--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: I've invented a new type of engine that…" description: "\"I've invented a new type of engine that converts heat directly into electricity with no moving mechanical parts. It's called the Johnson Thermo-Electro..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/28c/lonnie-johnson-16185_electricity_i-ve-invented-a-new-type-of-engine-that_920139.jpg" --- # I've invented a new type of engine that converts heat… ![“I've invented a new type of engine that converts heat directly into electricity with no moving mechanical parts. It's called the Johnson Thermo-Electrochemical Converter, the JTEC.” quote by Lonnie Johnson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/28c/lonnie-johnson-16185_electricity_i-ve-invented-a-new-type-of-engine-that_920139.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/28c/lonnie-johnson-16185_electricity_i-ve-invented-a-new-type-of-engine-that_920139.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/28c/lonnie-johnson-16185_electricity_i-ve-invented-a-new-type-of-engine-that_920139.jpg) > “I've invented a new type of engine that converts heat directly into electricity with no moving mechanical parts. It's called the Johnson Thermo-Electrochemical Converter, the JTEC.” [Lonnie Johnson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lonnie-johnson/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. A novel engine converts heat directly to electricity without moving parts, offering a solid-state power solution. **In simple terms:** Heat-to-electricity conversion without mechanics. Key Takeaway Explore solid-state energy tech. Themes innovation energy technology Mood optimistic technical Type technical inspirational When to use this quote - industrial power - remote power - spacecraft - vehicle propulsion Key Concepts thermoelectrics solid-state physics Questions to Reflect On - What markets could benefit most? - How to improve efficiency? A Different Perspective Scalability and cost may be challenges. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Electricity](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/electricity/) [Heat](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/heat/) ## Related quotes > [As an inventor, it's a rite of passage to have an engine. I'd like to have my own engine someday.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lonnie-johnson/as-an-inventor-it-s-a-rite-of-passage-to-have-an-engine-i-d-like-to/) [Lonnie Johnson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lonnie-johnson/) > [The bass should be the note of the bass drum, and then you've got the engine of the band that everything else builds on.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/suzi-quatro/the-bass-should-be-the-note-of-the-bass-drum-and-then-you-ve-got-the/) [Suzi Quatro](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/suzi-quatro/) > [Every living being is an engine geared to the wheelwork of the universe. Though seemingly affected only by its immediate surrounding, the sphere of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nikola-tesla/every-living-being-is-an-engine-geared-to-the-wheelwork-of-the-2/) [Nikola Tesla](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nikola-tesla/) > [In Boston, we don't lead by ourselves. We lead as the capital city and economic engine of a great Commonwealth.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marty-walsh/in-boston-we-don-t-lead-by-ourselves-we-lead-as-the-capital-city-and/) [Marty Walsh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marty-walsh/) > [“Every living being is an engine, geared to the wheelwork of the universe." Nikola Tesla.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lance-oren/every-living-being-is-an-engine-geared-to-the-wheelwork-of-the/) Lance Oren > [“My brain as the engine, with thoughts trailing to the caboose, on a one-track mind we keep going forward.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anthony-liccione/my-brain-as-the-engine-with-thoughts-trailing-to-the-caboose-on-a-one/) [Anthony Liccione](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anthony-liccione/) > [Alphabetical order had to be invented to help people organize the first dictionaries. On the other hand, we may have reached a point where…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-gleick/alphabetical-order-had-to-be-invented-to-help-people-organize-the/) [James Gleick](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-gleick/) > [If you're on Earth as a single-purpose engine, and there's only one thing you want to do for the rest of your life, have…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/patrick-pichette/if-you-re-on-earth-as-a-single-purpose-engine-and-there-s-only-one/) [Patrick Pichette](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/patrick-pichette/) > [What is the engine that drives economic growth in an ideopolis? The university.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/timothy-noah/what-is-the-engine-that-drives-economic-growth-in-an-ideopolis-the/) [Timothy Noah](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/timothy-noah/) > [Your workforce is your most valuable asset. 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The trick is to always keep the engine running.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gary-sinise/careers-like-rockets-don-t-always-take-off-on-time-the-trick-is-to/) [Gary Sinise](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gary-sinise/) > [Splutter, splutter. Yes - we're off - we're rising. But why start off with an engine like that? But it smooths out now, like…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anne-morrow-lindbergh/splutter-splutter-yes-we-re-off-we-re-rising-but-why-start-off-with/) [Anne Morrow Lindbergh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anne-morrow-lindbergh/) > [Bass guitar is the engine of the band.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/suzi-quatro/bass-guitar-is-the-engine-of-the-band/) [Suzi Quatro](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/suzi-quatro/) ## More by Lonnie Johnson > [More and more, other countries are able to manufacture things cheaper, beating us in the marketplace in a lot of ways. So we need…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lonnie-johnson/more-and-more-other-countries-are-able-to-manufacture-things-cheaper/) [Lonnie Johnson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lonnie-johnson/) > [Lady Luck is indifferent. She smiles sometimes, and she frowns sometimes.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lonnie-johnson/lady-luck-is-indifferent-she-smiles-sometimes-and-she-frowns-sometimes/) [Lonnie Johnson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lonnie-johnson/) > [The invention that most people know me for is the Super Soaker water gun. I knew the gun worked well, and I knew it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lonnie-johnson/the-invention-that-most-people-know-me-for-is-the-super-soaker-water/) [Lonnie Johnson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lonnie-johnson/) > [It was because of the success of the Super Soaker, I was able to at least get an audience with people to present some…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lonnie-johnson/it-was-because-of-the-success-of-the-super-soaker-i-was-able-to-at/) [Lonnie Johnson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lonnie-johnson/) > [Large companies can afford to file patents on every idea they have. Small companies, we have to weigh our options, do the research. We…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lonnie-johnson/large-companies-can-afford-to-file-patents-on-every-idea-they-have/) [Lonnie Johnson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lonnie-johnson/) > [I have a collection of SuperSoakers. I have managed to keep most of them.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lonnie-johnson/i-have-a-collection-of-supersoakers-i-have-managed-to-keep-most-of/) [Lonnie Johnson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lonnie-johnson/) > [I can remember times when we'd be having parties, and people would be dancing and everything and I would be sitting there in the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lonnie-johnson/i-can-remember-times-when-we-d-be-having-parties-and-people-would-be/) [Lonnie Johnson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lonnie-johnson/) > [Being an independent inventor is tough. You develop a product, patent it, then you're looking for someone who will see the benefit from this…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lonnie-johnson/being-an-independent-inventor-is-tough-you-develop-a-product-patent/) [Lonnie Johnson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lonnie-johnson/) > [I didn't want to grow old and find that I didn't do what I could have done, that I didn't put my best foot…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lonnie-johnson/i-didn-t-want-to-grow-old-and-find-that-i-didn-t-do-what-i-could-have/) [Lonnie Johnson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lonnie-johnson/) > [I consider myself a general practitioner. I do electronic things. I do toys and water things, mechanical stuff. I'm very, very flexible.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lonnie-johnson/i-consider-myself-a-general-practitioner-i-do-electronic-things-i-do/) [Lonnie Johnson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lonnie-johnson/) > [Peer review is fine, as long as you're making incremental improvements to a technology.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lonnie-johnson/peer-review-is-fine-as-long-as-you-re-making-incremental-improvements/) [Lonnie Johnson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lonnie-johnson/) > [I decided I could develop a toy and get some revenue from that and then use that revenue to really become an inventor and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lonnie-johnson/i-decided-i-could-develop-a-toy-and-get-some-revenue-from-that-and/) [Lonnie Johnson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lonnie-johnson/) > [I wound up getting offered a job at the NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory where I invented a power supply mechanism for the Galileo space…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lonnie-johnson/i-wound-up-getting-offered-a-job-at-the-nasa-jet-propulsion/) [Lonnie Johnson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lonnie-johnson/) > [Especially when you have a lot of technology you're developing as a small company, trying to protect that technology is a real problem.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lonnie-johnson/especially-when-you-have-a-lot-of-technology-you-re-developing-as-a/) [Lonnie Johnson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lonnie-johnson/) > [I love playing around with ideas and turning them into something useful or fun.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lonnie-johnson/i-love-playing-around-with-ideas-and-turning-them-into-something/) [Lonnie Johnson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lonnie-johnson/) [Explore all 40 Lonnie Johnson quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lonnie-johnson/) ## More Electricity quotes > [“The global population of Earth are involved in the following corporate government experiments: The long term effects of - 1. 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The work…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marcel-duchamp/society-takes-what-it-wants-the-artist-himself-does-not-count-because/) [Marcel Duchamp](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marcel-duchamp/) > [Instead of explaining the sober facts of mechanics and electricity, I want to say a few words about the debt which we owe to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/felix-bloch/instead-of-explaining-the-sober-facts-of-mechanics-and-electricity-i/) [Felix Bloch](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/felix-bloch/) > [He’d moved toward me again. His hands released mine and moved to my waist, and I noticed I wasn’t the only one breathing heavily.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richelle-mead/he-d-moved-toward-me-again-his-hands-released-mine-and-moved-to-my/) [Richelle Mead](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richelle-mead/) > [By embracing clean energy across the country, we can create more and better jobs, protect the air our children breathe and the water they…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michelle-lujan-grisham/by-embracing-clean-energy-across-the-country-we-can-create-more-and/) [Michelle Lujan Grisham](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michelle-lujan-grisham/) > [We can go up or we can do down. I think generally the world is going on an upward swing. 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