How viable is it to take energy from excess heat?

[Nano-Passion]

My laptop releases an excess amount of heat. Is it practical to be able to attach a some sort of device that can take a good amount of that heat being exhausted by fans in computers and reuse it as energy. There can be something akin to fan blades in the centi to micro scale, and they would extract energy as they are rotated by the accelerated air.

Thoughts? What are the engineering/manufacturing problems involved? Or is it just a monetary issue?

 

[russ_watters]

Any turbine would reduce the effectiveness of the cooling fans, so no benefit there. You could use a peltier or sterling engine, but that would be a lot of money for little benefit.

 

[Nano-Passion]

Any turbine would reduce the effectiveness of the cooling fans, so no benefit there. You could use a peltier or sterling engine, but that would be a lot of money for little benefit.

Hmm, this topic was over with pretty quickly. Now I see why this hasn't been incorporated.

 

[Nano-Passion]

By the way, I'm definitely a fan of your gallery collection. It must be exhilarating to observe these things yourself. Looks like a lot of fun to do. I wonder how long it takes you to single in on a galaxy or a planet?

 

[alphy]

The idea of harnessing excess heat from electronic devices, such as laptops, is definitely viable and has been explored by scientists and engineers. This process is known as thermoelectric energy harvesting, where heat is converted into electricity using thermoelectric materials.

One of the main challenges in implementing this technology is finding the right thermoelectric materials that are efficient and cost-effective. Currently, the most commonly used materials for thermoelectric energy harvesting are bismuth telluride and lead telluride, but they are expensive and not very efficient.

Another challenge is the design and integration of the thermoelectric device into electronic devices. The device needs to be compact, lightweight, and able to withstand the high temperatures and vibrations of electronic devices.

In terms of manufacturing, there may be challenges in mass producing these devices and making them cost-effective for commercial use. However, with advancements in technology and materials, these challenges can be overcome.

Overall, the idea of using excess heat from electronic devices for energy is not just a monetary issue, but also involves engineering and manufacturing challenges. However, with further research and development, it is certainly a viable and promising solution for energy harvesting.