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High-Power Thermoelectric Generator Utilizes Thermal Difference of Only 5C (newelectronics.co.uk)

Posted by msmash on from the marching-forward dept.

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."

100 comments

  1. Forget 5C, how about higher differentials? by ZorinLynx · · Score: 3, Interesting

    Being able to efficiently convert heat into energy is a holy grail. Are these TEGs better than previous tech when you have large differentials?

    1. Re:Forget 5C, how about higher differentials? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Being able to efficiently convert heat into energy is a holy grail.

      Probably because of the second law of thermodynamics.

    2. Re:Forget 5C, how about higher differentials? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      I'm waiting for the useful THz rectennas get going.
      Directly converting the heat emissions of the Earth to usable power will make small things work as if by magic.

    3. Re:Forget 5C, how about higher differentials? by michelcolman · · Score: 2

      This thing could already power watches as if by magic. My watch battery lasts a few years, and if I did the math correctly, that's well below 60 microwatts. Surface area is more than 5 cm2, and temperature differential is well over 5C, so it should be plenty of power.

      (Not talking about smartwatches, obviously).

    4. Re: Forget 5C, how about higher differentials? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      I think you're missing the point. Converting large temp differentials to useful energy is easy. Every power plant on the planet already does that today. The hard part is when the temp difference is small. That's what these guys are after. Different problem, different solution.

    5. Re: Forget 5C, how about higher differentials? by SuricouRaven · · Score: 1

      Converting large differentials to useful energy is easy - on a large scale. It does not scale down well. High-performance TEGs (And ones that don't melt so easily) could make it practical to scavenge leftover heat energy from many industrial processes, improving efficiency.

    6. Re:Forget 5C, how about higher differentials? by nospam007 · · Score: 1

      "This thing could already power watches as if by magic. My watch battery lasts a few years, and if I did the math correctly, that's well below 60 microwatts. Surface area is more than 5 cm2, and temperature differential is well over 5C, so it should be plenty of power.

      (Not talking about smartwatches, obviously)."

      I see, you have a small wrist, But what if one could tolerate a cold ass to power their iWatch?

    7. Re:Forget 5C, how about higher differentials? by BlueStrat · · Score: 1

      This thing could already power watches as if by magic. My watch battery lasts a few years, and if I did the math correctly, that's well below 60 microwatts. Surface area is more than 5 cm2, and temperature differential is well over 5C, so it should be plenty of power.

      (Not talking about smartwatches, obviously).

      InB4 panties with heatsinks/convection-cooling radiator fins suddenly come into fashion among women. :)

      Strat

      --
      Progressivism (aka US 'Liberalism'): Ideas so good they need a police/surveillance-state to enforce.
    8. Re:Forget 5C, how about higher differentials? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Being able to efficiently convert heat into energy is a holy grail.

      Probably because of the second law of thermodynamics.

      What exactly do you mean with that?
      Most of our electricity production (coal and nuclear and even some solar plants) works by converting heat difference into electricity.
      It isn't exactly crazy to say that more efficient conversion methods would be more beneficial than any other development in electricity production.
      No-one is saying that we are looking to take out more energy than is available or even convert at 100% efficiency.

      Besides, the fine print in the second law of thermodynamics says that it only applies on macroscopic number of particles.
      Any mechanism that treats particles on an individual basis rather than treating it as a gas, liquid, solid or plasma is free to ignore the second law of thermodynamics.

    9. Re:Forget 5C, how about higher differentials? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Being able to efficiently convert heat into energy is a holy grail.

      Heat is also energy. But, yes, being able to convert heat energy directly, without a temperature difference, into other more useful forms of energy (for example, electrical voltage/potential) would be a really big deal - and would also be an exception to the Second Law of Thermodynamics - which, as far as anyone knows, doesn't have any exceptions.

      All the other ways of converting heat energy to useful energy essentially rely on allowing the heat to flow from the hot reservoir to the cold reservoir - but then diverting some of the flowing heat into a different, more useful, form of energy. And the fraction of heat that can be diverted depends fundamentally on the temperature difference. If the temperature difference is low then it's only possible to divert a small fraction of the flowing heat - that is, most of the heat has to flow from the hot to the cold and still stay in the form of heat energy. If the temperature difference is large then more of the heat flow can be diverted into a more useful form of energy. At the extreme, if the cold reservoir was at absolute zero then all of the heat flow could be diverted into a more useful form of energy - that is, it would be possible to convert heat energy directly to useful energy.

    10. Re:Forget 5C, how about higher differentials? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      I hear the "hum" of a new industry preparing to get it's...feet...wet.

    11. Re:Forget 5C, how about higher differentials? by Applehu+Akbar · · Score: 1

      I hear the "hum" of a new industry preparing to get it's...feet...wet.

      Followed by the flesh-cooking sizzle of users with wet feet running electric appliances.

    12. Re:Forget 5C, how about higher differentials? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      I still think the self winding mechanical watches are capable of generating more energy (assuming you aren't a complete sloth). A dozen grams rotating through a cm radius should net about 2400 microjoules and just guessing a mechanical efficiency of about 30% yields plenty of energy.

    13. Re:Forget 5C, how about higher differentials? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      I want my smart watch to do the jogging for me.

    14. Re:Forget 5C, how about higher differentials? by nonBORG · · Score: -1

      This is not that, heat into energy sounds great please invent it.

      This converts a temperature differential into energy. There is a massive difference.

      --
      You can't handle the truth! - Because I don't post left all my comments get modded down, bye bye Karma.
    15. Re: Forget 5C, how about higher differentials? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      It can, just setup a mock location and you're set.

  2. 12 uW/cm^2 isn't much by Nutria · · Score: 4, Insightful

    Unless my math is wrong, that's less than an eighth of a watt per square meter.

    --
    "I don't know, therefore Aliens" Wafflebox1
    1. Re:12 uW/cm^2 isn't much by 110010001000 · · Score: 0

      It might be enough to drive sensors or realise intermittent wireless communication though.

    2. Re:12 uW/cm^2 isn't much by iggymanz · · Score: 1

      useful wireless? no, I think not, for lowest power class 3 bluetooth for example that 1.2 microwatts of the square centimeter is off by factor of 1000.

    3. Re:12 uW/cm^2 isn't much by Zocalo · · Score: 4, Interesting

      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!
    4. Re:12 uW/cm^2 isn't much by 110010001000 · · Score: 2

      That makes sense. It doesn't matter if you have 1 centimeter or 1 meter or 1 kilometer of generator - you will be "off by a factor of 1000".

    5. Re:12 uW/cm^2 isn't much by 110010001000 · · Score: 2

      I was going to say that too, but I guess iggymanz is the expert, so I think we should notify the researchers.

    6. Re:12 uW/cm^2 isn't much by DrTJ · · Score: 4, Informative

      "experimentally demonstrated a high-power density of 12 microwatts per 1cm2"

      Somebody need to work on their adjectives. Solar panels are in the order of 10-20 mW/cm, i.e. 1000x more.

      If 12 uW/cm qualifies as "high-power density", then solar panels must be "super-power density".

      Maybe the researchers are from Krypton.

    7. Re:12 uW/cm^2 isn't much by iggymanz · · Score: 1

      I know, pesky math and physics can be such a downer. how long are you going to have to charge for 1kb payload packet of bluetooth class 3 power?

    8. Re:12 uW/cm^2 isn't much by 110010001000 · · Score: 1

      I'm not sure. I'll go let the researchers know that it isn't possible to do what they say might be possible. Be right back!

    9. Re:12 uW/cm^2 isn't much by bobbied · · Score: 1

      Unless my math is wrong, that's less than an eighth of a watt per square meter.

      Can you say "LOW, LOW duty Cycle"? You'd be better off with a small solar cell over this..

      --
      "File to fit, pound to insert, paint to match" - Aircraft Maintenance 101
    10. Re: 12 uW/cm^2 isn't much by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      So if you send a 1 millisecond transmission, you can do it once per second.

    11. Re:12 uW/cm^2 isn't much by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Shut up you fat retard.

    12. Re:12 uW/cm^2 isn't much by angel'o'sphere · · Score: 1

      A 5C temperature gradient you can have nearly everywhere.
      A solar cell only works where you habe light, obviously.

      --
      Cost free eBook I read (by iBook/Kobo/Amazon/ObookO/Gutenberg etc.): "The Green Odyssey" by Philip Jose Farmer.
    13. Re:12 uW/cm^2 isn't much by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      1kb is pretty large for the type of applications we are talking about here and it is more likely that something like LoRa or Sigfox would be used rather than Bluetooth.

    14. Re:12 uW/cm^2 isn't much by Darinbob · · Score: 1

      I'm working on stuff that needs a decade or two battery life (no recharge) and is wireless. Give it a hundred square centimeters and you're in a good range to help with this. The snag though is that temperature doesn't change a lot, but if you can store the electricity in a capacitor then it helps extend the battery life.

    15. Re: 12 uW/cm^2 isn't much by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Solar panels work off of a 5700 degree temperature differential

    16. Re:12 uW/cm^2 isn't much by Darinbob · · Score: 1

      Don't think about this in 2D like it's a solar panel. Fold it up and you can get 100 square centimeters in a compact space. Now if you can keep it generating electricity then that's great, but more likely you'll need to store up the electricity in a supercap.

    17. Re: 12 uW/cm^2 isn't much by Darinbob · · Score: 1

      Some products only need to transmit once every 20 minutes or more. The snag is that you need to receive a lot more often and that ends up being a much large power drain than transmission.

      A millisecond transmission is a snag in itself. To squeeze more data in you need more bits per second, but that also decreases range. Most independent sensors (not wired to a reciever) would want better range than bluetooth class 3.

      Still, this technology could be a good start. Low power wireless computing chips are being introduced and getting more efficient every year, once the market for such things became popular.

    18. Re:12 uW/cm^2 isn't much by bobbied · · Score: 1

      A 5C temperature gradient you can have nearly everywhere. A solar cell only works where you habe light, obviously.

      9 Degrees Fahrenheit over say half a square meter is NOT that easy to come by and isn't going to net you much energy. But my point is a solar collector might be a better choice in a lot of cases because it's a lot smaller size for the same energy. Batteries and other storage devices can take up the gaps and you'd still have size to spare. Not to mention that most temperature differentials are caused by solar heating anyway, at least the ones you would want to be using.

      --
      "File to fit, pound to insert, paint to match" - Aircraft Maintenance 101
    19. Re:12 uW/cm^2 isn't much by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Watts are described in decimal, not fraction, they not Imperial. Even the fucking Empire gave up on inches.
      12mW/m^2
      A square meter of semiconductor factory output should cost half a fortune. 8.333 m^2 /W.
      A PV cell and a rechargeable battery will be smaller and cost millions less.
       

    20. Re:12 uW/cm^2 isn't much by iggymanz · · Score: 1

      researchers often have to be like IPO marketers, make big claims or the funds dry up.

    21. Re: 12 uW/cm^2 isn't much by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      9 Degrees Fahrenheit

      You will be first against the wall.

    22. Re:12 uW/cm^2 isn't much by AmiMoJo · · Score: 1

      Solar is the default option because it's cheap and pretty good, but often you want to put sensors in places where there isn't much light. Inside buildings, underground (there is a lot of infrastructure down there), underwater, in permanently shadowed areas etc.

      In those cases a small thermal gradient might now provide enough energy to do something useful. And 5C is only the lower limit, often there is a much larger gradient available if you have things like running water.

      --
      const int one = 65536; (Silvermoon, Texture.cs)
      SJW, n: "Someone I don't like, and by the way I'm a fuckwit" - AC
  3. I already charge my smartwatch while jogging. by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 3, Funny

    I just leave it at home on the charger.

    1. Re:I already charge my smartwatch while jogging. by Anonymous Coward · · Score: -1

      I do it this way.

    2. Re:I already charge my smartwatch while jogging. by Darinbob · · Score: 1

      I do even better, I left mine at the store.

  4. Just like that episode of Seinfeld. by Anonymous Coward · · Score: -1

    Elaine moaned happily as she faked her orgasm, clenching down around Marlon's cock with her cunt.

    - Men are such idiots, - she thought smugly as she watched him stiffen and shoot his sperm into his condom, - Tighten your pussy a couple of times and they think they've given you the fuck of the century. -

    Elaine usually came with Marlon, but today she just hadn't been into it and really just wanted to watch Letterman, so she faked it.

    "Wow!" gasped Marlon, pushing forward a couple more times, his admittedly large cock pushing apart her cunt,"Some fuck, huh?"

    "Oooh yeah baby, you're the greatest," she moaned back at him.

    He slowly pulled out and flopped onto his back, his cock was slightly softened, and had fallen back onto his belly, it looked like a little blind man in a slicker and Elaine stifled a giggle, if there was one thing men hated it was to be laughed at when they were naked.

    "Say, wanna watch Letterman?" she asked him, picking up the remote control.

    "Yeah, whatever," he moaned, like most men Marlon lost interest in everything just after sex.

    She flicked it on, Letterman was introducing his first guest of the evening, Jennifer Love Hewitt.

    "Man, she's hot," muttered Marlon through half-closed eyelids.

    "Hmmm?" asked Elaine.

    "I love women with big tits," he whispered, half asleep now.

    Elaine grinned,"Then you must love me!"

    Marlon looked over at her with an almost disinterested look, he rolled over and muttered something before dropping off.

    "Huh!" muttered Elaine, losing interest in Letterman.

    -

    "What's with the water?" asked Jerry.

    "What?" replied George, a phony grin on his face,"A guy can't drink water?"

    "That's like your seventh glass of water since we got in here."

    George looked a little embarassed,"Ummm... I... I'm keeping myself hydrated."

    "Uuhhhh, Georgie Porgie on a fitness kick?" laughed Jerry, just loud enough so people around them could hear. He knew George hated people to think he was insecure about his health and fitness, even though he was.

    "What's wrong with keeping in shape?"

    Jerry raised an eyebrow,"I think you left being in shape behind in grade school."

    George snorted.

    "So anyway," he said,"I heard that you gotta drink sixty cups of water a day to keep hydrated... man! sixty! No wonder I'm in such bad shape, I haven't been getting enough water!"

    "Yeah, that's the reason," Jerry murmured.

    Elaine entered the cafe.

    "Lainee!" cried Jerry.

    "Hmmmph," Elaine hmmmphed, sitting down next to Jerry.

    "What's the problem?" asked Jerry, but before she could reply George interrupted.

    "The water jug is empty... is it to much to ask they kept it full?"

    "Yeah George," grunted Elaine, rolling her eyes,"It real high on their list of priorities."

    "I'm going to get some more, you gotta have sixty cups of water a day you know."

    He got up and walked to the counter, Elaine turned to look at Jerry.

    "Sixty cups? Shouldn't that be six tea cups?"

    Jerry smiled, thin and sardonic,"Shhhh, this is more fun than telling him."

    George returned, he poured himself a glass of water and sat down, as he took his first sip he glanced at his watch.

    "Oh wow!" he said, putting the glass down,"I have to meet Linda at her work, I gotta go."

    He stood up and grabbed the glass, bringing it to his lips he threw his head back and swallowed it all down, thumped it on to the table and walked out with a brief wave at the two of them.

    "I guess that's a loser's idea of a kegger?" Elaine commented,"Hey, what's Linda like, he's been going out with her for nearly a month now... for us that's huge."

    "Yeah, he's been saying he's gotten really comfortable with her, so I think we know what's next...."

    "Yep, he's gonna dump her."

    "Exactly!"

    The waitress finally realized that Elaine had arrived and came to take her order, she got a slice of apple pie.

    "

  5. Trump will die in Federal Prison by Anonymous Coward · · Score: -1

    Temperature is not a factor in Trump dying in Federal prison, a traitor.

    1. Re:Trump will die in Federal Prison by Anonymous Coward · · Score: -1

      Temperature is not a factor in Trump dying in Federal prison, a traitor.

      But it is if Hillary get's her due?

    2. Re:Trump will die in Federal Prison by Rick+Schumann · · Score: 5, Insightful

      You don't want Trump to die. You want Trump to live a long, healthy life, completely and totally discredited and disgraced, and never forgotten as the liar, cheat, and villian that he is. You want him to be a constant reminder to everyone of all the evil selfish destructive things he's done, and be punished for it until his last breath is drawn, and then only when he's died of purely natural causes and is put in the ground (face down, preferably), forever immortalized in the history books as the worst president the United States has ever had, an example to all future candidates of what not to be when you're sitting in the Oval Office, and a warning to future generations of the GOP.

    3. Re:Trump will die in Federal Prison by Anonymous Coward · · Score: -1

      "You don't want Trump to die." -It's out of my normal sized hands, Trump is extremely mortal and full of toxic dogshit flowing through his bitch veins. He'll die before his multiple state prison terms even begin. #Stupid traitor problems.

      Discredited, check. Already done. The prison sentences, plural, will be the cherry on that sundae. Then we round up and hang his treasonous faggot supporters one by one until America is great again. Killing Nazis is God's work.

      No one will forget what a retarded, daughter-touching, ridiculous tiny-dick Trump's obese orange DNA coiled into. No one will ever forget America's worst POTUS, Donald Prison Jumpsuit Drumpf

    4. Re:Trump will die in Federal Prison by nwaack · · Score: -1, Troll

      You don't want Trump to die. You want Trump to live a long, healthy life, completely and totally discredited and disgraced, and never forgotten as the liar, cheat, and villian that he is. You want him to be a constant reminder to everyone of all the evil selfish destructive things he's done, and be punished for it until his last breath is drawn, and then only when he's died of purely natural causes and is put in the ground (face down, preferably), forever immortalized in the history books as the worst president the United States has ever had, an example to all future candidates of what not to be when you're sitting in the Oval Office, and a warning to future generations of the GOP.

      Somewhat amazingly, Trump Derangement Syndrome seems to be a real thing. Seeing these types of posts basically proves it.

    5. Re:Trump will die in Federal Prison by Anonymous Coward · · Score: -1

      Man and I thought I was delusional... you guys are still out here talking about this a year later. It's like stumbling upon a dead civilization.

    6. Re:Trump will die in Federal Prison by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Careful not to cut yourself on all that edge!

    7. Re:Trump will die in Federal Prison by SuricouRaven · · Score: 1

      If Trump dies, Pence gets in. His policy positions are almost identical, as both strictly follow the Republican platform. Pence would at least be more stable though, and less inclined to insult rivals and national leaders on twitter.

    8. Re:Trump will die in Federal Prison by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      I feel exactly the same way about the United States.

    9. Re:Trump will die in Federal Prison by Rick+Schumann · · Score: 1

      Somewhat amazingly, Trump Derangement Syndrome seems to be a real thing. Seeing these types of posts basically proves it.

      You're completely and totally correct, and I agree with you 100%: Donald Trump is in fact deranged. There really needs to be psychological vetting of candidates for public office so we don't get crazies in positions of power.

    10. Re:Trump will die in Federal Prison by Rick+Schumann · · Score: 1

      Word has it actually that Pence is worse than Trump in significant ways since he's notably a Dominionist and would ruthlessly enforce Fundamentalist Christian agendas and not give a fuck about anyone else. Trump seems to want to drag us back socially to the 1940's; Pence would drag us all the way back to the pre-Renaissance era socially.

    11. Re:Trump will die in Federal Prison by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Hopefully science can find a suitably sized suppository by 2020. TDS is going be become an issue of epic proportions.

    12. Re:Trump will die in Federal Prison by SuricouRaven · · Score: 1

      Yet that's somehow still preferable to a president who is just one snappy decision away from starting WW3.

    13. Re:Trump will die in Federal Prison by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      It might also be that he isn't entirely shameless.
      If it is at all possible that he feels the slightest awkward when called out on his lies then it is a huge step up.

      You can't reason with someone who doesn't believe in words.

    14. Re:Trump will die in Federal Prison by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      We're going to put trump on mount rushmore after he brings peace to the middle east and north korea.

      And we're not going to listen to you while you bitch ever again.

    15. Re:Trump will die in Federal Prison by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      ...forever immortalized in the history books as the worst president the United States has ever had, an example to all future candidates of what not to be when you're sitting in the Oval Office, and a warning to future generations of the GOP.

      Somewhat amazingly, Trump Derangement Syndrome seems to be a real thing. Seeing these types of posts basically proves it.

      One thing Trump and his people do successfully is project. People that don't like trump are of course "biased", "unreasonable", "kooks", "deranged","uncivil" etc,etc. One we have heard a lot is "13 angry democrats" as if being angry and/or being a democrat automatically invalidates your opinion and skill set. Trump Derangement Syndrome is of course another one. It is a way for to dismiss anyone who doesn't support the dear leader.

      Trump is old. If he died of natural causes early, well I'd consider it a benefit to the country. The point of him serving as a warning, I'm just not sure it will really work. He is without a doubt the worst president in history as near as I can tell, and I believe the early polls of historians agree. Republicans facilitate it though, partly because they are afraid of him, partly because many are not very good people. Some, including many who voted for him, are part of the great Faustian bargain, which seems to be about Trump being okay if he makes the right appointment to the supreme court so they can ban abortions.

      This kind of thing is why I could never be a republican. You can't take a principled stand to protect life and support the taking away of birth control benefits, to prevent unwanted pregnancies, or going along with family separations at the border.

    16. Re:Trump will die in Federal Prison by mark_reh · · Score: 1

      I expect to die chained to a wall in one of the secret dungeons at Mar-a-Lago, right between Bobby DeNiro and John Stewart.

    17. Re:Trump will die in Federal Prison by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Well their Faustian bargain has made its next dividend.

      How much evil is justified to deny a woman the right to make decisions about her own body?

      Apparently quite a lot. Note also that he chose a guy, again. I think his apparent misogyny is actual misogyny and not just an evil tool to manipulate base. He previously stated that eliminating Roe is the goal, and picked from a candidate on that likely list. The right to an abortion should not be eliminated by 5 men, but it probably will be, if not immediately then death by a thousand cuts.

    18. Re:Trump will die in Federal Prison by jwhyche · · Score: 2

      Plus that Pence is a political insider and doesn't have any of the baggage that Trump carries with him. He knows how to talk politics with out antagonizing his rivals. He is true political animal unlike Trump is.

      And that makes him 10 times more dangerous. All the mistakes we are seeing from Trump people with TDS want to attribute to Trump being mentally addled. Which isn't the case, they are simply the mistakes of a political novice. Pence will not make those mistakes.

      Since Pence's policy positions are the same as the Republican party, he has a much greater chance to pull them off. To make it worse Pence thinks he on a mission from God to put women back in the kitchen and gays back in the closet.

      Trump dying or being removed from office will be the worse thing that could happen.

      --
      I read at +2. If your post doesn't reach that level I will not see or respond to it.
    19. Re:Trump will die in Federal Prison by jwhyche · · Score: 2

      Yet that's somehow still preferable to a president who is just one snappy decision away from starting WW3

      Which won't happen. Contrary to popular myth there is no "Big Red" button that Trump can push to start WWIII. Outside of a retaliatory strike where nuclear weapons are first used against the US or her alias, the first use of nuclear weapons by the US government is a complex process that requires several levels of cooperation within the armed forces.

      It was done this way to prevent just such a scenario as people with TDS like to envision about Trump rolling out of bed and pressing the "big red button."

      --
      I read at +2. If your post doesn't reach that level I will not see or respond to it.
    20. Re:Trump will die in Federal Prison by SuricouRaven · · Score: 1

      He doesn't have to press a button. He is Commander in Chief. There are plenty of things he could do to start a war. It's easy for a small regional conflict to grow, pulling in allies on both sides. That's how WWI got started.

      The North Korea powderkeg, for one. His attitude has been unstable - he used to deliberately antagonise the leadership with twitter barbs like 'little rocketman,' then he moved on to proclaiming himself a dealmaker and negotiating the very rough outline of an agreement. If tensions flare up a bit more once again he could easily order an attack, which would result in NK retaliating against SK, and China joining in to defend their own interests in keeping a big buffer area between them and any American allies and inevitable escalation.

    21. Re:Trump will die in Federal Prison by jwhyche · · Score: 2

      Which probably won't happen. Unlike is predecessors, Trump has shown a reluctance to use military force as a first response. It is very doubtful that Trump would order any such attack against NK. More likely things would simply resort to the status quo.

      I know the TDS infect media has so many people quaking in their boots about Trump starting WWIII but you should just ignore such scare tactics. We are doing just fine.

      --
      I read at +2. If your post doesn't reach that level I will not see or respond to it.
    22. Re:Trump will die in Federal Prison by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Just dump him at sea like bin laden. You don't want to create a shrine for those kinds of people.

    23. Re:Trump will die in Federal Prison by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Trump dying or being removed from office will be the worse thing that could happen, appart from giving him another 4 years...

    24. Re:Trump will die in Federal Prison by drinkypoo · · Score: 1

      Since Pence's policy positions are the same as the Republican party, he has a much greater chance to pull them off.

      Nonsense. Trump's policy positions are the same as the Republican party's wet dreams; you can tell this is true because they have consistently supported him. The reason Pence has a greater chance to pull off anything is that he seems more reasonable to many people than the commander of cheese. That means he'll be able to fool many moderates (aka fence-sitters) into believing that he is more reasonable than Trump.

      --
      "You're right," Fisheye says. "I should have set it on 'whip' or 'chop.'"
    25. Re:Trump will die in Federal Prison by SuricouRaven · · Score: 1

      Which probably won't happen. Probably. Are you happy with a president so fickle that the best we can say is that he probably won't start a major war?

  6. Signals processing for detection of temp gradients by WillAffleckUW · · Score: 1

    This is a very useful signal detection implementation for low temperature gradients, useful in monitoring range fluctuations, and is obviously not useful for power generation beyond that needed to drive monitoring circuitry and software to communicate those gradient changes.

    More like for nuclear power plants or battery cells with temperature operation limitations, or for use in industrial and commercial processes, where you need to run a resin at a specific temperature range to cure it before you apply it.

    Kudos! Good job!

    --
    -- Tigger warning: This post may contain tiggers! --
  7. 12 Microwatts/cm2 is insultingly useless by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    This article is an insult to the intelligence of readers implying that there is meaningful technology here, but if their greatest claim is 0.000012 Watts per CM2 @ 5C/9F temperature difference than this technology is dead on arrival. It's functionally useless and definitely doesn't deserve slashdot time...

    1. Re: 12 Microwatts/cm2 is insultingly useless by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      I don't think you know what you're talking about. A typical low power MPU only needs 330 microwatts. So if it runs at a 100:1 duty cycle or better, you have power to spare for the bluetooth transmitter.

    2. Re: 12 Microwatts/cm2 is insultingly useless by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      You may be right that I definitely didn't see a use case here. I'm willing to own my ignorance too.

      How much power does a bluetooth transmitter use/need? I'm assuming you aren't simply processing random numbers. How much power would the sensor you are running need?

      Lets assume a 20cm by 20cm surface for thermoelectric generation. With 400 * 12 microwatts/cm2 or 48,000 microwatts or .048 watts what use cases are you seeing?

    3. Re: 12 Microwatts/cm2 is insultingly useless by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      You seem to be missing the fact that these loads aren't constant. Bluetooth operates at 100 mW, a thousand times more power than this technology delivers. But that doesn't mean you can't use it because if you only transmit for one millisecond out of each second, that's a 1000:1 duty cycle. You simply charge a capacitor for a second, and then burst the data. If you make that one transmission every 2 seconds, then you have plenty of power to run the MPU and the bluetooth transmitter. These technologies use nanowatts while they are in standby.

  8. Anything USEFUL from this tech? by geekmux · · Score: 1, Interesting

    "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...

    1. Re:Anything USEFUL from this tech? by 110010001000 · · Score: 0

      Is your watch smart? Does it connect to Facebook and Twitter? It doesn't? That is a problem.

    2. Re:Anything USEFUL from this tech? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1

      They might say they use their watch for telling the time about as often as they use their cell phone for making phone calls.

    3. Re:Anything USEFUL from this tech? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Is your watch smart? Does it connect to Facebook and Twitter? It doesn't? That is a problem.

      The hell it is. It's a primary feature.

    4. Re:Anything USEFUL from this tech? by Darinbob · · Score: 1

      Not connecting to Facebook and Twitter might be a feature that people are willing to pay less for!

  9. Great a solid state Stirling engine alternative. by technosaurus · · Score: 1

    Way less efficient than a low temperature differential Stirling, but plenty of room for improvement. It could also use the coldness of space as the heat sink using some new tech... can't find the link at the moment, but there was a TED talk on it.

  10. 9F by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    That's 9F for us US folk. A discernible but small amount.

  11. Doesn't take much by foxalopex · · Score: 3, Interesting

    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.

    1. Re: Doesn't take much by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      My solar Casio Waveceptor is going on 15 years and the battery (it's actually a capacitor) is still going strong. I love it. These watches were so good they stopped making them.

    2. Re:Doesn't take much by Walking+The+Walk · · Score: 1
      My Citizen WR 100 SolarTech will be 19 years old in September, and still works wonderfully. It doesn't have atomic time sync, but keeps time accurately enough that there's no drift during the 6 months between Daylight Saving settings.

      Another poster mentioned his uses a capacitor not a battery - I'm not an electrical engineer, but don't capacitors drain faster and have a voltage drop-off as they drain? My watch keeps time even without charging - I can leave it in a drawer for 2 months and it's still going smoothly with the correct time when I pull it out. I always assumed that meant it had a reasonably sized rechargeable battery?

      --
      A recursive sig
      Can impart wisdom and truth
      Call proc signature()
    3. Re:Doesn't take much by Walking+The+Walk · · Score: 1

      I decided to google it, apparently there's an entire Wikipedia article on the Eco-Drive watches (I forgot that was the name of the range my model belongs to.) According to the article and its references, it has a secondary battery that will live 20 to 40 years.

      --
      A recursive sig
      Can impart wisdom and truth
      Call proc signature()
  12. High Power? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    Relative to what?

  13. Even more interested... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    In finishing the Korean War though.

    Which very well could be this generation's catalyst event for the next World War.

  14. Re:Great a solid state Stirling engine alternative by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    It could also use the coldness of space as the heat sink

    Space is a terrible heat sink. Just ask the closest Yeti mug or Thermos.

  15. The Matrix by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    Next comes the Matrix

  16. Charging while jogging by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    Thatâ(TM)s been around for over 200 years.

  17. Charge your watch during your morning jog someday by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    Hahahahahahahaha!!!!!! ROFL. That sentence doesn't really fit the Slashdot audience.

  18. High-Power Thermoelectric Guitar by Trogre · · Score: 1

    I gotta go to bed.

    --
    "Nine times out of ten, starting a fire is not the best way to solve the problem." - my wife
  19. Uh, it's already been done by an amateur by mark_reh · · Score: 1

    see: https://hackaday.com/2018/07/0...

    1. Re:Uh, it's already been done by an amateur by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Too bad these researchers didn't consult you. I'm sure they had no idea that peltier junctions existed.

  20. Sensational reporting.... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    Lets put this into perspective:

    An arduino uses about 100mW. So this 1cm2 square device can power 1/8000th of an arduino! High power indeed!

    So, you need about a square meter of this stuff to power an arduino.

    1. Re: Sensational reporting.... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Or you need to run your arduino for one millisecond out of every eight seconds. Let me guess, you're not an engineer?

  21. Your deep in the tank for trump by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    He's the only President who casually makes nuclear threats against his enemies. (on twitter no less).

    1. Re:Your deep in the tank for trump by jwhyche · · Score: 2

      He's the only President who casually makes nuclear threats against his enemies. (on twitter no less).

      Which directly lead to NK coming to the negotiation table, which lead to a end of the Korean War, which lead to a path to disarming NK of its nuclear weapons. Not bad for a few tweets.

      --
      I read at +2. If your post doesn't reach that level I will not see or respond to it.
    2. Re:Your deep in the tank for trump by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Because they never played any other presidents to get what they want have they...

  22. Trump hasn't done any of that by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    You misspelt, 'China ramped up the sanctions'.