Quote:
Originally Posted by MetroMPG
Tim: you're right, their figures don't add up. 600w production in highway use, yet they're claiming that offsets 30% of power needs. Which means the car needs 2000 watts to drive down the highway? Don't think so. Their figures need explaining.
Maybe the clue is "600 W(e)". What's (e)? I haven't seen that before.
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The thing is that the output in city driving is probably a lot less due to lower average power output and a small difference in temperature. The 600W is probably max output on the highway with the average output around 100-200W.
Quote:
Originally Posted by ConnClark
MetroMPG's car is so optimized he could go on a diet and loose 5 pounds and get a 10% improvement. His results in magnitude of improvement are not typical gains for an average car.
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The thing is alternator energy efficiency, like ICE energy efficiency, isn't linear AFAIK, which is why we're seeing things like
dual-speed alternators, and the like. If this thermoelectric system can replace lightly loaded and inefficient alternator operation, then it could very well increase fuel efficiency by ~5% since the other 5% is when the alt is more heavily loaded and more efficient. It also depends on the manufacturer's alt operating parameters, which may be more efficient for a compact car that's focusing on efficiency light a Metro or Civic CX/VX as opposed to a car that focuses more on other stuff.