Type
ArticleKAUST Grant Number
CRG-1-2012-FRA-005-HARDate
2014-03-03Online Publication Date
2014-03-03Print Publication Date
2014-03-18Permanent link to this record
http://hdl.handle.net/10754/598447
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It is possible to harvest energy from Earth's thermal infrared emission into outer space. We calculate the thermodynamic limit for the amount of power available, and as a case study, we plot how this limit varies daily and seasonally in a location in Oklahoma. We discuss two possible ways to make such an emissive energy harvester (EEH): A thermal EEH (analogous to solar thermal power generation) and an optoelectronic EEH (analogous to photovoltaic power generation). For the latter, we propose using an infrared-frequency rectifying antenna, and we discuss its operating principles, efficiency limits, system design considerations, and possible technological implementations.Citation
Byrnes SJ, Blanchard R, Capasso F (2014) Harvesting renewable energy from Earth’s mid-infrared emissions. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences 111: 3927–3932. Available: http://dx.doi.org/10.1073/pnas.1402036111.Sponsors
We thank John Dykema and Roger O’Brient for helpful discussions. The authors acknowledge support from King Abdullah University of Science and Technology (Award CRG-1-2012-FRA-005-HAR).PubMed ID
24591604PubMed Central ID
PMC3964088ae974a485f413a2113503eed53cd6c53
10.1073/pnas.1402036111
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