DEVELOPMENT OF A SOIL MICROBIAL FUEL CELL

FOR CONTINUOUS REAL-TIME MONITORING OF

SOIL DATA

An Interim Project Report

Submitted to the APJ Abdul Kalam Technological University
in partial fulfillment of requirements for the award of degree

Bachelor of Technology
in
Electronics and Communication Engineering
by
Anjana Krishnan(NSS19EC016)
Bahija Thamanna(NSS19EC024)
Namitha Mohan(NSS19EC047)
Nandagopan K M(NSS19EC048)

DEPARTMENT OF
ELECTRONICS AND COMMUNICATION ENGINEERING
NSS COLLEGE OF ENGINEERING, PALAKKAD
June 2023
 DEPT. OF ELECTRONICS & COMMUNICATION ENGINEERING
NSS COLLEGE OF ENGIEERING PALAKKAD
2022 - 23

CERTIFICATE

This is to certify that the report entitled DEVELOPMENT OF A SOIL MICROBIAL

FUEL CELL FOR CONTINUOUS REAL-TIME MONITORING OF SOIL DATA sub-
mitted by Anjana Krishnan (NSS19EC016), Bahija Thamanna (NSS19EC024), Namitha
Mohan (NSS19EC047) & Nandagopan K M (NSS19EC048), to the APJ Abdul Kalam
Technological University in partial fulfilment of the B.Tech. degree in Electronics and
Communication Engineering is a bona fide record of the project work carried out by them
under our guidance and supervision. This report in any form has not been submitted to any
other University or Institute for any purpose.

Prasad R Menon Vinod G

Project Guide & Co-ordinator Head of the Department
 DECLARATION

We hereby declare that the project report DEVELOPMENT OF A SOIL MICROBIAL

FUEL CELL FOR CONTINUOUS REAL-TIME MONITORING OF SOIL DATA,
submitted for partial fulfillment of the requirements for the award of the degree of Bachelor
of Technology of the APJ Abdul Kalam Technological University, Kerala is a bona fide work
done under the supervision and coordination by Prasad R Menon, Assistant Professor.
This submission represents our ideas in our own words and where ideas or words of others have
been included, we have adequately and accurately cited and referenced the original sources.
We also declare that we have adhered to the ethics of academic honesty and integrity and have
not misrepresented or fabricated any data or idea or fact or source in our submission. We
understand that any violation of the above will be a cause for disciplinary action by the institute
or the University and can also evoke penal action from the sources which have thus not been
properly cited or from whom proper permission has not been obtained. This report has not
previously formed the basis for the award of any degree, diploma, or similar title of any other
University.

Anjana Krishnan
Bahija Thamanna
Palakkad Namitha Mohan
13-01-2023 Nandagopan K M
Abstract

The planet is getting hotter due to human activities that release greenhouse gases. The
promotion of renewable energy, which doesn’t emit carbon, can help mitigate global warming.
Farmland, which covers a large portion of the Earth’s land area, can also be used as an energy
source through the help of indigenous microorganisms in the soil that transform chemical energy
into electrical energy with the use of electrolysis. Real-time monitoring of soil nutrients is
necessary to obtain an accurate yield from crops.This is achieved with the use of sensors that are
powered by the energy generated from the soil. Zinc and copper electrodes are used to generate
power, and a combination of 15x6 cells is used to maximize voltage and current generation.
The output powers soil sensors like FC-28 and NPK sensor, and the data is sent to AWS cloud
for real-time monitoring of soil parameters.
The experimental results show that a single SMFC cell can only generate a low amount of
electricity, while a series parallel combination could improve the generation rate. By using
booster circuits, the efficiency of the setup can be further improved. This technology is not yet
widely used in the agricultural industry, but it has the potential to help farmers conveniently
monitor soil conditions by utilizing the power generated from the soil itself.

i
Acknowledgement

We take this opportunity to express our deepest sense of gratitude and sincere thanks to everyone
who helped us to complete this work successfully. We would like to place on record our
sincere gratitude to our project guide Prasad R Menon, Assistant Professor, Electronics and
Communication Engineering, NSS College of Engineering, for the guidance and mentorship
throughout this work.
We also express our sincere thanks to Vinod G, Associate Professor, and Head of the
Department, Electronics and Communication Engineering, NSS College of Engineering, for
providing all the necessary facilities and support.
We thank Dr. Suresh P.R, Principal of N.S.S. College of Engineering for the successful
fulfillment of this project work.
Finally, We thank our family, and friends who contributed to the successful fulfillment of this
project work.

Anjana Krishnan
Bahija Thamanna
Namitha Mohan
Nandagopan K M

ii
Contents

List of Figures v

List of Tables vi

1 Introduction 1
1.1 Objective . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2
1.2 Problem statement . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2
1.3 Proposed Solution . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2

2 Literature Review 3

3 Development of a Soil Microbial Fuel Cell for Continuous Real-time Monitoring of

Soil Data 7
3.1 Components Required . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8
3.1.1 Hardware Components . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8
3.1.2 Software Components . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14

4 System Description 16
4.1 Proposed System . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16
4.2 Methodology . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17

5 Results and Discussions 21

5.1 Result . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 21
5.2 Electricity generation with different soil . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22
5.3 SMFC Setup with Amplifier . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 23
5.4 Monitoring Hardware Setup . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 24
5.5 Arduino IDE & Pycharm Result . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 24

iii
 5.6 AWS Timestream Result . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 25

6 Conclusions 28

References 29

iv
List of Figures

3.1 Copper and Zinc electrodes [11] . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8

3.2 FC 28 moisture sensor [12] . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9
3.3 The JXBS-3001 NPK Soil Sensor [13] . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10
3.4 RS485 Modbus [13] . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10
3.5 Arduino UNO R3 [14] . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11
3.6 Node MCU[14] . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12
3.7 Plastic Tray[14] . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13

4.1 Block Diagram of a single SMFC cell . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17

4.2 Block Diagram of a Soil Monitoring System . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18
4.3 Block Diagram of Amazon Web Service for the function . . . . . . . . . . . . 19

5.1 Laterite Soil reading . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22

5.2 Red Soil reading . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22
5.3 Black Cotton Soil reading . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 23
5.4 NPK & Moisture Sensor Raw Data . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 24
5.5 NodeMCU Connection Establishment . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 24
5.6 Pycharm Processed Output . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 25
5.7 AWS Query Editor . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 25
5.8 AWS readings . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 25
5.9 AWS readings . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 26

v
List of Tables

5.1 Voltage measured with different soil . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 23

vi
Chapter 1

Introduction

Generating energy from soil is an emerging and promising source of renewable energy[1]. The
technology utilizes the electrochemical reactions of microorganisms present in soil to generate
electricity, which can serve as a sustainable alterna- tive to non-renewable energy sources [2][3].
The process is cost-effective, environmentally friendly, and has the potential to mitigate the
negative effects of climate change and promote sustainable development. Ongoing research
is expected to further improve its efficiency and reliability[4]. Continuous soil monitoring is
essential for sustainable agri- culture and environmental management practices. Soil is a crucial
component of the ecosystem, containing nutrients and microorganisms that are essential for
plant growth and overall soil health[5]. Monitoring soil parameters such as moisture content,
pH levels, nutrient concentration, and microbial pop- ulations can provide insights into soil
health and fertility, en- abling farmers and land managers to make informed decisions regarding
crop management practices. Traditional soil sampling and laboratory analysis techniques can
be time-consuming, labor-intensive, and expensive, hin- dering real-time decision-making[6].
To overcome these lim- itations, there is a growing interest in developing real-time monitoring
systems that offer accurate and reliable data. These systems provide a cost-effective and efficient
alternative to traditional techniques, enabling farmers and land managers to make informed
decisions in real-time and optimize yield while minimizing negative environmental impacts.
This paper presents the development of Soil Microbial Fuel Cell (SMFC) with real time
monitoring of soil parameters such as nitrogen, phosphorus, potassium and moisture content
of the soil.

1
1.1 Objective
This project mainly aims to generate electricity in a more sustainable and environment-friendly
way from the soil. The primary objective of the project is to use soil microbial fuel cell SMFC
as an alternative source of electricity for the monitoring of soil with the help of different sensors
and update the data obtained from the sensors in the cloud for real-time monitoring. The project
also focuses on measuring the Nitrogen, Phosphorous and Potassium and moisture content in
the soil. Real-time monitoring of soil nutrients like Nitrogen, Phosphorous and Potassium and
moisture might aid in lowering the amount of fertilizer, chemical, and even water waste with
improving yield. As a result, this effort might contribute to guaranteeing food security.

1.2 Problem statement

The need for cleaner, cheaper and sustainable energy is the need of the hour in the scenario
of global warming. An accurate and efficient monitoring of soil quality and microbial activity
helps to support agricultural productivity and soil health. Hence, it is necessary to develop a
technology that has the potential to address both these issues by providing a renewable source
of energy.

1.3 Proposed Solution

This project focuses on using soil microbial fuel cell SMFC as an alternative source of electricity
for the monitoring the Nitrogen, Phosphorous and Potassium and moisture content of soil with
the help of different sensors and updating the data obtained from the sensors for real-time
monitoring. This technology aids in lowering the amount of fertilizer, chemical, and even water
waste. After receiving the plant’s lifespan data, the project can be expanded to include predictive
maintenance of the plant over time, improving yield.

2
Chapter 2

Literature Review

The main goal of this project is to provide an innovative approach to monitoring soil parameters
using renewable energy sources. Soil microbial fuel cells (SMFCs) are a promising technology
that can generate electricity from microbial activity in soil. The project aims to use this
technology to power sensors that monitor various soil parameters such as nitrogen, phosphorus,
potassium and moisture. Soil selection for this project is very important as it can directly affect
the amount of electricity produced.
Therefore, highly fertile soils such as black cotton soil are preferred as they support higher
microbial activity. Extensive research has been done to find the best materials for the anode and
cathode in the cell to achieve maximum power output. Several journal articles are referenced
and various methods are explored to optimize the SMFC structure. The papers that have been
referred to and the inferences obtained are as follows:

• Towards effective energy harvesting from stacks of soil microbial fuel cells [1]
Authors - J. Dziegielowski, B. Metcalfe, and M. Di Lorenzo
Soil Microbial Fuel Cells (SMFC) have the potential to be both a cheap and sustainable
source of energy. To directly transform the chemical energy held in the biodegradable
matter in the soil into electricity, SMFC technology uses endogenous electroactive
microorganisms. The fact that soil is used as the supporting matrix, the source of
microorganisms, and in membrane-less configurations, also as the separator between the
anode and the cathode, makes SMFCs among the several forms of microbial fuel cells
the most economically appealing. Because there is no requirement for ongoing fuel or
oxygen pumping, the entire system design and operation are simplified. In comparison

3
 to SMFCs that were enriched individually, maturing the biofilm by stacking the SMFCs
from the outset of operation proved to be a successful and helpful method, with 75 percent
greater power densities.

• A novel design portable plugged-type soil microbial fuel cell for bioelectricity
generation [2]
Authors - H.-U.-D. Nguyen, D.-T. Nguyen, and K. Taguchi
A potential and cost-effective power source for applications requiring on-demand energy
generation is soil microbial fuel cells (SMFCs). The reported SMFC setups so far tend
to be bulky and challenging to set up. For an on-demand micropower generation, a low-
cost portable plugged-type SMFC (PSMFC) was designed and developed. The PSMFC is
easily accessible in its natural state and may be activated by simply plugging it into damp
soil. For cost-effectiveness, the PSMFC utilises electrodes made of carbon. The PSMFC
started to produce energy within one hour of being submerged in the ground to activate,
and after 48 hours it attained a power density of 7.3 mW/m2.

• Effect of sediment microbial fuel cell stacks on 9 V/12 V DC power supply [3]
Authors - J. Prasad and R. K. Tripathi
The voltage produced by SMFC is so low, it cannot be directly applied to existing
electronic devices. However, by connecting them in series-parallel combinations, it is
possible to boost the SMFC’s output voltage. Voltage reversal issues are the main reason
why series and parallel coupled SMFCs’ should not be used in real applications. In order
to solve this issue, each set of SMFCs in this work is first used to charge a supercapacitor
before being utilised to power the dc boost converter. The voltage of stacked SMFCs
is increased in the final stage using a DC boost converter, which delivers a regulated
output voltage (9 V/12 V) at the load. In the area of sediment microbial fuel cell energy
harvesting, these experimental results are more promising.

• Scale Up Sediment Microbial Fuel Cell For Powering Led Lighting [4]
Authors - Jeetendra Prasad, Ramesh Kumar Tripathi
Sediment microbial fuel cells (SMFCs) are anticipated to be used as a renewable
power source to operate distant sensors and electrical apparatus for environmental
observation. The electro-organic bacteria that inoculate the anode surface use the
organic chemicals in the sediment as a promising renewable fuel source. Geobacter

4
 sulfurreducens, Rhodoferax ferrireducens, Shewanella putrefaciens, Clostridium spp.,
and Bradyrhizobium spp. are examples of electro-genic microorganisms that oxidise
organic materials and produce electrons and protons. Red-ox open circuit potential is
0.7 to 0.8 V between the sediment and the water layer atop it. Through the use of an
external circuit, these electrons are transferred from the anode to the cathode, where they
are received by an electron acceptor and condensed oxygen. Eight MFCs were stacked in
series and electrically connected to one another by copper wires in an effort to maximise
the power output from the MFCs. The overall voltage was raised to 2.02 V owing to the
stacked arrangement. Studies on the performance of various anodes and cathodes utilised
in sediment MFC Type have been conducted. They created various voltages by employing
various anode and cathode materials. The most effective metals are discovered to be zinc
and copper. Copper has a standard potential (Eo) value higher than Zinc with +0.337 V
and -0.763 V respectively. It means that Copper and zinc Electrode material generated
maximum electrical energy and potential. Using copper as the anode and zinc as the
cathode, a sediment MFC has been developed in this research project. In comparison to
earlier reported studies, it has been noted that this produces higher voltage. The anode
and cathode were separated from one another as minimally as possible.

• Factors Affecting the Performance of Single-Chamber Soil Microbial Fuel Cells for
Power Generation [5]
Authors - DENG Huan, WU Yi-Cheng, ZHANG Fan, HUANG Zong-Chuan, CHEN
Zheng, XU Hui-Juan1 and ZHAO Feng1
This paper studies the effect of soil and water depths, and temperature on the performance
of soil MFCs with an anode being embedded in the flooded soil and a cathode in the
overlaying water. The MFC with 5 cm of soil and 3 cm of water on top had the
highest open circuit voltage power density, according to the results. With more soil and
water, the ohmic resistance increased. More soil improved the cathode’s polarisation
resistance, while more water increased the anode’s. Electrogenic bacteria in an MFC
break down organic materials anaerobically while transferring electrons to an anode. The
electrons then proceed to the cathode, where the electron acceptors are reduced, through
a conducting wire. The procedure may result in the generation of electrical current.
Materials having a high concentration of organic matter and a high microbial population
have been utilised to power MFCs, Organic matter and microorganisms present in the

5
 soil give it the potential to be a massive source of electrical energy. The performance of
SMFC is significantly influenced by the carbon concentration of the soil. Additionally, a
number of parameters were said to have a significant effect on how well MFCs performed.
The temperature was a major factor that significantly affected microbial activity and, in
turn, the electrogenic activity in MFCs. The internal resistance of MFCs increased with
the distance between electrodes, dissolved oxygen impaired the anaerobic conditions at
the anode and decreased power output, and the temperature was a major factor.

• Impact of soil type on electricity generation from a Microbial Fuel Cell [6]
Authors - Elvis Fosso-Kankeu, Sanette Marx, Frans Waanders and Visagie Jacobs
In this work, three distinct types of soil were employed in soil microbial fuel cells
(SMFCs) to examine and evaluate the various energy generation performance levels.
Sand, silt, and clay were among these soil types. Compost made entirely of organic
materials was used as an electrogenic bacteria source. After the compost had been
incorporated into the various soils, the SMFCs were left to operate for two weeks.
According to the results of the experiment, clay is the best soil to utilise for making
electricity since it produces a peak voltage of 644 mV, compared to 348 mV from silt and
336 mV from sand when compost is added to the soil at a ratio of 1 to 1. The best soil to
use for SMFC energy generation is clay soil, which provided the highest peak voltages at
all three ratios. It has been discovered that soil has a beneficial effect on a microbial fuel
cell’s ability to produce power.

6
Chapter 3

Development of a Soil Microbial Fuel

Cell for Continuous Real-time
Monitoring of Soil Data

One of the promising methods for producing bioelectricity is the soil microbial fuel cell
(SMFC). Utilising exoelectrogenic bacteria found in the soil, an SMFC may transform
chemical energy from organic chemicals to electrical energy. Zinc Copper is chosen
as the electrodes for the SMFC with Zinc acting as an anode and Copper acting as a
Cathode in this project. The process of electrolysis is occurring with the damp soil as
the electrolyte. Damp soil is preferred over dry soil due to the Water containing ions
that can conduct electricity. Therefore, dry soil will have lower conductivity or soil EC
than wet soil. Porosity can also have an impact on the conduction of electrical current in
the soil by providing more space for water. Most used methods for electricity generation
cause carbon emissions. As long as the soil is irrigated regularly, the soil battery will
provide an always-available source of power. As a part of digitalisation in agricultural
fields, a digital twin can be implemented. A digital twin is a virtual representation of a
physical thing or process that may gather data from the real world to represent, validate,
and replicate the behaviour of the physical twin in the present and in the future. It may
help in the reduction of wastage of fertilizers, chemicals and even water.

7
3.1 Components Required

For the implementation of these systems, we require hardware components like, moisture
sensor, NPK sensor, single computer board like Arduino UNO, WiFi module and
Softwares like Arduino IDE, PyCharm and AWS.

3.1.1 Hardware Components

Electrodes - Zinc, Copper

An electrode is classified as either a cathode or an anode depending on the type of

chemical reaction that occurs. If an oxidation reaction occurs at an electrode, then the
electrode is classified as an anode. If a reduction reaction occurs at an electrode, then
the electrode is classified as a cathode. Here, (Figure 3.1) zinc is used as a cathode and
copper as an anode.

Figure 3.1: Copper and Zinc electrodes [11]

FC-28 Soil Moisture Sensor

The FC-28 Moisture Sensor is a versatile, cost-effective device that offers a variety of
specifications to suit different applications. Widely used for soil moisture monitoring,
water level detection and moisture measurement. Using two probes, the sensor measures
the conductivity of the material it is placed on and converts that measurement into a digital
output that can be easily read by a microcontroller or other electronic device. The FC-28
Moisture Sensor can detect soil moisture levels that are essential for plant growth.

8
Two large exposed pads (Figure 3.2) act as sensor probes and together act as a variable
resistor. The more moisture in the soil, the better the pad-to-pad conductivity, the lower
the resistance, and the higher the SIG output. It also easily connects with various
microcontrollers such as Arduino and Raspberry Pi and can be used to control other
devices and systems based on moisture levels. With an operating voltage of 3.3 to 5.5
V DC, an output voltage of 0 to 3.0 V DC, and an input current of 35 mA, this device
offers reliable and consistent performance in a compact and efficient package.
The sensor can measure moisture levels from 0 to 100% relative humidity, making it ideal
for use in applications that require accurate measurement of soil moisture. The sensor
module features high sensitivity to accurately detect even small changes in humidity. It
also has a built-in amplifier that increases the sensitivity of the sensor, so it can detect
moisture levels in a variety of materials. Low power consumption with an input current
of only 35mA makes it suitable for use in battery powered devices and other low power
applications. The Moisture Sensor FC-28 is a high performance device that provides
accurate and reliable measurement of soil moisture. Its high sensitivity, low power
consumption, and built-in amplifier make it popular for various applications.

Figure 3.2: FC 28 moisture sensor [12]

JXBS-3001 NPK Soil Sensor

NPK sensors are widely used in agriculture to measure nitrogen, phosphorus and
potassium concentrations in soil, which are critical factors for plant growth. This allows
farmers and growers to make informed decisions about the amount and type of fertilizer
to use, ensuring optimal plant growth and maximum yields.
The JXBS Soil NPK Sensors (Figure 3.3) are a popular choice for farmers and growers
due to their accuracy and reliability in measuring soil nitrogen, phosphorus, and

9
potassium levels. With a durable stainless steel body and ceramic sensing element,
they are corrosion resistant and can withstand harsh environments. With a power supply
range of 5-30V DC and a maximum power consumption of 0.15W, they are highly power
efficient.

Figure 3.3: The JXBS-3001 NPK Soil Sensor [13]

With an operating temperature range of -40 to 80°C, the sensor is designed to withstand
extreme weather conditions. With a range of 0 to 1999 mg/kg (mg/L) and a resolution
of 1 mg/kg (mg/L), it can measure soil nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium levels very
accurately. JXCT grounded NPK sensors also feature an IP68 protection rating, making
them highly resistant to water and dust ingress. This allows it to be used in a wide variety
of outdoor environments without risk of damage or malfunction.

Figure 3.4: RS485 Modbus [13]

The JXCT Soil NPK Sensor is equipped with an RS485 Modbus (Figure 3.4) interface
for easy integration into existing monitoring systems. The Modbus protocol provides a
standardized communication format that allows sensors to send data to a central controller
or computer. It allows users to monitor and analyze soil nutrient levels in real time and
adjust fertilizer application as needed. An RS485 Modbus interface also allows multiple
sensors to be connected in series. This is especially useful on large farms. Sensors can

10
be daisy chained to collect and analyze data from individual sensors to provide a detailed
view of nutrient levels over a wide range. Its accuracy, ruggedness, and compatibility
with the Modbus communication protocol make it ideal for those looking for a reliable
and efficient soil nutrient monitoring solution.

Arduino UNO R3
The Arduino Uno board (Figure 3.5) is a popular microcontroller board for creating
digital devices and projects. It is based on the ATmega328P microcontroller, which
provides the processing power and input/output (I/O) capabilities required for many
applications. The board has 14 digital input/output pins that can be used to connect
sensors, switches, or other devices that require digital signals. These pins can be
programmed to function as inputs or outputs, allowing for a wide variety of applications.
Additionally, the board has 6 analog input pins that can be used to read signals from
analog sensors, such as light and temperature sensors.

Figure 3.5: Arduino UNO R3 [14]

The board is easy to use and can be programmed using the Arduino IDE, a software
development environment based on the C++ programming language. The Arduino
language is a simplified version of C++, making it easy for beginners to learn and use.
Arduino Uno boards are widely available and relatively inexpensive, making them ideal
for hobbyists and professionals looking to experiment and create digital projects with
microcontrollers.

11
One of the main advantages of using the Arduino Uno board is its flexibility and
versatility. With 14 digital input/output pins and 6 analog input pins, it can be used to
create a wide range of digital projects, from simple LED blinkers to complex robotic
systems. The Arduino Uno board can also be used to create a data logging or monitoring
system with its ability to read and store data from sensors and other input devices. This is
useful for applications such as environmental monitoring and industrial process control.
The board’s specifications, including a 5V operating voltage and 7-12V input voltage
range, make it compatible with a variety of power sources including batteries, USB power,
and AC adapters. Its compact size and low power requirements also make it suitable for
use in portable or battery-powered devices.

NodeMCU (ESP8266)

NodeMCU is a popular development board designed for Internet of Things (IoT)

applications. It is based on the ESP8266 Wi-Fi module and comes with his CP2102
USB to serial converter for programming and debugging. The NodeMCU board has 10
GPIO pins that support PWM, I2C, and SPI interfaces, allowing you to easily connect
and control various sensors and devices. It also has an ADC input with 10-bit resolution
and an internal voltage regulator that can handle input voltages up to 12V.

Figure 3.6: Node MCU[14]

One of the biggest advantages of NodeMCU (Figure 3.6) is its ease of use. Compatibility
with the Arduino IDE simplifies programming and integration with other hardware and
software platforms. NodeMCU firmware includes a Lua interpreter, a simple scripting
language that is easy to learn and use. This allows you to quickly and easily prototype
and test your ideas without writing complex code.

12
Another advantage of NodeMCU is its low cost. It is significantly cheaper than other
development boards on the market, making it an excellent choice for hobbyists and
developers on a tight budget. Despite its low cost, NodeMCU is a powerful board that can
be used for various IoT applications. NodeMCU is also highly customizable. It can be
expanded with additional modules and sensors to suit different applications. This makes
it ideal for prototyping and building IoT projects as it can be customized to each project’s
specific needs.

Customised Tray

The 3D-printed customized trays (Figure 3.7) are designed to hold soil samples in a
specific arrangement, allowing for the easy stacking and connection of the samples
in series or parallel. This arrangement helps to minimize the complexity of series
and parallel connections via different storage for each cell. The series and parallel
combination are preferred over the only series connection so as not to affect the current
generated from the soil.

Figure 3.7: Plastic Tray[14]

13
3.1.2 Software Components

Arduino IDE
The Arduino IDE (Integrated Development Environment) is a software application that
is used to write, compile, and upload code to Arduino boards. It provides a user-friendly
interface and a simplified programming language that is based on C and C++. The
IDE includes a code editor with features like syntax highlighting, code completion, and
debugging tools that make it easier to write and debug code. Additionally, the IDE
provides a set of libraries that can be easily integrated into the code to interface with
various sensors, actuators, and other electronic components. It also has a serial monitor
that allows for real-time communication between the Arduino board and the computer.
The Arduino IDE is open source and is available for free on the Arduino website. It
supports various operating systems including Windows, Mac, and Linux. The IDE is
designed to be beginner-friendly, making it easy for anyone to start programming and
working with Arduino boards.

Pycharm
PyCharm is a widely used integrated development environment (IDE) for Python
programming that offers various features to streamline your development process.
Developed by JetBrains, it has two versions of him, a free open source community version
and a paid professional version. The IDE provides several tools to help developers, such
as syntax highlighting, code completion, and error detection.
The presence of a debugger in PyCharm makes it easy to identify and resolve code issues.
Additionally, the IDE supports popular Python web frameworks such as Django and
Flask, as well as technologies such as SQL, HTML, and CSS. One of the main advantages
of PyCharm is its support for version control systems such as Git and Mercurial. This
allows you to manage changes to your code base and easily collaborate with other
developers.
PyCharm also has a built-in tester that automates the testing process and ensures code
quality. PyCharm is a cross-platform IDE that runs on Windows, macOS, and Linux and
supports multiple versions of Python, including Python 2 and Python 3.

14
Amazon Web Services (AWS)
Amazon Web Services (AWS) is a cloud-based computing platform that provides a wide
range of infrastructure and services for businesses and individuals. AWS was started
by Amazon in 2006 and since then it has grown to be one of the most popular cloud
platforms in the world. It provides a flexible and scalable computing environment that
allows companies to easily manage their IT infrastructure and resources. AWS offers a
variety of services such as data processing, storage, and databases. It also offers various
tools for analytics, machine learning, and security. One of the key features of AWS is
the ability to scale up or down as needed. This allows organizations to scale resources as
needed. This allows businesses to save costs and improve efficiency by paying only for
the resources they need.
AWS is known for reliability and security with a robust set of security features and
compliance certifications. It also offers a variety of backup and disaster recovery options,
making it a popular choice for organizations with critical applications that require high
availability. AWS has a global network of data centers that enable businesses to deploy
applications closer to their users for faster performance. We also offer a variety of
pricing options, including Pay-As-You-Go and Reserved Instances, to meet the needs
of businesses of all sizes.
Key AWS services and features include Amazon Elastic Compute Cloud (EC2), Amazon
Simple Storage Service (S3), Amazon Relational Database Service (RDS), Amazon
Glacier, Amazon DynamoDB, Amazon Elastic Beanstalk, Amazon CloudFront and
Amazon Simple Notifications Service (SNS).
Additionally, AWS provides tools for automation, monitoring, and management such as
Amazon CloudWatch, AWS Timestream, AWS Lambda, and AWS CloudFormation.

15
Chapter 4

System Description

The development of soil microbial fuel cell for continuous real-time monitoring of soil
data such as Nitrogen, Phosphorous, Potassium and moisture content is described. The
SMFC is implemented by using electrodes like Zinc and Copper. The soil is collected
in a tray having different slots as we kept them as different SMFC cells. The soil
sensors are inscribed using Arduino UNO, and the data are collected from Arduino
UNO is transferred to AWS platform for real-time monitoring, where it can be processed,
analyzed, and visualized.

4.1 Proposed System

Soil plays a crucial role in the functioning of SMFC (Soil Microbial Fuel Cell) and the
generation of electricity. The type of soil used determines the efficiency of electricity
production, and generally, soils with higher organic matter content are preferred due to
their ability to support higher microbial activity. Black cotton soil is one such soil type
that is commonly used for electricity generation in SMFC. Anode and cathode electrodes,
made of copper and zinc respectively, are used to generate the initial force for electron
movement within the soil container.
To monitor the soil parameters in real-time, sensor data for nitrogen, phosphorus,
potassium, and moisture content is collected and transmitted to the microcontroller
through serial communication. This data is then forwarded to an ESP8266 WiFi module,
which connects to a network ID to receive the data.For temporary storage we create a local

16
server inside the system itself. A Python script is utilized to publish these values to the
AWS cloud server. This method provides a feasible way for monitoring soil parameters,
which can help improve crop management and agricultural sustainability. The ability
to monitor soil parameters in real-time can significantly improve farming practices by
allowing farmers to adjust fertilization and irrigation practices, leading to better crop
yields and improved resource management.

4.2 Methodology

A single cell SMFC contains two metal electrodes as anode and cathode. Redox
reaction takes place between anode and cathode by using soil as electrolyte. The organic
compounds in the soil serve promising renewable fuel of electro-organic microbes to
inoculate the anode surface. The microbes in the soil help to decompose the organic
matter to produce the electrons and H+ ions. SMFC electrodes allow for the transfer
of electrons by a wide range of microorganisms. The moisture content in the soil helps
reducing the soil resistance thus a gradual flow of electrons to the anode. The repulsion
from the anode electrons exists in the anode before, starts to make an electron flow
channel through the cathode. These electrons are moved from the anode to the cathode
via an external circuit and accepted by an electron acceptor in the cathode, where they
condense oxygen, resulting in the generation of a small amount of electricity(Figure 4.1).

Figure 4.1: Block Diagram of a single SMFC cell

By using series- parallel combination of cells the desired current and voltage is achieved.
Series combination as shown in Fig.1, helps in increasing the voltage whereas, parallel

17
combination improves the current[7]. The electricity obtained from the SMFC setup is
utilised for monitoring the soil parameters. The moisture sensor (FC-28) and NPK sensor
are powered using the SMFC output.
From the Figure 4.2, the NPK sensor is attached to RS485 Modbus using the A and B
wires of NPK to RS485. The Modbus ports R0, RE, DE, DI are connected to Arduino
UNO port 2, 8, 7, 3, respectively. The VCC and ground are connected, respectively, on
the power board. The VCC and ground of FC-28 are connected, and the Analog pin is
connected to Arduino’s A0 port. The NodeMCU’s ground and VCC are connected, and
for data transmission from UNO to NodeMCU, the TX port of Arduino and RX port of
NodeMCU are connected. The values read from the sensors are transmitted to NodeMCU,
and then to a local server created using Flask module.
Flask is a Python Web Framework that helps for building web applications. It’s used to
define the behavior of the web server, including how it responds to incoming requests
from clients. For creating a local server first, you need to install Python on your system
and open a command prompt as administrator. Next, go to the directory where you want
to create your project, create a virtual environment, activate it, and install Flask. Next,
create a new Python file named app.py and write the necessary code to define your Flask
application object, routes, and viewer functions. Finally, save the file, go back to your
command prompt window, and run the python file using the python app.py command.
This will start the Flask development server and you can access your application by typing
https://localhost:5000/ in a web browser.

Figure 4.2: Block Diagram of a Soil Monitoring System

The locally stored data is accessed using a python code that consisting flask module
mentioned earlier. The data collected from sensors are raw, so this data is correctly named

18
and the moisture value is converted to percentage value rounded to 2 decimels. This data
is published to AWS, the credentials embedded to the python code ensure secure and
transparent data transmission for real-time monitoring. The data is then transmitted to the
AWS cloud platform for real-time monitoring, where it can be processed, analyzed, and
visualized.

Figure 4.3: Block Diagram of Amazon Web Service for the function

In the cloud server part, we use the Amazon Cloud Services, inside it, we generate a
Database for storage of data, also the table for how the data is formatted and sorted.
For publishing the data monitored to the AWS we implement AWS IoT Core with AWS
IoT Things for security of the data transmitting. Before starting the whole programs, we
should identify the Account ID and the Account Region (We use account region as us-
east-1.
To begin with, a database named SMFCDatabase is created in the Timestream Web
Console as a standard database. Likewise, a table named SMFC is also created.
Now for connecting the data from the local server to the AWS IoT Core, we create certain
policies for security as earlier mentioned. For this, AWS IoT Core service, then from the
left menu choose Manage > Security > Policies section. Name the topic IoT topic
as SMFCPolicy with Account Region and ID and the specific .json code is modified in
the Policy document section. After pressing the Create button, the IoT Policy is created.
Now from the AWS IoT Core, navigate to Manage > All Devices > Things and
choose ‘Create things’, select ‘Create a single thing’ with no shadow and from the
Configure Device Certificate choose ‘Auto-generate a new certificate (recommended)’.
Select the previously created policy and download the certificate and private keys to
system for later use.

19
Now we need to create a rule to send data to Timestream and Amazon CloudWatch
if any errors occur during transmission. From AWS IoT Core, navigate to Manage >
Message Routing > Rules and create a rule with the name SMFCRule and use a
Query statement to select all the data from the topic previously created. From the rule
action panel, select the Timestream database and table with the device name Rpi4. In
the IAM console, choose ‘Create Role’ and name it SMFCDBRole. In the error action
panel, select ‘CloudWatch logs – Send message data to CloudWatch logs’ and create a log
group named SMFCRuleErrors in the CloudWatch page. Return to IoT Core and select
the created rule. Then, create an IAM role named SMFCCloudwatchRole to allow the
service to access AWS CloudWatch, and create the rule. The client ID is found at AWS
IoT Core > Settings > Device data endpoint and the ID is found at the account
page.
In order for the data sent to AWS IoT Core to be correctly routed to the Amazon
Timestream database, we need to access the Amazon Timestream console and verify that
the ‘SMFC’ table received the data. You can access the Amazon Timestream query editor
and preview the data by selecting the three dots next to the table name. The default
preview shows data will be for the last 15 minutes.

20
Chapter 5

Results and Discussions

5.1 Result

From the laboratory experiments, a combination of 15x6 cells in series and cells in
parallel was used to generate a voltage of 9 V in SMFC. The single cell voltage generated
from three different types of soil is provided in Table 5.1. The configuration of the
Arduino UNO with the NPK and FC 28 sensors was implemented in this study. The
sensor data was transmitted to the micro-controller through serial communication and
forwarded to the ESP8266 WiFi module. The data was received by the module after
connecting to the same network ID. A Python script was utilized to create a local server
using the Flask module, which separated the data into individual values. After separation,
the data was successfully transmitted to AWS. This approach provides a viable method for
real-time monitoring of soil parameters, with the potential to enhance crop management
and improve agricultural sustainability.

21
5.2 Electricity generation with different soil

Laterite soils are known for their low fertility due to their clay properties. Soils with high
levels of iron oxide and aluminum oxide make it difficult for plants to absorb nutrients.
However, the soil has good water holding capacity, good drainage properties. Due to low
fertility and high water holding capacity, the flow of electrons moves very slowly, which
means less electricity is generated.

Figure 5.1: Laterite Soil reading

Red soil is also known as red laterite soil. Formed by the weathering of ancient crystalline
rocks, such as gneiss and shale, which are rich in iron and aluminum oxides. It’s often
acidic and discolored, making it unsuitable for growing many crops without adequate soil
improvement and have a low conductivity due to low fertility and high clay content.

Figure 5.2: Red Soil reading

Red soil is also known as red laterite soil. formed by the weathering of ancient crystalline
rocks, such as gneiss and shale, which are rich in iron and aluminum oxides. is often
acidic and discolored, making it unsuitable for growing many crops without adequate soil
improvement. has low conductivity due to low fertility and high clay content.
Red soil is also known as red laterite soil. formed by the weathering of ancient crystalline
rocks, such as gneiss and shale, which are rich in iron and aluminum oxides. is often
acidic and discolored, making it unsuitable for growing many crops without adequate soil
improvement. has low conductivity due to low fertility and high clay content. is often

22
acidic and discolored, making it unsuitable for growing many crops without adequate soil
improvement. has low conductivity due to low fertility and high clay content

ivide balck cotton soil nde korach thalliko..enik pattanila

Figure 5.3: Black Cotton Soil reading

From our experiemtnal testing, we understood that the most fertile easily available for
us is Black cotton soil that we colelcted from Palakkad. It offers a voltage of 0.9V from
a single SMFC cell. Extending the cells in series-parallel combiantion will imporve the
electricity generation.

SI No. Type of Soil Voltage measured (V)

1 Laterite 0.75 V
2 Red 0.79 V
3 Black Cotton 0.90 V

Table 5.1: Voltage measured with different soil

5.3 SMFC Setup with Amplifier

As I sit here typing away at my keyboard, the sun streams in through the window casting
warm rays of light across the room. The sound of birds chirping outside provides a
peaceful backdrop to my thoughts. I take a deep breath and exhale slowly, letting my
mind wander. In this moment, all my worries and stresses seem to fade away as I immerse
myself in the simple pleasure of writing. I feel grateful for this quiet moment and the
opportunity to express myself through words. Life can be chaotic and unpredictable, but
in this moment, everything feels just right.

23
5.4 Monitoring Hardware Setup

As I sit here typing away at my keyboard, the sun streams in through the window casting
warm rays of light across the room. The sound of birds chirping outside provides a
peaceful backdrop to my thoughts. I take a deep breath and exhale slowly, letting my
mind wander. In this moment, all my worries and stresses seem to fade away as I immerse
myself in the simple pleasure of writing. I feel grateful for this quiet moment and the
opportunity to express myself through words. Life can be chaotic and unpredictable, but
in this moment, everything feels just right.

5.5 Arduino IDE & Pycharm Result

As I sit here typing away at my keyboard, the sun streams in through the window casting
warm rays of light across the room. The sound of birds chirping outside provides a
peaceful backdrop to my thoughts. I take a deep breath and exhale slowly, letting my
mind wander.

Figure 5.4: NPK & Moisture Sensor Raw Data

Figure 5.5: NodeMCU Connection Establishment

In this moment, all my worries and stresses seem to fade away as I immerse myself in the
simple pleasure of writing. I feel grateful for this quiet moment and the opportunity to
express myself through words. Life can be chaotic and unpredictable, but in this moment,
everything feels just right.

24
 Figure 5.6: Pycharm Processed Output

5.6 AWS Timestream Result

In this moment, all my worries and stresses seem to fade away as I immerse myself in the
simple pleasure of writing. I feel grateful for this quiet moment and the opportunity to
express myself through words. Life can be chaotic and unpredictable, but in this moment,
everything feels just right.

Figure 5.7: AWS Query Editor

In this moment, all my worries and stresses seem to fade away as I immerse myself in the
simple pleasure of writing. I feel grateful for this quiet moment and the opportunity to
express myself through words. Life can be chaotic and unpredictable, but in this moment,
everything feels just right.

Figure 5.8: AWS readings

In this moment, all my worries and stresses seem to fade away as I immerse myself in the
simple pleasure of writing. I feel grateful for this quiet moment and the opportunity to

25
 Figure 5.9: AWS readings

express myself through words. Life can be chaotic and unpredictable, but in this moment,
everything feels just right.

26
ENI IVIDE NAMMDE SETUP NDE PIC
VOLTAGE GENERATION INDIVIDUAL SOIL —-done
BOOSTER CIRCUIT
MONITROING SETUP
ARDUINO RESULT
PYCHARM RESULT
AWS TIMESTREAM RESULT
with explanation about the result

SENSOR CODE, ESP CODE, PYCHARM CODE eduth vechitind..last add aakam...
allel compling lag aakum. ARDUINO DATASHEET, ESP DATASHEET ... eduth
vechitnd ..

27
Chapter 6

Conclusions

The performance of laboratory-scale SMFCs is currently not sufficient for practical

applications, as the output is less than expected. To improve their performance, various
factors that affect the SMFCs, such as pH, temperature, internal resistance, and substrates,
must be optimized [1]. Optimizing the pH level of the SMFCs is crucial, as the activity
of microorganisms responsible for energy generation is highly dependent on the pH
level. The optimal pH range varies for different microbial species and can be determined
experimentally. Temperature also significantly impacts the performance of SMFCs.
An appropriate temperature range is necessary for the bacteria to grow and produce
energy efficiently. Lower internal resistance allows for faster electron transfer and higher
power output. Researchers can optimize internal resistance by modifying the design and
materials of the fuel cell components. The choice of substrate used by the microorganisms
to produce energy in the SMFCs can significantly impact the device’s performance. The
substrate should be selected based on its availability, cost-effectiveness, and the ability of
the microorganisms to utilize it efficiently. To amplify the current without changing the
obtained voltage, an amplifier can be used.

28
References

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[2] Dziegielowski, Jakub, Benjamin Metcalfe, and Mirella Di Lorenzo. ”Towards

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