Can Heat energy be changed to Electrical energy?

Question

Can Heat energy be changed to Electrical energy?

Answer 1

I assume you are talking about geothermal energy, which translates the heat underneath the earth into electrical energy. This has been extremely successful in Iceland, Japan and some of the nothern European countries. It is a source of clean energy without pollution. It bears some initial cost but it benefits everyone in the long run.

Answer 2

Thats the basic concept behind most anything that uses hydrocarbons for a fuel except fuel cells.

Answer 3

Certainly.  Most of the power in your house comes from generators that do exactly that.  But there is a major gotcha: the heat has to be at a higher temperature than the surroundings -- i.e., you have to have a source of heat, at as high a temperature as you can stand.  Which means boilers and fuel.

Answer 4

Yes indeed.  

Google "changing heat into electricity" gives over a million results.

including:

http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/200...

http://web.mit.edu/newsoffice/2001/elect...