Parthenium Batteries?

a news item in thehindu states power generation from parthinium paste.is parthinium paste a power source or it is only a medium between two electrodes?
- hareesh (age 38)
vizag

Excellent question.

Unfortunately it looks like the paste of the parthenium plant just serves as a passive electrolyte medium, helping conduct ions between the two electrodes. The energy comes from the non-equilibrium between the copper and zinc electrodes. As in other batteries, once the electrodes are used up, the power is gone. The energy doesn't come from the parthenium.

Mike W.

(published on 03/01/2014)