Waste heat Into Electricity


Lately I've been wishing there was some way to capture the waste heat that comes off my Xbox 360, or for that matter, my lap-top. Apparently, other people have been doing more than wishing; they've been working on a solution.

Orest Symko, a U. of Utah physicist and his doctoral students have developed small devices that turn heat first into sound and then electricity. "The technology holds promise for changing waste heat into electricity, harnessing solar energy and cooling computers and radars."

Symko says that he foresees his devices as being a viable alternative to expensive photovoltaic cells within "a few years." Wow.

I hope that promise is fulfilled.

And, on a less serious note--could noise-cancelling headphones one day be powered by noisy offices?


Posted: Tue - June 5, 2007 at 04:44 PM          

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