A sublimation heat engine

Nature Communications
Gary G WellsKhellil Sefiane

Abstract

Heat engines are based on the physical realization of a thermodynamic cycle, most famously the liquid-vapour Rankine cycle used for steam engines. Here we present a sublimation heat engine, which can convert temperature differences into mechanical work via the Leidenfrost effect. Through controlled experiments, quantified by a hydrodynamic model, we show that levitating dry-ice blocks rotate on hot turbine-like surfaces at a rate controlled by the turbine geometry, temperature difference and solid material properties. The rotational motion of the dry-ice loads is converted into electric power by coupling to a magnetic coil system. We extend our concept to liquid loads, generalizing the realization of the new engine to both sublimation and the instantaneous vapourization of liquids. Our results support the feasibility of low-friction in situ energy harvesting from both liquids and ices. Our concept is potentially relevant in challenging situations such as deep drilling, outer space exploration or micro-mechanical manipulation.

References

May 23, 2006·Physical Review Letters·H LinkeA Stout
Sep 14, 2012·Nature·Ivan U VakarelskiSigurdur T Thoroddsen
Nov 15, 2012·Scientific Reports·Ali HashmiJie Xu
Mar 19, 2013·Physical Review. E, Statistical, Nonlinear, and Soft Matter Physics·Tobias BaierDavid Quéré
Oct 28, 2013·Soft Matter·Franck CelestiniYves Pomeau

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Citations

Apr 8, 2016·Langmuir : the ACS Journal of Surfaces and Colloids·Mokhtar Adda-BediaDominic Vella
Aug 3, 2016·ACS Applied Materials & Interfaces·Linzi E DoddMichael I Newton
Jan 31, 2019·Advanced Materials·Jing LiZuankai Wang
May 29, 2020·Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America·Tom Y Zhao, Neelesh A Patankar
Sep 22, 2017·Scientific Reports·Cheng LuoXiang Wang
Aug 11, 2018·Physical Review Letters·Scott WaitukaitisMartin van Hecke
May 6, 2020·Heliyon·Adam H HalperinArjun Agarwal
Mar 20, 2021·Physical Review. E·Antoine ParreninDaniel Bonn
Jun 29, 2021·Soft Matter·Ambre BouillantDavid Quéré
Jul 9, 2021·Science Advances·Divya PanchanathanGareth H McKinley
Jun 6, 2017·Langmuir : the ACS Journal of Surfaces and Colloids·Manjarik MrinalCheng Luo
Oct 5, 2021·Langmuir : the ACS Journal of Surfaces and Colloids·Kai ZhuangXiaolong Yang

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