Microwave ovens a key to energy production from wasted heat

[Bosonic]

More than 60 percent of the energy produced by cars, machines, and industry around the world is lost as waste heat – an age-old problem - but researchers have found a new way to make "thermoelectric" materials for use in technology that could potentially save vast amounts of energy.

And it's based on a device found everywhere from kitchens to dorm rooms: a microwave oven.

Chemists at Oregon State University have discovered that simple microwave energy can be used to make a very promising group of compounds called "skutterudites," and lead to greatly improved methods of capturing wasted heat and turning it into useful electricity.

A tedious, complex and costly process to produce these materials that used to take three or four days can now be done in two minutes.

http://www.physorg.com/news/2011-09-microwave-ovens-key-energy-production.html

[aquart]

1. Well, hey. Niftiness.

[TheWraith]

2. This problem actually is one of the key reasons electric cars are more efficient than gas...

Even if they're powered by something like a coal-burning power plant. Burning fossil fuels produces heat. A large power plant uses this heat to boil water, and produce electricity.

A car, however, uses the explosive force of the fuel, but not the heat, which is entirely a waste product.

[Tesha]

3. The heat and the "explosive force" are inseparable; check your gas laws. (NT)

[krispos42]

4. There were plans afoot...

...to put a steam turbine on IC engines. Basically, the turbine is attached to the engine's crankshaft. A water-cooled exhaust header pumps heat into the water system, which makes steam, which drives the turbine and thus the crank, lowering fuel consumption.


Prototypes made 15 horsepower at highway speeds from a VW 4-cylinder engines. Which is a lot, actually.