A research topic in the ICT field and a little project to demonestrate something related to it.

Okay I agree, but there are more modern ways nowadays.

This is a very good article, but I'm starting to think that TEGs are not really interesting for communications and IT. Yes, they have their uses and it will be fun to demonstrate them but there isn't really anything that they can help with for communications and computers. Other than their use in space probes and probably cooling some electronic devices, they are not really relevant. Not to mention that they are not efficient. I feel like I'm fooling myself. I mean, do you think it is a promising technology for the future? To harvest heat and specially waste heat that is? Do you think we will be able to come up with better materials to make it more efficient? The article does mention some uses but they are not really revolutionary. I still couldn't find better uses for them in the ICT field.

Thanks.

I was browsing digikey to buy some TEG modules, and this article kinda of energized me.


specially since they say it is good for some military applications. I read some other articles, and I now think: yes it is worth it to invest in thermoelectric energy. There got to be a way to better utilize TEGs in the future. I don't really quite understand wireless sensor networks (mentioned in the digikey article) but they are making TEGs more relevant, so I need to fully understand them. From what I understand, they are sensors located in remote locations to monitor some physical properties and send data about it to a central data center. Why exactly TEGs are more preferred for them is something I need to find out about.

sram said:

My immediate questions are what would be the advantages of TEG's vs solar power? Why is it an option when it comes to satellites and space probes?

Click to expand...

TEGs on space probes are powered (heated) by the radioactive decay of plutonium 240. since the probe is going into deep space the plutonium doesn't pose a hazard. some older satellites were powered the same way, but a russian satellite crashing into the canadian arctic kind of made everybody re-think it's use on orbital platforms. solar heated TEG arrays and photoelectric panels are what's primarily used in orbit these days since sunlight is abundant here, but in short supply in deep space... EDIT (correction): plutonium 238, not 240. plutonium 238 has a relatively short half life (78 years) and so it's alpha decay happens at a rate high enough to generate a lot of heat in a small package, and so is ideal as a heat source for a TEG.

unclejed613 said:

TEGs on space probes are powered (heated) by the radioactive decay of plutonium 240. since the probe is going into deep space the plutonium doesn't pose a hazard. some older satellites were powered the same way, but a russian satellite crashing into the canadian arctic kind of made everybody re-think it's use on orbital platforms. solar heated TEG arrays and photoelectric panels are what's primarily used in orbit these days since sunlight is abundant here, but in short supply in deep space... EDIT (correction): plutonium 238, not 240. plutonium 238 has a relatively short half life (78 years) and so it's alpha decay happens at a rate high enough to generate a lot of heat in a small package, and so is ideal as a heat source for a TEG.

Click to expand...

Yeah man, I saw that. It is a very good application. The two points you mentioned are key points. We don't need to worry about plutonium radiation risk since it is too far away, and there is not much sunlight in deep space. Thanks.

Just thought of something: Is there a practical way to harvest heat from the earth's core and use it in TEGs since it is kinda of free energy source and renewable? I mean, if you go deep enough you will get some heat which can then be used to create a temperature differential for TEGs to produce electricity.

My bad. Not necessarily with TEGs but it has already been long done. It is called geothermal energy:


It came to my mind because there is lots of heat in there and TEGs can't ask for a better thing, though not realizing that geothermal energy is already being used as a renewable source of electricity via different methods.

Guess what? Using TEGs with geothermal energy is being discussed/implemented:


I wonder if it is going to be a thing in the future.

What exactly are WPCN? Wireless powered communication networks. Is it just a new concept that is going to be implemented in the future for some communication networks? Or is it already in place in some areas? Whatever the case, what kind of communication networks are being wirelessly powered? GSM, 4G, and 5G networks for example? Some other types maybe?

I'm reading about how wireless power transfer can benefit the communication field. Thanks.

Thanks for the article, but honestly, I disagree with some points. Indeed, the software is a security risk because there are many nuances o how it works. It must be very well protected so that attackers cannot hack it. According to the question, if using the multiplicity software creates a security risk, you must better address it directly to the specialist. When I had to ensure the safety of our software and working apps, I turned to a professional company in this field. You can ask them for help and learn the openshift penetration testing price. Trust your technique to professionals.