Eco Factor: Thermocell to generate electricity from waste heat.
Apart from developing technology to harvest abundant solar and wind energy, there are a few researchers who are concentrating on waste materials, such as heat, which can be tapped to generate renewable electricity. Researchers at the University of Texas at Dallas have come up with a concept that could generate electricity from waste heat coming out of exhaust pipes.
Unlike conventional thermocells that are made using expensive platinum electrodes, these researchers have replicated the technology using inexpensive carbon nanotubes electrodes, since they pack a huge surface area into a tiny volume to allow electrons to transfer quickly between the electrolyte and the electrodes.
The basic design is simple, with one electrode positioned at the hot end and the other at the cold end with a chemical mix in between. The thermocells, which can be wrapped around exhaust pipes of cars and be used in chemical factories can then generate electricity from heat that is usually emitted into the atmosphere. During tests, the research team generated electricity with an electrode temperature difference of 60 degrees Celsius, which was produce at the cost of $5.14 per watt.
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