The motoring geniuses at BMW are teaming up with the rocket scientists at NASA to create a version of NASA’s Thermoelectric Generator technology (TEG) that will use a car’s exhaust system to generate around 200W of power.
Such systems are already used to power satellites in orbit around Earth. But where those systems use radioactive heat to generate power, the car-based TEGs would look to the vehicle’s exhaust system for the heat it needs.
BMW expects it will gain some five percent in fuel efficiency through its TEG system, thanks to that 200W being used to power the vehicle’s climate control, or lighting, or any other secondary system.
According to BMW’s head of development, Klaus Draeger, the benefits of TEG are more than those offered by regenerative braking and stop-start technology combined.
BMW and NASA are at the prototype stage of the project, and BMW believes the TEG systems could be featured in production models within the next five years.
Do you suppose anyone at the European Space Agency is a bit pissed they never got a call?
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My co-workers at NASA never surprise me in how inventive they can be. We also recognize a good idea when it comes along. We have used technology for the raceing world to use on our aircraft.
So there you go, Racing and Jets just flying at different altitudes.
BG
they are still messing up. OK OK i get it the exhaust can get hot this is true but they are missing all of the heat from the engine itself. some redirection of the air flow over the engine and a revers heat sink to this device would help greatly….. not to mention the obvious but what about redirecting that power to a electrically driven turbo? more power better fuel economy and a cleaner burning car yes to all. come on people if you are going improve something at least do it properly. there are so Manny things like this that i have designs fore it is sad. but they will never do these things. what a pathetic thing the car companies have become.