When we think of waste, what usually springs to mind is tangible waste – but one of the biggest waste products of our society is heat. For example, the combustion engine of a car is, even now, terribly inefficient – so much energy is lost as waste heat rather than being used for mechanical work.
Another example is the incandescent light bulb, currently being phased out in many countries. Around 90% of the electricity consumed by an incandescent light bulb is emitted as heat.
New technology is also being developed at Oregon State University to capture and use waste heat from cars and diesel generators. The “thermally activated cooling system” prototype is converting 80 percent of every kilowatt of waste heat into a kilowatt of cooling capability. With air-conditioning systems in vehicles stealing from a vehicle’s power (and therefore gas), such a system might not only help address the heat issue, but crude oil consumption as well.
You can learn more about Oregon State University’s efforts in putting waste heat to work here.