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ENCYCLOPEDIA OF RADIO ELECTRONICS AND ELECTRICAL ENGINEERING Plant growth stimulator on solar cells. Encyclopedia of radio electronics and electrical engineering
Encyclopedia of radio electronics and electrical engineering / Alternative energy sources Solar cells really amaze the imagination as soon as one thinks about their extraordinary variety of applications. Known are miniature solar cells that power the clock, as well as a relatively powerful solar battery for the power supply system of high-intensity incandescent lamps. Indeed, the scope of solar cells is quite wide. Below is an application of solar cells that will be hard to believe. We are talking about photoelectric converters that stimulate plant growth. Sounds unbelievable? Plant growth The best place to start is to get to know the basics of plant life. Most readers are well aware of the phenomenon of photosynthesis, which is the main driving force in plant life. Essentially, photosynthesis is the process by which sunlight allows plants to be nourished. Although the process of photosynthesis is much more complicated than the explanation that is possible and appropriate in this book, the process is as follows The leaf of every green plant is made up of thousands of individual cells. They contain a substance called chlorophyll, which, incidentally, is what gives the leaves their green color. Each such cell is a miniature chemical plant. When a particle of light, called a photon, enters a cell, it is absorbed by chlorophyll. The photon energy released in this way activates chlorophyll and initiates a series of transformations that eventually lead to the formation of sugar and starch, which are absorbed by plants and stimulate growth.
These substances are stored in the cell until needed by the plant. It is safe to assume that the amount of nutrients a leaf can provide to a plant is directly proportional to the amount of sunlight falling on its surface. This phenomenon is similar to the conversion of energy by a solar cell. A few words about roots However, sunlight alone is not enough for a plant. In order to produce nutrients, the leaf must have a feedstock. The supplier of such substances is a developed root system through which they are absorbed from the soil. Rather, not only from the soil, but also from the air. Fortunately for humans and animals, plants breathe carbon dioxide during the day, with which we constantly enrich the atmosphere by exhaling air, in which the ratio of carbon dioxide to oxygen is significantly increased compared to the air we breathe. Roots, which are complex structures, are as important to plant development as sunlight. Usually the root system is as extensive and branched as the plant it feeds. For example, it may turn out that a healthy plant 10 cm high has a root system that goes into the ground to a depth of 10 cm. Of course, this is not always the case and not in all plants, but, as a rule, this is the case. Therefore, it would be logical to expect that if it were possible in any way to increase the growth of the root system, then the upper part of the plant would follow suit and grow by the same amount. In fact, this is how it happens. It was found that, thanks to an action that was still not fully understood, a weak electric current really promotes the development of the root system, and hence the growth of the plant. It is assumed that such stimulation with an electric current actually supplements the energy obtained in the usual way during photosynthesis. Photoelectricity and Photosynthesis A solar cell, like leaf cells during photosynthesis, absorbs a photon of light and converts its energy into electrical energy. However, the solar cell, unlike the leaf of a plant, performs the conversion function much better. So, a conventional solar cell converts at least 10% of the light falling on it into electrical energy. On the other hand, during photosynthesis, almost 0,1% of the incident light is converted into energy. When one solar cell is connected to the root system of a plant, its growth is stimulated. But there is one trick here. It lies in the fact that stimulation of root growth gives better results in shaded plants. Is there any benefit from a root system stimulant? This can be decided by looking at a photograph of two plants. They are both of the same type and age, growing in identical conditions. The plant on the left had a root system stimulator. For the experiment, seedlings 10 cm long were selected. They grew indoors with weak sunlight penetrating through a window located at a considerable distance. No attempt was made to favor any particular plant, except that the faceplate of the photovoltaic cell was oriented in the direction of sunlight. The experiment lasted about 1 month. This photo was taken on the 35th day. It is noteworthy that the plant with the root system stimulator is more than 2 times larger than the control plant.
Studies have shown that for plants exposed to bright sunlight, there is little or no benefit from root stimulation. This is probably because such plants have enough energy from photosynthesis. Apparently, the effect of stimulation appears only when the only source of energy for the plant is a photoelectric converter (solar cell). However, it should be remembered that a solar cell converts light into energy much more efficiently than a leaf in photosynthesis. In particular, it can convert into a useful amount of electricity light that would be simply useless for a plant, such as light from fluorescent lamps and incandescent lamps, which are used daily for lighting rooms. Experiments also show that in seeds exposed to a weak electric current, germination is accelerated and the number of shoots and, ultimately, yield increases. The design of the growth stimulator All that is needed to test the theory is a single solar cell. However, you still need a pair of electrodes that could be easily stuck into the ground near the roots (Fig. 2).
You can quickly and easily test the root system stimulator by sticking a couple of long nails into the ground near the plant and connecting them with wires to some kind of solar cell. The size of the solar cell does not matter in principle, since the current required to stimulate the root system is negligible. However, for best results, the surface of the solar cell must be large enough to capture more light. Taking into account these conditions, an element with a diameter of 6 cm was chosen for the root system stimulator. Two stainless steel rods were connected to the element disc. One of them was soldered to the rear contact of the element, the other - to the upper current-collecting grid (Fig. 3). However, it is not recommended to use the element as a fastener for rods, as it is too fragile and thin.
It is best to fix the solar cell on a metal plate (mainly aluminum or stainless steel) of a somewhat large size. After making sure that the electrical contact of the plate on the back side of the element is reliable, you can connect one rod to the plate, the other to the current collector grid. You can assemble the structure in another way: place the element, rods and everything else in a plastic protective case. For this purpose, boxes made of thin transparent plastic (used, for example, for packaging commemorative coins), which can be found in a haberdashery, hardware store, or office supply store, are quite suitable. It is only necessary to strengthen the metal rods so that they do not scroll or bend. You can even fill the entire product with a liquid curing polymer composition. However, it should be borne in mind that shrinkage occurs during the curing of liquid polymers. If the element and the attached rods are securely fastened, then no complications will arise. A poorly fixed rod during shrinkage of the polymer compound can destroy the element and disable it. The element also needs protection from the external environment. Silicon solar cells are slightly hygroscopic, capable of absorbing small amounts of water. Of course, over time, water penetrates a little inside the crystal and destroys the most affected atomic bonds. As a result, the electrical characteristics of the element deteriorate, and eventually it fails completely. The mechanism of degradation of solar cell parameters under the influence of moisture is different: first of all, metal contacts are corroded and antireflection coatings peel off, conductive jumpers appear on the ends of solar cells, shunting the pn-junction. If the element is filled with a suitable polymer composition, the problem can be considered solved. Other methods of fastening the element will require other solutions. Parts list Solar cell with a diameter of 6 cm; 2 stainless steel rods, approx. 20 cm long; Suitable plastic box (see text). Growth stimulant experiment Now that the stimulator is ready, you need to stick two metal rods into the ground near the roots. The solar cell will do the rest. You can set up such a simple experiment. Take two identical plants, preferably grown in similar conditions. Plant them in separate pots. Insert the electrodes of the root system stimulator into one of the pots, and leave the second plant for control. Now it is necessary to care for both plants equally, watering them at the same time and giving them equal attention. After about 30 days, a striking difference can be seen between the two plants. The root booster plant will be clearly taller than the control plant and will have more leaves. This experiment is best done indoors using only artificial lighting. The stimulator can be used on houseplants to keep them healthy. A gardener or flower grower can use it to speed up seed germination or improve plant root systems. Regardless of the type of use of this stimulant, you can experiment well in this area. Author: Byers T.
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Comments on the article: sevich Originally. Alexander I met methods of stimulation with current, but there a battery was attached with a resistance that limited the current. That is, the current went on at night. Now I think, probably, the plant should be given sleep at night.
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