U OF UTAH STUDENTS INVENT PORTABLE POT THAT DOUBLES AS A
THERMOELECTRIC GENERATOR, RAISE $126K ON KICKSTARTER AND START SELLING PRODUCT
AT NATIONAL RETAILERS
Power Practical, a student startup that sprang from research
at the University of Utah, is selling a portable cook pot that transforms heat
and water into a power source. Imagine charging your cellphone or using
speakers in the mountains at night far from civilization. That’s what the device,
called the PowerPot, can do with just a campfire and a little water. Using
thermoelectricity, the PowerPot generates power by capturing the electrons
moving from the heated pot to the cooler water inside. The greater the
temperature difference, the more electricity is generated.
The company has a growing variety of PowerPots that serve
different needs. The basic model, the PowerPot V, weighs less than a pound and
produces 5 volts, enough to charge a cellphone in 60 to 90 minutes. Larger
models, like the PowerPot X, produce 10 volts and can charge larger devices,
like a tablet computer.