BMW's Concept Of The Turbosteamer

When petroleum products are burned, most of the energy released dissipates in the form of heat from the exhaust pipes. Since the internal combustion engine was invented, this has been the case- but a new system invented by BMW aims to cut that number by 80%. Called the turbosteamer, the concept utilizes the energy emitted by the exhaust gases to power a steam engine, which in turn contributes to the power of the automobile. A great thing about the system is that it can be added to existing vehicles, which means that every model that BMW makes could be 15% more efficient.

BMW combines the turbosteamer with a four-cylinder, 1.8 liter four cylinder engine and the result was 15% less fuel consumption, 10 kilowatts more in power generation and 20 Nm increased torque. The increase in power and efficiency results from the extraction of energy from exhaust gases. The turbosteamer and the steam engine are based on the same principle- heated liquid forms steam, which is used to power the engine. Most of the energy comes from the exhaust; more than 80% of its heat is recycled. The steam is connected to an expansion chamber which in turn is connected to the engine's crankshaft. The little remaining heat is absorbed by the engine's cooling circuit, which acts as the turbosteamer's secondary power supply.

The development of the turbosteamer has reached the point of comprehensive real-life testing. Its components are designed to be retrofittable to existing vehicles, and tests have been carried out on BMW 3 Series vehicles. The four-cylinder's engine compartment offers sufficient space for the expansion chamber, and development continues in order to make parts more efficient and smaller. The long-term goal is is to put the system into widespread production within the next decade.