The new device can charge cellphones and other devices using open flames from firewood, charcoal, gas and other sources; it would be useful as a backup for emergencies such as natural disasters, reports Japan's Kyodo News.
The 'Hatsuden-nabe (power generating pot)' of TES NewEnergy Corp has the appearance of an ordinary household utensil but can directly convert heat-waste into electricity using a thermoelectric module, said the company.
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TES, which specializes in converting heat-waste into electrical energy, said the pot, which uses a USB connection, can finish charging an Apple iPhone in three to five hours. It can also charge radios and flashlights if they have USB plugs.
“After the earthquake and tsunami in northeastern Japan, we went into full swing in developing the product,” Kyodo reported Ryoji Funahashi, a director at the company, as saying, referring to the March 11 disaster.
The product, 16 centimeters in diameter, contains an iron-covered conductor at the bottom. The conductor is high in temperature while the pot itself is cooler, causing a difference in temperature that can be converted to electric voltage.
The device, which consists of the pot and accessories, will be sold for 24,150 yen (around Rs 13,500).