So, it is true. We don’t really have to burn fossil fuels anymore to generate enough electricity to power the world. I know this sounds crazy but it is true. If you didn’t already know, our Singapore flyer and Marina Bay Sands Resort are now powered by a “
” created by NRGLab which employs the use of poly-crystal technology. In time to come, our homes, factories and offices will be powered by this portable “batteries” which not only costs only 3 cents per kilowatt but it also produce zero-emissions into the environment. It’s time to rejoice because our electrical bills will not only be cheaper but we would also get to enjoy cleaner and fresher air. Technically speaking, our lives are going to change for the better.
You must be wondering what’s this big battery all about, how does it work and what’s poly-crystal technology? I’m, by no means, going to bore with complex technical details here but to put it into layman terms, scientists have come up with this new technology to convert environmental heat into energy. As the word suggests, environmental heat comes from the environment. Electricity could be generated when there is a temperature difference in the environment. The electricity could be obtained by using the thermo-electric device which generates voltages when the device senses a difference in temperature on each side. We might be able to use our body heat someday to generate electricity too. More electricity could be generated when you’re running high on fever. That’s when being sick is actually a good thing. But how does the device work?
Thermo-Electric Device
This device taps on the difference in temperature to generate electricity. The conductor in this device is made up of metal and if you remember what we have learnt in Secondary school, metals are good conductors of heat and electricity because of the mobile electrons within them which could move freely in between the metal atoms. With that in mind, you would be able to understand the principle behind this technology. Heating one side of the thermo-electric device (the hot side) causes the electrons to gain kinetic energy and move away to the cold side of the device. This flow of electrons from one end to another causes an electric current which could be harnessed and stored in batteries. And if you’re in the jungles and you are in need of electricity to charge your mobile, here’s what you could do – build your own
DIY Thermo-electric device which could power your iPhone, just like how
David Johansson first did it.
SH-Boxes
But at NRGLab, the scientists and engineers came up with a device which is more than just a thermoelectric device.The Semiconductor Thermogenerator (also know as SH-boxes) produced by NRGLab uses 12 primary components which comprises of rare-earth metals, metal oxides and industrial diamonds. Each SH-box contains 100 plates ( part of the Thermogenerator) which are made up of aluminium pods fitted with poly-crystals components in the right proportions for the generation of electricity. Poly-crystals are aggregates of many crystals which are produced from a piece of silicon. They are function by processing the environmental heat to generate electricity. It function similarly to solar cells which absorbs sunlight and convert it to electricity.
Since all these components are inexpensive, the manufacturing plants producing these generators could operate at a relatively lower cost. With this low-cost and environmentally-friendly power source, do we still need to tap on our oil reserves to power our country? Think again.
Singapore could one day be powered by “batteries”( or SH-boxes) that could last for about 20 years. Maybe I could purchase the SH-boxes as a gift to my Mum as a Christmas present once these devices are made available for sale in Singapore.
* This blog has been nominated for the Best Eco-Challenge Blog Award as well as the Best lifestyle Blog Award in Singapore Blog Awards 2013. Do support my blog and drop me a vote by clicking on to the above hyperlinks!
NRGLab is a green technology company based in Singapore.
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