this post was submitted on 17 Oct 2023
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I was too curious:
Cove's device was a sort of thermocouple, and thus not based on newly-discovered natural processes or scientific principles. In the patent application the device was described as follows: A thermo-electric battery and appurtenances comprising a block of incombustible, non-conductive material, a series of pairs of elements comprising a plurality of elements formed of an alloy of antinomy and zinc, and a plurality of elements connecting said antinomy and zinc elements, said elements connecting said first-mentioned elements being alternatively of copper and of an alloy of nickel, copper and zinc.
https://journals.lib.unb.ca/index.php/MCR/article/view/17744/22231
No such thing as too curious... unless you are a cat. Little dangerous there.
If im reading this correctly, and translated to english:
non conductive block
two different alloys - zinc and opposite to zinc (antinomy) v copper and nickle/copper/zinc.
assuming light hits, produces difference between metal and opposite metal, results in current flow through wire to equalize. Not sure how rare earth Nickle and zinc are, but suppose its not cobalt.
So it’s a Seebeck Effect generator and really isn’t what we’d call a solar device today.
This is how fridges work in reverse right? Apply current and make one side really cold?
The device you're thinking of might be a peltier or thermoelectric cooler (TEC). But yes. They're way less efficient than a vapor compression refrigerator, though.
Ohhhh.... Thanks!
Fridges work on gas pressure - compress a gas it heats up, decompress a gas it cools..
Wait.. then what am I thinking of? I'm sure this effect is used somewhere
Looks like you are also a kiwi (that or an AI bot cus i see you everywhere) so probably in an electric chilibin- the reverse effect can be used to cool one plate of metal and heat up the other side.
The whole internet is AI bots bro. You're the only real human here.
If I was a human though, I would be Kiwi. Kia ora!
Yeah, I think that's what I was thinking of.
You are thinking of a thermo-electric cooler (TEC) or peltier cooler. They actually are used on smaller wine fridges but not full sized fridges. They are light-weight, electrically efficient, and reliable. They were also used in the early days of CPU overclocking.
Like the very small fridges that work for a single soda can? Refrigerators use the liquid/gas transition to move heat around. It’s much more efficient.
The only real advantage of Peltiers are simplicity and size.