New Technology Can Turn Heat Waste Into Electricity
Great news on the power efficiency front: Scientists have invented a new material that can efficiently convert heat waste in cars, power generators, and heat pumps into electricity. The new material is thermoelectric, and can turn heat into energy without any pollution.
The invention, thallium-doped lead telluride, is twice as efficient as the second most efficient material used in thermoelectric power. The lead telluride creates electric power like a conventional heat engine coupled to an electric generator, but uses electrons as the working fluid instead of water or gas. Additionally, it creates electricity directly.
Most importantly, the material is most effective between 450 and 950° Fahrenheit. This is a typical temperature range for many power systems, including car engines.
Many experts argue that up to 60 percent of a gasoline engine’s energy is lost through waste heat, so a thermoelectric device using lead telluride would be a welcome addition to any car. Such devices have no moving parts; this means that wear and tear is virtually non-existent.
Research project leader Joseph Heremans of Ohio State University is optimistic about the future of thermoelectric nanotechnology—he hopes to boost the efficiency rating of the new material by a factor of two. For now, though, we can be content with the incredible new technology created by Heremans and team.
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Photo Credit: Vladimir Jovovic
It’s refreshing to see innovation like this taking hold. We, as consumers, need to support businesses that not only provide a desired utility but also benefit the environment. For example, I came across a website http://www.simplestop.net that stops your postal junk mail and benefits the environment.
Your car engine runs at 195F (90C). Far too cold for this. Maybe you can get some of that heat from the exhaust, but then you’d be chilling the exhaust that heats your catalytic converter, which would make your emissions worse.
Almost no industrial power sources have waste heat that hot. You could make a nice steam plant from heat that high.
This material is made from some of the most poisonous metals around, manufacturing it in bulk would be a nightmare.
Wow that is truly amazing. Whata breakthrough.
JT
http://www.Ultimate-Anonymity.com
A car’s exhaust manifold typically has temperatures of 500 to 1000 degrees. Sound’s like a good place to put such devices (even if attached to the outside).
Even in engines, you think the heat is wasted, but really, the car engine has to get hot to function properly, such as burning the fuel correctly, a cold engine or cooled by some device extracting the heat, and it’s bad
Merge this with the new MIT solar dish and you’re in business!
MIT team plays with fire to create cheap energy
http://features.csmonitor.com/innovation/2008/06/18/mit-team-plays-with-fire-to-create-cheap-energy/
So you could get hot water and electricity from it. The electricity can charge my electric or air powered car.
Lead, Thallium. We don’t seem to learn from Tetra-Ethyl Lead, CFCs… well, I guess humans don’t deserve to live after all. Idiots.
I don’t think this device cools the engine, it just uses the excess to create electricity. If the car is running it always produces heat, because anything in motion produces heat. It is a bummer that someone commented these are dangerous metals, I hope there is a way for this technology to be successful without dangerous affects on people and the environment.
It’s tellurium, not thallium. Use of toxic metals is common in all kinds of common materials, including computers, batteries, monitors, tvs, cars, industrial processes, and so on. Cars have to be processed when they’re disposed of anyway, a little extra lead or tellurium won’t make a difference.
If you’re interested in more of the nitty gritty, it’s most likely a use of the Seebeck effect. (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thermoelectric_effect)