German BMW started the development of a automotive unit that regenerated the engine exhaust heat to the electric power in cooperation with Toshiba.

The executive of BMW Japan corporation clarified it on the 23rd.
The environmental regulation becomes strong, and it works on the field of the exhaust heat power generation has been said to be untouched by the efficiency enhancement of the inside and the internal combustion engine from which the amelioration of fuel cost is rapidly requested for the first time also in Europe.

This time, the technology that develops uses temperature gradient of the high temperature and the low temperature, and uses the principle that is called "Thermocouple" that measures power generation and the temperature. The high temperature uses the exhaust heat of the engine and the low temperature uses air. The engine is 800- Temperature gradient necessary for generating electricity is expected to be going to obtain it enough because it gets a high temperature up to 900℃.

Toshiba applies this technology to the space satellite. Sunshine in space does and generates electricity to the low temperature part of a part not so in the high temperature part the hit region. When the technology formation of Toshiba and BMW has already started the joint development in Germany, it is Iu.

In BMW, it is assumed to apply this technology for hybrid vehicle (HV) that hikes fuel efficiency using the engine together with the electric motor. The electric power in which electricity is generated is collected in the battery, and used to drive the electric motor. However, not deciding about the current state is a lot of schedules of the commercialization at the basic research level to the difficulty like the cost and the limited installation space, etc. for the productization.

The emission of carbon dioxide (CO2) when one kilo running is set to the regulation that will be reduced from 160 grams of results drastic for 120 grams and 06 years by 2015 in Europe. It is expected that it will become severer afterwards, and expects the amelioration in an existing internal combustion engine to be going to become difficult. Therefore, the development of a new improving fuel economy technology like BMW in addition to technologies of making to electric such as HV and electric cars seems to accelerate.

The source
http://www.business-i.jp/news/ind-page/news/200906240073a.nwc

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