#MATERIALS: "Thermoelectric Generators Turn Heat into an Asset"

Thermoelectric have been around for a while, but were only used for niche applications where size and weight were more important than efficiency. This breakthrough in thermoelectric generator efficiency, however, promises to bring thermoelectrics into the mainstream. Look for energy harvester to turn waste heat into electricity for everything from your cars exhaust to that overheated server farm. R. Colin Johnson @NextGenLog


Thermoelectric material from Micropelt GmbH (Freiburg, Germany) uses n- and p-type semiconductors produced on two different wafers then bonded together.

Here is what my story at Smarter Technology says about thermoelectrics: Excess heat remains a major headache for everything from server farms to automobile exhausts, but breakthroughs in solid-state thermoelectric materials aim to turn waste heat into electricity. Recent breakthroughs in the performance of thermoelectric materials boost their efficiency, promising to bring energy harvesting technologies into the mainstream...

Full Text: http://bit.ly/NextGenLog-hnC2