Infrared power generation in an insulated compartment

The mechanism that activates a bi‐junction power generator under the effects of heat is the Seebeck effect, that is, the production of voltage difference ΔV(t) is directly proportional to the temperature difference ΔT(t) between the “hot” and “cold” junctions of the device. This phenomenon is well established and is known as thermoelectric power generation. Here, it is shown that, instead, the causal and linear relationship between ΔV(t) and ΔT(t) is lost when continuous broadband infrared (CB‐IR) radiation illuminates a bi‐junction power generator in an insulated compartment. The observed phenomenon is IR power generation. Heat transfer calculations fail in explaining the experimental trends. The interaction between CB‐IR radiation and the charge carriers in the bi‐junction power generator might play a role in the ΔV(t) production, depending upon the geometry of the experimental setup. The longitudinal propagation of collective oscillations, for example, polaritons, in the plates protecting the “hot” and “cold” junctions of the bi‐junction power generator could explain the ΔV(t) production and the characteristic time constants. The findings should be considered in the design, fabrication, and improvement of thermopiles, power meters, and IR energy‐harvesting devices. © 2013 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Complexity 19: 44–55, 2014