Latest Thermoelectric materials Stories

Thermoelectric materials can be used to turn waste heat into electricity or to provide refrigeration without any liquid coolants, and a research team from the University of Michigan has found a way to nearly double the efficiency of a particular class of them that's made with organic semiconductors. Organic semiconductors are carbon-rich compounds that are relatively cheap, abundant, lightweight and tough. But they haven't traditionally been considered candidate thermoelectric materials...

Findings explain unusual properties, but complicate search for universal theory Over the last quarter century, scientists have discovered a handful of materials that can be converted from magnetic insulators or metals into "superconductors" able to carry electrical current with no energy loss-an enormously promising idea for new types of zero-resistance electronics and energy-storage and transmission systems. At present, a key step to achieving superconductivity (in addition to keeping the...

EIC Solutions, Inc., now offers a heating option for EIC thermoelectric air conditioners used in their electronic/electrical enclosures. For applications in deserts and other environments with wide variations in temperature, the addition of the EIC heater assures protection of devices and electronics that are sensitive not only to heat and cold, but also to condensation and the resulting danger of corrosion. The heater is fully integrated into the air conditioning unit and control system...

April Flowers for redOrbit.com - Your Universe Online A team of Michigan State University researchers has developed a new thermoelectric material – a material which converts waste heat into useful electricity – by using common materials found pretty much anywhere dirt is present. This is an important discovery, the team says, because the vast majority of heat that is generated in energy production is lost. Take for example a car engine, the vast majority of heat generated is lost...

Northwestern University scientists have developed a thermoelectric material that is the best in the world at converting waste heat to electricity. This is very good news once you realize nearly two-thirds of energy input is lost as waste heat. The material could signify a paradigm shift. The inefficiency of current thermoelectric materials has limited their commercial use. Now, with a very environmentally stable material that is expected to convert 15 to 20 percent of waste heat to useful...