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Rubber Boots Charge Your Phone

Posted by CmdrTaco on from the put-on-your-lead-boots dept.

andylim writes "UK wireless provider Orange and renewable energy experts GotWind have come up with a prototype pair of power-generating rubber boots. Inside the power-generating soles of the boots are thermoelectric modules constructed of pairs of p-type and n-type semiconductor materials forming thermocouples, which are connected electrically to form an array of multiple thermocouples (thermopile). They are then sandwiched between two thin ceramic wafers. When the heat from the foot is applied on the top side of the ceramic wafer and cold is applied on the opposite side, from the cold of the ground, electricity is generated."

4 of 111 comments (clear)

  1. For further reading... by dtmos · · Score: 5, Informative

    The term for this type of electricity generation is the Seebeck effect. Typically a very small voltage is generated per pn junction, so many hundreds of junctions are placed in series to generate a significant voltage.

    1. Re:For further reading... by TeknoHog · · Score: 3, Informative

      Would it be possible to put them on a condom?

      Guy in bar to babe: "Hey. My phone died. Would you like to go and charge it?"

      The effect uses a temperature difference to generate power, so unless you are doing a dead fish, it wouldn't help much.

      --
      Escher was the first MC and Giger invented the HR department.
  2. Re:Slow news day? by datapharmer · · Score: 3, Informative

    If the light didn't work well for you it was adjusted poorly or you weren't riding fast enough. The only problems with them were:
    a) You had to ride relatively quickly to generate much light
    b) It added a significant amount of friction to your wheel meaning you had to ride harder and
    c) The light stopped when you stopped.

    That said, a few modifications such as adding a capacitor to even out the light (acting as a voltage regulator), changing the light bulb to LED, and lowering the friction caused by the generator wheel and it would probably work phenomenally well. I was happy even back then though.

    --
    Get a web developer
  3. Oh good, just what I need by drinkypoo · · Score: 4, Informative

    Boots that don't keep my feet warm because they depend on heat flowing across a thermocouple as quickly as possible to produce electricity? That sounds great! I'll take two.

    --
    "You're right," Fisheye says. "I should have set it on 'whip' or 'chop.'"