Sacred among the mechanical engineers is the "second law of thermodynamics," which defines the maximum possible efficiency of an engine that converts thermal energy into mechanical power. The second law value is the difference between the engine's heat-source temperature and its heat-sink temperature, divided by the absolute value of the engine's heat-source temperature. For example, an engine setting on 0/spl deg/ C ice and running on steam from 100/spl deg/C boiling water is not allowed to have more than 26.8% efficiency. Power-generating violators of the second law efficiency-limit range from horses to fuel cells. They do not burn fuel to generate mechanical or electrical power. The latest second law violator is the alkali-metal thermal-to-electric converter. Its efficiency approaches 25 percent. AMTEC cells and their variations were the topics of 12 papers at the 35/sup th/ Intersociety Energy Conversion Engineering Conference (IECEC) in July 2000.


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    Title :

    AMTEC electrochemical heat-to electricity conversion defies second law


    Contributors:
    Oman, H. (author)


    Publication date :

    2001-03-01


    Size :

    571235 byte




    Type of media :

    Article (Journal)


    Type of material :

    Electronic Resource


    Language :

    English




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