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"Turboed" Batteries

 Use exhaust pressure to charge hybrid batteries
 
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Regenerative braking is the driving force in most hybrids, because it is wasted energy. Why not find other wasted energy in typical car use, and use that to charge the batteries? A typical turbo uses the exhaust flow to spin a turbine wheel which leads to a compressor which forces compressed air into the cylinders which leads to more power. Instead of using this wasted energy for forced induction, the energy of the spinning turbine could be harnessed to charge the battery. Whenever the car is in motion, the battery could be charged and there would be that much more power.
—jonhmiller2, Nov 11 2003

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       The energy used to drive the turbine for a turbocharger isn't free. It costs the engine power in the form of backpressure, which causes excess pumping losses.   

       A better idea would be to use the wasted heat from the engine to produce electricity. That is truely wasted energy.... You could use thermoelectric elements in the radiator to provide a little extra charging. Hmm, sounds like a new idea in itself...
—KLRico, Nov 11 2003
   

       That is true that it is not completely free, but I am nearly positive that it would more than compensate for the back pressure. I don't have the ability to run any tests, but I think a sophisticated mechanism would harness more energy than what is lost due to backpressure. Your idea is great tho, perhaps better than my turboed batteries.
—jonhmiller2, Nov 18 2003
   

       Instead of using exhaust gases, why not use some of the flywheel momentum to drive a belt attached to the generator? Oh, wait...
—egbert, Nov 18 2003
   

       jonhmiller2, yes, I think the amount of recovered energy would be more than the losses due to backpressure.   

       Do a Google on the Wright Compound aero engine that recovered energy from the exhaust.
—KiwiJohn, Dec 02 2003
   


 

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