What if you used ram air though a hood/fender scoop, passing through a modified wind amplifier/charger to generate the additional electricity you need for the desired boost...? A friend just got a patent on such a devise. Pretty cool to see in action.

That doesn't change the equation...the energy isn't free. A scoop doesn't pick up energy that's otherwise wasted, it just increases wind resistance.

Okay, so how about a new (maybe new? probably not) take on this-
Why not a hydraulically powered altenator? In small cars this would be through the cooling system circulation. You'd have to circumvent the thermostat; perhaps a small diameter hose run in closed loop back to the intake of the water pump? Like a separate loop that was always active? Then the altenator would serve the same function, shutting off when not in use as it does now.

On a vehicle with a hydraulic pumping system (such as a larger truck with a plow or a vehicle with a PTO) this could be used in the same way.

Most cars besides my VX also have a power steering pump. When driving in a straight line much of the energy of the pump is wasted because the pump is still spinning but not being used. Why not use this as the hydraulic altenator pump?

I like the coolant one the best. Probably would require a more efficient water pump to work most efficiently. Any thoughts on the gains of using this sometimes untapped energy? (when the car is cold and the pump isn't pumping due to the thermostat/during the normal open close cycle)

Thoughts?
B

The coolant idea won't improve the efficiency of the altenator. It likely will be worse. You have the loss of spinning the water pump, then the friction and restriction of the plumbing, and then the loss of spinning the altenator.

The only way to improve the efficiency of making electricity in a car is to use a waste energy. There is plenty of heat being thrown away, but a system to convert it to electricity are either too complex and/or expensive to put on a passenger car for the gained benefit.

Recapturing kinetic energy during braking is another source of usable waste energy. Hybrids use it, and BMW was working on a system for non-hybrids that used a larger battery and downsized the existing altenator. It may even include switching an electric AC compressor.

I can't imagine a hydraulic alternator ever resulting in more efficiency.
Many new cars come with electric power assist rather than hydraulic because of that.

You guys keep trying to produce energy with an alternator instead of just running a secondary battery pack to power the car which can supply enough energy or eliminate the alternator and then recharge the secondary battery with regen energy or the grid or even solar cells on the roof. If you increase the efficency of the engine there will be less wasted energy to reclaim.

Seems there's such a thing as an electric turbo charger that runs off the exhaust:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hybrid_turbocharger

Here's an idea for the original idea; set the turbine to turn the generator at low exhaust speed (you'd need the smallest turbo you can find, I think), and have a pressure actuated cut-out, so it gets the right amount of pressure to run the generator, but not too much.

It sounds that the technology is more to improve to the efficiency and lag time of the turbocharger. It's really more of an electric supercharger with an exhaust driven generator. Powering electrical accessories is mentioned, but the main goal is to improve overall fuel consumption by allowing engine downsizing. Eliminating the altenator wasn't mentioned. With an aggressive driver, all the power generated by the system might go to the charger.

how about a turbine powered generator that runs off of wind you pick up in front of your radiator? make it thin

It is a very good and a very sound idea (and not only because I imagined it myself some time ago, only to find others well ahead of me).

As others point out there are fundamental challenges including heat, rpm, incompatible torque/rpm ranges and so on. None of these are insurmountable however and I believe the trade space will result in a worthwhile difference in fuel economy mainly by allowing a smaller engine to propel a given car without loss in power delivered to the wheels.

The KEY thing with this idea is to look at the energy stealers on a car: steering and brake pumps, water pump, oil pump, a/c.

All of these can be electrically powered. In the case of the water pump and oil pump it may be a good idea to leave as is but the brakes and steering waste energy all of the time when they are not even doing anything useful.

It is only in getting rid of these 'drags' (as well as the alternator on the belt) that the turbo alt will payoff.

Alternators running up to 30,000 rpm have been designed. Such is likely possible for an automobile alternator. Getting the turbo output down below 30,000 rpm is needed (and will increase torque which is a good thing). The turbo can be made larger in diameter (lower gas volume rate over the circumference) too (which also increases torque).

Keep at it. This is a good idea. Just wish I was more of a tinkerer.

Taking the high pressure are from the windshield area and venting it through to a low pressure rear vent area will reduce air drag not increase it but you will need a big hole from front to back to pass the air through.

How about a semaphore wind powered generator that pops out when you want it to? Or several?
One mod I'd love to do is the electric water pump.

AKA wastegate. :thumbup:

I think the idea to use a clutch type setup, like what's found on an A/C compressor, was the best yet as far as controlling the RPM's go.

The reason I was thinking wastegate was; with a clutch, you'd still be spinning the turbine, causing some backpressure. Another good thing about this whole idea is that you'd cut some exhaust sound, so you could use a less restrictive exhaust.

Re: Exhaust driven Alternator
 

Hello, sorry to resurrect this zombie thread but I was googling and had to give my 2 cents :P.

I don't believe the turbo-lag concept is valid in this situation, as you won't be running a heavy air pump. You can make the turbine very light (easy spinning at say 500rps) and spin very fast at high RPMs and accomplish the same goal.

If you worry about heat damage you could always use a Stirling engine attached to the exhaust pipe very close to the engine. Have a very thin piece of aluminum/copper with thermal paste (for efficient energy transfer) and place the cold side of the engine somewhere where it would get fresh air flow. The bit getting fresh air wouldn't have to be very big just a small heat sink; all it has to do is stay cooler than the hot side to work, which isn't hard when you look at how hot exhaust gas is. The beauty of a stirling engine is that it may continue to work log after the engine has been turned off.

Or even mount it on top of the engine and put the cool side in the air intake lol.