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Thermoelectrics: From heat to electricity

Scientists have discovered a way to optimize thermoelectric properties in one material by exploiting the Anderson transition, where electrons move freely, enabling efficient energy conversion. This breakthrough could lead to improved performance in thermoelectric devices and applications, such as power generation and waste heat recovery.

Converting solar energy to electricity on demand

Researchers at Chalmers University of Technology have successfully converted solar energy into electricity using a thermoelectric generator. The new technology can store solar energy for up to 18 years and release it when needed, making it a promising solution for renewable energy production.

Solar cell keeps working long after sun sets

Researchers developed a photovoltaic cell that harnesses energy from temperature differences between the cell and surrounding air, generating 50 milliwatts per square meter at night. The device avoids need for batteries and can be incorporated into existing solar cells, making it suitable for remote locations with limited resources.

Apple iPhone 17 Pro

Apple iPhone 17 Pro delivers top performance and advanced cameras for field documentation, data collection, and secure research communications.

Aranet4 Home CO2 Monitor

Aranet4 Home CO2 Monitor tracks ventilation quality in labs, classrooms, and conference rooms with long battery life and clear e-ink readouts.

Thermoelectric crystal conductivity reaches a new high

Researchers at Nagoya University have discovered a Ta2PdSe6 crystal with an unprecedented large Peltier conductivity, reaching 100 A cm^-1 K^-1 at 10 K. The team attributes this to the high mobility and low concentration of holes within the crystal.

CalDigit TS4 Thunderbolt 4 Dock

CalDigit TS4 Thunderbolt 4 Dock simplifies serious desks with 18 ports for high-speed storage, monitors, and instruments across Mac and PC setups.

Berkeley Lab science snapshots

Researchers at Berkeley Lab have made significant breakthroughs in developing a highly effective COVID-19 antibody therapy and an efficient thermoelectric system that can convert waste heat to electricity. The new antibody, S309, has been shown to neutralize all known SARS-CoV-2 strains and may be more difficult for new mutants to escape.

Woven nanotube fibers turn heat into power

Researchers have developed a new material that can convert heat into energy, with potential applications in textiles and electronics. The woven nanotube fibers show promise as building blocks for fiber and textile electronics, and could also be used to cool sensitive electronics.

New material offers ecofriendly solution to converting waste heat into energy

Researchers have developed a high-performing thermoelectric material that converts heat to electricity with record-high efficiency, making it suitable for widespread industrial applications. The purified tin selenide in polycrystalline form overcomes earlier oxidation problems, enabling the production of low-cost and efficient devices.

A new 'gold standard' compound for generating electricity from heat

Researchers at Ohio State University have discovered a single compound that functions as an efficient thermoelectric generator, producing power from waste heat. The compound's unique property allows it to carry both positive and negative charges independently, generating electricity without moving parts.

SAMSUNG T9 Portable SSD 2TB

SAMSUNG T9 Portable SSD 2TB transfers large imagery and model outputs quickly between field laptops, lab workstations, and secure archives.

Current trend reversed

Researchers demonstrate controlled reversal of thermoelectric current in a tiny cloud of atoms by tuning interaction strength. This breakthrough advances the fundamental understanding of interacting quantum systems and paves the way for designing efficient thermoelectric materials.

Nontoxic, flexible energy converters could power wearable devices

Researchers at Stanford University have developed a new method to harness waste heat from wearables using nanotube-based thermoelectric generation. This technology converts uneven heat distribution into electrical energy, reducing the need for batteries and making wearable devices more sustainable.

GoPro HERO13 Black

GoPro HERO13 Black records stabilized 5.3K video for instrument deployments, field notes, and outreach, even in harsh weather and underwater conditions.

Better metric for thermoelectric materials means better design strategies

Researchers from Tokyo Metropolitan University developed a new quantity to measure the dimensionality of thermoelectric nanomaterials. This metric varies differently with conductivity for 1D, 2D, and 3D systems, providing clear distinctions in how it changes, agreement with theoretical predictions.

Uranium compound achieves record anomalous Nernst conductivity

A new research study has demonstrated that a magnetic uranium compound can have strong thermoelectric properties, generating up to four times the transverse voltage from heat as previous records. This discovery unlocks a new potential for the actinide elements and points to a fresh direction in research on topological quantum materials.

Demonstration of unconventional transverse thermoelectric generation

Researchers at NIMS demonstrated a record-high transverse thermopower using a composite of thermoelectric and magnetic materials. The hybrid structure generated +82 μV/K positive and -41 μV/K negative thermopowers, more than 10 times larger than the previous highest recorded thermopower.

Sony Alpha a7 IV (Body Only)

Sony Alpha a7 IV (Body Only) delivers reliable low-light performance and rugged build for astrophotography, lab documentation, and field expeditions.

Reduced heat leakage improves wearable health device

Researchers at North Carolina State University have developed a flexible thermoelectric generator that converts body heat into electrical energy with improved efficiency. The device achieves significant reductions in heat leakage, resulting in higher output power density figures compared to previous versions.

New wearable device turns the body into a battery

Researchers at the University of Colorado Boulder developed a low-cost wearable device that turns the human body into a biological battery. The device generates electricity by converting body heat into thermoelectric energy, making it a potential power source for wearable electronics.

Davis Instruments Vantage Pro2 Weather Station

Davis Instruments Vantage Pro2 Weather Station offers research-grade local weather data for networked stations, campuses, and community observatories.

Garmin GPSMAP 67i with inReach

Garmin GPSMAP 67i with inReach provides rugged GNSS navigation, satellite messaging, and SOS for backcountry geology and climate field teams.

Energy harvesting made possible with skin temperature

Researchers developed flexible thermoelectric devices that can generate electricity from human skin temperature, overcoming limitations of existing rigid devices. The new technology allows for mass production of wearable devices with high power generation performance, solving the power-source issue for battery-based sensor systems.

UMBC team reveals possibilities of new one-atom-thick materials

New computational research by UMBC's Can Ataca and Daniel Wines predicts desirable properties of new 2D materials, saving experimental researchers time and money. The study focuses on group III nitrides, identifying stable alloys with tunable electric and thermoelectric properties.

Apple MacBook Pro 14-inch (M4 Pro)

Apple MacBook Pro 14-inch (M4 Pro) powers local ML workloads, large datasets, and multi-display analysis for field and lab teams.

Converting waste heat to usable power

A UVA-led research team designs and manufactures thermoelectric devices with increased efficiency and reduced costs. They employ additive manufacturing and advanced materials science techniques to bridge the gap between material performance and device efficiency.

Clemson researchers decode thermal conductivity with light

A team of Clemson researchers and international scientists have discovered a new way to measure thermoelectric material properties by using light. This breakthrough could lead to the creation of more efficient thermoelectric materials with higher zT values, which convert heat energy into useful electric energy.

Energy-harvesting plastics pass the acid test

A KAUST team engineered self-powered devices using a conducting polymer containing PEDOT:PSS chains, which exhibited improved thermoelectric behavior. The researchers discovered that polyethylenimine coating enhanced the device's lifetime and energy harvesting capabilities.

Boundaries no barrier for thermoelectricity

Researchers at Rice University found that electricity generated by temperature differences in gold nanowires is not affected by grain boundaries, contrary to previous assumptions. This discovery could enable the detection of crystalline defects using a novel optical detection system.

AmScope B120C-5M Compound Microscope

AmScope B120C-5M Compound Microscope supports teaching labs and QA checks with LED illumination, mechanical stage, and included 5MP camera.

Researchers design efficient low-cost system for producing power at night

Researchers have designed an off-grid, low-cost modular energy source that can efficiently produce power at night. The rooftop radiative cooling system uses commercially available technology and can generate up to 2.2 Watts per square meter, enough to power sensors in security or environmental applications.

ORNL-produced plutonium-238 to help power perseverance on Mars

The Oak Ridge National Laboratory's production of ORNL-produced plutonium-238 enables the Perseverance rover to power its journey across Mars. The lab has been consistently increasing its Pu-238 production capabilities, aiming to produce 1.5 kilograms per year by 2026.

Apple Watch Series 11 (GPS, 46mm)

Apple Watch Series 11 (GPS, 46mm) tracks health metrics and safety alerts during long observing sessions, fieldwork, and remote expeditions.

Flexible material shows potential for use in fabrics to heat, cool

A new study by North Carolina State University researchers found a flexible material made of tiny carbon nanotubes that can heat or cool the wearer on demand. The material has a combination of thermal, electrical, and physical properties that make it an appealing candidate for next-generation smart fabrics.

Abundant element to power small devices

A team of researchers from the University of Tokyo has developed an iron-based thermoelectric material that can convert waste heat into electricity. The material, which is mostly iron and relatively inexpensive, has shown promise in powering small devices such as remote sensors and wearable devices.

Untwisting plastics for charging internet-of-things devices

Researchers at Nagoya University have created a new material that can efficiently charge Internet-of-Things (IoT) devices using body heat. The breakthrough involves adding an ion electrolyte gel to a conducting polymer, which untwists the polymer chain and creates links between its crystalline parts, improving electron conductivity.

Kestrel 3000 Pocket Weather Meter

Kestrel 3000 Pocket Weather Meter measures wind, temperature, and humidity in real time for site assessments, aviation checks, and safety briefings.

Creating stretchable thermoelectric generators

Researchers at Linköping University have developed a soft and stretchable organic thermoelectric module that can harvest energy from body heat. The breakthrough was made possible by a new composite material with high electrical conductivity and good thermoelectric properties.

Power dressing

Researchers at KAUST have developed a stretchy and self-healing thermoelectric material that can generate electricity using body heat. The material has been shown to be robust enough to withstand daily stress and strain, making it a promising candidate for powering wearable technologies.

Nikon Monarch 5 8x42 Binoculars

Nikon Monarch 5 8x42 Binoculars deliver bright, sharp views for wildlife surveys, eclipse chases, and quick star-field scans at dark sites.

Fine-tuning thermoelectric materials for cheaper renewable energy

Researchers have developed new thermoelectric materials, halide perovskites, which can convert heat into electricity at lower costs. The team improved the materials' properties through partial oxidation and doping techniques, paving the way for their use in sustainable energy applications.

New material breaks world record turning heat into electricity

Scientists at Vienna University of Technology have developed a new thermoelectric material with a ZT value of 5 to 6, generating electrical current very efficiently from temperature differences. This enables sensors and small processors to supply themselves with energy wirelessly.

Apple AirPods Pro (2nd Generation, USB-C)

Apple AirPods Pro (2nd Generation, USB-C) provide clear calls and strong noise reduction for interviews, conferences, and noisy field environments.

Fluke 87V Industrial Digital Multimeter

Fluke 87V Industrial Digital Multimeter is a trusted meter for precise measurements during instrument integration, repairs, and field diagnostics.

Physicists' study demonstrates silicon's energy-harvesting power

A University of Texas at Dallas physicist has teamed with Texas Instruments Inc. to design a better way for electronics to convert waste heat into reusable energy. Thermoelectric nanoblades have been shown to greatly increase silicon's ability to harvest energy from heat, making it mass-producible.

New low-cost thermoelectric material works at room temperature

Researchers have discovered a new thermoelectric material that works efficiently at room temperature, requiring less expensive materials like magnesium. The material's production could close the performance gap with traditional bismuth-tellurium-based alloys, expanding the use of thermoelectric modules for cooling.

Meta Quest 3 512GB

Meta Quest 3 512GB enables immersive mission planning, terrain rehearsal, and interactive STEM demos with high-resolution mixed-reality experiences.

Researchers report new understanding of thermoelectric materials

Researchers at the University of Houston have developed a model to explain asymmetrical thermoelectric performance, enabling the prediction of promising new materials for converting waste heat to power. The discovery could lead to more efficient thermoelectric devices and potentially clean energy from waste heat.