Decoupling the Electrical and Entropic Contributions to Energy Transfer from Infrared Radiation to a Power Generator

Abstract

The interaction between infrared radiation and a power generator device in time is studied as a route to harvest infrared, and possibly other electromagnetic radiations. Broadening the spectrum of the usable electromagnetic spectrum would greatly contribute to the renewable and sustainable energy sources available to humankind. In particular, low frequency and low power radiation is important for applications on ships, satellites, cars, personal backpacks, and, more generally, where non-dangerous energy is needed at all hours of the day, independent of weather conditions. In this work, we identify an electric and an entropic contribution to the energy transfer from low power infrared radiation to the power generator device, representing electrical and thermal contributions to the power generation. The electric contribution prevails, and is important because it offers multiple ways to increase the voltage produced. For example, placing black-colored gaffer tape on the illuminated face doubles the voltage produced, while the temperature difference, thus the entropic contribution, is not sensitive to the presence of the tape. We recognize the electric contribution through the fast changes it imparts to the voltage output of the power generator device, which mirror the instabilities in time of the infrared radiation. The device thus acts as sensor of the infrared radiation’s behavior in time. On the other hand, we distinguish the entropic contribution through the slow changes it causes to the voltage output of the power generator device, which reflect the relative delay with which the two faces of the device respond to thermal perturbations.