Can we use the heat to boil water to turn a turbine? Or would the water never cool enough to be used again?
What about using the heat to create pressure and then releasing the pressure to help move the fly wheel?
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>What about using the heat to create pressure and then releasing the pressure to help move the fly wheel?
You are describing how a steam turbine works.
>Can we use the heat to boil water to turn a turbine?
BMW actually did this, called the Turbosteamer. https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Turbosteamer
The technology started development around 2000 but it never made it into production. It’s a lot of cost, weight, and complexity for what it does. Their version attached a steam turbine to the transmission/driveshaft, the steam generated from waste heat from the engine would spin the turbine so the engine doesnt have to work as hard to move the car.
Another reason this isnt done is that steam must be under pressure in order to spin a turbine. Getting in an accident could potentially damage parts of the system that are under pressure, causing them to leak scalding hot steam or explode. If every car has a high pressure steam tank, people are going to accidently hurt themselves with them.
Using a few batteries and an electric motor accomplishes the exact same thing but is way cheaper, more compact, more efficient, and way safer than using a steam turbine.
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