The Need

Energy is lost as a heated gas byproduct from internal combustion engines, gas furnaces, and other power generators. The heated exhaust from these power generators has the potential to be exploited for additional energy. However, a method must be developed to extract thermal energy from the exhaust and convert the energy into electric power.

The Technology

Researchers at The Ohio State University, led by Dr. Codrin Cantemir, developed a novel thermodynamic cycle used to extract thermal energy due to its thermodynamic state. The process utilizes a mechanical expander to convert thermal energy into electricity. This method can convert thermal energy into electricity for any hot gas byproduct of another upstream process.

Commercial Applications

• Solar energy
• Power generation
• Environmental
• Automotive

Benefits/Advantages

• Flexibility of applications due to mechanism through which energy is created
• Insensitivity to the pressure of the feed gas
• Interchangeable parts that can be used at different steps in the process
• Preliminary simulation results show that the system is able to obtain higher energy conversion efficiency values than current technologies