by jstrubberg » Thu Jan 08, 2015 9:24 am
The charger (to me) isn't anything but a proof of concept in this size device. This is done on a larger scale in space vehicles by using the difference between the cold of space and whatever heat source is in use to make the vehicle human habitable. Another idea for this type of electrical generation is to use a large tube made of two different metals, one end lying in a solar pond along the sea coast and the other end several hundred feet deep in cold sea water.
It's cool that it works, but on this scale very, very little energy is produced. I would also be leery about having expensive electronics close enough to an unpredictable heat source to charge them.
The more stuff I take along, the more time I spend taking care of my stuff!