IIT Delhi develops water-based powerless heating system

The system can be activated by plain water anytime and anywhere without any fuel or electricity to heat containers of food and beverages.

Researchers at Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Delhi have developed a new low-cost heating system that can be activated by plain water anytime and anywhere without any fuel or electricity to heat containers of food and beverages. The 'Powerless Heating Technology' is developed by IIT Delhi professor Sumer Singh and his research team. The technology works on the principles of chemical energy. 

The active heating element consists of a mixture of eco­-friendly minerals and salts, which generates exothermic energy resulting in heat on contact with water. The weight of the heater is only 50 grams, and after every heating, the by-product (natural mineral rock) inside the heating pad can be disposed of. The rock helps in improving the fertility of the soil and is 100 per cent biodegradable. 

With this technology, users can heat ready-to-eat food, make instant noodles, and any beverage such as tea, coffee, etc. The by-product of the heating process is a natural mineral that easily integrates into the soil without any toxic effects. 

North East Center for Technology Application and Reach (NECTAR), an autonomous body under the Department of Science Technology, Government of India, supported Sumer Singh, Associate Professor, Department of Design, and his team to develop a food box and a liquid container that can be integrated with the Powerless Heating Technology. They have used it to develop containers which can heat food and beverages on demand. 

These products will be of great use to military personnel, tourists, and office-goers in the northeast. The technology eliminates the need for burning forest wood for heating purposes, thus also reducing forest fires, which is a major problem in the North­ Eastern parts of the country. The prototypes were successfully developed and tested. Several FMCG companies are keen to launch it in the market. 

Anchiale Technologies, a Gurgaon-based spin-off start-up, is scaling up this technology and has started supplying it to the Indian Navy and some food manufacturing companies. A patent for the technology has been filed. A nondisclosure agreement (NDA) has been signed with the Indian Tobacco Company (ITC) for integration of this technology in their food products.

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