This is one of those things that I hope realy works. There is a massive amount of waste energy in this world, manifested primarily in vibration and heat. There are new initiatives afoot to capture the vibrational energy, as it is the most easily captured. Waste heat, however, is an elusive source of power since most energy-harvesting devices require a significant thermal gradient to work with.
A new chip based on thermionic emissions has been created by Eneco (http://www.eneco.com/) claims to solve this issue by using a center semiconducting layer to separate the “hot” and “cold” sides of the chip for the required thermal gradient.
Frankly, I am sure that the chip can generate energy, but I am skeptical that the efficiency is high enough to justify the almost-ridiculous energy density (1,600+ Watt/hours per kilogram) claims and power conversion efficiency declarations (up to 30%) the company makes on its web site.
The chip is based on the principles of thermionic energy conversion whereby the energy of a hot metal over comes the electrostatic forces holding electrons to its surface. These free electrons then pass across a vacuum to a cold metal and in the process create an electronic charge that can be harnessed.
The main difficulty with exploiting this process at a commercial level has been in creating the vacuum between the two metals. But Eneco has overcome the problem by replacing the vacuum with, what the brochure describes as, “a properly selected semiconductor thermoelectric that is thick enough to support a significant temperature differential between the emitter and the collector in order to achieve efficiencies of practical interest”.
The result is a solid state energy conversion chip that can operate at temperatures of up to 600 degrees celcius and deliver absolute efficiencies in terms of how much heat energy is converted to electricity of between 20 and 30 percent.
If true, this device could go a long way towards significantly increasing power efficiency, especially in high-power and high-density systems. Apple and Dell are said to be investigating the chip for use in their computers.
A good background-information link, in the comments section of the linked article:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Peltier-Seebeck_effect
The Seebeck effect is the conversion of temperature differences directly into electricity.
The Peltier effect is the reverse of the Seebeck effect; a creation of a heat difference from an electric voltage.
Interesting that Apple/Dell/whoever can be thinking of using both aspects of the device…
Seebeck aspect: use processor heat to provide [a little?] power to cooling fans and screen lighting.
Peltier aspect: use battery power to help cool the processor [but the heat still has to be sent somewhere…]
OT from this post; but, in the same vein — is research the Rocky Mountain Institute has done [and utilized in design and construction projects] that determined about 30% or more of all energy consumption in commercial buildings around the world is wasted while pumping things. Water, coolant, whatever — to heat and cool buildings.
In many cases, going to larger — or smaller — diameter piping saved a lot of money and energy. The biggest savings come from something the average plumber hates — home runs. Instead of right angle bends leading your piping around a structure, they run piping directly straight line back to pumps.
Something that was tested and fell thru long ago.
Is that Power created, Isnt lost.
It changes shape/type, from heat, cold, Hz,…
Some one tried to take the Hz back from radio signals, and convert it back to power, amps and Watts..
The only drawback to the process, is that it has to be high energy, to convert back, to get much out of it.
Well, that time is near. With all the radios, and Cellphones, in the Mhz and going UP, this process May be viable. Also the amount of Use could make this viable also.
Many for get 1 little fact. There are at least 2 ways to anything.
Alot of small generators, spread around can do the work of 1 big one.
the New solar/sterling engines being placed in the South, take Alot of area, but many dont consider that a DAM takes ALOT of area also, as water needs to build up and swamps ALOT of land.
Don’t forget the cooling mode, computer manifacturers might be more interested it that. They could created fanless systems that don’t require large heat sink. You could do away air vents, and mini fan in laptops and not burn your lap. The Xbox360 could be ultra quiet and so on.
You spend more energy do do it, but who says the world is perfect.
Pffft!
Women and gay men already have learn how to harness the energy coming from vibrations 😉