Far Eastern Federal University and Other Russian-Chinese Institutions Develop All-Weather Temperature Difference Generator

en.Wedoany.com Reported - A joint research team from Russia and China has developed a thermoelectric generator that can generate electricity from ambient temperature differences. The device absorbs solar heat during the day and dissipates heat to the surroundings at night, enabling round-the-clock operation.

The core of the device is a thermoelectric module consisting of two microstructured plates. One plate is made of silicon and features a surface of microcone arrays modeled after the eyes of noctuid moths, capable of absorbing 95% of sunlight and raising its temperature above that of the surrounding air. The other plate is made of silicon dioxide and achieves passive cooling by radiating heat into space. Based on this principle, the device can generate electric current without the need for an active cooling system.

Tests conducted across different seasons show that the device operates stably at any time of day. The best results were recorded in summer, when power generation continued uninterrupted at night thanks to the cooling effect on one surface. Although the total amount of energy collected so far remains small, the principle of maintaining a temperature difference is considered promising for practical applications.

Institutions involved in the research include Far Eastern Federal University (FEFU), the Institute of Automation and Control Processes of the Far Eastern Branch of the Russian Academy of Sciences (IACP FEB RAS), and several Chinese scientific centers. Study co-author Alexander Kuchmizhak stated that these results lay the foundation for expanding and optimizing thermoelectric devices using highly efficient microcoatings.