Comments on: New Material Will Finally Let Us Convert Waste Heat to Electricity http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/80beats/2012/09/20/new-material-will-finally-let-us-convert-waste-heat-to-electricity/ Mon, 22 Apr 2013 21:34:00 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.4.2 By: tanboontee http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/80beats/2012/09/20/new-material-will-finally-let-us-convert-waste-heat-to-electricity/#comment-34303 tanboontee Sun, 23 Sep 2012 01:36:59 +0000 http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/80beats/?p=40093#comment-34303 A high proportion of useful energy ends up in wasteful heat energy. If this can be harnessed and converted to electrical energy efficiently, hopefully at a lower temperature, it will benefit everyone. How wonderful. (vzc1943) A high proportion of useful energy ends up in wasteful heat energy. If this can be harnessed and converted to electrical energy efficiently, hopefully at a lower temperature, it will benefit everyone. How wonderful. (vzc1943)

]]> By: albert http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/80beats/2012/09/20/new-material-will-finally-let-us-convert-waste-heat-to-electricity/#comment-34302 albert Fri, 21 Sep 2012 20:26:45 +0000 http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/80beats/?p=40093#comment-34302 My brother worked on such thermoelectric material research last year at berkeley. He was researching on a material with a potential ZT value of 13. Obviously, the project.was a fluke My brother worked on such thermoelectric material research last year at berkeley. He was researching on a material with a potential ZT value of 13. Obviously, the project.was a fluke

]]> By: Simon http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/80beats/2012/09/20/new-material-will-finally-let-us-convert-waste-heat-to-electricity/#comment-34301 Simon Fri, 21 Sep 2012 07:35:48 +0000 http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/80beats/?p=40093#comment-34301 I have an application for this material! Is it available, or still at early stages of development? Please, if you can, let me know where to get this from? kind regards Simon I have an application for this material!

Is it available, or still at early stages of development?

Please, if you can, let me know where to get this from?

kind regards
Simon

]]> By: Georg http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/80beats/2012/09/20/new-material-will-finally-let-us-convert-waste-heat-to-electricity/#comment-34300 Georg Thu, 20 Sep 2012 21:33:09 +0000 http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/80beats/?p=40093#comment-34300 Chris, somewhat less than Carnot efficiency, what else? Chris,
somewhat less than Carnot efficiency, what else?

]]> By: Rationalist http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/80beats/2012/09/20/new-material-will-finally-let-us-convert-waste-heat-to-electricity/#comment-34299 Rationalist Thu, 20 Sep 2012 19:53:00 +0000 http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/80beats/?p=40093#comment-34299 See the graph here: http://nextbigfuture.com/2012/09/commercializable-thermoelectric.html#disqus_thread See the graph here:

http://nextbigfuture.com/2012/09/commercializable-thermoelectric.html#disqus_thread

]]> By: Rationalist http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/80beats/2012/09/20/new-material-will-finally-let-us-convert-waste-heat-to-electricity/#comment-34298 Rationalist Thu, 20 Sep 2012 19:28:25 +0000 http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/80beats/?p=40093#comment-34298 @1 chris: The relationship between ZT and Carnot efficiency is temperature dependent, it is a function of both the heat source and the temperature that the thermoelectric device can reject waste heat to. At T(hot) = 500c and T(cold) = 30c, ZT = 2.2 corresponds to about 40% of Carnot, which is itself only 60%. So we're talking 25% efficient. ZT= 3 is about 50% of Carnot. @1 chris:

The relationship between ZT and Carnot efficiency is temperature dependent, it is a function of both the heat source and the temperature that the thermoelectric device can reject waste heat to.

At T(hot) = 500c and T(cold) = 30c, ZT = 2.2 corresponds to about 40% of Carnot, which is itself only 60%. So we’re talking 25% efficient. ZT= 3 is about 50% of Carnot.

]]> By: Chris http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/80beats/2012/09/20/new-material-will-finally-let-us-convert-waste-heat-to-electricity/#comment-34297 Chris Thu, 20 Sep 2012 17:56:45 +0000 http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/80beats/?p=40093#comment-34297 So how efficient is that compared to a Carnot engine efficiency? So how efficient is that compared to a Carnot engine efficiency?

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