Exhaust-Stack Energy Harvester Design
Budget: $750 – $1,500 USD
I am developing a thin, circular, flat-profile device that mounts directly onto vehicle tailpipes and large industrial smokestacks. Once clamped in place it must do two things in equal measure:
• draw usable power from the intense heat riding in the flue gases, and
• re-process any remaining combustible gases so the unit can squeeze extra electrical output from them.
Electrical energy is the primary deliverable; any recovered thermal energy can simply be a by-product or fed back into the process if it boosts overall efficiency.
Scope of work
1. Conceptual engineering of the heat-recovery and gas-reprocessing stages so they share the same compact housing without choking exhaust flow.
2. Selection or design of the conversion hardware—thermoelectric modules, micro-turbines, catalytic reformers, or any hybrid you judge optimal.
3. Mechanical layout of the “thin circle” form factor, including mounting ring or clamp that adapts from small vehicle pipes (≈50 mm) to larger industrial flues (≈1 m).
4. Modelling and performance prediction: CFD or FEA to confirm pressure drop, temperature gradients and expected wattage under several operating scenarios.
5. Draft manufacturing drawings or detailed CAD (SolidWorks, Fusion 360, etc.) plus a bill of materials ready for prototype fabrication.
Acceptance criteria
• Minimum 5 % conversion efficiency from exhaust heat/gas to electricity at 400 °C inlet for vehicles and 600 °C for industrial stacks.
• Back-pressure increase stays below 2 % of baseline.
• Complete design package with 3D files, schematics, and calculation report.
Mention any prior work with waste-heat recovery, TEGs, micro-turbines, or catalytic reforming in your proposal and outline the simulation or prototyping tools you plan to use so I can move quickly from concept to bench-top prototype.
• draw usable power from the intense heat riding in the flue gases, and
• re-process any remaining combustible gases so the unit can squeeze extra electrical output from them.
Electrical energy is the primary deliverable; any recovered thermal energy can simply be a by-product or fed back into the process if it boosts overall efficiency.
Scope of work
1. Conceptual engineering of the heat-recovery and gas-reprocessing stages so they share the same compact housing without choking exhaust flow.
2. Selection or design of the conversion hardware—thermoelectric modules, micro-turbines, catalytic reformers, or any hybrid you judge optimal.
3. Mechanical layout of the “thin circle” form factor, including mounting ring or clamp that adapts from small vehicle pipes (≈50 mm) to larger industrial flues (≈1 m).
4. Modelling and performance prediction: CFD or FEA to confirm pressure drop, temperature gradients and expected wattage under several operating scenarios.
5. Draft manufacturing drawings or detailed CAD (SolidWorks, Fusion 360, etc.) plus a bill of materials ready for prototype fabrication.
Acceptance criteria
• Minimum 5 % conversion efficiency from exhaust heat/gas to electricity at 400 °C inlet for vehicles and 600 °C for industrial stacks.
• Back-pressure increase stays below 2 % of baseline.
• Complete design package with 3D files, schematics, and calculation report.
Mention any prior work with waste-heat recovery, TEGs, micro-turbines, or catalytic reforming in your proposal and outline the simulation or prototyping tools you plan to use so I can move quickly from concept to bench-top prototype.