In 2010, Gordon Wadle and Kris Lagadinos developed an innovative method to produce energy using the pH difference between soil and tree roots. Their US patent US7667340 describes how this system harnesses the pH difference to generate microcurrents, which can be used to power various devices.

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The system consists of a metal rod driven into the tree, a grounding rod, and circuits that convert the collected energy into a 2.1-volt output. This output is sufficient to maintain a NiCd battery fully charged and power an LED light. Additionally, the system can be designed to generate 12 volts and 1 ampere, making it suitable for powering small tools and appliances.

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The Voltree bioenergy harvester is designed to recharge or replace batteries for low-power remote sensors such as radiation detectors, climate monitors, and fire alarm networks. This device can be used with a variety of different sensors and is capable of collecting energy from large plants without harming them.

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Furthermore, the system is completely silent, weather-resistant, and environmentally friendly both in its production and operation. When combined with low-power radio transmitter/receiver hardware and software, this system can be used to create large-scale and long-term sensor networks in previously inaccessible environments.

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According to Wadle, this simple technology (excluding the computer) could eventually prove to be more practical and economical than solar or wind energy. He stated that this technology, although still in the early stages of development, has the potential to produce clean and constant energy in an unlimited way, without the use of fossil fuels, complex power plants or sophisticated transmission networks. The patent of their inventors offers examples of enormous potential for electricity production and profit, despite their ability to generate only micro-power. The inventors have tested many parameters, such as the voltage produced by different trees with different configurations of spikes, different amounts of ground rods and numbers of spikes, different geographical locations of trees, different tree species, different spike materials and sizes, different spike heights, and variable soil conditions. Additionally, factors such as the species and/or variety of a particular plant affect the available voltage and/or current, with an oak tree located at 40 feet (12 m) above sea level and a maple tree located at 200 feet (61 m) above sea level providing different amounts of voltage and/or current. Trees produce a substantially constant DC voltage (and some AC voltage), while other plants produce a less constant DC voltage compared to trees. Finally, the load can absorb more current from the tree by using more ground stakes.

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The device has been used to collect information on weather conditions, particularly voltage was recorded when a thunderstorm approached from the west to the test site where a tree was located. As the storm approached, the voltage provided by the tree decreased, and the closer the storm got to the test site, the greater the voltage drop. By measuring the voltage provided by the tree, it was possible to obtain information about the severity of the incoming storm. Once the test site was passed, the voltage provided by the tree returned to normal levels within about thirty-five to forty minutes.

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In addition to providing energy for devices, elec-tree-city can be used to promote the growth of other plants to new heights. This new form of electroculture could revolutionize horticulture for many years to come. The Voltree patent describes the experimental cultivation of broccoli and tomatoes coupled with a group of plant roots. This resulted in advantages such as increased growth and resistance to pests and frost. In the case of energized broccoli, the plant grew taller than nearby plants and produced a larger central head and more lateral heads than other nearby broccoli plants. Additionally, the energized broccoli plant was not attacked by pests, while non-energized broccoli plants were attacked by pests. This was demonstrated by several visual inspections during the growing season. When a worm was placed on the energized broccoli plant, it did not eat the plant and instead dropped off, while the same worm began eating the non-energized broccoli plant. Further experimentation showed that a broccoli plant inhabited by pests saw them leave the plant within about an hour of energization.

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The tomato plant that underwent energization grew 33% more than untreated plants. Additionally, it produced more tomatoes and survived the first two winter frosts, unlike untreated plants that died after the first frost.

The Voltree harvester is capable of collecting "dirty" electricity, which can be subsequently cleaned enough to charge batteries without the need for computerized controls.

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The Ambient Power Module (APM), invented by Joe Tate, is a very simple device made up of capacitors and diodes, which functions as a voltage multiplier to convert radio frequencies into electrical energy. This energy is sufficient to power devices such as clocks, smoke detectors, and battery chargers.

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The US patent US4628299 (Seismic alarm system using RF energy monitor) was released to Tate for the APM, which can also provide a pre-alarm, as fault lines generate radio frequencies that increase in amplitude prior to an earthquake. Additionally, the APM also serves as a passive proximity detector for ships and structures. Finally, the APM can be seamlessly integrated with the Voltree system or General Squier's Floraphone.

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Antennas Trees and Foraphones

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During the First World War, Major General George O. Squier, in charge of the transmissions of the American army, developed a method for using trees as antennas. In July 1919, Squier published an article in The Electrical Experimenter describing the technology of "Talking Through the Trees". During the army's summer maneuvers at Camp Atascadero in California, Squier noticed that due to the dry soil, the army's telephone and telegraph equipment did not work with any ordinary ground or terrain, but became operational when connected to a metal nail driven into the trunk or roots of a living tree. Squier then continued to experimentally explore the subject at the range of frequencies used in radiotelegraphy, concluding that trees are "as good as any artificial antenna, regardless of size or extent, and better in that they bring far less static interference to the operator's ears". In July 1919, the article "With Trees for Ears" in Scientific American introduced the public to this technology, promising "A wireless station within reach of all". Despite the effectiveness of trees as antennas, cellular technology had not yet been developed. The method for reducing potential disturbances from the top of the tree to the instrument was simple: climb up a tree up to two-thirds of its height, drive in a nail a couple of inches into the tree, hang a wire, and attach the wire to the receiving apparatus as if it were a regular copper wire or aluminum antenna input. This allowed some of the etheric disturbances passing from the top of the tree to the ground through the wire to be diverted, while the thermionic tube did the rest efficiently.

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The Scientific American article discusses the use of trees as antennas for signal reception. The tree functions similarly to other antennas, receiving better in dry and clear weather compared to hot and humid weather. The tree is little affected by rain and the presence of other trees. However, a dead or leafless tree is not suitable for this purpose. The best point to drive a nail into a tree is two-thirds of its height, preferably using a copper nail that does not rust. If a tree station is to be permanent, several nails can be driven in and connected to the same wire, but the use of more than 40 nails does not seem to produce clearer signals than half a dozen. The tree can serve as a receiving station for several communication sets, connected in series with the same material or from separate terminals. Furthermore, for short distances, two-way telephone communications can be easily established through trees with significantly low antenna transmission currents. Finally, the article anticipates by almost a century the Treevolt device, which allows information to be sent from central points to tree signal stations, making it possible to send a wide range of information through this type of apparatus. General Squier, the inventor of using trees as antennas, was named the father of "floragrams" for messages transmitted through his devices, including the "floraphone" (tree telephone) and the "floragraph" (tree telegraph).

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During a 15-year period, starting in California and continuing intermittently until the outbreak of war, experiments were conducted that led to the discovery of an emergency communication system that uses a raised ground terminal tree at the top of the tree as a receiving arrangement, and a ground composed of several short pieces of insulated wire. This type of tree-antenna was used to receive multiple radio sets on very different wavelengths, receiving from separate terminals at the same or different heights on the tree, or in series from the same terminal. This same type of circuit was used in reverse for radio telephone transmission purposes, although the experiments so far have been limited to short distances. It was found that two-way radio communication was easily established with significantly low values of antenna current transmission, and that a number of trees can be connected to give the effect of a large antenna.

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Spray Antenna

 

The new antenna method called 'Spray-On Antenna' invented by Anthony Sutera and Rhett Spencer, while challenging conventional antenna technology, has been adopted by some military and emergency services. The spray uses proprietary nanocondensers that minimise the magnetic field in Near Field Magnetic Induction (NFMI), allowing an amplified signal to be transmitted without additional power consumption, improving signal efficiency and range, and saving energy. Once sprayed, the material solidifies and significantly improves antenna performance. In one test example, an RFID chip with a range of 5 feet transmitted 700 feet when connected to the spray antenna. According to Sutera's product presentation video, the sprayed material is arranged in the right pattern, rapidly charging and discharging capacitors without generating heat.
US patent US9088071 was awarded to Spencer, et al. for a system and method of manufacturing an antenna with conductive particles. The antenna system comprises a substrate and an antenna with a conductive particle material applied to it. The conductive particles are dispersed in a binder so that they are adjacent but not in contact. The nanoparticles may contain copper, as specified in the patent. Spray-on antenna technology has been shown to improve antenna performance, increase range, improve efficiency and save energy. The patent is part of a group of patents, including US9802050 and US7428137, that also describe the production of nanocondensers.

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Waves W

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According to Ed Wagner of the Wagner Research Laboratory in Rogue River, Oregon, trees can communicate with each other through W-waves: "In 1988 I discovered these waves in plants and called them 'W-waves'. They travel through plants and also through other porous materials with salt solution. I discovered that these waves facilitate communication between plants and that they can be used to organise charge in plant matter and thus control the position of charge, the movement of matter and the organisation of life. These waves seem to be present everywhere and interact with ordinary matter to provide communication and organisation."
"According to some researchers, the variable waves discussed may represent a more versatile and universally improved means of communication. Since these waves are supposedly not electromagnetic, they are capable of travelling at speeds much faster than light under certain conditions. Furthermore, they could offer a solution for communicating with remote locations in a relatively short time. It is also believed that these waves could explain many of the anomalous phenomena found on Earth, such as dowsing, mental telepathy, acupuncture, person-to-person healing, communication between plants, between plants and humans, and other similar phenomena.

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