Processing units and electrical power generation are integrated with a botanical environment to form a closed loop system whereby the outputs of one component serve as the inputs of another. Additionally, humans can be added to the system while maintaining the closed loop nature. Heat generated by the electrical power generation and processing units aids in the growth of botanicals and in the conversion of waste organic materials into both fertilizer and fuel for the electrical power generation. Additionally, carbon dioxide output by the electrical power generation is consumed by the botanicals, which, in turn, output oxygen consumed by the electrical power generation. Water is obtained by passing the exhaust of the electrical power generation across condenser coils, and is utilized for adiabatic cooling, as well as a heat transfer medium. Water is also consumed by the botanicals, aiding their growth.

Processing units and electrical power generation are integrated with a botanical environment to form a closed loop system whereby the outputs of one component serve as the inputs of another. Additionally, humans can be added to the system while maintaining the closed loop nature. Heat generated by the electrical power generation and processing units aids in the growth of botanicals and in the conversion of waste organic materials into both fertilizer and fuel for the electrical power generation. Additionally, carbon dioxide output by the electrical power generation is consumed by the botanicals, which, in turn, output oxygen consumed by the electrical power generation. Water is obtained by passing the exhaust of the electrical power generation across condenser coils, and is utilized for adiabatic cooling, as well as a heat transfer medium. Water is also consumed by the botanicals, aiding their growth.

A heat/acoustic wave conversion component includes a plurality of monolithic honeycomb segments each including a partition wall that defines a plurality of cells extending between both end faces, and the plurality of monolithic honeycomb segments each mutually converts heat exchanged between the partition wall and the working fluid in the cells and energy of acoustic waves resulting from oscillations of the working fluid. In the heat/acoustic wave conversion component including the plurality of honeycomb segments each being monolithic configured, hydraulic diameter HD of the cells is 0.4 mm or less, open frontal area of the honeycomb segments is 60% or more and 93% or less, heat conductivity of the honeycomb segments is 5 W/mK or less, and a ratio HD/L of the hydraulic diameter HD to the length L of the honeycomb segment is 0.005 or more and less than 0.02.

A heat/acoustic wave conversion component includes a plurality of monolithic honeycomb segments each including a partition wall that defines a plurality of cells extending between both end faces, and the plurality of monolithic honeycomb segments each mutually converts heat exchanged between the partition wall and the working fluid in the cells and energy of acoustic waves resulting from oscillations of the working fluid. In the heat/acoustic wave conversion component including the plurality of honeycomb segments each being monolithic configured, hydraulic diameter HD of the cells is 0.4 mm or less, open frontal area of the honeycomb segments is 60% or more and 93% or less, heat conductivity of the honeycomb segments is 5 W/mK or less, and a ratio HD/L of the hydraulic diameter HD to the length L of the honeycomb segment is 0.005 or more and less than 0.02.

A heat/acoustic wave conversion unit includes a heat/acoustic wave conversion component and two heat exchangers. Hydraulic diameter HD of the cells in the heat/acoustic wave conversion component is 0.4 mm or less, and a ratio HD/L of HD to the length L of the heat/acoustic wave conversion component is from 0.005 to 0.02. One of the heat exchangers includes a heat-exchanging honeycomb structure and an annular tube that surrounds a circumferential face of the heat-exchanging honeycomb structure. The annular tube includes a structure body that is disposed in the channel to increase a contact area with the heated fluid, an inflow port into which the heated fluid flows, and an outflow port through which the heated fluid flows out. At least one of the heat-exchanging honeycomb structure and the structure body is made of a ceramic material that contains SiC as a main component.

A heat/acoustic wave conversion component includes a partition wall that defines a plurality of cells, inside of the cells being filled with fluid that oscillates to transmit acoustic waves, the heat/acoustic wave conversion component mutually converting heat exchanged between the partition wall and the fluid and energy of acoustic waves resulting from oscillations of the fluid. The plurality of cells have an average of hydraulic diameters HDs that is 0.4 mm or less in a plane perpendicular to the cell extending direction, the heat/acoustic wave conversion component has an open frontal area at each end face of 60% or more and 93% or less, and distribution of hydraulic diameters HDs of the plurality of cells has relative standard deviation that is 2% or more and 30% or less.

A heat/acoustic wave conversion component includes a partition wall that defines a plurality of cells, inside of the cells being filled with fluid that oscillates to transmit acoustic waves, the heat/acoustic wave conversion component mutually converting heat exchanged between the partition wall and the fluid and energy of acoustic waves resulting from oscillations of the fluid. The plurality of cells have an average of hydraulic diameters HDs that is 0.4 mm or less in a plane perpendicular to the cell extending direction, the heat/acoustic wave conversion component has an open frontal area at each end face of 60% or more and 93% or less, and distribution of hydraulic diameters HDs of the plurality of cells has relative standard deviation that is 2% or more and 30% or less.

The Micro electro-mechanical system (MEMS) utilizes thermal micro-actuators for lens barrel positioning in a camera module for smart device such as mobile phone. The micro actuators are radially extended from a lens barrel, wherein each of the micro actuators is bendable in response to thermal energy. A control unit includes a heater circuit operatively linked to the micro actuators to controllably apply the thermal energy to each of the micro actuators, wherein each of the micro actuators is bent correspondingly to move the lens barrel with respect to the base so as to control a 3-axis positioning of the lens barrel. The micro actuators are also operated independent of ambient temperature.

An electrochemical heat transfer device for a hot water tank utilizes an electrochemical hydrogen compressor to pump hydrogen into and out of a tank having a metal hydride forming alloy therein. The absorption of hydrogen by the metal hydride forming alloy is exothermic, produces heat, and the desorption of the hydrogen from the metal hydride forming alloy is endothermic and draws heat in. An electrochemical hydrogen compressor may be configured between to tanks and pump hydrogen back and forth to form a heat transfer device, such as a hot water heater. A heat transfer device may be coupled with the tank or may comprise the outer surface of the tank to transfer heat to an object or to the surroundings. A closed loop may be configured having two tanks and one or two electrochemical hydrogen compressors to pump the hydrogen in a loop around the system.

Apparatus for extracting useful work or electricity from low grade thermal sources comprising a chamber, a source of heated dense heat transfer fluid in communication with the chamber, a source of motive fluid in communication with the chamber, wherein the motive fluid comprises a liquid phase, a flow control mechanism cooperating with the source of heated dense heat transfer fluid and with the source of motive fluid to deliver said fluids into the chamber in a manner that said fluids come into direct contact with each other in the chamber to effect a phase change of the motive fluid from liquid to gas to increase the pressure within the chamber to yield pressurized fluids, and a work extracting mechanism in communication with the chamber that extracts work from the pressurized fluids by way of pressure let down.