I'm not sure why an institute of Physics published this... Changing the form of energy does not create more- in fact there is always an energy loss. On the phone example, you would need a compressor which you would obviously plug into the wall. It would generate heat which is a net loss.

I guess there is an application somewhere for this- but I don't get it form this article.

The water must flow thru "micro channels."
Ya know what a "micro channel" is to algae? HOME.
If you put something like this out to get in the way of a tide it will gunk up in an hour with all sorts of trash, silt and detritus.

(wearing my engineer hat for a moment)

When it comes to energy, the two things we try to conquer are generation and portability. If you think about how easy it is to carry a cup of gas and what happens when it encounters a match, you know why we use it.

I thought about this for about an hour last night and I see no way this aids generation. Anytime you have massive amounts of water as the guys say, you will plug the micro channels.

The thought of hooking your cell phone to an air compressor (I guess) means you could charge it in seconds. That aids portability but I'm not sure it will ever beat other technologies that are way ahead of it. (and it cost a whole bunch of energy to compress air.)

To me, the idea it might power a whole power grid seems implausible to say the least.

I dunno, maybe I am missing something that is not in this press release but to me, this seems like it is great grant fodder but that is all.

But it's all speculation at this point.

(My own engineer hat now off)

As to your other points, No, making something that is the same efficiency as our current technology would not be "great." Our current battery technology sucks. Many other technologies that are out there (fuel cells) hold far more promise.

If you can not see how this can not be easily be scaled then I guess I can't help you.

And finally, I apologize for actually discussing this with you. You keep changing your name when you troll me and I did not realize it was you, I thought it was someone with a brain.

If you had any idea what you were talking about it might be different but instead you take the usual tact of not reading the thing, not understanding what you do read and saying whacky shit that has no basis in reality simply to be a troll.

And unlike you, my engineer's cap was on my head as I crossed the stage to get that expensive piece of paper bound in dead cow. Simply put "I are one."

Anyone with even a rudimentary understanding of energy would not make the foolish points you have. Please quit being a troll.

To increase the current, they will need to increase the efficiency of the device. At the moment, says Kostiuk, "it's really pretty pathetic - a fraction of a percent."

Maybe you should read a bit more than one single source.

---