Method and apparatus for generating electricity by thermally cycling an electrically polarizable material using heat from condensers

An apparatus for condensing a gas into a liquid comprising:

• an outer body forming a chamber;
• one or more conduits inside the chamber for conveying a cooling fluid, each of the one or more conduits having an inner surface and an outer surface, wherein at least a portion of the outer surface of the conduit comprises a first electrode formed of a thermally and electrically conductive material;
• a second electrode formed of a thermally and electrically conductive material, wherein the second electrode is spaced from the first electrode;
• and
• one or more layers of an electrically polarizable material between the first and second electrodes, wherein the one or more layers of electrically polarizable material are affixed to the first electrode;
• a cooling fluid inlet in the outer body;
• a cooling fluid outlet in the outer body;
• a gas inlet in the outer body;
• a condensate outlet in the outer body;
• and
• a control circuit;
• wherein the one or more conduits are in fluid communication with the cooling fluid inlet and the cooling fluid outlet such that a cooling fluid can flow from the cooling fluid inlet to the cooling fluid outlet through the one or more conduits thereby withdrawing thermal energy from the one or more layers of electrically polarizable material affixed to the first electrode;
• and
• wherein a gas introduced into the chamber through the gas inlet contacts the one or more conduits such that thermal energy can be transferred from the gas to the one or more layers of electrically polarizable material and to a cooling fluid flowing through the one or more conduits;
• the control circuit:
• thermally cycling the one or more layers of electrically polarizable material between a first temperature T1 and a second temperature T2 by alternately adding thermal energy to and withdrawing thermal energy from the one or more layers of electrically polarizable material, wherein the electrically polarizable material exhibits spontaneous polarization at T1 and wherein the spontaneous polarization exhibited by the electrically polarizable material at T2 is less than the spontaneous polarization exhibited by the electrically polarizable material at T1;
• wherein a DC poling voltage is applied to the one or more layers of electrically polarizable material such that, when the material is in a first portion of the cycle which includes the temperature T1, the electrically polarizable material develops an overall net spontaneous polarization and screening charges are generated on the first and second electrodes;
• wherein the first and second electrodes are connected to a load such that electrical energy is output from the first and second electrodes to the load when the electrically polarizable material is in a second portion of the cycle which includes the temperature T2;
• and
• wherein residual charges are left on the first and second electrodes after electrical energy is output to the load and wherein the residual charges provide the DC poling voltage for the next cycle.