Michael Foster wrote: > > Jones wrote: > > > By "work" are you saying the efficiency is equal or better than > > that of a seebeck TE device? > > No, I just don't know yet. But I am saying that an electric > current can be generated in a heat pipe by evaporation and > condensation of a fluid. The charge at the condenser end of > the thing is several kV. It's basically a heat driven Van de > Graaff. Obviously, if the condenser had a capacitor attached > to it, the coulombs could be collected at a much lower and > more useful voltage. I have yet to make any measurements of > either the heat used or the current generated, nor have I attempted > to optimize anything in this contraption. I did this just > for my own amusement, because I am compulsively fascinated with > electrostatic phenomena. > > > There guys would already be richer than Gates if they could have > > lived up to the promise of a production unit at 20-25% - as this > > would effectively eliminate the ICE. > > I've been following all the TE research with great interest. > > > There will be *tremendous interest* not just here but everywhere > > for anyone who can get the efficiency of direct conversion of > > low-to-medium grade heat significantly higher than the currently > > available seebeck diodes. > > > Jones > > I wouldn't be too sure about that. People, especially scientists > and engineers, tend to ignore simple low-capital solutions to > problems, in favor of high-tech, expensive research projects with > lots of impressive terminology and microprocessors attached. > > M. > Right you are, Michael.
According to T.V. Prevenslik's article in the ESD Journal the effect has been around for almost two centuries:: http://www.esdjournal.com/techpapr/prevens/article.htm "In the 1840's, steam boilers were commonplace in England. At Seghill, Newcastle on Tyne, steam happened to leak through a cement seal around the safety valve on a boiler. When a workman placed his hand in the steam while his other hand was on the lever of the valve, a spark discharge occurred and the workman received a electrical shock, the so called Seghill incident gaining much publicity." Actually, a gravity-return "heat pipe" is any pipe (or reflux tube) that has condensed steam/vapor in it that can return to the boiler/evaporator. What can be simpler/cheaper, than a piece of 4 inch diameter PVC pipe, a couple of sauce pans, and some wood ashes mixed in water from the creek next to Jones' wilderness cave, running a heat-to-electricity converter sitting atop his pot-bellied stove, powering his wireless laptop? :-) Frederick
