New Stirling engine sends heat to space to produce steady mechanical power at night
SMRTR summary
A small device on the UC Davis campus spins quietly in the darkness, powered by nothing more than the vast coldness of space itself. Engineers there have created a Stirling engine that generates mechanical power at night by exploiting the temperature difference between ambient ground warmth and the frigid void above.
The prototype pairs a simple Stirling engine with a radiative cooling panel that sheds heat directly into the night sky. "It doesn't actually have to touch space physically, it can just interact radiatively with space," explains Jeremy Munday, professor of electrical and computer engineering.
A year of testing revealed the device produces at least 400 milliwatts of mechanical power per square meter, enough to run a small fan. The system works by placing the engine between soil-warmed ground and a panel pointed skyward.
The technology could ventilate greenhouses and buildings in regions with clear night skies, providing power precisely when temperatures drop and circulation becomes essential.
SMRTR provides this summary for quick context. The original article belongs to Interesting Engineering.
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