New materials offer solutions to energy production challenges

New materials will have a central role in many of the energy applications of the future. For instance, inexpensive and environmentally friendly thermoelectric materials will be capable of converting waste heat into electricity ...

'Invisible' particles could enhance thermoelectric devices

Thermoelectric devices—which can either generate an electric current from a difference in temperature or use electricity to produce heating or cooling without moving parts—have been explored in the laboratory since the ...

Nanocrystal-coated fibers might reduce wasted energy

(Phys.org) -- Researchers are developing a technique that uses nanotechnology to harvest energy from hot pipes or engine components to potentially recover energy wasted in factories, power plants and cars.

Temperature differences give rise to electricity

More than half of today's energy consumption is squandered in useless waste heat, such as the heat from refrigerators and all sorts of gadgets and the heat from factories and power plants. The energy losses are even greater ...

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