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High-Power Thermoelectric Generator Utilizes Thermal Difference of Only 5C (newelectronics.co.uk)
A silicon-nanowire thermoelectric generator has been developed by a team of researchers from Waseda University, Osaka University, and Shizuoka University. From a report: According to the Japanese researchers, this experimentally demonstrated a high-power density of 12 microwatts per 1cm2, enough to drive sensors or realise intermittent wireless communication, at a small thermal difference of only 5C. Silicon-based thermoelectric generators conventionally employed long, silicon nanowires of about 10-100nm, which were suspended on a cavity to cut off the bypass of the heat current and secure the temperature difference across the silicon nanowires. However, the cavity structure weakened the mechanical strength of the devices and increased the fabrication cost. The team says their generator has overcome this issue.
"Because our generator uses the same technology to manufacture semiconductor integrated circuits, its processing cost could be largely cut through mass production," says Professor Takanobu Watanabe of Waseda University. "Also, it could open up a pathway to various, autonomously-driven IoT devices utilising environmental and body heats. For instance, it may be possible to charge your smartwatch during your morning jog someday."
"Because our generator uses the same technology to manufacture semiconductor integrated circuits, its processing cost could be largely cut through mass production," says Professor Takanobu Watanabe of Waseda University. "Also, it could open up a pathway to various, autonomously-driven IoT devices utilising environmental and body heats. For instance, it may be possible to charge your smartwatch during your morning jog someday."
Being able to efficiently convert heat into energy is a holy grail. Are these TEGs better than previous tech when you have large differentials?
Depends on what OP meant by "intermittent". There are plenty of telemetry sensors that only need to transmit a tiny amount of data at intervals in excess of an hour, or in the event of a given condition being met, for which 12 uW/cm^2 might be more than enough to charge up a battery or capacitor with enough juice to do so when the time comes.
UNIX? They're not even circumcised! Savages!
"For instance, it may be possible to charge your smartwatch during your morning jog someday."
My automatic watch has been running without batteries for years, and all I have to do is wear it.
Millennial, please sell me again why I need this solution that lacks a problem...
I have a solar powered Casio watch that does atomic clock synchronization every day. It's pretty cool in that it keeps very accurate time and has been running for years and years. All it needs is some ambient office lighting to keep it charged everyday. I've heard the rechargable lithium battery will eventually wear out however.