Future of Engineering
Saturday, March 22, 2008
Electricity from Waste Heat Now A Reality
A company has been formed to commercialize the thermoelectric research. Researchers at Boston College and the Massachusetts Institute of technology have found a way to more efficiently convert electricity from heat, a breakthrough they claim could make a wide range of products more energy-efficient.
The thermoelectric effect has been understood for a long time, but the researchers were able to use nanotechnology to make the process of generating electricity from heat far more efficient. The company's first product is a material that can withstand temperatures of about 400 degrees Fahrenheit used in a range of industrial products. Cars that are partly powered from the heat of their exhaust systems are a good application of the technology, but the company intends to first target utility-scale power plants, which give off a great deal of waste heat.
Full report here
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The thermoelectric effect has been understood for a long time, but the researchers were able to use nanotechnology to make the process of generating electricity from heat far more efficient. The company's first product is a material that can withstand temperatures of about 400 degrees Fahrenheit used in a range of industrial products. Cars that are partly powered from the heat of their exhaust systems are a good application of the technology, but the company intends to first target utility-scale power plants, which give off a great deal of waste heat.
Full report here
Related blogposts
Recent Advances and Potential Synergies for a Technology-based approach to Fighting Global Warming (CCS, HAS, ZIFs and CHP)
Labels: Electrical-Engineering, Energy-Environment-Engineering
PermaLink - Electricity from Waste Heat Now A Reality posted by Ecacofonix : 6:33 AM
