October 2018 – Xtralec

Thermo Electrics

Once used in outer space with a technology so expensive that until a short few years ago the TEG could have never been used in our every day lives.

The Teg

How the TEG works. We liken its operation to a thunder storm. When a hot cloud meets a cold cloud a bolt of lightening erupts (electricity) with Thermo electrics when a heat is placed on one side of a TEG plate and cold on the other an electrical current erupts ( electricity).

Thermo Electricity invented in the mid 1800s, used in space technology during the 1970s is now in every day use. Until recently only a very small amount of electricity could be produced by a Thermo electric (TEG) plate. In order to create a significant amount of electricity hundreds of these plates had to be coupled together. The cost of production made it impossible to consider use outside specific areas with enormous amounts of available funding.

During recent years projects have started to emerge. Mostly projects requiring small amounts of electricity, perhaps only enough to charge a mobile phone.

Our story, from acorns to oak trees really has happened.

Development has taken another major turn. This time, rather than charge a mobile phone, Xtralec has seen heat driven generators capable of producing enough electricity to power a remote off grid village giving everyone a chance of a better future.

Could This Be History In The Making?

Community cooker for emerging markets.

Development is under way to produce a community cooker capable of lighting up an entire village while at the same time giving cooking and hot water facilities to a small community.

This cooker, weighing in at almost one ton, is under going rigorous tests. With more than 30.000 villages in India without electricity, could this be the future.

60 million people in Africa live without electricity. 1.1 billion people have no access to electric light. 3.5 billion people cook and heat with wood.

Disasters rage around the globe, earth quakes, tsunami’s, tornados and hurricanes wreak devastation. The first and most important requirement is electricity. Emergency services being able to see 24 hours per day, boiled water for clean water drinking and heat in cold climates must all be addressed. This appliance could save lives anywhere. Powered by fuel all around us makes this a real contender in a disaster. Trials are under way using any dry fuel, wood, grass, leaves, straw, in fact anything that will burn can make electricity.

This rugged and robust multi fuel power generating stove undergoing tests at our facility may be the answer!

Cooking, heating, hot water and electricity, all from the same appliance, is this everyone’s dream?

This small wood burning cooker (pic 1) has been converted to not only produce electricity, but also run a small heating system, produce hot water for washing and can also cook dinner. With a cooking hob and a small oven this device may be the future of powering a home.

After developing electricity generating wood burning cookers for many years, it is now possible to power one hundred and twenty flood lights while dinner is cooking!

Pic 1. early prototype cooker

Pic 2. Another prototype stove.

The Oak Tree

Using the same principal as the electric light made from plumbing parts, an aluminium heat sink and two very small TEG plates. By multiplying the TEG plates and changing the heat sink we have developed this micro power station. With the heat of the fire box on one side of the TEG plates, the cooling of a heat sink on the other side, adding electronics and circuitry to the generator has increased the electrical power output very significantly. This micro power station, the size of a cooker in most kitchens is able to power several hundred flood lights.

With many years of research and development we now have a silent running generator with no moving parts capable of putting a remote location onto its own power grid.

Consider its potential, living in the wilderness with no access to conventional fuel to power an electricity generator. This power station so silent in its operation has nothing to maintain, no servicing necessary and no need for part replacement. With the added value of being able to run on any available fuel including wood, grass, leaves, in fact any burning material makes this generator a one of a kind. Perhaps the future really is renewable.

From Acorns To Oak Trees

This electric light made from plumbing parts, an aluminium heat sink and two very small TEG plates, produces electricity by placing a T light candle under the base, the heat from the candle on one side of the TEG and the cool of the heat sink on the other, creates an electrical charge.

This electrical charge multiplies the light of the flame by more than 20 times into electrical light. The technology behind this light multiplied many times over can produce enough electricity to become very significant in every day life.