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menaus2 · 04-24-2011, 03:11 PM

Hey just had an idea come across my mind. How practical would it be to have a small Liquid nitrogen engine that uses internal combustion engine waste heat to run in a hybrid setup?

Since the liquid nitrogen engine is essentially a cooling source for the ICE you could even do a radiator delete yielding weight reduction (maybe not net though). You could insulate the engine bay so it could work in wintertime too.

I could also see the LN2 engine perhaps charging a gas-electric hybrid battery. LN2 is about 6 cents (US) per liter in truckload quantities making it pretty cheap. Idk if this is offset by its low energy density... even about 30 times less energy density than gasoline that comes to about $1.80 to get the same potential energy (efficiency may be a problem).

Seems like an obvious synergistic fit to me, but I haven't seen any examples of this online yet. would too much cooling from the ln2 reduct the ICE efficiency? Am I ignoring basic laws of thermodynamics here? Thoughts?

04-24-2011, 03:11 PM	#1 (permalink)
menaus2 EcoModding Lurker Join Date: Aug 2010 Location: Wisconsin Posts: 45 Slowpoke - '00 Hyundai Sonata GLS 90 day: 32.82 mpg (US) Thanks: 25 Thanked 0 Times in 0 Posts	cryo-ICE hybrid Hey just had an idea come across my mind. How practical would it be to have a small Liquid nitrogen engine that uses internal combustion engine waste heat to run in a hybrid setup? Since the liquid nitrogen engine is essentially a cooling source for the ICE you could even do a radiator delete yielding weight reduction (maybe not net though). You could insulate the engine bay so it could work in wintertime too. I could also see the LN2 engine perhaps charging a gas-electric hybrid battery. LN2 is about 6 cents (US) per liter in truckload quantities making it pretty cheap. Idk if this is offset by its low energy density... even about 30 times less energy density than gasoline that comes to about $1.80 to get the same potential energy (efficiency may be a problem). Seems like an obvious synergistic fit to me, but I haven't seen any examples of this online yet. would too much cooling from the ln2 reduct the ICE efficiency? Am I ignoring basic laws of thermodynamics here? Thoughts? __________________ Slowly modding my 2000 sonata to what it should be... one project at a time.