December 26th, 2008 by
Not that waste heat in general hasn’t been repurposed for non-wasteful activities before, but researchers at Doshisha University are now edging ever closer to making useful the previously annoying thermoacoustic phenomenon. For those not really tied into the science realm, said phenomenon is a nonlinear one in which “heated air autonomously transforms into sound when passing through small mesh holes in a wire sheet.” Gurus are now developing a cooling technology that would have heat converted to sound, where it would then be transferred through a tube and reconverted into heat; furthermore, other whiz-kids are looking to generate actual electricity from the racket. In related news, the thermoelectric conversion is being used to transform waste heat from candles into energy for LEDs, which would emit more light than the candle powering it. Pop on past the break for a demonstration of the former.
Continue reading Waste heat close to becoming useful in cooling / lighting applications
Filed under: Misc. Gadgets
Waste heat close to becoming useful in cooling / lighting applications originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 26 Dec 2008 22:11:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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Posted in video, led, energy, cooling, electricity, science, light, lighting, sound, heat, thermoelectric, waste heat, WasteHeat, thermoacoustic, thermoacoustic phenomenon, ThermoacousticPhenomenon, thermoelectric conversion, ThermoelectricConversion | No Comments »
July 25th, 2008 by
Filed under: Misc. Gadgets
Not that mad scientists haven’t figured out a way to convert waste heat into energy, but a team from Ohio State University has developed a new material that does the same sort of thing… just way, way better. The new material goes by the name thallium-doped lead telluride, and at least in theory, it could actually convert exhaust heat from vehicles into electricity. According to a new report about to hit the journal Science, the material packs “twice the efficiency of anything currently on the market,” though it still seems as if it’s a good ways out from being ready for commercial applications. Nanotechnology geeks — you’ve got a real treat waiting in the read link.
[Via CNET]
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Posted in nanotechnology, electricity, green, science, heat, osu, thermoelectric, waste heat, WasteHeat, Ohio State University, OhioStateUniversity | No Comments »
June 4th, 2008 by
Filed under: Misc. Gadgets
Another day, another means of converting waste heat into something decidedly non-wasteful. This one comes to us from the folks at Cyclone, whose self-starting Waste Heat Engine can apparently be powered by virtually any source of waste heat, including exhaust emissions from an internal combustion engine, the “direct burning of biomass,” or even the waste heat from another Waste Heat Engine. The company is also touting the engine’s ability to provide a boost to solar-power generators, with it apparently able to capture heat using inexpensive panels attached to a roof, which Cyclone says could be installed at just 20% of the cost of other systems relying on pricey photovoltaic panels. Of course, there’s no word as to what the Waste Heat Engine itself will cost, or when it’ll be available, but you can check it out in action in the (auto-playing) video after the break.
Continue reading Cyclone Waste Heat Engine promises power on the cheap
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Posted in waste heat, WasteHeat, cyclone, cyclone waste heat engine, CycloneWasteHeatEngine, waste heat engine, WasteHeatEngine | No Comments »
June 1st, 2008 by
Filed under: Misc. Gadgets
Converting residual industrial heat into something usable (read: electricity) has proven to be more than a novel concept on more than one occasion, and ElectraTherm’s giving the process one more vote of confidence by installing its Green Machine at Southern Methodist University. Just this past week, the firm flipped on its first commercial waste heat generator at the Dallas-based institution, with hopes to generate “fuel-free, emissions-free electricity at three to four cents per kW/hr during payback period and under a penny/kW hour thereafter.” The 50kW rig has so far exceeded expectations, and the firm is now forecasting that its units will have a “subsidy-free payback period of three years or less.” Of course, we aren’t told exactly how many zeros reside on the left of the decimal or anything, but folks in the area can get a tour of the installation later this month.
[Image courtesy of Jetson Green]
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Posted in electricity, green, alternative energy, AlternativeEnergy, generator, heat, ElectraTherm, Green Machine, GreenMachine, waste heat, WasteHeat | No Comments »
