More efficiency instead of power loss: BMW Group Research and Engineering is using combined heat and power in a car for the first timenhancing efficiency by up to 15 percent feasible+++1.5 litres of petrol less consumption realistic in mid-range car+++Basis: The principle of the steam engine

Munich. Using an innovative concept, BMW Group Research and Engineering has
succeeded in harnessing the biggest and as yet untapped source of energy in the
car: heat.

Combining the innovative assistance drive with a 1.8 litre BMW four-cylinder
engine on the test rig reduced consumption by up to 15 percent and generated 10
kilowatts more power. At the same time, up to 20 newtonmetres more torque was
measured. This increased power and efficiency comes for nothing. Reason for
this fact is that the energy is derived exclusively from the waste heat present
in the exhaust gases and cooling water and doesn't cost you a single drop of
fuel. The research project therefore meets all the conditions espoused by the
philosophy of BMW Efficient Dynamics - lower emissions and consumption combined
with more dynamic driving and performance.

Up to fifteen percent higher overall efficiency for the petrol engine.

The Turbosteamer - this is the name of the project - is based on the principle
of the steam engine: Fluid is heated to form steam in two circuits and this is
used to power the engine. The primary energy supplier is the high-temperature
circuit which uses exhaust heat from the internal combustion engine as an
energy source via heat exchangers. More than 80 percent of the heat energy
contained in the exhaust gases is recycled using this technology. The steam is
then conducted directly into an expansion unit linked to the crankshaft of the
internal combustion engine. Most of the remaining residual heat is absorbed by
the cooling circuit of the engine, which acts as the second energy supply for
the Turbosteamer. The innovative assistance drive verifiably increases the
efficiency of the combined drive system by up to 15 percent. "The Turbosteamer
reinforces our confidence that the internal combustion engine is undoubtedly a
technology fit for the future," comments Professor Burkhard Göschel, Member of
the Board of Management responsible for development and purchasing at BMW AG.

Adequate space in today's vehicle concepts.

The development of the assistance drive has reached the phase involving
comprehensive tests on the test rig. The components for this drive have been
designed so that they are capable of being installed in existing model series.
Tests have been carried out on a number of sample packages to ensure that a car
such as the BMW 3 Series provides adequate space. The engine compartment of a
four-cylinder model offers enough space to allow the expansion units to be
accommodated.

System ready for volume production within ten years.

Ongoing development of the concept is focusing initially on making the
components simpler and smaller. The long-term development goal is to have a
system capable of volume production within ten years.

The big picture: project BMW Efficient Dynamics.

BMW Group Research and Engineering has demonstrated the medium-term
perspectives of the project BMW Efficient Dynamics. "This project resolves the
apparent contradiction between consumption and emission reductions on the one
hand and performance and agility on the other," is how Professor Burkhard
Göschel summarizes the core concept of the programme. The BMW Group is
committed to the principle that a reduction in consumption amounting to a few
percentage points over the entire model range exerts higher overall effects on
the general population than lots of percentage points for a niche model. BMW is
therefore focusing on making the latest technologies for reduced consumption
accessible to as many people as possible.