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Scientists invented a new device that can generate electricity from the coldness of the night.
Researchers from Stanford University and the University of California, Los Angeles, presented this technology in the journal Joule. The mechanism of the new instrument is similar to that of solar panels, but it produces energy during the night instead. Because of this, the instrument can serve as a backup electricity source when solar panels and batteries malfunction.
The concept behind the technology is not new. It is based on a phenomenon called the Seebeck effect, which explains that differences in temperature between electric conductors can create electricity.
The device uses two metal plates placed on top of one another. Between them is a device called thermoelectric generator, which transforms heat energy into electricity. The top plate is exposed to the cold air, while the plate at the bottom is kept enclosed and facing the ground, making it warmer than the one on top.
The coldness of the night makes the top plate cool faster than the enclosed bottom plate, creating a difference in temperature between them. The heat from the bottom plate then travels to the cooler top plate. This flowing heat goes through the thermoelectric generator, which then converts it into electricity.
Currently, researchers have created just a prototype of the device that can only light an LED bulb. However, a bigger version can create enough electricity to power phone chargers and other devices. This can be helpful to people in far-flung areas that cannot be reached by other sources of electricity, especially those living in cold countries.