Using nanotechnology to convert waste heat into electricity | Charles Stafford | TEDxTucsonSalon

Dr. Stafford's talk discusses his ideas of using nanotechnology to convert waste heat into electricity. In particular, he shows how we might take advantage of quantum oddities in the way heat is transferred across specific atomic structures, so that we could produce cost-effective, non-polluting electricity.

Dr. Stafford is a Professor of Physics at the University of Arizona. He is also Co-Director of the UA Chemical Physics Program. For over twenty-five years, Dr. Stafford has focused his research on the theory of charge and heat flow in quantum systems. He has published over seventy peer-reviewed scientific articles, and he holds three U.S. Patents for inventions in nanotechnology. In 2000, he received the ABB Prize of the Swiss Physical Society “for his outstanding contributions to research on Cohesion and Conductance of Disordered Metallic Contacts.”

[johnkang]

Wow this man explained this ridiculously complex interaction with high school level knowledge. Awesome.

[emberjaxx]

This was a pretty cool video. I’ve spent all day today trying to think of ways to convert thermal energy into electricity, in hopes to 1) produce energy, and 2) theoretically reduce the heating effect from CO2.

I can’t fully grasp my head around why there has to be a pressure differential to do it though. In this case that pressure is created from a hot and cold barrier, similarly an engine turning over is created by a literal pressure differential produced from gas combustion on one side and atmospheric pressure on the other.

This demon he was talking about was similar to a thought I had where you may be able to selectively grab the energy and throw away the particles with little energy. Although the demon idea is far more developed.

If this type of technology could be advanced there’s so much potential.

[D_Printing]

Solar Furnaces, quite often Sun heat into a tube, need this to turn the heat they gather into electric. Solar Furnaces have be indicated to be more efficient than Solar Cells but it is much more difficult to turn any heat into electric

[bradheckel]

Great science and insight into needed solutions for renewable energy.

[anthonydunn]

how does that produce electricity though?

[CyPorter]

I'm writing a sci-fi story where there is tech that can harvest the heat in air and convert it to hydrogen and cool the air at the same time. Anyone who understands the science of heat who wants to give feedback on my imaginings?

[communistwaffle]

Don't take PHYS 141 with this guy