Stories
Slash Boxes
Comments

SoylentNews is people

Thermo-Electric Generator Powered by Body Heat

posted by n1 on Sunday April 13 2014, @11:48PM   Printer-friendly
from the environmentally-conscious-fornication dept.

prospectacle writes:

Researchers at The Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology have developed a thermo-electric generator which resides in a light, flexible glass-fabric, and which can be powered by body heat.

When using KAIST's TE generator (with a size of 10 cm x 10 cm) for a wearable wristband device, it will produce around 40 mW electric power based on the temperature difference of 31 degrees F between human skin and the surrounding air.

To put this in context: Based on Table 9 ("Average System Power (mW)") of this research paper into smart-phone power consumption (based on the Openmoko Neo Freerunner) we'd need at least 10 times that (400 to 1100 mW) to power our phones.

 
This discussion has been archived. No new comments can be posted.
Thermo-Electric Generator Powered by Body Heat | Log In/Create an Account | Top | 14 comments | Search Discussion
Display Options Threshold/Breakthrough Mark All as Read Mark All as Unread
The Fine Print: The following comments are owned by whoever posted them. We are not responsible for them in any way.

  • (Score: 1) by tftp on Monday April 14 2014, @10:08AM

    by tftp (806) on Monday April 14 2014, @10:08AM (#31230) Homepage

    Well, the problem is that if people expect to get lost then they not only take the spare battery - they also do not get lost. Accidents happen primarily by accident, totally unexpectedly. The best use case for such a thing is to be built into clothing or some very common piece of equipment, like a backpack, so that it is always available, even if you do not take it with you intentionally.

    I cannot say how efficient it would be, but one would think that even an hour of solar (or thermal) charging to call 911 is not too much if the alternative is to not survive. One can be in trouble only half a mile from the civilization, in an area of excellent cellular coverage. It's only a simple matter of parking at the shoulder of the road, walking for a minute into the forest, and then falling into a creek and breaking a leg, or having a heart attack...

    But generally only the market can tell how much this device is wanted.