One of the puzzles that smartphone manufacturers have to solve is how to maintain the temperature of the smartphone battery. As we all know, Lithium-ion (Li-ion) batteries heat up during heavy usage and they could catch fire if the batteries heat up too much. Current smartphones use liquid cooling systems and cooling fans to maintain battery temperature. But, what if we could turn the heat of the battery and use it to charge the device? Sounds impossible? Well, not for long (maybe).
Now, let me tell you how it works. The “gel” is infused with water and some particular ions. When heat passes through this thermogalvanic gel, two of the ions transfer electrons between the electrodes to generate electricity. As the procedure happens, the infused water in the hydrogel absorbs the heat and evaporate which cools down the battery. According to the scientists, when all the water in the gel gets evaporated, it can “recharge” itself by absorbing the water back from the air around it.
