3 ms·

Generating useful energy from large temperature differences is old hat, though. 1.6% efficiency could be plenty for some tiny device that needs very little powe

Generating useful energy from large temperature differences is old hat, though. 1.6% efficiency could be plenty for some tiny device that needs very little power.

namibj 8y ago
Err, it's 1.6% of heat flux gets turned to electricity in a perfect device. This device is not perfect, and you are likely lucky to turn 1% of heat flux into electricity.
- mikeash 8y ago
  Sure. That could still be useful. There are many applications for a device that uses a tiny amount of power and needs to harvest it all from its environment.
  - fao_ 8y ago
    But at that point if you're near a population center, you would probably be better off scraping RF energy