Abstract: A body cooling system is provided for utilization with a protective suit worn by a person. The cooling system includes an external air flow source that produces an air flow and blows it in free atmosphere towards an evaporative cooling apparatus. A fluid volume flows from the cooling apparatus to a conduit contained in an undersuit worn under the protective overcoat. A pump circulates fluid through the conduit. The undersuit includes both an envelope, surrounding an outer surface of the conduit, and a cloth layer, situated closest to the skin, to aid in a transfer of heat from a body to the fluid flowing in the conduit. The evaporative cooling apparatus can include a radiator body having finger-like projections extending therefrom. A fluid channel is formed within the evaporative cooling apparatus for egress of the heated fluid carried away from the undersuit.

Abstract: A phonon laser pumped by a thermal gradient, the phonon laser having a coherent phonon pumping media, a heat source and a heat sink. The pumping media includes an array of micro resonators and a thermal phonon emitting media.

Abstract: A phonon laser pumped by a thermal gradient, the phonon laser having a coherent phonon pumping media, a heat source and a heat sink. The pumping media includes an array of micro resonators and a thermal phonon emitting media.

Abstract: A solid-state energy converter with a semiconductor or semiconductor-metal implementation is provided for conversion of thermal energy to electric energy, or electric energy to refrigeration. In n-type heat-to-electricity embodiments, a highly doped n* emitter region made of a metal or semiconductor injects carriers into an n-type gap region. A p-type layer is positioned between the emitter region and gap region, allowing for discontinuity of corresponding Fermi-levels and forming a potential barrier to sort electrons by energy. Additional p-type layers can optionally be formed on the collector side of the converter. One type of these layers with higher carrier concentration (p*) serves as a blocking layer at the cold side of the converter, and another layer (p**) with carrier concentration close to the gap reduces a thermoelectric back flow component. Ohmic contacts on both sides of the device close the electrical circuit through an external load to convert heat to electricity.