Thermoelectric (TE) devices have the ability to create energy by using temperature differences. The difference of temperature comes from an object that may be one temperature whether by nature or because of a technology such as thermoelectric technologies. Thermoelectric technologies are used to be able to conduct energy to change the temperature of an object. Thermoelectric devices consist of two physical effects, the Seebeck effect, and the Peltier effect. The Seebeck effect was named after a man named Thomas J. Seebeck in 1821. The Seebeck effect is determined by the change of voltage divided by change of temperature. The Peltier effect was discovered by a man named Jean C.A. Peltier, during the year of 1834. This effect basically describes how one dissimilar material with heat can pass it to another dissimilar material. This function allows for the temperatures to be reversible which allows the Thermoelectric device to balance and manage temperatures.
TE devices are now being introduced to industries such as the automotive industry. What is happening is, motor companies are beginning to use TE devices within every vehicle’s engine to reuse control the temperate of the engine. Try driving your vehicle for about 20 minutes, without having the air conditioner or the heat on. You will eventually feel warm air entering your vehicle through the vents. What happens is, while you are driving, the engine begins to heat up, so of course it is necessary for the heat to be released or the engine may begin malfunctioning. The difference TE is designed to do is, use the heat the engine releases and turn it into new energy for the car to be bale to use. It serves as a cycle of heat which manages it so it can be used rather than wasted. It is possible that by reusing the heat that is released, it will help reduce emissions because TE is another source that will conduct energy to the vehicle’s engine.
Another example would be mini refrigerators such as the picture provided above. This is an innovation of mini refrigerators created by a company called “Treehugger”. They believe by using a TE device, it will benefit in so many ways, to so many people around the world. The purpose of using a TE device is for a normal, average family to have a cooling refrigerator in a small closed area such as a bed room or even the living room. TE device will dismiss the amount of noise a regular refrigerator would generate. This company also believes by using a TE device, it will become a lot more clean and healthier for the materials that are put into the refrigerator. This refrigerator will be beneficial not only to the people who cook and need a place to store food in a cool temperature, but also will the doctors and researchers will benefit. As doctors, it is important to them that every piece of material or tool remains clean whether its visually or clean by air.
There were articles and news about possible negatives refrigerators with a TE device may have. Some refrigerators were possibly capable of instead of keeping the food at an appropriate, cool temperature. It would make your food go to waste and with enough time, turn it into poison.
NASA is actually working on a way to use a TE device for the purpose of space traveling. NASA’s goal is to generate power even from an object that generates small temperature gradients. This experiment is interesting because usually an object can stay either high on temperature or very low on temperature. Now the human body can vary in so many ways depending on many situations, whether on the environment, or the mood of someone, or the physically activity. This may be beneficial to the human body because it is possible that the human body will be bale to gain more power for travels to space, improving health conditions by being able to monitor people health’s during the travel. I do not believe the device will be implanted inside the human flesh but it will be implanted near the suits they are given before travel.
References:
https://powerpractical.com/pages/how-do-thermoelectrics-work
http://phys.org/news/2014-08-thermoelectric-devices-electricity-vehicles-machines.html
http://www.treehugger.com/clean-technology/your-refrigerator-running-soon-it-will-be-doing-doing-it-solid-state.html
http://www.nasa.gov/centers/ames/research/technology-onepagers/human_devices.html