Stower Energy FlameStower USB Charger

Product Information

This convenient charger will power up any electronic device with a USB connector in any environment with fire. There are three main sections of the Flamestower, the TEG (thermal electric generator) body itself, the adjustable support, and the feet. The second one suffered the same distortion and damage to the housing, but remains operable up to this point. After a career managing the development of utility-scale wind and solar projects, I came to Stanford's materials science department in 2011 to study energy chemistry and physics and turn the science into practical, well-designed, personal energy products.

From there, FlameStower uses the differential in temperature between the portion in the fire and the relatively cool water to generate electricity, which is then sent through a USB cable and to the user's phone, MP3 player, digital camera, or other device. Take it from those of us who have camped or hiked in other parts of the US (and I imagine even more so outside the US), wet outdoors makes components impossible to keep dry or clean.The Kickstarter pitch video below provides more information on the FlameStower and offers some background on the project. Cammie sheets are the result of generations of textile manufacturing expertise, engineered with the highest quality 100 percent organic cotton and woven into a 400-thread count percale fabric.

Twenty-five-year-old Thomas Johnson fabricates his cool, modern industrial Fusion Wallet from 12 separate CNC-machined aluminum and hardwood components. With no load (iPhone not connected to the Flamestower) the Flamestower would hold a fairly steady 5vDC, occasionally dipping to 4. Every element of Cammie bedding is designed with sustainability in mind, from the recycled polyester sewing thread to the absence of plastic in their packaging. FlameStower looks to be small enough to comfortably carry on a camping trip, and weighs in at 7 oz (198 g).Modern living has so many benefits, but it has it’s weaknesses as well, such as in the case of smartphones, tablets and anything else that runs on a limited power source that requires charging from a USB outlet. This snazzy little device operates on the same basic principal although this time, it uses candle (or something like a Sterno) to heat a 1 liter pot of water. Extending above the TEG housing is the water cup with a metal heat exchanger in the bottom to facilitate a better rate of heat transfer from the TEG. To put that into real numbers, the FlameStower has a maximum output of ~2-3 watts while your wall charger (iPhone) is 5 watts.