Basically when there’s a temperature difference been two different metals that are touching a small current is produced. You can also go backwards and use electricity to create a temperature difference (Peltier Effect).
They have niche applications because the effect is pretty small. Hardly a realistic substitute for solar panels that use the photovoltaic effect.
HappycamperNZ@lemmy.world 11 months ago
Does this mean - in theory - I can put one metal plate out in sun, one in shade, connect with a wire? Or is it a contact surface area thing?
luthis@lemmy.nz 11 months ago
Pretty sure they have to be together. You can’t put one plate on the equator and one in Antarctica and generate infinite electricity
Cheez@lemmy.world 11 months ago
What if you had some sort of insulator, maybe a delicious layer of chocolate, making some sort of galactic wagon wheel?
luthis@lemmy.nz 11 months ago
It could work… but you would need an adequate layer of vanilla creme to compliment the chocolate.
HappycamperNZ@lemmy.world 11 months ago
I mean, it’s a DC current so would bleed off over distance anyway.
PersnickityPenguin@lemm.ee 11 months ago
Well you could, but the resistance in a wire that long would kill it.
CookieOfFortune@lemmy.world 11 months ago
Sure that does work but it’s not efficient.
Thermal solar generators do exist but they use a liquid as a heat transport mechanism. These use mirrors to focus the sun into a single point. In general you get more efficiency when there’s a larger temperature difference.
You could also get infinite energy by digging a deep hole since it gets hotter there deeper you dig. It’s just pretty expensive.
luthis@lemmy.nz 11 months ago
Geothermal is the solution we need more of.