Harnessing the power from electric eels

[Monster92]

So, is it possible to farm electric eels and transfer their electrical energy to households?

 

Alternatively, are there any other ways to harness the power from animals?

[insane_alien]

possible: yes

 

practical: no

 

you'd need a bajillion(well, maybe a few tens of thousands) to power a single house. and thats if they're all firing off continuously, which they won't be as they send electricity in pulses

 

other ways of harnessing power from animals, well horses, donkeys, oxen etc have been used for millenia in farmng applications.

 

really, machines are better for power.

[SMF]

This is theoretically possible but would not be practical. This is because you would have to provide a living environment for a critter that requires many more resources than just that required to run the electric organ. SM

[lemur]

I can't believe I got bored enough to open this thread. I think it would make more sense to consider using fireflies for light. Who would want to depend on electric eels to keep their TV going? What would you do, throw some salt in the tank and provoke them whenever your picture started to fade?

Edited March 14, 2011 by lemur

[Zjar]

So, is it possible to...transfer their electrical energy to households?

 

...[A]re there any other ways to harness the power from animals?

 

I think it would make more sense to consider using fireflies for light.

 

What particular methods have been used or might be used to effect the transfer of the electrical energy from the eels, the photons (and infrared?) from the fireflies, or any other electromagnetic radiation?

 

And in the case of eels and other charged animals, the release of the charge is not regular but has to be stimulated, right?

 

Is this harmful or cruel to the eel?

 

Does this affect the eel's diet or rate of feeding?

 

Does this affect the ionization of the surrounding water or biochemistry regarding skin, mucous covering, muscles, nerves and perhaps swim bladder?

[CaptainPanic]

I think that such an eel can at best generate an average of 1 W. It can give a large power output, but only for a millisecond or so.

So, for 1 household, you need at least 1000 fish... and a massive machine to convert all those shocks in the water into some useful form of electricity.

 

I conclude that it's a useless idea.