A new energy harvesting method based on Knudsen compressor

Abstract

Energy is one of the biggest concerns in the 21st century. In this paper, a new energy harvest method is proposed. The key component of the new method is the Knudsen compressor which is based on the rarefied flow phenomenon of thermal creep. In this study, the possibility of Knudsen compressor filled with nano scale aerogel working at atmosphere pressure is first studied by Direct Simulation Monte Carlo (DSMC) method. The simulation results provide the information for design and fabricate a Knudsen compressor. The numerical analysis estimates that at the day time of summer, an array of multi-stages Knudsen compressor in 1m2 area could capture energy of 74 W. © 2010 American Institute of Physics.