Sunless solar cells could make energy from anything hot

Wouldn't the energy source be the gradient????

I was thinking of a system proposed 20+ years ago that used bi-metal arms that rotated in a pool of water that was divided into a cold half and a hot half. As the metal bent in the hot and unbent in the cold it drove the rotation of the assembly. (Think of the old time coiled bi-metal thermostats, the temperature change is what makes the coil bend and move the mercury switch on the end of the coil.) From what I gather of the article I'm assuming it collects infrared radiation to kick the electons out, so you're right. Amazing what a good nights sleep does for the brain. On that note, it's time for me to say good night all and go to bed.

Correct me if I'm wrong but in smokestacks the heat is what catalyzes the various vile pollutants to cross-combine & react to form even worse pollutants. If this system pulls heat out BEFORE THAT HAPPENS then there goes a big chunk of pollution.

I LIKE IT.

You really think it's that simple eh ("not sharing")? I guess Americans having to visit Mexico for intravenous chelation therapy... Australians pioneering solar towers... Tata Motors of India having air-powered cars. All "not sharing" eh?

American males are under a spread torpedo psychological attack. It lowers the reproductive rate. A melting pot doubles as a petri dish. All the healthy sperm get sent overseas to die, or return all crippled down on the floor needing medication.

how old are you
Have you read the popular mechanics mag of the late 50s and early 60s ?
most of our tech knowledge of to day was sponsored by tax payer money therefore it was made available to the world the tech knowledge owned by coperations has not been shared they acquire patents and do not release them to the public they only rent the product
the air power car was on the streets in Joplin,Missouri in 1970 I watch it Tata motors have the patent because the developer in Joplin died anyone want to make a solar panel to sell here in the united states will be sued down to the color green paint because Eagle-Pitcher and Dupont owns the patent.
Only Patent that expire are the ones that your tax money developed
Now with the privatization of nasa the space Medicine will cease and will be sold and or lease to the highest bidder
privatization of the VA will mean all tax payer money go only to leased services (no accountability) privatization of social security no accountability

My chemotherapy was $90,000 for 9 shots and i went to a out of network hospital for an x-ray and was charged $5,000 surcharge my medicine cost $180.00 per month my copay is $30.00 a month the taxpayer pay $150.00 a month I can buy it from Canada for $30,00 a month at no cost to the taxpayer but when i do that, my other medicine will not be paid for by my insurance that medicine is not available in Canada

Excellent point! PV panels put off a LOT of heat, I've often wondered about implementing a dual system to make use of this heat. My other idea was to sandwich PV ontop of solar water heating panels for residential use, but if your goal was electricity only it would make sense to harvest both light and heat for that purpose. Wonder what the price point is for the thermal cells?

Several companies have worked that idea. I wondered the same when I saw all the heat pouring off PV Panels my father owns.
http://www.greentechmedia.com/articles/read/sundrum-a-turbocharger-for-solar-sys...

I think that term was just used as a term to decribe that it isn't from the sun. PV cells is actually what they are, but I like thermal voltaic as well. However, many don't understand what that is...yet.

understandable, but meh, apples are apples to me, but the headline did its job, got my attention :p
I don't know why you're randomly getting downvoted... Ah well. Current is turning into a voting game, that carries from topic to topic without regards to what is actually being said.

I was thinking the exact same thing. There was a porno movie in the seventies about people having sex to create energy. It was really bad but amusing. It immediately sprung to mind. :)

Now wouldn't that beat just turning on the furnace to burn that dirty oil. ;-)

I am going to recharge my car with a little Afternoon Delight.

Tailpipe heat. Smokestack heat. Dog chasing tail heat.

Children fidgetting at movie heat (in theatre seats, used to power movie projector, sound system and popcorn popper in the lobby). But the first person who proclaims it to be Perpetual Motion will kill it.

oops.

Jan, an energy-scavenging system like this means you can turn down the furnaces to be using 33% of normal oil settings. That is because you have raised the furnace's efficiency from 20-30% to close to 100% = No Wasted Fuel.

Widely implemented this would reduce the Global Climate Spiking causing BioDistress.

There's energy all around us.