SA Recycling

Recycling Automobile Exhaust

When you think of all the possible things you can recycle, automobile exhaust does not usually top the list.  With rising gas prices and environmental concerns, it’s important to discover new ways to be energy efficient.  The engineers at Oregon State University took to looking at the wasted energy that come from our cars’ exhaust to do just that.

According to Science Daily, the engineers at OSU have successfully completed a prototype to capture and use the low-to-medium grade waste heat that is generated from automobile exhaust pipes. “This could become a very important new energy source and way to improve energy efficiency,” said Hailei Wang, a research associate in the School of Mechanical.

The advantage of this over similar products in the past is that OSU’s prototype has the ability to produce electricity through a thermally activated cooling system, as well as being portable. This
technology would be especially useful if there’s a need to have cooling systems where heat is being wasted,” Wang said.

This revolutionary technology potentially has cost savings as well.  For example, it could “be used in hybrid automotive technology, taking waste heat from the gasoline engine and using it not only for air conditioning but also to help recharge the battery that powers the vehicle” according to Wang.

The engineers at Oregon State University say there will have to be more tests to perfect the system.

To read the full article from Science Daily, click here.