TEG could turn engine heat into energy
As anyone who has ever had a car overheat can tell you, engines get hot. Very hot and all of that heat is wasted energy. What if that heat could be recaptured and turned into more energy for the car? German scientists have proposed attaching a Thermoelectric Generator (TEG) to a car’s the tail pipe to do just that.
Most of the gas we pump into our cars turns to wasted heat rather than productive energy. By attaching a TEG to the exhaust pipes, the German researchers are hoping to recapture that energy and funnel it back into the car.
By using the difference in temperature between the engine and radiator coolant, the scientists believe that they can create an electric current that can be funneled back into onboard electrical systems or to storage batteries in Hybrids.
Using this process, the researchers expect to be able to substitute the converted waste heat in place of an alternator. Overall, recapturing the heat would cut fuel consumption by 5 – 7 %. This sounds pathetic in the wake of new technologies that promise to either reduce the use of fossil fuel by 10 – 25% or to eliminate the use of fuel all together.
However, this technology, if applied along with the newer methods of cutting back on fuel consumption, can make cars even more efficient and every little bit helps. Turning wasted heat into energy even on the more technologically advanced cars can only be a plus since this would allow electric cars and hybrids longer driving distances.
It is estimated that 28.7 million barrels of oil could be saved in the U.S. in a year. That is using a conservative estimate of 200 hours of driving time for the 243 million passenger cars on U.S. roads. considering that most Americans drive far more than 200 hours per year this is a low figure. This estimate doesn’t take into account the savings if non passenger vehicles were also outfitted with TEG technology.
It is like the old adage that every little bit helps. In this case 243 million TEG converted little bits can add up to a great deal of savings for U.S. consumers as a whole.
I wish I could say that this technology is available now and could easily be added to your current combustion engine car, but the process is still in the research phase. A prototype is expected soon but it is a long way between “prototype” and “actuality”.
Related Posts:
