quentron.com

[mrsean2k]

I assume the heat just goes into the copper block and is radiated away.

I wonder if a similar device could be developed for a domestic heat pump and what its COP would be?

AFAICT there's no indication how much energy you need to feed in to achieve the result - it might be less efficient than conventional refrigeration in that aspect. Interesting though.

[trim12]

It would probably be to expensive anyway as it needs a superconductor.

Maybe a small device can cool a bigger device's superconductor etc, etc?

[lumen]

It's possible that the superconductor may only need to be a very good conductor like graphene.

In any case, the efficiency should be very good because as the heat is moved through the insulator, only the most energetic can tunnel the barrier, so as it gets colder less electrons would flow and power consumption would fall.

I would think that the voltage applied works mostly as a bias to generate a flow direction, similar to the use of different work function metals in the quenco chip.

Interesting stuff, appears to be achievable in a good home shop.

[profitis]

@gianna.you might aswell say the same thing for all thought experiments in all textbooks then.you are basicly saying that all textbook classic maxwell demon boxes are not good enough to even argue because the heat inside them 'has to come from somewhere'.the walls of my box are emitting as much as they are receiving.it is a classic isooptic isothermal textbook example yet you continue to point outside the box.this is obviously one thought experiment that proves a 2nd law breach,even in thought.

[profitis]

@gianna.oh and by the way,you are also implying that in all maxwel demon thought experiments with boxes of heat that the infrared rays must just disapear and vanish as a pesty interference?you are aware that all objects emit infrared yes?even near absolute zero kelvin yes?i dont know how you would even bother to try to make them vanish from any box.