About the product
The goal of this project is to incorporate existing thermoelectric technology in the design of a safe, portable and efficient phone charger for use in emergency situations. The Seebeck effect will be utilized to convert thermal energy into electricity that will be able to charge a phone.
Cell phones and smartphones have now become part of our everyday lives. With smartphones continuously increasing with their capabilities, they are no longer only used just to make phone calls. Users can take pictures, send emails, play games, surf the web, or even use it to control appliances at home. Most people use their phones throughout the day causing large battery consumption. Consequently, users must constantly search for a source of electricity. Unfortunately, electricity may not always be available everywhere at any time. For example, a traveler or a camper would have a difficult time searching for an outlet in the forest. Power outages can occur frequently due to extreme weather as well as transmission and distribution problems. It may also be possible that an electrical power source is just not conveniently available to the public. This project will increase the availability of electricity by using another source of energy – heat. The team will design and build a portable and safe device that will be able to charge a mobile phone using heat. This device will allow people to not only rely on electricity for power but also give the capability of charging a phone anywhere as long as heat is available. Such a device will be extremely useful in a time of emergency when electricity is not available.
The charging device will use the Seebeck effect of thermoelectric materials. The Seebeck effect is named after the Baltic German physicist Thomas Johann Seebeck, who discovered the concept in 1821. Seebeck originally discovered that if a copper strip was joined to a strip of bismuth to form a closed circuit, a current would be induced if one junction was heated and there was a temperature difference. The Seebeck effect is a phenomenon in which a temperature difference between two dissimilar electrical conductors or semiconductors produces a voltage difference between the two substances. When heat is applied to one conductor, electrons flow towards the cooler one and with an electric circuit connected, direct current is able to flow through the circuit. Using temperature differences and the transfer of heat it is possible to generate a current of electricity. This current of electricity can then be used to power up the mobile phone.
Major concerns for the team will include designing the product for portability. The product must be small enough to be able to carry comfortably in an average backpack. The product must also be safe. Possible heat sources for this project include a butane lighter or a small fire. There will be a safety concern using these indoors, near an electrical device, or even a battery. Finally the thermoelectric charging device must be able to provide enough energy to be viable as a charger for a cell phone. Since the design will be small, creating enough voltage to provide energy for a mobile phone may be an issue.
Cell phones and smartphones have now become part of our everyday lives. With smartphones continuously increasing with their capabilities, they are no longer only used just to make phone calls. Users can take pictures, send emails, play games, surf the web, or even use it to control appliances at home. Most people use their phones throughout the day causing large battery consumption. Consequently, users must constantly search for a source of electricity. Unfortunately, electricity may not always be available everywhere at any time. For example, a traveler or a camper would have a difficult time searching for an outlet in the forest. Power outages can occur frequently due to extreme weather as well as transmission and distribution problems. It may also be possible that an electrical power source is just not conveniently available to the public. This project will increase the availability of electricity by using another source of energy – heat. The team will design and build a portable and safe device that will be able to charge a mobile phone using heat. This device will allow people to not only rely on electricity for power but also give the capability of charging a phone anywhere as long as heat is available. Such a device will be extremely useful in a time of emergency when electricity is not available.
The charging device will use the Seebeck effect of thermoelectric materials. The Seebeck effect is named after the Baltic German physicist Thomas Johann Seebeck, who discovered the concept in 1821. Seebeck originally discovered that if a copper strip was joined to a strip of bismuth to form a closed circuit, a current would be induced if one junction was heated and there was a temperature difference. The Seebeck effect is a phenomenon in which a temperature difference between two dissimilar electrical conductors or semiconductors produces a voltage difference between the two substances. When heat is applied to one conductor, electrons flow towards the cooler one and with an electric circuit connected, direct current is able to flow through the circuit. Using temperature differences and the transfer of heat it is possible to generate a current of electricity. This current of electricity can then be used to power up the mobile phone.
Major concerns for the team will include designing the product for portability. The product must be small enough to be able to carry comfortably in an average backpack. The product must also be safe. Possible heat sources for this project include a butane lighter or a small fire. There will be a safety concern using these indoors, near an electrical device, or even a battery. Finally the thermoelectric charging device must be able to provide enough energy to be viable as a charger for a cell phone. Since the design will be small, creating enough voltage to provide energy for a mobile phone may be an issue.