3 ms·
Wonder how useful this might be for space travel. Spaceships are essentially thermos bottles (metal tube surrounded by vacuum). So lots of surface with large
by pkilgore 8y ago
Wonder how useful this might be for space travel.
Spaceships are essentially thermos bottles (metal tube surrounded by vacuum).
So lots of surface with large temperature differences.
- vinceguidry 8y agoA temp difference doesn't really exist when one of the substances is vacuum. Without an actual material for the energy to flow into, all heat loss happens radiatively. Which definitely can be captured, just not with this sort of technique.
- gus_massa 8y agoThe external temperature is the 3K level of the cosmic background radiation. The external wall emits radiation but also absorbs radiation. Probably the problem of this application is that it's much better to have very good insulation in the walls than to try to capture the escaping heat and try to use it for something useful as heating.