Heat to current conversion efficiency

[jumpjack]

Does anybody have any numbers for this new discovery?
http://web.mit.edu/newsoffice/2011/sun-free-photovoltaics-0728.html

How much of the heat is converted into electricity by a standard thermoelectric power plant?
And how much of the heat is converted into electricity by this new device?

 

[Pythagorean]

Abstract

Solar thermal, thermoelectric, and thermophotovoltaic (TPV) systems have high maximum theoretical efficiencies; experimental systems fall short because of losses by selective solar absorbers and TPV selective emitters. To improve these critical components, we study a class of materials known as cermets. While our approach is completely general, the most promising cermet candidate combines nanoparticles of silica and tungsten. We find that 4-layer silica-tungsten cermet selective solar absorbers can achieve thermal transfer efficiencies of 84.3% at 400 K, and 75.59% at 1000 K, exceeding comparable literature values. Three layer silica-tungsten cermets can also be used as selective emitters for InGaAsSb-based thermophotovoltaic systems, with projected overall system energy conversion efficiencies of 10.66% at 1000 K using realistic design parameters. The marginal benefit of adding more than 4 cermet layers is small (less than 0.26%, relative).

David Chester, Peter Bermel, John D. Joannopoulos, Marin Soljacic, and Ivan Celanovic, "Design and global optimization of high-efficiency solar thermal systems with tungsten cermets," Opt. Express 19, A245-A257 (2011)

 

[jumpjack]

Thanks for the "new"; what aboud the "old"? Which is the efficiency of turning heat into steam into rotation into electricity?

 

[Pythagorean]

not sure, you may have more luck with that question in mechanical/electrical engineering forums. I don't like numbers :P

 

[Drakkith]

Thanks for the "new"; what aboud the "old"? Which is the efficiency of turning heat into steam into rotation into electricity?

I believe the conversion of heat to electricity via a heat engine is about 50%-60% at max using combined cycle plants.