This little news item dates back several days, but we just stumbled across it and thought it was an interesting tech bit.

Last week in San Diego, Honda presented a technical paper at the 2008 SAE Hybrid Vehicle Technology Symposium which details their research on a system designed to improve the overall thermal efficiency of a hybrid powertrain. The system involves reclaiming some of the (waste) heat energy developed by the vehicle's internal combustion engine and converting it back into electricity, which would be captured in the vehicle's battery pack.

To this end, Honda is researching the application of a Rankine cycle system, a simple closed thermodynamic system that converts heat into work. This conversion is achieved typically by heating water to create steam, which is expandsed through a turbine to drive a generator.

Honda's design sources the heat energy from the vehicle's exhaust system. Honda prototyped the system on a 2.0L Honda Stream and reports a 3.8% net gain in thermal efficiency at 100kph. The figure sounds a little small, but this is clearly something that's still in the research phase.

Read more about it at Green Car Congress

Last edited by Jeff on February 20, 2008 09:27