An interesting potential concept for converting putative excess energy - in which there is a strong UV component - into electricity - would operate via Luminescent electrolysis with adjoining photocell recovery.
If a COP of over three should be seen, and the excess is predominantly in the ultraviolet, then it could conceivably self-power when that light is downshifted. Riight - but you never know till you try. There are 40,000 hits on google on luminescent electrolysis, but nothing directly on target -- meaning that this is either too far out-there to have been considered in the past, or possibly a novel concept. Obviously, if you did not suspect the Thermacore / Mills results were accurate, with a claimed COP of greater than 8 for a full year's run, then you would never suspect that UV could be a big factor in electrolysis. The electrolysis cell would have the geometry of a long fluorescent tube and would be positioned in a parabolic trough with additional mirroring to irradiate and array of triple junction photocells. Since this type of photocell, though expensive, can have similar and even higher efficiency than a steam cycle, this simple design makes perfect sense if UV light --> visible output from such a cell can be optimized. There is ample evidence in the literature of large UV and visible output from certain types of glow discharge and from low voltage electrolysis with proper additives to the electrolyte. One way to optimize this would be to immediately recombine H2 and O2 to produce even more light, some in the UV spectrum, than from whatever electro luminescence occurs initially. A large number of inorganic and organic compounds have been identified which luminesce after being irradiated by ultraviolet light or electrical current. This kind of luminescent substance is one which radiates visible light strongly following the action of an input of a different type, like UV or electrical current, but which does not involve an appropriate rise in temperature. The science of this field is incomplete. A big problem could be over-pressurization of the tubular cell. The output in the IR and all heat must be minimized. Not easy- but by moving the anode to the center of the tube and by making it hollow, the it can be actively cooled to remove heat from the entire tube. The cathode would be a tube of open weave "fabric" cloth - woven of thin nickel wire, adjacent to the glass tube wall. This is now on my to-do list, awaiting tomorrow's Lotto results ;-) Jones
