Current Research

Cylinder Sleeve-integrated Thermoelecric Waste Heat Recovery

Principal investigators:

Steve Hung, Jay Ochterbeck and Terry Tritt

Sponsors:

Internal startup funds

Brief abstract: 

Methods for waste heat energy recovery from engine cooling fluid suffer from low differential temperatures in the fluid. This research effort explores the potential of imbedding thermoelectric devices between the cylinder sleeve and cylinder block, in an existing engine cooling interface where hot-side temperatures are higher than those in engine cooling fluid.

Impact:

Potential 7 percent to 10 percent improvement in fuel economy for vehicles powered by gasoline/diesel engines.

Project schedule:

Interface CAE results by spring 2009. Bench-level/test cell system test results by spring 2010, and vehicle-level results by spring 2011.