Power Felt Converts Heat to Power
"Generally thermoelectrics are an underdeveloped technology for harvesting energy. There is so much opportunity," Hewitt said. "We waste a lot of energy in the form of heat. For example, recapturing a car's energy waste could help improve fuel mileage and power the radio, air conditioning or navigation system." The difference between room and body temperature could be enough to deliver enough charge for a phone call, or a flashlight. On a bigger scale. Power Felt could be used as "piping" between the outside and inside of a house to help lower electricity bills.
Power Felt is still in its nascent stages and does not deliver enough power to make a case for mass production. At this time, the researchers have been able to stack 72 layers of carbon nanotubes, which deliver 140 nanowatts of power. They are now working on ways to add more layer and make the layers thinner to achieve greater power output. One day, they hope that Power Felt could only cost $1 to be added to a cellphone.
"I imagine being able to make a jacket with a completely thermoelectric inside liner that gathers warmth from body heat, while the exterior remains cold from the outside temperature," Hewitt said. "If the Power Felt is efficient enough, you could potentially power an iPod, which would be great for distance runners. It's definitely within reach."
Wake Forest University said it is in talks with investors to produce Power Felt commercially.
Here's what many investors will ask:
Will it generate quick profits with minimal risks and investments, or at least big enough profits to be gambled with?
Alternative energy requires big investment, and lacks the quick/large profits for many investors.
CPU Loads, generates heat, powers PSU to power parts, repeat.
Lots of energy with minimal waste!
Here's what many investors will ask:
Will it generate quick profits with minimal risks and investments, or at least big enough profits to be gambled with?
Alternative energy requires big investment, and lacks the quick/large profits for many investors.
Things like this is what generates projects like Facebook. Technology generates tools to be used by business minded people to generate capitol which creates jobs. Where do you think researchers get the funding?
Science and technology is the wheel for prosperity.
Matrix was way ahead of its time anyways
Yeah, I had the same flashback to that cinematic with Laurence Fishburne describing the humans/BTUs and the copper-top.
Wind chimes and mirrors are not gonna cut it.......
Does anyone here know how inconceivably small that is? You would need 7 of these stacks to make a milliwatt (980nW), and 7000 to make 1 watt. Let's put that in terms you might understand, to light an 11w CFL bulb (which is your standard 100W equivalent in old light bulbs) you need 77,000 stacks of these devices, (and all placed at the optimal heat differential).
How much energy does it cost to produce and what is its lifetime? What is the optimal heat differential? Everyone does realise that the matrix is fiction yeah?
Honestly, I thought more people that "knew science" would read this as opposed to what a lot of the other commenters clearly are... (stupidheads).
Excuse me while I go enjoy my time on facebook talking to my friends for less energy spent than in the olden days where I would have to mail everyone I knew around the world to keep in touch, or phone for an ENORMOUS phone bill. Yeah, lets plough money into this research. It is totally just what the world needs.....(idiots)
Welcome to the MATRIX.
so you see no potential for this to get better and become a more viable solution?
honestly, with solar power, you can generate a crap ton of energy in places that are borderline useless for anything else (the desert)
wind is basicly useless when you know how little each turbine makes.
im willing to risk meltdowns for cheaper power, and more advancements, but people refuse to let nuclear advance at all because of Chernobyl and 3 mile island (which they cant prove ever leaked anything) and more recently japan.