In 1919, Charles Strite revolutionized breakfast by inventing the automatic toaster. Before that, people had to toast bread over an open flame, which was inefficient and required constant attention. The development of a nickel-chromium alloy in 1905 enabled the invention of heating elements that could evenly toast bread. Strite’s toaster improved this by including a timer that prevented burning and automatically ejected the toast.
Today, this same technology is inspiring a new innovation: industrial-scale heat batteries. These modern "toasters" use heating elements to heat bricks, rocks, or molten salt, storing thermal energy efficiently. This is crucial because industrial processes like making steel or cement use around 20% of global energy and carbon emissions. Heat batteries store energy when renewable electricity is abundant and release it at high temperatures when needed, making them both practical and eco-friendly.
Brick heat batteries, for example, can reach temperatures of 1,800°C and store enough energy to power hundreds of homes for a month. When needed, gases pass through the bricks, absorb the heat, and can then be used in manufacturing. This system helps solve the intermittency of solar and wind power. Not only are heat batteries twice as efficient as fossil fuels, but they are also cheaper than grid power and available for use now. The main challenge is encouraging industries to adopt this cleaner and more efficient alternative.
Vocabulary:
• Toaster (noun): A machine that heats bread until it becomes crisp and brown.
• Filament (noun): A thin wire inside a device that becomes hot and produces heat.
• Composite (noun): A material made from combining two or more different substances.
• Encased (verb): Surrounded or enclosed completely.
• Fossil fuels (noun): Energy sources like coal, oil, or gas made from ancient plant and animal matter.
• Chamber (noun): An enclosed space or room, often used for a specific purpose.
• Abundant (adj): Existing in large quantities.
• Efficient (adj): Able to do something without wasting time, energy, or money.
• Sustainable (adj): Using natural resources in a way that can continue for a long time.
Source: Ted-Ed