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MIT researchers are exploring a new technology funded by the Air Force Office of Scientific Research, and the National Science Foundation, which they call a thermopower wave, that may convert chemical energy to fuel cells for micro-machines, sensors and emergency communication beacons.
“We envision these thermopower wave devices enabling a new generation of energy sources by providing more power — as much as ten times — than smaller commercial batteries,” said Dr. Michael Strano, MIT associate professor of chemical engineering.
Nextbigfuture covered the technical details and science behind thermopower waves before.
The waves may form the basis of new types of fuel cells that convert condensed liquid fuel into electrical energy in a continuous manner.
A major challenge that the researchers faced was activating the devices without using too much energy. As a result, they explored different methods, including lasers, electrical sparks and direct heating from a resistor before they discovered the thermopower wave.As they refine their mathematical decription of the waves, the scientists are looking forward to exploring ways to develop thermopower wave devices that can use transportation fuels such as ethanol or formic acid. “Another important step for the researchers is to develop refueling systems that can cover the CNTs with more fuel so that the devices can be used more than once,” Strano said. “This will greatly expand their potential applications.”
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Brian Wang is a Futurist Thought Leader and a popular Science blogger with 1 million readers per month. His blog Nextbigfuture.com is ranked #1 Science News Blog. It covers many disruptive technology and trends including Space, Robotics, Artificial Intelligence, Medicine, Anti-aging Biotechnology, and Nanotechnology.
Known for identifying cutting edge technologies, he is currently a Co-Founder of a startup and fundraiser for high potential early-stage companies. He is the Head of Research for Allocations for deep technology investments and an Angel Investor at Space Angels.
A frequent speaker at corporations, he has been a TEDx speaker, a Singularity University speaker and guest at numerous interviews for radio and podcasts. He is open to public speaking and advising engagements.