Can a Simple Brick Be the Next Great Battery? | John O'Donnell | TED

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Published 2024-01-26
The world relies on manufacturing, and manufacturing relies on heat — a massive contributor to global carbon emissions, responsible for a quarter of the world's fossil fuel use. Energy entrepreneur John O'Donnell has figured out a better, cleaner way to generate the heat we need to make the stuff we want. Learn how his team turned simple bricks and iron wire into a powerful, unconventional "heat battery" that could deliver industrial heat at scale without the emissions — and why he thinks electrified industrial heat is the next trillion-dollar industry.

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All Comments (21)
  • @evac.7762
    What a lovely, warm narrating voice.
  • @David-pm6sv
    His voice is gentle and clear. I love his voice.
  • @rondoenergy4228
    Thank you to everyone at TED for hosting John! We're excited to rapidly eliminate emissions at unprecedented scale and speed.
  • @Patiboke
    Great voice, great presentation. 👍 The planet needs more people like this.
  • @IronMongoose1
    John, you and your friends have made some good choices in how you spend your life, and it will make a big difference to my kids's ability to have a safe and healthy life 40 years from now. Virtual hug from British Columbia to you.
  • @Dr.RiccoMastermind
    I already know and love this concept. Wish many people help investing and driving this splendidly "boring" idea! 🙏😎🇩🇪
  • @Spathever
    Boring? I haven't been this excited since I heard about a sand heat battery for district heating here in Finland!
  • @steveb2400
    Absolutely brilliant. I'm speechless and excited for the future...something I haven't felt in a long time!
  • @WhatDadIsUpTo
    I store energy from my solar PV as well as VAWTs using an "Air Battery". My toys compress air and I save that air at working pressure (for me 80 to 120 psig) to generate FUTURE electricity needs of any voltage and any current, both a/c and d/c.
  • @BandiMuraliKrishna
    In the forge of progress, where carbon clouds did loom, John O'Donnell emerged, dispelling industry's gloom. Bricks and wire danced, a green alchemy unbowed, His heat battery sparked a future, emissions disallowed.
  • @jorislal
    At first I thought he's going to talk about that stacking bricks battery idea and was super skeptical about it. This sounds a lot better, would like to know efficiency and cost numbers versus a chemical battery and pump storage battery.
  • @deekayunited3445
    So its a storage heater. My house was built 30 years ago with storage heaters. They work. Theyre easy to fit. They need no maintenance and are quiet. And these days theyre charged by enormous wind turbines in the North Sea.
  • @user-ye2ok5qx5r
    Wow, what a simple but genius idea! How can we use them in heating system of our homes?
  • @vishnuunnikrishnan4963
    Interesting. Curious on what the insulation material of the outer cover (tank) is made of..🤔?
  • @tmpbe
    That was really interesting, thanks a lot, John
  • @TJohnsonLLC
    Thank you John for the updated presentation. Best yet. If I was a young engineer I'd be finding a way to join this path. In retirement I'll take solace for having participated in the development of efficient wind turbines, and looking forward to your rapid deployment of thermal storage systems utilizing clean energy. Congratulations for the impressive progress to date.
  • @kennethtape3362
    What a absolutely elegant idea, fantastic, I had no idea !