How it Works
HeatGenie’s patent-pending energy storage technology heats food or beverage simply, safely and efficiently in product-specific packaging using a solid state thermal reaction. The unique solid fuel composite is formulated to efficiently produce a high specific energy, conversion efficiency and heat transfer at a controlled heating rate.
The chemistry
HeatGenie's heating element uses a dry mixture of aluminum and silica.
The heating element contains aluminum and silica, two benign materials, which in an intimately mixed powdered state can undergo a chemical reaction to give off a large amount of heat. Aluminum is the most abundant metal and the third most abundant element in the earth’s crust (after oxygen and silicon). It makes up about 8% of the earth’s solid surface by weight. Despite its abundance, aluminum is too reactive chemically to occur in nature as a free metal and is always a compound. The most common form is aluminum oxide.
The process of extracting pure aluminum uses a significant amount of energy to separate it from other minerals. Aluminum can react with a source of oxygen to release large amounts of energy through oxidation. Silica is a source of oxygen in HeatGenie.
HeatGenie has developed technology to precisely control the oxidation reaction to safely and efficiently generate heat energy. The button is a thermo-mechanical device that when activated generates a localized hot spot on the surface of the fuel that starts the oxidation reaction and creates heat. Once the fuel is spent, the heating process stops.
The amount of heat generated and the rate that heat is released into the food or beverage can be precisely calibrated based on the mix of the fuel in the HeatGenie heater. This is important because the specific properties for a given food or beverage impacts its heating characteristics. For example, coffee heats faster than stew which has more and varied density.
The Packaging
HeatGenie uses a simple button-press activation, eliminating the need for additional wet ingredients.
The consumer removes a seal on the base of the can to reveal the activation button. Pressing the button activates the heater. After two minutes, the consumer lightly shakes the contents of the can to ensure contents are at an even temperature. Setting the can upright, the consumer opens the package and enjoys a hot food or beverage.
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