Super Soaker Squirt Gun Guy Wants More Sun

Remember the Super Soaker water gun (a.k.a Power Drencher)? It was the world's first high-performance, pressurized water gun invented by nuclear engineerLonnie Johnson.

Mr. Johnson who once worked with the U.S Air Force and NASA has more than 100 patents to his name. His most recent invention today could drastically reduce the cost of solar energy as well as conserve heat, if it works.

Lonnie Johnson calls his new invention the Johnson Thermoelectric Energy Conversion System (JTEC). That's a mouth full right? So is trying to explain what the JTEC is for. In short the JTEC is a new way of generating electricity from heat and is suppose to be more efficient than flexible photovoltaic (PV) materials or thermal power plants which convert only about 30 percent of the heat they receive into electricity. Mr. Johnson believes he could achieve more than 60 percent with his JTEC.

How does the JTEC function? Honestly, I'm not sure. The technology is way beyond my comprehension and ability to explain. Instead I searched the net, found a decent summarized explanation of it, then copied and pasted it below for your benefit. I hope it helps.

"Lonnie Johnson, the man who made "squirt gun" synonymous with inadequacy, is currently working on a prototype heat engine which would use heat from the sun to force hydrogen ions through a molecular membrane from a lower-pressure hydrogen chamber to a high-pressure one." Credit is due to Bret from Renew News .

For even more information on the JTEC and how it works visit JEMS and Popular Mechanics. For more information about Lonnie Johnson go Inventor of The Week .

Via Popular Mechanics

Thanks for the tip Myra

Gloria Campos-Hensley
Featured Blogger
InventorSpot.com