MIT and Stanford University researchers have developed a new method based on a phenomenon called the thermogalvanic effect using rechargeable batteries. This new approach uses low-temperature waste-heat conversion and turns it into electricity where the difference in temperatures is less than 100 degrees Celsius.
The system uses the charging-discharging cycles of rechargeable batteries because the difference in voltages is based on temperature. An uncharged battery is heated by the waste heat and once it is charged, it is allowed to cool completely. Once the battery has cooled, it can deliver more electricity than the amount of energy used to charge it. The researchers demonstrated the system using waste heat of 60 Celsius and were able to achieve an estimated efficiency of 5.7%.
Read more how the new system has an advantage in energy-conversion efficiency.
