The thermal diode may allow computers to use heat as an alternate energy source. (Karl Vogel/Engineering)

One of the biggest problems with computers is keeping them cool so they don’t overheat. University of Nebraska–Lincoln engineers developed an alternative energy source that would allow computing at ultra-high temperatures. The nano-thermal-mechanical device, or thermal diode, could be used in space exploration, for exploring the core of the earth, for oil drilling, or in applications requiring calculations and data processing in real time in places where computers have not been able to function.

By taking advantage of an energy source that has long been overlooked, the thermal diode could also help limit the amount of energy that gets wasted – nearly 60 percent of the energy produced for consumption in the United States is wasted in heat.