The device uses the cold night sky to generate electricity

题材文章词数科技371 难度 ★★★体裁建议用时说明文8 min

难词探意

1. panel /'pænəl/ n. 仪表盘；嵌板

2. capture /'kæptʃə(r)/ v. 俘获；夺得

3. aluminium /,æljə'mɪniəm/ n. 铝

4. insulation /,ɪnsju'leɪʃn/ n. 绝缘材料

It is common that we can get electricity from the sunlight, but recently, a new device works like a solarpanel, except it doesn't harvest energy from the sun. Itcapturesenergy from the cold night sky. A prototype of the device produced enough electricity at night to power a small light bulb. A bigger version might one day light rooms or charge phones. It could also power electronics in remote or low-resource areas that lack electricity.

The core of this new night-light is a thermoelectric generator. It makes use of the temperature difference between earth and outer space. The generator then uses that difference to create electricity. As long as one side of it is cooler than the other, the generator can produce electricity. The cooler side faces the sky and is attached to analuminiumplate. The bottom of the generator is attached to an exposed aluminium plate. That plate is warmed by the local air. At night, the top plate can get a couple of degrees Celsius cooler than the bottom of the generator.

Researchers tested a 20-centimeter prototype one clear December night in Stanford, Calif. The generator produced up to about 25 milliwatts of power per square meter of device. That was enough power to light a small light-emitting diode, or LED bulb. Further improvements might raise its production to at least 500 milliwatts per square meter. To do that, the system might need moreinsulationaround the cool top plate.

“It's a very clever idea,” says Yuan Yang. As a materials scientist, he works at Columbia University in New York City and was not involved in the work. “This new generator may be useful for backup power. It might also provide a bit of energy for people living off the electric grid. The device could also help power remote weather stations or other environmental devices,” says Aaswath Raman. He is a materials scientist who worked on the device at the University of California, Los Angeles. “This may be useful in polar regions that don't see sunlight for months at a time,” Raman says. “If you have some low-power load and you need to power it through three months of darkness, this might be a way.”

Reading Check

Ⅰ. Answer the following questions according to the text.

1. What is special for the new device?

2. What is the practical use of the new device?

Ⅱ. Write a summary for the text with about 60 words.

Language Study

Sentence for writing

It is common that we can get electricity from the sunlight.

【信息提取】It be common that... 意为“……是司空见惯的事”。

【句式仿写】如今，女性出去工作是司空见惯的事情。