provide enough power to light a 2V LED. So, a BQ25570 energy harvesting module was added to be able to raise the voltage and store enough energy to light the 2V LED. In short, although the PMFC may not produce enough power compared to other alternatives, it can run consistently and indefinitely without any maintenance as long as enough water is available.

Competition history

• CSEF 2026 Alternative Energy (Junior Division) · Entry J-01-05

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