<html><head></head><body style="word-wrap: break-word; -webkit-nbsp-mode: space; -webkit-line-break: after-white-space; ">Darcy,<div>Try searching for "thermopile" or "peltier effect" or "peltier seebeck"<div>These devices are not terribly efficient but certainly robust (used on spacecraft).</div><div><br></div><div>For a DIY, I'd try to find a busted cooler that plugged into a DC source like a car.</div><div>i also recall seeing a unit that sat on a wood burning stove and turned a fan (but expensive!).</div><div><br></div><div>Generally made from semiconductors, you are correct that DIY possibilities exist by bonding</div><div>dissimilar metals.</div><div><br></div><div>The problem is that metals conduct heat rather efficiently. And this reduces the overall </div><div>efficiency. But for a DIY demo, this might not be an issue.</div><div><br></div><div>/Mike</div><div><br></div><div><br><div><br><div><div>On 2011-12-29, at 12:31 PM, Darcy Whyte wrote:</div><br class="Apple-interchange-newline"><blockquote type="cite"><br clear="all"><a href="http://mambohead.com/2011/12/thermal-thinking/">http://mambohead.com/2011/12/thermal-thinking/</a> <div><br></div><div>It's 216.00 CDN. </div><div><br></div><div>I think it could be fun but does anybody know what materials and how to construct?</div>
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