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CONFERENCE PROCEEDING
Review of Method for Energy Harvesting from Natural Sources
Nurdini Alisa Binti Ahmad Yusairi, *Fadzidah Binti Mohd Idris
Kolej GENIUS Insan, Universiti Sains Islam Malaysia, 71800 Bandar Baru Nilai, Malaysia
ABSTRACT
Fossil fuels- including natural gas and coal petroleum- are the primary sources of electricity.
Natural gas is the most prominent source, with 38% of electric generation, followed by coal with 22% of generation used in 2021. It is now the essential source in generating everyday electricity because it is cheap and more reliable than renewable sources. However, being the most prominent source could also lead to environmental damage. The source is not renewable and will run out in the nearest time. This paper discussed how electricity could be obtained from a natural source, specifically from the ground. Electric from the ground is a natural source that can be renewable and consumed many times and years ahead. It is a green technology to reduce the dependency on fossil fuels. To harvest the ground electricity is simply by comparing different types of soil that can generate more electricity. By this method, innovation can be created to facilitate electricity from the chosen soil quickly. It is expected that the success of this research will pave the way for green technology that reduces carbon emissions.
Keywords: ground electricity, green technology, soils.
INTRODUCTION
Energy harvesting is a process where energy conversion from surrounding to electrical energy occurs. This energy is captured and used in wearable electronics devices (Bebby, et al., 2013). In order to harvest electrical energy, the origin of electricity needs to be known. Electricity is secondary energy that does not come from nature and must be generated daily using primary energy sources (The origin of electricity, 2020). There are many primary sources, such as non-renewable sources; fossil fuels, oil, coal and natural gas and renewable energy like wind, solar and geothermal energy. In addition, electricity from soils can also be obtained by comparing which types of soil conducts more electricity.
Different types of soils will be highlighted in this paper.
MATERIALS AND METHOD
Soils can be divided into many types, and each soil has its own characteristics.
General soils, like silt, sand and clay soil, are the most familiar soils and can be found in many places, including rivers, gardens and many more. These soils are more likely to contain electricity as they are wet soils which is the main factor in their electrical conductivity. As they are different in characteristics, the amount of electricity contained in them is also different. In order to harvest the electricity energy from the ground, we can simply compare types of soils and
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conduct an experiment in which one conducts more electricity. An innovation can focus more on the place of the soils chosen as they contain more electricity.
Figure 1. Soil electrical conductivity: earthy energy- science project (Soil Electrical Conductivity, 2013)
RESULTS AND DISCUSSION
In the presence of different types of soils, their characteristics can be studied deeply. For example, factors to soil electrical conductivity are influenced by a higher content of smaller soil particles that are higher in clay. It is also influenced by the soil moisture, more moisture, excellent soil electrical conductivity, and salt content (salt salinity). Soil electrical conductivity correlates strongly to soil particle size and texture. Three types of soil were given: sand, silt and clay soil.
These soils share one same characteristic, which is wet soil. However, as sand soil has quick water drainage and tends to have a high proportion of sand and low content in clay, it does not conduct much electricity. In contrast, silt sand has more excellent electrical conductivity as it has a higher clay content in the silt soil and holds moisture well. To conclude, clay soil is chosen for this study as its properties correspond to the factors that affect the electrical conductivity of the soil. For example, clay soil has smaller particles and holds water very well than silt soil, so it remains wet. Besides, it has a high proportion of clay and higher salinity than other soils (Soil Types, 2021)
Once the exact soil is known, the next step is the location where more clay is found to facilitate the search for land and make innovations in the future.
Below are the places where there is more clay found.
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Figure 2. of Malaysian Soft clay Soils Distribution Map (Yusof et al., 2006)
CONCLUSION
The term energy harvesting refers to turning chemical energy into electric energy. This method can be related to this study, which is the extraction of electricity from the ground and used as daily electricity. From this study, it will also be proven that ground can contribute to providing electricity and will help in various aspects of the specification of daily electricity use for the future. Also, the success of this study will pave the way for green technology that reduces carbon emissions.
ACKNOWLEDGEMENT
This work would not have been possible without the support of my Physics lecturer, Dr. Fadzidah who has been supportive of my research and given her full time to provide me with new knowledge in order to achieve my goals for this research. Her pleasure and patience during the development of this paper is very much appreciated, and I am very thankful for her presence.
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