The Johnson Thermoelectric Energy Converter Harvests Heat Into Energy at Unprecedented Efficiencies

Greater than 60% efficient, in fact! Invented by Lonnie Johnson, most noted for his work on the B-2 Stealth Bomber and for his signature invention, the Super Soaker, has produced his most important invention yet by far. The Johnson Thermoelectric Energy Converter (JTEC henceforth) is a revolutionary solid state device that converts heat into electricity, regardless of source or scale, be it from a solar collector, an internal combustion engine, or even the human body. So, how does it work?

In concept, the JTEC has elements of a Stirling engine, and a hydrogen fuel cell. Both chambers of the unit are filled with hydrogen gas. The hydrogen is not expended in the course of electricity generation, but it's there for a very important reason; as an electron source. As one chamber is heated, the hydrogen inside expands and liberates electrons. These electrons then flow through an external circuit as electric current. This current can be used to perform work. This creates an imbalance of protons and elections in the hot stack; this imbalance forces protons through a proton exchange membrane (borrowed from fuel cell technology) into the cold stack, where they meet up with the electrons expelled from the gas earlier in the process. The gas, now cool, then is forced back into the hot stack through a one way valve. By maintaining pressure in this way, the process can cycle indefinitely. All that is needed is a small amount of charge to start the process going, and heat from any heat source. Unlike a Stirling engine, the JTEC has no moving parts; unlike a hydrogen fuel cell, it doesn't expend hydrogen by combining it with oxygen to form water. 

Best of all, there are existing systems in which this device could be easily integrated, such as this one, developed for Sterling Engines by Sandia National Laboratories. 

Indeed, this is a technology for the ages. How soon can we build a few billion of them?

 h/t The Atlantic and the Pure Energy Systems Wiki

Comments

[Robert333]

Yeah, I heard that Skeptoid and shrank when I heard him citing Milloy. Oy, vey! I thought Dunning was better informed than to trust a denialist like Milloy whose history is that of spewing misinformation and pseudoscience hither and yon to attack AGW, environmentalism, and basically anything that does not conclude what industry wants. In fact, I had thought about blogging about this, except that I don't have as extensive a background to be able to rebut it as thoroughly.replica d&g watches

[swiss replica watches]

Remember what replica tag heuer link
should be remembered, and forget what should be forgotten.Alter what is changeable, and accept what is mutable。replica tag aquaracer