Self-recharging battery concept

[Blindasabat]

You know those shake-lights, right? They are mostly cheap but some work OK. Now a company is working on a battery (they have a D-cell schematic) with a Faraday kinetic energy recovery system in the middle:
http://www.m2epower.com/technology/overview.htm

It would seem to work more like a Seiko kinetic watch than a shake light in that any movement would induce a charge.

I actually find the cell-phone & accessory charger more interesting (they list flashlights on this page):
http://www.m2epower.com/apps/mobile.htm

... but they look like a more serious company than those that make the shake lights.

<edit> OH, I forgot the main reason they claim to be an improvement:
"Increases in power output with M2E technology are estimated to range from 300-700% over existing configurations."

 

[qwertyydude]

What would be really cool is a battery that recharges itself based on absorbing RF or EM noise and turning that into electricity. That way all you have to do is rest them on top of your television or computer at night and they charge themselves.

 

[KD5XB]

Oh man, that would be great! Think of a television transmitter site or a ham repeater -- no need for lighting circuits, flourescents with their associated static, etc!

 

[KowShak]

What would be really cool is a battery that recharges itself based on absorbing RF or EM noise and turning that into electricity. That way all you have to do is rest them on top of your television or computer at night and they charge themselves.

That is a nice idea, but your TV or PC doesn't put out enough energy in that way to charge your batteries. If my PC was putting out enough energy as RF / EM noise to charge a torch I would be worried about sitting in front of it.

 

[qwertyydude]

Microwave it :laughing:

 

[linterno]

What would be really cool is a battery that recharges itself based on absorbing RF or EM noise and turning that into electricity. That way all you have to do is rest them on top of your television or computer at night and they charge themselves.

Motorola is working it a technology like what you describe. You will leave your cell phone or any battery powered device on the table an it will receive electromagnetic signal and charge the battery. The basic principle of RFID.

I guess we should be careful with this electromagnetic emission since, if low frequency, this is said to produce cancer.

 

[qwertyydude]

It's not that crazy of an idea I mean why would motorola be taking so long to release the technology when my sonicare tooth brush already charges without electrical contact

 

[Kestrel]

It's not that crazy of an idea I mean why would motorola be taking so long to release the technology when my sonicare tooth brush already charges without electrical contact

I think that is power transfer via a transformer (i.e two independent coils of wire and a ferrite core). I think the energy transfer would go to far less than one percent if it wasn't sitting where the magnetic field lines are focused (i.e. in the cradle). Just I guess though, I've seen this in a similar system that I took apart, fwiw.

 

[TMorita]

I can just see "charging groups" where three or four guys stand in a circle and one guy shakes the battery, then when he's tired he passes off the battery to the next guy to shake.

And also one lookout that stands off to the side so they can stop when anyone comes by to avoid intense embarassment.

Toshi

 

[rushnrockt]

It's not that crazy of an idea I mean why would motorola be taking so long to release the technology when my sonicare tooth brush already charges without electrical contact

As Kestrel noted, this is far different of a concept. Power delivery would drop by a square of the distance. The RF delivery is supposed to be directional and not have the same type of power loss. Of course, even at high frequency the effect on human body is not known.

 

[abvidledUK]

You need one of these:

Self recharging Solar Powered 9v PP3 battery

http://www.candlepowerforums.com/vb/showpost.php?p=2418787&postcount=1

 

[Nubo]

As Kestrel noted, this is far different of a concept. Power delivery would drop by a square of the distance. The RF delivery is supposed to be directional and not have the same type of power loss. Of course, even at high frequency the effect on human body is not known.

I think the strength of a magnetic field drops by the cube of distance.