Thought Experiment - Propeller in the Exhaust

[Rollo]

This is just a crazy sort of idea, but if you could throw some sort of turbine/propeller/impeller in the exhaust and rather than used it to drive a compressor, used it to generate electricity, would the rules allow that extra electric energy to be returned into the KERS system?

I'm not suggesting force-feeding the engine as per either a supercharger or turbocharger, but I am suggesting putting all that wasted energy to use.

Thoughts?

[AndyL]

I think it would be permitted, but the rules say the KERS can only recover energy during braking. The rest of the time it would just be an obstruction in the exhaust. So it probably wouldn't represent any gain over the existing crankshaft-driven systems. Could be an interesting concept to include in future engine regulations though.

[Zico]

Isn't that a bit like putting a dynamo in the drivetrain? parasitic energy conversion? Not to mention that F1 engines spend many hours on flow benches to match exhaust pulse/wave resonance with intake harmonics, doing anything to mess that up these dynamics is a no-no.

Converting wasted energy from braking makes the most sense.

[Zico]

If it were within the rules, this - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Automotive_thermoelectric_generator would make better use of exhaust gas energy if they could do it in such a way as to remove any flow hinderance.

[ioan]

Isn't that a bit like putting a dynamo in the drivetrain? parasitic energy conversion? Not to mention that F1 engines spend many hours on flow benches to match exhaust pulse/wave resonance with intake harmonics, doing anything to mess that up these dynamics is a no-no.

Converting wasted energy from braking makes the most sense.

Exactly.

[Azumanga Davo]

The aero implications of such a move would also make it a bad idea.

[Mark]

This is just a crazy sort of idea, but if you could throw some sort of turbine/propeller/impeller in the exhaust and rather than used it to drive a compressor, used it to generate electricity, would the rules allow that extra electric energy to be returned into the KERS system?

I'm not suggesting force-feeding the engine as per either a supercharger or turbocharger, but I am suggesting putting all that wasted energy to use.

Thoughts?

It kind of is just a turbo used in a different way. My thought is that you would lose power due to a restriction in the exhaust?