Heat to electric converter

Multiferroic materials possess both magnetism and ferroelectricity, or a permanent electric polarization. In this case, the new alloy — Ni45Co5Mn40Sn10 — undergoes a reversible phase transformation, in which one type of solid turns into another type of solid when the temperature changes, according to a news release from the University of Minnesota. Specifically, the alloy goes from being non-magnetic to highly magnetized.

The temperature only needs to be raised a small amount for this to happen. This produces a current in a surrounding coil, according to the researchers, led by aerospace engineering professor Richard James. Watch a piece of the alloy leap over to a permanent magnet in the video clip below. This figure also incorporates the energy needed to create the electric field. Mannhart and colleagues believe that commercialization of their design could take a further 5—20 years, depending on whether the application is high temperature or low temperature.

For the latter, Mannhart says that further optimization of the converter would be needed. This previous design had suffered from energy loses caused by electron—electron collisions and scattering. The team is now working to increase the efficiency of its generator design in two ways.

First, it is building high-performance converters from existing semiconductor technologies. Second, it is optimizing its electrodes through the use of new materials, especially oxides, and nanotechnology.

The work is described in the Journal of Renewable and Sustainable Energy. Sign in Register. Enter e-mail address Show Enter password Remember me. Sign in to Unlock all the content on the site Manage which e-mail newsletters you want to receive Read about the big breakthroughs and innovations across 13 scientific topics Explore the key issues and trends within the global scientific community. Enter e-mail address This e-mail address will be used to create your account.

Reset your password. Please enter the e-mail address you used to register to reset your password Enter e-mail address. Registration complete. Renewables Research update New generator creates electricity directly from heat 09 Dec The research team—an international group of scientists from Ohio State, North Carolina State University and the Chinese Academy of Sciences all are equal authors on this journal article —started testing paramagnons to see if they could, under the right circumstances, produce the necessary spin.

What they found, Heremans said, is that paramagnons do, in fact, produce the kind of spin that pushes electrons. Ohio State graduate student Yuanhua Zheng is also an author on this work. The research was conducted in partnership with additional researchers at the U. Department of Energy. Lane Ave. Request an alternate format of this page Web Services Status Nondiscrimination notice.

Researchers have made an important discovery that could make it easier to collect energy from heat. A new way to turn heat into energy.