Cable Invention—Dean Kamen Challenges Industry to Go Stirling
With thousands of gas-powered generators in use across cable systems, inventor Dean Kamen showed up at SCTE Cable-Tec Expo to pitch operators a new twist on an old idea: The Stirling engine, which uses heat energy instead of combustion. “Power is going to be the 800-pound gorilla soon, and this box is something that can help solve the problem,” he told Time Warner Cable CTO Mike LaJoie during an onstage Q&A. Read on for a look at the economics of the idea and possible business opportunities.