sibeen said:
Spiny Norman said:
Thermoelectric materials can convert heat into electrical energy. This is due to the so-called Seebeck effect: If there is a temperature difference between the two ends of such a material, electrical voltage can be generated and current can start to flow. The amount of electrical energy that can be generated at a given temperature difference is measured by the so-called ZT value: The higher the ZT value of a material, the better its thermoelectric properties.
The best thermoelectrics to date were measured at ZT values of around 2.5 to 2.8. Scientists at TU Wien (Vienna) have now succeeded in developing a completely new material with a ZT value of 5 to 6. It is a thin layer of iron, vanadium, tungsten and aluminum applied to a silicon crystal.
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Fuck. I knew I should have gotten my wine fridge run off a Seebek device rather than a Peltirer.
This is a bit laughable. “We’ve increased the efficiency of a really, really, really shitty device by 50%.
> “Of course, such a thin layer cannot generate a particularly large amount of energy, but it has the advantage of being extremely compact and adaptable, we want to use it to provide energy for sensors and small electronic applications. The demand for such small-scale generators is growing quickly.”
Perfect for powering miniature spy gadgets?
I want to plant a spy gadget inside a fighter aircraft, for tracking where it flies, particularly altitude and temperature. Perhaps I have to settle for planting a camouflaged one on the outside.