‘It was an accident’: the scientists who have turned humid air into renewable power
www.theguardian.com
Tesla speculated electricity from thin air was possible – now the question is whether it will be possible to harness it on the scale needed to power our homes
  • Rentlar@beehaw.org
    0·
    1 year ago

    The result is a thin grey disc measuring 4cm (1.5in) across. According to the Lyubchyks, one of these devices can generate a relatively modest 1.5 volts and 10 milliamps.

    This is the available prototype, the researchers are now moving to see how well it can scale (stacking 1k to 10k of these together to power a house).

    But even as it is, this already has potential applications. It can power very small fans and lights. You can charge a capacitor and use it as an electric firestarter in a survival situation.

    This would be most effective where solar energy would be less effective, in muggy, humid areas with frequent rains.

    • Sam Vimes@beehaw.org
      1·
      1 year ago

      It’d take quite a few more to power anything vaguely first/second world houselike…

      Watts=voltsamps. 1.5v0.01a=0.015w. That makes 67 per watt, presumably at ideal lab conditions. 670 per ten watts, 6,700 for 100, 67,000 for 1000, of course.

      For reference a old slow phone charger is 5w, new ones are commonly 10-18. Household led bulbs 2-10 watts, incandescent 40-100. Any heating device (space heater, hair dryer, toaster) tends to be 1500w to 1875w.

      I sometimes live in a van with 750w of solar panels, and if you’re especially energy conscious, it’s a very reasonable amount of power in the summer, but it’s also easy to blow through, especially if you’re using any of it for temperature control or cooking, or it’s winter, cloudy, shady, or worst, a combo.

      Still always exciting to see new energy generation tech, fingers crossed it gets cheaper and more effecient and doesn’t end up in the energy tech graveyard.