Alkali-metal thermal-to-electric conversion
Sodium vapour expands across a beta-alumina solid electrolyte that passes ions but not electrons; the electrons take the external circuit. A pressure–temperature difference becomes electricity electrochemically.
Atlas record: 6 claims reference this phenomenon — 6 demonstrated.
Explorerelations · matrix context · routes · sources · cite
Relations
- sodium at 900–1300 K on the hot side of a β″-alumina electrolyte and a condenser at 400–700 K
Matrix context
D = disequilibrium row · C = coupling family column. A cell reads the state of the atlas for that pair.
Enumerated routes through this · 10
- AMTEC cell1/3 est · demonstrated
- Chemical potential difference → Combustion → Temperature gradient → Alkali-metal thermal-to-electric conversion → Ionic current → Electrical work3/5 est · extends a recorded pathway
- Electric potential difference → Peltier effect → Temperature gradient → Alkali-metal thermal-to-electric conversion → Ionic current → Electrical work3/5 est · same energy form
- Electric potential difference → Ettingshausen effect → Temperature gradient → Alkali-metal thermal-to-electric conversion → Ionic current → Electrical work3/5 est · same energy form
- Incident radiation flux → Photothermal absorption → Temperature gradient → Alkali-metal thermal-to-electric conversion → Ionic current → Electrical work3/5 est · extends a recorded pathway
- Radiative imbalance with the sky → Radiative sky cooling → Temperature gradient → Alkali-metal thermal-to-electric conversion → Ionic current → Electrical work3/5 est · extends a recorded pathway
- Nuclear binding-energy difference → Nuclear fission → Temperature gradient → Alkali-metal thermal-to-electric conversion → Ionic current → Electrical work3/5 est · extends a recorded pathway
- Nuclear binding-energy difference → Nuclear fusion → Temperature gradient → Alkali-metal thermal-to-electric conversion → Ionic current → Electrical work1/5 est · extends a recorded pathway
- Nuclear binding-energy difference → Radioactive decay → Beta particles → Radioisotope heating → Temperature gradient → Alkali-metal thermal-to-electric conversion → Ionic current → Electrical work5/7 est · extends a recorded pathway
- Nuclear binding-energy difference → Radioactive decay → Alpha particles → Radioisotope heating → Temperature gradient → Alkali-metal thermal-to-electric conversion → Ionic current → Electrical work5/7 est · extends a recorded pathway
Cited sources · 1
- [1]T. Cole. Thermoelectric energy conversion with solid electrolytes (1983)
Cite this entity
Physical Transformation Atlas (2026). entity phenomenon:alkali-metal-thermal-electric-conversion: Alkali-metal thermal-to-electric conversion. Dataset revision rbfbfcbb70e57 (hash of the canonical data). https://physical-transformation-atlas.wldud5192.workers.dev/phenomenon/alkali-metal-thermal-electric-conversion
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