UCLA HSSRP - Thermoelectrics/Frictional Heat Experiment

-Please Read Prior to Watching-

So I know I haven't uploaded much lately and that's because I've been in an engineering research program at UCLA. I got video footage of one of the two experiments me and my friend are doing in the lab we're assigned in, so I thought I might as well throw something together in Vegas just for kicks. If you're not a science geek or whatever, DON'T bother watching.

So what the experiment is, is that we are using a centrifuge with rubber wheels that emulates cars driving on a road. The wheels run over 4 thermoelectric modules, which are compromised of 2 ceramic substrates that serve as insulators which sandwich two semiconductor metals, called N-type and P-type. The metals are inversely related, similar to the concept of Potential and Kinetic energy (i.e.: when Potential Energy is 100, Kinetic is 0, when Potential is 50, Kinetic is 50). The amount of friction applied on the modules is ultimately a form of heat, and will produce a temperature difference. The more temperature, the more there is a temperature difference. The difference causes the electrons within the semi-conductor metals to concentrate, which in the end generates an electrical current.

It's a really neat process, because it's a very efficient method (with no moving parts of that sort) of creating renewable energy, and could probably gain more acknowledgement in the future. Heat goes in, electricity and power comes out. It's that simple! So the experiment is just putting it into effect.

I hope that clears the picture a bit, enjoy! And don't dislike the video because you don't like science, why bother; hahaha.

Category:

Science & Technology

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• HSSRP
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• Mechanical
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• Thermoelectrics
• Friction
• Frictional
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• Current
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• Voltage

[theunkown8]

one question i'm no science geek but don't you need to apply current for this thing to work? whats the gain/loss in electricity?>

[A113Productions]

@theunkown8 Are you referring to the centrifuge? There is a motor running it, however the electricity the motor is using is negligible for the sake of the experiment... it's only to model cars driving on the road.

[TobuZangeki]

@thecid1000 You first have to understand how a thermoelectric module is able to create voltage.... these devices have to have a temperature difference between the hot and cold plates to generate an electric current, therefore the greater the difference in temp, the higher the voltage.... keeping this in mind, i go back to your question.... How will the motor run if there is no heat source being supplied to the surface of the thermoelectric module? Just thought i'd point that out....

[JClarke0912]

Tap foot to A-Punk...words pop up...yadda yadda science blah blah...Vampire Weekend...thingy spinning...Vampire Weekend...words...Vampire Weekend...faster spinning...science...words...V­ampire Weekend.

That's all I got out of it. But at least it had Vampire Weekend!

[thecid1000]

wait a second.......is the motor running the centrifuge connected to an outside power supply or is the energy recycled? Also...what is the temperature scale (like 10*c diff or 1*c difference) for this and what are the conductors made of? 

THis experiment is wtf confusing lol.

sorry final question...if this is actually applied in rl how much would it cost per intersection to...lets say power a traffic light. yea curiousity killed the cat

[theunkown8]

@A113Productions yeah i was, thanks.

[jjfrunner]

@theunkown8 Yes, I know

[theunkown8]

@jjfrunner its possible to implement it into a river or another source of motion thus causing friction thus generating electricity but this HAS been done before, its not a new idea.

[jjfrunner]

@theunkown8 This is just a guess but I think that this was just an example and that in real eviroments this would be hooked up to mabye a river or some sort of thing to get the wheels running.