Big prizes for tiny power

Janusz Rajkowski, Port Royal, SC — Sat, 07 Jul 2007 03:40:40 GMT

Anything that’s using body generated energy will divert that energy from other, maybe more essential uses. This energy is not ‘free’. Soldier wearing a power generating backpack will get tired faster. So far nothing beats a good battery. Nevertheless, efficient and lightweight hand or foot operated dynamo would do a decent job in emergency.

Big prizes for tiny power

Des Emery, St. Thomas, ON, Canada — Sat, 07 Jul 2007 04:08:37 GMT

Hi, Alan -- When the average Joe, inventive or not, is content to use whatever is at hand that he can just turn on, we'll be stuck in the rut where we're firmly ensconced. Perhaps a million dollars will be enough to get some bright ideas into circulation. I just saw a video of someone who used 'microwaves' to heat salt-water and separate the water into hydrogen and oxygen to produce a very hot flame that he thinks would work well in an internal combustion engine. Who knows?

Big prizes for tiny power

Chris — Sat, 07 Jul 2007 11:37:10 GMT

The new army suites that the military has been planning for at leat ten years are quite astonishing. They plan a full-face helmet that will beam information (tactical maps etc.) right up on the inside of the face shield like a heads up display. The display can hook into the scope on the soldier's gun and display exactly what the gun is pointing at, which give the ability to fire around corners without looking. This video system can be beamed back to other team members or HQ so that their commander can see exactly what they are looking at.

There is an acoustic system that can hear many times better than the average ear. Not only are the soldiers ears covered to protect them from extremely loud sound, the head phones inside can filter out unwanted noise and intensify, say, the sound of an approaching tank from far off. Some acoustic systems are so fine tuned they can tell what gear ratios a NASCAR has just by listening to it race...

The full-face shield integrates a filtered breathing system and is more protected but it is hotter. Therefore an AC system will be incorporated needing power. GPS is a must for many reasons.

Rail guns are of course much wanted as it would allow a single soldiers rail gun rifle to take out a tank. Rail gun bullets may be small, but as space debris aptly points out where a mere paint speck can damage the shuttle, you don't need a lot of mass when your bullet is moving 20 or 100 times faster than normal.

I suppose Nano turbine engines (jet engines only an inch wide or smaller) that run on hydrogen might offer the ultimate power to weight ratio.

Big prizes for tiny power

Jim Lucas, Tempe, AZ — Sat, 07 Jul 2007 12:51:41 GMT

Enlarge is concept, just a little. Use it in vehicles. Hybrids anyone?

Big prizes for tiny power

Michael Easley, Rogers, Arkansas — Sun, 08 Jul 2007 03:24:25 GMT

Why not use the Aluminum-Gallium and water reaction to produce hydrogen. The Al-Ga powder could be in the form of lightweight expendible cartridges, easily carried in a soldier's backpack. The cartridges could be inserted into a small hydrogen burning engine which turns a generator. The soldier could use his canteen for the water source. The whole thing would probably weigh less than a weed-eater.

Big prizes for tiny power

CM, Modesto — Sun, 08 Jul 2007 06:00:38 GMT

From the requirements, figure almost 2 Kwh of electrical energy stored in a 4 Kg package. That is 500 wh per Kg, greatly exceeding the energy density of LiIon batteries, but within the capabilities of Alunimum air batteries, and experimental Lithium air cells have already exceeded 2 Kwh per Kg!

Hydrogen offers the highest energy per Kg of any chemical fuel, but H2 is ridiculously bulky - imagine soldier towing blimps around! When the weight of compressed gas or hydride storage is added, H2 loses its weight advantage, and when the weight of the fuel cell is added, it would be difficult to meet the power and weight requirements.

Fuel cells that run on methanol or other fuels may work, and would avoid the storage problems of H2.

Other Possibilities: Radioactive isotope generators might be capable of providing 20 watts continuously for months in a 4 Kg package, but might not be able to provide the peak 200 watts. Carefully designed solar panels can provide the peak power, but only in direct sunlight. Hand cranked or pedal powered generators would work, but only with a lot of effort.

Big prizes for tiny power

Alan Boyle — Sun, 08 Jul 2007 06:26:41 GMT

You'll definitely want to check the detailed rules. For example, I believe radioisotope generators are specifically ruled out, and the rules also say the system would have to be mounted on a vest - which would likely rule out having hydrogen-filled balloons float up from the system (in any case, I'm sure that wouldn't be practical for soldiers in the field).

Another point is that when the system is put to the test, it will spend the first 88 hours or so just sitting on a test bench in a lab, which practically rules out having a hand-cranked or gait-powered system. It's only for the last 8 hours or so that the system will be strapped onto a real person.

Big prizes for tiny power

R. Ritchey, Sandpoint, IDaho — Sun, 08 Jul 2007 15:31:06 GMT

Humans, So narrow minded, it's always about war, bigger, better, mine. If I had something I would not giv it up, look what they did with "The BOMB". An inventive idea to KILL another of your kind for money, your name should be "Judas".

Big prizes for tiny power

Henry Gibson — Sun, 08 Jul 2007 17:33:51 GMT

In WWII the Jensen Model Steam engine company was shut down briefly because it used critical materials until it was discovered that people involved with the military were using the the engines already in a critical gas detecting application. It would not be completely far fetched to use steam engines for such a use. The British military had a very heavy wood powered portable unit..hg.

Big prizes for tiny power

Leo Hentrich, New Straitsville, Ohio — Sun, 08 Jul 2007 18:32:13 GMT

EEG <= EMF <= EMP : capacitor => DC

Big prizes for tiny power

C Eldridge — Sun, 08 Jul 2007 20:16:58 GMT

Has everyone heard of a 'bull-pup' rifle? The amo magazine is behind the trigger which greatly reduces length. All other nations of the world have adopted this configuration except the arrogant US who - much like in the birth of the M-16 - chooses things on who gets the contract, not necessarily what they are building. I'm personally glad the US has such horrible weapons. Maybe their grasp will not be as great as their reach. ==> WE <== have become the 'rogue' nation, and I'm sorry our nationalistic pride prevents us from seeing it.

Big prizes for tiny power

Guy S. Newell — Mon, 09 Jul 2007 13:08:53 GMT

We have been a "rogue nation" for over 200 years. Only now has it become a problem? I'm proud of our "rogue nation" status and I hope that never changes.

By the way, I think the compressed gas idea is the best. Some kind of tiny co-generation plant. Use a tiny turbine to recover the energy as the gas decompresses, and then burn it to drive the turbine again. Charge a deep cycle battery to get the peak deilvery performance. Getting the whole thing under 10 pounds is the real challenge. Heat signature is a serious issue on the modern battle field.

Big prizes for tiny power

TheFallibleFiend@hotmail.com, LORTON, VA — Mon, 09 Jul 2007 14:16:35 GMT

This kind of technology would be very useful. It should have been embarked on a decade ago. I don't know that a million dollars is so much these days. And if anything were deserving of a $10M prize, it's this.

I'm not so sure that mechanisms to capture the energy of soldier's movements is necessarily a lost cause. Isn't that what the Prius does? Of course, car manufacturers are able to get to parts of a car, the analogs of which in a human would surely be untenable. Still, I think everything should be on the table. Some of what gets tried will undoubtedly be dead-ends.

This technology will have vastly greater applications than just military. I can imagine a day when every citizen is wearing a battery/ generator pack.

We can make our electronics more efficient, we can make our batteries better, we can find new sources of energy (ambient energy or wasted energy) or improve processes that already exist. Doesn't sound like a lot to work with, but engineers - both the kind with degrees and the kind a skunk-works in their garage (not necessarily different groups) thrive on this kind of challenge.

I think maybe in addition to this, DARPA might team up with DOE, Army, USMC, NSF and others to make a $10M or $25M grand challenge prize that we know will take longer than a year to accomplish.

These same groups should consider having a challenge geared towards k-12 students. I don't know exactly what that might look like, yet, but we need to get these guys involved. They're the ultimate stakeholders.

Big prizes for tiny power

Arturo Castillo, Houston, Texas — Mon, 09 Jul 2007 15:06:54 GMT

Energy, anytime, anywhere? Energy to run sophisticated instruments used in gathering data like somebody’s heart beat or the position of a hostile element or group. Electricity from a small package to run somebody’s artificial heart while waiting longer for a transplant sounds like a great possibility. An EMT carrying his equipment while his batteries are being recharged in his small backpack or his waist! A maintenance technician carrying the complete blue prints of the project she is working on, with access to it, anytime. A rescue technician looking for lost people in the middle of a snowstorm while a suit keeps her or him toasty warm, and his or her infrared goggles let them see through the blizzard. Talking about empowerment! Why not?
Proficiency, capability, efficacy, proficiency and all those fantastic words describe the benefits of this technology even if it is created for the military. It is true that this would be a “killing” technology, and our warriors would be even more deadly but look at the benefits. The possibilities!

Big prizes for tiny power

Brian, FL — Mon, 09 Jul 2007 19:31:24 GMT

C Elridge, are you completely oblivious to the world around you!? First, I am in the military and have seen very few countries using "bull-pup" rifle. Have you ever heard of the AK-47? Second, the US hardly has horrible weapons. We have some of the best weapon systems in the world. Ask any member of a foreign military. Finally, if you don't like the way we do things, get out. Go to some other country and you will learn to respect our nationalistic pride as you are being stoned to death for questioning the government. [...]

Big prizes for tiny power

Frank, Dallas, TX — Mon, 09 Jul 2007 19:42:21 GMT

Bullpup weapons have a heavy and sluggish trigger pull, caused by use of a flexible rod or similar system, awkward magazine changes, poor balance, high sight position above the barrel (forcing the firer to expose more of his head when aiming over cover), reduced reach in bayonet fighting, and uncomfortable muzzle blast caused by the muzzle's proximity to the operator's head. But be my guest.

But as for the competition, would a 20 watt/pound flywheel be fair? It would be difficult to walk around with due to gyroscopic precession, and it would have to be scaled up just a hair to meet the 200 watt peak requirement (we could get 176 watts with an existing 8.8 pound flywheel) but I doubt it would be considered pratical in a wearable sense.

Big prizes for tiny power

red pill junkie, Mexico city — Tue, 10 Jul 2007 00:08:10 GMT

Maybe the concept shouldn't be about carrying the energy with you, not even generating the energy on site, but to be able to RECEIVE the energy from anywhere in the world.

I think the military has been researching with ways to transmit energy via microwaves.

I share the sentiment expressed by previous posts that it is sad warfare is still the main driving force in our civilization for technological innovation. Nevertheless, i do feel this endeavour far exceedes the benefits once the technology spreads to civilian uses. Imagine all the lives saved during natural disasters if people had the means to power appliances even if the city's infrastructure collapses.

Big prizes for tiny power

TheFallibleFiend, LORTON, VA — Tue, 10 Jul 2007 16:47:47 GMT

It's been this way a long time - at least in the west. Perceived military needs spur technological innovation which enables some kind of commercial success, which pays for more defense spending.

Check out Landes' "The Wealth and Poverty of Nations."

Big prizes for tiny power

Kman, Washington, DC — Tue, 10 Jul 2007 20:36:41 GMT

The wireless transmission of energy can only deal with mW or microW. The energy and power numbers of this program (200 W peak, 20W average, 1960 Wh) are serious numbers, and have to be provided by serious physical devices or hybrid of them.

Big prizes for tiny power

Thomas, Boston, MA — Fri, 13 Jul 2007 14:50:40 GMT

First, I admit I don't have a scientific nor engineering background. I throw these ideas out hoping for feedback from those in the know.

Q: What is a living soldier always doing?
A: Breathing

Why not have a mouthpiece with an enclosed turbine? Every breath in and out would spin the devise. Can't that generate electricity?

No doubt in small amounts, so the battery should start with a full charge, but every breath (24/7 minus eating and drinking time) should add up. At the very least, any electricy generated would slow the depleation of the battery.

If what "Chris (Sent Saturday, July 07, 2007 7:37 AM)" posted is true about the helmet, my idea will seem more feasable.

As a second idea along the same lines.. instead of a turbine, maybe a dust storm? I read that dust storms generate static electricity. Is it possible the breathing could disturb a specifically designed dust enough to generate static electricity? I am not sure if there are any current ways of harnessing static electricty.