Scientists at the Vienna Univ. of Technology (TU Wien) have developed the most efficient thermoelectric material to date.
Thermoelectric materials convert heat into electricity through a phenomenon called the Seebeck effect. Applying a temperature gradient to the material establishes an electrical field, i.e., a voltage created by the distribution of electrons.
“If you have a copper wire, and you heat one end with a lighter, on the opposite end of the wire you will establish some voltage,” says Ernst Bauer, a researcher at TU Wien. “The higher temperature at one end creates electricity — you cannot create energy, but you can transform it from one form into another form, from heat to voltage. This is the Seebeck effect.”...
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