MIT Produces Electricity Using Thermopower Waves

MikeChino writes "MIT scientists have discovered a never-before-known phenomenon wherein carbon nanotubes can be used to harness energy from 'thermopower waves.' To do this they coated the nanotubes with a reactive fuel and then lit one end, causing a fast-moving thermal wave to speed down the length of the tube. The heat from the fuel rises to a temperature of 3,000 kelvins, and can speed along the tube 10,000 times faster than the normal spread of this chemical reaction. The heat also pushes electrons down the tube, which creates a substantial electrical current. The system can output energy (in proportion to its weight) about 100x greater than an equivalent weight lithium-ion battery, and according to MIT the discovery 'opens up a new area of energy research, which is rare.'"

Comments

Re:That's some hot stuff...

[evilviper]

For some perspective that is about the heat that a filament in a lightbulb is at.

That doesn't provide MUCH perspective... A lightbulb is a completely enclosed environment, and the filament won't last for a moment outside of it, so people don't really know just how how hot it is.

Now, saying 3,000K is about the temperature you get from a metal-cutting torch, actually gives some better insight. For one, it's instantly clear that it would easily melt just about all metals. For another, it's eminently clear you don't want it anywhere near you, and it will require significant insulation.

Sure, maybe if you know that lightbulb filaments are made from tungsten, tungsten has the highest melting point, and that they run close to that melting point, you could figure it out, but that's a bit of a long shot, and such a stretch certainly indicates it didn't provide the perpective claimed. At that point, it's probably be easier for someone to convert the units to celsius, and just search for that temperature to find appropriate comparable examples.