A Night Battery – the Exact Opposite of a Solar Panel
A team of scientists from the University of New South Wales has built a working prototype of a “night battery”, which is technically the exact opposite of solar panels. The same principle of PN junction in semiconductors is used here, but it works in reverse. The technology is called “thermoradiation diode”.
Scientists have developed a night battery – the exact opposite of a solar panel
The concept of such a battery appeared back in 2014 and is based on the fact that the entire space around us is permeated with energy flows in various forms that can be intercepted. For example, when sunlight irradiates the surface of the Earth during the day, it not only bombards it with photons but also heats it up. And at night, this excess heat rushes into the cold of space, which generates infrared radiation from the surface of the planet. It turns out that we can collect the energy of our star both day and night, using batteries of various types.
A team of scientists from the University of New South Wales has built a working prototype of a “night battery”, which is technically the exact opposite of solar panels. The same principle of PN junction in semiconductors is used here, but it works in reverse.
Night Battery Based on Technology “Thermoradiation diode”
The technology is called thermoradiation diode
The concept of such a battery appeared back in 2014 and is based on the fact that the entire space around us is permeated with energy flows in various forms that can be intercepted. For example, when sunlight irradiates the surface of the Earth during the day, it not only bombards it with photons but also heats it up. And at night, this excess heat rushes into the cold of space, which generates infrared radiation from the surface of the planet. It turns out that we can collect the energy of our star both day and night, using batteries of various types.
Parts of Thermoradiation diode
The thermoradiation diode is built on the basis of parts from a solar panel and night vision goggles. It can intercept infrared radiation from any source, but its effectiveness depends on the temperature difference between the source and the diode. This efficiency is not yet too high: at a temperature difference of 12.5 ℃, the electric power density was 2.26 mW or 1.8% of the power of the radiation itself.
However, calculations show that the power of the “night” battery may well reach up to 10% of the parameters of a solar panel operating in the same area and in the same weather. More importantly, any heated object, such as a car engine or a hot wall in a manufacturing plant, can be a source of infrared radiation. Even the human body radiates heat, and often in vain, so you can design some kind of clothing that will collect this energy and recharge small gadgets.
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