Converting light energy into work via surface tension. 2 July 2009, SPIE Newsroom.
DOI: 10.1117/2.1200906.1677 As global energy demands increase, investigation of alternative energy sources is becoming more imperative. Current research in this area often intrinsically relies on multistage processes to ultimately produce useful work. For example, biofuel requires growing and then harvesting crops, converting them into fuel, transporting it, and finally turning it into work.
Each step introduces inefficiencies, costs, and energy expenditures. Ch_21. Stirling engine. Alpha type Stirling engine.
There are two cylinders. The expansion cylinder (red) is maintained at a high temperature while the compression cylinder (blue) is cooled. The passage between the two cylinders contains the regenerator. Beta type Stirling engine. There is only one cylinder, hot at one end and cold at the other. Piezoelectric Archives.