Jet Powered Flashlight in Future?

[FlashlightOCD]

Interesting article about possible battery alternative.

 

[cobb]

That has to make a lot of noise.

 

[HarryN]

UC Berkeley has some similar items based on a Wankel engine concept / micromachine. Puts out a few watts IIRC.

 

[idleprocess]

Futurists have been musing about microturbines for years.

Heat and to some extent noise are going to be issues no matter how you look at it.

I imagine these things will also require a supply of oxygen and an exhaust port of some flavor - unless they've found some way to make them closed-loop due to their small size.

 

[cobb]

Yeah jets are great for lots of power and effifiency in a compact size, but you got to deal with the spinning parts and like mentioned exhaust. What happened to fuel cells>

 

[Barbarin]

Yes, nice, but useless for underwater or sealed flashlights, beacuse this kind of engines needs to breath... I think there are more interesting solutions, such as micro atomic cells, with short life (one to five years) isotopes... As a hobby I do some research on it...

 

[vicbin]

LOOK...LOOK AT THE SKY !!!!!

Its a rocket !.... NO !
.. its a ..... superman ? ...naahhh..
.its a meteor....huh ?...
....IT IS A FLYING FLASHLIGHT !!!.....
.....
.....
......Move on, nothing to see here !......
.....
...Honey !!.. once we got home, I want you to pack all of your flashlights and put em "all" in the dumpster, ya hear me ??? /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif

 

[idleprocess]

Fuel cells aren't the miracle devices they're made out to be.

The average battery has more energy density than a like-sized fuel cell.

 

[TORCH_BOY]

Jet engines (gas turbine engines) do generate a lot of heat
this would make the flashlight very hot, high fire risk also.

 

[gadget_lover]

I have to wonder about carbon monoxide too. A CPF get-together could be downright dangerous. Imagine 30 micro turbine powered flashlights running in one room at the same time. Then someone like Unnerv or JimH brings out a 500 watt HID with a 50 or 100 CC turbine.....


Daniel