Running an LED in reverse could cool future computers

Re:Running an LED in reverse could cool future computers by anotheryou on Sunday February 17, 2019 @04:41AM (#19183605)

How does this differ from a solar cell? (would make sense to capture heat/IR with one and just feed it back as electricity).

Or did they just happened to use an LED and the same thing could be done with a solar cell (feeding some power the wrong way to make it suck in a bit more)?

So it's a bit like a solar cell with a motor as a load, but you even spin it in reverse to make it suck dry the solar panel a bit more than it would be willing to give(?).

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Re:Running an LED in reverse could cool future computers by Tarean on Sunday February 17, 2019 @05:32AM (#19183751)

https://youtu.be/6WGKz2sUa0w

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Re:Running an LED in reverse could cool future computers by anotheryou on Sunday February 17, 2019 @03:53PM (#19186828)

Yea, this is why I wondered why not use a solar cell right away.

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Re:Running an LED in reverse could cool future computers by mistercow on Sunday February 17, 2019 @06:32AM (#19183934)

It sounds like by "in reverse", they mean they're applying current in reverse to the LED, not using it to convert infrared light into electricity, as with photovoltaics. What's not clear to me, though, is where the thermal energy actually goes.

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Re:Running an LED in reverse could cool future computers by anotheryou on Sunday February 17, 2019 @07:29AM (#19184134)

I definitely think generating electricity is the way out for the energy/heat. I think they just apply reverse voltage to drain the LED actively.

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