Wood Stove Add-On Generates Electricity

Wood Stove Add-On Generates Electricity ENERGY Wood Gas 8-1-30 You can generate electricity with your wood stove or fireplace with a new add-on that uses heat to generate electricity in much the same way solar cells use the heat of the sun to manufacture volts. The Thermovolt add-on kit was developed by the Photic Corporation, Traverse City, Mich., using technology that company president Charles Cauchy says has been around for a long time. "Thermocouple technology has been used by the Russians and others for decades to produce power in remote locations but, so far as we know, we are the first company to develop a unit for use with conventional wood stoves," says Cauchy. The Thermovolt device is rectangular ù 6-in. by 14-in. ù in size and mounts inside the firebox by cutting a hole in the side of a wood stove. It requires about 400? to function and baffles are set up inside the stove to assure a constant heat flow across the unit. A 25,000 btu stove can produce 1,200 watt hours per 14 hour day, enough to run several lights, a small refrigerator, a small TV, a smallpump, and so forth, according to Cauchy. "It's ideal for any remote location where you need heat and don't have electricity, or don't want to bring in electricity. Most people in remote locations, hunting lodges, or self-sufficient types of people, only want to run a few appliances and this unit is ideal. It is not yet cost effective for conventional applications to reduce an electric bill," says Cauchy. The company has had a prototype in operation for the past year and plans to be in production by this spring. Units will be available both in kit form and in a special-equipped stove. It is expected to sell for around $1,500 as an add-on. For more information, contact: FARM SHOW Followup, Photic Corporation, 2668 South Memorial Hwy., Traverse City, Mich. 49684 (ph 616 943-9540).

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