http://www.engadget.com/2006/11/24/eneco-developing-chip-to-convert-excess-heat-directly-to-energ/ Engadget Comments for Eneco "developing" chip to convert excess heat directly to energy http://www.engadget.com/media/feedlogo.gif http://www.engadget.com en-us Copyright 2012 Weblogs, Inc. The contents of this feed are available for non-commercial use only. Blogsmith http://www.blogsmith.com/http://www.engadget.com/2006/11/24/eneco-developing-chip-to-convert-excess-heat-directly-to-energ/http://www.engadget.com/2006/11/24/eneco-developing-chip-to-convert-excess-heat-directly-to-energ/Nov 24th 2006 1:42AMhttp://www.engadget.com/2006/11/24/eneco-developing-chip-to-convert-excess-heat-directly-to-energ/http://www.engadget.com/2006/11/24/eneco-developing-chip-to-convert-excess-heat-directly-to-energ/
Plus, that's assuming these things ever exist in our lifetimes.]]>Nov 24th 2006 1:48AMhttp://www.engadget.com/2006/11/24/eneco-developing-chip-to-convert-excess-heat-directly-to-energ/http://www.engadget.com/2006/11/24/eneco-developing-chip-to-convert-excess-heat-directly-to-energ/

Assuming this tech exists... :) ]]>Nov 24th 2006 1:51AMhttp://www.engadget.com/2006/11/24/eneco-developing-chip-to-convert-excess-heat-directly-to-energ/http://www.engadget.com/2006/11/24/eneco-developing-chip-to-convert-excess-heat-directly-to-energ/
[que "I welcome our overlords" snowclone here]]]>Nov 24th 2006 2:07AMhttp://www.engadget.com/2006/11/24/eneco-developing-chip-to-convert-excess-heat-directly-to-energ/http://www.engadget.com/2006/11/24/eneco-developing-chip-to-convert-excess-heat-directly-to-energ/Nov 24th 2006 1:53AMhttp://www.engadget.com/2006/11/24/eneco-developing-chip-to-convert-excess-heat-directly-to-energ/http://www.engadget.com/2006/11/24/eneco-developing-chip-to-convert-excess-heat-directly-to-energ/Nov 24th 2006 2:25AMhttp://www.engadget.com/2006/11/24/eneco-developing-chip-to-convert-excess-heat-directly-to-energ/http://www.engadget.com/2006/11/24/eneco-developing-chip-to-convert-excess-heat-directly-to-energ/Nov 24th 2006 2:27AMhttp://www.engadget.com/2006/11/24/eneco-developing-chip-to-convert-excess-heat-directly-to-energ/http://www.engadget.com/2006/11/24/eneco-developing-chip-to-convert-excess-heat-directly-to-energ/
I, for one, welcome our totally unrealistic heat converting and destined-for-vaporware overlords.

*/cough* ]]>Nov 24th 2006 8:53AMhttp://www.engadget.com/2006/11/24/eneco-developing-chip-to-convert-excess-heat-directly-to-energ/http://www.engadget.com/2006/11/24/eneco-developing-chip-to-convert-excess-heat-directly-to-energ/These people really need to take some remedial physics classes. Or be more specific in describing what their innovation actually does.]]>Nov 24th 2006 2:23AMhttp://www.engadget.com/2006/11/24/eneco-developing-chip-to-convert-excess-heat-directly-to-energ/http://www.engadget.com/2006/11/24/eneco-developing-chip-to-convert-excess-heat-directly-to-energ/
The problem that Eneco has is creating and keeping a perfect vacuum for the electron transfer. Cool Chip needs to have their "plates" perfectly aligned at the nano-meter scale. Both are extremely difficult in a lab situatin much less in the "real" world.

There is an easier way - but I'm not telling. :P]]>Nov 24th 2006 3:00AMhttp://www.engadget.com/2006/11/24/eneco-developing-chip-to-convert-excess-heat-directly-to-energ/http://www.engadget.com/2006/11/24/eneco-developing-chip-to-convert-excess-heat-directly-to-energ/
Wow... it is a real-world perpetual motion device. Well done Eneco... well done...]]>Nov 24th 2006 3:04AMhttp://www.engadget.com/2006/11/24/eneco-developing-chip-to-convert-excess-heat-directly-to-energ/http://www.engadget.com/2006/11/24/eneco-developing-chip-to-convert-excess-heat-directly-to-energ/Nov 24th 2006 10:21AMhttp://www.engadget.com/2006/11/24/eneco-developing-chip-to-convert-excess-heat-directly-to-energ/http://www.engadget.com/2006/11/24/eneco-developing-chip-to-convert-excess-heat-directly-to-energ/
The technology to actively cool chips using solid state systems has been around for a long time. They're called peltier heat pumps. The problem is that they release more heat on the hot surface than they absorb on the cold one, making them pretty useless for cooling. They are good for taking up heat though :)]]>Nov 24th 2006 3:34AMhttp://www.engadget.com/2006/11/24/eneco-developing-chip-to-convert-excess-heat-directly-to-energ/http://www.engadget.com/2006/11/24/eneco-developing-chip-to-convert-excess-heat-directly-to-energ/
That was actually my first thought. This is a technology-oriented site, yet it seems to be mostly about using technology and less about understanding it, because both the writers and the large majority of the readers seem to have only a very very basic grasp of science (as in "plug must go in outlet" or "loud music make ears hurt").]]>Nov 24th 2006 7:55AMhttp://www.engadget.com/2006/11/24/eneco-developing-chip-to-convert-excess-heat-directly-to-energ/http://www.engadget.com/2006/11/24/eneco-developing-chip-to-convert-excess-heat-directly-to-energ/
Anyhow, miracle-wise, why we do not see solar panels as miracle too? Principle is the same - physicians just need to find proper components. (*)

Just as with solar panels, which struggle to improve efficiency and barely reached now IIRC 18%, I do not expect miracle as 50% of efficiency.

(*) Though I also bit doubtful. With solar panels, it is bit clearer: we have photons which are "captured" and converted to energy. Heat (or temperature) isn't same thing: it's state of matter. You need to have source for holes/electrons somewhere.]]>Nov 24th 2006 3:52AMhttp://www.engadget.com/2006/11/24/eneco-developing-chip-to-convert-excess-heat-directly-to-energ/http://www.engadget.com/2006/11/24/eneco-developing-chip-to-convert-excess-heat-directly-to-energ/Nov 24th 2006 4:11AMhttp://www.engadget.com/2006/11/24/eneco-developing-chip-to-convert-excess-heat-directly-to-energ/http://www.engadget.com/2006/11/24/eneco-developing-chip-to-convert-excess-heat-directly-to-energ/Nov 24th 2006 4:43AMhttp://www.engadget.com/2006/11/24/eneco-developing-chip-to-convert-excess-heat-directly-to-energ/http://www.engadget.com/2006/11/24/eneco-developing-chip-to-convert-excess-heat-directly-to-energ/
As for the actual principle...why is everyone so sceptical? We convert chemical energy to kinetic, electric to kinetic, kinetic to electrical, kinetic to chemical, heat to kinetic and kinetic to heat (and sound/vibration) all the time. Energy conversion from one kind to another is not new or revolutionary. These guys say they have a mechanism to convert heat (atom movement) to electrical (electron energy) at a reasonable efficiency. IANAP(yet, give it year or so), but there's not too much outragious about the claim in and of itself.]]>Nov 24th 2006 6:00AMhttp://www.engadget.com/2006/11/24/eneco-developing-chip-to-convert-excess-heat-directly-to-energ/http://www.engadget.com/2006/11/24/eneco-developing-chip-to-convert-excess-heat-directly-to-energ/
That's why everyone is skeptical.

If they do make it then good for them and all of us. They might cut the power consumption of EVERY electrical system out there. But it's highly unlikely.]]>Nov 24th 2006 7:32AMhttp://www.engadget.com/2006/11/24/eneco-developing-chip-to-convert-excess-heat-directly-to-energ/http://www.engadget.com/2006/11/24/eneco-developing-chip-to-convert-excess-heat-directly-to-energ/
sorry, Simpson quote, but I just had too]]>Nov 24th 2006 6:12AMhttp://www.engadget.com/2006/11/24/eneco-developing-chip-to-convert-excess-heat-directly-to-energ/http://www.engadget.com/2006/11/24/eneco-developing-chip-to-convert-excess-heat-directly-to-energ/
OH BURN! LIKE A PIZZA OVEN!


honestly, if this works, it will immensely help computer cooling systems, and as we move into quad-core, a cooling system that generates its own electricity, and probably makes no noise doing it, is a blessing. desktops will be more energy efficient and quieter, and mobile devices will have longer lasting batteries and will be completely noiseless(except for HDDs and optical drives on laptops, but the solid state disk will come to save the day).]]>Nov 24th 2006 11:16AMhttp://www.engadget.com/2006/11/24/eneco-developing-chip-to-convert-excess-heat-directly-to-energ/http://www.engadget.com/2006/11/24/eneco-developing-chip-to-convert-excess-heat-directly-to-energ/
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Peltier_effect

It follows the laws of thermodynamics, just like everything else. The biggest disadvantage of methods like this are surface conductance resistance. This means you need the device to be in perfect contact with whatever you are cooling, and it also requires a fairly large temperature gradient. The solid state chips are getting better, but still leave a lot to be desired. I'm skeptical about a reported 30% efficiency.]]>Nov 24th 2006 3:15PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2006/11/24/eneco-developing-chip-to-convert-excess-heat-directly-to-energ/http://www.engadget.com/2006/11/24/eneco-developing-chip-to-convert-excess-heat-directly-to-energ/Nov 25th 2006 12:39AMhttp://www.engadget.com/2006/11/24/eneco-developing-chip-to-convert-excess-heat-directly-to-energ/http://www.engadget.com/2006/11/24/eneco-developing-chip-to-convert-excess-heat-directly-to-energ/Nov 26th 2006 5:46AM