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View Full Version : The Direct Conversion of Heat to Electricity Using Multiferroic Alloys



osoab
15th July 2011, 07:15 PM
U of M researchers discover new ‘green’ electricity source (http://kstp.com/article/stories/s2167898.shtml)




University of Minnesota engineering researchers may be changing the way we create electricity.

The researchers, part of the College of Science and Engineering, have recently discovered a new alloy material that converts heat directly into electricity.


Although the method needs more development, it could be a new way to generate “green” electricity because it creates it from waste heat sources.


According to researchers, one way the alloy material could be used is by capturing heat from a car’s exhaust, then converting the heat into electricity that could be used to charge the battery in a hybrid car.


Researchers are also figuring out if they could capture heat from power plants or temperature differences in the ocean to create electricity.


This way of making electricity would create no carbon dioxide, according to U of M aerospace engineering and mechanics professor Richard James. He said is method for conversion has never been done before.


The material was created by combining elements to create the alloy Ni45Oc5Mn40Sn10.


Team members were Vijay Srivastava, Kanwal Bhatti, Yintao Song and James.

pdf file

The Direct Conversion of Heat to Electricity Using
Multiferroic Alloys (http://kstp.com/kstpImages/repository/cs/files/Alloy.pdf)