Developing new miniature energy systems

This article describes work on new system architectures for heat pumps and heat engines using microcomponents promising high energy densities. A transition to distributed energy processing would allow for the reduction of distribution-related losses, which can be quite large in energy systems. At Pacific Northwest Laboratory (PNL), scientists hypothesize that the trend will decisively change the relationship between central and distributed energy processes. The researchers envision the microtechnology revolution transitioning from microelectronics alone to a technology that includes micromechanical systems. Microsensors using microstructures and actuators are under development at PNL and elsewhere, including at the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor and at MIT in Cambridge, Mass., and are being commercialized for some application. Adding to this vision is a potential new device, the micro heat pump.