Breaking News: Bmw testing a radioactive heat-collector called the ‘thermoelectric generator’

In an attempt to lower fuel consumption and carbon emissions, BMW is currently testing a radioactive heat-collector called the ‘thermoelectric generator’ that was originally intended to power space satellites. It is fitted to the exhaust where it traps waste heat channeled down to the exhaust.

The company claims that they will be ready with a production version within five years.The thermoelectric generator is basically radioactive material that produces electricity when heated. BMW placed this generator around the exhaust where it uses the heat from the exhaust to produce electricity. At this initial stage of development, BMW is already predicting a minimum of 5 percent in fuel savings.
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theoptimisticpessimist - 3/5/2009 12:52:36 PM

+5 Boost

Does in power the "Flux Capacitor"?

_43LE - 3/5/2009 2:19:03 PM

+1 Boost

I think it sends energy to the dilithium crystals to power the warp drive...kidding, interesting idea though.

E36er - 3/6/2009 1:04:20 AM

+1 Boost

Great comment Opti-pess. One question, what happens when you get in an accident? Will it release the radioactive particles?

andraz - 3/5/2009 12:54:33 PM

+5 Boost

ok this is actually cool. Literally cool.

theoptimisticpessimist - 3/5/2009 12:56:56 PM

+1 Boost

Literally - Hot

sector - 3/5/2009 1:24:02 PM

-4 Boost

With all the toxic chemicals, compounds and adhesives used in car interiors these days they should just strap this 'radioactive' generator on the dashboard :)

KZ258 - 3/5/2009 2:02:13 PM

-1 Boost

lol

holmstar - 3/5/2009 5:02:32 PM

+3 Boost

not radioactive... see my comment below.

Star - 3/5/2009 1:36:36 PM

+2 Boost

How long until the Asians will try to copy it?

sector - 3/5/2009 2:26:48 PM

-2 Boost

Asians are not into gimmicks... they've already built an everyday accessible vehicle that drinks hydrogen and spits out water... Honda Clarity FCX, which'll be mass produced in 8-9 years, they just gave our planet new lease on life.

You can send some flower and box of chocolates to Honda if you'd like :)

theoptimisticpessimist - 3/5/2009 5:23:55 PM

+3 Boost

"not into gimmicks" Three words for ya, Self parking cars.

AdHominem - 3/7/2009 7:05:57 PM

+1 Boost

BMW has been perfecting hydrogen cars since the 1970's and they currently have dozens of fully licensed and registered hydrogen/petrol hybrid 7 Series with full VINs being driven in the USA by various influential public figures.

Need4Speed - 3/5/2009 1:49:58 PM

+2 Boost

You mean copy it...perfect it...and call it their own?

Star - 3/6/2009 9:54:38 AM

+2 Boost

No. I mean just "try" to copy it. I never seen anything that Germans built that needed the Japanese to perfect it. I would be thrilled if the Japanese would manage to offer a good copy of a German car for less but they never succeed in matching the real thing. There is always something missing with the Japanese copy. I know, it is sad when you cannot even manage to make a good copy but well...

veyron1001 - 3/5/2009 2:22:54 PM

-1 Boost

Wouldnt it be better if it was attached to the headers or have a setup like a sensor where the hottest point of the exhausting gasses from an icu?

bd5034 - 3/5/2009 2:46:18 PM

+3 Boost

Rofl @ sector thinking the FCX clarity is a big deal. I drank water out of the exhaust of a GM engineered hydrogen-powered car over 10 years ago. Hydrogen is old news, and the Japanese companies most certainly did not 'invent' it. The problem with hydrogen technology that always kept it from taking off isn't that it was difficult to engineer, but that it's expensive. On top of that, we don't have the infrastructure required for hydrogen to become mainstream - and likely never will. The reason gasoline is so widespread is because it's highly profitable and the sources are controlled. Hydrogen is the most plentiful element in the universe, and thus the profit motivation to propagate it simply isn't there.

sector - 3/5/2009 3:58:25 PM

-3 Boost

yeah and Francois Isaac de Rivaz designed the first hydrogen powered combustion engine in 1807... you can't sell it until you "bottle" it pal, key word here is "accessible", FCX's are already being field tested right now in california.

I'll be sure to send box of chocolates to GM when they bring it out in 8-9 years, will they be around that long though?

AdHominem - 3/7/2009 7:07:02 PM

+1 Boost

BMW has been perfecting hydrogen cars since the 1970's and they currently have dozens of fully licensed and registered hydrogen/petrol hybrid 7 Series with full VINs being driven in the USA by various influential public figures.

holmstar - 3/5/2009 4:07:52 PM

+4 Boost

This article has the details way wrong...

There is nothing radioactive about what BMW is going to use. They are just using the thermoelectric effect to generate electricity from the waste heat. Look up peltier heaters/coolers if you want more info.

holmstar - 3/5/2009 4:56:20 PM

+4 Boost

just to clarify...

deep space probes often do use radioactive materials to generate electricity, being that they are too far away from the sun to use solar panels. They just use the heat generated by the decaying radioactive materials to drive a thermoelectric generator... the same sort of generator that BMW plans to use. But BMW will just use waste heat from the exhaust instead of heat from decaying radioactive material.

pcar4evr - 3/5/2009 4:57:56 PM

+3 Boost

Your right that this has nothing to do with radioactivity, but you're wrong that it is a Peltier heater/cooler. It actually operates via the Seebeck Effect

holmstar - 3/5/2009 5:06:47 PM

+4 Boost

Right... also known as the "Peltier-Seebeck effect" :-)

holmstar - 3/5/2009 5:12:36 PM

+4 Boost

technically you are correct that the seebeck effect is the situation described when generating current from a difference in heat, and the peltier effect is the situation described by using current to drive heat from one side of the thermocouple to the other. But really they are just two sides of the same coin, and I thought people would understand peltier heaters/coolers better.

formula666 - 3/5/2009 4:40:42 PM

-1 Boost

Photosynthetic reverse-osmosis?
- F666

investor27 - 3/5/2009 4:58:22 PM

-1 Boost

You wonderful guys are very clever. Thanks for the laughs today.

uall - 3/5/2009 5:51:03 PM

+6 Boost

lol @ Honda FCX

Germany has already built the most advanced (non-nuclear) Submarine which uses hydrogen fuel cells.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Type_212_submarine

TheDepressingTruth - 3/5/2009 7:09:28 PM

-4 Boost

GERMANY!....WTF does GERMANY need with a SUBMARINE?...Who tha F@(% are THEY going to go to war WITH!?

Unless it's....Chrysler....and they've already DESTROYED THEM!

100octane - 3/8/2009 9:19:34 AM

+1 Boost

what do they want with submarines?

the same thing that you do with your air superior figthers and stealth bombers:

spend huge loads of taxpayers money and wait for the day when the terrorists will finally have an air force/navy.

Autoegr525 - 3/6/2009 2:43:52 AM

-5 Boost

I'll take a non-radioactive car with 5% less fuel economy, thanks.

I95SPEEDINGTICKETS - 3/6/2009 4:46:50 AM

+3 Boost

As you wish.

If you had the patience to read a few comments by some of the better educated members on this site you would have learned that there is nothing radioactive about the system in question.

Ignorance must be bliss for you folks.

sstainba2 - 3/6/2009 8:49:44 AM

+1 Boost

i seriously doubt the validity of the article. thermoelectric power is nothing new and in tons of devices... like mini-fridges. it's not radioactive. go read about the "setback effect" and the "peltier effect" if you are actually interested in how this works.