Using Body Heat to Cook a Potato

[palani]

http://boingboing.net/2011/12/06/apparatus-to-focus-human-body.html

http://craphound.com/images/body_heat_cook.jpg


SCIENTISTS have learned that our bodies are living machines of the combustion type in which the burning of fuel (food) is accompanied by the consumption of oxygen, liberation of heat energy and production of carbon dioxide as is the case in all combustion engines. Scientists find that the heat from a single person, if properly focussed, would be sufficient to cook potatoes.

This would be useful on a long transcontinental flight. I wonder if you could get a potato past the TSA?

[gunDriller]

http://boingboing.net/2011/12/06/apparatus-to-focus-human-body.html

http://craphound.com/images/body_heat_cook.jpg

This would be useful on a long transcontinental flight. I wonder if you could get a potato past the TSA?

if you eat it first.

[vacuum]

Two points. First, from the comments at the link, that device isn't a potato cooker but rather it measures the oxygen consumption of a person which is then used to determine the energy being expended.

Second, according to thermodynamics, I don't think you can increase the temperature by 'focusing' low-temperature energy.

[Serpo]

Would it cook chips...............;D

[BrewTech]

Two points. First, from the comments at the link, that device isn't a potato cooker but rather it measures the oxygen consumption of a person which is then used to determine the energy being expended.

Second, according to thermodynamics, I don't think you can increase the temperature by 'focusing' low-temperature energy.

My feeble understanding is that temperature is a measurement of the concentration of heat energy.

Which contains more heat energy: A swimming pool (20K gallon, let's say) @ 85F or a small campfire (burning in a typical manner)?

[Joe King]

Two points. First, from the comments at the link, that device isn't a potato cooker but rather it measures the oxygen consumption of a person which is then used to determine the energy being expended.

Second, according to thermodynamics, I don't think you can increase the temperature by 'focusing' low-temperature energy.Isn't that what a heat pump does?



A heat pump is a machine or device that effectively "moves" thermal energy (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thermal_energy) from one location called the "source," which is at a lower temperature, to another location called the "sink" or "heat sink (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Heat_sink)", which is at a higher temperature.

If it starts out with a lower temp source, isn't it concentrating, {or in your words, focusing} the heat to attain a higher teperature?

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Heat_pump

[joboo]

Somehow I don't see this trend catching on.

[Glass]

anyway you look at it, it looks like a way more comfortable way to cook potato's than the thread title might conjour up.

[palani]

anyway you look at it, it looks like a way more comfortable way to cook potato's than the thread title might conjour up.

When low level waste heat can be concentrated and reused the fossil fuel business will die quickly. The energy game has just been scratched and nobody that I know is working on using low level waste heat to any advantage. There are examples where heat is pulled from one source to heat or cool another. Those modern air conditioners that use the earth as a source of heat to cool a house is an example. Another is waste heat at a power generating plant to heat buildings in the area.

Think instead in terms of ultrasonics. There are said to be bubbles generated in the millions of degrees but they are extremely small and the heat is distributed and dissipated quickly. Or a microwave which uses friction between water molecules to generate heat.