A new breakthrough in energy harvesting could potentially power life on other habitable planets.
The new development out of Northumbria University incorporates an innovative technique to harvest energy from carbon dioxide.
This from Northumbria University:
The research proposes a new kind of engine for producing energy based on the Leidenfrost effect – a phenomenon which happens when a liquid comes into near contact with a surface much hotter than its boiling point. This effect is commonly seen in the way water appears to skitter across the surface of a hot pan, but it also applies to solid carbon dioxide, commonly known as dry ice. Blocks of dry ice are able to levitate above hot surfaces protected by a barrier of evaporated gas vapour. Northumbria’s research proposes using the vapour created by this effect to power an engine. This is the first time the Leidenfrost effect has been adapted as a way of harvesting energy.
This development also has exciting implications for providing power to extreme environments.
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