ARCHIVED Questions and Answers
Thermogenerating Lamp (Russian)
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Thermogenerating Lamp (Russian) by Dr. Ralph Schoeneborn
Posted: May 11, 1999 @ 11:19.
Hi Fil:
Here is photo of my last aquisition: a thermogenerator lamp.
I know not very much about it; it was constructed in Russia. I do
not know the time was it before, in, or after WWII. Perhaps it
would be possible to post it on the Q & A page, perhaps somebody
has an idea about the technical data.
Best wishes, Ralph

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On May 16, 1999 @ 19:28, Willemina Venema & Anton Kaim
wrote:
Hallo Ralph,
I have found in the 1996 Encarta Encyclpedia some more
information about your thermogenerator lamp. The thermogenerator
idea is not found by Peltier, as you explaned to me, by your
fellow country man Thomas Seebeck in 1821. So your lamp uses the
so called Seebeck effect. Seebeck uses heat to generate an
electric current while Peltier, some years later, did do the
reverse! According Encarta, these thermo electric (Seebeck)
converters, powered by KEROSENE LAMPS, are widely used in Russia
etc. to provide power for radio receivers in remote areas.
Regards, Anton
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On May 19, 1999 @ 18:58, Fil Graff
wrote:
Ralph: FINALLY got the image up tonight! Doug Finch found the
error in the html, and it works! My apologies for several days
with a non-functional image icon.
Seems hard to believe that a round wick lamp could generete
enough heat in the chimney to generate electricity, but those
ARE the "outlet" posts on the plate facing us. I
wonder how much juice the beast puts out? :: Fil ::
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On May 20, 1999 @ 09:07, Darryl Darwent
wrote:
Whether Y2K will adversely affect our communities on New
Year's Eve or not, somebody who had a supply of these
T-E/kerosene lamps could make a tidy profit.
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On May 20, 1999 @ 16:33, Dr. Ralph Schoeneborn
wrote:
I will (if I have the right measurement of the lacking
chimney and if I can find a flamespreader) try to burn the
lamp! If I have luck, and the thermolelements are in working
condition, I will see what I can do with the electricity.
Yesterday I found an article about thermoelectricity in the
issue of SCIENTIFIC AMERICAN from November 1958. Another
model of the lamp (table lamp) looking like a kerosene stove
is pictured. The author is the well known Russian Physician
Ioffe [that Anton mentioned]; he reported that in
Russia several ten thousands of such lamps worked in deserted
areas to produce electricity for radio transmitters.
Wait and see what we can find in other written material about
the lamp. Also looking to compose an article for the
Guild's magazine perhaps.
Ralph