Have you ever wondered how much potential energy from fuel is lost in gas-powered vehicles? Surprisingly, traditional combustion engines only use about
This device attaches to a car’s tailpipe, capturing heat and converting it into usable electricity. The researchers’ innovative system includes a semiconductor made of bismuth-telluride and uses heat exchangers—similar to those found in air conditioners—to capture heat from vehicle exhaust pipelines efficiently.
Basically, slap Peltier modules on the exhaust pipe. This ain’t gonna do much. We can invent a thousand applications for Peltier modules, until there is a massive technology breakthrough in terms of semi-condutor materials, it’s kinda pointless.
Reusing heat energy from exhaust is what turbos are doing for 120 years now.
This concept isn’t new either. Factories have been using very similar methods to use the heat of the exhaust gasses to power the sensors and whatnot on top of their smoke stacks for some time now, for example.
Basically, slap Peltier modules on the exhaust pipe. This ain’t gonna do much. We can invent a thousand applications for Peltier modules, until there is a massive technology breakthrough in terms of semi-condutor materials, it’s kinda pointless.
Reusing heat energy from exhaust is what turbos are doing for 120 years now.
This concept isn’t new either. Factories have been using very similar methods to use the heat of the exhaust gasses to power the sensors and whatnot on top of their smoke stacks for some time now, for example.