Yissum develops potato-powered batteries for the developing world
By Laura June 
posted June 20th 2010 9:32AM
posted June 20th 2010 9:32AM
Potato Power - Yissum Introduces Potato Batteries for Use in the Developing World
- Discovery published in the Journal of Renewable Sustainable Energy and Featured in Nature's Research Highlights -
JERUSALEM--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Yissum Research Development Company Ltd., the technology transfer arm of the Hebrew University of Jerusalem, introduces solid organic electric battery based upon treated potatoes. This simple, sustainable, robust device can potentially provide an immediate inexpensive solution to electricity needs in parts of the world lacking electrical infrastructure. The findings were published in the June issue of the Journal of Renewable and Sustainable Energy and are featured in this week's Research Highlights section of Nature.
"The ability to provide electrical power with such simple and natural means could benefit millions of people in the developing word, literally bringing light and telecommunication to their life in areas currently lacking electrical infrastructure."
Researchers at the Hebrew University discovered that the enhanced salt bridge capability of treated potato tubers can generate electricity through means readily available in the developing world. This cheap, easy to use green power source could substantially improve the quality of life of 1.6 billion people, comprising 32% of the developing non-OECD populations, currently lacking access to electrical infrastructure. Such a source can provide important needs, such as lighting, telecommunication, and information transfer.
"The ability to construct efficient vegetative batteries supplies us with a novel way of exploiting bio-energy sources, which are currently primarily used as fuel," said Yaacov Michlin, CEO of Yissum. "The ability to provide electrical power with such simple and natural means could benefit millions of people in the developing word, literally bringing light and telecommunication to their life in areas currently lacking electrical infrastructure."
Prof. Haim D. Rabinowitch from the Robert H. Smith Faculty of Agriculture, Food and Environment and the research student Alex Golberg from the School of Computer Science and Engineering at the Hebrew University, jointly with Prof. Boris Rubinsky at the University of California at Berkeley, study the electrolytic process in living matter for use in various applications, including the generation of electric energy for self-powered implanted medical electronic devices. In their research, they discovered a new way to construct an efficient battery using zinc and copper electrodes and a slice of your everyday potato. The scientists discovered that the simple action of boiling the potato prior to use in electrolysis, increases electric power up to 10 fold over the untreated potato and enables the battery to work for days and even weeks. The scientific basis of the finding is related to the reduction in the internal salt bridge resistance of the potato battery, which is exactly how engineers are trying to optimize the performance of conventional batteries. The ability to produce and utilize low power electricity was demonstrated by LEDs powered by treated potato batteries.
Cost analyses showed that the treated potato battery generates energy, which is five to 50 folds cheaper than commercially available 1.5 Volt D cells and Energizer E91 cells, respectively. The clean light powered by this green battery is also at least 6 times more economical than kerosene lamps often used in the developing world.
Thus, the boiled potato or other similarly treated vegetables could provide an immediate, environmental friendly and inexpensive solution to many of the low power energy needs in areas of the world lacking access to electrical infrastructure. The long-keeping humble potatoes in particular are a good energy source since they are produced in 130 countries over a wide range of climates, from temperate zones to the subtropics- more than any other crop worldwide, but corn, and thus available year round almost anywhere.
The potato is the world's number one non-grain starch food commodity, with production reaching a record 325 million tons in 2007. Potato consumption is expanding strongly in developing countries, which now account for more than half of the global harvest and where the potato's ease of cultivation and high energy content have made it a valuable cash crop for millions of farmers.
Yissum has made this technology freely available to economically disadvantaged parts of the words.
About Yissum
Yissum Research Development Company of the Hebrew University of Jerusalem Ltd. was founded in 1964 to protect and commercialize the Hebrew University's intellectual property. Ranked among the top technology transfer companies in the world, Yissum has registered over 6,100 patents covering 1,750 inventions; has licensed out 480 technologies and has spun-off 65 companies. Yissum's business partners span the globe and include companies such as Novartis, Johnson & Johnson, Roche, Merck, Teva, Intel, IBM, Phillips, Syngenta, Vilmorin, Monsanto and many more. For further information please visit www.yissum.co.il.
- Discovery published in the Journal of Renewable Sustainable Energy and Featured in Nature's Research Highlights -
JERUSALEM--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Yissum Research Development Company Ltd., the technology transfer arm of the Hebrew University of Jerusalem, introduces solid organic electric battery based upon treated potatoes. This simple, sustainable, robust device can potentially provide an immediate inexpensive solution to electricity needs in parts of the world lacking electrical infrastructure. The findings were published in the June issue of the Journal of Renewable and Sustainable Energy and are featured in this week's Research Highlights section of Nature.
"The ability to provide electrical power with such simple and natural means could benefit millions of people in the developing word, literally bringing light and telecommunication to their life in areas currently lacking electrical infrastructure."
Researchers at the Hebrew University discovered that the enhanced salt bridge capability of treated potato tubers can generate electricity through means readily available in the developing world. This cheap, easy to use green power source could substantially improve the quality of life of 1.6 billion people, comprising 32% of the developing non-OECD populations, currently lacking access to electrical infrastructure. Such a source can provide important needs, such as lighting, telecommunication, and information transfer.
"The ability to construct efficient vegetative batteries supplies us with a novel way of exploiting bio-energy sources, which are currently primarily used as fuel," said Yaacov Michlin, CEO of Yissum. "The ability to provide electrical power with such simple and natural means could benefit millions of people in the developing word, literally bringing light and telecommunication to their life in areas currently lacking electrical infrastructure."
Prof. Haim D. Rabinowitch from the Robert H. Smith Faculty of Agriculture, Food and Environment and the research student Alex Golberg from the School of Computer Science and Engineering at the Hebrew University, jointly with Prof. Boris Rubinsky at the University of California at Berkeley, study the electrolytic process in living matter for use in various applications, including the generation of electric energy for self-powered implanted medical electronic devices. In their research, they discovered a new way to construct an efficient battery using zinc and copper electrodes and a slice of your everyday potato. The scientists discovered that the simple action of boiling the potato prior to use in electrolysis, increases electric power up to 10 fold over the untreated potato and enables the battery to work for days and even weeks. The scientific basis of the finding is related to the reduction in the internal salt bridge resistance of the potato battery, which is exactly how engineers are trying to optimize the performance of conventional batteries. The ability to produce and utilize low power electricity was demonstrated by LEDs powered by treated potato batteries.
Cost analyses showed that the treated potato battery generates energy, which is five to 50 folds cheaper than commercially available 1.5 Volt D cells and Energizer E91 cells, respectively. The clean light powered by this green battery is also at least 6 times more economical than kerosene lamps often used in the developing world.
Thus, the boiled potato or other similarly treated vegetables could provide an immediate, environmental friendly and inexpensive solution to many of the low power energy needs in areas of the world lacking access to electrical infrastructure. The long-keeping humble potatoes in particular are a good energy source since they are produced in 130 countries over a wide range of climates, from temperate zones to the subtropics- more than any other crop worldwide, but corn, and thus available year round almost anywhere.
The potato is the world's number one non-grain starch food commodity, with production reaching a record 325 million tons in 2007. Potato consumption is expanding strongly in developing countries, which now account for more than half of the global harvest and where the potato's ease of cultivation and high energy content have made it a valuable cash crop for millions of farmers.
Yissum has made this technology freely available to economically disadvantaged parts of the words.
About Yissum
Yissum Research Development Company of the Hebrew University of Jerusalem Ltd. was founded in 1964 to protect and commercialize the Hebrew University's intellectual property. Ranked among the top technology transfer companies in the world, Yissum has registered over 6,100 patents covering 1,750 inventions; has licensed out 480 technologies and has spun-off 65 companies. Yissum's business partners span the globe and include companies such as Novartis, Johnson & Johnson, Roche, Merck, Teva, Intel, IBM, Phillips, Syngenta, Vilmorin, Monsanto and many more. For further information please visit www.yissum.co.il.
This is pretty lame actually.
I've been to a number of third world countries. The street vendors there, sell cheap wind up flashlights/radios/alarm clocks/etc. Not to mention the water powered stuff that is out now, or the flashlight you shake to charge up.
This is justt a waste of good food.
@Sofabutt It may be a waste of good food and lame but it's still amazing xD
@Sofabutt Water powered stuff is a gimmick. It's actually water activated. No energy comes from the water.
Surely with the lack of food in parts of the 3rd world they should just eat the potatoes?? :P
I wonder how many people in developing countries have food to spare for such "luxuries" as lighting; especially as many go hungry each day.
Doesn't the energy come from the oxidation of the zinc, not the potato? You could just use salt water to replace the potato.
@AaronX
Yes, you are exactly right. I'm wondering if this is a joke. However, usually the hard part of battery technology is the electrolyte used (in this case the potato.)
In any case, you'd have to sell zinc electrodes to people which would eventually have to be replaced, as the zinc is slowly eaten away in the process.
I would love to see someone pack that in their suitcase on a plane.
i rather fry those.
Well if you have the energy to boil the potato, you probably have electricity and don't need potato batteries, and if you're in an impoverished country you'd be better off eating those potatoes lol...
@Yankee
you dont need electricity to boil potatoes.
@boxieblue
True, just the sun, a water holding vessel and a piece of glass. Leave it all day and they will cook.
Now if someone was to say the water needed might be an issue in a developing nation then they are on to something
I don't get it. Are they trying to invent a organic battery or a zero calorie potato?
One guy says something and everyone has an argument over the thing he said. Why can't u guys just say stuff as in cool project.
They should put that effort towards harnessing the energy of the fire used to boil the potato in the first place.
@shitcan Why put fire on a stick to make light, when you can use fire to heat water to boil a potato, mine zinc and copper, forge them into strips of metal and extrude the copper into wire surrounded by a mix of plastic (even more complicated) and rubber, machine press-stamp alligator clips, solder (you'll need to mine tin and lead for this) the wire to the clamps and metal strips, import the materials and cut the potato into squares with a knife then fix them together into a battery to send electrons through (likely) indium gallium nitride into a coat of phosphors which will project photons through an epoxy? (White LED.)
Nothing new really, the boiling part too. I did a science fair project on how well cooked vs raw fruits/veges make electricity. I knew this before these guys and I know some people do.
It's already been said but...
1) It takes a lot of energy (electric or otherwise) to boil water and to boil a potato. More energy (I'd guess) than you get out of the potato
2) If you're that hard up for energy, you likely don't have stuff that needs a battery and you're likely better off eating the food that would otherwise power your ipod
Cody
@CodyTech Opera fast. Potato slow.
What a waste of potatoes! In emergency I'd rather eat potato than battery potato. Silly scientists.
Surely those in developing countries would rather be eating potatoes than using them to power small light bulbs?
Put this in my phone please!
This is the best solution for the poor developing countries, it dose look a bit like a bom though they need to box it all in some how.
scientists can do this...but can't fix that damn Oil Spill.....WTF?!?!?
@TCrimson05
you make it sound like the potatoe batteries require more scientific knowledge than cleaning an oil spill.
@BrianH
Well one did come after the other..
Okay...so they cut a potato in a rectangular shape. I know this "technology" has been around for over 25 years. I did the battery potato experiment in high school. I'm trying to figure out what's the new technology behind this. The only difference is that we didn't boil the potato.
@ofcmad
Good point. I am curious to the amount of energy required to treat the potato compared to the potential output. I was looking at the press release for more specifics on these requirements, but it is vague in this area.
@Cobalt B We were able to power a small LCD clock for several days with the unboiled potato. We were still getting power when the potato started to shrivel. I know that one of the keys was keeping the potato moist. Maybe that was why they boiled the potato - IDK.
It looks like they are using LEDs for their light source which doesn't require much power. I think they spent more energy on boiling the potatoes compared to the output of power.
@ofcmad : They are probably making cheaper/easier to distribute electrode kits that are more efficient.
in soviet russia, potato is solution to everything!
@ianhunter In Soviet Russia, the potato boils you!
Would they rather use the potato has food?
how much energy to boil the potato?!
I see two problems:
1) Potatoes = food : you are replacing food, for people that are usually starving, with energy.
2) Potatoes = food : someone is bound to try and eat the potato after it starts giving off energy. Most of these reactions acidify the medium, which means it is going to make someone very sick or kill them.
Isn't boiling the potatoes an energy consuming process in itself? How efficient would that be?
@nilayk My thought too. But there's probably less energy, lower cost and a much more convenient procedure boiling potatoes than creating traditional batteries.
Cool - so now Idaho can become the energy capital of North America.
Looking forward to the day I can drive a Tesla and power it with a can of Pringles.
Ed
What happens when the potato run out of battery? Is it fried, and ready to eat?
@palegolas I don't think that would be a great idea.
awesome .. now we need corn syrup on it.
What they have discovered is obvious and not at all revolutionary.
This may be some sort of prank that blogs are being fooled by.
Are they trying to obtain grant money (beer money) for their research cause that might explain things?
How many energy it required to boil the potato vs the electricy it produced?
This is totally absurd! This "invention" does not save energy and it is not necessarily cheap or clean by any way, and it is also not simple. Here the potato is used as a electrolyte, which does not generate any energy. The energy is produced by the redox of the electrode, i.e. Zn and Cu, which are 1. not cheap, 2. pollute when disposed. As is already discussed, no matter what electrolyte you use, one can even use salt water to perform this task. The bottom line is, we would like to use the electrolyte long enough, so that we don't generate waste. Well with potato it rots and can hold for a few days before stinks and vola, you need new potato. Result: the food and metal wasted, the rotten potato poisoned with Zn. What the hell is this sustainable?
BTW, eat the potato and rotate a generator with your hands. This is truly energy-efficient, green, environment-friendly, renewable and sustainable energy source!
This has to be one of the lamest things I have heard in a long time!
Especially the "The technology has officially been made available free of charge to the developing world". Well, gee thanks. This technology is already hundreds of years old and is already in the public domain.
This is a simple galvanic cell. Potato's aren't optimal or even necessary (so many other things can be used instead of the potato).
Perhaps people should read the following:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lemon_battery
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Galvanic_cell
Well, I suppose if you are stupid enough to buy one, Yissum might as well be the ones to take your money.
imagine what we can do with FRIED PO TA TOES!!!!
That's really great... now if they can invent an edible battery, they can replace all the food they are taking out of the mouths of people in those developing countries...