Thermoelectric materials convert waste heat to electricity without pollution. Given the rising cost of energy to run cars, power generators, and heat pumps, the scientific community has been scrutinizing these materials with increased interest. The average automobile engine, for example, wastes up to 60 percent of the power it produces in the form of waste heat.
Dr. Joseph Heremans of Ohio State University has recently developed a thermoelectric material that outperforms the previous leader by 2:1. Entitled thallium-doped lead telluride, the material promises to make cars and other engines more efficient by capturing waste heat without the use of moving parts. Moreover, it operates best between 450 and 950 degrees Fahrenheit, which is a typical temperature range for such engines.
According to Heremans, "The material does all the work. It produces electrical power just like conventional heat engines - steam engines, gas or diesel engines - that are coupled to electrical generators, but it uses electrons as the working fluids instead of water or gases, and makes electricity directly." [Contact:
Dr. Joseph Heremans, Ohio State University.]
Labels: 42, energy, ultraperforming
Now that energy consciousness is becoming increasingly widespread, one cannot fail to notice common practices that call for more energy-efficient solutions. One of these practices involves refrigeration within cold climates: a process that involves cooling goods within a heated space, which is highly impractical considering the amount of time that 'free cooling' exists outside.
The Freeaire Refrigeration System is designed to provide such free cooling for walk-in coolers, freezers and cold storage warehouses. The system utilizes an electronic controller to finely tune the operation of standard refrigeration equipment, and this controller simply monitors the outdoor temperature and desired temperature settings and stops refrigerator evaporator fans when not needed, which also reduces the compressor's refrigeration load. Proper airflow is maintained when the evaporator fans switch off by operating one or more energy-efficient circulating fans.
Roughly half the electricity consumed by a typical convenience store is used for refrigeration. The Freeaire System is designed to save energy year-round by allowing refrigeration equipment for a walk-in cooler or freezer to run only as much as it has to. Once the system is installed, evaporator fans typically operate 50 to 75% less often, and reach-in door heaters operate 90% less frequently. Condensing units also usually experience a 10 to 20% reduction in operations. Moreover, a Freeaire System saving 20,000 kilowatt-hours annually can prevent 40,000 pounds of CO2 from being emitted to the atmosphere. [via R. H. Travers; suggested by James Thornburg, Columbus, OH.]
Labels: 11, energy, hvac, intelligent, refrigeration
Thermoelectric materials convert waste heat to electricity without pollution. Given the rising cost of energy to run cars, power generators, and heat pumps, the scientific community has been scrutinizing these materials with increased interest. The average automobile engine, for example, wastes up to 60 percent of the power it produces in the form of waste heat.
