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.
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.
8 thoughts on “Fire-powered, bean-tin battery charger”
mikiexsays:
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.
TylerKaraszewskisays:
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.
garethb2says:
You can buy commercial units for your stove. Here’s one sold in the UK:
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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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.
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.
You can buy commercial units for your stove. Here’s one sold in the UK:
https://www.gyroscope.com/d.asp?product=ECOFAN2
But… check out the price: US$120 (minus shipping). I think I’ll stick with the hobo model.