Thermal to electric conversion is achieved by thermophotovoltaic cells that then provide electrical power for various satellite components.
But what if walking could actually provide electrical power?
Companies are already happy to rely on utilities to provide electrical power, after all.
The researchers have shown that their battery can provide electrical power for a small device for several hours.
Lake Norris was the first lake formed (in 1933) when the T.V.A. dammed rivers to provide electrical power to the more remote parts of the state.
To provide electrical power, the spacecraft carries three huge solar panels, each 8.8 metres long and almost 2.8 metres wide (29ft by 9ft).
(A more realistic potential application would be lightweight body armor that would also provide electrical power for a soldier's radio and other equipment).
Metal was then deposited to provide electrical leads, and the wafer was encapsulated to yield a cell about 100 millimetres in diameter.
The company's partner, the Calpine Corporation of San Jose, Calif., plans to use equipment on site to provide electrical power and chilled water much more reliably than utilities can provide.
It would, for example, be an ideal way to provide electrical earthing in large buildings such as power stations and aircraft hangars, where sparks caused by high-voltage equipment can be dangerous.
After the incident, United, the first North American carrier to fly the new planes, was examining one of the jet's generators, units that provide electrical power to the plane's engines, according to a person with knowledge of the situation.
