I'm always down for more renewable power options and this one seems really interesting but also produced power on the scale of millivolts. I could see it being useful for tiny devices off the grid...
I'm always down for more renewable power options and this one seems really interesting but also produced power on the scale of millivolts. I could see it being useful for tiny devices off the grid like sensors and similar but even that won't happen for 20 years.
The coverage in this article is sort of weird and reads like PR hype. All they can do is induce a current from moisture passing through their thing. There is no word on how much and the voltage is...
The coverage in this article is sort of weird and reads like PR hype. All they can do is induce a current from moisture passing through their thing. There is no word on how much and the voltage is teensy. I’d be very surprised if this ends up being useful for anything more heavy duty than trickle-charging an electric toothbrush. That would definitely be a neat feature! But it’s not doing anything about the climate crisis.
It could be useful for specific low power use cases though, like RFID chip readers or sensor system type things with very small amounts of power draw.
RFID chips wouldn't take advantage of the volume scaling. Electric toothbrush seems fairy extreme to me. Lots of problems I can think of. Induction is king there. It'd probably find its niche in...
RFID chips wouldn't take advantage of the volume scaling. Electric toothbrush seems fairy extreme to me. Lots of problems I can think of. Induction is king there.
It'd probably find its niche in edge devices where the Sun doesn't shine. E.g. aboveground sensors could always use solar, but what if you want to monitor a cave without setting up the entire electrical infrastructure?
The interesting question is whether this even works in a humid cave. The way I understood this is that they're using the same energy differential that on larger scales leads to lightning bolts in...
The interesting question is whether this even works in a humid cave.
The way I understood this is that they're using the same energy differential that on larger scales leads to lightning bolts in the atmosphere. You have water droplets in a layer of humid air that accumulate electric charge, and that charge can get large enough to arc into another layer of air in the form of a lightning bolt (or arc to the ground). But for the droplets in the layer of air to accumulate electric charge, you need movement and friction, you need wind and temperature differentials, all the things that - when large enough - make thunderstorms happen.
And I think in a cave you have zero of that. Why would the air sitting still in a cave continuously build up electric charge? Where is that charge coming from, how is it moving around?
Large caves actually have lots of air movement. The cave "breathes" in and out in response to changes in air pressure in the external environment (for example, temperature – hence pressure –...
Large caves actually have lots of air movement. The cave "breathes" in and out in response to changes in air pressure in the external environment (for example, temperature – hence pressure – changes caused by the rising and setting of the sun).
I just like the idea of things being able to sort of ambiently charge without needing to plug them into a wall. It’s the tidiness gains from eliminating cords that appeals to me most. I’d be a fan...
Electric toothbrush seems fairy extreme to me. Lots of problems I can think of. Induction is king there.
I just like the idea of things being able to sort of ambiently charge without needing to plug them into a wall. It’s the tidiness gains from eliminating cords that appeals to me most. I’d be a fan of replaceable batteries on a lot of this stuff if not for the fact that they’re heavy and hazardous and involve some hurdles to dispose of responsibly.
It's a nice idea, but it moves, vibrates, splashes around etc. My toothbrush's charger is wired, sure, but the toothbrush has to stand somewhere anyway, and induction makes it completely waterproof.
It's a nice idea, but it moves, vibrates, splashes around etc.
My toothbrush's charger is wired, sure, but the toothbrush has to stand somewhere anyway, and induction makes it completely waterproof.
It seems obvious to me both would work since there's no practical limit on the surface area of a single layer, as long as droplets get can access each nanohole without being impeded. Either way,...
It seems obvious to me both would work since there's no practical limit on the surface area of a single layer, as long as droplets get can access each nanohole without being impeded. Either way, mysterious cube of power and mysterious rod of power are both incredibly neat concepts.
I think the idea is that you don't have to pay extra for building high compared to wide. So a small space on the ground can generate lots of power because you just have to watch out that you don't...
I think the idea is that you don't have to pay extra for building high compared to wide. So a small space on the ground can generate lots of power because you just have to watch out that you don't build into airspace.
Something about this story seems suspicious. Also I kept expecting the article or the comments here to make some mention of “Who is John Galt?” Spoiler alert if you haven’t read or heard of Atlas...
Something about this story seems suspicious. Also I kept expecting the article or the comments here to make some mention of “Who is John Galt?”
Spoiler alert if you haven’t read or heard of Atlas Shrugged:
John Galt is a fictional character in Atlas Shrugged who invents an engine that runs on static electricity. It is able to essentially provide free energy.
I was going to make some defensive statements about this reference to prevent piling on by people who like or hate Ayn Rand, but then I realized I’m not on reddit lol.
It's mentioned in the article that any material can be used to harvest electricity, but I'm certain it's going to be realized that some materials are more efficient than others. The impact those...
It's mentioned in the article that any material can be used to harvest electricity, but I'm certain it's going to be realized that some materials are more efficient than others.
The impact those materials will have on the environment will likely be the deciding factor as to whether or not this will be viable. Nano-plastics are already a concern, this just seems to be a great way to create more nano-particle pollutants.
Flashback to That 70s Show: "Like I heard about this guy who invented a car that runs on water man, its got a fiber glass, air cooled engine and it runs on water!"
Flashback to That 70s Show: "Like I heard about this guy who invented a car that runs on water man, its got a fiber glass, air cooled engine and it runs on water!"
I'm always down for more renewable power options and this one seems really interesting but also produced power on the scale of millivolts. I could see it being useful for tiny devices off the grid like sensors and similar but even that won't happen for 20 years.
Haha, what the hell.
Imagine infinite charge for your phone by plugging it into a small, mysterious cube. Can't wait!
The coverage in this article is sort of weird and reads like PR hype. All they can do is induce a current from moisture passing through their thing. There is no word on how much and the voltage is teensy. I’d be very surprised if this ends up being useful for anything more heavy duty than trickle-charging an electric toothbrush. That would definitely be a neat feature! But it’s not doing anything about the climate crisis.
It could be useful for specific low power use cases though, like RFID chip readers or sensor system type things with very small amounts of power draw.
RFID chips wouldn't take advantage of the volume scaling. Electric toothbrush seems fairy extreme to me. Lots of problems I can think of. Induction is king there.
It'd probably find its niche in edge devices where the Sun doesn't shine. E.g. aboveground sensors could always use solar, but what if you want to monitor a cave without setting up the entire electrical infrastructure?
The interesting question is whether this even works in a humid cave.
The way I understood this is that they're using the same energy differential that on larger scales leads to lightning bolts in the atmosphere. You have water droplets in a layer of humid air that accumulate electric charge, and that charge can get large enough to arc into another layer of air in the form of a lightning bolt (or arc to the ground). But for the droplets in the layer of air to accumulate electric charge, you need movement and friction, you need wind and temperature differentials, all the things that - when large enough - make thunderstorms happen.
And I think in a cave you have zero of that. Why would the air sitting still in a cave continuously build up electric charge? Where is that charge coming from, how is it moving around?
Large caves actually have lots of air movement. The cave "breathes" in and out in response to changes in air pressure in the external environment (for example, temperature – hence pressure – changes caused by the rising and setting of the sun).
https://allsensors.com/blog/wind-pressure-in-caves/#:~:text=The%20change%20of%20direction%20and,pressure%20system%20on%20the%20surface.
I just like the idea of things being able to sort of ambiently charge without needing to plug them into a wall. It’s the tidiness gains from eliminating cords that appeals to me most. I’d be a fan of replaceable batteries on a lot of this stuff if not for the fact that they’re heavy and hazardous and involve some hurdles to dispose of responsibly.
It's a nice idea, but it moves, vibrates, splashes around etc.
My toothbrush's charger is wired, sure, but the toothbrush has to stand somewhere anyway, and induction makes it completely waterproof.
Sounds more like a very tall mysterious device to me.
It seems obvious to me both would work since there's no practical limit on the surface area of a single layer, as long as droplets get can access each nanohole without being impeded. Either way, mysterious cube of power and mysterious rod of power are both incredibly neat concepts.
I think the idea is that you don't have to pay extra for building high compared to wide. So a small space on the ground can generate lots of power because you just have to watch out that you don't build into airspace.
Something about this story seems suspicious. Also I kept expecting the article or the comments here to make some mention of “Who is John Galt?”
Spoiler alert if you haven’t read or heard of Atlas Shrugged:
John Galt is a fictional character in Atlas Shrugged who invents an engine that runs on static electricity. It is able to essentially provide free energy.
I was going to make some defensive statements about this reference to prevent piling on by people who like or hate Ayn Rand, but then I realized I’m not on reddit lol.
It's mentioned in the article that any material can be used to harvest electricity, but I'm certain it's going to be realized that some materials are more efficient than others.
The impact those materials will have on the environment will likely be the deciding factor as to whether or not this will be viable. Nano-plastics are already a concern, this just seems to be a great way to create more nano-particle pollutants.
Flashback to That 70s Show: "Like I heard about this guy who invented a car that runs on water man, its got a fiber glass, air cooled engine and it runs on water!"