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BMW developing turbo steam fuel-saving concept

Feb 8, 2006, 10:48 GMT

Munich - BMW engineers are working on a steam-powered auxiliary drive system that reduces fuel consumption by up to 15 per cent and boosts performance at the same time, the car maker said. The 'Turbosteamer' concept applied to a 1.8 litre, four-cylinder petrol engine recycles the waste heat in the exhaust gases and cooling system. In tests, the Turbosteamer produced 13 additional hp in performance with 80 per cent of the energy in the exhaust gases recycled, according to the manufacturer. Based on the same principles as the steam machine, heated fluid forms steam in two circuits which power an additional motor coupled to the existing combustion engine. 'The Turbosteamer reinforces our confidence that the internal combustion engine is undoubtedly a technology with a future,' said Burkhard Goeschel of the BMW board of management. Components for the hybrid system were developed so that they can be incorporated into existing car models with ground clearance only slightly reduced. Volume production of the concept could be ready within the next 10 years, the car maker said. Ongoing development is currently focusing on smaller and simpler components. © 2006 dpa - Deutsche Presse-Agentur

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BMW developing turbo steam fuel-saving concept

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