" Did you know that our natural body heat can be used to power our mobile devices..? "
Copyright © 2010 Tomitheos Thermal Cam Photography
- All Rights Reserved.
The human core body temperature can produce about 100 microwatts of thermal energy!
Science research proves that the human body as a warm object (at 98.6 degrees fahrenheit) is also a capable source of energy that can be harnessed to power a cell phone, a pacemaker or any other battery operated device.
This idea is loosely based on the static electricity theory whereby one can prolong an alkaline battery by rubbing it in their hands, but in this technology the kinetic energy and the actual rubbing of the hands is the source scientists are tapping into and as a result new technologies are aiming to replace batteries by harnessing the use of an individual's own body heat as a source to power biomedical devices like pacemakers and heart-rate monitors.
The normal core body temperature of a normal healthy adult at rest is stated to be at 98.6 degrees fahrenheit (or 37.0 degrees celsius, or 310 kelvin).
Our body temperature is fairly consistent but varies slightly due to metabolism whereby the temperature is lower in the early morning due to sleep and rest and higher at night from food intake and the use of the muscles from routine daily physical activity.
This body-generated thermal energy can produce about 100 microwatts, but researchers are developing an apparatus and microchip that may be able to amplify the charge, store or serve as thermal control in order to drive a microelectronic device.
The new chip design incorporates circuits that work at a voltage level much lower than usual as well as extending the operationg duration of portable devices on a single battery charge, it is hoped that the energy-efficient microchip may be efficient enough to run implantable medical devices using ambient energy from the human body heat as its power source.
Today with the widespread use of mobile devices, the development of new cellular technologies seem to have triggered more research in the field of muscle tissue heat generation during exercise so that non-evasive low voltage personal electronic devices for music and cell phones can be used with a smarter, more efficient and eco-friendly source of power: our own bodies.
