Questions about my thesis plans

[jecuen]

Hello I'm a fifth year electrical engineering student. i am planning to design and fabricate a low power alternator connected to a car exhaust. it's prime mover is a wind turbine run by the smoke emissions so that the smoke can still b useful. i just wanted to make something new because i think there are many projects made on piezoelectricity,TEGs and the like. is this a possible thing to make? and please can it make it to a power in Watts or just milliwatts? I'm also thinking for what i can use this power? thanks!

 

[Baluncore]

There is a bit of a problem with your suggested project. An IC engine needs to have low exhaust back pressure, if you obstruct the exhaust with a turbine the engine will not work well. The energy you generate will probably be less than the engines energy reduction by obstructing the exhaust. It would be better to extract energy from the alternator fitted to the engine.

 

[jecuen]

ok thanks, I'm having trouble proposing a thesis topic to my adviser. xD

 

[jim hardy]

i have noticed there's been substantial research into automotive alternators of late.

Some interesting articles:

http://ieeexplore.ieee.org/xpl/login.jsp?tp=&arnumber=560180&url=http%3A%2F%2Fieeexplore.ieee.org%2Fiel3%2F4112%2F12219%2F00560180.pdf%3Farnumber%3D560180

These fellows use modern control theory to get more power out of an ordinary alternator
http://www.rle.mit.edu/per/JournalPapers/JPtpemay04p618.pdf


this young fellow optimized a control scheme for using them on wind turbines
http://www.google.com/url?sa=t&rct=...=1x9Ae72SSicuAXq7xETdnA&bvm=bv.66330100,d.aWw