The Rice University scientists are designing arrays of aligned single-wall carbon nanotubes to channel mid-infrared radiation (i-e heat) and greatly raise the efficiency of solar energy systems.
Their invention is a hyperbolic thermal emitter that can absorb intense heat that would otherwise be spewed into the atmosphere, squeeze it into a narrow bandwidth and emit it as light that can be turned into electricity.
About 20% of our industrial energy consumption is waste heat. That’s about three years of electricity just for the state of Texas. That’s a lot of energy being wasted.
Conversion Efficiency of current systems of turning heat into electricity is low. And implementhing such systems e.g Turbines is difficult.
This breakthrough invention can effectively use the waste heat .
Instead of going from heat directly to electricity, this new approach goes from heat to light to electricity.
The Rice University simulation shows an array of cavities patterned into a film of aligned carbon nanotubes. When optimized, the film absorbs thermal photons and emits light in a narrow bandwidth that can be recycled as electricity
The researchers are saying
News Source: Rice University
