Two different university research teams have come up with solutions to the problem of all that extra energy that electronics convert into waste heat. (So far, the only use scientists have up with is keeping your lap warm with your laptop.)
Caltech researchers have created a silicon nanomesh (seen at right) that traps heat packets by turning them into phonons (packets of vibration) and transforming them into electricity. Theoretically, this could be used as a net to pull in waste heat and divert it back to a computer’s power source, improving electrical efficiency.
Ohio State University researchers, on the other hand, are working in the field of Spintronics, that is using spinning electrons to record and playback data. Back in 2008, researchers at Japan’s Tohoku University used metal to convert heat into the energy used to spin electrons for this process. OSU has reworked the process using the superconductor gallium manganese, which is better suited for computers. This means that waste heat could be used to actually improve the processing power and memory of a spintronic computer. So…no more warm laps.
[Gizmag]
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So two university teams create two materials that can directly or as close to directly convert heat into electricity sorta like a heat based version of a solar panel and there idea of its general use is to collect the waste heat generated by computers…..instead of o i don’t know say build a couple of miles long of this material and drill it underground down where its hot much hotter than a computer and hay look free electricity.
But naaa thats just crazy talk.
Jason, I’m going to guess that a “nanomesh” of silicon for the application you are suggesting is cost prohibitive. Also, the electricity generated in the articles is being captured to be used within the computer… little transfer distance, no storage… it’s like the concept of a turbocharger in a car (which uses exhaust to generate more power). It’s enough power to capture it and use it on the spot, but not enough to store it to use elsewhere.