Johnson Thermoelectric Energy Converter

The Johnson thermoelectric energy converter, or JTEC, also known as the Johnson thermo-electrochemical converter, is a solid-state heat engine that uses the electrochemical oxidation and reduction of hydrogen within a two-cell thermal cycle to approximate the thermodynamic Ericsson cycle. It was invented by the American engineer Lonnie Johnson and is under investigation as a high-efficiency alternative to conventional thermoelectric generators and mechanical heat engines. Johnson has stated the converter has the theoretical potential to reach an energy conversion efficiency of up to 60 percent of the Carnot limit, though that figure assumes an extreme operating temperature difference of about 600 degrees Celsius; early development proposals to the Office of Naval Research were initially declined before Johnson secured funding by reframing the technology around its hydrogen fuel cell mechanics, leading to collaborative development with the Palo Alto Research Center.