Eneco has commented that it is developing a chip that can convert heat energy into electricity.
The chip can cool down to -200 degrees Celsius when electricity is applied to it to store the heat energy. The chip is based on the principles of thermionic energy conversion whereby the energy of a hot metal overcomes the electrostatic forces holding the electrons to its surface; it then passes those electrons across a vacuum to a cold metal and captures the resulting electronic charge.
The primary obstacle that prevented the process from being exploited is creating vacuum between the two metals, but Eneco claims to have overcome the obstacle.
The company also claims that its chip can heat up to 600 degree Celsius and can convert heat to electricity at an efficiency of between 20-30 percent.
Eneco plans to sell the chips to manufacturers like Apple and Dell who can then integrate this chip in their Laptops and other handheld devices.
Eneco also sees that in near future this chip will replace the bulky and less efficient electronic batteries forever.
The company aims to make the chip available by the end of 2007 or the beginning of 2008.
Via: appleinsider
