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)

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Also, referring to someone’s comment on the first page. I’m pretty sure an internal combustion engine reaches temperatures far greater than ~200 degrees F.

This technology would not be implemented in such a way to reduce the running temperature of the engine by cooling it, and therefore reducing the engine’s efficiency. It would be use to soak up heat being released to the environment, which is pretty much where all the gasoline’s energy [thats not converted to kinetic energy or lost to frictin] goes anyway. Although a lot of that heat is lost throughout the entire car at various axles and in all moving/electronic components, the heat surrounding the engine can be potentially tapped into. It’s just a question as to the danger of using this material near a car engine, and if the exact location where this material can be used is hot enough. Also, it has to be worth the money.

Also, referring to someone’s comment on the first page. I’m pretty sure an internal combustion engine reaches temperatures far greater than ~200 degrees F.

This technology would not be implemented in such a way to reduce the running temperature of the engine by cooling it, and therefore reducing the engine’s efficiency. It would be use to soak up heat being released to the environment, which is pretty much where all the gasoline’s energy [thats not converted to kinetic energy or lost to frictin] goes anyway. Although a lot of that heat is lost throughout the entire car at various axles and in all moving/electronic components, the heat surrounding the engine can be potentially tapped into. It’s just a question as to the danger of using this material near a car engine, and if the exact location where this material can be used is hot enough. Also, it has to be worth the money.

Think of solar farms. Hundreds of solar cells in the desert can 1) Be turned to face the sun at all hours of the day (although this hasn’t been done in most places, there are companies looking at a cheap method for it

2) Have sunlight focused onto them for increased output.

I wonder what would be the result of using this technology in place of solar panels with the same two modifications I spoke of above. My guess is that it would most likely be possible to heat up the material to that temperature, but would it be cheaper than solar panels to do so?

From geothermal energy to steel plants or solar concentrators I can see a lot of possible uses

David

But nowhere I can find that they give the efficiency.

(Nor do they state the runner up so that I could actually compute it myself.)

http://nextbigfuture.com/2008/07/high-temperature-thermoelectric-at-zt.html

for a chart on how zT relates to actual thermal effiency. Basically, “The current commercial best ZT figure of 0.7 meant 5-10% recapture of energy from heat at 200-300 degrees temp difference. 1.5 means 12-18% recapture of energy from heat for 300-600K degree temperature differences.”

The BMW steam engine exhaust cogenerator is already better, at 15%:

http://www.gizmag.com/go/4936/

larryhagedon

American Flex Fuel Experience.

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