Popular renewable energy sources such as hydraulic, wind and solar energy, taken together, cannot completely replace natural sources. As a new alternative, this paper considers the thermal expansion energy of a solid material. A kinematic diagram and the principle of operation of a device that converts the thermal expansion energy of a steel rod into electricity are presented. Calculations show that new materials with given characteristics are needed to produce sufficient power.

The work represents the results of research into the issues of radiation materials science. The foundation of modern science and technology is the production of materials with predictable properties. In this regard, much attention is paid to issues related to the synthesis and growth of crystalline substances. The luminescent properties of quartz crystals grown on neutron-irradiated seeds were studied by the methods of gamma luminescence, thermo luminescence and thermal de-excitation. It has been established that in neutron-irradiated seeds and quartz crystals grown on them, there are defect centers belonging to the β-phase of quartz. The dependences of the concentration of these centers and β - phase on the neutron fluency correlate well with each other. A direct proof of the mechanism of the α - β-transition in quartz under neutron irradiation has been obtained.