Honda Tests Rankine Cycling in Hybrid Engines
- Feb 19, 2008 2:40 PM EST
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Even though I am not a big fan of carbon cycling as a long term environmental strategy, recapturing waste heat from CO2 to boost hybrid engine efficiency is a clever pitch.
Honda is exploring this technology by employing a Rankine cycle co-generation unit. The system traps and recycles excess exhaust heat from the internal combustion engine and turns it into the electrical fodder for the onboard battery.
According to the Green Car Congress, "test results showed that in 100 kph (62 miles/hour) constant-speed driving, the use of the Rankine cycle improved the thermal efficiency of the engine by 3.8%. In the US highway cycle, the Rankine cycle system regenerated three times as much energy as the vehicle's regenerative braking system."
The use of the Rankine technology is being actively pursued elsewhere as well. Rankine Bottoming Cycle system is currently being applied by Cummins to increase the efficiency of heavy-duty diesel engines.