VW To Use Heat Recovery Systems
Volkswagen has shown a prototype vehicle equipped with a thermoelectric generator according to the International Thermoelectric Society website. The system recovers the dissipated heat energy and converts it into electricity. The prototype has been shown at the “Thermoelektrik - Eine Chance Für Die Atomobillindustrie?” meeting held in Berlin in October 2008.
The thermoelectric generator is reportedly able to gain about 600W from a car running on a highway, meeting about 30% of the car’s electrical consumption requirements. For the moment, the thermoelectric generators haven’t been embedded in a hybrid car, although VW says with the current setup it can save about 5% of your fuel consumption Read more
