Craft & Design Science Technology
Fire-powered, bean-tin battery charger

By Gareth Branwyn

Gareth Branwyn

Gareth Branwyn is a freelance writer and the former Editorial Director of Maker Media. He is the author or editor of over a dozen books on technology, DIY, and geek culture. He is currently a contributor to Boing Boing, Wink Books, and Wink Fun. And he has a new best-of writing collection and “lazy man’s memoir,” called Borg Like Me.

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peltierseebeckcharger.jpg
Here’s one for the Hobo Tech file, it’s allegedly a “battery charger” that employs the Peltier-Seebeck effect — using a heat differential to generate a voltage (Seebeck Effect) and using a voltage to create a heat differential (Peltier Effect). Too bad there’s no info on the site except this captioned image.

Seebeck battery charger – [via] Link

8 thoughts on “Fire-powered, bean-tin battery charger”

  1. It’s pretty simple, a Peltier as used for cooling/heating
    as found in many mini fridges etc. Will work in reverse.
    I think they are not efficent (10%), although for extracting waste heat would be better, eg placed on a stove doing something other than just powering it.

    Reply

  2. This thing is awesome. I want to make a giant one the size of a woodstove.

    But I wont, because I don’t have the time, or anywhere to keep it, or any batteries to charge.

    It’s still awesome, though! Maybe I could build one to make a fire-powered laptop, and heat my house at the same time.

    Reply

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By Gareth Branwyn

Gareth Branwyn

Gareth Branwyn is a freelance writer and the former Editorial Director of Maker Media. He is the author or editor of over a dozen books on technology, DIY, and geek culture. He is currently a contributor to Boing Boing, Wink Books, and Wink Fun. And he has a new best-of writing collection and “lazy man’s memoir,” called Borg Like Me.

View more articles by Gareth Branwyn