John Fairbanks of the DOE said thermoelectric generators should be on the verge of production in about three years.
A Suburban produces 15 kilowatts of exhaust heat energy during city driving, which is enough to power three or four air conditioners simultaneously. But it’s not possible to harness all the exhaust heat a vehicle produces, so when the Suburban is cruising between 50 and 60 mph, the thermoelectric generator can produce about 800 watts of power, Yang said. That electricity could go to accessories such as a GPS device, DVD player, radio and possibly the vehicle’s water pumps.
Yang’s prototype device is to be tested in a Suburban next year. A similar prototype created by Ohio State scientists and BSST should be tested in a BMW in 2009.
Wednesday, August 6, 2008
Concurrent Technical Session 7: Thermoelectrics Springwells for Vehicle Applications
John Fairbanks, U.S. Department of Energy, Chair
Potential of Thermoelectrics for Vehicular Applications
John Fairbanks, U.S. Department of Energy
Development of Thermoelectric Technology for Automotive Waste Heat Recovery
Edward Gundlach, General Motors
Development of a 100-Watt High-Temperature Thermoelectric Generator
John LaGrandeur, BSST LLC
Efficiency Improvement in an Over-the-Road Diesel-Powered Engine System by the Application of Advanced Thermoelectric Systems Implemented in a Hybrid Configuration Harold Schock, Michigan State University
Brian Wang is a Futurist Thought Leader and a popular Science blogger with 1 million readers per month. His blog Nextbigfuture.com is ranked #1 Science News Blog. It covers many disruptive technology and trends including Space, Robotics, Artificial Intelligence, Medicine, Anti-aging Biotechnology, and Nanotechnology.
Known for identifying cutting edge technologies, he is currently a Co-Founder of a startup and fundraiser for high potential early-stage companies. He is the Head of Research for Allocations for deep technology investments and an Angel Investor at Space Angels.
A frequent speaker at corporations, he has been a TEDx speaker, a Singularity University speaker and guest at numerous interviews for radio and podcasts. He is open to public speaking and advising engagements.