Exhaust heat recovery system

High school (ages 12+)
Science & Technology

Name:

Date:

Step 1 · Read the article

Open the article and read it at the level above. Then answer the questions below in your own words.

https://smallwhale.org/articles/exhaust-heat-recovery-system

Write what each word means, using the article.

Do not copy the article. Write two things you learned, the way you would explain them to a friend.

Answers below are taken from the article’s stored facts, so they match what the student read.

1. What is the primary technological implementations?Thermoelectric generators (TEGs) and Organic Rankine Cycle (ORC) systems
2. What is the key performance indicators?Enhances vehicle fuel efficiency and reduces CO2 and other harmful emissions
3. How does an exhaust heat recovery system help a car use less fuel?By capturing up to 30‑40% of the fuel’s energy that would otherwise be lost as heat, the system can make the engine use less fuel and travel farther on the same tank.
4. What are thermoelectric generators and how do they work in this system?Thermoelectric generators are small devices that use a temperature difference to create electricity. When they sit in the hot exhaust, they make a little electric charge that can charge the car’s battery or power its lights.

Thermal Efficiency: The ratio of useful work output to the total heat energy input in a heat engine.
Seebeck Effect: The phenomenon where a temperature difference across a conductor or semiconductor generates an electric voltage.
Turbo-compounding: A system that uses exhaust gas energy to drive a turbine that adds power back to the engine's crankshaft.