The new discovery material to convert heat into electricity

The new energy conversion method was developed by scientists at University of Minnesota, to convert heat into electricity directly using a new alloy material and will likely evolve to produce electricity from waste heat as well.

The research team make the material using a combination of elements at the atomic level that will form in a new multiferroic alloy called Ni45Co5Mn40Sn10 in chemical terms. The alloy combined unusual elastic, magnetic and electric properties.

Multiferroism is a highly reversible phase transformation in which one turns a solid into another solid. New alloy will also experience changes in magnetic properties which will exploited in energy conversion devices. In a small scale in the laboratory, alloy produce magnetic properties with increasing temperature and it absorb heat to generate electricity in a coil.

The researchers also managed to find a systematic way to minimize the amount of heat energy lost during the process. Study published in the first issue of new scientific journal Advanced Energy Materials, describes the possibility of a new alloy material to produce electricity for hybrid cars utilize exhaust heat from the car.

In the future, the new alloy will be used to capture the heat discharged from industrial , power plants or differences in sea temperature to create electricity. The team will also look for possible commercialization of the technology.