Mini fuel cell generates electricity directly from fire

I got mine in 1976 and I still used crystals too. Mostly in 2 meter mobiles. Got my extra but years later.

Jim

wa8yxm wrote:

camperpaul wrote:
Used it to power a 40 Meter QRP CW transmitter.

Well, I never built one, but I read the article... But then I know what "40 Meter QRP CW transmitter" means too, Back then I assume you were rock bound, I got my Novice in 1968 so still remember rocks.

Yup, it was "rock-bound"; a Pierce oscillator, link coupled to a dipole.

Output power was ~200mW.

camperpaul wrote:
Used it to power a 40 Meter QRP CW transmitter.

Well, I never built one, but I read the article... But then I know what "40 Meter QRP CW transmitter" means too, Back then I assume you were rock bound, I got my Novice imn 1968 so still remember rocks.

The $130 bio lite produces 2 watts, $65 per watt. That is ten times the cost of a fold up solar collector.

I never heard of a fuel cell that was powered by heat. I suspect it is a misuse of the term.

camperpaul wrote:
Used it to power a 40 Meter QRP CW transmitter.

Ok now that's cool. I have thought of neither QRPmtransmitters nor CW in a very long time.

I like the idea of these little generators better as a way to tap waste heat than as a primary power source.

Jim

Like many have said this technology has been around for years with little improvement on the output.

Very little power for having to insert fuel cards (solid oxide) into the device and then fill the cook stove with charcoal. Fine print --- it will charge the 5volt 500mA in TWO cooking sessions.

No mention of how many carbon credits you need to buy to use it.:B

Save your money and Go Solar!

Supposedly, these are fuel cells, different from the devices mentioned above. Don't know if that is true, nor do I know what powers the fuel cells. We will have to wait and see if they scale this up to charge a 12v battery -- I contacted the company and they said that they are working on exactly that.

wa8yxm wrote:
I read up on how to make one of those in the high School library when I was in high school... Graduated in 1968. It was an old book then.

How to make:

Take two wires, different metals, (Too many years but I think Copper and iron should do) cut a bunch of six inch lengths.

Make them into a daisy so that all the / wires are copper and all the \ are iron

/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/

Form into a circle

heat the center

Measure voltage at the ends.

The number of junctions determins voltage, I recommend a blocking diode (Electrical check valve) The important thing is one pair of wire ends (Copper/Iron) gets hot, the other (Outer ring) does not.

I did basically the same thing in high school Physics class in '57.

A Bunsen burner would give ~9 Volts at ~40 mA.

A Coleman® lantern would give 9 Volts at ~100 mA.

Used it to power a 40 Meter QRP CW transmitter.

I read up on how to make one of those in the high School library when I was in high school... Graduated in 1968. It was an old book then.

How to make:

Take two wires, different metals, (Too many years but I think Copper and iron should do) cut a bunch of six inch lengths.

Make them into a daisy so that all the / wires are copper and all the \ are iron

/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/

Form into a circle

heat the center

Measure voltage at the ends.

The number of junctions determins voltage, I recommend a blocking diode (Electrical check valve) The important thing is one pair of wire ends (Copper/Iron) gets hot, the other (Outer ring) does not.

Would not feel too comfortable living atop the Yellowstone super caldera.