Lonnie Johnson, inventor of the Super Soaker, is working on the JTEC device. (Image Credit: Johnson Energy Storage)
We’re familiar with the legendary Super Soaker, a fun water gun invented by Lonnie Johnson that earned him a $1 billion profit throughout his life. His invention helped cure our summer boredom woes. Now, the well-known inventor has been working on a new type of energy device called the Johnson Thermo-Electrochemical Converter (JTEC). Johnson believes the JETC, which uses waste heat to generate power, could become another solution that addresses climate change.
His company and device are still in the early development stages, and they have a lot of potential if they can be scaled without issue. The concept behind the JETC emerged approximately twenty years ago, when Johnson researched solid-state batteries.
This device doesn’t feature many mechanical components, including a combustion and exhaust system. Instead, a thin membrane splits pressurized gas---displacing low-pressure gas to one side and high-pressure gas to the opposite side. The resulting pressure difference forces the hydrogen to compress and expand, which generates electricity while it spreads around.
The JTEC device doesn’t require hydrogen refueling to do its job. It just needs heat, and there are plenty of sources for that. For example, power plants, breweries, factories, and other industrial facilities lose huge amounts of energy that this device could harvest. The U.S. DoE says that industrial processes expel 20% - 50% of energy into the atmosphere, where it dissipates as waste heat. Although the JETC works in elevated temperatures, company executives are enthusiastic about its capacity to convert low-grade heat into electricity.
At JETC headquarters, engineers show how the device can power lights and a sound system via water heated to approximately 200 degrees Fahrenheit. Johnson believes geothermal energy serves as a potential application for the JETC device. Geothermal energy occurs in rocks and fluids underneath the Earth’s surface at various depths. Repurposing oil and gas wells, pathways to subsurface heat, presents the perfect opportunity to tap into that resource.
According to the JETC website, “By harnessing body heat and converting it to electricity, the JTEC can extend the life of a cell phone or power a personal device such as a smart watch or health monitor. A solid-state device with no mechanical moving parts, it is designed to be low-maintenance and to withstand harsh environments. No ongoing liquid fuel input is required.”
Johnson’s company is currently developing the first commercial JETC unit, expecting to deploy it in early 2026. The CEO didn’t say who the first customer is, but described it as a major Southeast utility company.
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