Electricity generation using a tea-candle

Tellurex, a Traverse City, Mi, based thermoelectric solutions providing company, has invented tPOD1 (pronounced as “tea-pod). tPOD1 (patent pending) can help in powering a 25 LED bulb for up to four hours or charge an auxiliary battery pack by converting heat energy into electrical energy.

[hana-code-insert name=’StumbleUpon’ /][hana-code-insert name=’Reddit’ /]tPOD1 – tPOD stands for thermoelectric power on demand – can be powered by a tea-candle heating a thermoelectric generator (TEG) to give four hours of continuous light for five cents.

“I developed a product where they could charge the cellphones over their cooking fire,” Richard Harmon, engineering manager at Tellurex said to Mashable. “I started doing a lot more research….one of the downsides is I would be encouraging people to burn wood.” He decided to use tea candles instead.

From Tellurex,

The Tellurex tPOD1 will be sold with a supply of readily available tea candles that are one-half-inch tall wax candles packaged within a containment ring and commonly available throughout the industrialized and developing worlds. When placed beneath the Tellurex tPOD1, these inexpensive and easy-to-source candles will each burn for up to four hours. One candle will provide the amount of heat required by the thermoelectric modules within the tPOD1 to create an electron flow that generates one-quarter watt of continuous power.

Tellurex is seeking the $85,000 funding on Kickstarter, the crowdfunding platform. There are 20 days to go and the company is left with slightly more than $40,000.

After hitting the market, it would be available at a price of $69-$79.

Via: Mashable Source: Tellurex