Rubber Boots Charge Your Phone

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."

Comments

For further reading...

[dtmos]

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.

Re:For further reading...

[somersault]

And then the frigidity of her response helps to create the thermal difference required for charging your phone? Good idea!

Re:Slow news day?

[wwwillem]

I ditched my "generator powered" light on my bicycle

Those are not a temporary fad that doesn't really work. In Holland (where there are more bicycles than people) those dynamo's are the standard way (at least were before LED lights) of powering bicycle lights.

It was the next progression after the carbid lantern, so I guess that started around WWII, maybe even earlier. At least I'm from 1957 and I can't remember anything else.