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Electricity from tree

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Johnp

Sat Dec 06 2008, 08:54PM

Registered Member #488 Joined: Tue Oct 24 2006, 02:19AM
Location: Maine
Posts: 8

Here is a video I just made, a half hour ago, while I was at home and bored - some of you may be interested.:

As my youtube comment says:

I'm tapping into a small flow of electrons from a Norway Maple. Giving
me about 0.634 volts to ground, in the microamp range. I can find
nothing on google as to how exactly it is working, so I have to form
my own hypotheses:

A) electric charge in
the air (especially now that it is winter) is being picked up from
every part of the tree. The electrons pass through the bark and into
the cambium layer, (zylom & phloem) tubes) as there will be lower
resistance for them to make their way down to the ground. There is
step potential between tree and ground (think of hanging onto an
electrical wire with one hand... you would be fine, but two hands and
you are in parallel with the line and some of the voltage will run
through you). In this case, my multimeter is in parallel with the
tree, and with that providing a path of lower resistance than is
provided by the water/sap down to the base of the tree.

B.) This may not be from collection of charged particles, rather,
active transport of electrons from the ground up through the xylom
tubes.

If anyone has a different hypothesis, let's here it!

I do videos like this, because it's fun and educationally rewarding,
of course, but I upload them, more importantly, with intent to inspire
those who watch. Maybe some of my videos will give you ambition to
start constructing projects that help you better understand the
universe. Question. Think critically. That's what we're all here to
do, all of us, students among a world of complexity. Hypothesis, test,
learn, apply. Then we reproduce to make more students. Now go
experiment! :D

Cheers to all and happy holidays!

---------------------
John Paine
Second Year Engineering Physics

big5824

Sat Dec 06 2008, 09:03PM

Registered Member #1687 Joined: Tue Sept 09 2008, 08:47PM
Location: UK, Darlington
Posts: 240

im guessing friction between the air and the tree causes static to build up, which like you said can flow down the zylom and phloem tubes to earth

Johnp

Sat Dec 06 2008, 09:19PM

Registered Member #488 Joined: Tue Oct 24 2006, 02:19AM
Location: Maine
Posts: 8

I know during the great depression that people would take thousands of feet of insulated cable, draping it back and forth over their house, connect one end to one leg of a high voltage capacitor, and the other leg of the cap to ground, allowing them to run a small neon tube, all night.

Now I'm thinking it might be off of the powerlines. I'll have to do it sometime out in the woods.

Proud Mary

Sat Dec 06 2008, 09:47PM

Registered Member #543 Joined: Tue Feb 20 2007, 04:26PM
Location: UK
Posts: 4992

John, you may find something to interest you in these two articles:

ULF Tree Potentials and Geomagnetic Pulsations (Nature 6 Feb 1978)

Trees as Antennas

Sulaiman

Sat Dec 06 2008, 11:56PM

Registered Member #162 Joined: Mon Feb 13 2006, 10:25AM
Location: United Kingdom
Posts: 3140

I suspect that using a copper rod and (galvanized) iron electrodes is the main source of potential difference.
To test, put the copper rod and one of the electrodes in water with any electrolyte (acid, alkali, salt etc.)
I guess you'll see about the same voltage.

ragnar

Thu Dec 11 2008, 05:53PM

Registered Member #63 Joined: Thu Feb 09 2006, 06:18AM
Location:
Posts: 1425

There's an EngineeringTV video covering this too, you might find it interesting:
http://engineeringtv.com/.../tree-voltage-and-forest-fire-prevention.aspx

cduma

Fri Dec 19 2008, 07:50PM

Registered Member #1822 Joined: Fri Nov 21 2008, 08:04PM
Location:
Posts: 300

I have done this before. I would like to see if anyone can power something with a tree

Chris Russell

Tue Dec 23 2008, 05:50AM

... not Russel!
Registered Member #1 Joined: Thu Jan 26 2006, 12:18AM
Location: Tempe, Arizona
Posts: 1052

Sulaiman wrote ...

I suspect that using a copper rod and (galvanized) iron electrodes is the main source of potential difference.
To test, put the copper rod and one of the electrodes in water with any electrolyte (acid, alkali, salt etc.)
I guess you'll see about the same voltage.

I have to agree, that's the most likely source of the small voltage present. Should be easy enough to test. Either drive a copper spike into the tree, or use a galvanized steel rod in the ground.

Some of the trees around here grow pretty close to power lines. I wonder if it might be possible to get enough energy to light an LED or something. Not free energy, but "free to me" energy.

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