Science Daily April 11, 2022 An international team of researchers (Sweden, China, Spain) has developed a closed energy system called Molecular Solar Thermal Energy Storage Systems (MOST). It is based on a specially designed molecule of carbon, hydrogen, and nitrogen, which when hit by sunlight changes shape into an energy-rich isomer which can be stored in liquid form for later use when needed, such as at night or in winter. A specially designed catalyst releases the saved energy as heat while returning the molecule to its original shape, so it can then be reused in the heating system. In combination […]
Tag Archives: Thermoelectric generator
Efficient Off-Grid Power, After the Sun Sets
Optics and Photonics August 19, 2020 An international team of researchers (USA – Stanford, Israel) analyzed the basic thermodynamics of a heat engine, with the hot side under the roof and the top of the roof radiating thermal energy out into the environment. They developed models to maximize the amount of electrical power generated for various temperature gradients. The team’s design for a nighttime power generator would occupy a rooftop area of 1 m2. It incorporates a radiative emitting panel, a state-of-the-art TEG made of metal alloy, and a heat sink, with radiation shields and insulative pegs to reduce radiative […]
Device generates light from the cold night sky
EurekAlert September 12, 2019 A team of researchers in the US (UCLA, Stanford University) built a thermoelectric generator that sidesteps the limitations of solar power by taking advantage of radiative cooling, in which a sky-facing surface passes its heat to the atmosphere as thermal radiation, losing some heat to space and reaching a cooler temperature than the surrounding air harnessing temperature differences to generate electricity. The device consists of a polystyrene enclosure covered in aluminized mylar to minimize thermal radiation and protected by an infrared-transparent wind cover. In tests the device generated 25 milliwatts of energy per square meter in […]