Germans trying to replace Alternator with Thermoelectric Generators or TEGs

[vtec-e]

Originally Posted by ebacherville

no moving parts and pretty fail safe..

Always a good thing.

ollie

[vtec-e]

http://www.bowmanpower.co.uk/iqs/sid...mpounding.html
quasiturbine.promci.qc.ca/QTPapiers/QTCromExhaustWP0612.doc
Have a look here. Sounds promising
ollie

[JohnnyGrey]

Do you guys have any idea how weak TEG currents are? This is about as practical as replacing your car battery with a potato.

[vtec-e]

Have a look here:
http://radionics.rs-online.com/web/s...176+4294956707
around 650 euro for 1100 watts. How much is an alternator?
I agree the cost benefit ratio is slim but its progress. These things should get cheaper in time.

ollie

[JamesLaugesen]

Originally Posted by jamesqf

Or there's this: http://www.carpages.co.uk/news/tigers-22-09-05.asp which is basically a turbocharger driving a generator.

If it is basicly a turbo, then it's capturing energy from the exhaust pressure, heat is still wasted with a turbo.

Maybe still some net gain though... and I think within ecomodder scope like vtec-e says. Maybe a supercharger in reverse to drive an alternator?

[kafer65]

You could do more than one of these. Turbos typically drop exhaust gases about 500 F. There is still more than enough heat left to do more work there.

[i_am_socket]

Originally Posted by JohnnyGrey

Do you guys have any idea how weak TEG currents are? This is about as practical as replacing your car battery with a potato.

That totally just put the Dexter's Lab episode with potato power in my head

[vtec-e]

I did some more looking around on peltiers. These guys:Using a peltier to generate electricity - HomeBuiltAirplanes.com
were playing with the same idea. Turns out peltiers are around 10% efficient. Not too good then.
Now, with the turbo alternator, i think a stumbling block is in getting a generator that goes as fast as a turbo. If we gear down from turbo speeds, we are losing efficiency. I'm trying to find out more about switched reluctance motors as they seem to be whats used. Apparently they are very cheap to make. Doesn't mean they'll be cheap to buy though...

ollie

[Bicycle Bob]

Here's some progress on generating power from low temperature differentials using a "reverse refrigerator" running R134a:
http://www.chenahotsprings.com/index.php?id=90

[vinny1989]

Originally Posted by jamesqf

Or there's this: Put A Tiger In Your Exhaust which is basically a turbocharger driving a generator.

The question, though, is why mess with band-aid solutions for the inherently inefficient IC engine. Build Stirling engines, coupled to hybrid electric drives for quick startup & acceleration.

A hybrid Stirling engine... that would be awesome.

Would still need some sort of fuel to generate the heat in order to keep a sufficient heat difference between the pistons... but i suppose diesel / lpg could be used.