MIT develops Sun-less solar cells that uses heat to generate electricity
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MIT develops Sun-less solar cells that uses heat to generate electricity
1–10 of 20 posts
Re: MIT develops Sun-less solar cells that uses heat to generate electricity
#2from the article: "Imagine using the heat generated from your laptop to charge it as well? Or charging your car’s hybrid battery by using the heat off of the engine?"
Wish the author had rephrased these in view of The Law of Conservation of Energy. Don't want to give the impression of developing a perpetual motion machine.
Re: MIT develops Sun-less solar cells that uses heat to generate electricity
#3original article link: http://web.mit.edu/newsoffice/2011/sun-free-photovoltaics-07...
Re: MIT develops Sun-less solar cells that uses heat to generate electricity
#4from the article: "Imagine using the heat generated from your laptop to charge it as well? Or charging your car’s hybrid battery by using the heat off of the engine?" Wish the author had rephrased these in view of The Law of Conservation of Energy. Don't want to give the impression of developing a perpetual motion machine.
hey protomyth, author here. Haha, I see your point abt the conservation of energy. I assumed that everyone would know that law, so I didn't address it specifically. Obviously, the return energy would be less than the expended.
I guess to assume really does make an ass out of u and me.
Re: MIT develops Sun-less solar cells that uses heat to generate electricity
#5Sunless solar cells? Can we think of some other term for this? Thermal cells? Heat Cells? Something that makes sense?
Re: MIT develops Sun-less solar cells that uses heat to generate electricity
#6Sunless solar cells? Can we think of some other term for this? Thermal cells? Heat Cells? Something that makes sense?
Did you read the article? How about "thermal photovoltaics".
Re: MIT develops Sun-less solar cells that uses heat to generate electricity
#7Then they're not really solar cells anymore. "Thermal cells?"
Re: MIT develops Sun-less solar cells that uses heat to generate electricity
#8from the article: "Imagine using the heat generated from your laptop to charge it as well? Or charging your car’s hybrid battery by using the heat off of the engine?" Wish the author had rephrased these in view of The Law of Conservation of Energy. Don't want to give the impression of developing a perpetual motion machine.
hey protomyth, author here. Haha, I see your point abt the conservation of energy. I assumed that everyone would know that law, so I didn't address it specifically. Obviously, the return energy would be less than the expended. I guess to assume really does make an ass out of u and me.
It's not so much for the HN audience, but the next generation of article down the chain will use that paragraph as a basis for their headline. It is by far the catchiest and I don't think they will be explicit about conservation of energy with their readers.
Nice article though.
Re: MIT develops Sun-less solar cells that uses heat to generate electricity
#9Earlier quoted context omitted.
hey protomyth, author here. Haha, I see your point abt the conservation of energy. I assumed that everyone would know that law, so I didn't address it specifically. Obviously, the return energy would be less than the expended. I guess to assume really does make an ass out of u and me.
It's not so much for the HN audience, but the next generation of article down the chain will use that paragraph as a basis for their headline. It is by far the catchiest and I don't think they will be explicit about conservation of energy with their readers. Nice article though.
great point about the generation of articles down the chain. I will be more mindful of that in the future. thanks for reading
Re: MIT develops Sun-less solar cells that uses heat to generate electricity
#10The wikipedia article (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thermophotovoltaic) has some excellent applications for this technology including off-the-grid power generation from camp fires or earthen heat stores.