Steam-age tech boosts BMW power
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[12/28/2005] Munich, Germany – BMW research engineers have combined old and new technology to harness the biggest source of wasted energy in a car engine.
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Munich, Germany – BMW research engineers have combined old and new technology to harness the biggest source of wasted energy in a car engine.
Heat.
They have a 1.8-litre four-cylinder engine on a test rig that generates 10kW more power and 20Nm more torque while burning 15 percent less fuel – free.
The extra energy is derived from the waste heat present in the exhaust gases and cooling water. The project is called the Turbosteamer and it's based on the 120-year-old technology of the steam turbine patented by Charles Parsons in 1884.
Water is heated to form steam in two circuits, one using the heat in the exhaust manifold as its heat source and the other the car's cooling system
BMW's boffins say they can recover more than 80 percent of the heat energy in the exhaust gases
.
BMW's boffins say they can recover more than 80 percent of the heat energy in the exhaust gases usually lost to the atmosphere.
The steam is led to a small turbine linked to the crankshaft to improve its output and increase the efficiency of the combined system by 15 percent.
The project has reached the stage of comprehensive testing. The components have been designed to fit existing cars and BMW says there's enough room under the bonnet of a current four-cylinder 3 Series for the steam turbine and its plumbing.
Development is now focused on making the components simpler and smaller; the long-term goal is to have a system capable of volume production within ten years.
The big picture:
"BMW's Efficient Dynamics project resolves the apparent contradiction between consumption and emission reductions on the one hand and performance and agility on the other," said board member Burkhard Göschel
The long-term goal is to have a system capable of volume production within ten years
.
BMW believes a reduction in fuel consumption of a few percentage points over the entire model range does more good than a super-efficient niche model, he added, so it is concentrating on making fuel-efficient technology accessible to as many people as possible.
Heat.
They have a 1.8-litre four-cylinder engine on a test rig that generates 10kW more power and 20Nm more torque while burning 15 percent less fuel – free.
The extra energy is derived from the waste heat present in the exhaust gases and cooling water. The project is called the Turbosteamer and it's based on the 120-year-old technology of the steam turbine patented by Charles Parsons in 1884.
Water is heated to form steam in two circuits, one using the heat in the exhaust manifold as its heat source and the other the car's cooling system
BMW's boffins say they can recover more than 80 percent of the heat energy in the exhaust gases
.
BMW's boffins say they can recover more than 80 percent of the heat energy in the exhaust gases usually lost to the atmosphere.
The steam is led to a small turbine linked to the crankshaft to improve its output and increase the efficiency of the combined system by 15 percent.
The project has reached the stage of comprehensive testing. The components have been designed to fit existing cars and BMW says there's enough room under the bonnet of a current four-cylinder 3 Series for the steam turbine and its plumbing.
Development is now focused on making the components simpler and smaller; the long-term goal is to have a system capable of volume production within ten years.
The big picture:
"BMW's Efficient Dynamics project resolves the apparent contradiction between consumption and emission reductions on the one hand and performance and agility on the other," said board member Burkhard Göschel
The long-term goal is to have a system capable of volume production within ten years
.
BMW believes a reduction in fuel consumption of a few percentage points over the entire model range does more good than a super-efficient niche model, he added, so it is concentrating on making fuel-efficient technology accessible to as many people as possible.
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