[Gdeaver]

Yes, Sterling engines are amazing devices. They will be used in the future to reclaim work from waste heat. For cars, BMW is testing a 2 stage sterling engine that they added on to one of their large V8's. Should be available for general purchase in the fall in European markets. The press release I read stated that it added about 45 HP at cruise speeds. Auto engineers have done an amazing job over the years of improving the combustion efficiency and lowering the pollution of internal combustion engines. However, the internal combustion engine is thermally inefficient.