MONOTHERMAL: ENERGY FROM HEAT

Instead of plugging in your iPod or cell phone to recharge at night – or even worse, adding one of those clunky, oversized third party batteries that add weight and change the form factor in an effort to give you a couple more hours of use – why not add the Monothermal to the equation and allow the waste heat created by elements of the device to be recaptured and channeled back into creating more energy, which can then be utilized by that device? What if the simple act of carrying a cell phone or iPod in your pocket caused its battery to charge, since even body heat will have a positive effect on the function of the Monothermal?

Indeed, a review of the patent reveals a very simple device. "An inner and outer laminate contain a combination of two binder agents," says Guenther. "That's really all there is to it. It's a simple invention from top to bottom – the constituent elements, the process of combining them, and the flexibility that's achieved in applying them to nearly any form factor."

"The Monothermal doesn't utilize a redox reaction (batteries) to create energy, and it's not dependent on the restrictions inherent in the thermoelectric effect." Todd Guenther, one of the principals behind the current effort to market and proselytize the invention, is effusive in his excitement for the potential of the Monothermal. "It's an incredibly simple construct. When you take a look at the other methods that have been developed to harness waste heat and convert that heat to energy, most of them are very, shall we say, eccentric in their methodology. Some might even call them 'Rube Goldberg-esque'," he says, referring to the American cartoonist and inventor who specialized in illustrating over-engineered contraptions that ended up performing very simple tasks in an overly complex fashion. "The simplicity in design and implementation of the Monothermal is the hallmark of nearly every invention and technological improvement developed by its inventor, Walter Lovell."

Indeed, a review of the patent reveals a very simple device. "An inner and outer laminate contain a combination of two binder agents," says Guenther. "That's really all there is to it. It's a simple invention from top to bottom – the constituent elements, the process of combining them, and the flexibility that's achieved in applying them to nearly any form factor."

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