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Body Heat Powers Wearable Devices

Posted October 08, 2016 12:00 AM by Engineering360 eNewsletter

To power wearable devices using body heat, researchers at North Carolina State University have developed wearable thermoelectric generators (TEGs) that utilize temperature differential between user's body and the ambient air. Unlike previous techniques, the new TEGs generate power up to 20 µW/cm² and do not use a heat sink, making them lighter and much more comfortable. Since the new TEG is scalable, it can easily be made larger to generate more power if needed.


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#1

Re: Body Heat Powers Wearable Devices

10/08/2016 10:18 AM

I'm wondering how 20 uW/cm2 compares with the output of a comparable size solar cell under ambient light conditions.

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#2
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Re: Body Heat Powers Wearable Devices

10/09/2016 12:40 PM

And that Fluke meter has a 9V battery in it!!

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#3
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Re: Body Heat Powers Wearable Devices

10/09/2016 11:30 PM

I am playing around with some Mono-crystalline (semi flexible) solar cells currently:

Efficiency: 21.8%, Working Voltage: 0.574 V, Working Current: 5.83 A ~ 3.34W

Since each cell is ~ 25 sq" (161.29 cm^2), that produces ~ 0.0207 W/cm^2.

That of course, is under full sunlight, but that is still 1000 times the power/cm^2 of this TEG device. I don't think it would be as bad as the TEG device even if it was lit by a single candle.

The efficiency of solar sells - well sucks. But TEGs are worse.

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#4

Re: Body Heat Powers Wearable Devices

10/10/2016 9:10 AM

I noticed in the last sentence it says, " Since the new TEG is scalable, it can easily be made larger to generate more power if needed.

OK, I am not familiar with TEG's.

I know that the average mean temperature of most male's is 94.4-94.6

And the average mean temperature of most female's is 94.6-94.8, with some @ 94.9

So, the male's devices would/should need to be made larger to compensate for the produced voltage/efficiency difference ?

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