4 ms·

Generating Power on Earth from the Coldness of Deep Space

31 points by mfiguiere 3y ago

throwaway81523 3y ago
This is pretty cool (pun not intended). We just have to be careful to not overuse the resource, or else we can end up with a universal warming crisis. Even worse than mere global warming.
- holycrapwhodat 3y ago
  Our universe is a closed system. We cannot change its overall heat content. We can only move heat around within it. Without tapping into another universe - which we're nowhere close to being able to even theorize about - all we have the ability to do is create a localized heating crisis within our universe.
  - pixl97 3y ago
    The universe is busy doing this itself. Eventually we use up all the low entropy states and end up in high entropy states where we can no longer extract useful energy.
  - malfist 3y ago
    In about 5 billion years, we'll have a really bad localized heating crisis in our solar system.
jbm 3y ago
I wonder what the geoengineering implications are of this technology. (I suppose we couldn't make enough of it over enough space to matter wrt global warming)
perihelions 3y ago
Relevant graph for reference: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Atmospheric_window#/media/File:Atmospheric_Transmission.svg https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Atmospheric_window#/media/File... The terrestrial blackbody curves are in the top right (labelled "210 K - 310 K"), and the filled blue curve below those is radiative emission with atmospheric absorption subtracted out. - "Within the mid-infrared range, which is where heat radiation from typical earthbound objects is concentrated, the most applicable atmospheric transmission band is in the 8- to 13-micrometer-wavelength range."
deleted 3y ago
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aaron695 3y ago
[dead]
mikewarot 3y ago
>we demonstrated 50 milliwatts per square meter of nighttime electricity generation That's compared to 200 watts you can get from a reasonable panel in that same area during a clear day. Like solar roadways, or "gravity energy storage", a good sounding idea, but not practical.
- idiotsecant 3y ago
  The article discusses the actual goal: solar power systems that make power day and night.
  - dmd 3y ago
    Covering the entire state of Massachusetts with these would generate as much power as a single nuclear plant.
    - idiotsecant 3y ago
      So? If they can be produced economically and occupy the same footprint as solar who cares about power density?
    - audunw 3y ago
      Nobody is suggesting making power plants out of these panels. So not sure why you’d have that idea. If you don’t have access to the grid, like for remote sensors and such, being able to generate just a bit of power at night can let you avoid needing an expensive battery. Don’t argue against a technology based on an application it was never intended to handle.
kristianp 3y ago
Reminds me of Trantor in Asimov's Foundation books. They had to beam heat into space with lasers if I recall correctly.
was_a_dev 3y ago
I think the direct electrical generation is a niche application and most likely a scientific curiosity. The commercial application of space cooling sounds much more exciting as a way of cooling without electricity. It would also be interesting if they could use the cooling effect to cool a working fluid and use that the run a turbine. Choose the correct working fluid that will expand at ambient. Such design may have higher energy density per area. And would work all year around.
JumpCrisscross 3y ago
“SkyCool’s Panels save 2x – 3x as much energy as a solar panel generates given the same area” [1]. [1] https://www.skycoolsystems.com/ https://www.skycoolsystems.com/

31 points by mfiguiere 3y ago

This is pretty cool (pun not intended). We just have to be careful to not overuse the resource, or else we can end up with a universal warming crisis. Even worse than mere global warming.

holycrapwhodat 3y ago
Our universe is a closed system. We cannot change its overall heat content. We can only move heat around within it. Without tapping into another universe - which we're nowhere close to being able to even theorize about - all we have the ability to do is create a localized heating crisis within our universe.
- pixl97 3y ago
  The universe is busy doing this itself. Eventually we use up all the low entropy states and end up in high entropy states where we can no longer extract useful energy.
- malfist 3y ago
  In about 5 billion years, we'll have a really bad localized heating crisis in our solar system.

jbm 3y ago

I wonder what the geoengineering implications are of this technology. (I suppose we couldn't make enough of it over enough space to matter wrt global warming)

perihelions 3y ago

Relevant graph for reference: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Atmospheric_window#/media/File:Atmospheric_Transmission.svg https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Atmospheric_window#/media/File... The terrestrial blackbody curves are in the top right (labelled "210 K - 310 K"), and the filled blue curve below those is radiative emission with atmospheric absorption subtracted out. - "Within the mid-infrared range, which is where heat radiation from typical earthbound objects is concentrated, the most applicable atmospheric transmission band is in the 8- to 13-micrometer-wavelength range."

deleted 3y ago

[deleted]

aaron695 3y ago

[dead]

mikewarot 3y ago

>we demonstrated 50 milliwatts per square meter of nighttime electricity generation That's compared to 200 watts you can get from a reasonable panel in that same area during a clear day. Like solar roadways, or "gravity energy storage", a good sounding idea, but not practical.

idiotsecant 3y ago
The article discusses the actual goal: solar power systems that make power day and night.
- dmd 3y ago
  Covering the entire state of Massachusetts with these would generate as much power as a single nuclear plant.
  - idiotsecant 3y ago
    So? If they can be produced economically and occupy the same footprint as solar who cares about power density?
  - audunw 3y ago
    Nobody is suggesting making power plants out of these panels. So not sure why you’d have that idea. If you don’t have access to the grid, like for remote sensors and such, being able to generate just a bit of power at night can let you avoid needing an expensive battery. Don’t argue against a technology based on an application it was never intended to handle.

kristianp 3y ago

Reminds me of Trantor in Asimov's Foundation books. They had to beam heat into space with lasers if I recall correctly.

was_a_dev 3y ago

I think the direct electrical generation is a niche application and most likely a scientific curiosity. The commercial application of space cooling sounds much more exciting as a way of cooling without electricity. It would also be interesting if they could use the cooling effect to cool a working fluid and use that the run a turbine. Choose the correct working fluid that will expand at ambient. Such design may have higher energy density per area. And would work all year around.

JumpCrisscross 3y ago

“SkyCool’s Panels save 2x – 3x as much energy as a solar panel generates given the same area” [1]. [1] https://www.skycoolsystems.com/ https://www.skycoolsystems.com/