I am a "fan" of circuits which generate electricity from ambient heat
-- pun unintended. I've heard of a company called www.nano-lab.com
that uses a similar approach based on the heat within a wire that's
called "Johnson noice."

To me, this is the great overdue invention, the refrigerator that
cools without being plugged in to something, and, in fact, which
generates power.

I would get into this field, except for it being about forty years
behind itself. So, who is coming out with something? Where and when
can I buy one?

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Clarification of Question by scotttygett-ga on 28 Mar 2005 17:10 PST

thermoacoustics thermovoltaics thermoelectrics thermopiles -- there
are lots of terms for electrical heat transducers.

I was able to dig up this item:
http://www.nasatech.com/Briefs/May01/NPO20402.html though I was hoping
one of the googleluminati would have some choice words.

ZPE and OU and water batteries are also all interesting, but the
answer I'm looking for is alnog the lines of ratchet molecules
converting noisy thermal energy like a tuning fork which is then
transduced to electricty by any of many methods...

But if it really works and requires a swimming pool-full of iron filings, why not?

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Clarification of Question by scotttygett-ga on 23 Apr 2005 22:12 PDT

In its crudest form, what I'm looking for is infrared solar cells,
including carbon nanotubes or chromium up-conversion materials
included in conventional  solar panels, and materials known for
efficiently producing infrared from heat, since the word was that a
lot of materials do this.

Thermovoltaics.

I raised the price a tad, I think it was $7 to start.

Here's a report that you may find quite interesting. I suggest taking
this with a grain of salt approximately the size of Rhode Island, but
it does make for fascinating reading:

http://www.aspden.org/reports/Es9/esr9.pdf

This is a great question!