Wilburn Denice: Bingo Wolf. An engine designed specifically for the plug-in hybrid, like the Chevy Volt, which runs exclusively in Electric, with a seperate engine powered alternator to charge it.
Coleman Deliberato: And I didn't say one got 50%. That's an absolute limit. 30% would be a very efficient engine.
Damaris Weiler: You really aren't serious are you?
Lupe Sancen: A search of "Waste Heat Hybrid" produced only 21 results, including BMW's "Turbosteamer".I did not see an engine for a Hybrid car that might attempt to harness the vehicle's waste heat as electricity for storage in a battery.Shouldn't somebody be on this?How many gazillion gallons of fuel, (and their emissions) would be saved by this?...Show more
Bud Espenshade: Yes, heat can be used to generate electricity. However, it's not a particularly dense form of energy and it's hard to control. Any method to use the waste heat of cars would be inefficient and just weigh the vehicle down.
Olin Hallin: Call it the Hybrid-Hybrid engine because it hybridizes liquid fuel and steam power.
Connie Dickirson: the weight of a steam turbine and the water would be a net loss of energy.A thermal generator could be used to make electricity, but then you'd have to have all the same equipment that a hybrid has. The amount of electricity generated would not be much more than a 1 square meter solar panel. The thermal generator is a better option than the idiotic solar panel Toyota wants to put on a Prius.Let's look at a solar panel on a prius. At best it would would have 2 square meters. The average energy rate is 1200 watts/m^2 and the efficiency of a horizontal panel will average 20% and with shading all, you might be able to get 300 watts. That's less than 1% of your cars needs. The AC needs at least 5000 watts, stereo and inside lights 100 watts, power steering is 1000 watts and the computer and screen use at least 300 watts.Now, what will happen the firs! t time a rock hits it like when one hits your windshield, a $2! 000 PV gone, do you think your insurance is gonna roll over and pay for that? Put the solar panel on your house roof, that is the right thing to do.Google GE Jenbacer, it is 43% efficient...Show more
Robin Tommie: I would like to know your supplier for a "50% efficient" engine. All the car engines I know are around 20% efficient. Even ideal-condition powerplant engines don't hit 40%. I don't believe there's enough temperature differential to develop much of a heat engine. Heat engines (think a steam turbine) really like constant heat sources, and a car engine's heat output is highly variable, depending on accelerating vs braking, uphill vs down, 45 mph vs 75 mph etc. Not to mention a hot vs. cold day. How do you make a heat engine that runs well in a Phoenix summer and also a Minnesota winter? You don't :( Now, if you had a car engine that spun up, ran at a constant power setting for a long time, then shut down... then you might have a chance. I just described! the type of engine you'd find in a plug-in hybrid.P.S. Actually the solar panel on the Pious is a good idea. It will run the cabin air blower when the car is parked in the sunlight. That means when you climb in, the interior will be 110 degrees instead of 160 degrees. This will not only save you that big burst of A/C when you drive away, it may also save the lives of a few dogs and cats. (stupid people often lock their pets inside cars while they run errands, not realizing the inside of a car gets to 160.)...Show more
No comments:
Post a Comment