AC and more

[Mentally Moribund]

So I had a great idea once upon a time...  After being introduced to thermal couples many years ago I thought, "hey!" why not just absorb heat energy out of the air!  Obviously this would cool your house and power stuff.  After doing some research I found that many other people thought they had a good idea once too and it doesn't pan out.  However, I'm still stuck on this idea and I am looking for information like the heat transfer rate of different metals and the volts/amp per surface area.  Anyone know a good site?

[juiced]

ive read a similar patent involving piezo tech.

[wooferhound]

Thermocouples and thermopiles require a big difference in temperature to be of much use

http://www.fieldlines.com/story/2004/11/6/171752/223

[Ungrounded Lightning Rod]

Thermocouples are a heat engine.  The laws of thermodynamics applie to them:

 1) You can't win.  (There's no free lunch.)

 2) You can't even break even.

 3) You have to play the game.

They don't get power from heat.  They get power from letting heat move from a warmer place to a cooler one.  This requires a temperature difference to work, and consumes

the temperature difference as you pull out energy.