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Tetrahedrite Can Turn Exhaust Heat Into Electricity for Hybrid Cars

Everyone knowing a thing or two about internal combustion engines can tell you their efficiency is rather limited. A big part of the energy “stored” in gasoline is lost through the heat generated by the combustion process. Add up the energy lost through friction between the engine’s components and you end up with an efficiency of 38 percent at best. If we could only find a way to use that heat some way...
Tetrahedrite 1 photo
Photo: Alphabet Energy
Well, there were some attempts in the past to use the heat (injecting water into the cylinders after the combustion for an extra steam cycle and all that craziness) but neither proved to be feasible enough to go into production.

With the growth of the hybrid car market, people thought to transform that lost heat into electricity, but materials that can do this were found to be expensive, toxic and returned a poor efficiency of 2,5 percent.

However, Alphabet Energy, a company that handles thermoelectric technology for mining and oil industry, has found a new material that can do the trick way better.

It’s called tetrahedrite - a steel grey to black metallic mineral that naturally occurs in a massive form in low to moderate temperature hydrothermal veins and some contact metamorphic deposits. Which means it’s a natural substance that is also nontoxic.

More than that, one kilogram of tetrahedrite costs six times less than its toxic counterparts and new tests proved it managed to achieve a 5 to 10 percent efficiency in transforming heat to electricity.

Now, that’s not very much compared to the 2.5 percent efficiency offered by previous materials, but regarding its cost, availability and Alpha Energy’s dedication to further invest into the new technology, future hybrid cars might come with exhaust-mounted heat-capturing systems using tetrahedrite that will charge your battery without using the regenerative braking.
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