Research Inspiration and Goal

Bridging the gaps with a sustainable hybrid MPD-solar power system for forest fire monitoring

Inspiration

Leverage the nature's own resources to create a reliable energy solution

For a sustainable and efficient method of providing sensors energy in the monitor system, renewable energy is considered primarily.

The primary inspiration comes from the question:

"How do we utilize local natural energy sources for a reliable energy solution?"

Considering the natural environment of forests, this system is based on a novel source of power: Plant-Derivative Metabolic Potential Difference

Metabolic Potential Difference (MPD) collects energy from a difference in charges in a plant due to its photosynthetic metabolism.

Image: MPD Working Principle for Forest Fire Monitoring

Diagram showing ionic environment from photosynthetic metabolism (H+, K+, Ca(HCO₃)₂, Citrate) creating 50-250 millivolts between zinc electrode (inserted into tree above ground) and copper electrode (in moist soil near roots), connected to 12V rechargeable battery

Research Goal

Using MPD energy combined with solar energy, creating a sustainable energy system for a forest fire monitor system

Image: Blaze Scout Forest Fire Monitoring System

System diagram showing MPD-Solar Hybrid Energy (4 units) → 12V Battery → ESP-32 Mainboard (190 mA) → LoRa Communication (40 mA) → Receiving Station (100 m), with sensors: MQ-2 Smoke (350 mA max), MQ-7 CO (150 mA max), DHT-11 Temp/Humidity (2.5 mA), and 5.5 mA buzzer

Creating a self-sustaining, low-cost forest fire detection system powered by nature itself

Comparison of Energy Sources

Power Source Stability Affordability Sustainability Flexibility
Solar Unavailable at night Affordable Sustainable Very flexible
Wind Not very stable Very costly Sustainable Not flexible
Hydropower Stable Extremely costly Sustainable Not flexible
Fuel cells Stable Costly on a large scale Non-sustainable Not flexible
MPD Very Stable Affordable Sustainable Very flexible

Why MPD + Solar Hybrid?

  • Traditional batteries and fuel cells create unsustainable replacing regimes, dramatically increasing the logistical challenge and costs of implementation.
  • Wind energy and hydropower have very high costs and lack of flexibility.
  • Solar power provides a more sustainable and efficient solution, but it faces challenges in reliability and stability.
  • MPD power in a hybridized solution with solar power offers the best of both: MPD's stability makes up for solar power's dependency on weather, and provides stable amounts of power even at night.

Research Methodology

A systematic six-step approach to develop and validate the Blaze Scout system

1

Theoretical Design

Design the logistics of the harnessing MPD energy and provide basic formulas

  • Instantaneous Power Calculation (Pp = Up × Ip)
  • Daily Average Energy Aggregation (Ep = ΣPp × Δt)
  • System Energy Balance (ΔE = Etotal-in - Etotal-consumed)
2

Hardware Design

Select and integrate hardware components to build a control circuit that utilizes the energy harnessed for sensors and communication

  • ESP-32 Development Board
  • MQ-2 Smoke Sensor, MQ-7 CO Sensor
  • DHT-11 Temperature/Humidity Sensor
  • DL-XL01 LoRa Communication Module
3

Structural Design

Develop a structure that combines an energy providing system and monitor sensor system that also protects the internal components

  • Weather-resistant enclosure
  • Solar panel mounting
  • MPD electrode integration
  • Sensor positioning for optimal detection
4

Empirical Validation

Assess the feasibility of harnessing MPD energy with a total of 24 hour experiment

  • 24-hour voltage and current monitoring
  • Stability testing across day/night cycles
  • Multiple tree species evaluation
5

Experimentation

Validate the power generation of the energy solution and sensor communication and calculate the feasibility of using the hybrid energy system for continuous power

  • MPD power generation measurement
  • Solar power generation under canopy
  • System energy balance calculation
  • LoRa communication range testing
6

Analysis and Discussion

Analyze and compare the costs of the project with existing solutions, listing directions for optimization and future research

  • Cost-benefit analysis
  • Comparison with existing technologies
  • Scalability assessment
  • Future improvement roadmap

Key Innovations

Novel Power Solution

Using MPD power with solar power to provide energy for a forest monitoring system - world's first implementation of plant metabolic energy for wildfire detection

Adaptability

The system is able to be implemented on any tree in many different areas as long as the tree maintains a regular metabolism

Portability

The device is around 25×15×10 cm, lightweight and compact, allowing flexible placement and rapid deployment in remote forest areas

Ultra Low-Cost

Only $80 USD per unit - significantly cheaper than conventional solutions, enabling large-scale deployment

Sustainability

There is no reliance on a battery swapping regime, and the energy generated could completely power each device's power consumption with a 22% energy buffer

Modularity and Scalability

Enables flexible expansion to improve coverage - approximately 52 devices needed to monitor one acre of forest