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Old 03-12-2013, 08:25 AM   #31 (permalink)
Air-Hybrid
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Whether a manufacturer decides to install Seebeck devices, a 'turbosteamer' setup or a turbo-generator, there will be some increase in back-pressure as heat is turned into work during the exhaust gases' journey to the tailpipe.
The TIGERS system utilises a bypass valve for when the motor is at part-load operation, so the back-pressure is not strangling the engine.

I think any vehicle design would need to be at least a 'mild hybrid' for a turbo-gen to make sense, but it would have to be seen how much additional cost it would be incurred relative to the lifetimes fuel savings. ... it seems to me that it could somewhat improve a hybrid's highway economy; and the same may be true for large trucks (without being hybrid, even) as they are pulling under load for much of their operation.

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