| |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
14. |
|
| Toshiba Giga Topaz thermoelectric module |
[1] [2] |
|
|
|
 |
|
|
| 2. A foundation for an ideal future world |
|
|
| Yoshino:
How much electrical energy can one of these modules generate? |
| Kondo:
One module can generate 15 watts. That's equivalent to the energy
needed to charge six mobile phones or power five small portable LCD
television sets. Two modules could power a small personal computer.
|
| Yoshino:
So we could operate even larger devices by linking multiple modules? |
| Kondo:
Yes. The best example is a car. A gasoline-powered automobile uses
around 20% of its energy to power the vehicle. It simply discharges
the remaining 80% into the atmosphere as waste heat. Modern cars continue
to incorporate more and more electronic features and components, like
power windows and power steering. And it seems that automakers are
already planning to add further value by incorporating servers into
their vehicles. So, even as cars are becoming increasingly electrified,
I heard that there's a limit on the size of electrical generators
we can fit into cars without hurting vehicle performance. This suggested
the idea of generating electricity using the heat currently given
off as mere waste. This system would create electricity by attaching
modules to the exhaust pipe of automobile engines. |
|
| Yoshino:
I see. This module would be a significant development if we wanted
to add a wider range of automobile creature comforts, like in-vehicle
entertainment centers. |
| Kondo: Right. The hybrid
cars popular today would be a perfect example. On city streets, they're
powered primarily by self-generated electricity. On highways or when
they're climbing hills, they're powered by their combustion engines. |
| Yoshino:
It looks like the technology will make environmentally-friendly vehicles
even friendlier. Could you give us some other examples of its use? |
Kondo:
You could generate electricity by pouring water into a bucket with
a module attached, then setting the bucket over a flame. You could
use the electricity generated to power an LCD television set, as I
mentioned earlier, or you could use it to power a radio. I think this
would be a natural application for the outdoors, or in developing
nations like those in Southeast Asia where people currently generate
their own electricity.
|
|
| Yoshino:
That's true. I would expect significant demand in overseas markets.
Finally, please tell us about the future goals of this project. |
 Kondo:
Our ultimate target is use at atomic energy-generating plants. Right
now, various issues involving location make it hard to build new atomic
energy plants. Even so, we do need more of these plants. When we tried
to come up with ideas of how to resolve this problem, we focused on
the turbines that generate the electricity from nuclear reactors.
Turbines are large, expensive, and require painstaking, labor-intensive
operations. What if we could remove these constraints? If we could
install these modules inside the reactors to extract heat directly
and convert it into electricity, we wouldn't need the turbines. If
this could be made to work, we would need much less space for nuclear
reactors. This would make it possible to build many more of them.
That's our ultimate goal.
Yoshino: It seems
like it would take a long time to reach this goal, given how long
conventional nuclear reactors have been around. |
Kondo:That's
true. On top of improving the performance of the modules, we would
probably need a long time to obtain the proper authorization. I'm
not sure I'll be around when we reach this goal (laughs). But in any
case, until we do, I'd be quite happy to see the module used in familiar
settings-so that we could experience its performance first-hand.
|
| Yoshino:
I'm sure environmentally-friendly technologies will be a vital part
of our lives in the future. I look forward to following the growth
of a market for these modules and other developments. Thank you for
your time today! |
|
|
Akane Yoshino
Representative,
Akane Shoan Active primarily in magazines, in books, on
the Web, and elsewhere. |
 |
|
|
| Before this interview, I had the idea this technology couldn't have much to do with our daily lives. Well, I was wrong! This technology could be used to run the personal computers and mobile phones we use all the time. It looks like it could be used with automobiles and other devices, too. And it uses waste heat to generate ecologically sound electricity. Even though the ultimate target area is atomic energy plants, it looks like it will be highly useful in various wonderful ways in our daily lives. We couldn't ask for more. I'm grateful for the great potential offered by this technology, and I look forward to its many applications. |
|
|
|