HARNESSING ELECTRICAL ENERGY FROM

CASSAVA:
A POWER SOURCE PROSPECT

Abstract

Energy conservation balances the state of harmony between man and

environment. Specifically, in the Philippines, electrical energy has been on the verge of
posing wide-ranging effects to the economy due to power outages. These unscheduled
brownouts or the drop in voltage in the electrical power supply system is caused by a
high electricity demand. The National Grid Corporation of the Philippines (NGCP)
declared on April 10, 2019 its first “red” alert notice as power demand in Luzon
outstripped reserves following unscheduled outages. Hence, the country’s electrical
energy available capacity and operating margin fall short of the contingency reserve,
meaning, there is a greater demand for electrical power. Consequently, the environment
offers solutions to the increasing need for power. Cassava power offers this new drive.
This study is essential as this crop - the cassava is very abundant in the mountainous
areas in Jimalalud, Negros Oriental. Cassavas are found planted at the people’s home
gardens which makes it a potential tool in generating electricity. Electrical energy can be
harnessed from cassava, which is carried out using a specific setup using magnetic
wires and zinc nails. The objective of the science investigatory project was to find out
the feasibility of cassava as a source of electrical power using a Direct Current (DC)
light bulb. The experiment conducted used three trials to test the number of cassava
pieces to the length of time the bulb lighted. In the second and third trial, cassava
pieces were increased to 33%. Results revealed that as the number of cassava pieces
increased, the longer is the length of time the setup can light up a three-volt light bulb,
balancing the 33% increase in lighting time. Hence, it can be concluded that with the
correct setup and using the most number of cassava can harness electrical energy and
can further light up a three-volt bulb for hours. It is further recommended to use this
concept in developing a larger setup that would generate a larger amount of electrical
energy that can be used to power up bigger consumption electrical appliances.

TABLE OF CONTENTS

Title Page
Abstract 2

Introduction 3

Features and Specifications

Market Trends and Opportunities

Materials and Methods

Results and Discussion

Conclusions

Acknowledgements

Reference/Bibliography

INTRODUCTION

Features and Specifications

 Harnessing electrical energy from cassava entails the patience of coming up with

the correct placement of wires to form a network of electrical wires attached to zinc nails

which are in turn planted on freshly-harvested cassava tubers which light up a three-volt

light bulb.

Specifically, the setup initially is composed of 12 pieces of cassava formed into a

circle on a board. Then, on each cassava are four zinc nails attached to it. The alligator

clip holds the wires that are attached to the zinc nails that connect to the three-volts

bulb.

Market Trends and Opportunities

Nowadays, it is undeniable fact that Earth’s population is abruptly increasing

through the years. As posted on the Worldometers, the current population of the

Philipines is 105,602,914 as of Wednesday, December 6 2017, based on the united

nations estimates [ CITATION Dad17 \l 1033 ] . According to the Philipine Statistics Authority,

Filipinos have been great consumers of electricity as it was reported that a total of 8,134

gigawatt hours (GWH) of electricity were consumed by households in the country. This

is an increase of 1,289 GWH, 18.8 percent, during the 6-year period. This reflects an

average of 215 GWH per year [ CITATION Que11 \l 1033 ]. Growing populations consume

more energy. Availability of energy allows populations to grow. Energy consumption

exerts demand on energy resources, making them scarcer. They become harder to

extract. This had led to the exploitation of new energy sources, which in turn to expands

the Earth’s carrying capacity. Then populations grow once more [ CITATION Zab09 \l 1033 ] .

Now the main problem is on how to save electricity. There are five lesser known

alternative sources of electricity: Biomass, Ocean Power, Fuel Cells, Geothermal and
Hydropower [ CITATION Bir15 \l 1033 ]. In addition to this, cassavas can be potent sources

of electricity. According to the research paper of Jose L. Bacusmo, Cassava is planted

each in about 120,000 hectares of agricultural land in the Philipines, producing about

1.8 million tons of cassava roots. Manihot esculanta, cassava root is long tapered, with

a firm, homogenous flesh encased in a detachable rind, about 1 mm thick, rough and

brown on the outside. The average potato has a pH (a measure of acidity) of about

6.04. This is not highly acidic, but it is far from neutral. The acid can be used in a

chemical reaction to generate electricity, much in the same way a chemical battery

function [ CITATION Sen10 \l 1033 ].This study is investigated because the researchers want

to know what cassavas can offer to a big population about electricity consumption in a

new drive, hoping that it will b also helpful to the people living in the rural areas where

electricity is not yet introduced and where growing crops in customary.

Jimalalud’s population as 2015 is 30,945 [ CITATION Cen15 \l 1033 ]. It is not that

over-populated but it is a growing society and with this volume of people, surely there is

also an increase of the electricity consumption. It is a must to save electricity.

Alternative resources are very resourceful are very useful in places like Jimalalud. It is

an agricultural town which growing crops are palpable in most areas. The proposed

cassava power can be potentially considered as a new means in saving energy for

people of Jimalalud.

Materials and Methods

 In an investigatory project, there are certain materials needed for accuracy and

precision. Materials are checked first for safety purposes and efficiency. The following

were the materials used in making the output:

25 pieces medium –sized newly-harvested cassava

#16 electrical wire – 5 meters

¼ kilo copper and zinc nails

3 –volts DC light bulb

Pliers

Knife

Procedure

In this investigatory project, the researchers adhered to the precautionary

measures to unnecessary or untoward incidents. Steps and procedures presented in a

table were provided to accomplish the study’s output. These were the instructions:

Step 1: Materials should be prepared in the researcher’s workplace

Step 2: Get 8 pieces raw cassava

Step 3: Prepare the coper and zinc nail and put the nail on each cassava.

Step 4: Use the pliers and knife to cut the wires into five pieces. Connect each wire to a

copper wire then to the zinc nail. Do not connect a copper nail to another copper nail or

a zinc to a zinc nail. If misconnected, energy would not be generated. It must be a

copper nail to a zinc nail.

Step 5: As for the remaining two wires, connect one end of the wire to the copper nail

then to the negative side of the LED light bulb. The other wire should be connected to

the zinc nail and the other end to the positive side of the wire.

Results and Discussion

The experiment started on a Monday morning. The cassava were cut into half

while the researchers inserted nails – copper and zinc nails on both ends of the

cassava.

During the investigation, it was observed that the more pieces cassava used in

each trial, there is a corresponding increase of the length of time the bulb lighted. The

same observation and data gathering were done every morning at the same time for

three days. After that, the needed results have been gathered and analyzed. The

following are the results obtained from the three-day experiment.

The data gathered from the experiment to find out the number of cassava used

per setup:

Trial No. of Cassava Pieces Volts(s) of light bulb

used
1 12 3
2 16 3
3 20 3

Table 1. Number of Cassava Pieces and Pieces

The number of cassava pieces used in the first trial of the investigation was 12.

For the next trial, it was increased with four pieces again until it reached 20 cassava.
 The second objective of the study is to determine the length of time the setup can

light the bulb.

Trials No. of cassava Volts of light bulb Length of time

pieces used bulb is lighted
1 12 3 1 hr.
2 16 3 1 hr and 30 mins
3 20 3 2 hrs.

Table 2. The Length of Time Bulb Lighted

On the first trial, the researchers used 12 pieces of cassava and it lighted a 3-

volts light bulb for an hour, on the seconds trial, the researchers used 16 pieces of

cassava and it lighted the bulb for 1 hour and 30 minutes. Lastly, on the third trial, the

researchers used 20 pieces of cassava and it lighted the three-volts DC bulb for 2

hours. Thus with every increase of the number of cassava pieces used, there was also

a corresponding increase to the time the light bulb was lighted.

Conclusion

Based on the findings of this study, the researchers can assert that using the

correct electrical setup plus the number of pieces of cassava would light a bulb.

Furthermore, an increase in the number of cassava means an increase in the number of

hours the cassava lights up a bulb.

It is further recommended that cassava with the appropriate electrical setup

should be used to generate electricity. On the other side, the researchers also

recommend to use the concepts of this research to come up with a bigger setup in order

to harness a big amount of power for appliances.

Acknowledgement
 The researchers’ hearts are overflowing with gratitude to the Almighty Father

who has been the epitome of strength; to the family members who had motivated us to

continue the study and to the teachers for imparting to us great adventures.

References/Bibliography
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