Company Develops Engine that Generates Electricity Using Sound Waves

A prototype of an engine able to produce electricity at a high level of efficiency, while being more cost-friendly has been developed by Etalim, a firm with headquarters in Vancouver.

The device can show the efficiency of a fuel cell, but cost almost like an internal combustion engine.

It is about the size of a basketball. According to the company the invention can reach efficiency in excess of 40 percent. The engine is based on a number of principles of the Stirling engine, being able to turn heat into mechanical energy.

However, the most interesting thing is that the engine uses Thermoacoustics, which makes use of heat to manage the intensity of sound waves in a preserved cavity, reports Technology Review.

Etalim looks forward to making its engine for a rate of less than $1 per watt. But the company's long-term aim is 15 cents per watt.