Quote:
Originally Posted by Bicycle Bob
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One-year-old Alphabet Energy develops “thermoelectrics” for waste heat recovery — semiconductor materials that generate electricity when you make one side hot and the other side cold. The startup says it can create them at a cost 50 times cheaper than existing materials, and at around $1 per watt for industries such as heavy manufacturing, automotive, aerospace and power generation (see our list of 7 Startups Building Green Car Tech for a Pre-Electric World).
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I'm pretty sure their energy yield is still a function of dT between the hot and cold sides. Still, I wouldn't look a 'gift horse in the mouth.'
I'm a little more excited about absorption cycle chillers. IMHO, exhaust temperatures look like they would be a good match for a 2,500-5,000 BTU cooling system. In the volume of a car, it would be a nice way to cool cabins. No moving parts if designed right (and the car isn't rolled.)
Bob Wilson