IBRANCH

The project will deliver an Exhaust Energy Conversion unit that will convert some of the waste energy in the exahust gases of an internal combustion into useable power, either electrical or shaft. The unit is based on a modified Brayton cycle that uses readily available turbomachinery components in a novel arrangement, together with a heat exchanger that will be designed for rapid manufacture using selective laser melting, a form of additive manufacture that processes metal powders. Initial 1-D modelling suggests that at full power the fuel savings and CO2 emissions reductions can be 10-12% using standard turbocharger components at reasonable pressure ratios. Considerably higher performance can be achieved with higher efficiency components and high pressure ratios. The partners are HiETA Technologies Ltd (lead), the University of Bath, and Axes Designs Ltd.