Thermoelectric Generator Uses Induced Heat To Charge Phones, Speakers, And Other USB Devices Off The Grid
As the sun starts to sink below the trees and the sweet hickory smoke of the campfire rises up to clear blue sky, RVers enjoy the lifestyle, sitting back, relaxing and having a few libations. After a long day of hiking, swimming, biking and climbing, finding that sense of calm is a bonus. It's even nicer to sit back and relax with some music.
That was the idea behind Power Practical's PowerPot, a thermoelectric generator that uses heat to charge phones, speakers and other USB devices. At just over five inches and 14 ounces, the compact and convenient PowerPot uses any heat source – including campfires and backpacking stoves – to not only keep devices charged, but even boil water. The PowerPot's duel uses have made it a standout in the portable generator market.
“The way we look at it…it's a duel utility thing,” said Sales Director Wafiq Ali. “We're not expecting you to just charge your phone. You can boil water three or four times a day for coffee or freeze-dried meals. And every time you boil water you get a small charge because of that energy you're utilizing.”
Power Practical founders David Toledo and Paul Slusser created the PowerPot in 2012 as material science engineers at the University of Utah. As outdoorsmen and Eagle Scouts from Salt Lake City, Toledo and Slusser grew up at the base of giant mountains. They go camping a lot to this day, “practically living outside,” noted Ali.
The idea came to the friends when they were camping and staring at a campfire. They joked that only a fraction of the campfire's energy was keeping them warm. The rest was floating to the sky, not utilized. They thought it would be awesome to create something that honed in that extra energy.
Thermoelectric generators take a temperature difference and turn it into electrical power. Heating one end of a thermoelectric material causes the electrons to move away from the hot end and toward the cold end. This causes an electrical current.
The thermo modules Toledo and Slusser were working with could fit into their palm. One side of the thermo module gets hot and the other gets cold when power is applied to it. This made them think to test it out on a big, aluminum pot taken from Toledo's mother's kitchen. That pot – known as the first PowerPot – is still at the company.
“I remember the first time they had the pot,” recalled Ali. “I put my hand on it. It was hooked up to a multimeter. When I put my palm on it I saw the voltage go up by a fraction – point two, point five – just from the heat of my palm. I know for a fact they were losing their shit.”
While there are many products on the market that allow campers and travelers to charge their phones away from the convenience of electricity, Power Practical realized most of the products were solar panels.
“Those don't work when there's no sun,” pointed out Ali, “which can happen in a lot of situations.” Another unique aspect of the PowerPot is that it's a generator with no moving parts. Said Ali: “You can put it on a shelf and open it up five years later and it will still work. There's no rust, no built in battery. That's the benefit for travelers or long-term users: It will always be there as long as you need it.”
Campers and RV'ers have also found unique, innovative uses for the PowerPot. Aside from boiling water or warming up soup, many users have also used the lid as a way to fry an egg by flipping it upside down on top of the pot while the water is boiling.
The versatility and uniqueness of the PowerPot - “It's one of a kind. There's nothing else like it on the market. It was the first cooking pot to generate power with no moving parts.” - is what caught Ali's eye back when he met the founders in college.
“They're super smart,” he said. “They have amazing ideas. I just wanted to be a part of it and help.” Ever since then, Ali has worked for Toledo and Slusser. He's even gone camping with them: “It's awesome. But they're a little more epic and hardcore than I am, hiking up to 40 miles, that kind of thing.”
Ali wasn't the only one who believed in the PowerPot. Power Practical was actually started on Kickstarter, a crowd funding website. The founders' goal was to raise $50,000 to get the company off the ground. They ended up raising over $100,000, selling over 1,000 PowerPots.
“That summer,” Ali recalled, “we built 1,000 PowerPots in our garage and started the company."
The PowerPot was even featured on ABC's television series Shark Tank. Entrepreneur Mark Cuban invested $250,000 into Power Practical, allowing the company to launch their product line in multiple stores.
And the company keeps growing, with more unique RV and camping related products on the way. But it's the PowerPot that started it all.
Whether campers are looking to listen to some music while relaxing around a campfire, the stars twinkling above the trees, or are hoping to energize their morning with some coffee before the hiking, biking and swimming ahead of them, the PowerPot is a convenient and simple way for travelers to do it all.
Olivia Richman
A graduate of East Connecticut State University in Journalism, Olivia has written for Stonebridge Press & Antiques Marketplace among others. She enjoys writing, running and video games.
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