FAQs
Q: What is a MicroPower Chip?
A: A MicroPower Chip is a tiny semiconductor device that creates electricity from the temperature differential between its hot side and cold side.Q: What is a MicroPower Module?
A: An individual MicroPower Chip would be too small for most applications, so multiple Chips are packaged into a MicroPower Module which fits the geometry of a particular application. For a fuller explanation, see Technology Tutorial.Q: If high temperatures are keeping the hot side hot, how do you keep the cold side cool to create the temperature differential?
A: This can be achieved by intelligent system design, and cooling by air, water, heat sink or even a fan if necessary.Q: Has there been independent verification of MicroPower's technology?
A: Please see the Validation section of this website.Q: Are there any patents covering this technology?
A: Please see the Patents section of this website.Q: Who are MicroPower's competitors?
A: Many established energy conversion companies and some with new technologies will compete for large markets and market share, but there are no direct competitors with similar technology.Q: What is your conversion efficiency?
A: There is no single answer to this question since it depends on the specific thermal conditions. Although the MicroPower technology has no moving parts, it is classified thermodynamically as a heat engine. The French physicist Sadi Carnot showed that for an ideal heat engine the efficiency can be calculated knowing the values of two operating parameters, the temperature of the heat source and the temperature of the cold sink.Experimentally we and external groups find that MicroPower Chips deliver about 40% - 50% of the Carnot value for a given set of operating temperatures.