Exhaust gas heat exchangers in cars and trucks for more efficiency?

A few years ago, the companies Volkswagen and MAN participated in a so-called Exhaust heat exchanger workeddesigned to increase the efficiency of cars and trucks. And an exhaust gas heat exchanger is particularly useful for trucks. In principle, internal combustion engines are considered very ineffizient. One of the main goals of the experts is to improve the efficiency of the drive train and the engine or the entire vehicle. On average, the efficiency of a motor is only between 35 and 45%. Most of the rest is Waste heat. Experts have been working for years to make sensible use of this waste heat. Even if a further system is probably required, which not only causes costs but also a higher weight, the engine would be more profitable overall. And such a system would be particularly environmentally friendly.

Exhaust gas heat exchangers in cars and trucks?

But such an additional system weighs between 75 and 85 kilograms. A big advantage is that the hot exhaust gas flow into a electrical or mechanical energy converted becomes. But for small vehicles, adding 80 kilograms does not necessarily make sense. But in a truck that unwinds hundreds of thousands of kilometers? And that with a particularly constant level of maintenance of the operating speed for hours and a very precise cruising speed? A perfect environment!

Over 4% more effective driving

If a truck drives for several hours at a constant speed, the units and engines can be brought to maximum efficiency. The main task of an exhaust gas heat exchanger is to convert the thermal energy contained in the exhaust gases from commercial vehicles, cars and trucks into a electrical or mechanical energy is converted. In the case of a truck, it can be expected that the exhaust gas flow will remain largely constant. A heat exchanger can be used to ensure that the exhaust gases are used sensibly through an Organic Rankine Cycle (ORC). In this system, the ethanol in the steam cycle is transferred to a system pressure of 10 to 30 bar through the exhaust gas heat exchanger Brought temperature of 190 to 220 ° C. This causes it to evaporate. And the resulting one Ethanol vapor can be relaxed again in an expansion machine.

This process can produce useful electrical or mechanical work. If a truck drives an average of 80 km / h on a motorway, the use of exhaust gas energy can reduce CO2 and fuel consumption achieved by up to 4% become. Since many trucks cover a long distance every day, it is worth using an exhaust gas heat exchanger in the truck definitely.

Of course that had not happened yet!

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