From: Adrian Tymes (wingcat@pacbell.net)
Date: Sun Jan 21 2001 - 16:38:03 MST
EvMick@aol.com wrote:
> In a message dated 1/20/2001 6:52:12 PM Central Standard Time,
> wingcat@pacbell.net writes:
> > Perhaps the best initial application is a simple device that sits in a
> > person's gut andconverts fat to electricity, by artificially stimulating
> > metabolism and capturing theresulting energy. When the device's battery
> > fills up, it could discharge to some externaldevice by induction
>
> Now this I LIKE...........MATRIX!!!!!!!!
Only if biological energy is your only direct energy harvesting method,
and you have no other way of generating electrical energy.
> How many kilowatt hours per beer? (or vice versa)....
It depends on the total calories (cal. per beer * number of beers):
1 calorie = 4.186 joules
1 joule = 1 watt second
1 watt second = 1/(1000 * 3600) kilowatt hours
So, 1 calorie = 4.186/36000000 kilowatt hours =~ 1.163 * 10^-6 kWh
Assuming about 200 calories per beer, that's 4000-5000 beers per kWh.
Of course, this is also assuming 100% efficient conversion; double the
beers if only 50% of the energy can be converted to electricity with
the rest lost to heat.
This is why the device, at least for first generation, would not be
oriented towards powering anything else. Merely converting biological
energy away from its relatively inefficient and unhealthy (in
quantities seen regularly in operation today) natural storage form
would justify the product.
Silver lining 1: if one of these can convert one kWh per 24 hours
without being too large - not entirely infeasable - then the user gets
a bonus of being able to eat as much as desired without exceeding this
device's capacity (though non-caloric issues, like being able to digest
everything eaten and avoiding food poisoning, remain in play). So long
as, of course, the device can adjust itself to avoid diabetes or other
extremes that might harm the body.
Silver lining 2: if a later-generation device can also convert
electricity back to biological energy, say directly to ATP...hello,
practically infinite (by today's standards) stamina. (Especially with
some other upgrades, like improved abosorption of atmospheric oxygen
when the heart rate is up.)
> Imagine......an electricly powered carbon fiber exoskeleton....night
> vision.....(or even just headlites)..........electric roller
> blades......(rolling blackouts INDEED)
Well, the exoskeleton and roller blades, if made light and efficient
enough, just might be able to get by on this. Certainly, nature's own
endoskeleton and musculature does, as does bioluminescence for low
power headlights. And passive night vision could be done just with
more sensitive receptors - probably not something that would require
massive power to operate.
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