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This circuit Is another circuit with the idea based on the article that was published in Nuts And Volts in September 2010 called Flower Power. This isn't a free energy device. It follows the law of conservation of energy. The only thing free is that after you but the plants and the materials to build this, the actual energy harvested is free. Haveresting power from non-animal organisms (plants, trees, and so on) are patented by voltreepower.com But the circuit is free... The harvesting from all other low power sources aren't patented, as of yet...
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House Plant Powered LED FlashlightLooking for products to tap into the electrical energy that is around us in nature (here on earth and in the universe), there isn't very many efficient ways to harness it. The practice of constructing of these devices call them as “free energy” devices. The common practice in academia is to call “free energy” as creating energy from nothing, which is no such thing. The only thing about harnessing energy from nature is that we aren't paying some energy utility for the power.
There is an energy harvesting semiconductor that will allow us to acquire nature's energy. It is called LTC3108. It is made by Linear Technologies. Linear Technologies has a number of energy harvesting semiconductors.
Here is a circuit that will allow one to harvest the power from one common house plant and power a low power device (4 LED's).
This circuit is based off of the datasheet that can be downloaded for the semiconductor. I did a circuit board layout design for this circuit in two circuit boards, that it can be put in a PVC pipe to protect the electronics. The PVC parts don't need to be glued, they can be just dry fitted if you like. That will
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House Plant Powered LED Flashlightallow for easy repair.
One board is the controller board and the other is the LED lighting board. The controller board is 1” by 2”. It can be placed in the pipe and pipe fittings lengthwise. The LED lighting board is 2.375” in diameter. This board can be fit on the end of the of the pipe.
A B C D E F
A = Direction of lightB = 1 1/2” to 2” schedule 40 PVC Reducing BusingC = LED Control Board soldered to the bottom layer of the LED Display Board.D = 2” schedule 40 PVC couplerE = 2 “ schedule 40 PVC pipe of 6” in length.F = 2” schedule 40 PVC to 0.5” NPT female adapter
Assemble the fittings D, E, F. Put the end of BNC cable through fitting F so that you see that end come out of fitting D. Connect the length of BNC coax cable greater than 6 inches to the circuit board before put the circuit boards in the coupling. You would need to make up the length of coax cable from scratch with the strain relief used is the equivalent to Oz-Gedney's SR-502, SR-503, and SR504.
The reason I used 6” in length for the pipe is that this where you can use some sort of conduit hanger like the one from Mineralac Inc. to support the light, if you want to mount somewhere. If you don't want to mount it than that is ok.
The following is the circuit board layouts. Just print those out on transfer film like, Press-n-Peel Blue PCB Transfer Paper Film Etch Circuit Boards. The LED Control Board is 1” by 2”. The LED Display board is 2.375” in diameter, that is the diameter of schedule 40 2 inch PVC pipe.
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House Plant Powered LED Flashlight
1. LED Control Board Top Layer
2. LED Control Board Bottom Layer
3. LED Control Board Silkscreen Top Layer
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House Plant Powered LED Flashlight
1. LED Display Board Top Layer 2. LED Display Board Bottom Layer
2. LED Display Board Silkscreen Top Layer
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House Plant Powered LED FlashlightThis is the entire schematic with the Parts lists:
Now connect to your house plant:1. Put a small 2” long machine screw in the potting soil of the plant.2. Put a small sewing needle into the leaf or the leaf's part that resembles a small stem or even put
the needle in the stem that the leaf is connected to.3. Utilizing the BNC to alligator clip adapter cable, connect the positive (or red lead) to the needle
and the negative (or black lead) to the machine screw. The following page shows the adapter cable.
4. You may also need a BNC gender changer to connect the BNC cable to the adapter cable.
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House Plant Powered LED Flashlight
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House Plant Powered LED FlashlightChallenge Questions:
1. What do you want to do with this flashlight1. Do you want an emergency light?2. Do you want to have night lights?
2. How many of these flashlights does it take to power a solar photo-voltaic panel that can power an inverter (off-grid or grid tie-in)?
3. What house plants or any plant that can be grown in a greenhouse are more efficient?
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