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Detroit Diesel currently uses a compound turbo on their DD15 diesel truck engine. The turbine uses spent exhaust gasses exiting the primary turbo to mechanically help turn the rear gear train, gaining 50 "free" horsepower, according to the propaganda. Turbo-Compound engines have been around forever. Go to the library and read all about WW2 bombers engines. Quite fascinating and terribly complicated. AKA: Cool.
Call me silly, but if you want to add an turbo to an engine for economy sake, a compound turbo is the only way to go, unless you start with an extremely undersized engine to begin with and add a turbo to get the power up to "normal" levels. And this (the latter option) is exactly what the auto companies are finally realizing.
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