Introducing Potato Power

September 14, 2010

Researchers 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.

Cost analyses showed this to be 5- to 50-fold cheaper than 1.5 Volt D cells and Energizer E91 cells, respectively. It is also at least six times more economical than kerosene lamps. Potatoes are a good energy source since they are produced in 130 countries and are the world's number one non-grain starch food commodity, now accounting for more than half of the global harvest. Yissum has made this technology freely available to economically disadvantaged parts of the world. For more information: www.yissum.co.il; Ziv Shomroni, +972-2-658-6688.

Source: From a Yissum press release

Photo Credit: www.engadget.com