Microgenerators Coming Soon to Electronics Near You

fygment writes "A new microgenerator developed at Georgia Tech can now produce enough power to run a small electronic device, like a cell phone, and may soon be able to power a laptop. The microgenerator is about 10 millimeters wide, or about the size of a dime. When coupled with a similarly sized gas-fueled microturbine (or jet) engine, the system, called a microengine, has the potential to deliver more energy and last 10 times longer than a conventional battery. This is still just a quarter of the problem. A turbine is still being developed to turn the generator and that will require fuel and storage of some kind."

Comments

Re:Size

[Anonymous Coward]

No, that is not a joke. The unit size here is specifying the precision.

mm = + or - 0.5 mm
cm = + or - 0.5 cm

The other way to do it is with significant figures.
10.0 cm would be (ostensibly) the same thing as
10mm.

Re:No thanks.

[Murphy Murph]

And the hot exhaust from the turbine would feel absolutely lovely against one's leg while being carried in a pocket

On your fears of hot exhaust:

My cell phone = 3.6v battery @ 850 mah.
That is 3.06 watt hours.
If I talk non-stop on my phone it takes two hours to kill the battery.
That's 1.53 watts consumed at FULL usage.
1.53 watt hours = 1,316 calories.
That's enough heat to raise 1.3 Liters of water one stinkin' degree - over the course of one hour.
I'm willing to be your thigh contains more than 1.3 Liters of water.

Assume 33% efficiency and you still don't have much to fear.