"Information synchronicity" has struck once again. This is in response to the recent thread about Ed Storms envisioning a useful heat-to-electric converter for LENR.
SIDE NOTE: I am convinced that the need (demand) for "information" often creates its own supply independently of any direct request. That is to say: the level of mysterious synchronicity of answers, arising from disparate sources wrt the question (as in this case) appears to be *non-random* to some large degree (as if there was some kind of a preexisiting 'floating meme' out in cyberspace ;-). Where we (the askers) will go with that information is another subject altogether. Anyway.... Although the following "answer" involves thermoelectricy, as opposed to thermoionic conversion, I am pretty sure that the recent thread should have been focused on the former. Thermoionic conversion usually requires temperatures well in excess of 2000 degrees F, which will not likely happen with LENR. Here is the news, and it is most encouraging in its potential sweep, particularly to those in the semiconductor industry, who would probably benefit from a "bettery" more so than even the automotive industry. http://www.technologyreview.com/Energy/20057/ Like Ed, Jed, and others ... I could envision such real world applications for LENR as for instance a power supply and substitute 'bettery' (of about the same dimensions) powering an 'always-on' laptop computer, say, using a sealed electrolysis cell which is never stopped, once it is started. The biggest problem would be what to do with rejected heat. Of course with widespread LENR you can just provide more air-conditioning (cooling) ... but is that wise? Assuming the silicon nanowire converter could harness 80+% of the Carnot "spread" (i.e. the heat differential) then that would only give you maybe 15% overall efficiency at best. To get 5 watt-hours of electricity out, you might need to reject 30+ watts of heat continuously. This represents a major "political" issue for the generation of do-gooders who come along after the introduction of robust and affordable LENR. If global warming is really the "big issue' facing us as a society, then giving 'everyman' his cheap and unlimited electrical power supply is NOT the right answer, even if the power itself is totally carbon neutral, inexpensive, and otherwise ecologically sound. Jones
