Green Spark
The installation Green Spark is a research project that shows the cutting edge technology where plants are used to produce renewable energy. Mentioned emerging technology is called plant-microbial fuel cells, PMFCs which uses the natural process of photosynthesis to generate electrical energy. In this process plants using light energy consume carbon dioxide and water from the environment to convert it into organic compounds. Some of those compounds are released through the roots to the soil where a symbiotic bacteria occurs. The bacteria break down the matter, liberating free electrons. By providing an electrode for the micro-organisms to donate their electrons to, electricity can be harvested.
The system is represented by a set of batteries. Each one is a modular hanged ceramic pot that contains different species of plant with symbiotic bacteria. One battery can give up to 0,7 Volts. The current depends on the way the pots are connected (parallel or series circuit). The final installation contains 86 such batteries which allows to charge 2 smartphones simultaneously.
Production
Advanced customization technologies are used to create material system with complex relief close to organic pattern which helps plants to cling as if in its natural surroundings. The bottom part inside that brick is glazed to be waterproof for a better activation of a cathode, the rest is a porous clay without a coating. The pot has three lugs, two for the electrical connection and one is for irrigation tube.
The project aims to expose the new ecologic ways of producing energy to the urban scale at the same time bringing the nature to the built environment with a delicate and sensitive treatment to the plants.
Credits
Authors of the project:
Elena Mitrofanova
Ivan Mitrofanov
Shukhov Lab, HSE Graduate School of Urbanism
Los Mitros //
Scientific development:
Prof Chris Howe
Dr Paolo Bombelli
Department of Biochemistry, University of Cambridge
Team:
Paweł Akimov, Michael Sokolov, Einar Kulbaev, Michael Omona, Neeraj Mazumder, Altynai Nogoibaeva, Anna Budnikova, Bek Zholdosh Mederbekov, Shukhov Lab, HSE Graduate School of Urbanism
Moscow Polytechnic Museum
Production:
Alexander Tretyakov, Project Fabrika 317