I have just looked at **broken link removed**
and wondered why this technology seems to have died a death except for measuring instruments and a small niche market.
Trevor Bayliss (SP?) made a fortune by marketing a wind up radio for use by poor Africans.
Now to me a thermopile would be much more versatile, as long as you have a source of heat (cooking fire) you can generate electricity that you could use for lighting, for example LEDs would not use much power and would last longer than incandescent bulbs not to mention being more energy efficient.
I wonder what the practical limits would be? How about a Solar heated thermopile generating power setup, that would charge batteries during the day for use later at night.
One of the great advantages in my mind is that all the power generating "stuff" is solid state.
Just my 2p worth.
and wondered why this technology seems to have died a death except for measuring instruments and a small niche market.
Trevor Bayliss (SP?) made a fortune by marketing a wind up radio for use by poor Africans.
Now to me a thermopile would be much more versatile, as long as you have a source of heat (cooking fire) you can generate electricity that you could use for lighting, for example LEDs would not use much power and would last longer than incandescent bulbs not to mention being more energy efficient.
I wonder what the practical limits would be? How about a Solar heated thermopile generating power setup, that would charge batteries during the day for use later at night.
One of the great advantages in my mind is that all the power generating "stuff" is solid state.
Just my 2p worth.