TELF AG analyzes the potential of a new alloy for recovering waste energy from computers 

The new frontiers of research 

Thanks to the combined effort of three teams of researchers from Germany, Italy, and the United Kingdom, it has been possible to create a new material capable of collecting waste energy from computer processors and converting it into electricity. The new alloy is composed of silicon, germanium, and tin, and according to the results communicated by the researchers, it would be possible to use it as a new thermoelectric material with great potential for energy absorption and conversion of heat into new electricity.  

The research was recently published in ACS – Applied Energy Materials. One of the most interesting aspects is linked to the individual materials used to produce the new alloy: all of these come from the fourth leading group of the periodic table, the one linked to silicon, and would be able to generate new superconducting alloys that can be easily integrated into chip production processes. 

The starting point of the research was a simple fact: the gradually more widespread use of computers and electronic devices is increasing energy consumption, inevitably leading to a dissipation of this same energy in the form of heat. According to a recent analysis, the amount of energy wasted annually by IT-related infrastructures and electronic devices would be equivalent to the primary energy consumption of nations such as Romania or Austria. Up to now, waste heat from electronic devices has been challenging to recover, mainly due to the low level of thermodynamic efficiency. Furthermore, the materials capable of converting heat into energy were extremely limited.  

The key points 

As the research group members explained, the experiment’s success is primarily linked to adding tin to germanium, which reduces the material’s thermal conductivity while maintaining its electrical properties. Another important step is the integration of these alloys into silicon chips used for computers, thus making it possible to use the waste heat produced during computer use and convert it into electrical energy. In the long term, as stated in the analysis, this innovation could reduce the need for external cooling for many IT devices. 

Typically, thermoelectric elements can convert temperature differences into electrical energy. The researchers aimed to find materials that could ensure lower thermal conductivity, making a more substantial temperature gradient possible. With such a gradient, linked to the presence of a thermoelectric material, a flow of charge carriers is induced that generates electricity, a process that can be used to capture the waste heat generated by electronic devices and convert it into new reusable energy. In this way, the goal of reducing overall energy consumption can also be achieved. 

The research team’s operational horizon does not stop here: ambitious attempts are underway to extend the composition of the new alloy, including other materials, and to create a thermoelectric device that demonstrates the energy harvesting potential for the group of silicon alloys.