The heat emitted from computers will be converted into sound waves that are used to generate electricity

American scientists have developed a thermo-acoustic engine that converts the heat emitted by electronic devices into sound waves that are used to generate electricity - paving the way for cooler, greener and possibly louder computers

Thomas Claburn, InformationWeek
Scientists from the University of Utah have found a way to convert the heat emitted from electronic devices into sound waves that are used to generate electricity - paving the way for cooler, greener and possibly louder computers. Orest Simko, a professor of physics at the University of Utah who led the research project, said the improved thermoacoustic engines were developed by five doctoral students in collaboration with scientists from Washington State University and the University of Mississippi. The engines convert the heat into sound waves which activate a mechanism to produce electricity.

Mira Flitcroft, one of Simcoe's students, has developed a thermoacoustic engine that is about half the diameter of a small coin. The coin produces a sound of 120 decibels - like an ambulance siren or a rock concert. Bonnie McLaughlin, another student, developed a motor about five centimeters in size, which converts heat into sound with a power of 135 decibels - like an air hammer. "The thermoacoustic devices are among the smallest ever developed - and can be used in arrays that include many devices," Simko said.

Simco reassures that the new technology will not solve the problem of air pollution at the expense of creating a new problem of noise, because the heat will be converted into ultrasonic frequencies, which are not audible to the human ear. However, the effect of the sound waves on animals is not yet clear. According to Simko, you can also use sound-absorbing materials to isolate unwanted noises.

The research was funded by the US Army, which is looking for ways to improve the performance of electronic equipment on the battlefield, and was presented at the recent Annual Acoustics Conference in Salt Lake City, Utah. Next year, Simcoe estimates, the first thermoacoustic engines will be installed at a military radar facility and at the University of Utah's water heating facility.